Ready to Were

by Robyn Peterman

“You watched me. You saw everything I did. Why didn’t you drag me home?” I asked. He wasn’t prone to rash action, but he did have the wild possessive streak of a Were.

  “Trust me, I was tempted…but I wanted you to grow, and because I had Dwayne’s ear and big mouth I felt secure. Not to mention your Granny said, and I quote ‘I will rip your alpha ass apart if you don’t let that girl find herself’.”

  God, my Granny loved me something fierce. Standing up to your alpha was serious business. “What did Dwayne tell you?” I asked as I felt my cheeks heat.

  “You’ll have to ask him.” He gave me a half smirk that made me want to weep with joy and tackle him to the ground at the same time.

  We stared at each other for a long time. I literally ached to touch him, but I still wasn’t sure what the ground rules were. Did I have to pay penance? I was willing to do anything to regain his trust.

  “You’re going to have to make the first move, Essie,” he said quietly and leaned back against the wall.

  He was right and I was scared. Maybe he and Granny were correct. Maybe I did have to grow up. I was no longer just the alpha’s gal pal. I was my own woman—an agent, a strong, whole person.

  His green eyes turned a silvery blue and I felt wanted for exactly who I was—the crazy girl who would continue to attract trouble and make mistakes. The one who could love him like no other and the one who could finally accept his love in return.

  I stood slowly and slipped the straps of my sundress off my shoulders. His body tensed, but he stayed still. I let it fall to the floor and I giggled.

  “I’m still wired.” I grinned and approached him. My insides danced wildly and the scent of cinnamon filled the room. I was wearing a bra, panties, kick ass wedge Pradas that belonged to Dwayne, a wire and a small gun strapped to my inner thigh. I had never felt sexier in my life.

  “Officer, I’m going to have to ask you to remove your weapon,” Hank said in his sheriff's voice.

  “Wait, isn’t that my line? I’m the agent,” I answered as I bit back a laugh.

  “True, but I’m the sheriff…and your alpha. I trump. Remove the gun. I plan to spend some time there and I prefer to keep my manly parts.”

  “I prefer that you keep your manly parts too,” I said and stopped a breath away from him. His body went as tight as a drum and his Mr. Happy was very happy. I knew it took everything he had not to lunge at me. I marveled at his control and quite honestly at mine too.

  Carefully, I unstrapped my gun and put it on the coffee table. “Will you help me with the wire?”

  “Please?” His lopsided grin melted my insides.

  “Please,” I whispered.

  Having tape pulled from one’s body was not the usual foreplay I was used to with Hank, but it rocked my world at the moment. He ran his fingertips gently over the reddened skin and followed it with his lips. Somehow my bra and panties disappeared too. How had I not noticed that? Wait, who the hell cared?

  I stood before him in only my borrowed heels, feeling shy yet sexy. “You’re a little overdressed,” I murmured as I slid my hands under his shirt and pushed it up over his broad and familiar chest. The light sprinkling of dark hair tickled my fingers and the growl low in his throat made me grab onto him for balance.

  He did nothing to help me as I pushed the material over his head. The only clue that he wasn’t as in control as he pretended to be was his heart. It beat rapidly in his chest and his breathing was labored.

  With shaking hands, I undid his belt and eased his jeans to the floor. He kicked off his shoes and stepped out of his jeans. Clad only in tight gray boxer briefs, there was no denying he was as attracted to me as I was to him.

  “Am I supposed to do everything?” I asked, unsure of how to play.

  He put his arms up and locked his fingers behind his head. “I can’t guarantee that I’ll stand still much longer…but for the moment, I’m finding this interesting.” His voice was husky and it sent tingles to my dancing insides.

  “Interesting?” I rolled my eyes and decided interesting was for textbooks, not seductions. I clearly needed to amp up the action.

  I quickly grabbed the elastic of his boxer briefs and pushed them down. Coming face to face with one of my favorite parts of his body, I gave it a kiss and was rewarded with a harsh intake of breath. I refused to be interesting…

  “Essie,” he warned. “I won’t promise to be gentle. I want you too badly.”

  His arm muscles bulged and I could tell it took all he had to keep them locked behind his head. My heart pounded hard in my chest and I realized this was the first time I’d ever taken the lead and I liked it.

  “I don’t want gentle,” I purred. “But if you move your hands, I’ll get dressed and leave.”

  His eyes flashed. His wolf was so close to the surface, I almost took back my threat. However, my inner wolf was so excited I borrowed her confidence and continued.

  “Go to the couch and sit,” I instructed and waited to see what he’d do.

  “Yes, ma’am.” His grin was so evilly sexy I almost knocked him to the floor and yelled “Game over.” But I held on and followed him.

  He was such a beautiful man. My breath caught in my throat as my eyes roamed every inch of his body. I felt alive, sexy, naughty and very, very happy. Crawling on top of him, I straddled his legs carefully, making sure no lady parts touched any man parts. His moan unfurled a hot coil of lust low in my belly and I was unsure how much longer I could tease him.

  Leaning forward, I traced his closed lips with the tip of my tongue. He tasted of man and sin. I coaxed his lips open and slowly explored his mouth. My eyes fluttered shut and my body clenched in anticipation of what I knew would happen…of what I wanted and needed to happen.

  “No more,” he ground out as his strong arms trapped my body against his, crushing my breasts to his chest and my pelvis to his. “Open your eyes, Essie. See me. See what you do to me,” he demanded.

  I opened my eyes and forgot how to breathe. His desire was overwhelming and matched the fire that was building inside of me. I had never wanted him more. His fingers found the spot that made speech impossible. I ground against his hand and whimpered my need. His lips captured my nipple and I arched, offering myself to him—mind, body and soul.

  “I can’t wait,” he hissed as his fangs scraped my breast, sending chills rippling over my body.

  “No waiting,” I gasped and I took him in my hand. He was perfect, so hard and as smooth as silk. His hands grasped my hips in an unbreakable hold as he moved me where he wanted me.

  “Put me inside you,” he muttered hoarsely. His eyes were unfocused and he was close to snapping. The power I wielded over him made me bold and fearless. I guided him to me and eased my body onto his. My breath caught and I bit down on my lip as he stretched me to accommodate his girth. It was like coming home. The slight burn was painfully addictive and my body clenched in protest.

  “Relax, baby,” he whispered in my ear. “Let me in.”

  I teetered on the edge between pleasure and pain which excited me like nothing else. I slowly let my body accept his. Sheer excitement took the non-stop train through me as I hissed and cried out. The fit was so very tight and so very perfect. He was going to own my body and heart in the most intimate way.

  The time for slow and easy had passed and his grip on my hips tightened as he moved my body up and down the thick length of him. Pleasure jolted through me as he took my nipple in his hot mouth. I contracted around his body and he swore, explaining in graphic detail what he wanted to do to me. The blood roaring in my ears made the sound of his voice a distant noise. A fullness overwhelmed me and I rocked in a sensual rhythm that was natural and age old.

  “Oh my god,” I moaned. “Too much.” The sensitivity was intense and I didn’t know how much more I could handle before I detonated.

  “You’re mine,” he insisted. “Say it.”

  “You’re mine too,” I shot back.

  “Say it, Essie,” he dema
nded as he increased the speed to something that would have killed a mere human. We made love like the animals that we were. The sound of our bodies rapidly joining almost sent me over the edge.

  “Mine,” he growled. “Always.”

  “I’m yours,” I screamed as colors ripped across my vision and my body gripped his like a vise. “Always.” Tremors shook me violently as he continued his assault.

  Hank went crazy and branded my body with his need. He threw back his head and howled as he joined me in climax.

  We’d had sex many times, but it had never been like this. I’d be damned if I could remember my name, much less what year it was. I shook like a leaf as I came down from the most intense orgasm of my life. He pressed soft kisses all over my face and neck as I held on to the man I loved for dear life.

  It had been more than sex…we had combined who we were and became a different entity altogether. Was this what it felt like to mate? Was he my true mate?

  Shockingly a need tore through me again, but it was different. My body was useless, but my desire to be even closer to him bordered on obsession.

  “What’s happening to me?” I asked. I was lightheaded and my fangs had descended. All I could focus on was the tanned beautiful skin on his neck.

  “Are you ready for this?” he asked as he held me at arm’s length. “There’s no going back.”

  “Wait. What?”

  “Essie.” He eased me off of him and walked in all his naked glory to the other side of the room. His body was taut and the veins in his muscles strained against his skin. “Our wolves want to mate. Is your human side willing to do that?” His gaze narrowed and I knew the internal battle he fought to have pushed me away. I felt it too.

  He was asking me to become his. Forever. It was a silly question and I smiled. I had always wanted that. Maybe I hadn’t been ready until this moment, but there was no doubt in my mind or heart whatsoever.

  “Will you be mine—just mine?” I questioned him.

  “I already am,” he replied.

  “I think I wanna bite you.” I grinned and held my arms out.

  “Think?”

  “I know. I know I wanna bite you. Sink my teeth into you and take you off the market for the rest of your ridiculously long life.”

  He was on me so fast my head spun and I shrieked with laughter as he tickled me and held me close.

  “I am so in love with you I can’t see straight,” he muttered against the skin on my neck.

  “Me too. How do we do this? Will it hurt?”

  “Considering I’ve never done it, I can’t really answer that one. Although the stories say it causes the most intense orgasm one can have.”

  “Oh my hell,” I whispered as my exhausted body miraculously came back to life. “We might die from it.”

  “True, but I’m willing to go down for such a noble cause.” He grinned and my tummy did a somersault.

  “On three?” I said in an unsteady voice.

  He nodded. His eyes were a silver blue and I knew mine matched. My body trembled and I was surprised to note his hands were shaky. I was scared, but had never felt so sure of anything in my life.

  “One. Two. Three.”

  Holy Hell on a stick. He was right and then some.

  It was surreal. It felt like a movie, but it was my life—my choice. Our choice. With our eyes locked our fangs dropped. My gums burned with need, but my overheated body moved in slow motion. My mind swirled with both fear and anticipation. Not knowing what to expect was as alarming as it was exhilarating. The feral look in his eyes made every nerve in my body stand on end.

  All of my senses were sharper and they were trained on Hank—his scent especially. My nipples beaded painfully and the sensual ache between my thighs made me dizzy. His fangs grazed the skin on my neck and I shuddered. His breathing was labored and the evidence of his arousal was pressed against my stomach as my hands roamed his body desperately.

  Stark need—naked desire. I had never wanted anyone or anything like I wanted Hank. It was more than want or even need. It was simply necessary. The compulsion to crawl inside him was overwhelming. Our wolves were so close to the surface, I worried we'd shift, but no. We didn't shift. We became something more.

  His fangs pierced the soft skin of my neck as my own plunged into his shoulder. The burn went from painful to pleasurable almost immediately. I shrieked at the invasion and came so hard I sobbed. His body shook and he held me tight as we performed the ritual that bound us together for eternity. He touched a place so deep inside of me, I never wanted him to leave. I was unsure of how much time had passed. It could have been hours or minutes. The closeness I now felt trumped what I had felt before and it awed me. Running my hands over his face and tangling my fingers in his thick hair I pulled his mouth to mine and I was complete. It was done. We lived through it…barely…and we now belonged to each other. Rolling me beneath him, Hank entered my body with infinite tenderness.

  Our lovemaking was slow this time and his eyes stayed locked on mine. I could swear he was looking into my soul. Tears fell from my eyes as I moved in a rhythm with my mate that sealed our bond.

  "I love you," I whispered. "Forever."

  "I love you more," he said as his hips began to move faster and he plunged deeper into my very willing body.

  "Not possible," I shot back as little shocks of pleasure rolled through me. I jerked and undulated beneath him as I cried out.

  The gentle lovemaking came to an end as we were consumed with what I could only call mating frenzy—nothing was off limits and it was impossible to be close enough. However, we tried and tried and tried until we succeeded. We were now completely spent or dead. I wasn't sure which...

  "I'm pretty sure I died," I moaned as I tried to lift my head.

  "If this is dead, I'm all in," Hank said as his hands continued to memorize my body.

  "That was amazing," I murmured as the feeling in my limbs slowly came back. "Will it be that way every time?" I asked. Part of me hoped he would say yes, but the other part of me was sure I wouldn't live through that again.

  "From what I understand, it gets even better. We'll just have to put in a lot of practice and find out." He grinned and I felt it in my toes. "We do have a few more rooms to christen in this house..."

  I bolted upright as reality sunk in. “Oh my god, Hank, what about my job and stuff? We kind of forgot to discuss the logistics.” I realized I didn't really care about my job at the moment, but we should have some kind of plan.

  “We’ll deal with that later. We have a mission here and the rest will work itself out,” he said as he lifted me and took me to our bed.

  “I’m exhausted,” I muttered as I tried to keep my eyes open.

  “Go to sleep,” he whispered in my ear. He wrapped his huge hard body around my smaller, softer one and I smiled sleepily.

  “Don’t leave me,” I pleaded as I slipped into sleep.

  “I will never leave you, Essie. Never.”

  Chapter 10

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” Junior shouted joyfully from the door of our bedroom. “It’s about time.”

  I shrieked and yanked the sheet up over my naked body. It was one thing to be naked for a shift with the Pack. It was another thing altogether to be naked after a sex-a-thon in front of my mate’s brother.

  “Out,” Hank bellowed. “And erase the image of Essie from your brain or I’ll beat it out of you.”

  “No prob, baby bro-bro, but you need to get your mated asses out here. We have a situation.” He grinned, winked and left the room.

  “How does he know we’re mated?” I asked as I grabbed my sundress and yanked it on.

  “Scent. It’d be pretty hard to miss.” Hank smiled like a cat who’d eaten a canary and I punched him in the shoulder. “Ouch,” he grunted.

  “That didn’t hurt.” I rolled my eyes and attempted to hold back my smile. “You are just full of yourself.”

  “I am a very happy man.” He grabbed me and planted a big on
e on my willing lips. My head spun and I seriously considered making Junior wait while I exercised my new conjugal rights with my mate, but I knew he’d just barge back in.

  “Come on, happy man, Junior’s got some intel.”

  Hand in hand we went out to face the real world again.

  The den was a wreck and Junior was taking it in with glee. My panties and bra were on the lamp and Hank’s boxer briefs were hanging off the ceiling fan… How did that happen? I quickly ran around the room and gathered all the incriminating evidence as Junior chuckled and Hank strutted around like a peacock.

  “Okay,” I huffed in my professional voice and tried to pretend I hadn’t just shoved my panties in my purse. “What’s going on?”

  “First of all, I want to say welcome to the family. I love you. Definitely not in the way Hank does, but like a sister. I am relieved to know that someone who could shoot my balls off while blindfolded is part of my family.”

  “Um…thank you, I think,” I said as I shook my head and grinned.

  Hank tossed me a bottle of water and we all sat down at the kitchen table.

  “Out with it,” Hank told Junior. “Oh, and we have some prints to run on Puck Flame.”

  “It’s the self tanner,” Junior said.

  “I’m sorry, what?” I asked.

  “The self tanner. I went to the agency to make sure Tina #1 wasn’t dead, which unfortunately she wasn’t, and I bought some of the stinky self tanner.” He stared at us like we should understand what he meant.

  “What are you talking about?” Hank demanded.

  “Oh right, I get ahead of myself,” Junior muttered. “The self tanner eliminates scent. It’s why we couldn’t track the girls who were abducted. It’s a compound with a combination of chemicals I don’t know.”

  “That’s impossible,” Hank said.

  “I thought so too, but I can’t identify them.”

  “Junior, there is no way you are unable to identify a compound,” Hank argued. Junior shrugged and stared at the table.

  “Color me confused, but why in the heck would you think Junior could discern a chemical compound? No offense, Junior,” I said.