by Price, E A
She pursed her lips together to stop herself from laughing, but the shaking of her shoulders gave her away.
Don stared at her stonily. A small tingle of fear mixed with her rising desire. He stomped forward and cupping his hand dunked them and then in the sink and threw the water over her. She spluttered as he laughed volubly.
She eyed him evilly before picking up a sopping wet sponge. She lunged at him but he leapt away from her. She chased him round the cabin squealing in delight as he was almost running bent over in mirth.
He stopped as he came to the bed and she leapt on his back toppling them to the bed. He twisted beneath her and she rose up so she was sitting over his chest. She held the sponge a couple of feet above him, dripping menacingly.
He held up his hands in surrender and in between guffaws said, “You win, I give in darlin’.”
She smiled smugly before throwing the sponge away. She squeaked as he flipped them over so he was laying over her, his weight pushing her into the bed, his arousal digging into her thigh.
“I lied.” He whispered before seeking her mouth for a toe curling kiss.
Pulling away he grinned at her before ripping her shirt open, buttons pinged across the room. His arousal grew uncomfortably as his eyes feasted on her soft peachy body. He dipped his head and began lapping at her breasts, teasing the pebbled nubs between his teeth.
She moaned pleasurably. “You keep this up cowboy you won’t have any shirts left.”
He reared back so he was kneeling between her splayed legs. She mewled at the loss of contact.
“Then I guess I’ll just have to suffer having you naked all the time darlin’. It’ll be rough but I’ll get through.”
Before she could protest he whipped off the boxers she was wearing. His boxers, seeing her in them made him even harder.
She squeaked as he lifted her hips upwards, leaving her head and shoulders on the bed. He rested her thighs over his shoulders as he gripped her ass tightly. She held her breath and her legs trembled knowing what was coming.
He marvelled at the sight before him as his wolf roared in happiness. He felt simultaneously elated and nervous at having such a young, stunning woman before him. “You’re so beautiful Kayleigh.” He whispered roughly.
She opened her mouth to respond but was immediately caught in a cry of exquisite surprise as he sucked her clit into his mouth. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she clutched at the bed sheets. White hot pleasure bloomed within her as he swirled his tongue around her tender nub and then gently nipped her with his teeth.
She squirmed under him, trying to dart away from the intense pleasure, already too much for her sensitive body, but he held her firmly. He swiped his tongue over her sex, from her tiny rosette to her snug channel. She gasped as he traced her tiny rosette and bucked her hips, amazed at the blissful feelings he incited.
He moved his tongue to lap at her tight channel, savouring the sweet honey that flowed from her. He groaned at her delicious taste. He darted his tongue in and out of her entrance, delighting in the feel of her muscles straining to hold him inside. With each thrust inside her a moan escaped her lips.
Her body was hurriedly warming to his ministrations, the pleasure growing inside her demanding release. Feeling herself nearing completion she began pushing her hips toward him. He drove his tongue into her more forcefully and then suckled on her clit. With increasing enthusiasm he alternated between plunging inside her and laving her nub.
It became too much for her. Unable to contain herself she tensed arching her back and then screamed as the boiling pleasure inside her exploded. She shook her head from side to side as the orgasm ripped through her, her body jerking wildly. As she rode out her release he languorously rolled his tongue over her slit.
Slowly she came back down to earth her body stilling. Gently he lowered her ass back down to the bed. She pulled him down on top of her, clutching him to her, hooking her legs round his back and stroking his head. The rough material of his clothes chafed against her naked body, and she shivered.
They lay locked in the close embrace for what felt like hours, although it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes. Holding her lush body so close was too much for him. He needed her, needed to be inside her.
She felt his shaft grow and harden against her leg. She reached a hand between them fumbling with his belt. Gently he stopped her and rolled off her. He propped himself up on one elbow and smoothed his hand over the small swell of her stomach.
“We have to be careful darlin’, you’re comin’ into your fertile time of the month.”
A baby was definitely not a memento he wanted to give her of their time together. Yet the thought of her stomach swollen with his pup awakened something needy and almost primal within him. His beast moaned at the image of the three of him, him, Kayleigh, a pup... a family.
She turned on her side to look at him. His eyes blazed amber with passion. She walked her fingers up his arm.
“What about protection cowboy?”
“Condoms in the bedside table.”
He began to sit up but she placed a hand on his chest. “I’ll get them. You strip.” She ordered.
He chuckled as she stood up and shucked out of the torn shirt. “I’m serious cowboy, I want you nekkid by the time I find the condoms.”
She ran round the bed as he tugged at his clothes. Snickering she rifled through the draw stopping short as her fingers clasped a cool stone attached to a piece of twine. She held it up in front of her, the pebble twirling round and round. What was he doing with this?
“What are you doing?” His voice was low and deadly.
She spun round to see him watching her, his eyes were narrowed and his body rigid.
“Why do you have this?” She asked cautiously.
“It was a gift.” He answered tersely.
She looked at him sceptically. “A gift? From who?”
“Melinda. My mate.” He hissed. She shouldn’t be touching it. He felt his anger rising toward Kayleigh, and his wolf was growling at him warningly.
“No...” She muttered staring at the stone. “That can’t be...”
The stone was a ‘lapidem amoris’ which kind of means love stone. Witches created them to make someone fall in love with you. All you needed was a stone, a hair or a drop of blood of the person in question and a cauldron. You boiled the stone and hair/blood together in the cauldron whilst chanting the spell, and abracadabra you have a love stone! You have to be careful though, the first person to touch the stone has to be the person who wants the other to fall in love with them. Immediately the spell starts to work, and feelings of love and devotion are incited. But to truly cement those feelings they have to give the stone to the object of their affection, and they will love forever. Even when the person under the spell meets their true mate the stone fights to keep control. The only way to stop the spell is to destroy the stone.
This was a love stone, during the spell markings are etched into the stone, and she definitely recognised this as one of them.
She should know. When she was 15 she started selling them to friends at school. Her mom had gone out of town, touring with her NASCAR racer boyfriend, and the little money she’d left Kayleigh had run out pretty quickly. So she had improvised. Her friends wanted some of the jocks to take notice of them and she made it happen.
Okay so it was a little unethical... okay a lot. She was just too silly and selfish to realise the damage she might cause, and it was done under strict instructions that her friends get rid of the stones after a month at the most.
Unfortunately things got a little sticky... Her friend Jane, a rabbit shifter, had swiped a hair off the coat of the captain of the lacrosse team thinking it was his. It wasn’t. It did however belong to his golden Labrador who became just a little too keen on Jane after that...
Long story short, Kayleigh had panicked and called her mom. She had raced back from Florida and reversed the spells, giving Kayleigh a firm slap around th
e mouth for her trouble. That was the last time Kayleigh dabbled with love thank you very much! Although interestingly enough Jane and the lacrosse captain actually ended up dating and getting married...
But why would Don have one of these from Melinda? Were the feelings he felt for her fake? Did she force him to love her?
She grimaced. “Don... I... this necklace it’s called a lapidem amoris. Witches use them to make people fall in love...”
He stared at her, struggling to contain his temper. What the hell was she trying to say?
Gulping she tentatively continued. “Don if she gave you this it probably means she created it using a spell to make you love her... she might not be your mate...”
He roared at her, flexing his claws. She flinched. His beast was snarling at him, prepared to force the shift if Don made a move to her.
His jaw ticked, and every muscle in his body tensed as he strained to control himself. “I had a mate once and I lost her... she was my true mate. No one can replace her. You can’t complete with that.”
“I don’t want to compete with anyone, but you deserve to know the truth. Don’t you even want to...”
He cut her off with a snarl. His wolf paced in his head, his only concern was Kayleigh’s safety. “Whatever stupid fantasy you may have had about us you can forget it.”
She tried to protest, her heart hammering in her chest. “Don this isn’t about us...”
He shook his head in disgust. “I thought you were better than this, you think you can trap me into a relationship by lying about my true mate?!”
She was gobsmacked. Did he honestly think she was trying to ensnare him to be with her? “You arrogant bastard!” She screeched.
He bared his teeth, fury racing through him. “We had sex that’s all. You were a decent lay I’ll give you that but now we’re done.”
Don was seething with rage, he felt it through every inch of his body but he didn’t understand why. The feelings pouring through him felt so alien and uncontrollable. He didn’t want to be angry or hurtful to Kayleigh and yet he couldn’t stop himself.
His body shook as his beast fought to push forward, to force the shift. The wolf was fearful of Don hurting Kayleigh and desperately needed to take charge.
Her eyes prickled with hot tears. “You really think so little of me? You really think you’re so irresistible that I’d make this up?!”
“Enough!” Bellowed Don. “Get your stuff together. I am going to get you home and out of my house if I have to carry you all the way on my fuckin’ back!”
With that he threw his clothes back on and stomped out of the cabin, forcefully slamming the door. The window frames shook.
Kayleigh’s eyes were fixed on the door. She was quivering as tears streamed down her cheeks. If he wanted her to go then she was gone. On shaking legs she stumbled round the cabin. She quickly threw on her underwear, a pair of his rolled up jeans, a t-shirt, a shirt, three pairs of socks, one of his coats and a pair of boots. Everything was a little baggy but she didn’t care, she just needed to leave. And if he wanted his cheap-ass clothes back she would mail them to him.
Grabbing her purse she gingerly stepped outside. She could hear him banging around in the garage. Good, stay there.
Determinedly she began trudging out into the snow. As the freezing cold wind whipped, a shiver racked her body. Anxiety niggled at her, maybe this wasn’t a good idea. She shook her head trying to force away her worries. If she just stuck to the road she’d be fine.
She pulled the coat around her, trying to ignore the fact that it smelled of Don’s enticingly spicy scent. Yep, everything was just peachy...
Chapter Fourteen
Don raked his hands through his hair. He’d spent the last hour hiding from her in the garage. He didn’t know how to talk to her. Part of him wanted to apologise and tell her he didn’t want her to leave. But then another part was still mad about her insinuations about Melinda.
Melinda was his mate. End of story. And yet... Since meeting Kayleigh a number of things had unsettled him about his relationship with Melinda.
A deep, dark part of him had to admit that he didn’t really like Melinda. It wasn’t supposed to be that way with your true mate. You were supposed to love every single part of them, warts and all. But Melinda was cruel and shallow. She flirted with other men, and didn’t even enjoy having sex with Don. He hated the way she dressed and acted, she belittled his family and his pack...
She was nothing like Kayleigh. Kayleigh called to his wolf on a level that even he didn’t understand. It was primal.
Kayleigh was sweet but sassy when she wanted to be. She dressed elegantly but still oozed sexuality. He couldn’t imagine her being anything but generous and lovely. Not to mention how it felt having her sensual body wrapped around him...
The weather was getting worse. Snow was falling in flurries and the temperature was dropping furiously. He couldn’t take Kayleigh home even if he wanted to. Which he didn’t...
Perhaps he should just listen to what she had to say... His insides twisted at the thought and yet his beast and his heart felt that she was telling the truth, and they wanted to hear her out.
If Melinda wasn’t really his true mate... no, he wasn’t ready to think that just yet.
Bracing himself he dashed out into the cold and rushed into the cabin. Panic tore through him. It was cold, dark and empty. “Kayleigh?”
The fire had gone out, quite a while ago judging by the embers. Frenziedly he searched the cabin calling out her name. It was so small he was done in thirty seconds. Oh god one of his coats and a pair of boots were missing. She’d gone out by herself!
“Fuck!” He yelled into the silent room.
He had to go after her, he had to find her. She’d die out there on her own! His wolf was babbling at him. One word springing to mind over and over. Mate.
He ignored the animal and rummaged through his closet, pulling out warm clothes. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the stone pendant lying on the bedside table. Carefully he picked it up twisting it between his fingers, wondering at what she had told him.
The wolf became more vociferous, howling his frustration about Kayleigh. His hands began to shake as the beast tried to gain control.
Don couldn’t take it anymore. Roaring he hurled the pendant at the stone fireplace, smashing it. At once searing pain wrenched through his body, beating against his mind and his heart. He doubled over holding his head as his wolf whined piteously.
He writhed on the floor until the pain abated leaving him sweating, shaking and numb. He held his hand over his heart as fiery feelings of love and possession blossomed, heating his whole body. Images of Kayleigh flashed through his mind. Mate. Mine.
He lay on the floor panting, trying to pull himself together. His thoughts turned to Melinda but instead of love he felt loathing. He could no longer see her as his true mate, the woman who was made for him, and who he would yearn for forever. Now all he could see was the rude, selfish cashier at the grocery store who he had the unfortunate luck to run in to.
Dragging himself to his feet he walked over to the fireplace and picked up the pieces of the pendant. Kayleigh was right. The pendant was magical, it had created artificial feelings of affection for a woman he didn’t even like. And he had assumed she was his true mate. For twenty years he had mourned the loss of her...
To think of all the time he had wasted. To think of how he had treated Kayleigh... Mate. Kayleigh was his mate. She had to be. That was why he had feelings for her in spite of the stone’s spell. That was why he could never stop thinking about her, or comparing her to the woman he thought was his true mate. Oh god he had to find her!
Unceremoniously tearing his clothes off he bolted out of the door and in a flash became the wolf, howling in pleasure at having found his real true mate and fear that he might lose her.
Sniffing the ground he took off after her at a tremendous pace. She was human she wouldn’t have gotten far.
He ran
and searched but there was no sign of her. The snow was falling thickly, covering the grounds in sheets. He was becoming frantic. He had to get to her, she would freeze if he didn’t.
He yowled pitifully, shaking the snow of his haunches. But wait! He caught a glimpse of something blue. Sprinting in that direction he could see her, she was wearing his blue coat! Yes there she was!
He almost cried at seeing the state of her. She was crawling through the snow, her cheeks red, lips turning blue and her body shaking uncontrollably. The wolf immediately relinquished control and shifted to the man. Ignoring the biting cold on his bare skin he scooped Kayleigh up into his arms, holding her close.
Looking around he could see he was closer to the Shaw home than his. He set off running, her fragile body bouncing up and down in his arms. He jabbered incessantly, telling her he was sorry, telling her he loved her, telling her she was right. Anything that might keep her awake.
He pushed himself faster when he saw the house in sight. Leaping up the porch he roughly kicked on the front door. It was flung open by a very disgruntled and then very surprised looking Casey.
Casey opened his mouth to speak but Don forcibly pushed past him calling out for Casey’s grandmother Jeanette, a former registered nurse.
The whole family converged, gawking at him for a few seconds before Jeanette flew into action giving her family orders. There was a blur of activity and Jeanette told Casey to take Kayleigh away from an obviously exhausted Don. Casey moved toward him and Don and his wolf roared. No, my mate mine!
Casey paled but Jeanette just nodded knowingly. She led Don upstairs to the bathroom where Kristy had filled the tub with luke warm water.
Between the three of them they divested Kayleigh of her sodden clothes and glasses. Don lifted her in to the water. She whimpered and Don’s heart lurched. He sat beside her stroking her hair, begging for her to be okay.
Gradually Jeanette and Kristy added more warm water to the tub, heating her slowly. Mindful of Don’s possessive growling. James tried to bring some clothes into the bathroom for Don but Don almost lost his mind at having another male so close to his naked mate. Kristy quickly grabbed the clothes and slammed the door in her mate’s face.