by Jessica Ryan
"How far do these hills stretch?" Eva asked as they hit a straighter path and began walking at a more leisurely pace.
"Miles and miles," Rowan said. "I'd say close to forty miles."
"That's one hell of a range," Eva said, shaking her head.
"It's a great place," he said. "Filled with deer."
"What about bears?" she asked, looking around timidly.
"A few werebears call this place home," he said, noting Eva's eyes growing wide as he answered. "They're solitary animals, though, and they leave the wolves well enough alone, unless we're trying to steal their food."
"Good to know," he said, her eyes darting around.
"They live deeper in the forest," he said, laughing. "I don't think we'll run into any this close to town."
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"To have story time," he said, smiling back at her. "To a magical place."
"Real magic?" she asked. He could see the wonder in her eyes; three days ago she hadn’t known there was a whole world just behind the curtain of her life, and now she was ready to accept anything he said.
"Not in this case," he said. "It's magical to me though."
"Oh," she said, frowning in disappointment.
Rowan turned forward again. They weren't far from it now, the most important place in the history of the Bucklin wolf packs: the place where it all began.
His inner wolf was almost in a frenzy now, about to lose his mind with anticipation. Rowan's skin felt tight, like it was suffocating his wolf. His muscles were beginning to cramp and his head was getting heavy. There was a feral desire deep inside him, one that wanted to be free. It was torture to enter these woods and deny his wolf the pleasure of freedom. It was almost cruel.
"I'm sorry, Eva," he said, stopping and peeling off his shirt and unbuckling his pants.
"What are you doing?" she asked, taking a step away from him.
"Can you carry my clothes and the ice chest?" he asked. "It's not heavy."
"Yes," she said, still looking confused. "What are you going to do?"
"I can't take it anymore," he said, a hint of desperation in his voice. "I have to be free."
"Of your clothes?" she asked.
"You can carry that stuff on my back if you want," he said. "I can carry you, no problem."
After those words he began his transformation, feeling like a giant weight was being lifted from each part of his body as the change overtook him. Eva's eyes nearly bugged out of her head as he shifted into his mammoth wolf form right before her eyes.
* * *
Eva had seen Rowan shift twice already, and it was no less impressive the third time. Somehow the massive hunk of man in front of her transformed into a massive wolf. His large, amber eyes focused on her, the intelligence of Rowan hidden behind the animalistic form in front of her.
She still wasn't sure exactly how this worked. Was he still Rowan when he transformed? Was the wolf a different sentience with Rowan watching in the background? Did they work together? So many questions and no answers yet.
Rowan flipped his nose behind him, like he was pointing at his massive, horse-sized back.
"Do you want me to ride you?" she asked.
Rowan huffed in agreement and pointed at his back again, turning in a circle as he grew impatient.
Eva bent down to gather up his clothes, aware that her breasts were on full display due to the low-cut V-neck shirt she was wearing. She glanced up, catching the wolf staring intently at her chest, his tongue hanging out. A sly smile crept across Eva's face—even as a wolf he was interested in what he saw.
In one graceful motion she swung one leg over his back and pushed herself up, situating perfectly on Rowan's wide back. With a snort from Rowan they were off, loping through the undergrowth, making great haste for their destination.
This was an experience; one Eva never thought she'd have. Her beautiful, stud boyfriend had just transformed into a giant, majestic wolf and now she was riding him through the hills.
Hopefully I'll be riding him in another way later, she thought, another smile creeping across her face.
Last night Rowan had been in complete control, doing whatever he wanted to her as she lay there and took his rough pounding. Tonight she was going to have her way with Rowan, and she would be in control.
He ran fast, and she could feel his powerful muscles working underneath her as he bounded over rocks and dodged around trees. Even at such a break-neck pace he was able to avoid low branches and not take Eva's head off.
She was blown away by how much care he was taking, even transformed into his most animalistic form—he still cared about her. The only drawback was that she now had nobody to talk to; he was as mute as any other animal.
Eva wondered which form Rowan preferred. Did he like being a human or did he yearn for the freedom of the wolf? Would he ever be truly happy with a mate who couldn't transform and run with him? A mate who couldn't hunt with him?
Stop it, she told herself. You always do this. You always find a reason to talk yourself out of someone.
Maybe it was a confidence problem; maybe she just didn't feel worthy. Eva put up a tough front, but inside she’d always been afraid she wasn't good enough for any potential mate. Over the years it had caused her to push people away, afraid to let anyone get close. The two people she should've been closest to, her parents, had done nothing but hurt her. After that, the man she’d thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with, Jason, had done the same to her.
This is different, she thought. A werewolf is completely different than a douchebag college guy. He's loyal, fiercely loyal. His wolf has claimed you, and there is no going back.
She had to buckle down and be serious. She couldn't push Rowan away. Not this time. He was the best thing to ever happen to her.
Eva pondered that thought for a second. She hadn't considered it, but it was the truth: Rowan was the best thing she had in her life.
Her smile reached from ear to ear as the great wolf skidded to a halt and lowered himself to the ground, allowing her to step off of him. They had reached their destination.
Rowan had stopped in a large clearing. The forest trees formed a canopy overhead, allowing only a tiny bit of light to seep through. The sun's rays bathed a meeting area right in the middle of the clearing. There were logs set up like benches, several rows deep. Her eyes travelled to the eastern side of the clearing, where she could see a large rock formation that led to a cave above the clearing. One could stand at the entrance of the cave and look down at the logs below. There was electricity in the air, something Eva had never felt before. There wasn't just magic here for Rowan, there was magic here for everyone.
She turned to find him standing in front of her, transformed back to his human form. His naked body looked natural draped against the forest backdrop. Every hard muscle line fit perfectly against the wonder of nature. The wolf had come home.
He reached down without saying a word and began to pick up his pants, which Eva had dropped on the ground. As she watched him her vagina began to throb with desire. She had to have Rowan. He was like a work of art, so perfect to her eyes. She could feel her panties growing moist as she drank in the entire scene around her. This was it, the place where she became connected to her wolf for good.
Without saying a word, just as Rowan had done the night before, she walked up to him and pulled the pants out of his hands.
"What?" he asked, looking down at her.
"Shhhh," she whispered, tugging him down to the ground by his wrist. "Just relax."
Rowan complied, lying on his back and looking up at her with wide eyes. She was in control now.
Chapter 18
Rowan looked up at Eva as she pulled her shirt over her head, revealing every creamy white curve he had come to love. This was a completely new experience for him; he had always been the aggressor in the bedroom.
Despite being a wolf who hunted and visited the forest, Rowan had never given in to carn
al desires and made love amongst the trees that made up his ancestral home. Just looking up at Eva already had blood rushing to his staff, bringing it to full attention in a matter of seconds.
It blew him away how beautiful Eva was and how lucky he was to have been in the right place at the right time to claim her. She was his now, and he would never let her go.
She slid out of her pants, pulling her panties down at the same time. She was completely naked now, dropping to her knees beside him. He ran his hand down her back, feeling every inch, every curve. His skin contacting hers sent jolts of electricity up his arm, the anticipation inside of him growing.
Eva smiled and then leaned over, her tongue finding its way to the top of his abs. She roughly worked it all over his stomach, causing him to draw in deep breaths. His balls were tight, filled with excitement. His cock was engorged with blood, throbbing with desire. As if she could read his mind Eva brought her tongue to the base of his cock, swirling it around. He rubbed her back as she moved herself onto all fours beside him, giving him full view of her beautiful breasts as they hung down, batting against him every now and then.
With force Eva took the head of his monster into her mouth, her tongue following behind her lips to slap back and forth at it. He could feel a tingle in his thighs; the feeling of her wet lips was amazing. She began to suck his cock hard, her mouth bobbing up and down on his member with speed. She would get to the bottom, taking as much of him into her mouth as possible and then slowly bring her mouth up, slurping and sucking the whole way up.
It was all Rowan could do not to explode into her mouth. The wonderful sensation of her sucking combined with the wonderful view of her body forced him to close his eyes to lower the excitement.
He brought his hand up the back of her thigh, rubbing it until he found his way to the warm, wet folds of her labia. His fingers immediately became wet and sticky as he worked his way through them, rubbing every inch. Eva moaned as he continued to tease her. Finally he found her opening and slid his middle finger in, finding his way deep inside her. She let out a sharp breath and clamped down on his cock, sucking it as hard as ever. He began to rapidly fire his finger in and out of her, enjoying every moment as she moaned in between slurps.
Finally she pulled back and moaned, "Oh, fuck," as she squeezed his cock with one hand. She looked down at him, lust in her eyes, as she swung one leg over him. He took in a sharp breath as she lowered herself onto him, his cock easily fitting inside her inviting opening.
"Oh, fuck," he said, echoing her earlier sentiment.
It was as if he was made for her, because he fit perfectly inside. She began to rhythmically sway back and forth on top of him, her breasts slowly heaving up and down as they mirrored her motion. Rowan had his hands on her hips, moving her back and forth on his rock-hard rod. He moved his hands to her rear, squeezing with all his might. She gave a little yelp and looked down at him, a smile on her face.
"Watch your hands, mister," she said, breathless.
"I'm just exploring," he said.
"Then explore away," she said, picking up the pace of her riding.
Rowan reached up and squeezed her breasts as she began to rock back and forth on him faster and faster. He could feel her grinding hard into his cock, her ass touching his balls each time she came down. She was staring to bounce rather than sway and her breasts were bouncing up and down with speed.
Fuck, he thought, looking up at the two perfectly round tits in front of his face. I can't take it anymore.
He was going to explode, but he knew Eva wasn't ready. Normally he would just selfishly finish and be done with it, but not this time, not with this woman. He wanted Eva to enjoy every second, to get everything she wanted out of him.
He closed his eyes, trying not to look at the amazing beauty whot was currently fucking him with everything she had. With his eyes closed he let his hands explore her body. They travelled up her hips, feeling every curve, before grabbing her shoulders and then moving back down to her breasts. They both felt so soft, and he couldn't help but give them a hard squeeze. She yelped, but continued to ride him. His thumbs worked their way around to her nipples, flicking across them. He could feel how hard they were, just like his engorged member.
His eyes shot open. He couldn't hold it back anymore. She was riding him like nobody ever had before, and he couldn't hold it in.
Just as he felt his balls tighten and the veins in his cock bulge Eva began to moan louder and her pace quickened even more. She was right on the edge of glory, just like he was. Rowan kept trying to hold it back, feeling the cum pool inside of him. Finally, with an explosion, Eva screamed into the mid-afternoon sky as her orgasm overcame her. At the same time Rowan let out an inhuman growl and his entire body stiffened as his love exploded into Eva's tight crevice.
He instinctively lifted his rear off the ground as his whole body went rigid, driving himself further into her. She had one hand on her breasts, squeezing a nipple and the other behind her head as she threw her head back. Finally she lowered, stopping her movement except for a few spasms as she looked down at him.
"Oh my," she said, still breathless.
"It was all you," he said, smiling. "I've never felt anything like that."
"Me either," she said, rolling off Rowan and onto the ground beside him.
Together they looked up at the sun poking through the trees and relaxed, enjoying the moment.
Rowan closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of the hot sun beating down on his face as it poked through the trees. This was paradise—being in nature with his mate.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. There was something else in the back of his head: love and happiness. He smiled as Eva’s emotions flooded into the back of his mind like a faint echo. He had done what all wolves did when they discovered their true mate: he had established a link between their minds and hearts. Some wolves called it a neural link and others called it a bond. Whatever the name it was all the same—Eva and Rowan were one. She had finally accepted him as her mate and completely given herself over to him, there was no going back now.
* * *
Eva sat up and stretched, looking back at her naked knight in shining armor—the best kind of armor, in her opinion. He lay on his back, an ear-to-ear grin plastered across his face, as he stared up at her.
"That was magic," he said, shaking his head back and forth. "My wolf will never let you go now."
"What about you?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" he shot back, rolling onto his side and propping himself up with one arm.
"You keep telling me your wolf has claimed me, like it's some sort of separate entity," she said, trying to hide the quiver in her voice. "Is it? You certainly act like it is."
"Sort of," he said, putting his hand on his chin as he thought. Finally Rowan sat up and looked at her, taking her hands in his. "It's hard to describe. It's like two halves of my brain, almost like a split personality. When I'm a human I can feel the wolf bubbling inside of me, wanting and desiring. He tries to drive my decision-making, intensifying his need to be released if I make a decision he does not agree with. When I shift I'm still at the controls, but because of the overwhelming animal instinct that takes over I feel like I'm watching through a viewing glass with limited controls. It's still me in both instances, but my brain reacts differently while I'm in each form."
"That's insane," she said, shaking her head. "How do you manage it?"
"It's just natural for me," he said. "Living in a city like a human really helps. The human part of me takes over, but out here in the wilderness, well, let's just say my wolf is beating down the doors to get loose. I sleep as my wolf every night, so he gets plenty more freedom than other wolves."
"Why do you sleep as your wolf?" she asked.
"It just helps," he said, looking off into the distance.
Eva knew this was a touchy subject and Rowan obviously wasn't ready to broach it. She knew he'd come to her when he was ready. As much as she had gotten to
know her new mate over the last three days, he was still largely a mystery to her, holding back something that was obviously a huge burden on him. She wanted to help, to tell him it'd be okay, but he didn't seem to be the type to open up unless he was ready.
"So your wolf claimed me," she said, looking at the ground before locking eyes with Rowan. "What about you? How do you feel about that?"
Rowan smiled and began rubbing her hands with his. "You think I wouldn't want to claim a woman with the bluest eyes I've ever seen? Eyes so beautiful all I can think about when I’m looking into them is diving in and swimming my life away? A woman with luscious curves in all the right places? Two long, thick, muscular legs leading up to the most beautiful body I've ever seen? And that smile, a smile that takes my breath away. That's all physical though. You really think I wouldn't claim someone who keeps me on my toes? Someone who’ll call me on it when I'm not being forthright? Someone who will make sure my head never gets too big? Someone tough and resourceful, with an iron will? Eva Thompson, I have claimed you, both as man and wolf. You’ve spent your whole life fighting for survival with no love to support you. It's time to end that fight, because you have all the love and support you will ever need."
Eva could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Everything Rowan said made her heart sing. No man had ever declared his love like this for her before. Was it destiny for her to meet this man? She didn't believe in that, but somewhere someone was smiling on her because she had received the greatest gift a woman could ever receive.
"Thank you," she said, diving forward and hugging Rowan. "Thank you for everything."
"My question to you, Eva Thompson, is this: have you claimed me?" he whispered into her ear.
Eva pulled away and looked at him, a little confused. "What?"
"I claimed you," he said, his face stone serious. "Have you claimed me?"
"I'm a human," she said, her voice trailing off.
"So? You live with a wolf now," he said, his voice unwavering. "Things will remain largely the same, but you have to learn to do a few things the wolf way. How to handle a relationship would be one of them. Your actions show that you have claimed me. When you took me earlier, that was staking your claim. My scent is on you and yours is on me. To everyone in Bucklin we are marked as mates now. Do you accept it?"