Primal Law

by Tyler, J. D.

  Breathing through the pain—both kinds—he let himself into his apartment and headed for his room. Without bothering to remove his boots, he flopped onto his bed and lay on his side, covering his eyes. That’s when he realized the burning in his throat wasn’t all from the fever. Sweet Jesus, he hadn’t cried in years and he wasn’t about to give in now.

  He’d dealt with a lot of shit and he’d deal with being rejected by his mate.

  He would.

  But that didn’t stop the hot moisture from seeping between his lashes. Angrily, he rubbed his eyes, willing the ache to ease. Was this the reaction of the dirty dog, or the man? How sad that he didn’t know.

  Oh yeah, you’re not a man, remember?

  He heard a rapping at the door to his place. He lay there willing it to stop, but his visitor wasn’t going away.

  “Son of a bitch.”

  Hauling himself up, he started for the door. Halfway there, Kira’s familiar scent wafted to him, freezing him in his tracks. If she’d come to apologize, he wasn’t ready to listen to excuses.

  Growling in frustration, he limped across the distance and yanked the door open, schooling his expression to appear calm. “What do you want?”

  His curt greeting took her aback and she fidgeted nervously. “Can I come in? I really don’t want to do this where someone might hear.”

  “Funny, you didn’t have a problem with that in the clinic.”

  “Jax, please?” Her small face was pinched, blue eyes shadowed with worry.

  He sighed. “I guess. Come in.”

  Leaving her to follow, he shuffled into the living room and sat on one end of the sofa. She took the other end, perching close to him but not touching. Since this was her dime, he let her struggle.

  “Look, you don’t know how sorry I am for what you heard,” she began with difficulty. “But I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”

  He snorted an ugly laugh. “That I’m not a man? Really? I’d love to know how else to take that except you believe I’m an animal, or subhuman.”

  “No!” Leaning toward him, she clutched his knee. “That’s not what I meant! I just find it sort of scary to learn that I don’t have a say when it comes to you being my mate. That I have to be bound to someone for life because of biology, and not love.”

  He studied her, decided she was being honest. “I get that. But how do you know this attraction between us is not becoming love already?”

  “How do I know it is, for absolute sure?” she countered. “I’ve never been serious about anyone before, not serious enough to marry or even live together. And then I suddenly learn that there’s a whole world I never knew existed, and that the creatures of my childhood fables aren’t so fictional after all. There was no time to adjust, to catch my breath. And then, bam! Sudden, life-altering changes and a man—and yes, you are a man, and I’m a jerk—a man is claiming me for his own. And, oh yeah, he and his friends are like critters out of a J. R. R. Tolkien novel, and I’m walking around half-expecting to run into Gollum looking for his precious!”

  Her eyes were wide, cheeks flushed from the passion of her speech, blond hair framing her face. Damned if she wasn’t the cutest thing he’d ever seen.

  And fuck it all, he was going to forgive her.

  Reaching out, he brushed back a pale strand. “Yeah,” he said softly. “I guess that would pretty much mess with your day.”

  Arousal flared on her face, pupils dilating. Breath hitching, she scooted closer, capturing his hand. “Pretty much. Forgive me?”

  “Sweet baby, I forgave you at ‘I’m a jerk.’ ”

  Her lips tilted into a smile. “Don’t get used to it.”

  “I’d like to get used to you, period.”

  “How flattering.”

  “I’m working on my delivery. What can I say?”

  “Say you’ll kiss me,” she whispered.

  He smiled, all his pain forgotten with her one simple request. “Baby, I’ll do much more than that.”

  Pulling his woman close, he crushed his mouth to hers.

  Eleven

  Kira reveled in his mouth on hers, his tongue slipping inside to taste. Being held in his strong arms was heaven and she loved his size, how she felt surrounded. Safe.

  His hardness poked against her stomach, causing her to squirm. He moaned and a little spurt of satisfaction went through her that she was the cause of his arousal. His need.

  Big hands skimmed her sides, worked underneath her shirt. Found the cups of her bra and palmed them as he thrust upward, grinding his erection, seeking relief. The action caused an answering heat between her legs that spread low in her womb. She needed to be filled by him. Owned. Ravaged.

  “Too many clothes,” she hissed, tugging at his shirt.

  Briefly, his eyes seemed to glow. “We can remedy that.”

  She yanked the garment over his head and then scooted back some, attacking his belt. With a low chuckle, he raised his hips to help her along and she freed his thick cock, lifted out his heavy balls. She’d never thought of a man’s package as particularly beautiful, but Jax was everything a man should be. And much more.

  Suddenly she couldn’t think of anything she wanted more than to taste the precum seeping from the slit of his cock. To wrap her lips around the head and drive him crazy with lust. In the past, giving a guy a blow job was something she could take or leave—mostly leave since the act was usually all about his pleasure, not hers—but this time was different. With Jax, the pleasure would go both ways.

  Sliding to the floor, she pushed his knees apart and crouched between his denim-clad thighs, smoothing her palms on top of them. She loved the feel of his muscles bunching under her fingertips and wanted to see more.

  “Off with the jeans,” she ordered, smirking at his surprise. A slow grin curved his sexy mouth as he complied, sliding the offending material down his hips.

  “Whatever the lady wants.”

  “Smart man.”

  As she eased the jeans and boxer briefs down his legs and pulled them off his feet, she glanced up to see a shadow darken his expression. His gaze flicked to his injured leg and away, so quickly she might’ve missed it if she hadn’t been paying attention.

  Gently, she kissed the scarred flesh that twisted around his right thigh. “Your scars don’t make you any less handsome to me. They don’t matter.”

  “You think I’m concerned about my looks? No, I deserve exactly what I got and more for trusting the wrong person and leading my team into a trap.”

  His voice was filled with such self-loathing her heart went out to him. “I don’t believe that and neither should you. Someone took advantage of your trust and broke it, and that person is responsible for what happened. Not you,” she stressed.

  “But I—”

  “Hush.” Bending over his lap, she grasped the base of his cock and gave the slit a lick, catching the drops. Saltysweet flavor burst on her tongue and he sucked in a breath. Oh, tasting him was going to become addictive, real fast.

  “Kira,” he moaned. His head fell back to rest against the sofa and he spread his legs wider, raising his hips the slightest bit, a silent encouragement to continue with the welcome attention.

  She didn’t need much convincing. As she took the spongy head between her lips and began to suckle, it was readily apparent that giving in to him was to be its own reward. His tanned skin was hot, his long, thick cock flushed dark, balls heavy with need. He was sprawled before her like a feast, one hand buried in her hair, the other clutching the arm of the sofa as though he might blast off any second and had to somehow anchor himself.

  She watched his face as she took him deeper, sucked his rod and laved the silky underside, pumping the base. His eyes were closed in ecstasy, chest rising and falling more rapidly, making the swirling tattoos on his shoulder move and seem almost alive.

  “God, I can’t take much more,” he told her roughly.

  His control was admirable, but he was no match for her bobbing up and do
wn. Taking him to the back of her throat, and out again. She slid along his length until he pushed her back carefully with a low chuckle.

  “Damn, woman, I’m about to lose it. My turn,” he insisted, his dark tone making her shiver in anticipation. He slid to the floor next to her and patted the sofa cushion. “Brace yourself, honey.”

  Moving forward, she laid her front half down on the comfortable seat, hyperaware of him positioning himself behind her. Even though he was exposed and vulnerable moments ago, she wasn’t certain she liked feeling that way herself. She was too skinny, shaped too much like a boy without womanly curves and the lush bosom that appealed to so many men. She didn’t know what a hottie like Jax saw in her body, but he seemed to appreciate it just fine.

  Can’t fake a gigantic hard-on.

  “Spread for me, baby.”

  She inched her knees apart more, and the position had her offered with her ass in the air, ready and willing to be his.

  “That’s it. Jesus, you’re so pretty.” Two fingers dipped into her slit, already hot and wet. Rubbed and smeared her juices, played with her clit. “You like that, baby?”

  “Y-yes. Please . . .”

  “More?”

  “Please, don’t stop!”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t leave you hanging.”

  Suddenly his lips were bestowing soft kisses to the small of her back. It was slightly ticklish and she stifled a giggle, and then he moved on. He caressed her rear and then nuzzled her sex, taking a tentative swipe with his tongue. Arching her back, she opened for him as much as possible, telling him without words to take what he wanted. Give them what they both needed.

  As he laved her folds, tongue dipping inside, she started to feel too big for her own skin. Like she was swelling, a balloon becoming more and more full, heat pushing at her from inside out. The feeling began in her sex and washed to her limbs, filtered into her blood, bringing it to a gradual boil. Searing her.

  “Oh . . . Oh, Jax.”

  “You taste so sweet,” he whispered. “I’m going to fuck you so hard.”

  The image his words inspired, his mouth working her into a fever, shattered whatever resistance was left. Her bones melted and she submitted completely, his to do with whatever he wished. She was his. Nothing else mattered.

  She needed him as close as possible. Inside her. Please! Fuck me!

  Had she shouted out loud? She wasn’t certain. Only knew that he was holding her hips now, bringing the head of his cock to her slit. Nudging her entrance. Her skin was scorching and she needed him.

  “Gonna take what’s mine,” he growled.

  Moaning, nearly out of her mind, she pushed backward, and that was all the assent he required. His cock slid inside, stretching and filling her. So good, so right. He was huge but it didn’t hurt, simply made her feel complete as he slid all the way home. His balls nestled against her, springy hair from his groin and thighs sensitizing her to every nuance of him. Of them together, connected as they should be.

  Then he began to thrust, spearing deep into her core. Tantalizingly slow at first, letting her feel every inch of him. Then picking up speed, putting some power behind the pumping, his fingers digging into her flesh.

  Not just fingers, but claws. Stinging just a bit, but only adding to the wicked pleasure.

  Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was surprised she didn’t object to his feral nature coming out during sex, and wasn’t afraid. Instead, his barely leashed wolf only turned her on even more, and she was shocked to realize she embraced them both as they fucked her into oblivion—Jax and his beast.

  Beyond that, she couldn’t think. Her body was caught in a raging inferno only he could sate. Flesh slapped against flesh as he impaled her repeatedly, driving even harder when she made helpless whimpers. Almost there.

  “B-bite me,” she begged. The words slipped out of their own volition, a reflection of the need she couldn’t acknowledge before. Almost as though she had no choice.

  “God, baby. You don’t know how much I want that.”

  Her orgasm exploded and she cried out, convulsing around his cock. He stiffened and followed her over the brink with a shout, pumping her full of cum. Emptying into her with such force, he was plastered to her back for several moments after.

  Panting, she floated back to earth, the post-orgasmic haze leaving her boneless. And very unsure where they now stood.

  “Why didn’t you bite me?” she asked quietly.

  Kissing her shoulder, he pulled out and then turned her around, gathering her into his lap. “Because that would have mated us, and you weren’t ready.”

  “How do you know? It felt like I was ready. It was all I needed at the time, so badly I couldn’t think straight.”

  His eyes were a little sad when he replied. “Exactly. You feel so strongly about not giving in just because it’s nature, yet you were helpless to the pull of mating while we fucked. Think about it, baby. If I’d done what you asked in the heat of the moment, you would’ve hated me for taking advantage.”

  “No, I wouldn’t have.”

  “You would,” he insisted. “Has your opinion changed about mating before love, then?”

  She stared at him with a sinking feeling in her gut. “No.”

  “Then you would’ve hated the sight of me, and I might never have earned another chance to win your trust.”

  Oh, God. He’s right. Face heating, she looked away and wished she could disappear.

  “And there’s something else you should know.” He paused, obviously reluctant to continue as he took her chin, made her look at him. “If I bite you—hell, if any shifter does—there’s a very good chance you could become one of us. You need to decide if you can live with that before we mate. Because if we do, I have to bite you.”

  Her mouth fell open. Of course there was a chance. Why hadn’t she thought of that possibility? She might become like him. A wolf.

  “Jax, I—I—” Overwhelmed, she fumbled for a response that wouldn’t hurt him more than she had already. “I need time to think.”

  “Hey, it’s okay. I understand, even if my wolf is howling like a banshee and threatening to claw his way right out of my skin, leaving me nothing but an empty husk.”

  His attempt to joke made her feel worse. “I’m so sorry. I know you’re in pain and it’s all because of me.”

  “No, angel,” he said softly. “It’s nobody’s fault. Let’s just take this as it comes and we’ll be fine.”

  “You won’t be fine.” She touched his face. “You’re burning up, and it’s not just from having hot sex. I’m scared to death about what Dr. Mallory told me could happen to you. Is happening.”

  He shook his head in dismissal. “Melina is overly cautious. That’s her job. Us shifters are tough and it’ll take more than a few raging hormones to bring me down. We’ve got plenty of time to decide what we want, and I don’t want you worrying about this anymore.”

  “I can’t promise that.”

  “Do your best, because I’m okay.” He kissed her nose.

  “Promise you’ll tell me if it gets too bad?”

  “Sure.”

  He didn’t exactly say the words and she frowned, knowing he’d keep his misery to himself as long as possible. That he’d put her feelings before his own needs, no matter how much it hurt him, caused something warm and wonderful to expand in her chest.

  “I’m glad you forgave me for what I said in the clinic,” she told him.

  He winked. “Me, too. Got me laid, didn’t it?”

  She dug her fingers into his ribs. “Smart-ass.”

  Falling backward, he laughed, pulling her with him, and the tickle fight was on. She managed to get a few more digs in his ribs before he latched on to an ankle and tortured the sensitive bottom of one foot.

  “Uncle!” she squealed. “You win!”

  “I’m the boss. Say it!”

  “Ahh! You’re the boss,” she gasped, trying in vain to wrench away her foot.

  Mer
cifully, he released the appendage and helped her up. “The boss demands you shower with him.”

  “Humph. I suppose you’ll want me to wash your back, too.”

  “Of course. But I’ll do yours, too.” His voice promised more extracurricular fun than a simple shower.

  The hunky wolf delivered, too, soaping certain crevices perhaps a tad more than necessary, making her laugh and shudder in delight by turns. She wasn’t laughing, however, when he guided her to brace herself on the tiles, his hardness rubbing the crack of her butt, declaring that they weren’t finished playing.

  “Gotta have you again,” he murmured. “What you do to me . . .”

  He made love to her there with the water cascading over them, nice and easy, with such gentle heat her eyes burned with unshed tears. Never had there been a connection like this with any other man. Never anything that felt so right. As though everything she’d been searching for had coalesced here, with this man, in this place filled with strange inhabitants.

  He took them to the peak and they exploded together, him buried deep inside her, whispering endearments in her ear. She was so at peace, yet when he withdrew again without giving in to the need to claim her as his own, guilt pricked at her conscience.

  Despite his insistence that he was fine, she couldn’t help but imagine what terrible price his patience might demand.

  And whether she’d ever be able to reconcile the man as one with the beast without the fire of his touch blowing apart all reason.

  “Jax?”

  “Hmm?”

  Kira trailed a finger over the broad expanse of his chest, hoping he didn’t close off when she pried. But she had to know more about the man at her side. “Tell me about Afghanistan. When you were changed.”

  He went so still for a few moments, she wasn’t even sure he was breathing. When he finally began to speak, his voice was so low, bleeding with remembered pain, that she held him tighter.

  “What’s to tell? We ventured into the mountains on a routine patrol, and encountered creatures out of our worst nightmares. Then some of us awoke to realize the lucky ones were dead, and the rest had to live with the fact that we’d become freaks at best, enemies of the human race at worst.”