A Handful of Wolf

by Sofia Grey

  It was the perfect hiding place, and one she hadn’t been to in years. Not since…Ryan. She’d retreated here to lick her wounds and to sob in private. Bringing Sasha here would give her a happy memory to replace the painful ones. They stood at the base of the oak tree and she showed him the knotted rope ladder they needed to climb.

  “Are you okay with having sex outdoors?” She was confident the answer would be yes, but he hesitated a moment.

  “Did you bring Phillip here?”

  Her face warmed. “I’ve never brought anyone here. The whole outdoors thing is a total first for me. And we didn’t get that far, me and Phillip. You know, we didn’t sleep together.” She shrugged and tried to look nonchalant. “That’s a stupid expression, I’ve always thought. Sleeping together. Most of the time you just shag and go. I’ve never actually slept with a guy before. You’ll be the first for that too.” Dear God, there she went again, babbling like an idiot. He’d think she was simple-minded.

  Chapter 14

  Sasha held onto his control by the finest of threads. He had to breathe in through his nose and out through his mouth otherwise he’d have been light-headed, as every drop of blood shot straight to his cock. Harder than he ever thought possible, walking was suddenly difficult and his zipper dug painfully into the erect flesh. How he managed to follow Megan up the short ladder without taking a bite out of her ass was a mystery. His wolf was little more than a panting, desperate mess, and Sasha was driven by one basic need. To fuck the ever-living daylights out of Megan until she screamed his name, and then some more. He knew there was a condom in his back pocket and he reached for and opened it, as he ascended to the simple wooden platform.

  Dust and dried leaves covered the floor and the two reclining chairs, but there was enough room to stand freely and the wooden planked walls looked smooth. “Cariad.” He drew her into a frenzied kiss, delighted that she kissed him back just as hard.

  “Sasha, I want you.” She sounded as hungry as he was and he could hold back no longer. He turned her to face the wall and eased out of his jeans, pushing them down his thighs before fitting the condom. He could smell her arousal, musky and rich, and when he pushed up her skirt he saw the moisture glistening. He traced a hand across her pussy and she whimpered. “Please, Sasha. Don’t make me wait.”

  Christ, she was beautiful. “You’re so wet, baby. So hot, Megan.” He shucked up behind her and nudged her legs a little wider. This was going to be one hell of a ride. She steadied herself with her hands on the wall and pushed her gorgeous ass against his dick. His growl was playful, but he was taking charge. With one hand tangled in her hair, he used the other to guide his cock into position, before taking a firm hold of her hipbone. A distant part of his mind marveled at the contrasting textures: hair like silk and skin smooth as satin.

  “Hurry,” she moaned, a heartbeat before he buried himself to the hilt. Her moan dissolved into a breathy cry that almost unhinged him. It took another couple of deep breaths and staying absolutely still before he dared to move. He’d never had a hair trigger on his cock before, but he’d never met anyone like Megan before. He forced himself to think of something else, a way to stop from going into meltdown. The dusty aroma of the dried leaves. The cicadas rattling their mating call. He groaned. Everything came back to Megan, the feel of her joined to his body. Sasha eased out, slammed back in and made them both gasp. “Again,” she whispered.

  Megan was his dream fuck. Hot, wet and needy, her pussy gripped his dick like an iron fist and she urged him on harder, faster, more. Lust took over and he pounded into her, deep and unrelenting, the fist in her hair tightening as he drew closer to the edge. He tilted her head and kissed her eager lips, tried to slow down, but it was no use. He felt her clench around him, spasms wracking her as she came and he covered her mouth with his own to muffle her cries. Any moment and he’d join her, but there was something he had to do first. With shaking fingers he tugged down her scarf and sank his teeth into her neck. Another Claiming mark right over the first. Mine. He came in a surge of heat, his wolf dizzy with lust. He could never get tired of this, of her. His Mate, Megan.

  *

  Megan’s knees shook and if it hadn’t been for Sasha wrapping his arms around her waist, she’d have collapsed to the floor. Her heart raced and every part of her felt weak, but at the same time, she wanted to fly. What was it about Sasha? How did he turn her into this dribbling, begging mess? He eased out of her and she instantly felt bereft, but then he snuggled closer, smoothing her hair, stroking her neck. Petting her like a cat. Hot lips pressed against her nape.

  “You should know,” his whisper like a caress. “Next time, we’re taking it slow, if I have to tie you to the bed first.” Unbidden, the image of herself bound and naked flooded her mind. She trembled with sudden need and Sasha chuckled. “Would you like that, Cariad? You ever done that before?”

  “Not done that,” she managed.

  “Mm-hmm.” He’d begun to lick a moist trail around her ear. “Another first, huh? God, you’re so hot, baby. You’re perfect.” His hands dropped to cup her breasts and flick her nipples, and just like that, she was on the edge of another climax.

  “Again?” It was an effort to speak.

  “I wish, but Dion needs the van back.” He nuzzled her ear and gave it the tiniest of nips, sending another course of shivers through her body. “And besides, you promised me a dance.”

  * * * *

  They’d arrived back in Wellington and parked in a city side street when Megan, tucked securely into Sasha’s side on the bench seat, realized something. “I forgot my overnight bag.” She’d been floating in a haze of post-sex euphoria. It was a miracle she remembered her own name, let alone any details of the night ahead. She wanted to hug herself and squeal aloud in glee at the prospect of spending an entire night in bed with Sasha.

  “Can you manage without?” He gave her a quick squeeze. “Not sure you’ll need your pajamas. I can keep you warm.” Oh boy, could he ever. He could warm her on a mid-winter night without any need for a blanket.

  “I need to buy a toothbrush. And I didn’t bring a jacket.”

  It was ridiculous how just his dimpled smile made her go gooey inside. “I have a spare toothbrush. Still wrapped. And you look beyond hot in my leather jacket.” He glanced up and nodded to someone outside. “Come and meet the BB’s. They’re gonna love you.”

  Megan smiled and said hello to Dion, Jesse, Baz, and Neil, while Sasha helped them load an incredible amount of gear into the back of the van. Speaker after speaker, huge and heavy cabinets, guitar cases and then finally, a drum kit that took every last inch of space. It was a quicker job than she expected and while she waited, she sent texts to Lou and Nessa. They instantly wanted to know details of the band members. Beside Sasha, they all looked dull, but she supposed anyone would pale in comparison to her lover. He was just so…delicious. All the same, she tapped out a reply:

  Dion, bass player, short dark hair, dark tan and muscled. Talks a lot. The joker of the band

  Jesse, drums, cropped sandy hair, big brown eyes, quiet and shy

  Baz and Neil—brothers—guitar & vocals, long dark hair, noisy and lively

  PS–I’m staying at Sasha’s place 2nite. Gotta go, later xx

  She giggled as she put away her cell phone. Nothing was guaranteed to get their attention like that. They’d be quizzing her later at the club. Minutes later, they all clambered back into Bessie, but this time with Jesse behind the wheel and Megan squashed between Sasha and Dion on the bench seat.

  Of all the band members, Dion seemed the most interested to meet her; he’d shaken her hand and winked at Sasha. “I don’t know how you do it, dude.”

  Sasha had replied by draping his arm over Megan’s shoulder and rolling his eyes. “Ignore him,” he murmured to her in an exaggerated whisper. “He never knows when to quit. I think he was dropped on his head as a baby.” Their banter continued for the journey across town, but Megan tuned it out. Every place her body me
t Sasha’s felt on fire, scorched by his touch. She was so screwed.

  * * * *

  Two hours later and the club was buzzing. To Sasha’s relief there’d been a service lift at the back of the building, and even though it took four journeys to move all the gear it was better than lugging it up the stairs. The same doorman had nodded and slipped him a fresh set of earplugs. He resolved to talk to the guy later, ready to give Jake an update on the rumors about the wolves being careless and letting themselves be seen. For now though, he intended to hang out with Megan.

  A smoky voiced jazz singer crooned her way through half a dozen songs while the BB’s waited to go on and Sasha slow-danced with Megan. It was the closest thing he could imagine to sex in public. Even though her dress more than covered her ass, he knew she wore no panties and he itched to stroke her bare skin. She teased him right back, pressing against his groin and brushing her breasts against his chest. Slow torture and he loved every minute of it. It was the longest foreplay session he could imagine and he was almost disappointed when the BB’s finally took to the stage.

  They kicked off their first set with a raucous driving rock number that caused a surge onto the dance floor, but Sasha and Megan were out of the way. Megan had gone to greet her friends, and Sasha planned to use the opportunity to talk to one of the many wolves lurking in the shadows.

  The only thing wrong was his stomach. It’d been grumbling all afternoon, easy to ignore, but now a sharp stabbing pain slashed across his belly. It was enough to make him double over. Tammy. He had to call Tammy. If she refused to see a doctor, he’d make sure his parents took her. He leaned against the bar while he waited for his head to stop spinning, and sucked in a deep breath. He couldn’t call her from here, way too noisy. He straightened his back, produced a smile for Megan and her girls and then headed for the stairs and the street beyond.

  Tammy didn’t answer. He checked the time and calculated the time difference. Mid-morning for her. She never slept late, so where was she? He left her a voicemail, sent her a text message and then rang his parents. They didn’t answer either. Another pain jabbed at him and he tried to breathe through it. Jesus. Fears semaphored across his brain: Tammy unconscious somewhere; Tammy dying in hospital; Tammy alone and unable to get help. Focus, Sasha. He shoved at the rising panic and drew strength from his wolf. It paced inside him, unsettled and edgy, but still strong. He’d call Jake.

  Music poured from the club windows, high above the street, and Sasha realized the BB’s had almost finished their first set. Megan had her friends, she’d be fine for a few minutes. He placed a call to Jake. Unable to stay still, he padded back and forth. Why didn’t the damn phone connect? Surely it didn’t usually take this long? Another pain pierced his belly and he hunched over while he caught his breath. On the other end of the phone, a crackling female voice answered. Lillian.

  “That you, Sasha?”

  “Yes.” Thank God. “I need to speak to Jake, is he there?”

  The line crackled some more. “No, there’s been a heavy snowfall and a mini avalanche. He’s leading a team to clear the blocked roads. Can he call you back?”

  Blocked roads? Fuck. How would Tammy get to the doctor? “It’s Tammy. I think she’s ill, she needs a doctor and she’s not answering her phone.”

  “Tammy? I’m sure I saw her this morning. She was rounding up volunteers for the clearance.”

  “There’s something wrong with her. I need to speak to her, Lillian.”

  A burst of static crackled in his ear and the call disconnected. Double fuck. At least he’d got through to Lillian. She’d get a message to Jake. He wasn’t happy, wouldn’t be happy until he’d spoken to Tamster and reassured himself, but it would have to do.

  He slid the phone into his pocket and headed for the stairs, only to have his path blocked by three tall, massive shifters. The largest stepped forward. “I think we need to have a talk.” The others moved to flank Sasha left and right, and his wolf growled. It didn’t like being intimidated and everything about this felt bad.

  Chapter 15

  Dion insisted on buying drinks for Megan and her friends, and they accepted, squeezing together around one of the many scattered tables in the club. She looked for Sasha, but he hadn’t returned. It was so noisy in here, no wonder he’d gone outside.

  Lou chinked their glasses together and caught her attention. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing with Sasha? He’s not your usual type.”

  The concern in her eyes softened the sting of her words and Megan gave her a quick hug. “He’s nothing like Ryan, if that’s what you mean.”

  “Even so. That weird story of how he came out here to meet you. You don’t really believe that, do you?”

  Dion leaned across the table and cut in. “You don’t know how Megan met Sasha? Did he not tell you?”

  He was obviously going to tell the girls about Sasha rescuing her scarf and how she’d kneed him in the balls. The heavy, smoky atmosphere made her hum with energy and she fidgeted as she waited for the story to come out. She could hardly wait for their surprise.

  “He told us some crazy story about them being betrothed as babies.” Nessa looked puzzled and Megan had to stifle her giggle. “I said it couldn’t be true, but Megan isn’t telling.”

  Dion laughed aloud and then took a long slurp of his beer. “Nothing like that. I made him a bet.”

  Megan heard the words, but they didn’t sink in at first. Lou’s horrified gasp made her look up from her drink and actually listen to what Dion was saying. “Twenty bucks for a kiss and fifty if he could score a date with her.” He grinned at the girls, took another swig of beer and then wiped the foam from his upper lip. A bet. Sasha made a bet. With Dion. Twenty dollars. The words swirled like little knives, each one cutting a slice from her heart.

  She was mistaken. She had to be. Megan looked at Lou for confirmation, then Nessa. They both stared back at her with identical expressions of horror. No, she had it wrong.

  Energy flooded her veins and she reached forward, closing her hand around Dion’s drink. “Say that again. You made a bet with Sasha? To date me?”

  “Yeah.” He shrugged, totally relaxed. “We do it a lot. It passes the time at work.”

  “He only went out with me for a bet?” She clung to a faint hope that Dion was lying, making up an equally nonsensical story.

  “Ah. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.” He looked wary now, his eyes flicking left and right, and Megan fought the urge to throw his drink at him. Her chest was tight and she realized she’d been holding her breath. Was it all a sham? The way he held her, the kisses, the gentle intensity. Was he just another Ryan after all?

  *

  Something felt off to Sasha. Not only were these guys built like Russian weightlifters, but they smelled strange. His wolf pushed at him, as though trying to tell him something and he inhaled discreetly. The memory slammed into his brain. Megan had carried this smell after the meet with Connor in the pub. The largest shifter cocked his head to one side and stared at him, his gaze flat and unblinking. “Girl got your tongue, along with your balls?”

  Yep, this wasn’t a friendly chat. With his wolf growling, Sasha lifted his chin and returned the stare. “Have we met?” He knew they hadn’t. This guy had long shaggy hair down to his shoulders and a distinctive swirling tattoo on his temple. Sasha would have remembered him.

  The shifter took a step forward, crowding into Sasha’s space, but he didn’t give way. “I know who you are. You’ve been talking to Connor and I don’t like that.”

  Thanks, Jake. Making a mental note to decline any future diplomatic invitations, Sasha crossed his arms, making sure his muscles flexed. Working on building sites all summer had given him extra bulk and he had to show them he wasn’t scared. “You have a problem with me talking to your Alpha?”

  “He’s not my Alpha. I have my own pack.”

  Sasha frowned as something dropped into place in his brain. “You’re not Kiwi. You’re English—that�
��s a Manchester accent.”

  “Don’t go running to Connor with any more rumors. This is none of your business and the sooner you fuck off back to your little pack, the better.”

  He suppressed his wolf’s urge to snarl. Don’t rise to the bait. “Are you threatening me? If humans get suspicious of all the wolves in the mountains, we’re all fucked.”

  “And you’d know all about humans, wouldn’t you? Your Alpha should be more careful who he chooses as his Mate.”

  His hackles rose. This was no longer a general threat. Sasha’s Alpha was being insulted, or worse. His wolf pushed at him, urging him to shift, to take down this arrogant fuckwit, but he held back. This was a public street. Anyone might see him.

  “Snowdonia Wolves are strong. We don’t take threats lightly, so back off.”

  The shifter chuckled. “You think that now. You have no idea what’s going on.” He stuck both hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, every inch confident and assured. “Make the most of your peaceful little mountain. All hell is going to break loose soon enough.”

  Sasha felt his phone vibrate and cursed that he couldn’t answer. What if it was Tammy? He dragged his focus back to the fuckwit. “You’re talking through your arse.”

  When would he ever learn to keep his mouth shut? With animal speed, the fuckwit uncoiled himself and stepped right up into Sasha’s face, then lifted one finger and touched the tip of Sasha’s nose. “Keep this out of my business. That was your last warning, boy.” Another pain ripped through his stomach and he battled not to flinch. He could not afford to show weakness. His muscles were burning with the effort of standing still, of not reacting to the pain, but he managed.

  After an eternity of them glaring silently at each other, the shifters turned as one and strode into the shadows, but Sasha didn’t relax until they’d disappeared. He dug into in his pocket for the phone to find a missed call from Jake. For fucks sake. He rang back, but there was no answer. The evening that had started so brilliantly, had turned into steaming pile of shit. At least things with Megan should be okay.