by Anna Lowe
Which probably meant he was going crazy. But, wow. He hadn’t felt that settled, that peaceful in years. Like he had somehow fast-forwarded through a decade and finally put his inner demons to rest. Even when the moon slipped out of sight, he could feel its comforting gravity out there.
“Mmm,” Ella mumbled, shifting in his arms.
Jake nuzzled her shoulder, sniffing deeply. Ella’s desert rose scent seemed richer, more intense than before, as did the fragrance of tropical flowers drifting in through the open windows. The salt air tickled his nose, and his ears picked up the faintest sounds — not just the brush of tree branches over the roof but the scratchy movement of insects outside.
“Perfect morning,” Ella mumbled.
Perfect for a run, that inner voice said.
Which was ridiculous. Why run when he could lounge in bed with the woman of his dreams?
Why lounge when we can run with the woman of our dreams? the voice retorted.
“You okay?” Ella whispered.
He nodded slowly. “Just trying to figure out what parts are real and what parts are a dream.”
She kissed his knuckles. Her brow was knotted, her lips tight. “Shifters are real. It’s all real, Jake.”
He held his hands again. “So…you can change back and forth. Like at the full moon?”
The deep, inner voice scoffed. Of course not.
“You can change back and forth,” Ella said. “Well, you’ll be able to soon. Whenever you want. It doesn’t depend on the moon.”
He looked out the window. Funny, he could swear he could feel it out there. Calling to him like an irresistible siren, begging him to come outside and play.
“The moon does guide us sometimes,” she added, following his eyes. “In subtle ways — the same way it affects humans, I suppose.”
“And the bite part?” He touched his neck. The scars acted like an on switch for lust, and he started nuzzling Ella all over again. Up and down her neck, then down to her chest, making him crazy with desire.
Mark her, the inner voice growled. Make her ours.
“The bite makes us mates,” she sighed, lying back, letting him explore. “Bound forever. I hope you’re okay with that.”
He chuckled against her skin. Hell yeah, he was okay with that. “I just wish we could do it again.”
Ella flashed a sultry smile. “Good thing we can. Anytime you want. You owe me a bite, McBride. That will complete the rite. It will complete us.”
His pulse shot through the roof, and his eyebrows jumped up. “I like the sound of that. But it is a little intimidating. What if I mess up?”
She smiled. “If you listen to instinct, you can’t go wrong.”
Instinct, huh? Was that the voice he’d been hearing?
“When?” he whispered.
“Whenever you want. Whenever you’re ready. The best thing is, we can do it again and again.”
It should have sounded terrifying, but he was strangely tempted — and totally turned on. “So, kind of like marriage on overdrive?” he joked.
Ella shook her head and cupped his cheeks, looking deep into his eyes. “Mating is more than that, Jake. It’s more than a promise or a piece of paper. It’s forever — really forever.”
He grinned. “Some forevers, I wouldn’t want. But forever with you? Yes, please.”
She snuggled against his chest again, exuding warmth and relief. “There’s so much I have to explain.”
“I guess so. But one thing at a time is plenty for me. And I’m happy to start with the forever part.”
He nuzzled her a little longer, tempted to get down to loving Ella. After all, if she was his, they could make love as often as they liked, and he had a lot to make up for. But the urge to run grew even stronger, making it impossible to ignore. He sat up slowly, carefully, surprised not to feel too sore.
Not sore. Need to move. To shift.
“Jake?” Ella sat up, touching his thigh.
He wanted to stop and kiss her. To thread his fingers through her hair and spend another hour kissing that gloriously naked flesh. But the instinct to move grew ever more urgent, so he lowered his feet to the floor.
“Just a second,” he murmured, not sure what instinct he was following, only that he had to follow it right away.
He padded toward the door and out onto the long front porch, confused. Why did his body feel so surprisingly good, yet so achy at the same time?
“You okay?” Ella’s voice drifted after him.
He nodded, hating to leave her behind but desperate to dig his bare toes into the earth too. The need was so intense that even after he descended the porch stairs and felt the moist soil under his feet, he needed more.
Keep going. Sniff. Run. Roll, the inner voice urged.
His back went from feeling fine to incredibly stiff until he hunched over, which was better.
“Jake!” Ella called, running to his side.
He wanted to turn and assure her it was okay. Instead, he fell to his knees and propped himself up with his arms. Not collapsing, just…
Shifting, the hoarse voice inside him urged. Let me out.
“Jake,” Ella cried, running her hands over his back.
Mmm. Nice, the voice hummed.
It was nice. He closed his eyes and tucked his chin against his chest, moving under her hand.
“Whoa. Already?” Ella murmured.
Jake had no idea what was going on. But he was tired of resisting whatever that was inside his body. He breathed deeply, consuming a whole new world of scents and sounds.
Ella kept right on petting him, which was good, because every joint suddenly ached, and his skin itched like hell.
“Show me, my mate,” she whispered.
Show her what? How crazy he was?
Show her me, the inner voice hissed.
“It only hurts for a second,” Ella said, though her voice sounded far away.
He grunted, because it did hurt. But, like Ella said, just for one blinding second. Then all he felt was the crazy-good sensation of Ella’s fingers over his back.
“Wow. Jake,” she whispered.
He still had his eyes closed, but wow was right. He smelled flowers and grass, layers deep. Nice, rich earth under his four feet, perfect for digging his claws into…
His mind spun. Whoa. How many feet?
But Ella kept right on petting him. “You did it, Jake. Look.”
He blinked a few times, then sneezed. The color had seeped out of the tropical landscape, and little ribbons of shadow moved when he moved his head.
Ella laughed and stroked his ears. Ears that stuck up from the top, not the sides of his head. “Come on, look.”
He cocked his head at her then froze. His nose was way out in front of his head. The tip was dark, and whiskers stuck out on both sides.
“Most handsome fox ever.” Ella grinned.
Most handsome what? He wanted to yell, but all that came out was a surprised bark.
“See?” she offered, holding his tail to one side.
Jake stood perfectly still. A tail? Since when?
Shifters are real. It’s all real, Jake, Ella had said.
It was one thing to hear someone say it. But to experience it — holy crap.
Ella fell over him in a huge, happy hug. Laughing? Crying? He wanted to hug her back, but he settled for licking her ear with a frighteningly long tongue. The more his tail wagged, the more his hips wiggled, and he twisted around for a look. Wow. He really did have a tail.
“You’re just the way I dreamed,” Ella mumbled into his fur.
Apparently, she’d dreamed of something that looked a lot like a wolf, but with a fluffier tail and redder fur, if he read the grayscale correctly. As big as a wolf too — and a big wolf, at that — but with a narrower nose. He blinked a few times.
Not a wolf. A fox, stupid, the voice snarled.
He turned and nearly tripped over his own feet. Which one was he supposed to move first?
Ella grin
ned a mile wide. “Hang on. I’ll show you.”
A second later, she hunched over and shifted. A smooth, easy shift in which her human features gradually blurred and gave way to a sleek, furry body and a joyous, thumping tail.
Ella, he said in surprise, which came out as a yip.
She yipped back, and they stood there for a moment, two foxes, nose-to-nose. Her eyes were bright, her nose twitching. Without even thinking about it, he started circling her, sniffing every inch of her body. And, wow — he could smell the excitement in her. The joy. Even a hint of desire. And best of all, he smelled himself on her — and her on him.
Mate, the deep, inner voice rumbled. My mate.
He wanted to rub against her. Lick her. Romp around the plantation with her. He wanted everything at once, but hell, he could barely coordinate his feet.
Ella broke out in happy yips and danced around him in delight. So joyous and excited, he started lumbering around too.
A fox! You’re a fox! Her voice echoed in his mind.
Ella’s orange-brown eyes shone, and her fur glinted in the morning sun in exactly the same way her human hair usually did. She tilted her head the same way too. So Ella was Ella — trim, petite, and beautiful — while he was a darker, XXL version of her. He turned a few circles, trying to get a look at himself and nearly tripping over his own feet. Boy, did he have a lot to learn.
Come on! Ella bounded away like it was all so easy. As easy as it was for his mind to translate her yips into words. Which — whoa — hit him a second later. How the heck did that work?
Can you hear me? He tried pushing his thoughts into her mind.
Of course I can.
He snorted. Of course. This was going to take some getting used to, for sure.
He took one wobbly step then another while Ella trotted around him in circles, brushing against his fur.
Nothing to it, she hummed, winding around his body a second time.
The more she touched him — distracting him, tempting him — the less he thought about the mechanics of walking, and the more smoothly he moved. Before long, he was trotting along, ducking under branches that tickled his back and sneezing away the pungent scent of exotic flowers.
Time to hustle, soldier, Ella teased, racing off.
Get her, the inner voice urged him. Catch our mate.
He shot off in pursuit, intent on catching up but distracted at the same time. Was his tongue supposed to hang out the side of his mouth, or did it belong straight down the middle? Was his tail too high or too low?
Whatever, the inner voice said. Just run.
So he pounded the dirt, chasing his mate. Once he got the hang of the four-legged gait, he had the raw speed to catch Ella. But she was agile as anything, and every time he got within an inch of her tail, she’d dodge away with a lightning move he could barely follow. But it was fun — the kind of flat-out, panting, childish fun he hadn’t experienced in years. The plantation grounds he’d patrolled so often became a playground, full of joy and wonder. The rich, moist soil. The scratchy blades of native grass. The overgrown taro patch he and Ella splashed through. So many details he had never picked up on before came alive. How had he missed so much?
Then he skidded to a stop, growling, every hair on his body bristling. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
What is it? Ella asked, looping around to stand beside him.
He sidestepped, trying to keep his body between Ella and the intruder he sensed. Then he sniffed and pawed the ground, trying to place the scent.
Ella sniffed the spot at his feet then laughed. That’s just Boone.
Jake went right on growling. Boone was a great guy, but the idea of a male wolf infringing on Jake’s home turf activated overprotective instincts to the max.
Ella wound her body around his, reassuring him with a chattering sound. You know the guys as well as I do. They’re okay.
He kept right on snarling under his breath. Any other guy close to his mate was not okay.
Must finish the mating process. Must make her ours, his fox growled in his mind.
The bite mark on his neck itched, and he stared at Ella. She did say he owed her a bite, so maybe…
Whenever you want, she’d said. Whenever you’re ready. If you listen to instinct, you can’t go wrong.
And damn, did he feel ready. Desperately ready.
Bite her. Complete the rite, the inner voice said. Safer that way, that inner voice said.
Bite to the neck and safe didn’t sound like two things that fit together, and yet his body heated with the idea.
Ella swung her head west. That patch of woods over there is full of bear scent, and over on the other side of Koa Point, you’ll smell tiger. This is their home, after all. Are you getting all possessive on me?
He sidled closer and rubbed his neck against hers. Not sure I can help it.
Part of him rebelled against the idea. A woman wasn’t an object to be possessed — especially a woman like Ella. But another part of him — the fox, no doubt — was totally enamored of the idea.
She can be ours forever. No one could force us apart.
Jake liked that part. And Ella had bitten him, which meant she was okay with the forever part, right?
Ella flicked her tail and bounced away. If you want me, you have to catch me, she teased, speeding off again.
Jake flicked his tail — a simple move, yet one he was ridiculously proud of pulling off — and sprinted after her. This time, she wasn’t getting away.
Just leave the running to me, his fox side rumbled.
Jake had to admit that made more sense than him tripping over his own feet. Someday, he’d master the four-footed thing. Right now, all that mattered was his mate.
His paws hammered over the ground. Branches swatted his shoulders. Ella’s tail waved like a flag as she led him on a wild chase across the plantation grounds. Twice, he drew close enough to pounce, but each time, she darted away, laughing.
Beat you to the water, Ella teased as she sprinted toward the beach.
Jake gritted his teeth and swallowed his reply. No, she wouldn’t beat him. Not if he could help it. He raced on, closing the distance between them by the time Ella reached the rocky rise that hemmed in the beach.
Now! he yelled at his fox side, timing his leap.
Ella dodged to the right as he anticipated, and he caught her with a flying tackle. A second later, they tumbled to the ground. He came out on top, panting wildly.
Gotcha!
Got her, his fox agreed with a happy yip.
Oh, you think so? Ella said, looking coy. What if I do this?
She squirmed a little, and the air around her shimmered. In a flash, she shifted to human form right under him. Then she lay back, naked, watching him with eyes that glinted with some secret plan.
Jake froze, unsure what to do.
Time for you to take over, his fox said. Just make sure you listen when it comes to the bite.
Shifting back to human form happened so fast, Jake didn’t realize it was happening until he came down over Ella on his elbows and knees. He lowered himself until his chest pressed down on hers. Her eyes were bright with lust and love, and the only move she made was to shift her legs to give him more space.
“Gotcha,” he said in a husky voice.
“Got me.” Her eyes weren’t just sparkling. They were glowing. “Not bad for your first time, McBride.”
First time implied more occasions when they might engage in this kind of fun. If he’d still had a tail, he would have wagged it wildly.
The palm trees overhead swayed, tossing shadows over their bodies. The fine layer of sand they’d landed in formed a firm mattress for their bodies, and the wind whispered through the fronds above.
“I think you let me catch you, Kitt.”
“Oh, I would never do such a thing.” She ran her heel along his leg, sending spears of heat through his veins. “Then where would we be?”
He chuckled. “How about naked and alone on the
beach?”
Ella tucked her chin and looked down at their bodies. “Hmm. Naked and alone. Now what?”
He grinned and shifted his weight, letting her feel the hard prod of his cock. “I have an idea.”
“And what would that be, soldier?” She stretched her arms over her head and crooked an eyebrow. Her scent wrapped around him, thick with lust.
“I was thinking about kissing. Touching,” he murmured, letting his lips play over her collarbone.
“Sounds so tame,” Ella said, though her body arched under his, inviting him to explore.
He slid his right hand along her body. Slow and gentle over the swell of her breast on the way down, heavier on the way up. Then he kissed her, and she kissed back, hard. After sweeping his tongue over hers, he pulled away long enough to pant, “I can pretty much guarantee this isn’t going to be tame.”
“Good.” She hauled him into another deep, hungry kiss.
The air grew thick with a sticky-sweet scent that could only be lust, and Ella’s body surged under his. Her legs hugged his waist. He swept his thumb over her nipple, making it peak.
Soon, the inner voice whispered as he slid over her body, gathering the flesh of her breast with his hand. He suckled harder until Ella whimpered in need.
“Yes…” she murmured, threading her fingers through his hair.
She tasted so good. Felt so good. Sounded so good.
Mine, his fox howled. Mine.
He worked his hand lower, closing in on her wet heat. His finger slipped straight through her folds. Then he reached deeper and circled inside, making her moan.
“Yes…”
Never had he gone so quickly from tempted to blind, raging need. Never had he sensed such an urgency to bond.
Make her ours. Forever, the voice inside screamed.
He nipped her breast then moved back to her neck, homing in on the spot that called to him.
“Yes,” Ella whispered. “Right there.”
He scraped his teeth over her skin, and she surged against him.
“Do it. Please. I trust you.” She tilted her head, giving him a glimpse of her neck.