by Meg Ripley
At first, his mouth was tentative. Almost shy. She parted her lips, inviting him to deepen the kiss, shuddering at the first brush of his tongue. She took a deep breath through her nose, inhaling the scent of his soap. Somehow, that seemed more intimate than the pressure of his mouth against hers and it drove home the fact that she was truly standing there, locked in his arms, yielding to his hard body.
And it felt right.
More than right.
It felt like coming home.
The thought wasn’t exactly soothing. What if he left the next morning and didn’t come back again? What if this was just a fling for him? Some sort of fun diversion?
But he touched her like he didn’t want to stop, and so she decided to put her doubts aside and turn herself over to the overwhelming sensations of pleasure and desire rolling through her.
When he broke the kiss to catch his breath, she pulled him toward the bed. He followed her to the mattress, their mouths fusing together as they fell. He gripped her hips and rolled onto his back, settling her on top of him with a satisfied grunt.
She swiveled her hips, grinding against his stiff member. Heat flooded her, and her slick juices coated his length, preparing him for her tight entrance.
Their passionate kisses continued while they learned each other’s bodies with yearning hands. He cupped her breasts against his palms, squeezing them with just enough pressure to make her moan, while her fingers sought out the lines of his chiseled muscles, looking for any tender point or spot of vulnerability.
She only moved away from his mouth because she needed to taste his jaw and his throat; needed to lick the sweat from his Adam’s apple.
“Are you ready?” he rasped.
Sera moaned, feeling as though she’d been born ready for this moment. She reached between their bodies, taking his shaft in her fist. His flesh pulsed against her palm, and his head was slick with his pre-cum. She stroked him slowly, her pussy clenching with anticipation with each slide of her hand. He moaned, his hips rising, seeking out more of her heat.
“God, Sera. I need to be inside of you.”
She barely heard him beneath the buzzing in her eyes. Her mouth suddenly felt parched, and her fingers trembled where she touched him. With a deep breath, she shifted her hips and slid his head down to her entrance.
She braced herself against his chest and pushed back. His head breached her entrance, enough to make both of them gasp, but he slipped out. She reached for him again, gripping him tightly as she took in the head of his cock. With him securely positioned, she moved back, inch by slow inch, until he was fully sheathed.
In that moment, lightning flashed, illuminating them and burning that moment into Sera’s memory forever.
She didn’t realize how much she truly wanted—truly needed—to feel him until he was buried inside of her. She arched her back, mouth open in silent amazement as their bodies found a natural tempo. The steady, unrelenting rhythm brought out something primitive inside of her. She clawed at him, bouncing faster and harder, surrendering completely to the primal, basic rhythm.
The storm picked up intensity, the wind howling like a mighty wolf, the rain beating relentlessly against the roof. The crashing thunder obscured her shouts of pleasure, each one tearing through her. She couldn’t hear him over the chaos outside, but she felt his groans and grunts vibrating through his solid chest.
She leaned forward, pressing her chest to his, hungrily seeking out his mouth, burying her fingers in his hair, twining through the strands as their tongues dueled.
Seth’s hands moved from her hips, sliding up her back and over her shoulders, then down her arms. His strong fingers locked around her wrists. Without breaking their tempo, he flipped them over, pinning her to the mattress. She arched beneath him, rising up to meet his downward stroke, keening with pleasure as he impaled her.
Sera felt herself ascending to another level, where there were only bliss and desire and needs answered. For a moment, she was beyond the pain and confusion of losing Aiza, the fear of being hunted by a wolf pack, and even the loneliness she thought she’d made peace with. Caught up in the torrent of their shared passion, Sera forgot everything but the raw, electric heat of their bodies joining.
Her scream at the moment of climax was muffled by his mouth, and she unleashed the full force of her orgasm against his rock-hard body. He shuddered, pumping into her until they were both completely spent.
It was a long time until either one of them could speak.
“What happened?”
Seth sighed, revealing the depth of his exhaustion. “Can we talk about it in the morning?”
A part of Sera didn’t want to talk about it at all. She wished they could remain exactly like that, blissed out and peaceful. “If you’re going to be here in the morning.”
“I’m going to be here in the morning,” Seth promised.
Sera buried her face against his chest, nuzzling in as close as she could. “I feel...good. For the first time in a long time.”
“Me, too.”
The regular beat of his heart lulled her to sleep, despite the persistent flashes of lightning. The storm faded from her awareness until she was lost in the darkness, warm and tired, past the point of dreaming.
It felt like she’d only visited this twilight land for a few seconds before a crashing boom shattered her peace and pulled her into a seated position. A second and third crash followed in rapid succession, and Sera knew it wasn’t thunder.
“Get down,” Seth whispered, pushing her back to the mattress. He shielded her body with his, his breath hot and rapid against her cheek.
“Are those gunshots?”
“Yes.”
“Is somebody shooting at the house?”
“It sounds that way,” Seth said grimly.
Panic pierced her like a dagger of ice. Would they just keep firing at the house? Or would they break in and try to finish the job?
“Where’s my phone? I’m calling the cops.”
“The cops aren’t going to help,” Seth whispered in the silence between shots. “They’ll make sure they won’t get here in time.”
“Nobody will stop those maniacs from murdering us?”
“We’re going to get out of here.”
“How?” Sera asked.
“I’ll be the distraction. You just focus on getting to the car.”
“And leaving you here to be shot?” Sera shook her head. “No. No way. Nope.”
“I’ll be right behind you.”
“I’m not going to leave you to get shot.”
“Okay, get under the bed. Don’t move until I come and get you.”
“What the hell are you going to do?” Sera demanded.
But he was already gone. She slid off the bed and under the mattress, praying that he didn’t get his fool head shot off. “Not now, Lord. Not when I’ve just barely found him.”
She didn’t know him well enough to say she was in love with him, but the thought of never seeing his bright gray eyes again made her stomach roll and heave.
An eternity passed while she waited. The gunshots grew sporadic and then stopped altogether. “Please be a good sign. Oh please.”
The bedroom door slammed open and from her perspective, she could see Seth’s bare feet. She sighed with relief and began to shimmy from beneath the bed. Her relief was quickly replaced by terror as the lightning revealed his statuesque body covered in dark splashes of blood.
“S—Seth?”
“Run.”
“What?”
“Run!” he roared as his body morphed into a long, lean wolf. The shout turned into a howl, his eyes twin discs of silver, his long, wicked teeth descending from his massive snout. Sera forced her numb legs to work, running past the wolf and into the night’s angry maelstrom.
****
Seth ran hot on Sera’s heels. She heard him growling and barking through the downpour, but she didn’t look down, didn’t let anything distract her from the goal of reaching
the car. She’d grabbed her purse as she fled the house, and she had her keys in her hand before she reached the lock. As soon as she flung the door open, Seth jumped inside, soaking the seat with his giant muddy paws. Sera barely noticed. He was still growling at unseen assailants, and Sera couldn’t tell if they were still firing shots or if the constant, teeth-rattling explosions were just booms of thunder. She had no intention of sticking around long enough to find out.
The engine roared to life and she threw the gearshift into drive and stomped on the accelerator. The tires spun for a moment, unable to get any traction against the slick pavement, and then they lurched forward. It wasn’t easy to stabilize the wheel as she careened into the street, but she got it under control by the end of the block.
“Do you want me to drive?” Seth asked from the passenger’s seat. She was never going to get used to how quickly he could shift from man to wolf and back again.
“No, I’ve got it. Are you hurt?”
“I’m alright. This isn’t my blood.”
“How many of them were there?”
“It was hard to tell. I took out two and I could hear at least two more. Maybe three.”
“Do you think they’re following us?”
Seth turned his head and peered through the darkness behind them. “I don’t see anything, but we’re getting the hell out of Portland.”
“Where are we going?”
“Yakima.”
Sera frowned, rolling to stop at a red light. “Washington? What’s there?”
“My pack. The Wolf Brotherhood is territorial. They’re unlikely to follow us once we’re out of their area.” He checked over his shoulder once more, but their tail was still clear.
“I can’t go with you to Yakima. I have stuff to do here. You know, like selling Aiza’s house, solving her murder; important things.”
“They are important things,” Seth agreed, “but you’re not going to be able to do anything if you’re dead. The attack tonight...it was just a warning. Next time, they’ll shoot to kill.”
Sera swallowed hard. He did have a point. She wasn’t going to be any help to Aiza if she was shot and buried in a shallow grave. But running all the way to Yakima? That might put her out of the reach of the Brotherhood, but it also put her investigation at a distinct disadvantage.
“Pull over at this gas station,” Seth instructed.
“No. You’re naked and covered in blood. If anybody sees you, they’ll call the cops. Do you feel like trying to evade the police tonight?” Sera asked.
“Not particularly, no. But you don’t know where we’re going.”
“Well, tell me.”
“Get on I-5 North. We’ll stop after we clear the city.”
Sera nodded her head in agreement. Her heart was only now returning to its normal rate, and her breathing had almost normalized as well. She’d never been shot at before, and now that she had time to really think about how close she’d been to death, her hands shook. She ignored the trembling for as long as she could, focusing on navigating her way through the rain and traffic, but the shaking didn’t stop. If anything, it grew more intense, sending mini-earthquakes through her limbs until her teeth were chattering.
Seth leaned over and a placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. The heat and strength she felt in his grip did provide a modicum of comfort, but she’d never been so close to her own death. It was difficult enough to wrap her mind around her sister’s mortality—coming face to face with her own in such a sudden, violent way was almost too much to deal with.
“We’re going to get to the bottom of this,” Seth promised in a low, urgent voice.
“I know.”
“And I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“I appreciate that.”
They drove in silence until Sera exited the freeway for a mostly empty truck stop. The gas station had some T-shirts and golf shorts, and she grabbed a change of clothes for each of them, as well as plenty of salty and sweet comfort food, water, and a case of beer she intended to crack into at the first opportunity. When Seth emerged from the bathroom in his tourist clothes, he should have looked silly, but instead he made Sera forget everything as her mouth watered for him.
The T-shirt was at least a size too small and it hugged every chiseled line of his rock-hard abs. The shorts showed off most of his legs, and even though he went into that bathroom naked, it was as if she’d never seen him before.
Is this how it’ll always be? Will I always be surprised by the sight of him? It seemed more than likely, as now she knew he felt and tasted as good as he looked.
“I’ll drive.”
Sera handed him the keys and crawled into the back seat. She didn’t think she’d be able to sleep, but she appreciated the chance to lie down.
“How far?”
“A little over two hundred miles. It’ll go by quickly, especially if you can take a nap,” Seth promised.
He turned on the classic rock station, and Sera stretched out in the backseat, the songs carrying her mind to Aiza and the long summers they spent in the backseat of their father’s Chevy, sometimes reading or coloring in compatible silence. Sometimes that silence would erupt in outbursts of shouting or even violence—they’d both resorted to hair pulling if necessary—and then their father would threaten to pull over and give them both a spanking they’d never forget. Such a warning would be enough to calm Sera, but Aiza never knew fear.
The road lulled her to sleep, but the memories didn’t stop. They just rolled into dreams. Dreams of a dark-haired girl who stared at the moon with a look of unbelievable longing. Wouldn’t it be great if we could run? If we could run with the moon?
“Sera, sweetheart, wake up. We’re here.”
Here was a squat cabin surrounded by trees near a river. She could hear the running water, but she couldn’t see it through the darkness. He took her by the arm, guiding her over the stone path and to the front door. They stepped into a cool room, the interior as modern as the exterior was rustic.
“Lights. Low.” The room was flooded with a warm light as soon as he spoke, revealing a plush leather couch and recliner, rich hardwood floors, a fireplace with a marble mantel and dark mahogany tables. The television was large, but not excessively so, and his movie collection lined one wall while his books dominated the other. It was cozy. Sera could see herself getting quite comfortable there.
“Have a seat,” Seth said, gesturing at the couch. “I’ll make some coffee and then I’ll get you caught up.”
Sera nodded, still groggy, and stiff from lying in the same position for too long. She curled up in the corner of the sofa, resting her head on the back and dozing off until a gentle hand nudged her awake.
“Maybe we should talk tomorrow,” Seth said, passing her a steaming mug of perfectly prepared coffee, just the way she took it. “You still look as tired as I feel.”
“What about your pack mates. Are they okay?”
“Chen will be fine. Tony…”
“What about Tony?”
“We don’t know where he is,” Seth stated grimly.
“Did Chen escape without him?”
“Escape?” Seth shook his head. “He doesn’t remember being caught. He said he woke up in the woods and figured he must have been mugged. He claims he has no memory of what happened to Tony or who attacked them. The police have no physical evidence that there was an attack.”
“So...what happened?”
“Nobody knows. I went to where they found Chen to try to pick up Tony’s trail, but he’d been wandering around for a couple of hours at least. Maybe even a couple of days. There wasn’t any trail to follow.”
“Well, we have to go back to Portland.”
“No.”
“What do you mean, no? If Chen was there, Tony is probably still there. He could be hurt. We have to find him.”
“Of course. I will go find him. You will stay here.”
Sera blinked at him. “What does that mean? Are you kidnappi
ng me?”
“I’m protecting you. The Brotherhood won’t follow us this far into Washington. I’ll search for Tony and box up the rest of your sister’s house.”
“I can’t just not go back to Portland.”
Seth stared at her with a look of disbelief. “They shot at you. Repeatedly. Isn’t that enough of a hint for you?”
“What am I supposed to do?” Sera demanded. “Let my sister’s murder go unsolved?”
“Sera, I know this isn’t easy for you. I know you want there to be an answer, something that makes this tragedy make sense. But maybe it was just an accident.”
“Now you sound like them,” Sera said coldly. “What about everything we know? Hell, would the Brotherhood be trying to kill me if it truly was just an accident and they have nothing to hide?”
“Okay, say you’re right and they’ve implicated themselves by targeting you. Are you willing to go to the cops with that information right now?” Seth asked.
“Absolutely.”
“Why do you want to paint a target on your back?”
“Because they can’t just get away with this!” Sera exploded, finally fed up with the whole conversation. She’d buried her sister twice now. She wasn’t about to bury her a third time by dishonoring her memory. “They can’t murder a woman and just get away with it. How is that...how can you live in a world like that?”
“I can live in a world where crimes go unsolved. It’s terrible. It’s brutal. But it’s the world we’ve always lived in.” Seth took her hand, his thumb moving over her knuckles. “What I can’t do is live in a world where you are dead. If keeping you alive means you hate me, I can live with that, too.”
Sera sat, stunned into silence. She didn’t doubt his sincerity. She also didn’t want to argue with him anymore. But she felt broken, sick in her heart. He took the seat beside her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her against him. She melted into the embrace, thankful for his warmth and the solid reality of his body.