Liv’s breasts cradled his cock and he couldn’t breathe without gulping. When she pulled back and licked the pearl of pre-come growing at the tip of his shaft, Cal—oh yeah, that was it—made a sound that was far too un-alpha-like. His fingers crept into her hair and he lifted his head to watch her licking him.
Not a good idea. His balls tightened and Cal had to think of something bad to bring him from the edge. Like explaining to Liv about what sex would be like when they were both wolves. How he’d enter her when he wasn’t even hard because he had a bone in his cock to help, and once he was inside, he’d then swell, and once he started to come, it could last thirty minutes and neither of them would be able to move because they’d be locked together. It actually was a lot of fun, but it didn’t sound it and it freaked some women out when they couldn’t get free.
Cal looked down. He was hard as iron and Liv was sucking him. Oh God. That felt good. The tightness of her mouth, the heat, the softness of her tongue, and she had her hand in exactly the right place at the base of his dick, squeezing just tight enough to stop him coming all over her face. Then she stared up at him and looked so adorable, Cal thought he was a saint for waiting this long before “accidentally” bumping into her this morning.
Liv kissed the head of his cock then rubbed her cheek against him. He smelled so good, of ice cream, of man, of wolf. Oh God. He tasted good too. She opened her mouth wide and took as much of him as she could, tightened her lips and then bobbed her head up and down. Cal’s hips bucked and Liv swallowed against him.
“Jeeeeesus,” he mumbled.
She felt like the head of his cock was melting in her mouth, it was so soft and wet. Liv nibbled down his rigid length and ran her tongue over the curve of his balls, letting the skin wrinkle under her tongue. Cal’s hips shifted restlessly and she sensed he was trying not to shove himself deeper into her mouth. When Liv pressed the tip of her tongue into the little slit at the head of his cock, Cal whimpered. The salty tang of pre-come filled her mouth, and Liv ran her tongue over and around the velvety head as his fingers tightened in her hair.
Liv had never swallowed come before, but she wanted to now. She pumped harder at the base of his cock, wrapped her lips more tightly around his glans, and Cal’s dick jerked in her mouth.
“Liiiiiiv,” he groaned.
His cock swelled, Cal went rigid and Liv’s mouth flooded with a hot, salty-sweet gush. Liv savored every spurt as Cal emptied himself between her lips. His hands slid from her hair to her cheeks and he stroked them with his thumbs as the last spasms of orgasm faded and finally he was spent.
“That was…indescribable,” he muttered.
“Well, try.”
Cal laughed. “Fantastic, superb, tremendous, amazing, sensational.”
He tugged her up into his arms and kissed her and somehow the fact that he was tasting himself in her mouth was so erotic, Liv found it hard to breathe. And when she felt his cock slide into her, Liv forgot to be amazed that he could be erect again so quickly and instead thanked her lucky stars.
Chapter Four
Liv stretched in bed and groaned. She ached all over as if she’d worked out for too long at the gym. Last night had been a revelation in more ways than one and she smiled. When neither of her roaming hands made contact with a hard male body, Liv opened her eyes and sat up. No noise from the bathroom. No clothes on the floor. Cal had gone. He’d warned her he had to leave early because he had a lunch date he couldn’t miss and promised he’d see her later. Liv hadn’t asked questions, though she’d wanted to.
Lunch date with whom?
Did he have a girlfriend?
I should have asked. Why didn’t I ask?
What was his mobile number?
What did he do for a living?
Did he have a family?
Where did he live?
Could she move in with him?
Well, no, she wouldn’t have asked that one.
When Liv caught sight of the time, she groaned. She was in danger of being late for lunch with her father. Liv levered herself out of bed and shrieked, and kept on shrieking until she slapped a hand over her mouth. No hope of pretending last night hadn’t happened because part of it was still with her. She had a long, bushy tail.
Liv rushed to the mirror and turned in a circle. Thank God that was all she’d kept. There was a chance of hiding this, but not a wet, black nose or pointed ears or fur. She wagged her tail and let out a sickly laugh.
After her shower, she had to dry the thing with her hair dryer and it ended up looking twice the size. Damn it, she should have used a frizz-ease conditioner. No time now. How was she going to hide it? Liv verged between tears and hysterical laughter as she tried to wrestle her appendage into submission. In the end, she tucked it down the back of her panties, dragged it up between her legs—slightly concerned to find that rather sensual—and then let it poke over the top of her underwear. She tried walking and the tail slipped down. Maybe she could keep yanking it up and pretend she was pulling at her belt? Except every time she did it, she’d be rubbing— Oh God.
Loose pants, an untucked shirt and a long jacket worked wonders, but the tail tickled, and as Liv sat on the bus, she had to fight the urge to laugh. Or cry.
When her father let her into the house, he hugged her harder than she ever remembered him hugging her before. Harder than when he’d seen her a week ago and the strength of that hug had shocked her. At this rate, he’d break her ribs next time.
“I love you,” he said.
Liv’s eyes widened. “Twice in two weeks? What have you done?”
He frowned. “Why do I have to have done something? I’m allowed to love my only daughter, aren’t I? Want to take off your jacket?”
Liv clutched it to her. “No, I’m cold.”
“It’s the middle of summer.”
“Yes, weird, isn’t it?” She sniffed. “Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, parsnips, peas, roast potatoes, apple crumble. Oh yum.”
“Anything else?” Her father smiled.
“Homemade horseradish sauce.” Liv gulped.
Super sense?
Her father shuffled from foot to foot. “I’ve—um—invited a guest for lunch.”
“A woman?” Liv’s eyes widened. She was about to say it was about time when her father shook his head.
Liv glared at him and mouthed, “For me? Why?”
“Come and say hello. He’s a really nice man. A veterinarian.”
“A guy who gets paid for putting his hands up animals’ backsides?” she whispered. “Ewww…I don’t—”
“He knew your mother.”
Liv straightened. Twenty-three years ago, her mother had died giving birth to her. Liv had always felt it had to be her fault because her three elder brothers had been born without problems. A difficult delivery was all her father would ever tell her. She hadn’t pushed because she knew how much he missed his wife.
“He has something to tell you,” her father said, and nudged her forward.
When Liv walked into the dining room, she stopped so suddenly, her father walked into her back.
Cal jumped up. Liv couldn’t move. Her feet appeared to be set in cement.
“Hello, Liv,” Cal said.
She looked from Cal to her father. “What’s going on?”
Her father pulled out a chair. “Sit down, Liv.”
She slumped on the chair and winced when she crushed her tail. Cal sat down again and her father took the chair on her other side.
“How are you feeling?” her father asked.
Oh God, he knows. Not about the tail, but…
“Fine,” Liv muttered.
“I did know your mother,” Cal said.
She stared at him. “How? You’re not that much older than me.”
“I’m forty-two.”
No way. She’d guessed late twenties.
“I knew your mother because she was a werewolf too. We were members of the same pack.”
Jaw-drop time. Liv
was amazed the thing was still attached. Probably hung by a thread. She tried to say something but no words came out of her mouth. Instead, she looked at her father.
He shook his head. “I’m not a wolf.”
Cal caught hold of her hand and held it tight. “Your brothers didn’t inherit the gene but you did.”
“Inherit the gene? But you bit me. You said your body fluuu…you bit me.” Not a good time to mention potent body fluids. “You mean I’ve always been a wolf?”
Her father sighed. “I didn’t know until you reached puberty whether you’d be like your mother. I could have disappeared with you, but the pack would have found us. They’re fiercely protective of their own. Your brothers tested negative. Not that they know they were tested. Cal told me he could sense, smell the wolf in you when you were a young girl. You should have gone to live with the pack from that moment, but I wouldn’t let it happen. I bargained for time. The tablets that you took until a month ago suppressed your wolf.”
Liv frowned. “The doctor said they were for a blood clotting disorder.”
“A pack doctor,” Cal said.
Liv was having difficulty getting her head around this. “You mean, if I’d kept taking the tablets that the doctor oh so helpfully informed me were no longer needed, I wouldn’t have turned into a wolf?”
Cal stroked the fingers he held. “Eventually you would. The older you grow, the stronger the wolf grows too. It can only be suppressed for so long. Left alone, you might have shifted and died, or you might have shifted and not been able to shift back. My bite gave you extra strength to help you transform.”
Liv yanked her hand free. “And if I’d shifted last night and not been able to change back, what would you have done?”
Cal didn’t answer but she saw the truth in his face. “You’d have killed me.”
“I might have had to. If you’d gone mad, you’d have been a danger to the security of the pack.”
She glared at him. “I might not have gone mad, but I’d have been pissed off.” Liv shivered. “Oh my God. You’ve both lied to me. You can’t be turned into a werewolf by biting.” She stared at her father. “Otherwise my mother would have bitten you.” She turned to Cal. “And you pretended to bump into me so you could make me a werewolf like you.”
“Cal had to bite you to give you the best chance of survival,” her father said. “His saliva helped you shift. He waited because I asked him to. He promised to stay away, not to approach you until you were twenty-one. I begged for two more years. I wanted you to have a human life for as long as possible.”
Liv’s heart pounded.
Cal held out his hand to her. “You’re my mate, Liv. I love you. You’ve been mine since the day you were born. I promised your mother before she went into labor that I’d look out for you. I’ve asked your father for your hand and he said—”
“I said yes. I might not be a werewolf, but I understand pack dynamics. If Cal says you’re his mate, then you are. Simple as that. Your mother knew the instant she saw me that I was the man for her, even though I wasn’t one of her kind.”
“It’s the way the pack introduces new blood into their midst,” Cal said. “You’re not a purebred wolf because only one of your parents had the gene. It meant the dangers of your first shift were greater, but our children will bring new life to the pack.”
Cal wants me because I’m new blood?
Liv’s head spun faster than a fairground ride but with the same results. She felt sick. With fear, but mostly with anger.
“Your brothers must never know about your mother or you,” her father said. “One day, you’ll have to say a private goodbye to them because there’ll be no way to explain why you’ve aged so little.”
“Oh God,” Liv blurted.
Cal made another grab for her hand and missed. “We’ll marry next week, and—”
“Oh no we won’t,” Liv snapped. “And you can take that look off your face.”
“I’ve waited years,” Cal said.
“But I haven’t. You can’t drop this bombshell on me and expect me to just accept it.” She pushed her chair away from the table and stood. “I need a minute.” Or a year or two.
She’d not reached the front door before Cal was on her. He pushed it closed and pressed his hands on it either side of her head. Liv turned to face him.
“I love you,” Cal whispered. “I’ve spent years aching for you. I’ve had to watch you date and have boyfriends, knowing that you were mine. I let you have as long as I could, but the risk was growing too great. I was so scared of losing you.”
“I’m really angry,” she blurted. “Why didn’t you just explain everything yesterday morning?”
Cal raised his eyebrows. “You kneed me in the nuts.”
Liv frowned. “Yep, okay, I can see that wasn’t going to work.”
“What could I say? What was the perfect way to break this to you? Go out with you for a few months and then tell you the truth? Believe me, Liv, I’ve had a long while to think about this. I know it’s a shock. I know you don’t feel it’s what you want, but give me time to show you that it is. Please.”
Cal dropped his arms and held out his hand. “We have a lifetime to talk. Dinner’s getting cold.”
“Turn round,” Liv said.
“Why?”
“Do it.”
The moment his back was turned, Liv bent and bit him as hard as she could on the backside.
“Yow!” Cal lurched forward, and then turned to face her.
The glare on his face faded and changed back into a smile.
“That makes you mine, doesn’t it?” she asked. “Though not sure I drew blood. I’ll try again later when you’re not expecting it.”
Liv grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the dining room where her father was putting dishes on the table.
“We can honeymoon in Vegas,” Cal said.
“Have I said yes to getting married?”
“Not yet but we’ll honeymoon in Vegas.”
“Hawaii.”
“Hawaii’s fine.” Cal shrugged.
Liv coughed.
“Hawaii’s perfect.” He bit back his smile.
She sighed. “I’ve never been to Vegas.”
“We can do both. Can we eat now?”
Liv harrumphed and sat down.
“We’ll talk later,” Cal whispered, and slid his hand onto her knee.
She slammed her knees together and trapped his fingers.
“I cooked your beef separately,” her father said, and slid three slices of well-done meat onto her plate.
“Thanks, Dad.”
Liv averted her gaze from the plates either side. Both her father and Cal were eating beef that looked as though the grill had given it no more than a chaste kiss.
“You still like your meat well done?” Cal asked.
Liv glanced at his plate and heaved. “Appears so.”
He sighed. “Remind me to take a disposable BBQ when we go hunting.”
After lunch, Cal drove her back to his place. It turned out to be a pretty cottage on the edge of the Sussex downs. He tugged her straight through the house without giving her the chance to look around, picked up a blanket from a chair and led her out into the garden and down the path into a wood.
“I own the land around too. The pack comes here to run. You’ll meet them all tonight.”
“What if they don’t like me?”
“Stupid question, but they wouldn’t dare not like you.” Cal sighed. “Have you forgiven me yet?”
“I’m thinking about it. I might have to do some more biting.”
He smiled. “By the way, I did need directions yesterday morning.”
“Oh yes, where to?”
He tilted his head to one side. “To your heart.”
Liv grinned. “That is so corny, but I’m a sucker for a man who’s not too pig-headed to ask for directions.”
Cal pulled her into his arms and Liv snuggled against him. When his hands slid do
wn her back, she pulled them higher.
“Why do you smell of mint chocolate chip ice cream?” she asked.
“Life mates smell of your favorite things.”
“Then why don’t you smell of Jimmy Choo shoes?”
He rolled his eyes, slid his hands toward her butt and Liv yanked them up.
Cal made a sound of exasperation. “I know about your tail.”
“How?” she squeaked.
“Saw it poking out the top of your pants. Since I already know you’re not that hairy down—”
“Stop right there. I want it to go,” Liv wailed.
“I have just the cure.” Cal spread out the blanket and started to strip.
Liv had taken off her blouse before she realized what she was doing, but when Cal stood there, all long and lean and luscious, she slipped out of the rest of her clothes.
“Have you ever known anyone just to keep a tail?” she whispered.
“Er…”
“If you want me to say yes when you ask that question I want posed in the most romantic possible way, don’t lie.”
“No. I’m sure it will go when you shift again.” He pulled her down onto the blanket.
It took a moment before she registered what he’d said. “You mean I have to wait a month until the next full moon?”
“Possibly.” Cal dropped his head to her breast, and Liv’s mouth filled with moisture. His hand slid between her legs and she began to groan.
“Keep doing that,” Cal blurted.
“What?”
They looked down to see her tail wrapped around his cock.
“Oh my God,” Liv gasped. “I can feel—wow.”
“I was wrong,” Cal said with a sigh. “You definitely have to wait a month.” He laughed. “Oh look at that. My wolf wants to play too.”
Liv gurgled with pleasure as Cal’s furry tail snuck over to join in the fun.
“Are we going to live happily ever after?” Liv asked.
Cal smiled. “I think that can be arranged.”
About the Author
Barbara Elsborg lives in West Yorkshire in the north of England. She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed to everyone without them even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her. Vulcanology scorched her feet. A morbid fear of sharks put paid to marine biology. So instead, she spent several years successfully selling cyanide.
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