“Jager sent us to relieve you,” Sasha said.
Flynn looked at Devan then back at Sasha. “Rebecca’s body has been burned?”
Sasha nodded.
Devan folded his arms across his chest. “Bad business with Hector,” he said.
It took Sasha a moment to answer. Tabor was pleased to see her glazed stare as though she’d forgotten Hector ever existed. “He made his choice,” she said.
“Seemed like you made the choice for him by telling him to go home,” Devan challenged.
Tabor growled, not liking his tone. It was about time these boys returned to the den.
Devan lowered his arms, fists tightening. He turned slowly toward Tabor.
Planting her hands on her hips, Sasha stared down Devan. “A real man makes his own choices.”
Flynn rubbed his chin and nodded. “Spineless,” he muttered in agreement. “It’s a wonder those Glenn Meadows wolves are still around.”
Tabor stretched and looked around. “Seen anything unusual?” he asked.
He caught Sasha shooting him a grateful look.
“All quiet across the valley,” Flynn said.
Devan stood ramrod straight beside his patrol partner.
“Good,” Sasha said with a nod. “We’ll take it from here.”
“Hopefully you won’t see any activity, other than deer,” Flynn said with a wry smile. He crouched to the ground, preparing to shift.
Devan didn’t move. His eyes narrowed on Tabor. “You two are partners?”
“As you can see,” Sasha said with thinly concealed impatience.
Unable to resist goading the grumpy oaf, Tabor smirked and wiggled his brows suggestively. Too bad he’d gotten his boner under control during the run. A mammoth-sized erection would have really nettled the brute.
Devan’s darkening face swallowed his eyes as they turned to thin slits that cut across the bridge above his sharp nose.
“I’m sure your mates are eager for your return,” Sasha said in a commanding voice. “There has been a lot of unease with the recent attacks. The security of the den rests on your shoulders.”
Tabor had a new appreciation for Sasha’s ability to dismiss anyone bothering her. He’d taken it personally before, but now he found it extremely satisfying to watch when she used that tone on other pack members.
Devan’s body straightened as though he’d been challenged.
Flynn cleared his throat. “She’s right,” he said. “Stop brooding. I want to get back to Chloe and the kids.”
Without waiting another moment, Flynn shifted. Devan didn’t have much choice but to get on his hands and knees and do the same.
“Muttonheads,” Tabor muttered as Flynn and Devan took off running down the hill.
Ignoring him, Sasha got to her hands and knees. The sight had Tabor salivating.
“Ready to patrol?” she asked, glancing up from all fours.
“Er . . .”
Sasha rolled her eyes then shifted. Her body contracted. Her arms and legs turned furry. She looked at him with shiny brown eyes.
The wolf inside Tabor howled for control. His body shook, unable to contain the animal even if he’d wanted to. Tabor fell to his hands and knees and shifted.
The she-wolf in front of him smiled, then took off along the bluff. Tabor ran after her. Rather than fall into step beside her, he attempted to mount her. Well, actually he succeeded in mounting her . . . for about one second before Sasha threw him off her back and snarled. That didn’t stop Tabor from trying again.
On the third try, Sasha whipped around and bit him. Tabor whimpered. Pain lanced below his shoulder and the surprise of it made his body begin to shift of its own volition which, unfortunately, transferred the wound from one form to the other.
Sasha shifted and stood shakily.
Tabor clutched the tender skin above his breastbone once he had his full arms back. Blood trickled down his chest.
“What’s wrong with you?” Sasha demanded.
Tabor winced. “Sorry, I can’t seem to control my animal today.”
Sasha’s eyes narrowed. “Well, you better control it or it’s not going to work for us to be patrol partners.”
Tabor stilled. His hand slid down his chest, smearing blood as he let his arm fall to his side.
No breeze or sound disturbed them. They stood near the cliff’s edge, the world spread out before them, but all Tabor could see was Sasha.
Her brows furrowed. “What?” she asked.
“I don’t want to be your patrol partner.”
Sasha’s shoulders drooped. “But I thought. . .” She sucked in a breath. “You don’t?”
Tabor took a step toward her, then another, until they were only a foot apart. Sasha’s chest rose and fell rapidly. Despite the fact he was about to lay his heart on the line, Tabor felt surprisingly calm. Maybe it was because he’d never been more sure of anything in his life. And maybe it was seeing Rebecca’s cold body sprawled over the ground. Death and danger threatened their lives daily. Tabor didn’t want to waste another second.
“I don’t want you for a patrol partner, Sasha. I want you as my mate.”
Sasha stared into Tabor’s eyes, unblinking. Her mouth hung ajar, no words emerging.
Tabor looked at her lips and chuckled to cover the unease creeping over him. “Speechless. This must be a first.”
Sasha snapped her mouth shut and shot him the familiar look of exasperation. “I didn’t realize you were looking for a mate,” she said. “Three days ago I saw you with Olivia. Last night you admitted to going after someone else. Now you expect me to believe you want to settle down? With me?” Sasha asked incredulously. Crevices formed in her face when she frowned.
Tabor leaned back to give her more space and ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t think I had a chance with you. I thought you’d choose Hector for sure.”
Sasha huffed. “He never had any interest in me and the feeling’s mutual.”
“I understand why you’d have no interest in that lily liver, but he’s a fool to pass up an opportunity to be with you.”
Sasha’s cheeks flushed. She shook her head. “No need for flattery. I know I’m not the easiest shifter to warm up to.”
“Sasha,” Tabor said, stepping in close again.
Jaw set, she stared at Tabor with fierce brown eyes. “It doesn’t matter. Hector would have never warmed up to me. He prefers other males.”
Tabor’s body jerked. He must have heard wrong. “He what? How do you know this?”
“I saw him with another male.”
She swept her hair back, eyes scanning the valley below. Even as Tabor poured his heart out to her, she kept on top of her duties, ever aware of their surroundings.
When Sasha moved to take a position near the bluff’s edge, Tabor joined her. “It was Zackary, wasn’t it?” he asked eagerly.
Sasha huffed with annoyance. “No, it wasn’t Zackary. The two of you really need to learn to get along, or avoid one another if you can’t.”
“We’ll never get along, and it’s pretty hard to avoid someone you’re stuck sharing meals with every single day of the year.” Tabor brushed his shoulder against Sasha’s. “Though it would be a lot easier to avoid the clod if I lived in the den with my mate.” He leaned into Sasha, relishing the heat of her skin.
She scoffed but didn’t move away. “Why me?” she asked.
“Why aim for the moon?” Tabor asked huskily. “We’re not so different, you and me. There’s no one else like us in Wolf Hollow; a pureblood and a half-breed wolf wizard. We don’t quite fit in with the rest of the pack, but together we could blaze like stars against the lonely expanse. Don’t we deserve happiness?”
Tabor’s breath hitched as Sasha turned her back to the valley to face him, her face pinched together in sorrow and longin
g.
“Even if I were to consider your claim, the elders would never approve,” she said.
“And yet they have no trouble doing as they please for themselves,” Tabor said derisively.
“You have no idea,” Sasha said.
“Oh?” Tabor said, raising a brow. “You know about Palmer and Trish?”
“What are you talking about?” Sasha searched his face in that unnerving way of hers.
Tabor gave a lazy shrug. “I don’t want to spread stories.”
Sasha gave a low grumble. “It’s just the two of us. You know it will never leave my lips.”
Eyes glinting, Tabor moistened his lips. “After I returned Raider’s costume, I caught wind of Palmer—and he wasn’t with his mate. He and Trish were going at it in the cabin.”
“Trish,” Sasha said, scowling. “I thought she had more sense than that.” She growled. “And how could Palmer do that to Francine? I’d castrate any mate of mine if he touched another female.”
Tabor winced, then grinned. “Good to know, though I require no such warning.”
“I didn’t mean . . . I wasn’t . . .” Sasha sputtered.
Tabor’s grin widened. “I know what you meant, and I feel the same way. A mate should be exclusive, loyal and true until the end.”
Sasha swallowed.
Tabor’s eyes glazed over as he stared at her soft, rosy lips. He had yet to kiss them and felt a wild urge to lunge forward and crush his lips over hers.
Catching his hooded gaze, Sasha moved away, speaking over her shoulder. “Come on, we’ve stood around talking long enough. I want to run the length of the bluff, check the perimeter . . . and clear my head.”
When she got onto her hands and knees, Tabor went stiff.
Sasha’s eyes narrowed when she saw his excitement.
“Are you going to be able to keep your wolf under control?”
Tabor’s mouth widened, showing teeth when he grinned. “No promises,” he said slyly.
Taking a step backward then another, Sasha dropped her voice. “Then I better get a head start.”
Tabor swore he saw her wink at him before she shifted and took off at a run.
Very well, Sasha could have her head start. She could even bite him bloody. They were alone. On top of the world. Tabor had made his intentions clear and wouldn’t relent until Sasha claimed him.
chapter nine
Wind slid over Sasha’s fur as she ran along the bluff’s ridge. The valley sprawled below as far as her eyes could see. Deer nibbled at the vegetation, heads down, indicating no lurking danger far below.
An eagle called from above, wings spread as it soared over Sasha’s head and across the valley. There were no alarming sounds or smells. The animals of the forest were at ease.
The only creature Sasha had to fight off was Tabor, and she couldn’t trust herself to hold out for long. Better to outrun him.
Not only did he want on her back, he wanted to be her mate. She didn’t know how her wolf felt, but maybe it was time to find out.
First she’d make him work for it awhile. Her wolf lips lifted into a grin before she darted forward, quickening her speed.
An eager howl about twenty paces behind had Sasha flying over the compact sunbaked soil. Dirt kicked up into the air as she ran. After putting a stretch of distance between them, Sasha stopped, waiting until Tabor caught up.
As soon as he saw her standing in place, he slowed to a trot then a walk and slunk the rest of the way up to her. When he was six feet from reaching her, Sasha took off running again, smirking at his snarl of frustration.
They quickly covered the length of the bluff. Sasha sprang joyfully down the steep winding trail leading to the valley below. No sooner would her paws hit the earth than she’d spring back into the air. Running this fast was what she imagined flying to feel like. She spent more time sailing over the ground, touching off as needed to keep up the momentum.
Her ears twitched when she heard Tabor panting behind her to keep up. At this rate he’d tire before he got near her back. Sasha’s lips curved with mirth. She continued running, not feeling flagged in the slightest.
Once reaching the valley floor, she led Tabor in far enough to circle around him and run back the way they’d come. He growled as she passed him. Sasha began the run back up the trail to the bluff, glancing back to see Tabor slinking his way up, following but no longer chasing.
Sasha felt both pleased and disappointed. She continued to run up the hill. When she reached the bluff, she slowed to a trot along the ridge. Halfway down the trail, she stopped and shifted into human form.
Her long hair brushed over her shoulders. She straightened up and stood facing the sun. She closed her eyes and soaked it in, the heat bathing every bare inch of her body. Although the sun’s embrace felt good, she craved more. She’d forgotten how satisfying it felt to be touched until Tabor had reminded her.
She backed away from the edge and moved to a mossy patch of earth that felt soft beneath her toes. Sasha leaned her back against a tree and waited, listening for Tabor to catch up.
His tongue was hanging out when he trotted into view. He stopped, sniffing the air before he spotted her. When he saw her in human form he growled his frustration. Sasha smirked.
Tabor shifted, chest rising and falling rapidly with every breath as he got up on two feet.
Sasha chuckled softly. “Have I tired you out?” she asked sweetly.
Tabor snarled. It was as though his speech hadn’t yet crossed over to human vocabulary.
The next time his chest rose, he stood steady and stretched, seemingly to pull in energy from the air.
Tabor’s eyes gleamed when he advanced toward her, causing a shiver of anticipation to tingle down her spine.
Once Tabor’s feet touched the mossy ground, he stopped and raked his eyes over Sasha’s body.
“You merely whet my appetite,” Tabor said in a dangerously low voice that made Sasha go weak in the knees.
Good thing she had the tree behind her for support.
As Tabor came toward her she felt the urge to run again until he surprised her by dropping to his knees in front of her.
Did he mean to shift again? Was he hoping she’d do the same? Before she could question him, he slid his hands up her legs, resting them on her hips for one tantalizing second before reaching around, cupping her bottom, and guiding her to his mouth.
Sasha’s breath hitched and released, shaky gasps puffing from the back of her throat as his wicked tongue teased her. Sasha’s legs threatened to give out. She gripped his shoulders to steady herself, digging her nails into his skin.
Gasping with pleasure, Sasha arched her back and closed her eyes. Pinpricks of light squeezed between Sasha’s eyelids every time her lashes fluttered. She caught glimpses of Tabor’s head between her legs and moaned louder. The sight of him on his knees made her dizzy with desire. Excitement built inside her, ready to burst.
She tried to turn around, to give Tabor her back, but he held her to his mouth.
Sasha snarled with impatience, aching to have him inside her. From below, Tabor chuckled softly, his warm breath tingling over her thighs.
“You think this amusing?” she demanded in a voice edged with warning.
Tabor looked up at her, grinning. “You kept me panting for hours. It’s only fair I do the same for you.”
Before he could tease her longer, Sasha dropped into a crouch and pushed him onto his back, climbing over him before he had a chance to get up. Sasha straddled his hips, her hair falling over her shoulders, tickling her breasts as she leaned forward, planting her hands on either side of Tabor’s head.
Desire flooded Tabor’s green eyes, brighter than the fullest moon. The firm planes of his muscled chest rose and fell. He moistened his lips.
His eyebrows lifted. “I never expected I�
��d be the one on my back, but I think I like this.”
“You’re about to like it a whole lot more,” Sasha growled.
She took him inside her, easing herself over his entire length then rocking her hips over him, her breasts shaking with the rhythm. Tabor’s breath quickened. The sound encouraged Sasha to rock against him harder. Tabor’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he hummed with satisfaction.
Seeing him sprawled out beneath her sent waves of desire spiraling through Sasha. With a guttural moan, she rode him faster.
Tabor’s lashes fluttered and his eyes opened, his green gaze focused on her. With firm hands, he gripped her hips and lifted her. She whimpered in protest only to be flipped on her back, positions reversed.
Tabor didn’t seem to like breaking contact any more than she and was back inside her in a flash. He gave her a few quick pumps before slowing his pace, sliding in and out in measured thrusts that made Sasha clench to keep him inside. On the next thrust, Tabor buried himself inside her to the hilt. Sasha wiggled beneath him, moss grinding into her back as she rubbed against him.
Tabor’s chest rose as he took in a shuddering breath and rocked faster, straddling her from above. His muscles corded and jaw clenched tight, beads of sweat dotting his hairline. Green eyes flashed with desire. He looked like a man possessed. He moved at an accelerated speed, as though chasing her again.
This time they moved together as one.
Every movement sent blissful waves of ecstasy crashing over Sasha’s body. She dug her heels into him and moaned his name, which made Tabor lose all control. He captured Sasha’s wrists and pinned them above her head. He moved so fast she could no longer think as she cried out in sweet abandon.
Bright spots flashed across Sasha’s vision like twinkling stars on a clear night. They burst soon after, everything going supernova inside her. As it happened, she was everywhere and nowhere at once.
Wolf Hollow (Wolf Hollow Shifters, Book 1) Page 12