by Kate Douglas
Bay laughed and slowly dragged his gaze away from Shannon. “I wasn’t with them. Not officially, anyway. Neither was the other temp. This whole operation, from what I can figure out, was totally Bosworth’s idea. On paper, anyone who worked for him was listed as personal protection. Bosworth was totally paranoid. It may raise eyebrows that four men disappeared at the same time as the Homeland Security Secretary, but all of us will be considered expendable casualties.”
He looked away, out toward the forest, and when he spoke again, Baylor’s voice had a rough edge to it. “It’s nothing new. That’s all I’ve ever been. Expendable.” He rolled his shoulders, as if shaking off a bad memory.
“What’s your family like?”
Bay laughed, but the sound held little humor. “One word? Dysfunctional. I can’t really think of a better term. My father’s in prison for murdering our mother when he caught her screwing the postman. The postman didn’t survive Daddy’s little temper tantrum, either. My sisters are both totally messed up. One of them lives under a bridge in Tampa, last I heard. The other one got pregnant and married at seventeen, then she miscarried. She’s divorced now, living somewhere down in New Mexico. I lost contact with them after the trial about ten years ago.”
Jake turned and stared at Shannon. Did she know enough about Chanku to understand the implications of what Baylor just said?
From the smile on her face, she must. Two sisters. Women who carried the Chanku genes. Women they might be able to find, with Baylor’s help.
Dysfunctional or not, they would already be Shannon’s sisters of the heart.
Jake grilled steaks for dinner, then went outside to tinker with his motorcycle. Baylor helped Shannon clean up the kitchen. He was a comfortable man to work with, quiet and unassuming, yet with a solid strength Shannon admired. He’d taken his first pill with dinner, swallowing it down without hesitation.
Now he appeared thoughtful, somewhat introspective.
Did he have any idea how his life would change?
They’d all been quiet at dinner. Each of them had gone through a life-altering experience today. Small talk had been all any of them seemed capable of. Now Shannon took comfort in the simple, familiar chore of doing the dishes.
“Here, Bay. Can you reach?” Shannon handed him the last dried platter. Baylor slipped it onto the top shelf with ease.
Jake had given him a pair of old sweatpants to wear. The evening had grown cooler, so he’d slipped his white T-shirt on, but his feet were still bare.
Shannon found herself glancing down at his feet, attracted by their long, narrow shape, the dark dusting of hair across the tops. In a very few days, that same foot would become a paw. Could he possibly understand?
Jake walked into the kitchen, went straight to the sink and began scrubbing grease off his hands. “Bay, will you be okay here by yourself? Shannon, are you up for a run?”
Shannon nodded as Baylor carefully folded the damp towel and hung it over the edge of the kitchen counter.
He studied both of them out of his strangely familiar amber eyes. “You’re shifting? You’ll run tonight?”
“Yep.” Jake dried his hands, then cupped his palms over Shannon’s shoulders. Their solid warmth eased the nervousness that had been slowly building in her since they’d finished dinner. She leaned back and kissed his chin, rubbing her lips over the dark shadow of a day’s growth of beard.
“It will be my first time. I’d never shifted before today. I’ve only run through the forest in my dreams.” She giggled. “Uh, and while you guys were gone today.”
Jake laughed. “I wondered if you’d gone out on your own.”
Baylor rubbed his palm over his short-cropped hair. “I’ve run in my dreams as well. Dreams so clear I can smell the forest, hear the sounds of live things moving through the night. I can’t believe that in just a few more days…” He blinked, seemed to catch hold of his emotions and grinned at Jake. “Yeah, to answer your question, I’ll be fine. Jealous as hell that I can’t join you, yet. But, I’ll be fine.”
Shannon stretched up on her toes and kissed Baylor on the mouth. Surprised at first, he slowly raised his hands, rested them lightly on her shoulders and kissed her back with enthusiasm. His tongue easily found the seam between her lips, parted them and entered the damp interior of Shannon’s mouth. She touched his tongue with hers, memorized his scent and taste in one arousing kiss, then slowly ended it.
Jake had explained the polyamorous relationships among Chanku, but until her shift today, Shannon hadn’t truly understood. So much had finally come together in her mind, so many confusing feelings she’d had about relationships finally made sense. Shannon felt Jake stiffen behind her, but she had to do this. Had to remind Jake of who and what they were.
What Baylor Quinn was, as well. One of them. A brother of the heart. Soon to be a lover.
Chanku.
Baylor stepped back. He looked shaken, as if surprised at the depth of his response to Shannon’s kiss, at the lack of response from Jake. Shannon watched as he quickly gathered himself, raised his head and looked directly at Jake. There was no sense of challenge. Merely curiosity and, if she wasn’t mistaken, desire.
For Jake as well as herself.
When Shannon turned around, Jake was slowly unbuttoning his shirt. Watching him bare his chest as he peeled the soft flannel over his shoulders made her womb throb and her pussy clench in anticipation. Shannon slipped from between the two men and sat down on the couch. She removed her shoes, almost preternaturally aware of Baylor’s eyes watching her, of his hands clenched at his sides.
The tension in the room was a living thing, connecting each of them in a lush wave of desire, arousal so intense, so powerful, it made Shannon pause, take a deep breath, regroup.
She swallowed, found control and quickly tugged her sweatshirt over her head, then shoved her pants down over her hips and stepped out of them before she had time to think of her audience.
She hadn’t worn a bra or panties. She’d never been particularly modest, but standing here naked in front of Jacob Trent and Baylor Quinn, the room practically snapping with the combined need of both men, made her nipples pucker into tight little beads even as a dark red flush spread across her chest.
Feeling terribly self-conscious, Shannon stood very still, posing without intending to. Her nipples ached, they were so tightly beaded. Her pussy throbbed and she was aware of a thick stream of moisture about to trickle along her inner thigh.
Both men stared, lips parted, eyes narrowed and nostrils flared, focusing only on Shannon. She wondered if they were even aware of one another, so intently did they watch her. Shaking herself, she took a deep breath and hoped she could remember how to shift.
She saw herself as wolf, imagined the process of changing from human to Chanku, blinked and immediately felt her world change. She found herself looking up at Baylor and Jake. Both of them grinning, standing there staring at her now as if she’d just done something absolutely marvelous.
Well, hadn’t she? Shannon lifted one big paw and studied her nails. They were long and curved and black as obsidian. Probably just as sharp, too.
She turned and glanced along her side, from the stiff hair partially raised along her shoulder, to the softer fur blending into her hip and belly. Black in the lantern light, but when she moved, the fur glowed with red highlights.
Shannon decided she really loved the color, the texture, the fine pelt that covered this wolven body. Still a redhead, even on four legs.
She was so wound up, so excited by her shift, she wanted to laugh. There was no mechanism for laughter in this furry body, so Shannon leapt into the air and yipped, three sharp barks that made both Jake and Baylor burst into laughter.
It would have to do. She turned toward the door, glanced back over her shoulder. Waved her tail in invitation. Jake turned almost helplessly toward Baylor, then in three long strides reached the front door. He yanked it open.
“We’ll be back in a couple hours. Sta
y alert. There are still two agents out there.”
Baylor nodded. Shannon thought he looked sad, as if he’d been told to stay back while everyone else had fun. Which, of course, was exactly what was happening.
Jake stripped off the rest of his clothes and shifted. He turned at once toward Shannon, his eyes bright, glimmering like a banked fire in the low light. Then he turned and raced out the front door, crossed the deck in a single bound, leapt over the railing on the deck to land lightly on the ground below. Shannon followed without hesitation.
Jake took off at a steady lope, heading directly toward the dark forest. Shannon followed, tail high, legs stretching out in long strides to keep up with her mate. With Jake.
They were not yet a bonded pair. She thought of him as her mate. Already that link was formed in her mind, but was she ready for a permanent bond? If they mated tonight as Jake expected, if he took her beneath the starry sky with the deep forest all around, took her as a wolf mates his bitch, she would be his forever.
Not yet. This body was too new, this life too changed, her emotions too highly charged. She was no longer Shannon Murphy of Boston, no longer the woman who searched night after night for something or someone to bring meaning to her life.
She’d found that meaning. Found the life she was meant to live. Yes, it would eventually include Jake. Now, beyond her wildest dreams, it could also include children.
But not yet. Not tonight. Tonight she intended to run, to hunt, to learn what this perfect four-legged body could do. If she made love to Jake in the forest, it would be as a woman, lying with her man in the tall grass.
The bitch would wait to take her mate. Tonight she was free. The dreams, so vivid, so much a part of her existence, were nothing compared to the reality of racing through the cool forest, the soft thud of her paws hitting the hard-packed trail, splashing through small streams.
The scents had a perfume all their own. The combination of crushed grass, damp earth, small creatures and rotting leaves acted like an aphrodisiac, exciting her senses, thrilling her mind and heart. Skidding to a stop, Shannon breathed deeply of the clean forest air, so filled with joy, with the excitement of discovery, she couldn’t contain herself.
She threw her head back and howled. Her cry echoed in the darkness that was no longer truly dark when viewed through wolven eyes. Small creatures scattered, the flap of wings told Shannon she’d startled an owl from its perch. How could she know? What instincts identified each sound and scent?
Chanku. The power inherent in the beast. The knowledge. Shannon’s heart pounded with the joy of self-discovery. She howled again, head back, muzzle pointed to the sky, ears laid back along her skull.
Until now, she’d always thought the sound of a wolf howling in the forest was a mournful noise, a lonely sound.
Tonight she knew differently. Tonight Shannon tasted the joy of her new life, the freedom to run as she was meant to, the strength to race the wind, to run beside her chosen one.
Jake’s answering howl drew her onward.
Had it only been three days? How could her world have changed so completely in so little time?
She followed his scent, her Chanku instincts overriding her human disbelief. Shannon Murphy was not the outdoors type. She liked her food served on fine china with utensils properly placed to the side. She wanted her trails covered in concrete, her exercise on a nice, clean machine down at the gym.
Now she followed the scent of her lover though the Maine woods, followed Jake with total confidence, as if a visible line glowed through the woods. Racing on four legs, unafraid of the darkness, the strange territory, the sound of other creatures nearby, she followed her Chanku senses down a narrow trail through the darkest hour.
Cutting between the ghostly white trunks of birch trees, leaping over fallen logs and landing with unerring accuracy, Shannon cut through a silent meadow and found Jake on the far side.
He was absolutely beautiful. Standing strong and proud, he waited for her. Waited for Shannon, expecting, she knew, to take her as his mate.
She halted just a few feet from him, alert, aware. Shifted. Watched Jake as he studied her, as his eyes narrowed.
Why? I don’t understand. He followed his question with a growl.
“I’m not ready. Three days is not enough time to commit myself to you forever. I need to be sure.”
There. She’d done it. Finally told him how she felt.
Jake snarled again. Louder this time. His ears laid back against his broad skull and he bared his teeth. Is it Baylor? Do you think he would make a better mate?
Shannon laughed aloud. “No, Jake. It’s not about Baylor. It’s not about you. It’s all about me. Selfish as this may sound, I need more time to make a decision that will affect me for a lifetime. You made the decision to change my life when you gave me the supplement without telling me what it really was. From now on, I want control of what I do with that life.”
Jake shifted. He stepped close and drew Shannon into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her forehead against his chest. His cock brushed her belly, a hot brand against her flesh.
“You’re right. I’m sorry for taking the decision away from you. Will you ever forgive me?”
Shannon felt Jake’s lips press against the top of her head.
“I have forgiven you.” She raised her chin so that she could look at him. Already Jake was so dear to her, so important that it was hard to remember life before him.
“Because of you, I finally feel complete. You are my one, true mate, in all but the final act. It will happen with you and no other, but not yet. You’re going to have to trust me.”
She felt his chest expand as he took a deep breath, let it out. His arms tightened around her waist, his cock swelled even larger against her belly. When Jake leaned over to kiss her, Shannon was already raising her head, parting her lips to meet his.
Chapter 11
Trust. It all came down to trust. In that one word, Jake realized how right Shannon was to wait. He didn’t know her well enough to trust her. He believed he could trust her, wanted to, but didn’t really know. Didn’t know much at all about Shannon Murphy, other than the fact he wanted her.
She was beautiful…brave, strong and fearless. She had killed for him. Risked her own life to save his. Still, he had no idea what made her laugh. Didn’t know what colors she liked, what music she listened to.
He knew what turned her on, but not what kept her spirit alight. There’d been no courtship, no time spent talking far into the night, discovering one another.
Unfortunately, Jake now understood all too well what Lucien Stone had felt when Tia invited the entire pack to her bed before she and Luc mated.
Would he have the strength to stand back and give Shannon that freedom? Another thought intruded. An unwelcome thought. Hell, it wasn’t his place to give Shannon anything. He would have to learn to accept her decisions.
It wasn’t going to be easy.
Jake leaned down and caught Shannon’s mouth with his, intending gentleness. He realized immediately that wasn’t what she wanted.
She raised up on her toes and caught the sides of his head in her palms, holding him still as her mouth opened to receive his thrusting tongue. Jake groaned. Her mouth was hot and sweet, her tongue sliding along his, teasing the roof of his mouth. Her fingers slipped through his hair and one long leg wrapped around his waist.
Her pussy pressed tightly against his belly, hot and wet and tantalizing him with her rich scent. He grabbed her taut buttock with one hand, pressing her even closer, helping her ride against the length of his erection.
Shannon whimpered against his mouth. He felt her body shudder and realized she’d climaxed merely from the combination of their kiss and the friction of their bodies. Slowly Jake lowered her to the thick grass, wishing with all his heart he could take her in their wolven form.
Not tonight. Nor would he pressure Shannon for what she wasn’t ready to give. Trust. He would have t
o trust her.
She lay in the grass, legs spread wide, one arm flung loosely over her eyes. Jake knelt between her thighs and rubbed his hands along her legs, just to the juncture where her pussy swelled beneath his touch. Even in the faint glow of the waning moon, he was able to see the glistening moisture between her legs. Her scent was intoxicating, drawing him closer.
He lifted her, his palms gripping her firm cheeks, lifted her high enough to feast comfortably on her slick folds. He swept his tongue into her slit, avoiding contact with her clitoris, teasing and nipping at the swollen lips, dipping his tongue deep inside to lick and stroke the sensitive walls of her vagina.
Shannon bucked against his mouth. Her hands tangled in his long hair and held him close. He stroked his tongue from her perineum to her clit, over and over until she cried out with each gentle slide. When he puckered his lips around the hard nub of her clit and worked it with his tongue, she bowed her back, curled against his mouth and screamed.
He felt her climax with his lips, tasted the gush of fluid, arched his back as her heels dug into his shoulders. Unwilling to quit, Jake continued licking and sucking, bringing her to another peak.
He slipped his finger between her cheeks and found the tightly puckered opening of her anus, already slick with her fluids. He gently rubbed, teasing the taut muscle, then pressed and gained entrance as Shannon whimpered and cried. Her legs had gone limp, her body still shuddered but he brought her to life once more. Licking softly now, working his tongue over her labia and clitoris in time with the in-and-out thrust of first one finger, then two, he slowly eased Shannon once more into orgasm.
Slipping his fingers free of her tight warmth, Jake moved forward on his knees, grabbed his aching cock in one hand and directed it toward Shannon’s spasming sex. Her hot pussy clenched him like a satin fist, holding him tightly as he slipped deep inside. Her muscles tightened even more as he slowly withdrew.