“Yes.”
“For how much?”
“Depends on the girl. Usually millions.”
Elias dialed 911 and called for an ambulance, giving the crossroads closest to the accident. The call was probably unnecessary, given the sirens he could already hear in the distance. After ending the call he smashed his phone against the sidewalk so he couldn’t possibly be tracked as he disappeared into the night.
He left Mr. Cipriano with a warning that if he said so much as a word to the police about his presence at the crime scene that his life would be in danger at every single moment. Mr. Cipriano seemed to understand.
As police lights appeared around the corner he shifted back into his wolf body and scurried up the metal stairs of a fire escape. For now he’d be forced to travel once more over the skyline of the city, staying out of sight and out of harm’s way.
The wheels of his mind spun as he mulled the case over, his mind feeling oddly separate from the majestic body that soared through the cold wind of the dark night, his enormous frame bounding from building to building and rooftop to rooftop. But ultimately, thoughts of his detective work were cut short as his mind focused on Tess. He had to go to her, to wrap her in his arms, and assure himself that she was OK.
CHAPTER 15
———
—Tess—
I found myself walking quickly through the hotel lobby, my eyes averted from the staff at the front desk. I must have looked obviously distressed because I heard one of the staff ask if I was OK and if I needed help.
“No, I’m fine. Thank you,” I said as I hurried to the elevator.
I didn’t fully know why I was here. I texted Elias. I texted him again and again. When I finally tried calling it went immediately to voicemail. Had something happened to him? If he was in danger there was nothing I could do about it. It might finally be time for me to call the police station. They could send squad cars. Someone would at least be out there looking for him.
I debated this decision as I rode the elevator alone. There was a risk here. If they found out that Elias and I were running an operation off the books, there was a chance we could both be fired. Hell, there was a chance we could both face trial. This wasn’t just a case of misconduct; we’d taken a huge risk with both our lives and the integrity of the department.
There was simply too much at stake for me to phone it in just yet. Besides, something inside me told me that Elias was OK, that he would come back to me if I just gave it time. At times I felt that I heard his voice in my head, reassuring me of this fact. It was this same voice that had told me to go back to the hotel, that I would be safest there; the same voice that told me to wait for him.
When I was finally inside our room I fell back on the bed and closed my eyes. I wanted to sleep more than anything, to forget, at least momentarily, the horrors I’d just been through. But it was impossible. My body was hotly wired, my mind running over the things I’d seen over and over and over again. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest like a loud, fast drumbeat.
I got up and went to the mini-fridge, finding an assortment of airplane bottles and a few bottles of champagne and wine; all the amenities of a luxury hotel. I opened up two small bottles of vodka and poured myself a glass. This was perhaps the only thing that would ease my nerves right now.
I took a few large, steady sips and started to feel slightly more relaxed. I still wondered where Elias was and had the idea to turn on the television. Perhaps news of the accident had reached the local stations.
Images flickered across the screen, each more meaningless than the last. Absolutely nothing about the crash. It was bizarre. Part of me was starting to wonder if it had really happened, and if so, what parts were real and which were purely imaginary. Had I truly seen a giant wolf overturn the limo? Had it really communicated with me when it looked into my eyes and told me to ‘go’?
I filled the glass up again. These thoughts were too much to face sober and alone. But before I took another sip, I heard the doorknob turn. My heart began to beat faster… and then I saw Elias’s beautiful face walk through the doorway. A wave of relief washed over me.
—Elias—
He didn’t know how he would explain it to her, but it seemed undeniable that he’d have to tell her the truth: that he was a shape shifter, a ‘werewolf’, a being with two identities, one of which was his purely animal nature. Part of him knew it was too soon, but part of him knew there was no better time. He had one wish in his heart: that she wouldn’t reject him once she knew the truth about his dual nature.
He debated how he’d explain it as he breezed stealthily over the rooftops of the city, bounding from building to building, hidden by the darkness of the night sky. He counted all the ways he might reveal to her his dark truth, but there was no right answer, no good way to tell her something he knew she’d be so shocked to hear. He also knew that she was his true mate. He’d felt her passion for him; he hadn’t been mistaken about that.
Soon enough there wasn’t any more time to debate his next move, as he found himself alighting on the rooftop of the hotel. He shifted back into his human form and smashed through a door leading into the hotel stairwell. Now that he was near her he couldn’t wait to get his secret off his chest. He would pour it all out, lay it all on the line.
He’d give her one single chance to accept him as he was, to be with him despite his true essence. She’d have one chance to either accept or reject him. At least he would know for sure where they stood. That was his only solace.
—Tess—
I rushed to Elias and wrapped my arms around him, forgetting for the moment that we were colleagues. But professionalism be damned, I was so happy to see him. So many confusing feelings welled up inside of me. It wasn’t just knowing he was safe. It was having him here with me, his arms wrapped around me, feeling their intrinsic strength enveloping me with the most complete protection.
But there was something else in his touch, something deeper, stranger, yet more refined. I looked up into his face questioningly. I wanted to say something, but no words came to mind. Even if I’d had something to say, it would have been impossible, because the very next moment I felt his mouth on mine, kissing me with a heated passion I couldn’t even have imagined before this moment.
I lost myself in that kiss, allowing my hand to move over his muscular frame, enjoying the smooth wet touch of his tongue on mine. But within moments it was over as he pushed me away and looked down into my eyes, practically into my very soul. There was something he wasn’t telling me, and this realization catalyzed my feelings of dread and rejection. I knew this moment was too perfect.
“Tess, I can’t…”
“Dammit. I’m so stupid. I don’t know why I did that,” I said, castigating myself and too embarrassed to look into his eyes.
“I kissed you, Tess. I wanted it as much as you. More perhaps. But I can’t let this go any further until I tell you something.”
“Tell me what?”
“It has to do with who I am. What I am,” said Elias, guiding me toward the bed. “It has to do with the abductions case and how I know what’s ultimately behind it.”
“Elias, you’re scaring me,” I said softly, my voice trembling as my imagination ran astray in a thousand directions, imagining the absolute worst to come out of his mouth.
“What I’m going to tell you next is something you probably won’t believe, but I’m asking you, I’m begging you, to trust me,” he said, his eyes pleading with me in desperate sincerity.
I nodded. It was all I could do.
“Do you know what a shifter is?”
“Shifter? No,” I said, my curiosity peaked. I’d never heard the term before.
“Well, you’ve heard of werewolves right?”
“Ha, yes, of course.”
“It’s sort of like that. I’m talking about human beings who can change into animal shape and back again. In this case I’m talking about wolves in particular. What would you say if I
told you that shifters were behind these abductions?”
“I’d say you’re fucking crazy. Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?”
“Well, it’s true.”
“Elias, I can’t tell if you’re messing with me or not. I don’t know why you’d joke about something like this. Especially after what I’ve been through tonight.”
“What you’ve been through?”
“Yes.”
“You mean the limo being destroyed. Meeting that wolf face to face, the wolf who looked you in the eyes and told you to get out of there. The wolf that watched you run to safety as he faced the threat of gunshots. The wolf…”
My heart raced at his words.
“How do you kn—? You were there?”
“I was the wolf, Tess. I’m still that wolf.”
One might have expected me to faint in that moment, to collapse from exhaustion or fear, from shock and surprise. But the exact opposite happened: a second wave of relief washed over me. Suddenly, everything came into view, the picture started to appear to me clearer and clearer, more and more complete. I reached up an touched Elias’s face, feeling the roughness of his scruff, an image of his wolf-like shape flickering in my mind as I did so.
“You saved me.”
“I did. And I also got Cipriano to confess. He’s been making a deal with the shifters; he’s even got some on his crew. They’ve been kidnapping women all over the city and selling them to another group of shifters, sometimes for as much as millions of dollars.”
“But why? It doesn’t make any sense.”
Elias looked away. Perhaps he was unsure of what he was about to say next, unsure if I could handle the news he was about to impart to me.
“These women are valuable as mates.”
“As mates?”
“Yes.”
“What exactly do you mean?”
“To a shifter, a mate is his most prized possession, the thing he lives for and also the one thing he’d be willing to die for. It’s the source of his passion, his lust for life. Finding a mate is the one true goal of his life, but it’s a hard process. Some are willing to wait for ‘the one’ to come along, their true mate, the one mate who was made exclusively for them. Others are less patient, they want to start a pack so they’ll more actively pursue a mate,” said Elias.
He kept staring at me, but I didn’t know what to say, so I simply nodded and he continued on.
“There are some human women who are particularly prized as mates, that have certain features and characteristics that make them valuable for bearing and raising the young of the shifter, of helping him to start his pack. It’s this type of woman that Cipriano’s men are targeting. Like I said, finding a mate is the most important thing in a shifter’s life and that’s why they’re so valuable, it’s why Cipriano’s men can charge millions for the most prized women.”
“But this is crazy. How can we even go to the department about this? They’ll never believe us.”
“I know. Which is why we’ve got to put a stop to this ourselves. I gave Cipriano immunity in return for helping us. We’ll have to identify each and every individual involved. We’ll try to pin evidence on the humans and I’ll deal with the shifters myself.”
“OK,” I said. “Wait…”
“What is it?” asked Elias.
“You thought they wanted me? You think they wanted to kidnap me and sell me as a mate?”
“Yes. I know they did.”
“How? Did Cipriano confess that, too?”
“No. I knew because… because I know many shifters who would pay a fortune to have you as their mate.”
“Would you?”
“No,” said Elias.
“Oh,” I said, my heart sinking as I looked away. I thought I’d meant something to him, something more than the mere possibility of a one night fling.
“I wouldn’t want you on those terms. Yes, I want you as my mate, but only if you want me, too. Only if you desire me as desperately as I desire you. Do you, Tess?”
CHAPTER 16
———
My answer, of course, was yes. And in the moments that followed I let him know how utterly and completely I had clung to the idea of a future with him, if only subconsciously. I let him know how I’d spent many moments fantasizing about him, wishing he would take me, play with my body, indulge my every whim and desire.
But these were things I didn’t express through words. Elias and I were done with talking for now, letting our bodies speak where mere words simply wouldn’t do. I emitted a sigh of bliss as he pushed me back on the bed, falling on top of me, his sleek, muscular frame hovering over me, pressing his heat against me.
He ran his hands over me as our mouths locked in a kiss. The feeling was beyond mere description, its force and inner magic revealed in the way his energy streamed into me and reverberated throughout my body. The wetness of our tongues intertwining, our passion hot, almost to the point of our bodies melting into each other.
I felt the roughness of his hands slipping under the fabric of my dress, pushing the straps down off of my shoulders. I squirmed beneath him in anticipation as I reached my hands up and tried to unbutton his shirt and pull it off of him, but I couldn’t force myself to be patient. I tore his shirt open, exposing the robust muscularity of his chest.
I was slightly surprised at how big he was with his shirt off. The clothes he wore on the job always made him look slimmer, more svelte and lean. Now that I could see him before me, I realized just how strong he was, the hidden force that lay within those muscles; it made me want him all the more.
He pulled my dress further down, slipping my arms through the straps, and lowering the neckline to expose my breasts. Then he leaned back in and kissed me deeply once more. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled him back into me, his warmth made more palpable by the bareness of our touching skin.
His lips moved from mine, kissing my cheek, then down over my neck and shoulder, moving slowly, but deliberately, each subtle touch carrying its unique electric charge. My breaths quickened as Elias pressed his face between my breasts, taking in my scent as he rubbed his ruggedly handsome face against the smooth skin of my chest. He kissed each of my nipples, offering a subtle lick that sent a shimmering ecstasy over my skin, like a ripple of static that hinted of the passion yet to unfold.
My back arched with the soft touch of his tongue, the stimulation forcing me into slight contortions, sending me wriggling in the sheets of the bed. Each lap of his tongue caused a new sensation that floated to the forefront of my immediate consciousness, building a desire inside me and wetness between my legs.
I held his head against my chest, struck by the depth of my passion, excited as I felt Elias’s hands pulling my dress further down. His kissing lips followed in its wake, making their way down toward the smooth lines of the thong that covered up the nascent wetness of my waiting slit. He slipped his fingers under the loops of my thong. I lifted my legs to make it easier to slip it off; I was tired of waiting, and wanted to do anything I could to hasten the moment I’d long been waiting for.
His lips pressed against my skin, touching me just below my belly-button. I waited in anticipation, knowing what was on his mind, trying to imagine the feeling, the tremendous sensation of his tongue dipping lower. But I didn’t have to use my imagination for long, because my thoughts were broken up by the new sensation that rippled through me. The purest most unadulterated pleasure, the absolute rapture of his tongue circling my clit was intensified by the surprise of his fingers pushing inside my wet pussy.
I gasped a slight utterance of pleasure. Elias lapped at me, his tongue expert in its movements and expressive of his passion, its depth and nearly animalistic nature. I couldn’t have stopped him if I’d tried, not in the heat of this moment. But why would I want to? My body was almost weak with desire, each swirl of his tongue bringing me closer to the edge, his fingers filling me up, stretching me as a prelude to the girth of his cock.
I wa
s desperate for him, even though he was right here with me. I lay there wanting him inside me, wanting him to embrace me with all the wild fury of his passion. My mind vacillated between these thoughts and my attempts to concentrate on the profound pleasure of his tongue as he continued lapping at me—but I wanted more from him.
“Elias, I want it. I want you inside me,” I moaned breathily.
Elias moved his head back up toward mine and kissed me. I bit his lip playfully. His body pressed against mine once more and I felt the bulge that had grown in his pants, touching against my bare legs. I reached down and unbuckled his belt as Elias leaned to his side and fell over on his back. I reached over and unzipped his pants, moving my head down closer to his crotch.
Slipping my hand into his underwear, I gripped the skin of his shaft and applied a delicate pressure. Easing his pants off, I pulled out his cock, and wrapped my lips around the tip, touching my wet tongue lightly to him. I took his big cock all the way into my mouth, causing him to shudder with pleasure. Knowing that he was enjoying the soft, wet feel of my mouth made me even wetter with desire.
I bobbed up and down, running his huge balls through my fingers as I swirled my tongue around his cock, applying slight pressure, then releasing. There was a passionate ebb and flow to the way I sucked at him, to the way I applied my passion toward the goal of his pleasure. But as much as I enjoyed his taste, as much as I went crazy for the feeling of his cock pounding my throat, there was only one thing I wanted now. I couldn’t wait any longer.
His cock glistened in the dim lights of the room, slick with the coating of my saliva. After giving one final passionate lick, I climbed on top of him, holding his cock in my hand as I straddled him. I rubbed the tip against the lips of my smoking slit, knowing that the size of his cock was almost more than I could handle.
Elias grabbed my voluptuous ass, squeezing it lustfully as he pulled me down toward his, pushing his cock inside me. My pussy was tight, but soaking wet, and his huge cock slid in with relative ease. I’d never had anyone fill me up like this, with such a mixture of pleasure and pain, his size a blessing and a curse.
The Shifter's Conspiracy (Paranormal BBW Werewolf Romance Novella) Page 9