Rescue in the Smokies (Durham Wolves)

by Becca Jameson

  He shook his head. “You’re not pregnant, if that’s what you’re worried about. But I wouldn’t mind.”

  “You wouldn’t mind? Serg, that’s insane. I would. I’m too young, haven’t even figured out what I want to be when I grow up. I’m not ready to have a baby. And how would you know if I was pregnant? It’s been like five hours since we had sex.” She glared at him.

  “I would smell it, baby. Instantly. I know everything about your body now. Well, most of it I knew before we mated, but now it’s increased in intensity. I’ll know when you ovulate and when you conceive. My senses are much more heightened than yours.”

  She shook her head at him. “That’s crazy. It’s impossible.”

  “How do you think animals in the wild seem to mate at just the right moment to have a litter each spring? They smell it. Women of all species emit pheromones that give them away. It’s just that human men can’t scent them like wolves can.”

  Fuck, that was twisted and insane and sexy and hot all at the same time.

  “It is kinda hot, isn’t it?”

  “Get out of my head.” She glared daggers at him around the humor she couldn’t keep at bay.

  “Never. I love your head almost as much as I’m growing to love the rest of you.”

  Silence stretched for several seconds. It was one thing to read and feel the love inside each other’s brains. It was another to verbalize it.

  “You’re tense.”

  “No shit. Who wouldn’t be?” Juliana still gripped the sheet as though it were a lifeline.

  “How about a massage? I could rub your back?” He pulled her gently by the legs farther down the bed. “Turn over. You can let your mind process all that info while I work my magic.”

  Yeah, like you don’t have an ulterior motive.

  “Well… Let’s see how it goes. Start with the massage.”

  Juliana blew out a breath and flopped onto her stomach. Would she have no private thoughts for the rest of her life?

  She gripped a soft, fluffy, down pillow with both arms and relaxed her cheek on the cool cotton material.

  As though he were a magician performing an act, Serg yanked the sheet from her body with a flourish she witnessed from her peripheral vision and tossed it aside to leave her naked.

  Her lips curved up slightly, and she let her eyelids flutter shut as he began his magic. Firm hands kneaded her shoulders and neck.

  Two seconds later he pulled back, muttering, “Just a sec. Don’t move.”

  Juliana was too comfortable to even raise her face. The bed dipped alongside her. With her eyes closed, she listened to the sounds of a drawer opening and closing and then a small pop. Lotion? That made sense.

  The swoosh of palms rubbing together and then, “Ahh.” She was in heaven.

  “Warming oil. You like it?” He chuckled, but his voice was low, gravelly.

  “Mmmm.” Don’t stop.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.” Firm hands spread out across her shoulders with just the right pressure, easing the tight muscles as they worked their way down her back, along her spine.

  Luxurious. Heavenly.

  “The best part about giving your mate a massage is knowing exactly how she wants it. I can read every emotion and tell when you need more or less pressure. That’s incredible.” The soothing words barely reached her ear.

  The man was thorough. He worked his way down her back and then began once more from her feet up. By the time he reached her center again, she was purring. Purring? Geez.

  Serg’s huge hands pushed up her thighs until they gripped her butt cheeks, his thumbs grazing precariously close to her sex on the way.

  Juliana spread her legs slightly, unable to stop herself. The entire scene was so sensual that she was burning hot with need. Her stomach clenched and moisture pooled between her legs.

  “God, Juliana. Your skin is so smooth. So beautiful. Do you know what you’re doing to me?” The husky words filled the silence.

  “You? What about me?” After all, I’m the one about to come from the massage.

  Sergius groaned aloud. In a swift change of tactics, he spread her legs and settled between them.

  The instant exposure made Juliana bite her lip and twist her face into the pillow for a moment.

  Palms pressed into her ass cheeks, spreading them over and over again until she suddenly found herself yanked from the death grip she had on the pillow when Serg grabbed both thighs and pulled her backward so her ass was raised in the air.

  “Ugh.” Her breath whooshed out of her as she propped herself up on her forearms to keep her face from holding up her body.

  “So sexy. I need you, Juliana. Just like this.”

  Was that a question? Because she couldn’t begin to hold a conversation right now, nor could she deny this man anything.

  The sound of a zipper filled the air, and then she lost contact with him for a few seconds while he discarded his jeans.

  Serg moaned and leaned forward to envelop her body with his, his smooth chest against her back, his cock bobbing between her folds.

  He reached around her with both hands and molded her breasts, squeezing and fondling them until her nipples ached with the need to be pinched. “Oh, God.” Juliana rocked forward on her knees at the sudden, firm sting that raced from her chest down to the apex of her thighs.

  The sex between us is going to be fantastic if everything I think becomes a reality.

  Moments later, her nipples were released as Serg trailed his hands down the path of her stomach, pulled her thighs wider, and feathered over the sensitive area between her legs that desperately screamed for attention.

  “Serg.” She nearly shouted his name, her legs trembling, fighting to hold her up.

  “Hmmm?”

  She leaned her forehead on the mattress between her hands to steady herself.

  A dance of fingers skipped around her clit, excruciating in their unwillingness to hit the right spot.

  Juliana wiggled her ass back and forth, trying to coax Serg’s hands to touch her where she needed it the most.

  Finally, he chuckled in his low, sexy voice and gripped her clit between two fingers while pushing a few digits from his other hand inside her burning center.

  She clenched his fingers with her pussy as they scissored, stretching her and forcing her to buck into his cock as it rubbed a path between her butt cheeks.

  “Please, Serg.” Her voice was a mere whisper. It didn’t matter. He knew what she wanted. And moments later, she was rewarded as he removed his fingers from inside her, dragged his length through her wetness, and then slammed into her until he was fully seated against her ass.

  With both hands, he gripped her hips and held her still against his groin.

  Ragged breathing, from both of them, filled the room.

  Finally, he released her hips, trailed one hand up her spine and held on to her shoulder as he began to move. Tingles traveled the length of her back where he’d made the slight contact. Her pussy clutched at him, begging for movement.

  And it was granted. A brisk pounding, in and out, that Juliana knew was the result of Sergius’s inability to control his need to have her, hard and fast and now.

  Her stomach clenched as she climbed around in his clouded mind and saw the desire he felt for her, making her chest pound in rhythm with his cock. He was so overwhelmingly attracted to her that the emotion stopped her breath in her throat.

  He was so close. Had been since he entered her. And she was relishing this new ability to feel his thoughts. It warmed her soul.

  And then he reached around and rubbed her throbbing clit. All thoughts vanished with a poof. “Come for me, Juliana. Come around my cock. I can’t hold back any longer.” He uttered the words through his gritted teeth.

  Juliana screamed, pressed her ass back as hard as she could and squeezed her eyes shut as the huge waves of her orgasm milked the cock inside her.

  Not releasing her clit from the continued assault of his fingers, Serg d
ragged the orgasm out for as long as he could until his own need forced him to grip her hips again and hold himself rigid inside her tightness while he came, pulsing inside her, plastered to her ass and thighs.

  As Juliana came down from heaven, she finally collapsed onto her stomach, sprawled across the cool sheets, gasping for breath. Her face burned, sweat trickling across her exposed cheek, and she was too weak to reach up and wipe it away.

  Sergius landed alongside her, his arm across her body, his breath blowing against her neck to tickle her skin.

  “Holy cow.”

  Juliana giggled, a deep, guttural sound. “I’ll say.” She attempted to breathe slower so she could speak. “Do you suppose it’ll always be like that?”

  “God, I hope so.”

  “Why would we ever leave the bedroom?” She twisted to her side and snuggled against him, her back to his chest.

  When his palm landed on her breast and grazed her nipple, she squirmed. How could that simple touch make her want him again so soon?

  Sergius jerked his hand away and laughed. “Nymph.”

  “Whose fault is that?” She turned again until she lay on her back and faced him, her chest still heaving. She smiled into his gaze and batted her eyelashes until he swatted her thigh.

  “As much as I’d love to do nothing all day but smash you into this mattress and fuck you silly, I need to help out around the house and barn some before Jaxon and Micah get miffed.”

  Juliana broadened her grin. “Hmm.” The image of him “fucking her silly” all day outweighed the wrath he might incur.

  “Stop thinking or I’ll never get out of here.” He sat up and glared at her with his brow furrowed in contradiction to the smile on his lips. “Go. Take a long hot bath. It’ll sooth your muscles. I’m going to head out to tend the horses and get as far away from your naked, sexy ass as possible so you can relax without me mauling you. ’Cause, baby, later I’m going to want to do just that, again. Eat you alive. Make you scream my name until you’re hoarse and the neighboring farm can hear you.”

  She gasped and silently berated her traitorous body for finding his words so arousing. Moisture pooled anew between her legs.

  Serg moaned and eased off the bed. He handed her the mug of coffee, now probably cool enough to drink. “Stop thinking. Bath.” He pointed toward the adjoining room and backed toward the door, grabbing his jeans along the way. “I’ll make you some breakfast and bring it in. Juliana…” His voice held a touch of warning. “You’re killing me. Go.”

  Like a castigated schoolgirl, she stood from the bed and padded toward the promise of warm soothing water. She didn’t hesitate to wiggle her naked rear at him on the way by, just to taunt him. He could be all high-handed if he wanted, but two could play at that game.

  “I put your things in the bathroom for you and washed all your clothes this morning. You don’t have much. We’ll go shopping later and get you some stuff. But at least you have clean shirts and shorts and underwear for now.” He still spoke to her as she disappeared from sight, his voice rising slightly. “Bra and panties are optional, of course.”

  Ha. Whatever.

  How was she going to get used to this?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Serg hastily prepared his mate a heaping plate of pancakes and bacon. With everything arranged on a tray, including juice, syrup, butter and utensils, he shuffled back to his wing and repeated the process of backing into first the room and then the bath.

  His lovely mate was leaning back in the tub, submerged up to her neck beneath bubbles, her eyes closed. She was so alluring. So peaceful for the nanosecond that lasted before she peered at him through one eye.

  “Just gonna set this here on the side. I’ll be out at the barn for a while. I’ll…know if you need me.”

  Juliana lifted her head. “I’ll call my girlfriends this morning. They’re probably pacing the floor right about now.”

  “Do you think they’re that worried about leaving you with me?”

  “No.” She grinned and lifted her eyebrows. “I think they’re going to pump me for details about your sexy body.”

  “Seriously?” Serg opened his mouth to continue but couldn’t think what else to say.

  “Don’t worry.” Juliana slunk back into the water. “I wouldn’t kiss and tell. At least not too much… Nobody would believe the last day of my life anyway.”

  As Juliana closed her eyes and sighed, Serg backed out of the room and shut the door. Even leaving the room didn’t keep him from craving her.

  As soon as he walked outside, he breathed deeper. The fresh air dampened the scent of Juliana now permeating his entire house and driving him to distraction.

  “Gonna help out today?” Jaxon came around the corner of the house, chuckling. He tipped his hat low over his eyes as he went by, but Sergius still saw the smirk.

  “You just wait, asshole. One of these days this is gonna be you, and I’m gonna laugh my ass off.”

  “No fucking way, bro. I’m staying as far away from women as I possibly can.”

  “Yeah, so was I, dipshit. Are you gonna stop helping James out when he needs us? Are you gonna stay out here and not go into town for groceries and supplies? You think I went looking for a woman?”

  “Maybe…” Jaxon’s answer was noncommittal. A single muttered word as he went by.

  Whatever.

  The dim light of the barn made Serg pause to allow his eyes to adjust from the blinding sun as he entered.

  “Morning, Serg. Oh, wait…” Micah made a big production of flipping his wrist in front of his eyes, “…afternoon. My bad.”

  “You too? Are you both about done getting your jollies off at my expense?”

  “Nah, give us a few more days.” He stopped sweeping hay from the entrance and looked up. “But seriously, Serg, if she makes you happy then I’m happy for you.”

  “Yeah, she’s pretty damn awesome. I’ll give you that. I’m one lucky bastard.” He turned to walk toward the stalls, adjusting his cock for the umpteenth time.

  “So, what do you think about McKinney?”

  “I don’t know, but it makes me nervous. Sure, we chased him out of this area, but he’ll be back. He wants something.”

  “Or someone.”

  “Yeah, that too. He can’t have her.” Serg grabbed a brush and rubbed down the sleek thoroughbred mare in the first stall. She turned her head, nudging his arm, and then neighed softly. He reached in his pocket for a sugar cube and gave it to her.

  “We’re going to have to be pretty damn diligent.”

  “I know.” He swallowed the frog in his throat. Even with all the teasing, his brothers would protect Juliana with their life. They were a family. No one messed with them.

  “You know we’d never let anything happen to Juliana, right?”

  Serg nodded but didn’t look back at his brother.

  “She’s family now. No matter what, we’ll protect her from the likes of Keeton McKinney. We just have to be smarter than him. Never leave her alone.”

  “What if he doesn’t give up?” Sergius pulled his gaze from the horse to Micah. How long would his brothers fight for his woman?

  “Then we don’t either, bro.” A short silence filled the lull before Micah continued, “We may have to figure a way to rid the world of a certain bothersome vampire.”

  Serg shuddered. He didn’t need to voice his thoughts. None of them had any idea how to go about that task. This was real life. They had no idea which legendary measures might work, if any of them would.

  Keeton stomped through the door of his Knoxville apartment and flung the grocery sack he was carrying across the room. Why did he have to choose eggs this time? Goddamn yolks ran down the wall and dripped onto the carpet. Fuck.

  He always stopped at the store to get a few items. Made him look like a normal bachelor to the neighbors even though he never ate the stuff. But eggs? This morning something nice and packaged would have been a better choice given his mood.

  Ke
eton dropped onto the couch and cursed those damn wolves. Motherfuckers had been meddling in his life for ten years now, ever since they’d decided to make their home in his territory. Saving damsels in distress like fucking heroes.

  Jesus.

  Usually he couldn’t give a shit. They weren’t worth his time. As far as he was concerned, they weren’t a threat to him so he didn’t intermingle with their kind unless they pissed him off.

  He laid his head back and closed his eyes.

  Those bastards had gone too far now. The redhead was his. He’d found her first. And that damn Sergius could rot in hell for all he cared. He’d get her back.

  He’d been developing a plan while he watched her sleep earlier, before he’d gotten too greedy, too close, and the wolves had come out of the house to chase his scent.

  He planned a distraction, something that would ensure the wolves would be too busy to watch her. Then he could move in and snatch her right from under their noses.

  First he needed to sleep. He wandered toward the bedroom and fell face first on the mattress to snooze the day away.

  That evening the tight little family with their new addition all sat down to dinner.

  Tension crawled across Juliana’s shoulders, radiating up her neck. She hadn’t spent much time with his brothers yet. She felt like an outcast with them. Not that they’d been rude, but this new arrival to the house hadn’t been in their plans.

  They smiled at her, but it appeared slightly forced.

  “So, you all read each other’s minds?” It couldn’t hurt to start a conversation.

  “How did you know that?” Jaxon asked.

  “When I first arrived yesterday all three of you stood in the driveway glaring daggers at each other. I realized later you two weren’t all that excited about my arrival.” She smiled and stabbed her fork into the steak on her plate. The tender red meat tasted as good as it smelled, and she wasn’t about to let it get cold. “You hadn’t planned to have a woman in the mix.”

  “Ah, but you misread us, Juliana.” Micah reached for a roll, which he proceeded to toss back and forth between his hands as steam rose into the air. “We love having you here. It’ll keep our older brother off our back. In fact, in the twenty-four hours since you’ve arrived I can’t remember a single time he’s growled at me. How about you, Jaxon?” Micah chuckled.