A Wolf Awakens (Black Hills Wolves Book 18)

by Cassidy, Cam

  She wished she could have crawled in a hole. He was right and it pissed her off. The thought of some woman in his house, taking care of him, drove her insane. Despite his answers, she still felt there was more to it than he had said. “Flatter yourself any way you want. I’m not jealous. Guess you’re lucky you live in Mayberry with all the good neighbors to take care of you.”

  Something seemed to flash in his eyes, but before she could really get a glimpse, it was gone. Jax stayed in her face and held her gaze. She felt herself grow damp at the heat of his body being so close and the hungry look in his eyes.

  “You wanna believe the lie, go ahead. I’ll call it denial.” His voice was low, soft, more of a caress. “There is no way you faked a thing the night we were together. You may be a good actress, darlin’, but you’re not that damn good. Hell, no one is. The way your body responded to me, those sexy little noises, and the way you came apart in my arms when you screamed my name. The scent of your sweet pussy had me damn near high. Just. Like. Now. ”

  His lips were soft against hers. A barely there kiss before he sat back. He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply and moaned as if he were savoring the most fragrant flowers. All she could smell was his musky, earthy scent. When his gaze met hers again, he waited, almost daring her to make the next move.

  Moisture pooled between her thighs. If she stood up and stomped away, there would probably be a wet spot on the tee shirt. He was damn smug enough without giving him a clear visual to prove his point. “Pretty damn sure of yourself, aren’t you? I promise you, the one thing I’m not is a sure thing. It’s late, I’m tired, and honestly I wanna sleep.”

  He scooped her up into his arms.

  “Dammit, I don’t need to be carried around. I’m perfectly capable of walking myself.”

  Holding her in one arm, he reached down and pulled back the blankets then placed her on the bed.

  She closed her eyes. Damn, even the pillows held his scent. She could better deal with him in the morning when she had a clear head. “Good night, Jax. In case I didn’t say it before, thank you.”

  His footsteps sounded on the cabin floor, followed by the door lock sliding into place, and the room went dark. A few seconds later, the mattress dipped when he slid in beside her.

  Her eyes popped open. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  His strong arm pulled her, placing her back against his chest. She felt the strong rise and fall of his chest before he sighed and his face buried in her hair. The hard length of his erection pressed against her ass.

  “I’m goin’ to sleep, in my bed. I’m not much in the mood for dessert tonight. I’m thinking more along the lines of a late-night snack or breakfast.”

  Ange lost all will to fight. Wrapped in his arms she felt safe. Out of habit, she reached up and held the crystal on her necklace. “Jax, I’m too tired to argue anymore tonight.”

  His hand moved the hair from her face then he placed a soft kiss against her neck. “Then don’t. Sleep, Ange. I got ya.”

  Chapter Eleven

  His Wolf had never been more content in his life, lying in bed with Ange tucked in against him. Jax, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep. He ached—head, chest, and dick. When he wanted to flip her over, spread her legs, and bury himself balls deep inside her, both man and beast were on board. But Jax couldn’t do it. She was exhausted and needed to rest.

  She could try all she wanted to ignore what was between them, but eventually she would realize there wasn’t a choice. She couldn’t deny that she wanted him, and he would have her. Her denial caused a temporary, although painful, ache he could deal with.

  Memories of their night together played through his mind, followed by memories of her in the tent the next day. Earning a living by taking money, she played on their hopes of getting a message from the dead. He never would have thought she had it in her. Not the night they met, not today. Granted, they hadn’t spent a whole lot of time talking. It didn’t matter. He always prided himself on being able to read people. Could he have been so blinded by the bond of a mate that he hadn’t seen it? Or, was it something she did? If so, it would mean he believed she had a power. Which he didn’t. It had to have been the bond.

  Tomorrow, they would deal with how she managed to track him down. He had begun to deal with the fact she was his mate—not that he had any control over it. He did, however, have control over the future. He would lay it on the line. No more scams. He would have to talk with Drew though the thought didn’t thrill him. She was his mate, and she would have to be told what he was.

  Ange turned in her sleep. At first, he thought she was moving away from him. The idea she wanted distance between them caused the ache to return a bit. But when she reached out to find him, to pull herself to him in her sleep, a sense of rightness flowed through him. Her head rested on his chest, and she draped one leg over his thigh. His fingertips gently stroked up and down the length of her back. He was unsure exactly which of them were the gesture was made to calm. It seemed to have the same effect on both as he felt her breath become slow and easy. Finally she drifted into peaceful sleep. This time, it wasn’t long and he followed her.

  ***

  The world was seemed black, a night like she had never seen falling around her like a curtain. She was running as fast as she could but kept tripping and falling. Stabbing pains in her hands and knees. The more she rain, the less ground she seemed to gain. Was she running in place she questioned? Behind her came laughter which was both evil and filled with menace. It seemed to grow distant for a brief moment. In front of her, Jax stood in the light, his face an angry mask. She called his name, begging for his help. He stood, unmoving, frozen in place.

  “He can’t save you, not from me,” the voice of evil whispered behind her. “You’re mine to control, my puppet. I pull the strings. You may have found a way to block me earlier, but I assure you, it was only temporary. I want my revenge against my son, and I always get what I want.”

  An icy hand wrapped around the back of her neck and squeezed. She struggled against him, her arms flailing wildly to grab ahold of him. She screamed. “Jax, help me! Please!”

  Immediately, the warmth of Jax’s hands touched her arms. “Ange! Wake up. Dammit quit fightin’ me and open your eyes. Open’em now.”

  Her eyes flew open, staring straight into Jax’s worried gaze. He lay on top of her, his weight pressing against her body, his hands on her arms pinning her to the bed. Moving to her side, he released her. She coughed and choked, her hand moved to her throat to whatever had choked her only to find there was nothing there. Only her grandma’s crystal.

  The memory of the dream vanished. Tears fell from the corners of her eyes.

  “It was a dream, Ange, only a bad dream, baby,” he murmured. “You’re here with me. Come here, lemme hold you.”

  He rolled onto his back and took her with him, strong arms holding her close.

  Her tears fell on his chest. “I don’t remember what it was. It felt, I don’t know, just evil. It was a warning. Something bad is going to happen.”

  His hands moved slowly up and down her back. “I’ve seen some terrible things in my life, but there is not one thing that compares to the sight of your tears. I’m a strong man but your tears kill me, Ange.”

  His words only made her cry harder. How could he leave her in Sturgis and yet hold her now with a touch so gentle, giving her the illusion she was the most precious thing in his world? A sudden flash in her mind, and she looked up at him. “You were there, you were in the dream. I can’t remember anything else. What if it means something will to happen to you?”

  He used the pad of his thumb to wipe away her tears. “Nothing’s gonna happen to me. Nothing’s gonna happen to you. Ange, it was only a nightmare. Forget it, put it out of your head. I’ll hold on to you, and you go back to sleep.”

  How can I explain without him thinking I’m crazy? He already believes I’m a fake. How do I tell him monsters are real? She couldn’t. Not now. Ga
zing into his eyes, she slid up his chest. “Make me forget it, Jax. No way I can go back to sleep." She sat up and stripped off his tee shirt, letting it fall beside the bed before she leaned back down. Her lips trembled, a mixture of desire and fear after all that had happened he would reject her. She pressed them to his, her kiss a desperate need and whispered against his lips. “Make me forget there is anything in this world except you.”

  Chapter Twelve

  To say it scared the hell out of him to wake to the sound of Ange’s screams was an understatement. He’d almost shifted into his Wolf before he realized it was just a nightmare. Of course, the Wolf didn’t care. It only heard the screams of his mate and was ready to rip apart whatever had caused it. Jax had wrestled Ange down and yelled her name to get her to wake up. When she finally did, her tears wrecked him in a way he’d never thought possible. He would do whatever he needed to never see them again.

  He rolled her over and cupped her face. “You sure about this? Once we get started, there’s no way I can stop. When it comes to you I have little control.”

  She lifted her head from the pillow, and pressed her lips against his. “Please, Jax. Don’t talk. Touch. I need you. Not soft and sweet. I’m not made of glass, not gonna shatter any minute. Take me hard and fast. I wanna feel only you.”

  He slid the back of his knuckles down her neck to her chest. “You realize you basically waved a red flag in front of a bull,” he said between kisses. “Two reasons, I’ll give in to the way you want. One, because those scared eyes of yours kills me.”

  His mouth slanted over hers, and the second their lips touched she opened to him. His tongue slid along the inside of her lips before it slipped inside. He cupped her breast, giving it a firm squeeze then he pinched and tugged at her nipple until she arched into his touch. He broke the kiss and watched his hand moved down across the flat plane of her stomach. He teased her through her soft curls and finally slipped his fingers between the folds.

  “Fuck, you’re so wet and ready for me. I love how your body responds to me. Reason two we’re doing this your way? I’ve been dying to get inside you since I brought you home. But I need control. This is my home, my castle, my rules. Do you understand?”

  Ange’s hips arched against his hand. Normally, he would have given a little slap to the sensitive bundle of nerves. Instead, he kept his hand still and waited for her answer.

  “I already know you’re a control freak. Now, fuck me, King Jax.”

  He kissed her once more before he moved to kneel between her legs and spread them wide. There was no way he could stop himself, no way he could deny himself the pleasure when he slipped two fingers inside her, coating them with her juices then bringing them to his lips. He groaned at the taste. “I could bury my face in your sweet pussy and stay there for a week.”

  “Jax, please!”

  “I know, sweetheart, I needed a taste to tide me over.” Reaching down, he grabbed her ankles, lifted them onto his shoulders, and positioned his cock at the entrance. “Damn, Ange. So wet. So hot. So tight.”

  He struggled for control. He promised her hard and fast, knew what she needed and would give it to her. But he took his time feeding his cock into her. It was pure fuckin’ hell trying to override his Wolf’s desire to slam into her and fuck her to exhaustion. On the other hand, it was pure fuckin’ heaven. His Ange’s sweet pussy burning hot and wet for him.

  Finally all the way inside her, he began to move slowly. He looked down and watched his cock disappear into her. Each tremble of her silken walls around him was another test of his control. His teeth ached, pure animal desire raced through his blood, his Wolf wanted to mark her with no question. She. Was. His. Damn, if the thought didn’t make him impossibly harder.

  Her hips moved, rolled, and tilted to take him deeper. He kept her on edge, refusing to let her go over. She was lost in the feel of their bodies joined together.

  “When you come, your eyes stay open and look at me. Now, touch your tits. Show me how you like to have them played with.”

  Her hands moved to her breasts, and she cupped, kneaded, and tugged until she moaned with need. “Harder, Jax, please. Don’t you dare stop!”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” He grabbed her hips and pounded into her.

  “Oh God! Oh God! Almost there.”

  Her sweet lusty noises almost drove him insane. Soft purrs, groans, and grunts. He slowed his rhythm enough to reach down to her swollen clit. He placed a finger and thumb on each side of the sensitive bundle of nerves and growled out the words, “Come now,” and snapped the bundle between his fingers.

  She exploded beneath him. Her body twitched and trembled with the strength of her orgasm. She screamed out his name. His Wolf wanted to howl in pleasure.

  Her wet heat clamped down on him like a damn vise. There was no way he could hold back. The tingle started in the base of his spine, his sac drew up tight against his body. He pummeled into her and felt the heat of his seed shoot deep inside her, growling out her name, his body jerking with each release. His Seed. His Scent. There was no need for her to wear his mark. Any member of the pack within two hundred yards would know she was his.

  Lowering her legs, he kissed her and he rolled them so she was on top, his cock still hard inside her. Her body felt relaxed, nearly limp against him. Smiling, he kissed her forehead while he tugged a blanket up over her. “Rest, I gotcha.”

  She never opened her eyes. Only smiled before placing a kiss to his chest.

  His hand stroked over her body, a constant touch he craved as much as his next breath. Finally, he closed his eyes, one word on repeat in his head.

  Mine.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ange woke, surprisingly refreshed. She stretched and felt the soreness in her muscles, most of which had nothing to do with her trip through the woods and everything to do with the man whose bed she shared. The thought of her nightmare caused a shiver to race through her. The memory was there, just out of her reach. She knew she couldn’t force the memory, it would return in its own sweet time. She wasn’t ready for it, not yet.

  Jax had chased away the nightmares, he pushed her body past the point of exhaustion, her mind past thought. Twice more through the night she woke, not from any dreams but a chill from which Jax had no problem warming her back up. Thoughts of him only brought more questions, ones she needed coffee before she tackled.

  She showered, found the tee shirt and sweats Jax had set out for her.

  In the kitchen, she poured herself a cup of coffee and walked out on the deck. There were only trees. Nothing at all even in the distance. No sounds of traffic, only peace and quiet.

  Lost in the tranquility, she was startled when a man seemed to appear out of nowhere. He was huge, shirtless, dressed only in a pair of jeans. She noticed his bare feet. Well, at least I’m not the only one crazy enough to run through these woods without shoes.

  With a sense of unease, she looked up to his face. “I’m a friend of Jax.”

  The man remained silent, his eyes seeming to bore into her.

  “I got in late last night.”

  There was a short toss of his head she took for a nod. Did he think she was lying? Was he crazy? Mute? A psychopathic killer? She was in the middle of nowhere. If she screamed, no one would hear her.

  “I’m not sure where he went right now, although I assume he’ll be back soon.”

  The man approached and didn’t mutter a word. Even his footsteps were quiet on the forest floor. Her heart raced when he came up the steps to the cabin. He was way over six feet tall, his hulking frame covered in massive muscles.

  She backed up toward the cabin door. She glanced down at the ceramic coffee cup in her hand. No, lukewarm coffee won’t make much of a weapon.

  He stopped two feet in front of her, his gaze never leaving hers. Swirls of darkness clouded her vision, her earlier apprehension turned to instant rage. Ange wanted to take a step back, but the darkness inside her prevailed and she took a step forward in
challenge,

  “I knew someday you would come,” the man said, his voice strong, sure. “I’ve waited, watched for the signs. The center of a soul sent out a beacon brighter than the noonday sun, surrounded by clouds darker than the midnight sky.”

  Footsteps bounded up the stairs, and Jax stepped between them. “Gee, what the hell? This is my…friend, Ange you’re scaring the shit out of. You wanna back off a little bit?”

  Ange peered out from behind Jax and placed her hands on his back while her lips curved into a smile. The old bastard watched her through narrowed eyes.

  “The Cherokee say within each of us are two Wolves. One good, one evil. The one to win the battle is the one you feed.” Gee walked away, and she had the craziest urge to laugh. Before she had a chance, Jax turned, knocking the coffee cup from her hand. It crashed to the porch floor. The sudden noise sent fear racing through her. Jumping back, her hand on her neck the darkness faded, her vision cleared.

  Jax’s arms steadied her. “He’s a crazy son of a bitch. Harmless, I promise.”

  A struggle raged inside her. Good versus evil, light versus dark. The story of the two wolves wasn’t a new one. She’d heard it before. The difference now was she understood it, felt it within her own soul.