With a gruff snarl he turned and strode after his partner. I counted to ten, and then let myself breathe.
"Are you okay?" Thorne whispered.
"I think so." My instinct was hot and fierce in my belly, but it hadn't tipped me over the edge yet. As long as I tried to think of something else, I could quiet it down again. "What about you?"
"I'll manage," he said. "We should try and get back to sleep, I want to be out of here at dawn in case those two decide to come back."
I nodded and lay down on the bedroll, trying not to look at Thorne. All it would take was a smile, the sight of his deep green eyes...
I bit my lip and dug my fingernails into my palm, willing myself to go to sleep.
I was running through the forest, exhilarated and terrified. I was playing the game of chase from back in the stream, only it wasn't a game any longer. The fangs nipping at my tail were hungry and relentless, the hot breath of my pursuer edging closer and closer.
I was the girl in the forest now, being run down by my alpha as he sought to claim me. I was afraid, my breath ragged and my chest tight as I urged my exhausted body forward. Part of me wanted to lay down and submit, but I had to fight it. I had to keep going, even if I knew it was a futile effort.
I burst out into the clearing, heard the growl of triumph behind me, and felt the teeth on my neck and the claws against my back. For a moment I panicked, but then my alpha was standing over me. His presence calmed my fear. Now that he'd caught me, this was the way it had to be. I was his to take. My body became human again as I rolled over to look up at him. It was Thorne. My alpha, my mate. He took me in his arms and held me tight, opening my folds and sliding into me without a moment's hesitation.
The feeling of helplessness spread through my body like warm water, draining the strength from my muscles and the will to resist from my mind. His unwavering determination overwhelmed me completely. Even the sharp pressure of his teeth and the rough pace of his strokes were a comfort. There was so much power in his actions. I knew nothing in the world could touch me once I was his. I was enveloped by his presence, losing all sense of my surroundings until all I could focus on was the friction of him inside me, the bite of his teeth, the rough texture of his palms roaming across my body.
He explored every part of me with a hunger and determination that left no room for resistance. My desire to submit consumed me, no longer held back by any trace of reluctance or shame. Thorne's lovemaking demanded that I give over every ounce of control to him. I trusted him to take everything away from me, reduce me to nothing, take his pleasure from my body subject me to his mercy. I put my soul in his hands, more content to belong to him than to myself. His hot tongue pressed into my mouth, its warmth running deep into my body as I gently worshipped him with my lips. His hand pushed against the small of my back, forcing my body against his chest. Every contour of him pressed tightly against me, hot and firm and smooth with perspiration. My tight nipples dragged across his pecs, the firm muscles of his stomach massaging my belly. I felt my ankles locking together around his waist, desperate to keep him inside me. I lost myself in the moment, unable to think, unable to move, entrusting my rising peaks of ecstasy to my alpha. I felt him surging inside me, filling me, blotting out everything with an intense blaze of pleasure.
Then the teeth on my neck were fangs. The body on top of mine was coated with coarse fur. A shock of panic jolted me back to reality as I realised I was helpless to fight back—
I jumped sharply, clutching at a branch for dear life as I kicked inside my bedroll. I was shaking uncontrollably, soaked with sweat as I stared down into the empty clearing below. The terrifying climax of my dream had jarred against the passionate build up so violently that I felt sick.
After a minute of long, steadying breaths, I looked over at Thorne. His brow was knotted into a frown, but I hadn't woken him. Maybe he was wrestling with dreams of his own tonight.
I dug out a flask of water from our pack and took small sips until I stopped trembling, trying to sort out the conflicting emotions in my head. Every part of my werewolf nature was crying out for me to be with Thorne. My dream had been the most vivid I'd experienced so far. I lay back down and pulled my bedroll tight around me. If we let our relationship become intimate again, it would only be a matter of time before the frightening climax of my dreams became a reality.
I was afraid. Afraid that my instinct would start to win out over my rational human side. I closed my eyes, hoping that tomorrow I'd see things in a more optimistic light. Thoughts of Ellie and home gradually lulled me back to sleep. I wanted to hold on to all of them. Thorne, Ellie, home, my pack. But the memory of the dream was never far from my mind.
It was there to warn me about the consequences of wanting too much.
—4—
Consequences
Despite my troubled dreams, I woke up the next morning feeling calm and rested. My instinct had settled down while I slept, and in the light of the day the woods seemed far less intimidating than they had the previous night. The wolves from the Mine Pack would be long gone by now.
I was stiff from sleeping against the tree branches, but a few minutes of stretching soon had my body waking up again. I looked over at Thorne, a little guiltily. I felt bad for dreaming about him. While I was awake I could keep my fantasies in check, but when I slept my subconscious brought all of my feelings about him to the surface. I felt as though I was betraying his trust. We'd agreed that our relationship couldn't go any further, and yet I was still fantasising about wild, passionate encounters with him in my dreams. He opened his eyes and smiled at me, and I realised I'd been staring.
"Do you always watch people while they sleep?"
"Shut up." I flushed and turned away, rummaging through our knapsack for breakfast. "I was just thinking. I wasn't watching."
"Are you alright after last night?"
I nodded, digging out a pair of apples and tossing one to Thorne. He missed the catch, and his apple bounced off the trunk before rattling down through branches one by one, finally thudding into the leafy carpet below.
"Thanks." He pulled a face and wriggled out of his bedroll. "I suppose we can eat on the way. Want to make an early start?"
I smiled and bobbed my head again, taking an enthusiastic bite of my apple. I was going to see my sister today for the first time in months. In just a couple of hours time we'd be back amongst civilisation. The thought of it made me a little giddy. I hadn't realised until now, but I'd desperately needed a break from all-things-werewolf. Cyan, the pack, my instinct. The prospect of being able to forget about all of them, even if it was just for a day, was an inviting one.
We bundled up our bedrolls and packed them away before descending carefully through the branches down to the forest floor. Thorne found his lost apple and took a large bite, taking the knapsack from me and hefting it over his shoulder. We started out at a leisurely pace as we finished up our light breakfast, enjoying the sun and the sounds of morning birdsong as we walked. Neither of us talked, but it was a comfortable silence. It felt good to have Thorne here beside me, sharing the moment. I didn't mind long silences when I was with him.
Before long the sound of city traffic was rumbling in the distance, and the shapes of buildings began to appear through the gaps in the trees. I'd always hated the background noise of civilisation when I was younger. My long woodland walks had been a good way to escape it for a few hours, but now that I could hear it again it felt comfortably familiar. I finished my apple quickly and tossed it aside, shifting into my wolf and bounding ahead as excitement welled up inside me. Ellie was there, just a couple of miles away, waiting for me. Was this a school day for her? I couldn't remember. Werewolves didn't have much use for Mondays and Wednesdays.
It didn't matter. We'd get there bright and early and catch her before she left. Then she could have a whole day off with her big sister. I hopped over a gnarled old tree trunk that I remembered eating lunch on when I was younger. I missed lunch in the fore
st, and I missed getting to be a big sister.
I guided us in the direction of my house, moving from landmark to landmark. The fallen tree led to the large ditch with the pebbles, which led to the spot with the anthills, on to the tangled bushes, and finally the well-trodden footpath that led all the way back to the end of my street.
I slipped back into my human form, glancing up and down the path for any signs of life. People didn't come this way often, especially not early in the mornings, but it was better to play it safe when we were this close to civilisation. I hadn't been going fast, but Thorne was panting by the time he caught up with me, and I realised, with a twinge of guilt, that I'd left him carrying the knapsack. He hadn't had the luxury of making the journey on four legs like me.
"Lyssa," he huffed, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Hold up for a second."
"Sorry, I didn't think. Do you need a minute?"
He shook his head. "It's not that. Someone's been following us."
My skin prickled, and for the second time on our trip I found myself wishing I'd paid more attention to my surroundings. If Thorne had picked up on the signs of someone following us then it should have been no problem for me with my wolf's heightened senses.
"Is it those two from last night?" I said, lowering my voice.
"I don't know. I can't tell without getting their scent, but whoever it is they've been behind us for a while now. Maybe they're just curious about what we're doing out here, but maybe not. And if it's someone we know, I don't want them finding out we went into the city." He handed me the knapsack. "Hold on to this for a bit, I'm going to try and lead them off. I'll find you at your place later."
I nodded quickly. "Okay. It's right at the end of this path, number eight on the street. Are you going to be alright?"
Thorne nodded and gave me a smile. "I've gotten pretty good at sneaking around by myself, I won't let them get too close. You should hurry, though. I'll howl if anything goes wrong." He shifted into his wolf and sniffed the air for a moment, then ruffed at me and padded silently into the undergrowth. I watched him go, an uneasy feeling creeping into the pit of my stomach. I didn't like this, and now I was worrying about him.
He's a big wolf, I told myself. It'd take an alpha to hurt him.
But the male we'd seen from the Mine Pack had been an alpha, hadn't he? And if his mate was still around that made it doubly risky. I clutched the strap of the knapsack tight and began to edge down the path, listening to the sounds of the forest around me. I desperately wanted my wolf's senses now, but the risk of being seen out in the open still nagged at the back of my mind.
I swallowed my anxiety and picked up the pace, settling into a slow jog down the path. Every time I heard a branch rustle or a twig crack I stopped, straining my ears for any sign of danger. It wasn't even the thought of my phantom pursuers that kept me from relaxing, it was concern for Thorne. By myself I could make a run for it, get into the safety of the suburbs and wait there till I got the chance to slip back into the woods. But if something happened to Thorne, and he got stuck out here...
He knows what he's doing. He'll be fine.
I tried to think of Ellie and home. I could see the power lines that hung over our street now, and the old rotten billboard behind our house that nobody had thought to take down in twenty years, still half-covered by trees and ivy. I hurried on, the sound of my breath loud in my ears as I approached the billboard. The trees thinned out, and the roof of my house peeked into view in the distance.
A howl rang out behind me. I froze, my whole body tensing. Had it been Thorne? It was definitely the sound of a wolf. I listened carefully, and the distinct sound of snapping branches crackled through the trees in the distance. My heart pounded in my chest for an agonising moment as I stood still, torn between the urge to run and to go back for Thorne. The sounds were getting louder, coming closer. Whatever was out there was headed straight for me. I heard what sounded like a growl, and then I was running. Panic gripped me as my boots slammed against the ground, driving me forward in a desperate sprint towards the billboard at the end of the path. I was so close to the street, if I could just make it out into the open—
But Thorne—!
I whipped my head around, scanning the trees as they flew by in a blur. There was no sign of Thorne on the path behind me. I saw a flash of black fur between the trees, and now I could hear the growling loud and clear. The wolf's paws beat rhythmically in time with the sounds of his husky breath, closing the distance between us rapidly. I forced myself to run faster, letting the knapsack drop from my shoulder and bounce away into the bushes. The billboard was so close. If I had my wolf's legs I could keep pace with my pursuer. Then I could easily reach the safety of the street before him. But I couldn't risk changing, not while I was running flat out like this. I'd stumble, I'd trip, and then he'd be on me.
The wolf tore through the undergrowth like it was nothing, ripping through branches and bushes alike until he was almost on top of me, just a few feet away past the cover of the treeline. I pushed myself to run faster, darting between the struts holding up the billboard and throwing myself towards the last hedgerow that stood between me and the street. The wolf bulled into me, knocking the wind from my lungs as he pounced. My fingers curled around a handful of leaves, and then I hit the ground hard, gasping for breath as the shaggy black creature loomed over me. His breath was hot and heavy in my ear, a low snarl rumbling in the back of his throat as he pinned me against the ground. I cried out, expecting to feel his teeth digging into my neck at any moment, but he held back. My body tensed as recognition dawned. This close even my human nose could recognise the familiar scent of his body. I squinted up at the wolf, and a new kind of fear replaced my desperate panic from moments ago.
It was Cyan. His deep amber eyes bored into mine, lips pulled back from shining white teeth in a snarl. He held my shoulders against the ground with his forepaws and shifted into his human form, the prick of claws exchanged for strong fingers as his body transformed before me. Cyan breathed heavily, glaring down at me. His dark hair hung loosely across his eyes as he studied my face. He looked as though he'd departed in a hurry. The dark coating of stubble along his jaw was thicker than usual, and beneath the open front of his hunting jacket his chest was bare.
"Why, Lyssa?" he growled under his breath. "Why did you have to make me come after you?"
I tried to struggle, but his hands were tight around my shoulders, and he pushed me down with a snarl.
"Tell me! All I asked was that you be obedient. An obedient little mate for me. Why is that so hard for you to do?!"
"I don't want to be your mate! I don't want your rules!"
Cyan stared into my eyes, leaning close and inhaling my scent. His stubble teased my cheek, and I desperately fought against the heat rising in my belly. "You know I can't let you go," he said. "That's why I'll make you my mate. Nobody else resists me like you do. Nobody pushes me in the same way." He took my earlobe between his teeth, tugging softly and letting out a husky sigh of desire. "I have to have you, Lyssa, and the more you resist the more I want it. You'll submit to me, like a good little pup."
"I won't," I hissed, but I was already squirming beneath him. The musky scent of his body and the sensation of his strong hands holding me down had awoken my wolf, and she was hungry for an alpha to take her. His bare chest heaved close to me, and I bit my lip as the urge to caress him ran through my mind. I had to resist it. I had to fight my instinct.
"You should listen to your wolf," he said, sliding his grip down my arms until he had my wrists pinned on either side of my head. "You're so good for me when you let your instinct take over. Animals are the ones who survive out here in the wild, not humans. Your wolf knows I'll make her a good mate."
I screwed my eyes shut, fingernails digging into my palms as I struggled to ignore the scent of his body, the warmth of his lips brushing against my neck. Cyan could've dragged me back to the camp by force, but why would he do that when he could use my instinct
against me instead? It was so deliberate, the way he manipulated me, and the fact that it was working made it even worse. My heart pounded with the adrenaline of the chase, my body hot and breathless and excited. The primal urge to run from danger had filled me with exhilaration. I felt like a wild woman, chased down and pinned, about to be taken by her man. I soft gasp escaped my lips as Cyan bit my neck, and I instinctively ground my hips upwards against his thigh.
"That's it," he said. "Let your alpha take you."
I whimpered, my self control unravelling like a spool of thread. He didn't let up for a second, nuzzling and kissing his way down my neck, squeezing my wrists and pressing his body close to mine. My breasts brushed his chest through my top, and I felt my nipples tightening into two hard peaks. Cyan knew me well—better than anyone else in the pack—and he understood exactly how to tease and provoke me until I was ready to do anything he asked. This wasn't just him doing what he had to do so that I'd come back with him; it was his own instinct driving him to dominate me completely.
I cried out again as he let go of my wrist and thrust his hand down the front of my jeans, finding my moistening folds and stroking them with the rough pad of a finger. There was a savage urgency to his movements, almost an impatience as he pushed me to submit to him. My struggles began to grow weaker, the urge to fight leaving me as my body tingled and heated with desire. The images of him taking me—savagely, relentlessly—ran through my mind faster and faster as I squirmed beneath him. My free hand clutched at a tuft of grass, the raw scent of the forest urging me on until I tore the handful of turf loose and opened my eyes, looking up at Cyan and pressing my palm against his bare chest. I twined my fingernails through the curls of dark hair between his sculpted pecs, feeling the soft mist of perspiration on his body that still lingered from the chase. He released my other wrist and gripped the back of my neck, pulling me up for a kiss as his tongue forced its way into my mouth. It was hot and furious, grinding my will to resist into the ground as he overwhelmed me. I felt my tongue moving to meet his in response, curling against it, finding its way into his mouth as my soft lips chafed against his stubble. My human mind was panicking, telling me that this was wrong, but my wolf was ravenous for the taste and touch of her alpha. I raked my fingernails down his chest, and he responded with a low growl, his fingers tightening in my hair as he broke the kiss and dragged his lips down the side of my neck, biting my throat until I whimpered and went limp in his grasp. His hand inside my underwear was driving me wild, teasing my folds until I was dripping with desire. He slid one rough finger inside me, and my back arched as it pressed against my sensitive front wall, rubbing insistently until I was clenching down on him hard, waves of intense pleasure rippling up through my belly.
Wild Instincts - Complete Edition (Werewolf Erotic Romance) Page 7