Wolf in his Heart (Salvation Pack)

by N. J. Walters

  “Here is good.” Sage snapped out the blanket and settled it on the grass. It made a scrunching sound as the vegetation was dry and brittle. They’d had a lot of sunshine and heat the past two weeks and no rain.

  He kicked off his shoes and shucked his jeans before sprawling onto the blanket. Rina stood nearby and watched. He wished he knew what she was thinking. “We don’t have to do anything but talk if you don’t want. I just want to hold you in my arms.”

  He wanted her against his body, skin to skin, their breath mingling. He wanted to lie with her beneath the moonlight and watch the sunrise over the mountains.

  The air shimmered around her and he watched as her wolf gave way to her human form. She didn’t shy away from him even though she knew he could see her perfectly in the dark. Like some moonlight goddess, she walked toward him. He held out his hand and she took it, allowing him to guide her down beside him.

  He settled her against him so her head was resting on his shoulder and her hand was on his stomach. The night air was warm but cooler than his body. He welcomed the breeze against his skin.

  “Are you cold?” It was a nice evening, but she was naked.

  “No. I’m okay.” She moved restlessly against him.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “You’re—” She stopped, swallowed, and tried again. “You’re aroused.”

  “Yes, I am.” He captured her hand and brought it to his engorged cock. “I want you, but only if you want it. No pressure.”

  She gave a half laugh and tightened her fingers around his erection. “No pressure.”

  He grinned and then groaned when she moved her hand up several inches. Accident or on purpose, he couldn’t say. All he knew was that it felt amazingly good. What had he been saying? “I have no expectations other than to lie here in this meadow with you in my arms until the sun comes up.”

  “Sage.” The way she said his name made his balls clench.

  “I’m here,” he assured her. “Whatever you want. I’m yours.” He wanted to roll her beneath him, mount her, and fuck her until they both screamed their release. But no matter how incredible that would feel it would be a mistake. Rina had to make the first move.

  Rina’s pack and family had tried to take away her choices and she’d run rather than stay and cave to pressure. It was up to her what happened tonight.

  His cock flexed as if in protest of his thoughts, and her fingers around it. He groaned and she started to release him. “No,” he protested. “It feels good.” Good. What a lukewarm word to express the ecstasy shooting through him.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” she protested.

  “You aren’t hurting me. Just the opposite.” His voice was low and guttural, but he couldn’t help that. He was lucky he was able to string enough words together to make a complete sentence.

  She released her hold on him and rolled up, coming to sit on her knees beside him. “Why?”

  He didn’t pretend to misunderstand. He knew what she was asking him. Why her? Why was he doing this? It might be more expedient to lie but he couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t lie to Rina.

  “I want you in my arms tonight and every night to come. I want to mate you and mark you. I want to watch you smile for years to come and I want to be the shoulder you cry on, the one you turn to when times get tough.”

  She shook her head, and he could see her bewilderment. “How can you say that? You barely know me.”

  He heard her underlying insecurities and wanted to kiss them away. How could she not realize how special she was?

  “You’re strong and courageous,” he began. “You survived when many would have given in and gone back to the pack, even if it meant doing something they didn’t want to do.” Sage would bet his last dollar that her alpha and parents had expected her to do just that, which was probably why she’d been banished instead of forced into the mating. If she’d come crawling back, it would have been her decision to mate with the wolf she didn’t love. He bet they’d been shocked when she’d disappeared instead.

  “I’m not,” she protested. “I couldn’t go back, and I’ve been scared.” She gave a ragged laugh. “I’m still scared.”

  He pushed up off the blanket and knelt in front of her so their knees were touching. She looked mysterious and powerful bathed in the moonlight. “It’s okay to be scared, Rina. That doesn’t mean you’re not brave. You’ve been alone in the world for more than a year, and yet here you are. You’re smart and not afraid of hard work.” He ran his hands up her forearms, past her elbows, and all the way to her shoulders.

  “I think you’re fucking amazing.” She started to deny it, but he stopped her. “No. You’re all that and more.”

  “I wish I could see myself the way you see me.” The longing in her voice made him want to wrap her in his arms and promise to keep her safe forever.

  “You will,” he promised. “In time.”

  “Time.” She sighed and shook her head. “We don’t have much time.”

  “We have all the time in the world.” He ignored the frantic racing of his heart and the panic surging inside him. “You have a home here.” He wanted her choose him, to stay with him and his pack.

  “I have trouble on my tail,” she reminded him.

  “If and when it comes, we’ll deal with it.” He spread his knees and moved closer. “You belong here,” he told her. He kissed her temple and then her cheek. “With me.”

  “Sage.” His name was little more than a sigh.

  “I want you,” he reminded her. He slowly slid his hands down from her shoulders until they were covering her breasts. “I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want you.”

  The softness of her breasts in his palms almost made him forget his promise to let her take the lead. He brushed his mouth over hers. She gave a tiny gasp and parted her lips. He took advantage of the invitation and slid his tongue into her mouth. He kept his eyes open, watching her for any sign of distress.

  She brought her right hand to his cheek, her touch soft and gentle. He rubbed his thumbs over her distended nipples. Rina gasped and then moaned. He swallowed the sound and deepened the kiss.

  Every cell in his body screamed for her touch. His cock was close to exploding. He ignored the needs of his own body and focused all his attention on Rina. The feel of her smooth skin under his hands, the bold thrust of her tongue in his mouth, the tender touch of her fingers.

  It was torture to pull away when all he wanted to do was lift her and deposit her on top of his hard shaft. The thought of her wet heat grasping his dick almost made him come. He clenched his jaw and mentally ran through a list of chores he had to do. Anything to distract him.

  “Your choice,” he reminded her. His movements were stiff, but he forced himself to lie back down beside her. His cock flexed toward her as if beseeching her to touch him. He wanted to reach for her but fisted his hands by his sides. What happened next was up to her, even if it killed him.

  Rina was bemused and incredibly moved by Sage’s actions. There was no denying he wanted her. The heat flowing off him was making her sweat. He was so hard. Everywhere. He was all sleek, sculpted muscle, thick bones, and slick skin. There was a thin line of hair arrowing from his navel to his groin. She followed the trail to his engorged cock. It was big, just like the rest of him.

  She’d seen naked men before. She’d grown up in a wolf pack, after all, and such things were commonplace. But never had she wanted to run her hands over a man’s muscled chest before, to slide her palms over his corrugated abs, and wrap her fingers around his erection.

  He lay before her with his hands fisted by his sides, waiting for her to decide what she wanted to do. The wall of protection she’d built around herself this past year shattered. Pressure would have only reinforced it. His gentle acceptance had smashed it into a million pieces.

  She wasn’t sure she’d survi
ve if he betrayed her.

  “Rina. Baby, what’s wrong?” He sensed her inner turmoil and swore. “I’m being an ass. We don’t have to do anything. Come here.” He opened his arms to her and she almost dove into them. Sage was quickly becoming her refuge in the storm of her emotions, even though he was the cause of the most unsettling ones.

  She shook her head. “I want to touch you.” He lowered his arms, and this time he clasped his hands together behind his head, resting on them. She knew it was so he wouldn’t be tempted to grab her and take what he wanted.

  A part of her wished he’d do just that and take the responsibility away from her. Another part of her couldn’t wait to get her hands on him.

  She licked her lips and was startled when he groaned. When her gaze flew to his, he grinned and shrugged. “Everything about you is sexy. And watching you lick your lips just gives me ideas.”

  He might not be touching her, but he was seducing her all the same. She was quickly learning that Sage had a silver tongue. And that gave her ideas, made her wonder just what it would feel like to have his tongue on her body.

  Her breathing quickened and her pussy clenched.

  “I wish I knew what you were thinking.”

  Feeling aroused and sassy, she put her hands on his chest. “Maybe I’ll tell you.” She spread her fingers wide and enjoyed the flexing of his hard muscles beneath her palms. “You’re so strong.” All the men she’d known growing up had been strong and fit. They were werewolves. But there was something about Sage that made her want to touch him. Inside, her wolf was rolling around in pure sensual joy.

  The fact that her wolf accepted him was telling.

  She, however, was only willing to think about the here and now. She didn’t want the problems of the past or the future to taint this special time.

  A slight breeze wafted over her skin like a sensual caress. Her nipples tightened and sent a bolt of pleasure through her. Sage’s cock twitched, brushing against her arm.

  Wanting a better angle, Rina threw one leg over his heavy thighs and straddled him. Sage’s entire body turned to stone, every muscle tense as he waited to see what she was going to do.

  What was she going to do? His cock was long and thick, the bulbous head wider and darker than the rest of his shaft. She leaned down and gently blew over the tip.

  Sage groaned and his hips rose. She grabbed his hips so she didn’t topple over. She slid a little lower on his legs and found a more comfortable spot. Then she wrapped her hand around his erection. He moaned her name when she pumped her fist up and down.

  She liked the sound but wanted more. She licked her lips and slowly lowered her head. “Rina.” He growled her name and stiffened just before she blew once again on the damp head of his cock. “Fuck,” he swore. The muscles in his arms bulged with the pressure he was exerting to keep from touching her.

  Suddenly, she wanted to break his control.

  With that in mind, she swirled her tongue around the bulbous tip, just as she would if it were her favorite ice cream cone. Sage panted heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

  Rina opened her mouth and took him inside. The sound he made was somewhere between a growl and a howl. She’d never done this before but liked the taste of him, salty and warm.

  “Mmm.” The humming sound she made sent vibrations through his cock. She knew he liked it when his fingers were suddenly tangled in her hair, holding her to him.

  She experimented, moving up and down at a slow pace and then faster. She took him deep and then concentrated on the tip only. It was fascinating to listen to Sage’s moans of pleasure, to hear his whispered pleas.

  It was also turning her on. The ache inside her grew until she wasn’t certain anything would ever be able to satisfy it. She ground her mound against his leg, using it to stimulate her clit.

  Her breasts ached for his touch. Rina wanted more but didn’t quite know how to ask. She sucked his cock deep one more time and then released him. He tightened his hold in her hair before slowly letting her go.

  They were both panting for breath, their skin slick and the scent of their arousal overpowering the perfume of the trees and flowers around them. “Sage.”

  “Fuck, yes.” He reached down and dragged her up his body until their lips met. He didn’t just kiss her, he stole the air from her lungs and then returned it in a huge breath. He ate at her lips, nibbling and licking.

  “Take me inside you,” he commanded. “Ride me, Rina.”

  She rubbed her aching nipples against his chest, seeking some relief from the storm of desire raging inside her. Sage groaned and she felt the nudge of his cock against her slick opening.

  The throbbing in her pussy grew even more frantic. This was what she needed. She squirmed, trying to get him inside her. She needed him. Now.

  She heard him calling her name but ignored it. Nothing mattered but joining them together.

  “Wait, baby. I don’t want to hurt you. You’re so damn tight.” Sage wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted. “Sit up, Rina.”

  She didn’t want to sit up until she realized he was trying to make it easier for her to take him. Then she got on board with his plan in a flash. She rose over him, her knees on either side of his body. He guided his cock until it was in place. “Take it slow.”

  She didn’t want to take it slow. She wanted him, all of him, and she wanted it now. Rina gasped when the tip of his cock pushed past her body’s natural resistance. It was a tight fit. She planted her hands on his abs and stared into his eyes. She could see his desperation and need, and it comforted her to know she wasn’t alone in her desire.

  Rina took a deep breath and forced herself down on his cock. Sage closed his eyes and tipped back his head. The cords on his neck tightened and a muscle flexed in his jaw. He looked like a man in great pain, but she knew it was a good kind of pain.

  She felt it too. His cock filled her completely and her inner muscles relaxed and contracted around him. She took several deep breaths as her body struggled to accept him.

  “Jesus, you’re tight.”

  “I’ve never done this before.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

  Sage’s eyes widened and he stilled. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? We need to stop.”

  She shook her head. “No, I want this.” She was more sure about that than anything else in her life. Sage was the right man and this was the right moment.

  “God, Rina. I wish I’d known. I’d have gone slower.” He placed his hands on her thighs and rubbed up and down. He watched her, his blue eyes glowing in the darkness.

  She suddenly became aware of their surroundings. The night sky had never looked so beautiful, not even the Northern Lights in Alaska. The warm breeze surrounded them like a comforting blanket. All was quiet except for the sound of their breathing. They were joined together, as close as two people could possibly get.

  Rina swallowed heavily as the beauty of the moment settled over her. She’d done something totally stupid. She’d fallen in love with Sage Gallagher. Completely, utterly, and irrevocably.

  There was no going back.

  Her wolf already knew that Sage was theirs.

  The only question remained was what she planned to do about it.

  “Rina?” It continued to surprise her just how giving and understanding Sage was. Here he was, his cock buried to the hilt inside her, and he was concerned about her.

  “Love me.” That was what she wanted, right here and right now. “Love me.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Her pleas for him to love her made his balls clench and his cock flex. “I will,” he told her. “I will.”

  Sage didn’t know what was wrong with Rina. Something had broken through the sexual delight to trouble her. She didn’t seem sad or scared, just thoughtful. It was taking everything he had to keep from c
oming. He’d recover quickly, thanks to his werewolf heritage, but he wanted this first time to last.

  She was a virgin. Or had been. Hard to believe a woman so vibrant and beautiful wouldn’t have had men falling all over her. Of course, it was different in the packs. Her family would have protected her. He didn’t want to hurt her anymore than he already had.

  Still, he could not deny her pleas. So with his hands anchored on her waist, he helped her rise and fall around his cock, careful to gauge her reaction. Her slick channel squeezed his dick, and Sage saw stars even with his eyes closed.

  He forced his eyes open. He didn’t want to miss one second of watching her. She was so open and giving with her passion. Her natural sensuality was a complete turn-on. Her lips parted on sigh, and he had to kiss her. Sage surged upward and captured her sweet mouth. It drove him wild that he could taste himself on her lips. He loved that she tasted like him, smelled like him.

  In truth, he wanted to rub his body over every inch of hers so that every other male would know who she belonged to. Not exactly modern thinking, but then again, Sage wasn’t fully human. His true nature was primal and wild.

  He brought his knees up behind her and urged her to lean back. He almost howled when she did so without question. The new position arched her back and thrust her breasts upward. He leaned forward and closed his mouth over one stiff peak.

  Rina undulated her hips and her inner muscles closed around him like a vise. He buried his face between her full breasts and rode out the almost painful wave of pleasure. “I can’t wait.”

  “I don’t want you to.” She bucked, trying to move but unable to get much leverage.

  Sage lay back down on the quilt, reached between her spread thighs and found her clit. He rubbed the sensitive nub with his thumb and Rina went wild. She ground her groin against his, her movements fast and jerky.

  He meant for her to be in control. He really did. Then her pussy rippled around his cock, her slick heat milking him. She cried his name as she came and something inside him snapped.