by Bonnie Vanak
Sweat ran into her eyes. Beth blinked it away. Lungs burning from lack of oxygen, she scrambled upwards.
She felt the thudding of paws upon the ground behind her, closing fast.
With a last, frantic surge of strength, she lunged upward as the lead wolf closed in on her heels. Then he leapt, knocking her to the ground. Straddling her back, the wolf gave a triumphant howl, proclaiming his victory.
Screaming, Beth struggled to free herself.
And then the claws vanished. Four paws became gentle hands and feet as the male pinning her shifted back into human form.
“Beth, sweetheart, relax. It’s me, Dale.”
He pushed a hand through her hair, his fingers stroking her scalp in a comforting gesture. “Shhhh... lie still. I’m not going to harm you.”
For a long moment, he lay atop her, murmuring reassurances as he continued touching her. Gradually Beth’s breathing evened, and the fright subsided.
“The others,” she spoke in a thin whisper.
“Behind us.”
“They won’t stop.”
“They have for now. But only one thing will halt them for good.”
The mating mark, she realized.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I must do this. It’s going to hurt, but just for a minute.”
Twisting her neck, she watched his incisors sharpen and lengthen. Dread curled in her stomach. Dale gently turned her head aside, nuzzled her throat. Fingers digging into the dirt, she braced herself.
Sharp teeth sank into her neck. Pain flashed through her, along with an erotic throbbing in her loins.
Then he licked the wound, his tongue dragging slowly over her sore skin. The stinging pain faded, replaced by growing arousal. Warmth spread through her, wetness gushing between her legs. Beth squeezed her thighs together as she’d always done in college during her heat. It felt as if the tempestuous wolf clawed upward, wrestling for domination over the celibate human.
Skin and Lupine battled for control. Beth reached deep inside herself, seeking the woman who had trusted this Lupine and the friendship they’d shared.
With a heavy exhale, she relaxed. He rolled off her and stood, stretching out a hand. “Come, Beth.”
To her relief, he’d clothed himself by magick. As they marched down the trail, the other males in Skin form stepped aside, watching with hungry, searing gazes. Dale issued a warning growl. They bent their heads and stared at the ground.
Twenty minutes later, they reached Dale’s log cabin. Built snugly against the mountain, it commanded a magnificent view of the valley and the ranch’s sprawling pasture and fields.
Dale opened the door and ushered her inside.
She’d been here once before leaving for school. Dale had given her a parting gift, a carving of a wolf she treasured. But at college, she’d stuffed it into her suitcase to hide the reminder of her origins.
The cabin was small, but neat and organized. Silver moonlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Swallowing hard, she followed him into the bedroom. Dominating the room was a four-poster pine bed covered with a simple blue quilt.
He glanced at her, as she pretended interest in his collection of Stetsons. “I’ve got something for you.”
Dale disappeared into the bathroom. When he emerged, he clutched a large white bottle, which he handed to her.
She stared at the lotion, then at him. For the first time since she’d known him, the confident Lupine looked uncertain. “It’s a gift,” he added.
“You never venture into town, except to get laid at the bar.” A hot blush warmed her cheeks as he cocked an eyebrow. “That’s what the others say, anyway.”
“Yeah, well, that part of my life is over now. Couldn’t find anything I wanted for you in town, so Darius drove me to the city. Took me a while, but I found the right scent. Sun-dried cotton.”
Uncapping the bottle, she sniffed the delicate fragrance, deeply touched at this thoughtfulness. “You did this for me? You hate cities.”
He nodded. “Had a bit of a time in one fancy store. When I couldn’t find anything in the women’s department, went to the men’s. Everything smelled like perfume. Growled at one snotty saleslady who yapped at me for uncapping all the bottles.”
At his impish grin, Beth felt a stir of real amusement. Dale buying scented lotion in a luxury department store was as incongruous as a wolf trotting into a day spa to get his claws manicured. “I’m sure you set her straight.”
“Darius hauled me out of there when I started to unzip my pants so I could mark her counter. Show her what a real man’s scent was like.”
Laughter bubbled in her throat. Beth capped the bottle. “Why did you do it?”
“You like those perfumed creams so much, I thought this was a good choice. It smells of your natural scent. Skin lotion for your human skin.”
He looked adorable, like a shy teenager asking a girl to prom. Beth set the bottle on the dresser. “Maybe I’ll use it tomorrow, after I shower.”
Then his look intensified, and he no longer resembled a boy, but a man alone with a woman, with a man’s needs, and a Lupine’s driving sexuality.
“Maybe tomorrow, I’ll help you put it on,” he murmured. “After I wash your back.”
Chapter 5
WIDE-SHOULDERED AND LONG-LEGGED, Dale stood over her like a sheltering oak. Beth became suddenly aware of how she barely reached his chin. For the first time in her life, she felt small and delicate compared to this muscled Lupine.
He held out a hand. “Come with me.”
Anxiety churned in her stomach, but she took his hand and followed him out the back door.
Beneath a cloudless sky, they followed a path of flagstones flanked by plants she recognized as mountain bluet. It would be lovely in mid-summer, she thought.
To her surprise, the pathway led to a wild garden. A riot of greenery spilled down the sloped incline. Against a backdrop of aspen trees, Dale had cultivated rugged bitterroot and lemon yellow sage buttercup, accented by local rocks and stones.
In summer, the small, quiet space would be alive with brilliant color. In the fall, the golden glow of the changing aspens would sharply contrast the pine forest.
Smiling, she turned. “I like your choice of flora.”
“Aspens planted near a house ward off evil spirits.” Dale murmured. “I planted them to ward off Skins.”
Beth sighed, knowing his past clouded Dale’s thinking when it came to humans. But if they were to survive as mates, he needed to ease back into the Skin world. Unlike some pack members like her friend Arianna, Beth didn’t shun the human world.
“Skins aren’t bad. I did make friends with girls who helped me get through four years of college.”
Dale grunted. “Not the same as pack. Skin friends are fickle. Pack’s forever.”
“Not necessarily. Aiden wanted me to leave if I didn’t have a mate.”
He cupped her chilled cheek with a large, warm palm. “I couldn’t let you leave, Beth. Not after waiting all these years for you to return.”
Eyes so very blue regarded her with a tenderness that made her breath hitch. Beth curled her fingers around his wrist, the wanting suddenly intense.
“I didn’t want to leave, either. Because it meant leaving you,” she told him.
He smiled, then dipped his head, nuzzling her neck. Dale breathed in her scent. As he gently kissed the mating mark, she rubbed her body against his.
Thick green grass banked the sparkling brook winding down from the mountaintop. She removed her sneakers and tested the greenery with her bare feet, delighting in the softness.
“I wanted the first time we made love to be special, surrounded by the sky.” Dale touched her cheek. “Because it means that much to me, Beth. You mean that much to me. You always have. I’ve wanted you for so long.”
His sincere, quiet assurances, the way he gazed into her eyes as if she were the only woman in the world, triggered intense sexual arousal. The lace bra felt too restric
tive against her sensitive, erect nipples. A pleasant ache began pulsing between her legs. Beth wanted to fling out her arms, dance naked in the moonlight and feel the caress of the wind. And then, feel the caress of his hands stroking over her bare skin.
But old inhibitions died hard. She glanced around. “This isn’t very private.”
“Be thankful I’m not an Alpha. When your uncle chooses a mate, they have to consummate their union before the pack to demonstrate his stamina. And her strength.”
“How romantic.” Beth swallowed hard, the lovely wildness forgotten amid crude memories of copulating couples she’d seen during a party. “Public sex is disgusting.”
He framed her face with his warm hands. “It’s our way, Beth. Our people mate for life. If the female is too weak, she won’t produce young strong enough to rule. If the alpha has no virility, he can’t impregnate her. Skins display themselves for quick gratification, not lasting bonds.”
“You always talk of Skins as if they never care for each other. They have great capacity for good. There are advantages to a Skinsuit.”
“I know,” he murmured. “One is something Lupines can’t do as wolves. This.”
Lowering his head, he kissed her. Beth closed her eyes, relishing the sweetness. Dale kissed her as if he cherished the moment and longed to make it last.
When he stopped, she pressed her palms against his powerful chest. “You’re a little overdressed,” he murmured.
As Dale reached for her shirt, she hesitated. “Maybe I should shower first.”
He gave her an incredulous look. “Wash yourself, get rid of your natural scent? No dice, sweetheart. Besides, I have no hot water. I usually bathe in the stream. Take off your clothes, Beth.”
Feeling awkward and embarrassed, she shed her clothing. Never had she stripped before a male. Crossing her arms over her breasts, she wished the moon were a little less bright. Complete darkness would suffice.
Looking down at the ground, she waited for him to speak. Dale gently removed her hands and cupped her breasts. Fear evaporated as she met his worshipful gaze.
“You.” He dragged in a deep breath, as if inhaling her scent. “Are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. You’re perfect.”
Woman. Not Lupine, as if he acknowledged her Skin side and accepted it. She reached up and touched his cheek. He smiled.
Dale began kneading her breasts, thumbs stroking slowly over her taut nipples. Each pull and drag felt like a stroke between her legs. Beth shivered, desire pouring through her veins.
“A small preview,” he murmured. “Lie down.”
Uncertain, but trusting, she dropped to the grass, watching as he removed his clothing and then levered himself atop her. Dropping hot kisses over her breasts and belly, he slowly stroked his tongue over her shivering skin, lingering over the rose tattoo. Dale squeezed her ample hips.
“I love these. So womanly. Not like those skinny-ass sticks in town,” he muttered.
Beth laughed. For the first time in four years, she felt desirable and sexy. Dale spread her legs wide and knelt between them. Cool air touched her throbbing flesh. The musky scent of her arousal mingled with the sharp pine and cool, sparkling water perfuming the night air.
His mouth felt hot and wet, making her squirm as Dale softly kissed her thighs. Shocked, she watched him lower his head between her legs. He blew a gentle, warm breath against her most intimate flesh, making her tingle with anticipation.
Then he began licking her, his rough tongue stroking her vulva. The earthy carnality made her human half blush, while her wolf howled in blissful abandon.
Dale’s thick hair felt like silk against her trembling thighs as he slowly dragged his tongue between her slick folds. Cupping her ass, he rubbed his face against her and hummed deep in his throat, the vibration causing an erotic friction. Beth squirmed and whimpered, eager for more.
“I love how you taste,” he murmured against her wet flesh. “Like fresh strawberries and rich honey sliding down my throat.”
Seeking to sooth her aching nipples, she went to stroke them, and hesitated. The delicious pressure against her legs ceased. Dale lifted his head and regarded her, his intent gaze gleaming in the moonlight. Like a wolf’s hungry stare.
“Touch yourself, Beth. You’re Lupine, born to sensuality and pleasure. I want you soaked and ready before I take you. I’m going to make you burn, make you scream and push you even higher until you can’t take it any longer and I taste your climax in my mouth.” He gave a wicked grin. “And that’s just the beginning.”
Emboldened by his carnal promise, her shyness vanished. Beth thumbed her nipples as he continued to love her.
Finding her erect clit, he encased it with his mouth. As he flicked his tongue, she surged upward, but he held her down. A delicious pressure began to build, making her bottom clench hard, triggering the instinct to move her hips upward. Beth flattened her palms against the ground, feeling the delightful softness cushioning her back. A sudden breeze rustled the tree limbs overhead, and blew acrossher naked body, making her feel even more wanton.Now she understood the allure of outdoor sex.
Dale slowly swirled his tongue over her clit as his fingers squeezed and kneaded her ass. Very lightly, he bit. She screamed.
Desperate for relief, for something, she fisted her hands in the damp grass. Tension built higher as he stroked his tongue faster and harder until she could take it no longer, just as he’d promised.
And then he gave another flick, and she shattered. Screaming, her body convulsing, she surrendered, the nearly-full moon smiling down as she stared at the starlit sky.
He remained with her, gently soothing her pulsing flesh with tiny kisses, staying with her as the last spasm faded and she lay limp and panting.
Sitting back, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Her passion-dazed vision suddenly sharpened in the dark. Like a wolf’s.
A long, erect penis, thick as her wrist, jutted out from the dark hair at his groin. Dale’s darkened gaze met Beth’s as he mounted her.
“It’s time to make you mine, little Beth,” he whispered, guiding his engorged shaft between her legs.
Nudging past her soaked folds, he slid the broad head across her swollen cleft. A delicious friction ensued as he repeated the action. Each slow push and drag caused her flesh to pulse in renewed pleasure. Beth gasped and clutched his broad shoulders. Never had she imagined it would feel this good.
Go slow, he urged himself. Have to take it slow, for her sake.
Restraining his feral Lupine impulse to claim her, Dale struggled for control. Warm, wet flesh slicked his cock as he pushed his hips forward. Carefully he slipped further inside, seeking the vaginal opening.
Dale forced himself into her tight entrance, past the tiny, resisting muscles. The musky aroma of her arousal triggered the burning need to mate and claim. He fought the Lupine instinct to cover and thrust, and his wolf’s inclination to drive deep inside and knot them together.
Beth was innocent in the ways of a Lupine male claiming his mate. He would not frighten her or use force to dominate.
Always during sex, he’d preferred it rough, his partner groaning in ecstasy as he fucked her. For once, he wanted it gentle. Dale wanted to coax free her passion until it matched his own. He would bind her to his side, using his body and her desire to entice out her wolf.
He lingered over loving her, taking his time as his cock slid through her soaked folds. Then he withdrew, and began the dance again.
Beth’s fingers dug into his shoulder muscles, her gaze fierce with a longing as deep as his own as she thrust her hips upward. Now.
Dale pushed his thick penis into her tight channel. Fingers digging his muscled shoulders, she bit her lip, locking her gaze to his in silent communion.
Beth gasped as he thrust past the resisting barrier. Burning pain surged within her, along with an odd fullness. The pressure increased as he penetrated deep, and deeper still. She scented something sharp and metallic and with
a start, realized it was her virginal blood.
Awakened by passion and mating, her wolf senses howled to the surface.
Bringing his face close to hers, Dale stroked her tangled hair. “You okay?”
She nodded.
“Just relax. The pain will fade. Relax, little Beth, and let it happen. You were born for this. You’re Lupine, wild as the moon night.”
He lay still, his breath warm against her throat, his heart thundering in her ears. He was taking it slow, waiting, she realized. Forget the waiting. She wanted more, and wriggled in impatience.
Raising up, Dale withdrew slightly. Then he surged forward again. Dark blond hairs at his groin nestled against her ebony thatch.
The stinging pain faded, replaced with excruciating need.
Slowly, he repeated the mating dance. Sliding forward as she groaned, clutching his shoulders and marveling at the new sensations shooting through her awakening body as silky hair on his chest brushed against her overly sensitive nipples.
When she pumped her hips, hooking her legs around his waist, he obeyed her silent plea and began to thrust harder. Deeper and faster, as the wolf inside her howled and clamored for release. Dale angled his thrusts, hitting a particularly sensitive spot. She cried out, tension in her loins building, the wildness surging as her nails dug into his back muscles.
Shattering, she screamed, tears of joyful pleasure trickling down her cheeks. Dale went still and then he shuddered, thick ribbons of semen shooting into her as his hoarse cries echoed with her sobs.
He collapsed atop her, his heavy weight pinning her down. Then he rolled away, their mingled, harsh breaths punctuating the cold night air.
Slowly, her heart rate returned to normal. As she lay in sleepy lassitude, he grabbed his rumbled shirt and dipped it into the icy mountain stream. Dale knelt between her legs, bathing her blood and his seed from her thighs. He pressed the cool, refreshing cloth against her sore, swollen core. A little embarrassed, she tried to push his hand away.
“Let me care for you,” he murmured. “Relax.”
His tender voice and gentle strokes lulled her into a lassitude. Closing her eyes, Beth surrendered to his ministrations.