A shifter game of touch football. Shirtless men running into each other, pinning one another down, and bending over as they tried to get to the end zone. Sports porn. Since it was mid-winter, the snow on the ground only heightened the effect of the very sexy, shirtless men. Sweat glistened on their bodies, and steam rose from their skin in the cool air. Leah licked her lips as she watched Ryder run a hand through his hair, the muscles in his arms bunching in all the right places. She couldn’t wait to run her tongue down his abs to those sexy lines that carved his hips. She’d had her hands on him but hadn’t done more than that since she’d been an idiot and wanted to go slow.
Her teeth bit into her lip as he bent over when the play began. He started off, running along his path until he turned at the right moment, catching the ball perfectly. He made it a few feet before Bram tackled him to the ground.
It might be touch football, but they were shifters so things got a bit…physical.
Dear goddess.
It felt good to laugh and play. Without being able to relieve the tension of the potential war and Unveiling, the Pack might falter. The upper levels of wolves seemed to understand that, and had brought in the younger wolves to play, as well. There were at least four games going on at once, including soccer, football, and Rugby, but Leah’s attention was on the Brentwood versus Jamenson game that included a few friends, as well.
Ryder rolled to his feet and shook the snow from his hair. Leah held back a groan as his fingers danced over his abs to wipe away the dirt and moisture.
“Um…Leah?” Brie’s voice sounded like it was holding back laughter, and Leah turned toward her new friend.
“What is it?” And why weren’t the other woman watching their men?
“Look at your hands, honey,” Brie said softly, this time ending on a laugh.
Brynn snorted, then threw her head back in a laugh, too. “Are the men making you…hot?”
Leah frowned and looked down at her hands. She let out a curse and her cheeks heated. She quickly pulled her hands away from the puddles of water on either side of her and shook them off.
“Oops.” She tried to keep back a smile but couldn’t help but laugh along with the other women.
“I’d ask if you were enjoying the show but…” Brie trailed off and wiggled her eyebrows.
“Apparently, I pulled in the snow from around us and uh…melted it.” They’d purposely sat in a place without snow so they wouldn’t end up too cold and wet, but her powers had pulled on that water like nobody’s business.
“I didn’t know you could melt things,” Charlotte said as she came to their group. She sat down next to Leah after Leah had dried up the puddle for her.
“I can’t melt things, but I can change the physical state of anything made of water.”
“Good to know,” Brie put in then let out another sigh. “I see now why you said we shouldn’t join in today with the game,” she said to Brynn.
Brynn rubbed her hands together in glee. “Oh, yeah. I mean, we play along most times since it’s not a boys’ club by any means, but I knew they’d be shirtless today…and in the snow.” She let out another dreamy sigh. “Don’t you just love the way the steam comes off their skin like that?”
Leah’s mouth went dry as Ryder laughed at something Walker said. “Oh, yeah.”
“Things going well with you and Ryder, then?” Charlotte asked, her focus on Bram. “Or at least better?”
She felt the gazes of the other two women on her but tried to ignore it. “I think.” She pressed her lips together. “I don’t know if I’m ready to talk about it yet.”
“We’re here if you need us,” Brie said.
“Mating is hard,” Brynn put in, her voice a little sad. “Harder than it should be sometimes.” Brie took Brynn’s hand and the women shared a look Leah didn’t understand.
“We’re not going to bond,” Leah said, despite the fact that she’d just told them she wasn’t ready to talk about it. But she didn’t want the others to get the wrong impression. “That’s not in the cards for us.”
The other two frowned at her, and Charlotte squeezed her hand.
“It’s okay,” she lied. “Really. I’m here to help when the time comes, not to mate into the Pack. You know?” She blew out a breath. “Anyway, have you heard anything from the Coven yet?” A change of subject was in order, even if it wasn’t neatly done.
“No word,” Brie answered. “Gideon thinks they are planning something, but he doesn’t know what. It’s been quiet on all fronts for a while.”
“And that’s a bit scary,” Brynn put in. “The Redwoods are on edge.” Brynn had mated into the Redwoods since Finn was the Heir.
“The Talons, too,” Brie said. “Hence the football game. Though the women need to let off some steam, as well.”
Brynn smiled. “I’m sure most of us will be able to in a certain fashion.” The two women shared another look, and Leah met Charlotte’s gaze.
The other woman didn’t look sad at the fact that she wouldn’t be going home with one of the wolves playing ball. Instead, she rolled her eyes. Leah wasn’t sure what she’d be doing with Ryder once they were done with the game either.
Brynn let out a small growl as Finn hit the ground thanks to Mitchell. The Talon Beta just grinned at Brynn as he pulled Finn to his feet. Brynn stood up and raised her chin.
“Okay, so I’m still totally going to do my mate against a wall later, but now I want some blood.” With that, she ran onto the field and held out her arms. “I’m playing. Get over it.”
Leah just laughed as Brynn’s brothers begged for her to be on their team, rather than the Redwoods. Finn took away that choice by pulling her to his side, his hand on her ass, and kissed her firmly on the lips.
Brie stood up and rolled her shoulders. “I might be a submissive wolf, but I’m going to kick some ass.” She winked then ran over to her mate. Gideon, who had been holding the football because, of course, he was the quarterback, tossed the ball over his shoulder. Brandon caught it and laughed as Gideon gripped Brie’s hips and lifted her off her feet. He kissed her hard and kept his hand on her butt as he laughed at something his mate said.
Leah met Charlotte’s gaze and lifted her brows. “Should we?”
Charlotte just grinned and stood up, taking Leah’s hand in hers. “Let’s do it. But I’m going to kick your ass. Just saying.”
They ran onto the field and Leah couldn’t help but laugh. Ryder eyed her as she came to his side. He held out his hand and she took it, whatever tension she’d been holding onto about joining in on the game leaving her.
“Do you mind if I join?” she asked. She wasn’t Pack and not a shifter. These guys could hit hard, and even though Brie was a submissive wolf, she was still much stronger than Leah.
“I don’t mind at all,” Ryder said. He studied her face. “We won’t tackle you.”
Max, Ryder’s cousin, grinned as he came to Ryder’s side. The other wolf made her smile every time she saw him. She couldn’t help it. He was just so…happy.
“Well, we won’t tackle you. Ryder might.” He winked, and Leah just rolled her eyes.
Ryder let out a growl and kicked out, knocking his cousin behind the knees. Max hit the ground on his side, but only laughed.
“Enough fun and games!” Gideon called out. “Let’s play!”
“Oh, yes, because us playing football isn’t fun at all,” Brie said dryly.
He leaned down and bit her lip. “Watch it, woman.” He smacked her ass again then lifted his chin.
Ryder pulled Leah to his side at the line of scrimmage and smiled. “There are way too many of us on the field at the moment, but just roll with it.” He leaned down and whispered in her ear, his warm breath sending tingles down her neck. “Gideon’s going to throw the ball to me. Stay behind me and I’ll get it to you. You’ll be my secret weapon.”
She smiled up at him, feeling lighter than she’d ever felt before. “Sounds like a plan.” And if she dropped the bal
l, she could always keep running.
Since they’d sort of made up the rules and amount of players on the field, as soon as Gideon caught the ball from Mitchell, Ryder took off. Leah ran behind him, chest heaving because, damn, the man could run. Ryder turned at the last moment and caught the ball perfectly.
Leah sucked in a breath as Finn and Quinn came barreling toward Ryder, then squealed as Ryder tossed the ball back to her.
“Run!”
She held the ball to her chest and ran as fast as she could. Give her a soccer ball or even a baseball bat, and she could kick ass. Give her a football, and, apparently, she wanted to fumble and giggle.
Cheers and shouts sounded behind her, but she tried to ignore them as she ran. As soon as she hit the end zone she slowed down and turned on her heel.
“I did it!” She laughed as Ryder picked her up by the hips and twirled her around.
“Knew you could, little witch.” She held the ball in one hand over her head and wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Well, you did the catching,” she said on a laugh.
Ryder grinned, then put his hand on the back of her neck and brought her head down to his. She let out a surprised gasp as he kissed her full-out in front of his family and friends.
She hadn’t known he’d want to do that, and frankly, didn’t know what it meant, but for now, she kissed him back and fell into the feel of his lips.
“And on that note, I think we’re done,” Mitchell said dryly from the side. “I’m going to go kick some of the youth’s butts in soccer.”
Ryder let her slide down his body and set her feet on the ground once Mitchell started to walk away. “You ready to head home? Or do you want to play another game?”
She met his gaze and studied his face. His wolf wasn’t at the surface, which surprised her. This was Ryder asking, not his wolf.
“Let’s go to your place.”
It wasn’t lost on her that he’d said home while she’d said his place. She was staying there while they made decisions and plans. She didn’t live there. She didn’t live anywhere. And thinking about that just annoyed her because she didn’t normally feel so bad about her life. She lived it. She didn’t dwell on it.
They said their goodbyes to the others as they either continued a new game or headed home to their places. It wasn’t lost on her that couples were the ones that left together and the singles more than likely stayed to play. Charlotte walked away with Bram, but they kept a distance between them. While Leah wanted to know more so she could help her friend, she knew Charlotte would tell her when she was ready.
Ryder took her hand in his as he led her to his place. It wasn’t until they were in his foyer that she realized she still held the football.
“Crap. I didn’t mean to steal it.”
Ryder took it from her and set it on the front table in the center. “We have others, and you deserve this one. You scored the winning touchdown, after all.” He reached out and helped her with her coat, and she couldn’t help the shiver as his fingers brushed her skin.
She licked her lips, then reached up and kissed his jaw. “Well, I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you for letting me play.”
Ryder slid his hand through her hair and cupped the back of her head. “Thank you for wanting to.” He let out a breath. “What am I going to do with you, little witch?”
“What do you want to do with me?”
He leaned down and rested his forehead on hers. “So fucking much, Leah. Too much.”
Her heart hurt, the aching beat that should have been silent after what she’d promised herself. Her arms went numb at the thought of what would happen when she left him. Because he wouldn’t be the one to leave her, as he’d never fully been there to begin with. He pushed her away even as he held her close, but she knew he had a reason. The fact that he didn’t trust her with that reason broke her a bit each time her magic called to him, but she tried to not let it hurt her. She’d learned long ago that if she held herself back, if she hid part of herself, it didn’t ache as badly.
He didn’t trust her with the reason he couldn’t mate with her, but he also couldn’t keep his hands off of her. She couldn’t fall for him because when it was time to go, it would only hurt that much more. So she would take what she could and give just as much. And then she’d walk away when it was time. This was just sex, just a…friend. And that was it. Nothing more. Nothing less.
And if she kept lying to herself, maybe she would believe it.
Her magic called to him. Her soul called to him.
And yet, he wouldn’t have her.
So she would take him as he was and he would have to do the same. Because she wasn’t ready for a mate, wasn’t ready for that kind of sharing. The closer she got to another, the sharper the pain when someone betrayed her…or when she lost that someone.
“Leah,” Ryder whispered. “Come back to me.”
She blinked away her thoughts and tried to live in the moment. It was all she had, and she needed to relish it.
“Make love to me, Ryder,” she said finally. “No promises. Just you and me.”
He licked his lips, his eyes glowing gold. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”
No. But it was what she needed.
“Yes. Kiss me.”
His thumb brushed her jaw and he nodded. “I can do that, Leah. I can do that and more.”
When he lowered his lips to hers, she slid her hands around his hips and up his back, raking her nails ever so slightly along his skin. He hadn’t put on a shirt during their short walk back from the field, and she’d never been so grateful. His skin was sweat-slick, and yet all she wanted to do was lick up his body and taste every curve. There had to be something wrong with her if she had that thought on her brain.
Ryder’s mouth devoured hers, his tongue taking over, and she melted into him. When his hands went to her ass, she rocked against him and moaned. He cupped her, lifting her off the ground in a show of strength that shouldn’t have surprised her, but did.
“I love your muscles,” she blurted.
Ryder grinned, his eyes gold and sparkling. “I’ll make sure to put them to work, then.” He carried her to the bedroom as she wrapped her legs around his waist, his cock sitting perfectly against her clit. All she had to do was rock against him and maybe she’d come. But from the look in Ryder’s eyes, if she did that, he might punish her.
Of course, she might like that just as much.
She slid down his front when they entered the bedroom and kissed his chest as she put her feet firmly on the floor. Ryder tangled his fingers in her hair and forced her gaze to his.
“I’m going to taste you, every inch of you, then I’m going to fuck you hard. So hard we’re both spent and panting.” He met her gaze and an odd look passed across his face. “We’re going to use condoms, Leah. Be sure.”
She knew what he meant. There were two steps to every mating. The first was sex where the man would come within their mate, cementing their bond on the human end. The second was a mating mark where the wolf in human form would bite into the other’s shoulder. In a case of two wolves mating, each would do it, but she’d heard that even humans and witches who mated into the Pack bit down because of the emotional connections. That mark signified the mating between the wolf and the other in a way that spoke of magic and the goddess.
A condom would prevent the first step, and he’d made no mention of the mating mark since it wouldn’t be a problem. It was a reminder that he would not mate her, but would take her. But she was giving herself freely, so was he really taking? She was going into this with eyes wide open, knowing even if he’d wanted to mate with her, she didn’t want to tie her life to his.
Instead of answering, she reached around him and gripped his ass before kissing down his chest. He seemed to take that in stride and ran his hands down her back and then around her hips and back up again so he could cup her breasts. He’d made her come before, but she’d never seen him naked, and sh
e’d never been fully bare in front of him.
They were taking the next step—maybe not the step they should have been taking—but it was step they understood.
He went to his knees in front of her and tugged on the bottom of her shirt. She helped him lift it over her head, then sucked in her lip as he licked and nibbled up her belly and toward her breasts. She wasn’t that tall, and he was damn big, so she only had to lean over for him to be able to bite at her breasts through her bra. When she reached around and undid the clasp, he let out an approving growl. At least, she hoped it was approving because it made her wet just thinking about it.
He lifted the cups from her breasts then let out another growl. “Holy goddess, your nipples are fucking perfect. Like little ripe berries begging for my tongue.”
She usually wasn’t a fan of dirty talk, but if he were going to talk like that to her while licking at her nipples, then she’d take it. His other hand worked on the button of her jeans as he sucked her nipple into his mouth and she ran her hand through his hair, wanting more.
He pulled away then tugged on her jeans. “Off.” His voice was more wolf than man.
She helped him take off her pants, then gasped as he nuzzled her pussy through her panties.
“You smell so fucking delicious. I’m going to eat your cunt, Leah. You ready for that? You ready for my tongue inside you and on your clit? I want you to come on my face until you can’t breathe, and then I’m going to fuck you hard into the bed.”
Holy hell. She almost came at his words alone.
“Get on the edge of the bed and take off your panties. Slowly.”
He stood up as he spoke and worked on his pants.
“And what are you going to do when I take off my panties?” Even as she said it, she went to sit on the edge of the bed. She slowly slid her hands along her hips and around the edges of the lace, then even slower, slid them down her thighs, lifting her ass slightly so she could take them off.
His gaze was on her pussy, not her face, and she couldn’t help but feel empowered that she’d done that to him, this strong, quiet wolf.
Mated in Mist Page 9