Pack

by Cassandra Chandler

  “I didn’t ask you.” Tessa grabbed Marcus’s hand and started walking toward the bikes.

  Marcus pulled out his earpiece and tossed it to Dexter, who easily caught it. Tessa did the same.

  “We’ll use the communications on the bike if we need it,” Marcus said. “Don’t contact us. Don’t come after us. Don’t even track us. We’ll be back when we’re ready.”

  Spoken like a true alpha. It didn’t even bother her anymore. How had her perspective shifted so radically in such a short amount of time?

  She was on the cusp of a huge change. She could feel it.

  Her world had changed irrevocably the moment Marcus walked into her life. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to walk out of his.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Marcus drove his bike in silence down unlit country roads. At Tessa’s request, he’d taken them out of the city. Away from people and the complications they represented.

  He was still having trouble reconciling everything she had told them and wasn’t sure how she expected him to help, but he’d do whatever she needed. The first thing he wanted to do was give her a chance to decompress.

  Even his dweller seemed to want to help. Marcus could feel it backing away, his mind filled with thoughts that were only his own.

  Using his werewolf vision, he could keep the lights off. The motorcycle made almost no noise. He hoped she found the ride as peaceful as he did.

  Since her jacket had been destroyed, she was wearing his duster. She’d tucked it in under her bottom, even though Vaughn’s design made it impossible for things to get caught in the wheels of the bike. She was also wearing the helmet, with the night-vision turned on so that she wasn’t floating through total darkness.

  She squeezed his waist and then pointed to a tree-lined road that was barely more than a dirt trail. They weren’t too far into the woods when she squeezed his waist again. He slowed down and pulled his bike over on a somewhat level area and then killed the engine.

  She swung her leg over the back of the bike and walked around, peering at the trees. When she returned to his side, she took off the helmet and set it on the bike’s seat.

  “Come on.” She grabbed his hand and led him toward the forest.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Away from the bike. I don’t want anyone listening in.”

  “Then maybe I should lead.” He wasn’t sure how much her dweller helped her see in the dark and didn’t want to ask.

  He took them deeper into the trees, far enough that the microphones on the bike and helmet wouldn’t be able to pick up their conversation.

  “This should be far enough,” he said. “What did you want to talk about?”

  The earth was damp from the recent rain. More was sure to come. She took off his duster and laid it on the ground, probably wanting a comfortable place to sit. Except then she took off her shirt as well.

  He curled his hands into fists to keep from reaching for her. There was no light to catch her skin. The thick clouds overhead blocked out everything. He could still make out the outline of her waist, the curve of her breasts.

  “Tessa—”

  “No,” she said. “No talking. No thinking. No planning.”

  She kicked off her shoes, then shimmied out of her cargo pants and pulled off her socks. When she was totally naked, she held out her hand to him.

  “Please, Marcus. Just for a little while. Help me to not think.”

  Because if she thought about it, having sex with a werewolf would probably seem like a bad idea. He didn’t know if he could handle the fallout when she realized she’d made a mistake.

  “This isn’t a good idea,” he said. “I don’t want you to have any regrets.”

  “My life is filled with regrets. No matter what happens next, if I don’t share this with you, I know I’ll have another one.”

  Shit. He couldn’t think of a counter to that.

  “She’s yours. Claim her.”

  He let out a sigh. Of all the times for his dweller to chime in, this was about the least welcome.

  “Stay out of this,” he thought.

  Surprisingly, the presence receded again.

  “I know what I want,” she said. “I want you.”

  He wanted her, too.

  He didn’t respond with words. Instead, he pulled off his shirt and stepped out of his boots. Their design enabled him to do so easily, and he never wore socks with them. He had to be able to strip fast when a change came on unexpectedly.

  Heading toward Tessa, he probably broke all his records. He was naked by the time he was close enough to take her hand.

  She pulled him to the ground with her, leaving him enough space that he wouldn’t have to sit on the damp ground.

  “I’m really sorry about what happened between us earlier,” she said. “I didn’t know…a lot of things then.”

  “I should have told you before we even kissed.”

  She let out a laugh. “As I recall, I was the main one who kept starting things. I didn’t give you much of a chance to speak. Besides, we were both keeping secrets then.”

  “Maybe we should stop.”

  “Maybe we should stop talking.” She leaned in and kissed him, her lips soft against his.

  Talking was overrated. He burrowed his fingers through her hair, holding the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. Her hands found his chest, tracing his muscles, running along his sides. They dropped lower.

  He grunted when her fingertips wrapped around his shaft, squeezing and stroking it in languid movements. Compared to the blaze of passion they’d shared earlier, this was…almost baffling.

  Heat spread through his body, like his bones were warming up, relaxing the muscles and tendons attached to them. He imagined sinking into her, the soft wetness, her warmth. After everything they’d been through together—knowing what he knew about her, what he’d learned about himself—he didn’t feel like he had to hold himself back anymore.

  She pulled away from his kiss. He let go of his hold on her to give her the space she wanted. Her hand kept moving on his dick, though.

  He wanted to lean back and close his eyes. He also wanted to watch everything she did—to not miss a moment.

  “You’ve never been with anyone before?” she said.

  “Just you.”

  “Have you ever gotten yourself off?”

  “I thought we weren’t talking.”

  “This is important.”

  He sighed. “No. I didn’t feel safe letting myself get that worked up.”

  “Then maybe we should try something a little safer before we go for the main event.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “We need to be sure you can control yourself when you come.”

  “I would never hurt you.”

  “Not on purpose. But things can get…extreme during sex.”

  He spoke each word crisply, as he repeated, “I would never hurt you.”

  “Lay back.”

  He went ahead and did as she asked, though he wasn’t sure how it was supposed to help her feel better. If it kept her hands on him, he was all for it, even though he wanted to feel more. He wanted their skin to touch, their bodies to press together—

  “Put your hands behind your head and keep them there.”

  Again he did as she said. Somehow, following her instructions didn’t chafe the way orders from others sometimes did. Especially while she was doing this.

  “You sure do know how to sweet-talk a guy.”

  She smiled at him, then used her free hand to run her nails down his chest. He sucked in a breath, the stimulation sending lightning arcs of pleasure through him. He wanted to touch her, to pull her on top of him so he could—

  “Hands behind your head,” she said.

  He hadn’t realized they weren’t. But he was reaching for her. Maybe he wasn’t as in control as he thought.

  He put his hands back in place, interlacing his fingers behind his head, and gave more of
his attention to keeping them that way—which was no easy feat, with how much he wanted to keep his attention on her hands.

  She leaned over him, biting and then kissing the side of his neck. He sucked in a quick breath, and let it out as a rumbling growl. Her mouth moved over his chest with the same combination of teeth, tongue, and lips. She kept stroking him the whole time.

  His hips pressed up against her, wanting more. His need for her was so strong, he could hardly bear it. And that was precisely why he needed to. He needed to show them both that they could be together like this safely.

  She kissed his navel, her cheek brushing against the tip of his dick.

  “Tessa…”

  He could roll her over and bury himself in her. Fuck her senseless, make her scream in pleasure and forget about everything else.

  She ran her tongue down the length of his shaft.

  His back arced off the ground. The lightning bolts of pleasure coalesced into live plasma, sizzling through him, growing brighter.

  He wasn’t afraid to let go with her anymore. He wanted—needed—her to feel the same way. If this is what it took, he sure as hell wasn’t going to argue.

  She wrapped her lips around his dick, pressing her tongue against it, wetting it more, and taking the tip as deep into her mouth as she could. Nothing had ever felt so good.

  Her tongue kept working, lapping at him, giving long strokes to his shaft as she moved him in and out of her mouth. Her hand tightened, pumping him hard.

  The ball of liquid energy boiling in him collapsed on itself for a brief instant, before exploding through his body, electrifying every cell with pleasure so intense he felt his consciousness grow dark around the edges. It felt like a change and reverting all rolled into one moment. The power of his other form merged with the senses of his human body.

  He spilled himself into her and she took everything he had to give, hand still squeezing, mouth working his tip. His hips bucked against her—he couldn’t stop himself. But he kept his hands behind his head. He never reached for her, no matter how much he wanted to.

  The arcs of light on the backs of his eyelids dimmed, as well as the pleasure thrumming through him. He relaxed against the ground as she slowed her pace, then finally released him.

  Panting, he opened his eyes to gaze at her. “Did I pass your test?”

  She licked her lips with a smile. “And then some.”

  “Thank God. Now it’s my turn.”

  He didn’t wait for her to argue. He rose to his knees, then threaded his arms behind her back and drew her to the ground.

  She was putting off so much heat. He covered her with his body, his dick resting on her stomach. It couldn’t get hard again fast enough. Even soft as it was, he loved the feel of her skin against it, against him.

  He rocked his hips against hers, letting her core wet him. She wiggled her hips, shifting against him and letting out a moan.

  “Show me what you want,” he said.

  Chapter Twenty

  How could anyone resist a command like that? After taking Marcus to the edge and happily pushing him over it, Tessa was certain they could have sex safely. She wasn’t sure where to start.

  She hadn’t branched off into that much of the more entertaining aspects of sex. It had always been about getting off as quickly as possible and moving on to the next hunt. She had never taken the time to figure out what she really enjoyed.

  “I hear quid pro quo is nice,” she said.

  His brow furrowed for a moment, but then a smile crept across his face. He lifted her arms above her head and held them there. She hadn’t realized how large his hands were, but he could easily pin both her wrists to the ground.

  “Careful with the wristband.”

  “I know.” Marcus nuzzled her neck again. “I plan to be careful with all of you.”

  The tender sentiment, mixed with the way he pressed his body against hers, gently running the fingertips of his free hand across her cheek… It was intense.

  He shifted his weight, lifting his hips from her and using his knee to spread her legs farther apart. Arcing his back, he was able to press a slow, lingering kiss against her left breast.

  He was taking his time, and she didn’t mind at all. Especially when he sucked one of her nipples into his mouth, circling it with his tongue.

  She groaned and tried to wrap her leg around him. She wanted to pull him back on top of her, but he had her pinned.

  She couldn’t believe she was trusting a werewolf with her body. Until she corrected herself. She was trusting Marcus.

  Without releasing her breast, he flattened his palm against her stomach and ran it all the way down to the apex of her legs. She hitched in a breath as he encountered her wetness, her heat.

  His fingers curled, raking against her soft flesh a little less than gently. She felt him take a few deep breaths, then he slid his fingers across her core.

  His explorations were incredible. He wet his finger, sliding it in deep, then pulled it out, trailing across her clit until she gasped. He kissed her neck, lying against her side. She could feel his dick, rock hard again, as he ground his hips against her.

  “I can hear your heartbeat,” he said. “Even more than your breath—telling me what you like. What you want.”

  He slid a finger deep into her core, swirling it around. She arced her back against him, but he pressed her to the ground with his body and nipped at her neck. He let out a low growl.

  What she wanted was for him to bury himself inside of her. And she wanted it now.

  “I want more,” she said.

  “I know.”

  He slid another finger in deep, thrusting them in and out. His thumb worked her clit, bringing her closer to the edge. She could feel the fireworks starting, her body lighting up everywhere they touched.

  “Marcus, I want—”

  He cut her off with a kiss, his lips devouring hers, his tongue demanding entry. At the same time, he added a third finger, his hand working magic on her body. She writhed beneath him, wanting him in her so badly, trying to shift herself under him, but he held her firm.

  The fireworks erupted into a full nuclear blast. He paused for the briefest of moments, then started pumping his fingers into her. Her body clenched around him, not wanting to let go, wanting more of him, all of him, even while he was giving her this miraculous pleasure. Her heart pounded in her chest as she finally started to come back down.

  He slowed his hand as he broke off the kiss. Smiling, he said, “You want?”

  She slid her thigh up his leg. “More.”

  He let out a rumbling sound, half-chuckle, half-growl, then let go of her wrists. Instead of rolling on top of her, he slid down her stomach. She propped herself up on her elbows to watch what he was doing.

  “I think I’m getting the idea of this,” he said.

  “You do seem to be taking to it.”

  He knelt between her legs, running his hands over her thighs possessively. In the near-dark, she could barely see the outline of his erection jutting out at her, begging for attention. She started to shift so that she could take him in her mouth again, but he grabbed her legs by the backs of her knees and pulled her closer. She fell back with a laugh.

  If he was going for the main event, she wouldn’t argue. She was far past ready. She let herself relax, waiting for the feel of his warm body pressed against hers.

  He looped his arms beneath her knees. An ambitious position, but she was game if he was. She felt his warmth as he moved between her legs, expecting to feel his dick. She felt his breath on her instead as he bent down to her.

  She wanted to say, “Seriously?” but he didn’t give her a chance. The words were swallowed in a gasp as he pressed his tongue to her. He wrapped his arms around her legs, keeping her feet on his back to give him full access. His tongue delved into her, swirling and thrusting.

  After the first amazing orgasm, she didn’t think she could get to the edge so fast, but when he reached around and started
flicking his thumb over her clit, heat built to an inferno in seconds. Sparks arced across the backs of her clenched eyelids. He wasn’t just giving her pleasure—he was demanding it. Her body wasn’t about to disobey.

  She wanted him, though. Wanted to feel him inside her, filling her.

  “Marcus…” Her voice had become a breathy gasp she barely recognized. She ran her fingers through his hair. Feeling the movement of his head as he worked her set off even more sparks through her body. “Please. I need more.”

  She squirmed beneath him again. Her knees rose, but he kept on his relentless assault on her pleasure centers. Her legs clenched together against his head as his tongue kept on, his fingers still stimulating her.

  “Please. Please!” The last word was a screech as her back arced off the ground.

  His strong hands gripped her knees, pulling them apart. She was panting so heavily, she thought she might pass out. Marcus’s silhouette was barely visible above her as he pulled her closer again, this time partly up onto his lap. He lined up her core and drove himself into her in one fluid movement.

  Her body pulsed around him, faint echoes from the first orgasm. And then he was pounding into her, his hips crashing against hers as his dick filled her over and over again. Only her shoulders and the back of her head were touching the ground as he rose on his knees, gripping her legs tightly.

  She locked her ankles behind his waist and he let out a gasp, falling forward with his arms on the ground. With the new leverage, his thrusts became stronger, deeper. She felt her back pressing into the soft earth. Her body was coiling and waiting for the release she knew he could give her.

  He kept their chests pressing together, wrapping his arms around her back, his hands on her shoulders to keep her where he wanted her. His hips never stopped their relentless pumping.

  “Tessa…” He raked his teeth across her neck, almost hard enough to hurt. When he said her name again, it came out as more of a scream.

  His body pulsed inside of her, setting off the chain reaction she knew would come. Her entire body was fire. Muscles, blood, bones. She let out a shriek as blinding pleasure flooded her senses, consuming her. Marcus never slowed as he spilled himself in her. He just finally stopped, his dick buried deep in her, pinning her to the earth.