by Dena Christy
“Then take all the strength you need from me.”
She was silent after that, but eventually her trembling stopped and she shifted closer to him. Putting her hand on his chest, she looked up at him with a silent plea. He knew what she wanted, what would give her the strength to fight this, so he bent his head down and kissed her with all the passion he possessed for her. Once he felt she’d taken all that she could, he broke off the kiss and gently eased them down on the bed, holding her loosely against him.
Soon he heard her even breathing and knew she was asleep. He wished this was the end of her suffering, but knew there was more to come, and it killed him to think of it.
CHAPTER 11
The convulsions began shortly after dawn on the third and final day of Samara’s transformation. Humans who went through this part of the change usually died at this point, their brains going into seizure.
Eric was on the bed beside her and he reached out to roll her onto her side away from him, holding on to her tightly, trying to absorb her tremors with his body.
After a few minutes her body stilled. The calm lasted for about half an hour before she went into seizure again. Eric continued to hold her as each movement of her body jackhammered against his.
They went through the cycle for most of the morning, until finally Samara was still for longer than an hour. As he held her, not daring to move should it trigger another episode, Eric finally decided that she must be through the worst of it. He eased away and looking down at her, relief pouring through him as at seeing her chest rising and falling. She was still breathing.
He had to get up and stretch for a few minutes. He walked around the bedroom, rubbing a hand over his face. They’d done it. She’d made it through the worst of it. When he looked over at Samara he froze, his muscles stiffening as he took in the sight of her lying lifeless, frozen in stillness upon the bed. He rushed to her side and put two fingers on the side of her neck, but could feel no pulse.
“No baby, no. You’ve come this far, don’t die on me now.” He put his head to her chest and heard the very weak beating of her heart. He racked his brain for what he could do for her. Smoothing his hand down her arm, his mind racing, he tried to think of something, anything that could help her. He remembered the night she was attacked, when she told him not to suppress his emotions so she could draw strength from him. It struck him that her human side made her vulnerable and perhaps it would be her succubus side that would make her stronger. He lay down beside her on the bed, hoping his theory would prove correct.
He stroked her hair, thinking about the night he’d met her, about the feelings of sexual attraction he had inside him when he’d seen her on the dance floor. He thought about all he felt for her now, the passion, desire, and although he didn’t want to admit it to himself, the love he was starting to feel for her. Those emotions poured out of him, and he prayed that she absorbed them and grew stronger.
“I can’t lose you,” he whispered as he leaned forward to press his lips against her face. Elation surged through him when he felt the warmth of her skin beneath his lips. Drawing back, he could see her color improving and the pulse beating in the curve of her throat.
He stayed where he was, memories of making love to her flicking through his mind, of what he felt when he held her, touched her and caressed her. He’d lost himself inside her that night, had given her a piece of himself he had given to no other.
After about an hour, Samara stirred beside him and opened her eyes. Eric looked down at her, glad to see her eyes were clear. The ravages of fever gone from her, and pain no longer etched lines in her face.
“Could I have a glass of water?” her voice rasped out and Eric went to the kitchen to get her a drink. He was glad to be away from her for a moment so he could pull himself together. His throat felt tight, his chest tense now that the crisis was over.
Holding the full glass of water, he was surprised when the contents sloshed over the rim. He couldn’t keep his hand from shaking. As he put the glass down, his breath shuddered out of him and he braced his hands against the counter. She’d survived the impossible, and he could hardly wrap his mind around it. She was going to be okay. He wanted to shout with happiness, but he could hardly manage to stand upright. Drawing in several more shaking breaths, his legs finally able to stand on their own without the counter’s support, he refilled the glass. His hand trembled for a moment before becoming steady.
He went back into the bedroom and handed her the glass. She drank down the whole thing before setting the empty glass on the stand beside the bed.
“Is there anything else I can do for you?” he asked as he lay down beside her, clasping her hand in his.
“Yes, you can keep thinking those sexy thoughts,” she said with a wink at him, and then snuggled down in his arms.
Eric chuckled, relief blooming through him as he held her tightly. This was his Samara and he was glad to have her back.
SAMARA LAY QUIETLY BESIDE ERIC, watching him sleep. Lines of exhaustion were apparent on his face, and she knew he’d remained awake through most of her ordeal. Once he was sure she’d fully recovered, he’d fallen asleep with his arms clasped tightly around her.
She couldn’t remember much of what she had gone through, although she could recall the excruciating pain. Looking at Eric’s face, she could see scratches raked down his cheek and she had a feeling she’d done that to him. Guilt knifed through her when she realized she’d hurt him when that was the last thing she ever wanted to do. Wanting to shower and feel normal again, to rid herself of three days’ worth of pain and fever, she eased away from him. Her legs were weak and shaky when she got out of bed, but she was determined to do this on her own.
She stood under the spray of hot water for a long time. As she washed she looked down at the wound on her arm, and it was finally managing to heal. She was sure some scarring would remain, but she would take the imperfections if it meant she would live.
When she finally finished she dried herself with a towel and returned to the bedroom to change her clothes. She looked over at Eric and was found she was loath to disturb him while he slept so peacefully. Making her way to the kitchen, she filled a glass with water before walking out the door and standing on the porch. It was so peaceful out here, and the cabin was located on top of a hill so she could see for miles.
A movement caught her eye, at the edge of the woods to the south, near where she and Eric had walked to reach the cabin.
She could see a lone wolf standing in the distance, watching her. For a moment she thought perhaps it was just an ordinary wolf, nothing more, but she could see even from this distance that it was larger than a normal wolf. Definitely a werewolf. She tensed for a few moments as she waited to see what it would do. The wolf turned and loped away back into the woods. Watching for several more minutes to make certain he was gone, she eventually relaxed.
It would be best to wait to tell Eric about their visitor. He’d had enough to deal with in the past few days and she didn’t want to burden him further. Besides, there was nothing he could do about it at the moment and she would much rather let him get his rest. She stayed outside for a while longer before going back inside and setting her glass on the table. She didn’t want to worry about the other werewolf when there was one in the bedroom who commanded all her attention. He’d saved her life, and she knew how she wanted to celebrate.
When she walked into the bedroom she saw Eric immediately. He was wearing a pair of jeans, zipped up with the button undone. He was rubbing his hair with a towel, and he’d scraped three days’ worth of beard from his face. His muscles were hard, and she could smell his smooth, warm skin. The power of her desire for him surged through her, and she wanted to show him how much she wanted him. Walking over to him, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth, she pulled his head down to meet hers and pressed her mouth to his. She kissed him deeply before pulling back.
“I take it you’re feeling better?” he said as he leaned back to stud
y her. His eyes devoured her, and she was very glad at that moment that she’d been created to be the ultimate in desirable female, if only so he could enjoy looking at her. She slowly shed her clothes, reveling in the heat of his gaze before going over and kneeling on the bed.
“I’m feeling much better, baby,” she said, her voice going husky as she watched him reach for the zipper of his jeans. He undid it slowly, his movements unhurried as he eased the denim down his lean hips and muscular thighs. She felt ready to pounce on him by the time he finished, but she held herself back and waited for him to join her.
He came to kneel in front of her on the bed, and their bodies pressed together, breast to chest, belly to belly, as he reached around to put his hands on her round bottom, pulling her tight against his erection. Twining her arms around his neck, she pulled her head down, lowering his mouth to hers. She kissed him with all the passion that had grown inside her from the moment she met him. He felt so good against her, the sensation of his skin pressed to hers so arousing she could feel her passion for him surging through her blood.
He eased them down on the bed, their mouths still fused. He rolled on to his back, pulling her on top of him. His hands glided up and down her back, and she purred like a cat being stroked. Breaking the kiss, she sat up and looked down at him. His skin was stretched taut over his flushed cheekbones, and she could feel how urgent his desire was for her. The connection between them was strong and she was completely tapped into his emotions. She swallowed hard, because she knew he was restraining himself, giving control over to her and allowing her to do with him what she would. The feeling of power was heady and it meant so much to her, since she knew what a dominant personality he had. Yet he was willing to let her take the lead.
Samara gave him her wickedest smile as she thought about all she wanted to do to him, to test the control he had over himself. She leaned down to kiss him again, slipping her tongue inside his mouth to twine with his. His hands reached up to bury themselves in her hair, and she slid her hands up his arms to grab hold of his wrists. Drawing his hands away from her, she pressed them into the pillow on either side of his head. She remembered him doing this to her the night they met, and smiled against his mouth, thinking that payback could certainly be a bitch.
Her mouth left his to travel to the other side of his cheek and she made her way to his ear. Taking the lobe into her mouth, she sucked on it before gently biting. Eric growled low in his throat, his arousal spiking, enhancing Samara’s satisfaction in drawing the reaction from him.
She worked her way down his throat, taking small bites of his skin as she made her way to his chest. His body trembled, and she felt absolute power at her ability to reduce such a strong man to shaking with his desire for her. Reaching his nipple, she took it into her mouth, sucking and flicking it with her tongue. His growls grew louder, and she gloried in her femininity. She had exercised her whiles in the past by using her gifts to enthrall men, but this time it meant so much more to her, because she knew Eric was reacting to her, not to some false feeling caused by her talents as a succubus.
She came to the hard, taut skin of his stomach, and traced it with her tongue, his muscles flexing and contracting under her attentions. She smoothed her hands down his side, down his hips and over his thighs. Stroking the hair-roughened skin of his legs, her hands teased, coming close to where she knew he wanted her to touch, but not giving him what he wanted. She could hear his breath rasping in and out, and she looked up to see the sweat beading on his forehead. He raised his head off the pillow, meeting her eyes and giving her a look of such intense arousal that she felt her own passion surging through her.
“Touch me, please, Samara,” he gritted out before dropping his head back on the pillow. She knew he was as close to begging as he was going to get, so she reached out to stroke up the length of his shaft. His groan, which sounded like it was somewhere between pleasure and agony, made her want to torment him further. Leaning down, she took him into her mouth, enjoying the hard, smooth feel of him. She tortured him with her lips and tongue, until she knew he was at his breaking point. He grasped her under her arms, lifting her away from him, and then he sat up and took one of her nipples in his mouth.
Her head dropped back as a low moan came from her throat, her hands clutching his thick hair. He licked and sucked on her breasts, building the fire of her arousal until it threatened to consume her.
Pushing his head away, she forced him back. She grasped his erection and slowly eased him inside her. Taking him in inch by agonizing inch, she dragged this moment out as long as possible. As she looked at him, she was certain her overwhelming desire for him was written all over her face and she wanted him to see it. When she’d taken all of him inside her, she slowly undulated her hips, moving above him as he lifted his hips to meet hers. Her rhythm picked up speed as his fingers found her clitoris. He stroked her until her thighs trembled and her movements were no longer smooth but quick and jerky as she climaxed. She cried out his name, as pulse after pulse of ecstasy coursed through her. Paralyzed by the force of her orgasm, she could not prevent him from rolling her onto her back. He wrapped her legs around his waist, driving himself into her over and over as he too found his satisfaction.
Samara could not move, her body boneless, and she loved the feel of his heavy body on top of hers. She didn’t think she ever wanted to move from this place, so right did it feel to be with him like this. He felt like the home she’d spent her entire life searching for.
“I must be getting heavy,” he murmured as he kissed her and rolled onto his side, bringing her body flush with his. She reached up to caress the side of his face that still bore her scratch marks.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, regretting that she’d marked him like that.
“I’m not. I’d gladly bear any mark, cut or scar if it meant you could be well,” he said as he gently kissed her lips. Samara didn’t think she could speak right then; her throat prickled at his words. He pulled back, his hand caressing the side of her face and all she could do was look at him, memorizing his face. Eventually her eyes became heavy and she rested her head on his shoulder. As her eyes drifted closed she remembered she hadn’t told Eric about the wolf who’d been watching them. She decided to tell him in the morning, not wanting anything to spoil this moment between them.
CHAPTER 12
L ate the next morning, Eric stretched out in bed, reaching to touch Samara. Nothing but bare mattress met his hand and he bolted upright. The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled his nostrils and he leaned back with a grin when he saw her standing in the doorway. Her hair was still wet from her shower and she was wearing one of his shirts. At that moment, it was quite honestly one of the sexiest outfits he’d ever seen. Seeing her shrouded in the fabric of his shirt, the soft cotton embracing her body, emphasized for him that this was his woman. Possessiveness surged through him, and he had to hold himself back to keep from pulling her to him. He watched as she walked over to him and handed him a cup of coffee.
“Don’t get used to this. This is about as domestic as I get,” she said with a smile.
“I’ll take what I can get then,” he said before he sipped the coffee. “We should head out today and make for the compound. We’ve lost some time and I want to get this over with.”
“I agree. I should tell you that I saw a wolf yesterday over in the field, watching the cabin.”
“Why didn’t you tell me yesterday?” Eric asked, his head jerking up and a scowl-line forming between his eyebrows. Samara reached out to smooth the line with her thumb before she spoke.
“I got distracted by another wolf,” she said as she straddled his lap. Eric set his coffee aside and looped his arms loosely around her. He let her kiss him for a few moments before gently pushing her away.
“As much as I’d like to get distracted again, I think we should get ready to go. There was a wolf prowling around the motel on the night you were attacked. If it’s the same one he’s managed to follow us o
ut here.”
“Why don’t you take a shower while I get our stuff packed up?” she said as she gave him one more brief kiss. Eric finished his coffee before heading to the shower. He didn’t linger, wanting to get Samara out of there as quickly as possible if there was another wolf out there watching them. She’d gone through so much in the past few days to survive, he had to do everything in his power to protect her.
Once he was cleaned up he made a quick breakfast of eggs and toast, and looked at Samara in surprise when she ate hers quickly. She looked up at him and blushed.
“For some reason, I’m starving. Must be my wolf side coming out,” she joked.
“That would certainly explain it,” Eric said as he finished his breakfast.
“What other traits do you think I’ll have? Will I be able to transform into a wolf, do you think?”
“I don’t know. You aren’t a full werewolf, you are now a hybrid of wolf and demon. I think if you do end up transforming, it will most likely be a combination of the two. Although if your demon side is dominant, perhaps no wolf characteristics will show in you at all,” Eric said as he took the dishes over to the sink.
It didn’t take long for them to tidy up the cabin, leaving it exactly as they found it. They took their bags out to the porch and Eric locked the door before putting the key back in its place. The walk to the SUV was much quicker than their journey to the cabin had been four days ago. They arrived at the truck and Eric could detect the faint scent of wolf, a different one from the one he’d scented outside the motel room. He quickly stowed the luggage in the back as Samara got in the passenger side. He wanted to put as much distance between them and the wolf stalking them. He got in the car and they set off down the road leading them away from the cabin.