“I can’t imagine anything being more stunning than this. It’s…there aren’t any words for what it is.”
I took her chin in my hand, and she met my gaze. The faintest bit of the pastel sky reflected in her eyes. “Every time I look at you, that’s how I feel. I’m so thankful I get to spend forever with you. Not just because you’re a Sawtooth she-wolf. It’s because you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. You fight for what you believe in, and you make things happen. All along, we’ve been struggling to survive, and because of you, we get to do more than that. We get to live. This is the first night of the rest of our lives. Think about that when you look up at the sky.”
Chandra sighed, looking back up. The collar of her jacket fell open, exposing her throat. My heart pounded. I took both her hands in mine, and she squeezed them. I brushed my lips along the side of her neck, feeling her tense under my touch. Fuck, I was scared, too. This would solidify our bond. Forever.
This woman was the reason I had a forever. The thought was enough to make all the questions go away. I ran my tongue over the spot that throbbed with anticipation. Chandra let out a little cry, her knees buckling. No, I’d never let her fall. I pressed her against my body and sank my teeth into her neck.
Chandra gasped, clutching my shoulders and I stayed connected with her. It wasn’t like a vampire bite, but enough for my saliva to mix with her blood. My life flowed through her veins. When I let go, I pressed two fingers against the wound to stop the bleeding. She was a wolf, it wouldn’t take long. Her blood was mind-numbingly sweet when I licked it off my fingers.
Chandra was mine. I’d only begun to claim her.
I crashed against her open mouth in a kiss. Chandra needed me just as badly. Our tongues tangled, fighting each other for dominance. I nipped her lips, loving the little sounds she made.
She cradled my face as she kissed me, her cool fingers tracing little circles along the surface of my beard. She pulled away just enough that I could feel her smile, and placed a peck on my cheek before sinking to her knees.
My cock was ready for her when she pulled it out. She ran her hand along the length of my shaft, placing kisses along the trail. Fuck. She swirled her tongue around the tip, then pulled back, looking up at me.
“Thank you,” she said. “For believing in me when no one else did. You said you were ready to die when I got here, I don’t believe that for a second. You were ready to live. If it wasn’t for you, this would never be my home.”
She took my cock in her mouth, guiding it with her hand. With the taste of her still in my mouth, and her lips clamping down on my shaft, I believed we really could touch the stars tonight. The pressure started to build, heat surging in my body.
I pulled her away from me by her hair. She laughed as I sunk to my knees. “You look so frigging beautiful. I can see your wolf. Not like an animal, but as an energy around you.”
Chandra blinked. “That’s what that is? I thought it was just this gorgeous night.”
“You can see mine, too?”
“I think so.” She bit her lip. “I didn’t know about that part. It’s amazing.”
“There’s so many things I didn’t bother to think about before you came along. Because as hard as we fought, we never had control over them. But now things are different. Better.” I kissed her again. Chandra pulled away from me, kissing my cheek, placing butterfly kisses on my neck. She caught me totally off guard when she sunk her teeth into my flesh.
Her wolf and mine, we were one now. I was complete.
We stripped out of our clothes without saying anything. We couldn’t keep our mouths away from each other. Everything was so intense, the lightest touch was enough to make me jump out of my skin. Chandra cried out as I took her nipple in her mouth—she tasted so sweet. All the scents that I’d only had a hint of before exploded in my mouth. I swirled my tongue slowly around her nipple like I’d never done it before, brushing my thumb over the other one. It tightened under my touch, and Chandra arched her back. I sunk back on my knees, kissing a line over the curve of her belly. Her eyes closed and her head fell back when I reached her clit.
The sounds that came out of Chandra were pure wolf. I growled against her skin, pushing my fingers inside her, thrusting hard and fast. She writhed underneath me. I could watch her body move like his for the rest of my life. And I would.
I pulled her up, so we were face to face. I had to kiss her before I said anything. “How about a preview of that reverse cowgirl?”
Chandra pushed me down flat on the rock. Gone was the woman who got spooked by an eagle in the forest a couple weeks ago. She climbed over me, and I had the best view in the house, that glorious ass. Or so I thought. She slid backward, taking my cock in her mouth one more time. Her pussy was so close to my face. Now I had the best view in the house. I grasped her thighs, moaning against her folds as she sucked.
Her body shuddered and she threw her head back, giving into her orgasm, but I didn’t let go of her. I coaxed every bit of pleasure out of her. Chandra’s head landed on my thigh as she gasped for breath.
“Hey,” I said when she sat up straight. “I wasn’t finished.”
“I changed my mind.” Chandra turned around. Fuck, she was gorgeous. The way her full thighs and hips curved, the swell of her breasts, I was losing my mind. Her dark hair fell in her face when she leaned forward. “I want to see you when I do this.”
Chandra took hold of my cock and positioned herself. I was a greedy bastard, and I needed her now. I thrust my hips up. She ground her hips in response to my thrusts, a slow delicious rhythm that was driving me insane. We’d fallen into a trance, drunk off claiming each other.
My body was on fire when my cock swelled, exploding inside her. Chandra fell forward, clawing at my shoulders for balance. Her face hovered over mine, slick with sweat, delirious with desire. Her hair clung to her cheek, the side of her neck, the top of her tits. She was wild. She was amazing.
She was mine.
“I love you,” I said before she crashed into me.
Her lips moved against my mouth. “I love you, too.”
Chapter Fifteen
Chandra
Getting out of bed that morning was torture. X’s warm body curled beside me, and every muscle ached in a memorial to last night. My neck throbbed, and I touched X’s mark and smiled.
“Morning,” he mumbled. X kissed my shoulder, then moved up to the bite, letting his lips linger on it. It tingled, sending heat through my body.
I moaned, and snuggled against him. “Can we stay here?”
X propped himself up on his elbow, gold eyes glowing in the early morning light. “I wish. Major will drag my ass out of bed and down to the shop by the scruff of my neck. I speak from experience. He might let you sleep, but I’m screwed.”
I didn’t doubt it. I sat up, letting the sheet fall away from my bare body. I’d never get tired of the way X looked at me. “I haven’t been to the shelter in a couple days. I miss it.”
Even though everything had changed in the forest, you’d never know it walking through Granger Falls. Valentine’s Day was a huge weekend for Bald Mountain, and the town bustled with activity. A few people nodded to me as we headed into the coffee shop, and someone paid for our order.
“Thank you,” I said to the man who whipped out his wallet, refusing to let us pay. I’d never seen him before.
“No, thank you.” He shook my hand before leaving.
“He must be in the pack,” Kiera stage-whispered to me. “Have you noticed those little paw print stickers in the store windows? It means it’s a pack-owned business. It’s like a whole secret world that we get to be a part of.”
“Speaking of that,” I took the order from Kiera and backed against the door. “When can I get you to Dr. Aldo’s office?”
Kiera groaned. “Can’t you be my doctor instead? “
“Absolutely. We need to know that the baby is happy and healthy. I’ll examine you. But I’d feel better if the doct
or is there, he’s dealt with this before, and you won’t freak out when I ask him questions. It would work for all of us.”
“Yeah, that would be better. But, the shelter,” Kiera protested. “What do we tell them?”
“You haven’t told Lyssie yet?” Kiera shook her head, sipping her decaf. I couldn’t imagine keeping such a giant secret from my best friend. “Today’s the day, girl. This baby could come anytime. You want to explain it to her when you’re in labor? Didn’t think so.”
She spit her coffee all over her lap. “What? Chandra, this scares the shit out of me. It’s…like being at war, in a way. I have no control over what happens to this baby. I’m so attached to this little guy already, and I keep telling myself everything’s okay. But I could have this little bomb inside me, ready to explode.”
“That’s exactly why you have to tell them. Lyssie and Trina love you. So does everyone else connected to us. They’ll rally around you, and the baby. You know they won’t let you think bad thoughts. That’s half the battle, I think. When I had my practice, I’d never allow anyone to talk negatively in the exam room. If those animals were in trouble, they weren’t hearing it for us. I wouldn’t let them lose hope.”
Kiera sighed, then looked at me hopefully. “I keep dreaming about the baby, and he’s perfect. That means something, right?”
As far as I was concerned, it meant everything. My dreams of Sawtooth Forest had yet to fail me. “Think of all the good things that have happened in the forest lately. Things have changed, and I don’t think we’re done with the good news yet.”
Kiera relaxed, and that glow that every pregnant woman had finally shined through. “You’re right.”
I distributed cupcakes as soon as we got back to the shelter.
“We’ll be celebrating for a long time,” Lyssie peeled the wrapper off her lemon crème cupcake. “Dallas says he feels like his old self since the other night.”
“No more naughty nurse?” Trina burst out laughing when Lyssie turned bright red.
“I’m sure she’ll take care of his needs.” I smiled at her, but the blush didn’t fade. “We have something else to celebrate, too.”
Lyssie and Trina exchanged puzzled glances, and I nodded at Kiera.
Kiera took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.” The girls stared at each other, open-mouthed. Kiera bit her lip. “Please say something.”
Lyssie practically jumped on her best friend, squealing and giving her a huge hug. “I had a feeling. There’s something different about you. In a good way. I’m so excited. I’m going to spoil this baby rotten.”
“How are you doing?” Trina asked, concern plain on her face.
Kiera looked like she wanted to run out of the room, so I took over for her. “So far, so good. She’s healthy and progressing normally. We have an appointment with Dr. Aldo today, the Sawtooth physician. If we could scoot out for a couple hours…”
“Of course. Whatever you need, Kiera. You know we’re here for you.”
**
I was as nervous as Kiera about this appointment. I’d never examined another human before. The book didn’t prepare me for anything. Dr. Aldo let me take the lead, so I started with checking her blood pressure and heartbeat.
“Have you been sick?” I asked.
“Once or twice, but not too bad.”
“Good.” We figured Kiera was about four months pregnant. “Is the baby moving?” For all we knew, it could be moving out of her any minute.
The glow was back. “Yeah. It’s been awesome.”
I put the stethoscope on her belly. It was round and hard, but she wasn’t showing in her clothes yet. I moved it around until I heard the unmistakable thump of a tiny heartbeat. I slipped off my ear piece and handed it to her. She clapped her hand over her mouth, tears springing to her eyes. “He sounds good, doesn’t he?” she said.
“He sounds amazing. Let the doctor listen.” I took the stethoscope from her and handed it to Dr. Aldo. He listened for a moment, then smiled and nodded.
“Should we do blood tests?” He had no ultrasound machine. Kiera wouldn’t see her baby until she gave birth, which was a massive disadvantage, especially since the odds were stacked against her. It was ridiculous, how limited this office was. I thought things at the shelter were bad. That was cutting edge compared to this place.
“Where would we send them? Any lab would pick up on the mixed DNA. It would cause more problems than it solved.” The doctor didn’t apologize for his lack of resources. Worse, he didn’t find anything wrong with it.
I tried to hold my tongue, but I couldn’t anymore. “How will we know how the baby is doing? All I can do is give her a pat down! I can’t run any tests, I can’t see the baby. I can’t even give her a due date! No wonder there have been so many failed births in the forest. We have nothing to work with.”
“The prudent thing would be to terminate the pregnancy.” The doctor put down the stethoscope with no emotion.
“No!” Kiera cried. “I can’t do that.”
“No,” I echoed. “Hell no. There’s no evidence that there’s anything wrong with this baby. I’m giving her about two months to go. I’ll monitor her closely, take her vitals every day. This baby needs someone to give it a chance.” And proper equipment and care, but all we had was a chance. For now.
Kiera dressed, and if looks could kill, she would’ve terminated the doctor. Dirt kicked up behind us as we pulled out of the driveway. “He’s an asshole,” she finally said.
“He should’ve never said that to you. He’s under-informed, and from another era. But that’s no excuse for not knowing a woman's body. He's a doctor. I feel bad for his wife.” That got a chuckle out of Kiera. “All kidding aside, the she-wolves of the forest have been shortchanged by his lack of information. Think of how many lives that were ruined. No more. I’m getting proper equipment in my office for women’s health, first thing. We need x-ray access and a way to test blood for everyone else. No more crossing our fingers and hoping for the best. I can treat the animals at the shelter better than I can the werewolves in the forest.”
“You’re such a badass, Chandra.” Kiera’s smile was genuine, and that was enough of a reason to do this. Not for praise, but to know I made her feel safe.
“Coming from a woman who disabled bombs, that’s pretty high praise.” I reached over and squeezed her hand.
“It’s true,” she said. “Where will you have your clinic?”
I’d always pictured myself working in Dr. Aldo’s office, with all its limitations. Carrying on Sawtooth tradition. But we needed something better. “I’m not sure.”
“How about the Reserve? What better way to come full circle, to go from dog fighting to healing pack members? In a year or two, the shelter will move there. Baron sees it as a pack center. A place we’ll always have, no matter what happens in the forest.”
“I like the sound of that.” It would take a little extra time, but we’d be able to make everything right. “I’ll do everything I can for you in the meantime, Kiera. I’ve been scouring that book, looking for a loophole. And I think I have one.”
“You do?” Her mouth dropped. “What is it?”
“I don’t think a true mate has to be between two wolves. I think it’s between two hearts.”
Chapter Sixteen
Chandra
“I can’t decide if I feel like a debutante or a porn star.” I laughed. I had no idea what to wear to this party. I stood in front of the closet in the bra and panty set I ordered last week. The girls at the shelter convinced me to order the whole shebang, including the garter belt and stockings. It was worth every penny.
X lay on his stomach on the bed, desire swirling in his eyes like the forbidden candy he was. Not so forbidden anymore—I could have a taste any time I wanted. His earthy scent hung heavy in the room, and my wolf rumbled. “I like the porn star idea, but go with debutante.”
Then slutty it was. I wanted to keep X on his toes. He had nothing to worry about, but
I remembered the first lesson of the forest: wolves loved the hunt. “Why?”
“Because.” He couldn’t stay away any longer. He crawled off the bed, looking much more animal than man, inhaling deeply when he reached me. I thought he was going to devour me, and even more, I wished he would. Everything inside me pulsed wildly. X knew, and his smile was wicked. My senses were so much more intense since we’d claimed each other. I never wanted the feeling to fade. “I want to keep that side of you all to myself.”
“Then what’s the point of Red Heaven?” I laughed, resting my forehead against his before pulling away. “Didn’t think I had to behave there.”
“Major started these parties when we had no chance of finding mates. He wanted to give everyone a chance to go a little crazy,” he said. “And the human women knew the rules. One night, no commitment.”
I’d never felt so possessive of anyone in my life. “I have an idea.”
“Oh yeah?” X pressed against me, his erection obvious through his jeans. “I like your lips that color. They look like forbidden fruit.” X scraped his teeth along my bottom lip. I’d painted them plum. I was so close to saying to hell with the party, and I was the guest of honor.
“Yeah,” I said quickly. “When we get there, come on to me like you’ve never met me. Lure me to Red Heaven like you would’ve done with a human woman.”
X laughed. “I never had to work all that hard to get anyone to join me there.”
My wolf growled. “Tonight, you do.” I pulled away and took a black dress from its hanger. Another online find. The Forever Home girls spelled disaster for my credit card, but I didn’t care. It was a spaghetti strap dress that accentuated my curves and left pretty much nothing to the imagination. And bending over was interesting. But when I saw the look on X’s face as I slipped it on, it was totally worth any level of difficulty. “Can you zip me?” I asked.
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