“This way. Let’s go out the side door.” She wanted a little more time to figure out how things would go with Luke before she had to grin and present everyone’s vision of a happy couple.
Nikki set a quick pace purely out of the desire to avoid seeing anyone. Luke had no trouble keeping up since his long legs were capable of taking double her stride each time he moved. She opened the side door and squinted in the bright sunlight, gratified that no one was about. The tree line that led into the woods was just a few feet away from the side door. It would take a little longer to get to her favorite places to run, but that was no big deal. They had all the time in the world, really.
They only made it a few feet into the woods before Luke started stripping, and of course, Nikki needed to lose the robe if she was going to shift and run with him. It was silly, but she felt another wave of shyness and wanted to kick herself for it. After all the ways they’d touched each other last night, there was zero logic in any bashfulness, but there it was, anyway. Trying to shake the shyness off, Nikki focused on at least appearing confident. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had such an effect on her. Sure, he was behaving reasonably right then, but who knows? That could change at any moment.
He was waiting for her, all hard muscle and tanned skin, looking more like a god than a man. There was no hope for it. All she could do was pull the robe off like ripping a bandage from a wound. Tossing it to the ground, she didn’t stop to give herself time to think or to see what he would say or do next. She turned and leapt forward, shifting in mid-air as she broke into a run, leaving him to follow or get left behind.
Nikki dashed through woods she knew like the back of her hand, seeking the paths that would lead to her favorite places. She’d been playing in these woods since she was just a pup. As she’d come of age, the woods had shifted from her playground to a place to go when she needed to clear her head, think, or feel grounded. It was her happy place, and today was no exception.
As she sprinted through the woods, dodging branches and jumping over logs, she felt as happy as always, becoming one with nature. Nothing could prepare her, though, for the surprised joy she felt when a single word penetrated her mind. The voice she heard in her head was Luke’s. It said Mine.
* * * *
Luke stood watching Nikki run before he shifted and followed. He was, without a doubt, larger and stronger, so he could easily overtake her if he wanted to. She was graceful, even in her shifted form, and watching her run, he had to admit she was just as beautiful covered in brownish-black fur as she was with all of her smooth skin visible. He was still just as intoxicated by her scent, though it was sharper in his present form and he wanted to bed her no less. He took off after her with one unbidden thought echoing over and over again in his mind, surprising him with its intensity. Mine. She’s mine.
Running free in his shifted form, he always felt at his most powerful. He felt so strong that nothing could touch him, almost as if he commanded the very wind that rushed past him and dominated the earth that yielded under his feet. Today, he felt stronger and more virile than ever, and though he couldn’t put his finger on why, that one word punctuated his every thought as he caught up to Nikki. Mine.
His mate turned to look at him, her green eyes piercing him with something he couldn’t name. Then, she took off with another burst of speed, sprinting away as if chased. And Luke guessed someone was chasing her—him. They ran for miles. Luke wasn’t sure how long they kept up that pace, but he couldn’t help but acknowledge how he felt cutting through the air by her side. He felt at home, at peace, as if all was right in his little corner of the world. That scared him a little, but nothing could have pried him away.
It shocked him when it happened and he slowed his pace involuntarily. Luke knew it was normal for mated wolves to communicate without speaking, but for some reason, he hadn’t expected it to happen with them. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn’t wanted a mate, or maybe he’d just been in denial, but as he watched her run ahead of him again, he felt a sense of pride unlike anything he’d ever experienced. He’d heard Nikki’s voice in his head, and a single word as clear as if she’d actually spoken. It was Yours.
* * * *
Nikki kept a steady pace until they reached the creek on the far western border of her clan’s lands, far from the settled portion of their territory. She was thirsty and trotted to the edge of the water to drink her fill while she waited for Luke to catch up. She could only guess at why he was so far behind. It was clear a connection was forming. That connection allowed mates to hear each other’s unguarded thoughts, especially while in shifted form, but so far, she’d only heard that one word from him. Mine.
She had no idea what to make of that. Yes, she was his now, but did that please him? The voice in her head had sounded more than pleased. It had sounded proud, even triumphant. Given what she knew of him, though, they were the last emotions she could expect for him to feel in relation to her. Still, the word yours had risen in her mind at hearing his voice and she wondered if Luke could hear her, too.
Shaking herself to clear the water from her fur, Nikki trotted a few feet away from the shoreline and sat back on her haunches to wait for him. She knew he was close, knew he was coming. Besides smelling him, she felt him, and it seemed that the closer he got, the stronger the electric thrill of anticipation became.
Oh. Oh my. There he is. The Luke that came stalking through the layer of trees that separated this sandy, grassy area from the rest of the woods didn’t look like the one she’d left behind. The huge, gray-and-black wolf could only be described as magnificent. He moved with a graceful ferocity that called up her innate need to submit. In fact, Luke looked so powerful like this that if he’d bared his teeth, she would have felt the urge to run.
Instead, he pinned her in place with eyes that shone, walking over to stand before her, tail held high and ears perked up like an alpha’s. Despite the fact that he was no higher in the clan than she was, Nikki felt an almost irresistible urge to lower her tail and flatten her ears in response to his dominant aura. As she pondered her unusual reaction to him, he surprised her by licking and nipping at her muzzle, and Nikki gave in to the urge to sniff and lick him in turn.
When Luke shifted back, Nikki forced herself not to look away from the sight of his chiseled body standing in the blazing sun. If she didn’t know what she already knew of him, she would have sworn he’d been sent from heaven. The man was beautiful, shifted and otherwise. Like most men, he’d probably object to being called that, but it was true.
Well, there was really no use in delaying. Nikki tensed her muscles and concentrated on pushing her energy from the top of her head to the tips of her paws, willing each cell, bone, muscle and limb to make the transformation.
Usually, she shifted instantaneously with hardly a thought, and when she’d been a pup, she’d often shifted by accident when she became too excited. Her need to concentrate now was born purely of the nervousness she wished she could banish. Nikki knew she shouldn’t allow him to make her feel butterflies in her stomach, but there it was. She felt them anyway.
“Couldn’t keep up, huh?” She used cockiness to hide his effect on her, trying not to stare too hard. Her mind kept flashing back to the sight of him looming over her as he plunged his cock into her pussy again and again, and when she managed to banish that vision, it was replaced by one of his head between her thighs, lapping at her pussy as if it were the sweetest nectar he’d ever tasted. Just thinking about it got her wet again, and she wished there was some way to hide her arousal from him, but even if her nipples hadn’t hardened into obvious peaks, his sensitive nose wouldn’t miss the scent.
“Ready to go back?” She half-hoped he would say yes, while the wolf in her, that still-overly-horny part, scolded her for even asking such a question. When he shook his head no, Nikki sighed in what felt a lot like relief and headed toward a large, weatherproof box that sat next to a nearby tree stump. There was a stash of bla
nkets in there, as well as some beef jerky. The clan kept several of these boxes scattered about the property so no one had to sit bare-assed in the dirt, grass, or sand if he or she decided to shift back. Sometimes there were spare robes and shorts in there as well, but not today. While she could have gone for a robe to wrap around herself, she’d never been keen on wearing anyone else’s shorts, so she didn’t regret their absence too much.
Hoping he wasn’t staring at her ass, but fully sure he was, Nikki quickly bent down and opened the box, retrieving a rough, heavy blanket. She debated wrapping it around herself, but decided she’d be damned if she was going to let her insecurity show. Sighing, she let the lid slam shut and turned to get a face full of muscular chest for her efforts.
“Do I make you nervous?” Luke sounded nearly as surprised as she was at this new development. He tipped her chin up so she was forced to stare into his eyes.
“No. Yes. I don’t know!” She did know, but she sure as hell didn’t want to talk about it.
“You’re trembling.”
Oh hell, she was. What the hell was wrong with her? “I’m just a little cold.” Ugh. What a stupid excuse.
“Really?” He released her chin and looked pointedly up at the sun that was beating down on them. It was a warm summer morning that was rapidly taking the turn toward hot. There was no way she was cold, and they both knew it.
“Here, let me warm you up.” He ran his hands up and down her arms briskly, then more slowly from the nape of her neck down her back and over her buttocks, then back up again.
“Better?” he asked, and when she looked up to answer him, he took her mouth, gently caressing her lips with his.
Her lips parted of their own accord and she shivered as she felt his tongue touch hers, mimicking the soft, caressing motion of his lips. He’d moved his hands up, weaving them into her hair, holding her head steady as he tenderly made love to her mouth. The tenderness was completely unexpected, and Nikki wrapped her arms around him, leaning into his body. His cock brushed up against her belly and she moaned softly, feeling her pussy twitch and cream at the intimate touch.
She expected Luke to deepen his kiss, but to her surprise, he released her and stepped back, stooping down to retrieve the blanket she’d dropped. Trembling in earnest now, she watched him spread it out on the bank, just beyond the reach of the water. When he finished, he put out a hand for her. If she was honest with herself, she didn’t want to just take it. She wanted to throw herself into his arms, but the awkwardness lingered.
As she stepped forward and let him draw her to him again, she realized what it was. Mason wasn’t there. Mason, the one who truly wanted her, was back at the lodge, asleep. Luke clearly wanted her body, but that was it, and knowing that made her feel less than confident. Still, her desire for him hadn’t waned, and as she lay down on the blanket, she spread her legs for him, unwilling to deny herself the pleasure he offered.
Luke lay down beside her and touched her lingeringly, softly caressing her cheek and running his hand down her neck, skimming her breasts and belly on his way down her body. Going right for it, she thought. I shouldn’t be surprised. But then, he did surprise her by only lightly touching her pussy, applying more pressure to the inside of her thighs than her cunt. That’s when he kissed her again, with the same tenderness that had shocked her before, and she eagerly turned on her side to face him. His soft kisses seemed to ratchet up her need and she returned them with ardent passion, trying to urge him on. Pressing her breasts up against him and wrapping her hand around his cock, she pushed her pelvis forward to rub her pussy against any part of him she could reach.
Although she knew he wanted her badly, judging by the hardness of his cock and the steadily increasing pressure of his hands on her body, his kiss remained soft. Why was he holding back? Nikki stroked his cock up and down, gratified to hear the growl that started deep in his chest and seemed to go on forever before finally escaping his lips. She pulled back from his kiss and bit his lip, provoking a long groan, followed by the pressure of his hand squeezing her ass—hard.
Luke kneaded her buttocks and moved his hips, letting her feel the velvet steel of his cock from tip to base and then back to the tip, which was wet with pre-cum. “I want you, Nikki. I need your pussy.”
This was the one thing she’d been sure he’d always wanted from her from the moment they’d met, and Nikki couldn’t deny that she wanted his cock just as badly. “I need you, too. Take me, Luke…” Her words ended on a sigh, and she closed her eyes at the feel of his hand between her legs, dipping into the wetness there, tracing her slit, and stroking a finger down her clit. Past the shyness that had made her awkward not too long ago, she ground her pussy against his hand. He increased his pressure in response, alternating between circling her swollen clit and stroking its length until she was fucking his hand and whimpering at every touch.
“I’ve never wanted anyone or anything this badly.” Luke’s voice held a note of wonder, and Nikki opened her eyes to find him staring at her with a fierceness as hot as his touch. She moved against him again, telling him without words that there was no need to wait.
“I’m yours, Luke. Take me.” At that point, she didn’t care if he ever felt anything more than lust for her. Her pussy was wet enough to coat her thighs and the section of blanket directly under her. As long as his touch continued to make her feel this way, she could deal.
Luke kissed her hard enough to bruise her lips. Then, all at once, he was on top of her, using his powerful thighs to spread her legs wider and pushing into her cunt in one firm thrust. Propping himself up on his arms, he looked down at her as he fucked her in slow, long, deep thrusts that sent threads of pleasure to her core and threatened to take her breath away. Soon, she was lifting her hips to meet his thrusts and digging her fingernails into his ass to urge him on. When he reached down between their bodies to flick and then pinch her clit, she closed her eyes again, already only seconds away from climax.
“No, I want you to see me, really see me when you come.” Much to her displeasure, he’d stopped moving, and pulled back until just the tip of his cock remained inside her. “I want you to see me for who I am, not Mason, not your dream guy, not anyone’s dream mate. Just me.”
As close as she was to the brink, this was almost too much to comprehend. She looked up at him, staring into those penetrating eyes. Somehow, she managed to find the breath and brain power to answer him. “I do…see you.” He started moving inside her then, just as slowly but this time angling his hips so that each thrust hit her G-spot. “Oh, God, Luke!”
It didn’t take long. Luke managed three more thrusts and then pushed down on her clit, sending her spiraling out as waves of pleasure gripped her so tightly she couldn’t keep up her end of the bargain. She bucked up off the rough blanket as her eyes slammed shut and her mouth fell open. Holding on to him, she gave in to an earth-shattering orgasm that seemed to go on and on forever.
Finally, as the most powerful shocks of climax faded, Nikki opened her eyes again to find Luke still staring down at her. Only then did he let go himself, spilling his seed into her body. Only then did she hear him again, an unspoken word she shouldn’t be able to hear when she wasn’t shifted. Yet she heard it just as clearly as she had before. His voice, in her head, said it again. Mine.
* * * *
“I’ve been looking all over for you.”
The sun burned hot on Nikki’s face, having broken through the clouds to hit her directly. Rolling over onto her back, she shielded her eyes to look up at Mason. “We’d planned to go for a run and come right back. You were sleeping so peacefully that I didn’t want to wake you. I’m sorry. Are you angry?” Nikki didn’t know what Mason’s reaction would be to finding them like this. They were both her mates, but everything was so new. Maybe he didn’t like being left by himself while they ran off to fuck in the woods.
Mason smiled down at her and dropped down to join them on the blanket, taking up residence on her free side and rea
ching up to stroke her face. “I’m not angry or jealous. I want you and Luke to spend time together.” He trailed his fingers down her body, between her breasts, and over her still-damp pussy. “And if he makes you come, I’m happy for both of you. I just missed you.”
“Oh.” She couldn’t think of much else to say. Being so close to him made her heart race all over again, especially since he was staring at her with such intensity. She turned on her side and he pulled her up against him, proving just how much he’d missed her. After feeling so satisfied in Luke’s arms, she was surprised her body would respond so readily to his, so soon. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep. It couldn’t have been very long, yet her pussy already throbbed with need. Everything she’d heard about the hydan had been true.
Glancing over her shoulder, she checked to see if Luke was still asleep. He was very much awake and staring at her with something like possession in his eyes. Unconsciously, she ran her tongue over her lips as heat rushed through her body, heat and need for her mates. Nikki turned to look up at Mason, and he wasted no time in claiming her mouth as Luke pressed against her from behind. He was hard again, and that, coupled with the feel of Mason’s hand on her breast, provoked a moan of pleasure from her. She’d always heard that the hydan period was amazing, but she couldn’t help thinking that no other she-wolf could possibly have it this good.
Chapter 6
Nikki couldn’t have been happier with her hydan. She and her mates spent much of the first week in bed, leaving only for a run or a shower. They hadn’t even gone to the dining room to take their meals. When they’d remembered to eat, one of them had gone to scrape up whatever he or she could find in the kitchen and bring it back for a bedroom buffet. Then, they’d devoured each other all over again. Her men were powerful and intense and brought her to climaxes unlike any she’d ever imagined. Then she’d fall asleep in the crook of Mason’s arm or sometimes sprawled against his chest.
Nikki's Fated [Wolves of River's Bend 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 8