by Kate Douglas
They’d been sentenced for assault, though Tia didn’t know the particulars. Ulrich had discovered them somehow. She didn’t know how that had happened, either, but he’d gotten their sentences reduced, brought them home to San Francisco, and taught them what it was like to live as wolves.
Now they were brothers of the pack and lovers. Tia wondered if they’d bonded as wolves, if their sexual relationship carried over from human to animal. The thought made her search out Luc.
He stood alone, off to one side, talking quietly to Tinker. Tia smiled and Tinker turned to catch her eye. Luc ignored her. She sighed and looked away. Somehow she needed to get Tinker aside and talk to him. At least he was her friend. After their week together, Tia thought of Tinker as the big brother she’d never had.
A very sexy big brother.
“Anyone up for a run?” Jake stood up and began peeling off his flannel shirt. The other men followed suit.
Tia didn’t hesitate. She kicked off her shoes and began to take off her sweats without any thought of modesty, but as she slipped her sweatshirt over her head, Tia’s eye caught Luc’s.
He stared at her with such longing, she felt her heart break. What the hell was wrong with him? Why had he locked her out? From the look on his face, he wanted her. He missed her. Had all his protestations of love meant nothing?
She’d tried talking to him and he’d refused to explain. She’d tried forcing entrance into his thoughts and found his barriers insurmountable.
Tia turned away, removed her shirt, stepped out of her baggy pants, and folded her clothes neatly on her chair. Then, before the other men realized she’d even undressed, Tia leapt from the deck and shifted in midair, landing neatly on all fours before racing off into the forest.
The others followed. Tia heard the sounds of their soft landings behind her, felt the first stirrings of desire on a most primitive level.
This was her pack! Each of these men would defend her to the death, would protect her young, see to her comfort. She felt a growing bond to them, a sense of family more powerful than anything she could recall, even though most of them were practically strangers to her.
Strangers except for Luc, yet now he was the most distant of them all. She glanced back and saw him running at the rear of the pack, his ears back, head low. He appeared to hold himself separate from the others as though he were blocking his thoughts from his pack brothers as well.
The night closed in around them and they ran long and hard. AJ scared up an old buck. The animal lumbered off, its awkward gate from some type of injury slowing its escape. Reacting on instincts she’d never suspected, Tia’s haunches bunched and she leapt, going for the animal’s throat.
She dodged his swinging antlers and clamped her jaws down hard on the tough hide, bringing the buck to his knees. Tinker hit the animal from behind, cleanly snapping its neck.
Tia had never killed before. Even her mousetraps were designed for live release. Now the scent of hot blood unexpectedly aroused her. She tore at the warm flesh and practically shuddered with delight when hot blood filled her mouth.
The others slunk around the warm body, snapping and growling, but they didn’t come near. Tia snarled, instinctively guarding the kill until she’d eaten her fill. The human part of her mind was amazed when the males backed off, whining and reverting to their purely animal roots.
The wolf in her rejoiced. Even Luc accepted her alpha status.
Tia fed just long enough to establish her position and then backed away and left the steaming carcass to the rest of the pack. They snarled and growled, fighting over the meat even though they’d eaten well at dinner.
Another level of Chanku existence opened to Tia. Another bit of knowledge to file away for future reference.
She had the ability to kill. Her teeth had found the animal’s throat first. Instinctively, she’d known exactly what to do. How to use her weight, her strength. Her powerful jaws and compact body had brought the buck to his knees, where Tinker had finished it quickly, mercifully.
Luc had watched, standing back from the hunt but not participating. Tia felt his presence and was comforted by the fact that he watched her so carefully.
His silence, though, made her feel lonelier than ever.
After the kill, they ran slower, ending up at the hot spring where they cleaned their bloody coats in the warm water and then shifted to human form and back to wolf again.
Amazingly, their fur was dry after the second shift.
Neat trick, eh?
Startled by Luc’s familiar voice in her mind, Tia spun around. He stood behind her, tongue lolling, the expression on his face as close to a smile as a wolf could have.
Before Tia could answer, Tinker’s voice spoke clearly in her head. Very neat. C’mon. Let’s head back.
Why? Tia glanced at Luc, noted the grim line to his jaw. She wasn’t tired and they’d only run for a few hours. Why do we have to go back?
Luc nudged her shoulder, moved Tia away from the others. He put his muzzle close to hers. When he touched her like this, they could communicate privately without the others overhearing.
They want you. Haven’t you noticed the tension? The fact that every damned guy has a hard-on? You’re the star attraction tonight, sweetheart. A fresh kill makes the sex drive even stronger…and it was already boiling.
Tia should have been insulted by the tone of Luc’s message. Should have felt some trepidation of sexually entertaining four men she hardly knew.
Instead she swept her tongue across Luc’s muzzle, obviously surprising him. You’re the one who told me this is the Chanku way. You invited them up here with me as the main attraction. Don’t try to make me feel guilty for acting according to my nature.
Luc stared at her and then nodded his broad head, lowered his gaze in what could almost have been a submissive gesture, and looked away—directly at AJ and Mik.
Tia turned as well. What the hell were they doing? She sat back on her haunches to watch while the two males tumbled in the grass, nipping and playing like a couple of big puppies.
Mik yipped and then tackled AJ. AJ feinted, rolled under Mik, and came out on top. He mounted the other wolf, subduing him with powerful jaws locked on his neck, and his front legs looped over Mik’s rib cage.
Suddenly it dawned on her. This was all about sex. Tia glanced at Luc, but his attention was riveted on the two wolves. Caught up in what she could only describe as lupine foreplay, Tia felt her own arousal growing, along with her curiosity. Within seconds AJ had stabbed Mik with his wolven cock, entering his ass so easily it was obvious they’d done this many times before. Pumping hard and fast, AJ dragged his claws over Mik’s rough coat. Mik yipped and growled, but made no attempt to get away from his mate.
She’d wondered, ever since Luc had told her they’d all been intimate with one another, if any of the men had sex in wolf form. Now she knew. Mik and AJ were a bonded pair—mates as well as lovers.
Fascinated, both dreading and desiring sex as a wolf with Luc, Tia’s excitement built as the two wolves coupled. Agitated, heart pounding, Tia’s desire flamed out of control. She shifted back and forth, one front foot to the other. Tiny whimpers escaped from deep in her throat. She sensed her body readying itself for sex with Luc, felt the driving need to run with him, to mate.
This whole scene went beyond belief; her response to the bestial yet beautiful act between two men in wolf form tugged at a consciousness buried deep inside her Chanku nature.
Tia turned to Luc, forcing her attention away from the sight of AJ’s strong haunches bunching and thrusting, of Mik’s powerful front claws buried in the deep moss as he held his body steady for AJ’s rhythmic assault.
Did Luc’s body shiver with desire? Was he as turned on by his pack mates as Tia? She studied Luc, well aware he watched Mik and AJ, not Tia. Luc’s cock extended, pink and glistening, raising up against his belly. His eyes glinted in the moonlight.
Tia glanced across the small area at Jake. He appeared just as involved, his enti
re being focused on AJ and Mik. From the size of his extended cock, Jake obviously was as aroused as Tia, as Luc. So was Tinker, sitting near Jake on the far side of the small meadow, poised as if to leap on the two men, his massive wolven shoulders flexing, the low sounds coming from his throat caught halfway between a snarl and a whimper.
Tia ran her tongue along the coarse fur on Luc’s shoulder. His head jerked around and he glared at her, as though he resented being interrupted in the midst of the carnal display before them.
This is what you meant, isn’t it? The powerful need to mate as wolves. I didn’t understand it before, but I’m totally turned on by Mik and AJ. Luc, it feels right. I want to make love with you. I want Tinker and Jake, AJ and Mik in my bed as well, but only in human form. You will always be the first, the only one who mates me as Chanku. That’s what you’ve been trying to tell me, isn’t it? Luc, don’t shut me out! This is all so new to me.
Luc stared into her eyes without answering and then turned his back to her, turned his attention to the two wolves fucking in the meadow. Three sharp yips punctuated what must have been a mutual climax. Tia glanced back in time to see Mik turn his head over his shoulder to nip at AJ; then both of them tumbled to one side to lie on the mossy ground. They’d obviously both climaxed. Now they lay on their sides, rib cages heaving with each deep breath, tongues lolling and eyes half closed. Tia imagined how they must feel, tied now with AJ’s knotted cock clenched tightly inside Mik.
Luc’s mental voice, void of any inflection, brought Tia back to him.
We both knew what tonight would bring. I wanted you bound to me first. You denied me, denied a need both of us feel. The others will know you’re still available to mate. It makes things…complicated.
Damn him! Tia stood up on all fours and felt her hackles rising along her back.
No, Luc. You make things complicated. I’m yours. I told you that in the beginning. I do not go back on my word, nor can I change the way I feel, no matter how much you piss me off.
His mental laughter startled her. Oh, I piss you off, do I? Good. You have the same effect on me. C’mon. Let’s head back to the house.
Tia glanced over her shoulder at the two wolves lying in the soft grass. AJ licked Mik’s muzzle, his long tongue wrapping slowly around the other wolf’s snout. They were still tightly locked together. Tia didn’t know that much about wolf physiology, but if AJ’s cock was knotted inside Mik’s ass, they could be there for quite a while longer.
Tia heard a rustle in the grass beside her and realized Luc was already running down the pathway leading back to the cabin. She trotted along behind Luc, content to give him the lead, glancing back only once at the two wolves still lying together, panting.
What about Mik and AJ?
They know where to find us. Serves them right for getting tied so early in the evening. Luc turned his head and yipped. Tinker? Jake! Let’s go.
Instead of feeling nervous as they drew closer to the cabin, Tia’s arousal grew with each step. Her sense of her body, of her sexuality and need, expanded, enveloped, and tantalized her. It was a new experience, feeling sensual in this four-legged form. So aware of herself as both woman and wolf.
So aware of Luc. She had no desire to be mounted by either Jake or Tinker, though from their close proximity as they raced down the trail, neither of them would mind in the least.
She wanted Luc. Feeling contrary and somewhat foolish, Tia wished now she’d mated with him when they’d had the chance. Wished she’d taken him as a wolf, established their relationship so the others would know and accept.
Maybe then she wouldn’t feel the sense of separation between Luc and herself. She wanted him inside her head where he belonged, not running ahead with his black tail waving like a flag, his thoughts closed to her, his heart not yet hers.
Still, there was that little matter of control, of dominance, of his assumption she would do whatever he wanted whenever he demanded. Not a good way to establish a relationship with someone destined to be your mate for life.
The cabin came into sight, windows glowing with the few lights they’d left on, front door open. Tia raced up the front steps and shifted as she ran through the door. Hot and sweaty, she actually wanted to be clean more than she wanted sex.
“I’m going to take a shower. Be out in a minute.”
She left the three of them, still in wolven form, milling about the front room. Conflicted, confused, aroused, a little bit frightened, Tia closed the bathroom door behind her and then carefully flipped the lock.
The woman in the mirror seemed a stranger. Her hair looked different. As tangled as is was, the tightly frizzed curls that had been the bane of her existence looked smoother, not nearly so tight.
She wondered if shifting changed even the texture of her hair. It had certainly changed her perception of the world around her, of herself. Why should hair be any different?
Tia’s lips seemed fuller, her eyes darker; her skin glowed with perspiration and her muscles were pumped up from the exertion of their long run. Her nipples stood erect, her clitoris swollen well beyond its protective hood. She looked exactly the way she felt, like desire personified, a woman who must have sex, who needed the feel of a man deep inside.
Right now any one of the men in the next room would satisfy. It had nothing to do with Luc, everything to do with acceding to her body’s needs.
Sliding one hand across her breasts and down between her legs, Tia found her hot pussy and pressed inside with two fingers. She was already wet and ready, her body as aroused by the run through the woods as by thoughts of the hours yet to come. Smiling, she stepped into the shower.
The hot water beating against her skin like a thousand tiny fingers and tongues did nothing to ease her excitement. Washing her hair, something that usually left Tia relaxed and enervated, had somehow become stimulating and exhilarating. Rinsing the soap from her body with the handheld shower, she was tempted to ease the ache between her thighs with a well-directed spray.
Then she thought of the five strong men waiting for her, and put the showerhead back in its cradle.
When Tia stepped out of the bathroom about fifteen minutes later, the front room was empty. She’d thrown a bathrobe over herself, wrapped her hair in a towel. Her legs and pussy were shaved smooth, but she’d decided not to worry about her suddenly wavy hair and lack of makeup.
She figured no one would notice.
A light glowed from the loft. Taking a deep breath, she started up the stairs, wondering. Were AJ and Mik back yet? Would Tinker make love to her while the others watched? Would they all want to do something at once?
What was expected of her? She’d had sex with multiple partners in the past, but they’d all been familiar to her, lovers and friends, typical twentysomethings with healthy libidos and few inhibitions.
Suddenly Tia was filled with inhibitions. She paused on the staircase, took a deep breath, and realized she was every bit as nervous as she was aroused.
Nervous was okay, considering. Arousal was good. Her nipples rubbed against the soft terry-cloth robe; her pussy clenched. She felt the release of lubricating moisture between her legs, the first tremors of excitement, of expectation. Tightening the towel around her wet hair, Tia ran up the stairs.
Luc waited on the big mattress. Alone. Naked…and very, very aroused.
Chapter 12
“Disappointed it’s just me?” Luc lay partially sprawled on the farthest mattress across the room, propped up against the wall, legs widespread, his fist wrapped around what had to be the biggest erection Tia had ever seen.
She tried to answer, licked her lips, and realized her mouth had gone completely dry. She shook her head in denial. How could any woman be disappointed with someone like Luc waiting for her?
Long and lean, his chest covered with dark hair, his eyes glinting in the muted light, he could have sprung from any desperate woman’s wet dream. Tia stopped at the edge of the first mattress and stared with unabashed appreciation.
She hadn’t realized she’d felt quite so desperate.
Luc continued stroking himself, as if the slow progress of his right hand sliding up and down his cock were merely an afterthought. “I asked the others to wait. I hope you don’t mind.”
Was that a hint of insecurity she sensed? It couldn’t be. Not from Luc. “No.” She barely choked out the word. “No, I don’t mind at all.”
Tia reached for the corded tie at her waist, slipped the knot free, and let the loose terry-cloth robe slide off her shoulders. It puddled at her feet. She caught herself running her hands up and down her forearms, in time with Luc’s fist.
The crawling flesh, the sense of skin too tight that had always plagued her, was gone. Instead Tia felt the frisson of arousal, a desperate carnal need fed by the night’s run through the forest, fueled by this vision of Luc—flaring to life, growing inside, spreading.
Slowly, as if she approached a wild thing, Tia knelt on the edge of the mattress and crawled across it on her hands and knees until she knelt between Luc’s outspread legs.
“Here,” she whispered, reaching for his swollen cock. “Let me.”
Luc stared at her for a long moment. His fist stopped moving but stayed in place. Tia felt him touching her mind and opened her thoughts to his. He retreated the instant her blocks came down. Blinking, she licked her dry lips one more time.
“What do you want of me, Luc? I can’t read your mind when you won’t let me in. I can’t give you everything you want, not yet, but you seem to want something more that I don’t understand.”
He smiled at her, but it was a sad smile filled with longing. “I think I want what I can never really have. For now, though, I’ll take as much as you can give me.”
Blinking back tears, Tia leaned forward and placed her hand over his big fist. The knuckles felt rough, his fingers long and callused. She dipped her head and took the crown of his weeping cock between her lips.
Luc sighed and moved his hand out from under Tia’s, away from his cock to Tia’s shoulder. She circled the base of his penis with her hand, felt the pulsing strength in him, the heat. At the same time, she was aware of the gentle glide of Luc’s fingers over her shoulder, noticed the tremor in them and wondered if she were the cause.