After Twilight

by Amanda Ashley

  Close by, a wolf howled. Did he call to a mate? She felt tempted to throw back her head and answer him. Instead, she rubbed her arms, the chill penetrating her body as well as her heart. There was nothing worse than being alone. Feeling empty inside because she had no family. No mate. No children. No one to turn to in times of sorrow, or in times of joy. She’d thought her heart couldn’t withstand the pain of loving again. The truth she’d come to realize was that her heart needed to love again in order to heal.

  Lifting her face to the wind, she caught Rick’s scent. A moment later, she heard sounds of his approach. The slight snap of a stick, the fluttering of a leaf as he passed. Her pulse quickened. Other emotions gripped her. Need, hunger, desire.

  Drawn to him, Stephanie walked out into the woods. His soft footsteps halted. He had caught her scent, as well. She sensed these things—also knew he battled his need for her. Would he fight or flee? Retreat or surrender?

  She found him in a clearing a few feet away. He stood straight, rigid in the night. The moon bathed him in a soft glow. His hands were balled at his sides, his jaw clenched.

  “You don’t know what I am.”

  “I know that I want you,” she said, then moved toward him. “That’s enough for me. Enough for tonight.”

  As if her words, the very sight of her, caused him pain, he glanced away. She ached to be held by him, to feel his arms around her. Reaching out, she touched his face, forcing him to look at her.

  “Don’t you want me? Can’t you give me one night?”

  The light dancing in his eyes flared. “You deserve more than one night.”

  “I deserve you,” she whispered. “We deserve each other.”

  Standing on her tiptoes, she pressed her lips against his. He didn’t respond for a moment; then it was as if she’d opened the floodgates to his passion. He clutched her shoulders and pulled her close, his mouth moving over hers possessively. His tongue danced with hers, teasing, then delving deep. The chill faded—the night sounds drifted away. All she heard was the sound of their breathing. All she felt was his hands moving over her, down to the bottom of the shirt where he bunched it up around her waist.

  She wore her bikini underwear beneath the shirt, but hadn’t slipped on her bra. His hands moved higher, cupping her breasts, his thumbs brushing her sensitive nipples.

  “I want to see you,” he said. “All of you.”

  He unbuttoned her shirt and slipped it off her shoulders. Stephanie realized she should be freezing, considering the temperature, but she wasn’t. She stood before him wearing only the moonlight and her silky panties. He bent, placing soft kisses against her stomach before he eased her panties over her hips, kissing every inch of flesh he exposed.

  Her fingernails bit into his shoulders. Despite his skillful attentions, she wanted to see him—touch him the way he touched her. She twisted her fingers in his hair and forced him up, their mouths meeting again while she unbuttoned his shirt. His skin felt smooth and warm beneath her touch. She shoved his shirt along with his jacket off his shoulders, allowing both to fall to the ground.

  The sensation of skin against skin sharpened her desire for him. She wanted to feel all of him. Fumbling with his belt, she undid the buckle. His jeans were tighter than usual in the area of the zipper, but she managed to free him. His size impressed her. She wrapped her fingers around his sex. He sucked in his breath sharply, then rid himself of boots, socks, and all clothing that remained. When he stood before her naked, she could only stare, marvel at his perfection.

  He was sleek, muscled, tall, and dark. She would have been content to stare at him longer, but he pulled her back into the warmth of his arms. His mouth sought hers, his hands roaming, teasing, pleasing. He found her greatest weaknesses, her most private secrets. His fingers stroked her gently, but her response was not tender. She wanted him to claim her—wanted to claim him in return. With that intention in mind, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to the dew-damp ground.

  • • •

  Rick wanted to love her gently, slowly, completely, but she drove him beyond rational thought. He allowed her to pull him down, then covered her beautiful body with his. Her long legs parted, inviting him inside. He went eagerly, gasping at the tight, hot feel of her as their bodies joined. She gasped, as well, and he realized he might be hurting her.

  Man overcame beast, and for her, he gentled the wolf. He eased back, dipped his head to her full breasts, tracing the circles of her nipples with his tongue before taking them in turn inside his mouth. She moaned, her fingers twisting in his hair. He slid his hand between them, stroking her into readiness. Her hips arched and she took him deeper inside her, forcing a moan from his lips.

  The sounds of their labored breathing echoed around them, and then the song began. A serenade from the wolves gathered on the distant bluffs. A song of celebration. The song they sang when one mate found another. Louder and louder the cries echoed around them, and harder and harder he strained, pumped, fighting for the control to wait for her. She was heaven, inside and out, perfectly made for him and him alone. Even as he felt the tremors of her approaching climax, saw her eyes glowing up at him, he realized that his surrender had been a mistake. Leaving was much easier when loving wasn’t involved. But he did love her, had loved her from the beginning.

  Her back arched, she cried out, sucking him down into the deep vortex of his own release. It was heaven, loving her, and it was hell, because he knew he had to let her go. Her arms crept around his neck; her mouth found his and drained the fight from him. As he surrendered to her again, dark whispers floated through his head. The selfish side of him suggested he could keep her. Could make her his and his alone. His mate. His lover. His monster.

  Chapter Ten

  Stephanie ran her hands over Rick’s soap-slick skin. They had spent the night making love. Only once outside; then they’d gathered their clothes and moved their activities inside. Virile was definitely a word she’d use to describe him. The man had a hearty appetite for more than food. He’d put the coffee on while she started her shower; then he’d climbed inside the steamy enclosure with her.

  She could get used to this, she admitted, tracing lazy soap designs on his back. He turned and pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply. Her pulse jumped. She has thought she’d be too sore from a night of vigorous lovemaking to want him again this morning, but she’d awoken feeling wonderful. Finding herself wrapped within the arms of a handsome man hadn’t hurt.

  The soap slipped from her fingers. She kissed him, sliding her tongue inside his mouth. He groaned and pulled back.

  “You dropped the soap,” he said, then smiled wickedly. “I’ll get it.”

  He took his sweet time about retrieving the soap. Stephanie didn’t complain. He kissed her knees, the inside of her thighs, and moved higher. She braced her hands on each side of the shower wall to keep her legs from buckling. He was very good with his mouth, with his hands, his whole body, for that matter. She closed her eyes and let sensation take over.

  Her body, long starved for affection, responded quickly to his tender explorations. She felt the tightening in her stomach, the gathering ecstasy with each steady stroke of his tongue. When she could stand no more, she urged him up. He lifted her onto his straining sex. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, felt her back pressed against the slick shower wall.

  He filled her completely, gave unselfishly, and sent her plummeting over the edge into madness. His own release exploded inside her. She loved the deep animal sound he made when he surrendered to pleasure. The gentle nip of his teeth against her neck. The husky words he whispered in her ear.

  In his arms, she felt complete, whole, and happy for the first time in a long while. But happy for how long? She pushed the thought away, not ready to deal with it. She’d bravely told him that one night would be enough for her, which had been easy to believe until morning found them still together. What now? She must have said the words out loud, because he nuzzled
her ear and answered, “Coffee and breakfast.”

  Rick turned out to be an excellent cook as well as an exceptional lover. Stephanie sat at his small kitchen table, attacking the scrambled eggs and toast as if she hadn’t eaten for days. He watched her over the rim of his coffee cup, smiling at her enthusiasm.

  “I have a surprise for you today,” he said.

  Since her mouth was stuffed with eggs, she lifted her brows to indicate he should continue.

  “You wanted to see a den, remember? I know where one is.”

  “Are there pups?” she asked despite her full mouth.

  “A litter of four about five weeks old.”

  “Can I film them?”

  “I think I can convince the mother to allow you close enough.”

  Excited, Stephanie jumped up from the table. “I need to go back to my campsite and get my camera equipment.” She moved around the table and hugged his neck. “I’ll meet you back here in thirty minutes.” She left humming a happy tune.

  • • •

  Rick wished he felt as carefree. The night he’d spent with Stephanie had been incredible. And not because it had been so long since he’d made love to a woman. With her, it wasn’t just sex, but something deeper. A commitment because his heart had been included in the exchange. He loved her. Maybe he had from the moment he glanced up and saw her green eyes shooting sparks at him because he’d taken advantage of her. He’d taken advantage again last night. Knowing what he must do, he should have walked away from her. But he hadn’t… couldn’t, in fact.

  He couldn’t be honest with her, either. She wouldn’t believe him if he told her the truth. She’d think he should be locked up in a mental hospital. So he’d taken that one night with her. Told himself it was his last chance to give and receive love. His last time to feel human again. But last night had been a mistake, because now that he loved her, he wasn’t sure he could let it end with one night.

  Rick rose from the table and gathered the dishes. He glanced at the calendar and cringed. Only three days until the full moon. Three more days of loving her; then he must end the nightmare. Why? the dark whispers began again. Why couldn’t he continue his life, but with a mate by his side? He’d no longer be alone. He could help Stephanie adjust to her new life.

  He shook his head, denying the tempting thoughts. Forcing Stephanie to share his cursed existence would be a selfish act. A cruel one. His plan was to help her finish her research and get her the hell gone. He only had three days. They’d have to hurry. He’d promised to contact the Fish and Wildlife Service himself as soon as she left. She could scurry back and get her project up and running.

  Then he’d be called to do what he must. On the first night of the full moon, he’d take his life and save hers. He’d do it before the changes began. He’d have to or she’d suffer. Her scent still hung in the air. Rick closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Visions of tangled limbs and smooth, damp skin filled his head. He could happily spend the rest of his life with her, and he guessed he would.

  • • •

  Trusting or not, the female wolf hadn’t been all that compliant about allowing them to stick their heads in her den. Just in case, Rick had brought along a mild sedative. The female had let him give her the drug; then they’d waited until she grew calm. Stephanie had both camera and video recorder. She took several shots of the frisky pups. Now she sat among them, cooing and lifting them, kissing each one on the head.

  Despite the dark clouds gathering overhead, Rick smiled at her antics. She glanced up and smiled back at him. His heart warmed at the sight of her, wolf pups climbing all over her lap. She looked so beautiful to him in that instant, so innocent and trusting. She deserved a special man. Deserved a normal home and children of her own. She deserved all he could not give her.

  “Come play with us,” she urged.

  Rick walked over and sat beside her. “That sedative will be wearing off soon,” he warned her. He glanced up. “And it looks as if we’re in for a storm tonight.”

  She turned her gaze on him. “I may have to take refuge at your place. I’m scared of storms.”

  He laughed. “You’re not afraid of anything.”

  “We could pretend I am,” she said, smiling seductively. A moment later, she sobered. “I mean, if you want me to stay.”

  What he wanted was forever, but he’d settle for another night with her. “Or we can pretend that storms frighten me.”

  It was her turn to laugh. “Okay,” she agreed. “I like that better.”

  Thunder rumbled overhead. The female wolf resting inside the den growled.

  “Time to go.” Rick rose and offered Stephanie a hand up. “Come on, we’ll have to run to make it back before the storm breaks.”

  After placing the pups inside the den with their mother, Stephanie took his hand. Rick shoved her video camera beneath his shirt and watched as she did likewise with the camera hanging around her neck.

  Another loud rumble of thunder had him tugging her away from the den. They scrambled down a bluff and ran full out across the meadow where they had made love the previous evening. Large drops of rain fell from the sky. Stephanie squealed and pulled ahead of him. She ran inside the cabin, leaving the door open.

  When he entered, he saw her stomping around and rubbing her arms. “That rain is freezing cold.”

  “Maybe I can warm you up,” he said.

  In answer, she quickly removed her camera from her neck, set it on the bar and began stripping. She dropped her wet shirt on the floor on her way to the bedroom. Rick growled low in his throat and followed.

  • • •

  Later, while the rain made drumming noises on the roof, and lightning flashed outside the windows, he held her naked and content in his arms.

  “Rick?” she asked. “Do you ever think about leaving this place?”

  Of course he’d thought about it. But where could he go except another remote place just like this one? A place where he could run wild during the full moon with those of his kind. “No,” he answered.

  “Would you consider it?” she asked after a hesitant pause.

  “I can’t leave, Stephanie,” he said point-blank.

  “It’s not as if your business is thriving. And a good vet along on an expedition is always a plus.”

  There was nothing he could say to spare her feelings. He’d love to get out of this place, back to civilization, or to follow her around on her expeditions doing whatever he could. Anywhere she was would be fine with him. But that wasn’t possible.

  “I might consider leaving,” he amended his earlier answer. “I’d have to get some things in order first.”

  “Well, of course,” she said. “I didn’t mean tomorrow. I meant… someday.”

  He kissed the top of her head, wishing he didn’t have to lie to her. There was no future for them. “I’d like for you to meet my parents,” he said, then realized he’d expressed the thought out loud.

  Stephanie shifted so that she could see him. “I’d love to meet them.”

  His mother, he felt certain, would be very pleased with Stephanie. She had once complained that the women he dated seemed plastic and shallow. She’d insisted that he meet a sweet down-to-earth girl and get married. He had the perfect woman lying in his arms, and no right to hold on to her. Rather than lie to Stephanie further, he kissed her into silence.

  A kiss led to a touch, a touch to another kiss; then nature took its course. He made slow love to her while the storm outside raged. Rick felt grateful for one more night of being human. One more night to love her, hold her, and wish it could last forever. But even lost in the feel and taste of her, he couldn’t block out the clock ticking in his head. Time would soon run out for them.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Leave? What do you mean, leave?” Stephanie asked. She and Rick sat at his kitchen table again, having coffee and toast. She’d spent the previous day getting some great coverage of the wolves. With him by her side, she’d even managed to get covera
ge of the pack attacking a sheep herd.

  She’d tried to hide the strange things happening to her from Rick. There was no way she’d tell him she felt the urge to run wild with the wolves. To take down prey and feast on blood. He’d think she’d gone bonkers. And maybe she had. But his kisses chased away her fears. In his arms, she forgot the weird way she felt at times: her keen night vision, her hunger for raw meat, her desire to howl at the moon.

  “I think you should get things started on the other end,” he answered. “I told you I’d call the authorities later today. You need to get a rescue started, use your pictures and research to make a case for our wolves.”

  “But why can’t I just wait for the authorities to show up here with you? I could tell them—”

  “I’ll tell them,” he assured her. “Your job is to show them.”

  He had a point. She needed to get her pictures and material back to the organization as soon as possible. It would take the proper authorities a while to arrive on the scene anyway. The truth was, she didn’t want to leave him. She’d felt uneasy all morning, as if something were about to happen. Something bad.

  “And you think I should leave right away?” she asked, hoping he’d say he didn’t want her to go at all.

  “The sooner the better,” he answered.

  His response hurt her feelings. She tried to hide it by lowering her gaze. “It won’t take me long to pack up. I can be gone by this afternoon.”

  Rick rose from the table. “If I help, you’ll be on the road faster.”

  All right, she wasn’t imagining his haste to get rid of her. She shouldn’t have expected anything more. All she’d asked for was one night, and she’d received more than that. Still, he didn’t have to act so cold about it. He didn’t have to shove her out as quickly as possible so he could get on with his life.