by Kate Hill
His gaze flickered toward her and she caught the scent of his lust. Her clit and nipples tingled as she imagined him fucking her again.
Leader Temple of the Wingedpaw pack approached the table and both Curt and Vesta stood out of respect, but he motioned for them to take their seats.
“Good to see you again,” Curt said to the pack leader. “Allow me to introduce Vesta, handmaiden to Lady Altah.”
Temple nodded in her direction. “Yes. We’ve met before.”
“A pleasure to see you again, Leader Temple. If you’ll excuse me, My Lady is summoning me.”
Altah had caught her eye across the room, so Vesta went to join her.
Chapter Five
Curt glanced at Vesta as she walked away, and then focused his complete attention on Temple.
A gruff, seasoned warrior, the Wingedpaw Pack leader was a man Curt could understand. They had fought together many times in the past and respected each other greatly.
“I was surprised you accepted the position of Captain of Altah’s guard,” Temple said. “I didn’t think it would interest you.”
“I’m here because it’s my pack leader’s wish.”
Temple’s discerning gaze studied him carefully. “Banished due to your leader’s negotiations with Sylvan?”
Curt’s spine stiffened even more and he resisted the urge to growl. One didn’t growl at a pack leader, yet Temple’s observation stoked his fury because it was the truth.
“You could have come to me. I would have made a place for you among my warriors,” Temple continued quietly and Curt’s anger faded slightly. Unlike Vampires and many upper class wolves, Temple didn’t waste his time with petty insults. His empathy for Curt’s situation was undoubtedly real. “Altah’s a good woman, but you’re too good for Vampires.”
“Thank you, but I had no desire to impose upon our friendship by asking for a favor,” Curt replied. “Nor have I ever refused the orders of my pack leader.”
“I see. Devoted to duty as always. And in many ways you’ve secured a good position here. Captain of the Guard is respectable.”
“But it’s not among wolves,” Curt admitted.
Temple smiled slightly and placed a hand on Curt’s shoulder. “True, but it is another opportunity for you to show what we’re made of. I know you’ll do well here.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Temple walked away and Curt looked around for Vesta. He growled softly upon seeing her on the dance floor -- in Julian’s arms.
When Vesta had said she was seeing someone but not claimed, he’d imagined her with another Vampire. Still, from what he’d seen and heard about the Liaison, he acted more like a Vampire than a wolf. The boy was as polished as a diamond. He was everything Curt despised, or so he thought.
Since meeting Julian, he realized there was far more to the younger wolf than he’d imagined. One look in his eyes and his strength was obvious. This kid might act like a Vampire, but Curt sensed he still had the heart of a wolf. Not to mention he was good looking. He could see why he’d caught Vesta’s interest. Whether or not he could hold it was another story. The woman might be a Vampire, but she fucked like a wolf warrior. Something told him Julian was missing the mark in bed. If he wasn’t, Vesta wouldn’t have come to Curt so willingly, or with such raging hunger.
Curt waited until the song ended before he approached them.
“May I cut in?” he asked.
His gaze locked with Julian’s who slowly released his hold on Vesta.
“Of course. She’s yours for tonight,” Julian said. “And I wouldn’t want to keep her from her duty.” He then turned to the handmaiden and rested his hands on her shoulders, his eyes fixed on hers. “But, Vesta, after the reception you and I have plans.”
The younger man’s attitude was beginning to piss him off. He was the sort of wolf who was slow to make a decision about a woman, then acted out when someone else came along who might give her what she wanted.
“I thought we had plans, Vesta?” Curt said.
She turned to him, a questioning look in her eyes.
“Something about a kiss,” he reminded her.
Julian’s eyes blazed and his scent grew strong with fury. Curt nearly laughed.
“That’s a crude thing to say, Captain,” Julian snapped. “But politeness isn’t high on your list of qualities.”
“Politeness doesn’t win battles, boy.”
“Or women, if you knew anything about them. But how could someone like you know how to treat a lady?”
Curt growled and the men simultaneously stepped closer to each other.
Vesta glanced around nervously. “Gentlemen, please. This isn’t the time or the place.”
“Gentlemen?” Julian forced a smile. “You use the term loosely in regards to him.”
“Julian!” Vesta hissed.
Anger burned inside Curt, but also arousal. There was something about Julian that turned him on as much as Vesta. The younger wolf had a temper. He liked that. “You’re forgetting your place, politician,” Curt said.
“You’re both forgetting your places,” Vesta stated. “And I’m not going to stand here and be embarrassed.”
She stalked off and walked through the double doors leading to the garden.
“She’s right,” Julian said. “This is not the time, but I warn you, Captain or not, don’t interfere with what’s mine.”
“If you mean Vesta, she’s not yours. And if you have a problem to settle with me, do it at dawn in Training Room D below the palace. We’ll handle it like wolves, if you still remember how to do that.”
“I’ll be there,” Julian said. A tribal leader motioned for him. Julian smiled as if he hadn’t a care in the world and went to join him.
Curt gazed after Julian. In spite of his wolfish temper, Julian had surprised him by accepting his challenge. This fight should prove interesting, to say the least. It would be good for Julian to remember how it felt to be a wolf.
Curt walked to the garden and found Vesta standing alone by a flowering tree. Deep in thought, she didn’t turn to him at first and he took a moment to admire her beauty. With her smooth, cocoa skin, full lips, dark eyes and luscious curves, she was by far the most beautiful Vampiress he’d ever seen. His attraction to her had been completely unexpected. He’d never imagined wanting to fuck a Vampire, but Vesta was a pleasing exception.
He stepped closer and she tossed him an angry look. “Are you men finished with your bully tactics? I fail to understand how wolves can --”
He grasped her shoulders and silenced her with a kiss. Curt had never been one to curb his sexual appetite, yet he rarely felt emotional toward his lovers. To him, sex was purely physical pleasure, but for some reason Vesta raised strange feelings inside him. Usually he thought nothing of his lovers outside the bedroom, but since meeting Vesta, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. Just thinking of her pleased him but at the same time…
No. It was humiliating to say his feelings toward her frightened him. They concerned him. He was a warrior. There was no place in his life for love. Even worse, when he’d seen her with Julian, he’d been jealous. Healthy competition between warriors was one thing, but these petty feelings over a woman were useless.
Of course, now that he was aware of these emotions, he couldn’t allow himself to be controlled by them. Still, that didn’t mean he had to deny physical pleasure.
Vesta moaned softly and slipped her arms around his neck. Her tongue met his stroke for stroke and he tightened his grip on her. She tasted so good and felt even better.
The kiss broke, leaving them slightly breathless.
“You shouldn’t have argued with Julian. Not at your own Guard Change Ceremony.”
“That’s between wolves. It has nothing to do with you.”
“Nothing to… You were fighting over me.”
“We were fighting for honor.”
She curled her lip and her beautiful eyes flashed with anger. “Then I mean nothing?”
<
br /> “I didn’t say that.”
“It doesn’t matter. We should go back inside before they wonder what happened to us.”
She walked away, but he caught her arm, tugged her close and kissed her again. Vesta swayed toward him, bracing her hands against his chest. Gods, he loved the feeling of her hands on his body.
He pulled back slightly, pleased by the lust in her eyes, and guided her back inside.
* * *
At dawn, Curt neared Training Room D in the lowest level of the palace. It was a small room, used when wolves trained in close combat. He was surprised when Julian’s scent struck him. Apparently he was eager for their confrontation. Inside the empty brick room, Julian paced the floor but paused upon seeing Curt, his green eyes flashing.
Again Curt repressed the urge to smile. Julian wasn’t as tame as most people seemed to believe. This could be interesting.
Curt locked the door and strode toward Julian who met him halfway across the room.
“Stay away from Vesta,” Julian stated.
“What goes on between us is none of your business. Unless you have some claim to her that I’m unaware of?”
“We have an arrangement.”
“Yes, I’ve heard about that.”
“And you still pursue her?”
“Your arrangement isn’t official and it’s obviously not satisfying enough for her.”
Julian growled and his fists clenched.
“You’re a whim to her, Razorpaw. A woman like Vesta would never commit herself to someone like you.”
“You fight with words. Like a Vampire. You probably fuck like a Vampire, too. That’s why you can’t satisfy her in bed.”
“Your position demands a certain level of respect,” Julian said through clenched teeth. “But don’t push me. You’ll find I’m a formidable enemy.”
“Politically or physically?” Curt scoffed. “If you want to challenge me, do it like a wolf. If you’ve forgotten how then get out of here and don’t insult me with your presence.”
Julian leapt at Curt so fast that even with his sharply honed reflexes he scarcely had time to react. Growling with rage, both men shifted to their wolf form. They ripped at each other with fangs and claws. Slamming to the ground, they grappled, ravaging each other’s furred flesh.
A thrill of battle lust shot through Curt. He’d expected a confrontation with Julian but had underestimated the younger wolf’s combat skills. He fought surprisingly well and his long, lean body was strong as steel. Even with his superior skill, it took Curt several moments to force him into an unbreakable hold and pin him face down.
The sensation of Julian’s hot, straining body beneath him roused Curt’s desire. This could prove far more interesting than he’d imagined.
“Are you done?” Curt growled, his arms beginning to ache from Julian’s furious struggle.
Panting, Julian stopped fighting yet the scent of his fury and, to Curt’s surprise, lust filled the room.
“Yes,” Julian snarled.
Slowly Curt loosened his hold. Julian rolled over and lay on his back, his flashing green eyes fixed on the Captain’s who loomed over him.
“At least you haven’t forgotten what it is to be a wolf,” Curt stated gruffly.
“If I had, then you just reminded me.”
The Captain gave a snort of laughter. He leaned a bit closer to Julian who swallowed hard, an expression of confusion creeping into his eyes. The younger wolf reverted to human form and Curt did the same, his body still pinning Julian’s to the ground. Sweat dampened their bodies, the scent of it heavy on the air. Curt leaned a bit closer and inhaled deeply along the side of Julian’s neck. He could practically hear the other man’s blood pulsing through his body.
Though Curt generally preferred women, he sometimes satisfied his insatiable desires with men who appealed to him. To him lust was like eating or drinking, a necessity to keep the body and mind functioning properly. It usually didn’t matter with whom he relieved his lust, at least it hadn’t in the past. Like Vesta, Julian aroused deeper feelings within him. Julian’s passion, the wolfish temper he kept so well hidden due to his career, aroused Curt almost as much as Vesta.
By the look in Julian’s eyes, the attraction was mutual. He licked his chiseled lips and lifted his head until their mouths nearly touched. Then reality seemed to strike him and he shoved Curt off him.
“What the fuck,” Julian breathed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “This is crazy.”
“Why?”
“Did you see what almost happened?”
“Yes.”
Julian closed his eyes and shook his head. “Now I’m starting to see what Vesta meant.”
“She’s a lovely woman.”
“Yes, she is.”
“I intend to see her again.”
“So do I.”
Their gazes locked and Julian said, “She’s mine.”
“She belongs to herself, at least until she says otherwise. She has feelings for you, Julian, but that won’t be enough to hold her.”
Anger tore through Julian. Anger and lust. Razorpaw was as irresistible as Vesta had said. Dominant. Powerful. Julian knew he was lucky to escape from their brawl relatively unscathed. He considered himself a worthy warrior and a decent hunter, but he’d been no match for Razorpaw’s centuries of wartime service. Strangely Razorpaw’s strength aroused him in a way he’d never imagined possible. He’d never had feelings for a man before, but this was…
Insane.
“She has a wild heart,” Curt continued. “Especially in the bedroom. She longs to be dominated sexually. I’m quite sure you’re the sort of wolf who makes love.”
“Of course,” Julian said. “What do you do, if not make love?”
“I fuck,” Curt stated, his intense gaze fixed on Julian in a way that made his cock twitch. “And that’s exactly what Vesta wants. To be fucked.”
“I don’t hurt women.”
“I didn’t say hurt her. I said fuck her. Big difference. Just as there’s a big difference between fucking and making love.”
“I suppose you’re an expert,” Julian scoffed, though his interest rose. Perhaps Razorpaw had a point.
“I’m an expert in discipline. To fuck properly one needs discipline. If you have the courage, I could give you a demonstration.”
Julian moved closer to Curt so that their bodies almost touched. “One thing I don’t lack is courage.”
Curt’s solemn lips twitched in a smile. “So I saw.”
For several moments they stared at each other until Julian felt as if he was drowning in the vivid blue depths of Curt’s eyes. This time when the Captain cupped the back of his head and drew him close for a rough, possessive kiss, Julian didn’t pull away.
Curt’s tongue thrust between Julian’s lips and Julian’s met it. Trapped between their bodies, his cock stiffened. He felt Curt’s erection also, hard and thick against him. A rush of desire shot through Julian and the urge to devour the Captain overcame him. He shoved him onto his back, their mouths still locked. Growling, Curt quickly reversed their position. Though slightly smaller in stature, the Captain emanated strength, his lean body hard as expected in a seasoned wolf warrior.
Grasping Julian’s wrists tightly, he pinned them to the floor beside his head. When the kiss broke, their gazes locked and Curt said, “Let’s continue in my chamber.”
Julian growled his consent, and they stood and left the room. On the way to Curt’s chamber, they passed several guards who stepped out of their way and stood at attention until Curt passed. Julian noted how comfortable he seemed among other warriors, in a position of authority. Far more comfortable than he’d appeared at the reception in the great hall.
When they reached his chamber, Curt unlocked the door and the men strode inside. Julian didn’t notice any of Curt’s personal belongings. The place still resembled a guest chamber -- impeccable yet generic. Well, the Captain had only been there a couple of days. Given time it w
ould probably look more like someone’s home.
He followed Curt into the bedroom and saw the closet door was open. Inside hung several identical shirts and trousers. Julian approached and glanced at the uniforms. “Don’t you have any civilian clothes?”
“What for?” Curt asked, removing his shirt and tossing it on a chair. He had a great chest. Broad, lean, and hairy. Fantastic abs, too.
Fuck, when had Julian started to notice other men? Obviously it was only Curt who made him react this way.
Shrugging, Julian said, “I don’t know. I thought maybe there were times when you wanted to hang out like everybody else and not be a warrior.”
“I’m always a warrior.”
Julian cocked an eyebrow and studied Curt as he removed his boots, socks, and trousers. Good, long legs and a fucking gorgeous ass. Julian wouldn’t mind grabbing a piece of that. The longer he spent with Curt the more he really understood what Vesta meant about him.
Julian also undressed, glad to see that Curt studied him just as carefully.
They met by the bed, reaching for each other simultaneously, their mouths locking and hands roaming over each other’s bodies. Julian gripped Curt’s powerful shoulders and stroked down his back to his buttocks. He clutched the rock hard spheres and squeezed, not bothering to repress his appreciative growl.
Curt raked his nails down Julian’s back, not too hard but enough to make him draw a sharp breath of pleasure-pain. He tore his mouth from Julian’s to lick and kiss his neck. Julian groaned with pleasure and reached between their bodies, curling one fist around Curt’s shaft and the other around his own. He pumped both.
Curt growled and grasped his wrist, pushing his hand away from his cock. He clutched a handful of Julian’s hair and dragged him around the side of the bed. Though his anger rose a bit, this rough handling aroused Julian nevertheless and he wanted to see what Curt had planned next.
When they reached the side of the bed, Curt nudged the back of Julian’s legs enough to make him drop to his knees. One hand still tight in his hair, Curt used his other to open the night table drawer. When Julian tried to look over his shoulder, Curt gripped his hair a bit tighter and said, “Don’t move.”