by T. F. Walsh
Up on his feet, he brushed down his jeans, revealing wet marks on his knees. He took my hand and raised it to his warm lips. “How are you doing?”
“I’m all right.”
“Do you want me to leave you alone?”
“No.” I wasn’t ready to leave Father, but I didn’t want Enre to go anywhere either.
“We need to talk.”
“I don’t like the way you said that.”
He paced to a tree and back, his footprints creating a path through the snow. “I need to go to Hungary.”
Thoughts banged inside my head as a sinking sensation hit my belly. “Why?”
“Father had planned to give this land to Marcin, my brother, who would then become alpha over Daciana’s pack. Marcin is a tyrant like my father. So I said the only thing that would stop him—that I was now the alpha of the largest pack in Europe and that I killed Maxim. But I am in no way trying to take your pack, this is for show only.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond, and while I kept telling myself I should act shocked, I couldn’t stop the tingle of excitement swirling in my gut. I’d never wanted to rule the pack, and neither had Nic, so was this the answer? Enre had the caring nature, strength, and leadership attributes of a great alpha. “You’d make a great leader of our pack.” I offered him a wide smile. “But why are you going to Hungary?”
“Daciana told my father she wants to hand over her pack to me, but apparently the Varlac council needs to give approval for that to happen.” He stared at me for a long minute, concern swirling behind his gaze. “If we don’t go, Father will kill Daciana’s pack as punishment for Sandulf creating a dracwulf.” He released a long breath. “I have no choice.”
My knees turned to mush. “I hate your father. I will never forget or forgive what he did to my mother, and I can’t guarantee I won’t stick a blade in his throat if I find him alone. But I trust you.”
Enre smirked. He wrapped an arm around my waist, placing a kiss on my nose. “I share your loathing for him, and if the opportunity came, you’d be lucky to get to my father before I finished him off.” His voice trailed off as his eyes slid upward momentarily. “Daciana and I will leave for Hungary in a few days.”
“I don’t like what your father’s doing. It feels like a trap.”
“I give you my word. I’ll be back.”
“If not, I’m coming for you, and the first person on my hit list will be your father.”
“That’s my girl.” He brushed a strand of hair off my cheek. “It’s going to work out, you’ll see. Once your pack arrives, you settle in and make yourselves at home until I return.” Enre’s eyes widened. “Crap, it’s a full moon tonight. I have to go get Nic’s layered cage prepared. He’s not breaking out again.”
I slipped my hand into his, our fingers intertwined, as we hurried through the woods toward our new pack house.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
ALENA
“The hunt begins.” Enre’s voice streamed across the semicircle of forty or so wulfkin in the yard behind our pack house. “Remember, only kill what you’ll eat, and don’t start until you’ve crossed the valley. Now, be free.”
Silver moonlight danced across the bare shoulders and backs of my family as they undressed and transformed out in the open. The sound of skin splitting echoed in the air, a cocktail of fur, musk, and other wolf scents drifting on the breeze. I couldn’t picture a more perfect family image.
Our pack had arrived the day after we did. The Bulgarian border reopened, and the police had no reason to stop the circus from crossing over to Romania. I figured the authorities would still snoop around, but living out in the woods, there was no reason for us to draw unwanted attention as wolves.
We’d spent the last day convincing the pack to play along with our story while Enre’s father remained in Transylvania. So far, so good. Except, tomorrow, Enre and Daciana were leaving for Hungary. My belly twisted. That’s why Daciana spent the night in the city. Love comes in all kinds of packages: a human for Daciana, and a Varlac for me. Who would have guessed?
Enre moved closer. His hand slipped beneath my blouse, finding my stomach. His touch ignited the fire within me, the one that had been burning ever since we’d first met.
The first wulfkin sprinted away from the group and into the forest, followed by another. More vanished into the darkness until only Enre and I remained on a lawn covered in discarded clothes. In the distance, the glint of our caravan revealed the line of trailers snaking their way up the driveway.
Enre’s arm slid across my lower back.
“You think Nic is all right?” I asked.
“He’s locked up in a new cell with thicker bars, several layers of bars, in fact, and extra bolts, like he was last night. Better he spends a couple of nights in a cell to be sure his wolf is abated. Plus, he’s got Mila down there. She said she wants to spend the night watching over him.”
I imagined it was more than that for Mila. If I’d been trapped in my wolf form, as she had been, I’d have no desire to shift back for a while. And being a wulfkin, she was no longer controlled by the moon. Plus, I suspected she liked Nicolai a lot.
“So, you getting naked?” Enre’s eyebrows waggled.
I winked at him. Soon, we were nude, my skin tingling from his embrace. He turned and lunged into the woods while transforming. So, it was a race he wanted. I’d show him. But he’d vanished.
I transformed in no time and chased after him. The ground flew beneath my paws, my heart galloped faster, and I inhaled the familiar musky scent—Enre. I followed him away from the valley and deeper into the woods.
Then he crashed into my side, bringing us both down. In an instant he was back on his feet, nudging me up. He trotted farther into the forest, and I followed him until we reached a mountain. In front of us lay a tiny, wooden hut with no windows. To my surprise, a fire waited inside, along with a fur blanket large enough to fill the space of one room. Enre had arrived prepared. His actions made me choke up.
We transformed into our human forms. In his presence, the trickles of happiness reminded me that Father wouldn’t want us to mourn him, but remember him as a great wulfkin. The rawness of losing my father would never leave me. But he’d want me to live life to the fullest.
Enre scooped me into his embrace, showering me with kisses and cradling me in his arms. I melted whenever he flashed his sexy smile my way. “As far as I’m concerned, I’ve claimed you as my mate forever.”
This time it was me who grinned. “Me too.” And when his lips pressed against mine, his arms tightened around me. For the first time in too long, a tiny glimmer of hope swirled through my chest.
He guided me onto the furs, and we lay in each other’s arms, my head resting against his chest. The warming flames crackled while the winds outside howled. The tornado of events over the last couple of weeks still seemed surreal, but the way I adored Enre was honest, natural.
“Sometimes, I wish we had run away, like you suggested when we were in Bulgaria,” I said. “I should have taken you up on the offer then.”
“Sure would have been easier, except for Daciana and the others.” He pressed in close, placing a kiss on my cheek. “I’d fight every single wulfkin if it made you happy.”
“Well, I don’t need you to fight anyone.” I lifted my chin to better reach his mouth. “But I wish you weren’t leaving so soon.”
“I don’t want to think about that now.” He captured my lips with his, our tongues tangling.
As I shivered beneath him, other thoughts were abolished from my mind. Only Enre and I existed at that moment. Our bodies clung to each other, his warmth spreading through me. His earthy, musky scent was intoxicating. His left arm squeezed around my shoulders, and the other caressed one of my breasts, kneading it.
I moaned against his mouth. He kissed me harder as his touch trailed down my stomach. Shivers followed everywhere his fingers grazed my skin. He broke our kiss and studied me with his breathtaking blue eyes, framed by
dark lashes. His wandering hand skipped to my inner thighs, spreading them, and I eagerly obliged. The moment Enre’s fingers stroked the length of my silkiness, a raging excitement overtook me.
A purr vibrated in my throat. His action quickened, and he dipped his head, taking my beaded nipple into his mouth, sucking, flicking the tight bud. I mewled, my pulse thumping as every nerve ending buzzed. Eyes clasped shut, my concerns and problems vanished, and only one thought remained: how much I desired to have Enre inside me. I had to get my fill to last until he returned from Hungary. For now, the world consisted of just the two of us. Tomorrow would come soon enough.
Opening my eyes, I found him sliding down alongside me and positioning himself between my legs. When he spread them wider, electricity charged throughout my body.
“Staggering how you can do that.” A wicked grin appeared on his mouth as he pulled away to stare at all of me. “I love watching you get so wet because of me. I love the way you taste, your fragrance … Fuck.” He shook his head. “I want you to come in my mouth. Now.”
His words made my heart trip.
He bent forward, burying his face between my thighs, and licked my sex with purpose. My body was scorching, and every muscle softened as I moaned with intoxication. He raised his head, his gaze meeting mine. When he winked, a quiver enraptured me, taking me to the brink of an orgasm. Thrusting his tongue into me, over and over, his fingers dug into the flesh of my hips. My libido responded, the desire drumming forward. My howl echoed in the hut as he ravished me, refusing to let go until every last bit of my passion escaped.
Pulling himself back onto his knees, he licked his lips. I propped myself up on shaky elbows and reveled in his arousal. I adored the idea of him sitting there with me, my legs spread wide open in front of him. Already the anticipation of his touch prickled across my skin.
“Your cock going to keep teasing me from a distance?”
He grabbed my hips and pulled me across the blanket toward him. I arched my pelvis, and he positioned his tip at my opening. “I’ve been waiting to fuck you again since our first time in the woods. And now I have no plans to stop until you beg me for mercy.”
My nipples and sex tingled with his promise. He slid deep into me, pushing, stretching every part. I cried out, gripping handfuls of blanket as Enre thrust forward, rocking into me, his hands on either side of my shoulders. His hips jackhammered, and his hard mouth claimed mine, his tongue surging inside. My body arched against his sweet friction.
Our panting was synchronized and charged, and our moans escalated. Enre making love to me exceeded any wet dream. I hope no one expected us at the pack house tonight. He wouldn’t stop until I begged for mercy, and that was the furthest thing from my mind.
More from This Author
Cloaked
T.F. Walsh
DACIANA
Damn bear. Leaving footprints on the outskirts of the forest, winding around the apartment blocks, and scaring locals for the past week. No wonder the cops had threatened to shoot him on sight today.
Sunrise wasn’t far away; neither was my transformation from wolf into human, so I had to hurry. Romania’s morning breeze wove through my fur, and the distinct dried-clover-and-grass scent screamed bear. He was definitely here—always just before dawn.
Not that I should care. Wolves and bears weren’t the best of friends. But I’d seen the way humans made killing us a sport, and I couldn’t stand to see any animal hurt.
Careening around the corner of the building, I halted and silenced my breaths.
Fifteen feet away was a frizzy, brown bottom sticking in the air. The bear that belonged to that butt balanced on the edge of an oversized trash can, head down inside, his scratching and grunting muffled.
A few steps closer, I snarled, the sound vibrating through my chest.
The bear jerked upward, a butter container sitting over his nose. He clacked his teeth and forced an expulsion of air, throwing the container off his face.
I backed up. Yep, this might be a funny moment on television, but not when you were the one facing the six-foot animal standing on hind legs.
He flopped back onto all fours and momentarily gazed back at his trash.
I have no plans to take your garbage. A growl slipped past my throat, and I lowered myself, feigning attack posture. Come on, boy, get out of here before it’s too late. I stalked forward.
He swiped at me with a front paw, huffing.
I jumped back and circled him.
But he lunged suddenly, slapping the concrete ground several feet from me, and stood there, his mouth hanging open. He roared and made a pulsing sound deep in his throat.
Oh, he felt threatened now. Good.
I ran around him in a large circle, faster. His claws swatted at me, inches away, but once I was at his back, I leapt closer and nipped his hindquarters.
His bawling echoed, but I hadn’t drawn blood, and it sure as hell was better than a bullet.
The crunch of leaves sounded, followed by footfalls, from around the building behind me.
I flinched and sniffed the air. Humans.
The bear turned and ran away from the trash, from me, from the city, heading toward the forest. I chased after him to make sure he got as far away from here as possible.
He bolted faster, his paws hitting the ground with each pounce.
“The bear. And a fucking wolf?” a disembodied voice boomed from my left.
In the empty grassland between the apartment block and the woods, two police officers with rifles watched us. They were there to hunt the bear and broke into a run in our direction.
Fuck, this was bad. Really bad. I burst into the dense Transylvania forest behind the bear, trampling foliage and dried twigs. He’d swung right and already put distance between us. He was safe, but what about me?
Heading straight ahead, I sprinted across the forest floor, dodging low branches. I glanced behind me. Footfalls resonated, and the two figures raced my way.
Heavy breaths strangled my lungs as I bolted. The ground flew beneath me and fresh pine-scented air splashed over my face, promising escape. Except my heart was attempting to break free from my chest.
A shot was fired, and I scampered faster.
Ten pulse-wrenching minutes later, the police were nowhere in sight or smell range. That didn’t mean they couldn’t still be trailing after me.
The first ripples of a transformation into my human form crawled through my back legs. I scrambled up the hill, claws digging into the soil for leverage with each rapid lunge.
Not yet.
Through the woods, the first glimpse of the morning sun peeked over the horizon.
My body shuddered, and I stumbled forward, shivering uncontrollably as thousands of tiny bite-like nips swarmed across my flesh. I whimpered, and a long exhale gushed past my lips. The change was happening.
Fire catapulted through my veins, and a thunderous growl rolled free as my wolf retreated. My limbs stretched, and my bronze pelt vanished. Gone were the muted colors. The shadows no longer glowed with a gray hue. Now, I crouched on all fours in my human form with a chill snapping across my bare skin. The full moon had come and gone too fast, along with my forced change into a moonwulf. It happened once a month. Unlike other moonwulves, I had the ability to control my wolf when I turned. No being locked up for me, and I thanked the moon goddess for her blessing to run wild in the woods, to release my wolf, and be one with nature every full moon. On the other days, I remained a regular human.
I staggered upright, rubbing the cold from my arms and shivered.
Hopefully I’d put enough distance between the police and me. The Animal Research Institute lay over the hill. So much for reaching it before sunrise and any of my coworkers arrived at work. No one knew about my wolf side, and unless I intended to break a massive pack rule that could get me killed, it would remain that way.
As I sped up the slope, the frozen earth and foliage pinched the soles of my feet. Working at the institute had
its perks, including a spare set of clothes tucked away for situations like this. Keeping the humans clueless of my kind’s existence had been drilled into us at birth, or as in my case, the moment I joined my pack family at a young age. Hmm, maybe stashing a set of clothes in a tree trunk would work better in an emergency. Mental note for next month.
The winds carried an icy bite, so I ran. With my chin tucked low, I spotted the purple berry juice staining my toes. Stretching my fingers out revealed the same dark crimson in the corners of my nails. Overnight I had devoured so many wild berries, I was surprised my whole body hadn’t turned violet.
Most of my day would involve caring for bear cubs, so I’d blame my stained fingers on feeding them berries.
Through the trees, the shadow of the institute loomed.
Except, blue and red lights throbbed from the far side of the building, glowing brighter through the morning dimness. I froze on the spot. Had they seen me coming this way in my wolf form? A naked girl in the woods would also definitely attract attention.
If I retreated, it meant sneaking into the city without clothes. Not an option.
I crept toward the back of the building, away from the flashing lights, and prayed no one saw me. Approaching several trash cans, I tilted the largest one on its side and reached for the key I’d taped to the underside the previous night.
The crunch of dried leaves sounded from around the building ahead of me, and I halted. Footfalls closed in.
With the key clenched tightly in my fist, I scrambled back into the woods. No time to unlock the door and dash inside. Throwing myself on the ground behind a huge, thick bush, I watched as two uniformed officers stepped into view.
My breathing quickened as I lay there freezing, a sharp object stabbing my belly. The police scanned the area with a flashlight. They tried the back door of the building, which was locked, and inspected the windows. Standing several paces from my hiding spot, one of the men examined the bins, inside and underneath. He leaned over and picked up something from the lawn near the bin. What did he find?