Wolf Tales III

by Kate Douglas

  She watched as the wolf walked slowly toward her, hardly breathing for fear of frightening it away. Finally it stopped, a mere six or seven feet from where she stood. The night was dark, but there appeared to be just enough silver in the animal’s coat to catch the reflection of moonlight. It stared right at her, the amber eyes strangely familiar, unbelievably intelligent. Shannon thought of the dream she’d had, of running through the forest and the sound of a wolf’s howl. Her skin suddenly erupted in goose bumps.

  The wolf was obviously aware of her, had to have seen her, yet it didn’t run. It watched her as closely as she watched it. Shannon felt no fear, only a marvelous sense of wonder along with a vague regret that Jake still slept. He should be here, sharing this amazing moment.

  What was the animal thinking? It cocked its broad head to one side, its long tongue lolled out of its mouth and Shannon had the distinct impression the animal was laughing at her. She wondered if it might be tame, if it had been raised as someone’s pet, but the beast, for all its composure, looked fiercely wild.

  She noticed blood on its chest and around its muzzle, as if it had recently fed. No pet would hunt alone at night. No, this was a wild animal. Free, a true denizen of the forest.

  Suddenly, the wolf turned around and glided back into the forest. The meadow stood empty in the moonlight, as if the creature had never been. Shannon stared for a long, long time at the spot where the animal had stood.

  Wondering. Thinking about the events that had brought her here, about the man sleeping in the room on the other side of the wall.

  As if he’d heard her thoughts, Jake wandered out of the cabin. He was naked, his hair mussed, and he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “What are you doing out here? It’s freezing.”

  He wrapped his arms around Shannon and she realized his skin was cold. He must have come uncovered because the heavy down comforter was more than adequate.

  “I saw the most marvelous thing, Jake.” She pulled the afghan off her shoulders and wrapped Jake inside its heavy folds with her, felt the press of his muscular body against her back. “There was a wolf, a beautiful silvery wolf right here in the front yard.”

  He yawned, nuzzled the top of Shannon’s head with his chin. “Yeah. I’ve heard there are wolves in the area. Surprised one would come so close to the house, though.”

  Shannon shrugged her shoulders. “It’s been empty for a long time. The wolf probably wondered who was hanging out in his forest. It was beautiful. I wish you could have seen it.” She turned inside the warm afghan and kissed Jake on the chin, familiarly, as if they’d been together for years, not hours. “Come to bed. It’s the middle of the night.”

  Jake kissed her. “Go ahead. I’m gonna take a leak. I’ll be inside in a minute.”

  Shannon laughed. “Men are so disgusting. Don’t pee near the house.”

  His teeth glistened white in the moonlight when he smiled. “I would think you’d be more concerned about the wolf eating me than whether or not I peed near the house.”

  Shannon shook her head. “He didn’t seem at all dangerous. More like he was curious.”

  Jake’s arms wrapped tightly around her body. He turned her so that she faced away from him, and nuzzled his chin in her hair. “Oh, I wouldn’t underestimate the wolf. He’s dangerous all right. Very, very dangerous.”

  Shannon twisted in Jake’s arms so she could see his face. “Do you think so? He didn’t seem at all threatening and he was right there, really close.”

  “Definitely dangerous. Now get inside. It’s cold out here.”

  Jake put her away from him with a quick kiss. She grabbed the afghan off his perfect body and headed into the house, almost preternaturally aware of Jake’s heated stare as she walked away.

  Jake waited a few minutes, listening. He heard the toilet flush, the sound of running water, then silence. Once all was quiet, he grabbed his neatly folded clothes from the corner of the porch where he’d left them and quietly carried the bundle back into the house.

  Jake left the clothing on the end of the couch, next to the recently replaced pillow, then went into the bedroom where Shannon waited. Damn. Tonight had been way too close. Cocky after chasing down and killing that rabbit, he’d had a full belly and an empty mind.

  He hadn’t even seen Shannon standing there in full sight on the porch. Had almost bounded up the steps and shifted right in front of her. Luckily he’d managed to get around the house, in through the back window, remove the pillow, and meet her outside before she could catch him.

  He needed to run. Had needed tonight. Shifting was like breathing, but he couldn’t risk getting caught. Gut clenching at the near miss he’d had this night, Jake quietly crawled into bed beside Shannon. She rolled over and snuggled close against him, warming his body, heating his blood.

  He tucked her head under his chin, wrapped his arms around her soft body. How long before he’d know? According to Tinker, Tia had begun to show signs of her bloodline within days of starting the supplement. What about Shannon? Would she change as quickly?

  Would she change at all?

  She had to. Jake took a deep breath and felt her sigh in reply. He loved her. Crazy as it sounded, after just one day with this woman, he knew he couldn’t live without her.

  She was the lock to his key, the air his body needed to breathe. The missing piece to the puzzle that had always been his life.

  Shannon’s body settled into sleep, her lips pressed against Jake’s throat. He tried to imagine life without her. Impossible. It was already growing difficult to remember life before her.

  Sharp nails scrabbled across the rocky promontory. Nose to the ground, she followed the trail, searching for her mate. He must be close. She sensed him, a presence in her heart as well as her mind, and knew he couldn’t be far from here. She glanced out across the dark abyss, awash in moonlight, and felt the stirrings of wild things in the tangled forest below, felt the soft autumn breeze ruffling the thick fur at her neck, felt the silence. Quiet so absolute it was a tangible thing.

  Turning her nose to the sky, she howled. A long, low cry of mourning and regret, a cry that carried with it the heart of the she-wolf, the sense that nothing would ever be the same. Then she turned and trotted away from the rocky ledge, blending in among the trees, her nose leading her toward the one who loved her most.

  Shannon awoke to the scent of bacon frying and steaming coffee, the remnants of her dream a shadowy part of her conscious mind. By the time she’d thrown on her sweats and made it out to the kitchen, the details had faded into the morning and Jake was stirring scrambled eggs in a pan on the stove. He held out a cup of coffee as she entered the room.

  “Goodness. I had no idea you were so domestic.” She inhaled the fresh scent of coffee and took a sip. Perfect. Was there anything at all wrong with this man?

  Leaning against the tile counter, she watched him through the steam rising from her cup.

  “Comes from living with a bunch of guys. Someone’s got to learn to cook or we’d all starve to death.”

  “Who do you live with?”

  Jake glanced her way, then looked down as he scraped the eggs away from the edges of the iron skillet. “The rest of the pack. That’s what we call ourselves—the pack. Ulrich Mason, Tia’s dad is the boss, but he lives on his own over in the Marina District. We’re based in San Francisco. Mason’s backed off a bit in the past few years and turned more of the operation over to Lucien Stone. Luc, AJ, Mik, Tinker and I all live in a converted row house in the Sunset. It’s like apartments with a central kitchen…more of a rooming house, I guess.”

  Jake set the skillet back on the burner and pulled a tray out of the oven. He glanced over his shoulder at Shannon. “Have a seat. Looks like everything is ready.”

  He placed the tray, piled high with fried potatoes, strips of crisp bacon and biscuits, in the center of the table next to a large pitcher of orange juice. Then he scooped eggs on to two plates, set one in front of Shannon and the other across the table
from her, grabbed his coffee off the counter and sat down.

  “Okay. I’m definitely impressed. I have to admit this is better than a cup of coffee and a bagel.” She grabbed her napkin and looked up, in time to catch Jake watching her. That’s when she noticed the large brown capsule by her place setting and another one in front of Jake’s.

  “Ah, Ulrich’s special blend, right?”

  Jake nodded, then downed his with a swallow of orange juice. Shannon took hers as well. If nothing else, the number of times Jake had made love to her in one day was nothing short of unbelievable…if one little pill a day gave him that kind of stamina, it had to be good.

  Jake called the Pack Dynamics office on his cell phone while Shannon did the dishes. She watched through the kitchen window while he made the call out on the front porch where the signal was clearest. Tall and broad shouldered, Jake commanded whatever space he took. She wished she could hear what he was talking about. It concerned her, obviously, or Shannon wouldn’t be up here in the wilds of Maine with a man she’d never met before.

  She put the last dish in the drying rack and wiped out the sink. When she glanced up, Jake appeared agitated, as if he were upset about something. Hanging the towel over the edge of the sink, Shannon wandered outside.

  Jake ended the call as she stepped onto the porch. “Trouble?”

  He shook his head. “No. I hope not.” He flashed her a quick smile. “Ulrich’s in Washington DC, taking care of business, according to Luc. The rest of the pack’s back in San Francisco. Luc said he’s thinking of sending AJ and Mik out here later in the week.”

  “They’re two of the guys you mentioned, right?” Shannon hitched one hip up on the porch railing. “Do you think we’re in that much danger?”

  Jake shrugged. “I wish I knew. We really don’t know much of anything, to be honest. Only that someone kidnapped Mason and a couple of someones almost got you. Until we know for sure what’s going on, we need to take every precaution. That means keeping you hidden.”

  Sighing softly in response, Shannon swept her gaze across the dark forest and deep green meadow, aware of the sense of isolation she felt, the distance from any other human being. So unlike Boston, especially the North End where she’d lived for so long, where everyone knew everybody’s business.

  She wondered, did any of her neighbors miss her? Had anyone noticed she was gone? She would be on her way to work right now, walking through the Haymarket on her way to catch her ride on the Green Line, Boston’s subway.

  She really needed to call the office and let someone know she wouldn’t be in until…when? Shannon looked back at Jake. All thoughts of the mundane, of work or her life before now, fled. Jake watched her with an intensity that was unnerving, to say the least. She wished she could read his mind as easily now as she seemed able to during climax.

  Now that was unnerving. She still wasn’t certain what happened, but the mental link they’d shared, numerous times, now, was amazing. Frightening.

  Sexy as hell.

  Shannon let the sensations wash over her, the unbelievable awareness of sex from Jake’s point of view. Her tight muscles squeezing his cock, the heat and slick fluids easing his passage, the pressure against the hard knot of her cervix when his penis connected tightly with the mouth of her womb.

  God, she was getting turned on just thinking about it! She’d always wondered if she was oversexed, but this was verging on obsession. Pressing her thighs tightly together, Shannon clenched her vaginal muscles, holding back the rush of hot moisture already soaking her panties, flowing between her legs.

  Suddenly Jake was beside her, his nostrils flared, eyes narrowed. Shannon had the strangest sensation he actually smelled her arousal, scented the slick flow of moisture. For some reason she thought of the wolf she’d seen the night before, but the image melted beneath the mounting pressure of Jake’s mouth on hers, the swift intrusion of his tongue between her lips, the warmth of his breath on her face.

  His callused fingers lifted the hem of her sweatshirt and traced the soft underside of her left breast. For all the strength in his hands, he was amazingly gentle, but when he flicked her taut nipple with his thumb, Shannon felt it all the way to her pussy. She moaned into his mouth, thrusting her hips forward, at the same time wondering how she could possibly be so damned horny, her body ready for sex so quickly.

  Jake slipped his hand inside the stretchy waistband on Shannon’s sweatpants and past the line of her panties. She was wet and ready, her vaginal lips swollen and bathed in fluids. Jake’s fingers slipped easily between the sensitive folds. With a groan, he abandoned her breast and dropped to his knees in front of her, yanking her pants down with him.

  She raised up on her toes when Jake slipped both her sweats and her panties over her feet. Then he grabbed her buttocks in his hands and held her to his mouth, lifting her toes completely off the ground. His tongue swept between her labia, found the soft sheath surrounding her clit and proceeded to lick and suckle until she thought she might explode.

  Hanging on the edge of orgasm, Shannon was suddenly wrenched back to reality when Jake stood up, grabbed her by the waist and deposited her bare butt on the broad porch railing with her back up against the corner post. The wood beneath her rear was ice cold, covered in morning dew and the remnants of a light frost. Shannon shrieked, giggling and clutching at his broad shoulders.

  Panting, laughing, his face shining with her fluids, Jake fumbled with his zipper and freed his cock. Shannon reached for him, but he wrapped his fist around the thick length and aimed his cock between her legs, filling Shannon in one powerful thrust.

  She shrieked again, caught by surprise when she climaxed on his first long stroke. Jake’s hands wrapped around her thighs and he drove into her, filling Shannon on each driving thrust, the wild thatch of dark hair surrounding his cock melding with the neatly trimmed, bright copper between Shannon’s legs.

  He leaned close and took her mouth with his, kissing her with lips and teeth and tongue, devouring her. She’d never been taken like this, never dominated by any man so completely as she was by Jacob Trent.

  His tongue thrust deep, in sync with each stroke of his cock, and she screamed into his mouth, her body convulsing with yet another powerful orgasm.

  She felt him then, in her mind, in her heart, his thoughts a jumble of sex and rage and confusion, all caught up in the amazing sensation of his cock riding off her cervix, sliding out to the very edge of her pussy, and thrusting deep once more. She felt the straining muscles in his thighs, the tightness in his groin as he hung on to his own control by mere threads.

  Shannon opened her thoughts, gave free rein to her fantasies, acknowledged the powerful sweep of emotion tied into the amazing physical sense of Jake deep inside her body, Jake taking her to heights she’d never imagined.

  Jake coming, the tension darkening his face, drawing the tendons and veins out in his arms, the hard muscles of his chest, the taut lines of his throat.

  He was wild, untamed, a beast raging beneath a thin veneer of civilized male. Shannon sensed his feral nature, sensed the savage cruelty inherent to the wild side of man. Sensed it, welcomed it, opened her heart and soul and allowed him inside.

  She felt the hot spill of his seed against the mouth of her womb. Unprotected. His flesh against hers. Without barriers, without thought of anything other than need, unbearable need no longer denied.

  His hips thrust once more, then again. He groaned, a sound filled as much with despair as fulfillment. Finally Jake collapsed forward, his chin resting on her shoulder, his chest rising and falling with each ragged breath he took. She felt him shudder, felt his cock deep inside still spasming, his semen filling her vagina, her muscles gripping him like a fist, squeezing every last drop from his body.

  “Oh, shit. I’m sorry, Shannon. I’m so sorry.” His words poured out between gasps of stolen breath. “I’ve never done that, never forgotten protection. I’m sorry…I…”

  She bit her lips to keep the tears
at bay. Ran her fingers through the damp tangle of hair curling over his collar. “It’s okay. Unless you’ve got some ungodly disease I need to worry about…I won’t get pregnant. I can’t.” She bit back the tears threatening to choke her. For so long she’d considered it a blessing not to worry about babies. Not anymore.

  For the first time in her life, Shannon wanted a child. Wanted this man’s baby growing beneath her heart. Of course, whatever she wanted didn’t matter. Nothing really mattered. It was merely one more count against her, one more negative in a long line of bad karma that defined Shannon Murphy.

  Jake felt the pain behind Shannon’s words even as he tried to accept what she was telling him. Now he could admit what he’d been dreaming, the image he’d held in some secret part of his mind since first meeting Shannon—beautiful Shannon—his Chanku mate heavy with his child.

  He’d never lost control like this. Never found himself giving in to the beast, taking a woman without protection, without any conscious thought other than the fact he had to fuck now or…what? He didn’t have a clue.

  Except with Tia. Dear God…what was happening to him? He’d always been so much in control, so sure of his nature. Not now. Now with Shannon.

  He did know he’d almost shifted. Had come so close to changing that he’d felt his muscles strain against the need, had felt the wolf rising strong and dominant inside him.

  Shannon’s fingers continued stroking his hair, comforting him when he should be apologizing to her. What the hell had gotten in to him?

  They’d been standing together on the porch, she’d had a faraway, dreamy look in her eyes, and suddenly he was on her, overwhelmed with need, more aroused than he’d ever been.

  It made no sense. No sense at all. He should have been totally sated after last night and the night before. He hadn’t had this much sex, this often, for years.