Rebel Wolf

by Lowe, Anna

  “Maybe we should feed them,” Chase suggested.

  He grabbed three bowls, and pretty soon, two of the three dogs were munching happily, while Darcy stood between his kibble and Sophie, looking torn.

  Go for the food, buddy. Chase pushed the thought into the dog’s mind. I swear Sophie is in good hands.

  Darcy’s expression said, That’s exactly what worries me, but Chase ignored him. Sophie was finger-combing her hair out of her braid, and the sight of those long, chestnut locks made his wolf go wild. The ceiling fan whirled, bringing him a whiff of his own arousal.

  It’s just hair, he tried telling himself. But there was no just with Sophie. Everything she did made his pulse race.

  “So, you have another room up there?” Sophie asked, looking up to the loft.

  Chase held his breath. Yes, there was. His bedroom, in fact. But that only fueled the dirty part of his mind.

  “Uh, yeah,” he murmured.

  “Mind if I have a look?”

  His eyes went wide, and Sophie blushed wildly, like she knew exactly what was up there. Another little zing of arousal wafted through the room — Hers? His? — and Chase’s wolf wagged its tail.

  Of course, you can have a look. As closely and as long as you like.

  “Sure,” he said as evenly as he could.

  The dogs whimpered when they saw Sophie head up, but they didn’t attempt the steep, narrow stairs. Chase followed Sophie, preparing to grab his messy sheets and cover the bed. But Anjali, Hailey, and the others had worked their magic up there too. His bed — a queen mattress thrown on the floor — was made up with nice, crisp sheets and covered with a fancy Indian-print sarong. A couple of candles stood on the boxes that served as bedside tables, and the shade of the reading lamp wasn’t crooked any more.

  “Cute.” Sophie smiled.

  Chase stared. Cute? Well, yes. For a change.

  “The view is even better from here. And, wow. You have a lot of books,” Sophie breathed.

  One side of the loft faced the west windows, overlooking the swath of lush greens and turquoise blues outside. The other wall was full of books. Crammed with them, actually, all stuffed into makeshift shelves along the unfinished beams. Another couple of piles stood in crooked columns on the floor — books he hadn’t gotten around to reading yet. Sophie ran her finger along one row, and he watched her, feeling painfully self-conscious.

  “You like reading, huh?” she murmured.

  He nodded. Ever since he’d come in out of the wild and learned to read, he’d spent hours flipping the pages of musty books.

  “They help me understand,” he said truthfully.

  When Sophie turned to look at him, her hair cascaded to one side, and sunlight bounced off it.

  “Understand what?”

  Humans hung on the tip of his tongue, but he managed to change the word before it slipped out.

  “People,” he said.

  She grinned like she knew exactly what he meant. Then she caught sight of the book on his bedside table and crooked an eyebrow. “Pride and Prejudice?”

  He shrugged. “I might have…leafed through a little bit.”

  She smiled. “Oh yes?”

  He swallowed away his reticence. “Yep. I was wondering about Darcy. I don’t get it.”

  Down at the bottom of the stairs, the dog looked up.

  Sophie tilted her head. “Don’t get what?”

  “Why you named your dog after the guy. He was a jerk to her. At least at first.”

  Sophie shook her head. “I like Mr. Darcy because he’s honest and he doesn’t care about money. Because Elizabeth changes him, and he becomes a better man.”

  Chase mulled that one over for a minute. That fit the dog, he supposed.

  Fits us too, his wolf pointed out.

  Luckily, Sophie dropped the subject and picked up another book, chuckling. “The Do It Yourself Guide to Biodiesel and Alternative Fuels? You have a wide range of tastes.”

  He smiled. “I guess I do.”

  He reached past her to straighten an uneven row of books then bit his lip. The motion had brought them even closer, and damn, did she smell good.

  Judging by the way her breath hitched. Sophie noticed him too. She didn’t move away, though. In fact, she shifted her weight to let their sides brush.

  Outside, a bird sang cheerily, and down in the kitchen, a sheet of paper fluttered in the breeze of the overhead fan.

  “Do you have a favorite?” she whispered.

  Chase had a hard time processing words, the way his wolf was going wild inside. If she stepped any closer…

  Sophie’s right foot inched forward, sending him that much closer to the brink.

  “Favorite…?” he mumbled. Sophie was his favorite everything. His destined mate. Is that what she meant?

  “Favorite book,” she said, cupping his cheek. She shifted slightly until he was sure she was lining up for a kiss. A kiss that would take place half a step away from his bed.

  You know you want her, his wolf growled.

  Hell yes, he did. Something was supposed to be holding him back, but he couldn’t remember what it was any more. Hell, he could barely think.

  “Three Musketeers,” he managed in a hoarse voice. “All for one, and one for all.” Though, honestly, pack loyalty had faded into the background at that moment. All he wanted was his mate.

  And she wants us, his wolf murmured as Sophie slid her hands over his shoulders.

  “That figures.” She chuckled, but her eyes were a little glassy — like his, he supposed. Which made sense, because he could barely think straight. Did she feel the same way?

  I guarantee she does, his wolf hummed.

  Chase wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, bringing her right up against his chest.

  “Sophie,” he whispered, wishing he could explain.

  She pressed a hand over his lips and looked him straight in the eye. “I want this, Chase. I need this.”

  He gulped, because even in the haze of his mind, he knew that this came with a lot of complications Sophie wasn’t fully aware of.

  “Chase,” she whispered in a voice that cracked with need.

  He meant to say something — anything — but he couldn’t, because a second later, he was kissing her. She pressed her body against his and opened her mouth under his. For the first few seconds, Chase barely let his lips move. But then the wall he’d constructed to hold back the need, the yearning — Christ, the desire — that had been building up in him started to crack, and the last of his resistance crashed to the ground. His hands slid from her waist to the lower edge of her breasts. Their hips squeezed together, making his cock hard. Sophie’s hungry whimpers grew louder, and she plucked at his shirt, making it clear what she wanted. The way she pulled him in was an extension of that Please hold me hug she’d initiated before, and he wanted to cover as much of her as he could. To shield her from the outside world. To make her feel good.

  Definitely need to make our mate feel good, his wolf said.

  “Yes,” Sophie breathed, arching into his touch.

  Which was about as clear an affirmation as a man could wish for — or even a shifter at his breaking point.

  “Sophie,” Chase whispered, lowering her to the bed.

  Chapter Eleven

  Sophie took a deep breath. Not because of what she was about to do, but because being lowered by Chase was like floating through a cloud. How a man that powerful managed to combine gentle with urgent, she had no clue. But boy, did it work for her.

  It was crazy, how badly she wanted him. How much naughty there was hiding inside the nice girl she’d always been.

  “I want this,” she whispered in an echo of her own words.

  She’d had a hell of a day, and her nerves were still on edge. But Chase made the fear fade into the background, and the more she touched him, the more her world filled with joy and light. So she fumbled with his shirt until he helped her work it off, and wow — there she wa
s, flat on her back with an acre of smooth, hard chest above her. Her hands went right on smoothing circles across his skin, unable to get enough of him. How was it possible that they hadn’t gone this far before?

  Not far enough, a needy part of her body yowled. Not yet, it isn’t.

  She panted for air between kisses and worked her hands down his torso, not sure whether to laugh or curse herself for not getting to this point sooner with him. She’d only had sex twice, and neither time had lived up to the hype. What a fool she’d been for thinking that it would be the same with Chase. She was already halfway to an orgasm, and he hadn’t even gotten her naked yet. How amazing would it be to feel Chase’s hands in more intimate places?

  Still, if it had been about sex and nothing else, she might have shied away. But with Chase, there wasn’t just the raw, physical need, but love and trust too.

  The locket warmed on her chest and, wow. If that was a reflection of how hot her body was, Chase had better watch out.

  He stopped kissing and pulled back, studying her as if to see whether she was okay with more.

  “Yes,” she assured him, pushing her hips upward until they ground against his groin. Give me more. Please.

  It was funny, what passion could do to a girl’s mind, because she could have sworn his hazel eyes started to glow.

  Chase swooped down, covering her lips until she was whimpering for more. Then he inched lower, sucking her lower lip…tickling her chin…kissing her neck. When he scraped his teeth across the soft skin, she arched back, silently begging for more. But a moment later, Chase drew away with a gasp, as if he had suddenly thrown on the brakes.

  Her neck tingled, and part of her wished he would have bitten her. Just a little nip. That would be fun.

  But Chase seemed intent on avoiding that at all costs. Instead, he nuzzled her, and she hummed, relishing the slight burn of his stubble. If his touch felt that good against her neck, how good would it feel when he got a little lower and—

  “Oh,” she squeaked when he moved down to her breast. His hand swept up at the same time, pushing her shirt and bra aside. Then his lips touched down on her bare skin, and she moaned.

  “Okay?” he whispered out of the side of his mouth.

  God, yes, she wanted to say. She wove her fingers through his hair instead, holding him close. Okay was the understatement of the year, especially once his soft lips homed in on her nipple and finally captured it. She bucked up under him, writhing and moaning.

  “So good…”

  Chase didn’t say a word, though his eyes flashed, telling her he was just as blown away by the experience as she was, and he couldn’t wait for more. At the same time, that shy, puppy-dog vulnerability was still there, making her melt. This wasn’t a man out to add a notch to his bedpost. More like a man-child — quiet and sensitive, yet powerful and even wise. Looking into his eyes was like looking into the soulful eyes of a dog hoping for a new home.

  She nearly laughed at that one. If anything, she was the stray brought in from the cold.

  “Hang on,” she managed, helping him work her shirt and bra off. Then she sank back again. Chase followed, never more than an inch from her body.

  “So beautiful,” he murmured before getting to work on her right breast.

  Stars shot off in her mind as he kissed and suckled. Gently then harder, until she was sure she would explode. At first, she lay still, a willing prisoner to his touch. But gradually, without even being aware of it, she did more than just wait for his attention. She brought the soft flesh of her breast toward his mouth. One hand strayed lower, and she found herself palming the bulge in his jeans. The moment she realized it, her eyes flew open. Chase’s, on the other hand, drooped to half-mast. He dipped his hips to grind against the pressure she applied. And when he stopped kissing her, it was just long enough to pop open the button of his jeans.

  Is that all right? his eyes asked.

  Sophie nodded quickly. It scared her, just how right it felt. How badly she wanted to stroke every inch of his hot, hard flesh.

  Which she got to spend the next minutes doing. Delighting in, as a matter of fact. Feeling incredibly naughty but oh-so-good at the same time. She barely remembered how she managed to work her own shorts down along the way. But there she was, naked but for her underwear, wrapped around the man of her dreams.

  The barn was quiet — too quiet, considering the dogs were downstairs. Were they listening? She decided it didn’t matter. All that mattered was Chase quenching the inferno blazing deep in her core.

  Yes, she nearly moaned when Chase slid a hand down her belly.

  He paused at the waistband of her panties, and she moaned again.

  Yes. Please. More.

  She was fairly sure she hadn’t said that aloud, but Chase was so tuned in to her, he kept moving after that briefest hesitation, dragging her panties down. Pushing them past her knees and finally her ankles. When she kicked the panties off, he placed his hand on her inner thigh and inched slowly upward, giving her plenty of time to gasp or protest.

  In the end, it was her, spreading her legs, giving him space, silently begging for more. Not begging for long, though, because the moment Chase sensed her wordless Okay, he rushed to satisfy her.

  She gasped — not in surprise but in sheer pleasure. And when Chase dipped his head, rolling his lips around her nipple while exploring her most intimate spot, she arched right off the bed.

  “Yes…”

  Chase dragged the flat of his hand between her legs, making her rock. Then he dipped a finger into her, inching deeper then circling around.

  Yes, she wanted to scream. Yes, yes, yes. Not just at that specific sensation — she meant everything. Sometimes, it took real searching to find the beauty in life. But at times like this, when her heart filled to bursting and her blood rushed, the world seemed infused with goodness and love.

  Love. She barely managed to bite the word back. Surely, it was too soon to go that far?

  Not too soon, a little voice said. You’ve waited long enough.

  And just like that, her need ratcheted up another notch, and she went back to stroking Chase’s cock. Locking eyes with her lover until their movements mirrored each other. He pushed while she tugged, and they both started rocking as if already joined in the world’s most primal dance.

  “Chase,” she panted, lifting her head off the pillow.

  When he glanced up, the look in his eyes nearly bowled her over. The need. The animal intensity.

  Yes? his arched eyebrows asked.

  She signaled toward the bedside table. “Condom. Please. I need you inside.”

  His eyes flickered, and when he reached hesitantly into the bedside table, she had the sinking suspicion he might not have one. But then his face lit up, and he pulled out a strip of condoms. Had he forgotten he’d had some in there?

  Sophie didn’t care. She was a cat in heat, and boy, did she need him badly.

  She helped him slip a condom out of the wrapper — and even helped him unroll it over his straining cock, much to her own shock. She’d never been that forward before.

  Before wasn’t with Chase, her subconscious pointed out.

  And damn, was that the truth. No other man had ever pinned her with such a hungry, intense look. A look that promised he would make her howl in pleasure while worshiping her at the same time. Neither had moved so deliberately into position above her, nor looked at her like she was his sole concern.

  “Yes,” she breathed, hooking her legs around his waist.

  “Sophie,” he whispered, almost trembling with need.

  She gave a curt nod, hoping he sensed how good she felt, how ready she was. He must have, because a moment later, he drew carefully back and thrust deep.

  “Yes,” she cried, clutching his shoulders.

  Chase’s lips curled back, and his eyes closed. Did he feel the same achy, delicious burn she did? Was his pulse racing as much as hers?

  His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he resettled his
weight, then repeated the move. Faster. Harder. Hungrier. Slowly, he slid out of her, only to hammer back in.

  “Yes,” she moaned. She didn’t need gentle. She needed hot and hard.

  Yes, her. The good girl. The quiet one. The one who kept so much locked up inside. She had her needs too, and they’d been pent up for too long.

  “Yes,” she said, more demanding than ever.

  Chase hitched her right leg higher against his body and thrust again. She howled, because the angle intensified the exquisite pleasure. Her ears pounded with her pulse, and something gleamed on her chest — her sweat, intermingled with the shine of his. When she inhaled, she caught their own sensual scent. A thick, sweet aroma that made her head go light.

  Chase took her hands and pinned them above her head. That anchored her in place — a damn good thing, because she was starting to move up the mattress with each of his thrusts.

  Sophie opened and closed her eyes, caught between two worlds. On the face of it, sex was raw and gritty. Almost dirty. But all she sensed was magic. That and a nearly insatiable desire. She almost wailed, because as high as each of Chase’s hard pumps made her, her body always demanded more. Ultimate, indescribable pleasure was within her grasp, yet somehow too far.

  “Soon,” Chase murmured in a hoarse whisper. “Soon, my love.”

  She exhaled, forcing herself to relax. To move with him and let the pleasure build naturally instead of forcing it. Seconds must have ticked by before his words clicked. Love?

  A warm rush flooded her body, and Chase smiled at her. A smile like a beam of light, making her sure love was exactly right. Then he went all serious again and drew back.

  “Hey,” she protested.

  He shook his head, begging her to understand. “Like this. Okay?”

  Her eyes went wide as he maneuvered her legs over his shoulders until they were firmly hooked in place. Oh God. Was he going to—

  “Oh,” she moaned, stretching the sound out over several syllables when he powered back in. The angle was just right, and her need reached a new peak. All the heat in her body pulled back like a wave getting ready to break.

  Chase held her tight, and she met his push with an inner squeeze that made them both gasp. Their separate strokes became a steady rhythm that would have made any normal bed rock. A good thing the mattress was on the floor — and not just for that reason. She already felt high, lying in that airy loft — not to mention the feeling of an intense orgasm building inside.