His tongue, wet and nubile, stroked over her clitoris, giving her that final push over the edge. She screamed his name as her orgasm tore through every inch of her body. Before the last flutters of her release had ceased, he pushed through the tightly clenching muscles of her sex, imbedding himself inside her to the hilt.
"Good."
River's single statement washed over her. Her face heated with a blush at the compliment. It was good, so good with him, better than anything she had ever felt. Her pussy clenched around him as he pulled out, scraping along the walls of her cunt, sending pleasure ricocheting through her every limb.
"Yes,” he rumbled as he stroked into her.
Heat washed across her skin as he plunged into her. Pleasure streaked through her nerve endings, singeing her skin, and her erogenous zones. Several of her manicured nails broke as she scraped the ties that bound her so tightly. As strong as the ties were, she was even more strongly bound to the man above her. Her body was tied to him.
Just as her heart was.
"Mine,” River groaned as he surged into her one last time. Lark broke into spasms as her muscles tightened with release. She turned her head to the side as tears leaked from her closed eyes.
Lark couldn't help wishing that she really was River's woman.
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Chapter Three
Outside Looking In
The moon was high in the sky, and the night was as dark and murky as ink. It was late. Keeping still, River listened to the sound of Lark's bare feet as she discreetly moved about the room. When he heard the slight creak of a door opening, River glanced at Lark in surprise. Oddly, the sight of her nude body, silhouetted by the moonlight streaming through the window, comforted him. There was no way she would be going far without any clothing.
River considered going after Lark, getting another taste of the pleasure to be found between her thighs, but decided against it. Lark had to be tired. Hell, he was exhausted. She was probably on her way to the restroom. Not exactly the best time for seduction, he thought wryly, as he settled more comfortably on Lark's bed.
Sleep had just begun to claim him when he heard the second sound of a door being opened. He ignored it and focused on falling asleep. He wanted to be rested when he woke. There were a number of fantasies and desires he wanted to explore with Lark.
There was no telling how long River drifted between sleep and consciousness. He only knew that the part of his mind that waited for Lark's return was never appeased. Unable to truly fall asleep, River decided to stop pretending and sat up. The menacing sound of a wolf's warning growl cut through the air when River realised that Lark was no longer in the apartment.
He could only scent traces of her distinctive aroma.
"Son of a bitch.” He stood and grabbed his pants. Hopping into the slacks, he made his way to the bedroom door. A quick glance and sniff at the entryway confirmed his belief that Lark had taken off.
River's initial thought was, she's afraid of what's happening between us. She had a right to be scared. River had played the part of Lark's asexual male friend their whole relationship. He was tired of it. His second thought made him pause. What if she's sneaking out to meet with someone?
The need for Lark had been so strong, River hadn't bothered to check if the coast was clear. He didn't stop and ask Lark if she was seeing someone. He'd simply taken what he wanted, her, and to hell with the consequences.
Now he found himself wondering if Lark had a boyfriend.
If she's running out to meet with another male...
River threw the front door open with a bang. He was halfway down the hall when it slammed back into its place. No doubt the neighbours heard the booming sound, but he didn't care. River was consumed with the thought of Lark and some unknown male together. His Lark.
He followed her scent until it took him down to the hotel's rear exit where it was strongest. For a moment River simply stood on the final step drinking in the perfume of her scent. It was intoxicating. Lark's aroma called to his inner beast, brought his animal to the surface.
The crisp sound of a wolf's howl cut through the fragrant, midnight air. River turned, tracing the source of the call. He found it at the entrance to the alley. A lone female wolf stood there. River glanced around the dark alley, eyes seeing more than a man, seeing more than even he normally did. His beast was climbing to the forefront. He needed to let him free.
River filled his lungs with air, once, twice, until he had settled himself and the wolf that lived inside. Teeth gritted against the pain of transformation, River unbuckled his pants and stepped out of them. Then, with a deep groan, he let the animal free. Searing pain stripped him down to his basest level of awareness. For just one moment, he was simply a man fighting the agonising pain of shifting as his limbs shortened and muscles contracted. With a groan, the man became the beast.
The savage sound of a wolf's demanding howl rent the pungent city air. When River lowered his snout and peered down the narrow alley, he saw Lark glance behind her in response. Her coat was a gleaming silver tone that seemed to distribute the moon's eerie light.
River took two measured steps over to her and stopped. There was something in her eyes that warned him away. He didn't like the sight. It brought to mind painful images of solitude. His mind flashed back to his earlier fear, and River couldn't help wondering if he was going to lose Lark to some undeserving male.
Mine, the wolf barked as a low, warning rumbled forth. At the coarse sound, the air in the alley altered, becoming denser and more dangerous. From across the chasm that separated them, River saw an answering change go through Lark. The pale grey hairs on her spine lifted in irritation for a split second. The reaction lasted long enough to give River a warning.
She's going to run.
No sooner had the words flittered through his mind than Lark took off. As he followed her out of the alleyway, the bestial side of his nature howled in pleasure at the thought of the chase. It seemed an eternity had passed since he was allowed to indulge the baser side of himself. The restrictions of city life had forced River to keep his wolf in check, but now, with the chase, River allowed the animal to roam free.
Ruthless need drove him. Muscles contracting and releasing, heart pounding with every step, River worked to close the distance that separated him and Lark. He had to conquer her, run her down and force her to acknowledge she belonged to him. The need to accomplish this was stronger than hunger, more savage than a sandstorm, and more relentless than a hurricane.
The wolf as well as the man needed to solidify that Lark was his female.
He followed her down the block, running past the sleeping bodies of the homeless, jumping over the trash that littered the street, and gaining on her with every moment. Instinct told River she wasn't running with all her might. She wanted him to capture her.
Lark turned and took a left. With a satisfied growl, River flew down the road. He already knew where she was headed. In his wolf form, Central Park was like a beacon to him. He could never ignore its lure. No doubt, the clean scent of the land called to Lark as much as it did him.
He found her, standing beneath a canopy of trees. The moonlight and the shadows danced around Lark, placing her on centre stage. For a moment, he simply stood at the edge of the field, pawing the ground as he took in the sight before him. Whether in human form or wolf, Lark always managed to bewitch him.
Unable to ignore the call that pulled him to her, River walked forward. Lark turned and watched him move closer. When River was less than three feet away, she turned and ran. Pleasure burst through him at the act. Although she wanted to be his, she wasn't going to make this easy for him. Besides, he liked being able to prove he could make Lark his.
The chase didn't last long, but it was immensely satisfying. Lark took River down a ragged path that forced him to fully exert himself. Just when he thought he was going to lose her among the foliage, he took a turn and sighted her. He leapt and tackled her to the groun
d. They rolled around, nipping and growling at one another for several rounds. Just when River started wonder if he was wrong to think that Lark wanted him, she submitted and lay upon the mulched terrain.
Mine. The word was full of wonder and satisfaction as it exploded in River's mind. Wonder, because River hadn't really believed that he would be able to capture Lark. Satisfaction, because Lark was his. After years of hoping and praying, he was finally going to make Lark his mate.
A low growl, so deep and sensual it seemed to personify desire, cut through the air as Lark turned her head to the side, baring her throat. The area where her throat met her front leg caught his attention and held it captive. Blood roared in River's ears as he stared down at the region.
Must mark. Must claim. The words were a steady, deafening chant in River's ears as he lowered his head and sunk his incisors in her flesh. The moment his teeth pierced her, River felt a change go through him. Instinctively, he began the Prayer of the Claimed.
As the last words of the Prayer of the Claimed drifted through his mind, the change went through River. He pulled his incisors from Lark's flesh and licked the area, knowing the antibodies in his saliva would heal the tear quickly. Slowly, he felt his limbs lengthening and his muscles thickening. Once the transformation was over, he looked down to find Lark in human form. She'd shifted too.
River's gaze strayed to the marked flesh at the base of her throat. From now until the end of days, Lark belonged to him. She was his mate.
"River?"
The softly uttered sound of his name drew his attention to Lark's mouth. God, how he loved her mouth, he thought as he lowered his head. “You're my mate,” River murmured before he slanted his mouth over hers. His tongue pushed past her parted lips to lave inside. River licked the succulent flesh of her inner mouth, roamed over her teeth before tangling his tongue with hers.
"Oh, River,” Lark sighed as she broke off their kiss. She placed her arms around his neck and pressed her face to his shoulder. Tender kisses rained upon every inch of his exposed flesh her mouth could reach. A shudder of jagged need ran through him at the feel of her lips against his scorched skin. He wrapped his arms fiercely around her, pulling her as close as their naked flesh would allow.
"Lark.” She turned her head to look into his face. Her eyes were luminous with the glow of the moon's light. Naked and pliant with only the night's shadows covering her body, she was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. His mouth came down on hers unable to ignore the hunger within.
Although River had shed his bestial form, something primitive and uncivilised fed his need. He had made Lark his mate. According to the rules of their respective packs, Lark belonged to him, yet something savage drove him. An unfed hunger blazed within River.
With a jolt, River realised he wanted Lark to love him as he loved her.
The tumulus desire inside was transformed into a raging need to make her feel as he did.
His fingers tangled in her hair and clutched her head as his mouth moved over hers. He slid first one, then his other thigh between her legs until he was fully situated between her thighs. River rolled his body forward so his lower body moved against hers. Lark moaned into the kiss as his fierce arousal rubbed against her cleft.
"God, I need you,” River admitted against her mouth.
"Yes.” Lark placed tender kisses across his shoulder and lower throat as she rocked her hips against his. “I need you too."
With a husky groan, River placed his hands on her hips holding them. If Lark continued, the night would end sooner than either of them would like. Once he stilled her ardent movements, he pulled back slightly and slid one hand between thighs. She shivered when his fingers caressed her damp sheath.
"You're so wet,” he murmured low as his excitement poured through him.
He moved his fingers over the folds of her sex, across the swollen bud of her clitoris, until Lark was writhing his arms.
"Oh God, yes,” she moaned. She lifted her head and brushed her mouth across his as she lifted her hips for his touch.
Basking in the desire he'd ignited, River parted his lips for her kiss. She drank deeply of him, her lips hot and her mouth rough. River groaned at the nature of the kiss. Lark was as far gone as he was. It was a heady thought.
"I want to take it slow,” he groaned against Lark's swollen lips. “I want you to feel the same. I need you to understand."
"Understand what?"
He didn't answer her. He couldn't find the right words to express what he was feeling—what he wanted Lark to know. So instead of explaining himself with words, River spoke with his body. One wide palm gripped Lark's left hip, and the other stroked his dick. Then, when he was no longer satisfied with staring at her sex, he pressed forward and moved his cock against the moist folds of her sheath. She trembled as his erection teased the lips of her cunt and brushed over her clitoris.
When she began to roll her hips, silently pleading with him, River lowered his cock and thrust into her wetness. He drove himself into her in one thrust and groaned her name when she contracted around him. She was so snug, almost too tight, but he didn't care. She felt so good.
Like home, he thought.
And Lark was home. The other half of his soul. His mate.
When you find that girl, no one else will matter.
River finally knew what his father had meant. He'd always thought he understood his father's words, but it wasn't until that moment that he realised he'd simply assumed his father was talking about the fact that he would be bound to his mate. The truth was his father always uttered the words with love. Old Man Stone had been talking about the love of his life, about what happened when he'd discovered the one woman who completed him.
Lark was that woman.
River's gaze raked over her, taking everything in.
Her face flushed with the heat of arousal, her skin was slick with the moisture of her desire, and her limbs were plaint with the weight of her need. “Please,” she moaned as she moved her hips against his, driving River further into her.
"Yes,” he answered as he moved within her, pushing past the rhythmically clenching muscles of her sex. Holding Lark's glittering glaze, he lifted her thigh so he could sink deeper with each thrust. They groaned in unison at the new level of their loving.
He surged into her and felt the carnal energy within spike. He was going to come. At the last moment he withdrew and released his seed on her inner thigh.
Making love outside, on a moonlit night felt right, but there was something to be said about doing it inside. At least in Lark's apartment, there was a ready supply of condoms for whenever the mood hit.
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Chapter Four
Emotions Under Pressure
River ran an unsteady hand through his hair as he peered down at Marilyn. The dog looked up at him with understanding eyes. He gave her a wry grin. Lark was nowhere in sight, and for the last five minutes he had been mumbling to himself.
"I'm screwed."
She perked up, ears standing up at attention. His smile widened. “I guess I've been talking to you, huh?” Marilyn took a step to him and leaned low. He scratched the area behind her ear. “You're going to be great, Marilyn. Going to make daddy proud."
His grin became full blown when she lifted her head at the word, ‘daddy'.
Lord, he couldn't wait until he had real children ... with Lark. He and Lark had been going at it for two days. They'd only left the loft studio to walk Marilyn and go through her routine. Otherwise, it had been two days of non-stop sex.
He wasn't even sure how he could walk.
Every inch of his body ached. Well, not every inch...
River jammed his hands into his front pockets and rocked on his heels as he pushed down the first stirrings of desire. He'd finished making love to Lark less than an hour ago. He'd caught her coming out of the bathroom wearing her bra, panties, and skirt. She had yet to decide on a blouse. Seeing those gorgeous breasts in her s
ee-thru black lace bra, plumped up until they looked like the most perfect chocolate chip tipped cupcakes ... He hadn't been able to keep his hands to himself. They'd ended up needing to take another shower. Separately.
He still couldn't believe how good it was with Lark. Yes, he loved her. Yes, he was sexually attracted to her. But the intensity of the rightness he felt when he thrust into her that first time they made love seared him to his soul. It was as though he'd come home after being away at war for years.
He couldn't wait to get back inside her.
He glanced at his watch. When he looked up he saw Lark heading towards him. He stilled as surging need enveloped him. A dark sound of need was torn from his throat. He could feel the wolf inside clamouring to get free. Fuck! He had it bad, and he had to get his beast under control.
Lark's gaze snapped to his. She came to a jagged stop and rummaged in her purse. She pulled out the floral scented perfume she had been carrying all day and sprayed herself head to toe.
River took a deep breath and calmed the raging desire inside. Yes, he was a werewolf, but he was a man too. He had to stop acting like an animal intent on fucking his way into history.
Lark slowly walked over to them. She stopped several feet away from him and snapped her fingers. Marilyn trotted over to her side. River caught sight of the large tremors that went through Lark's fingers as she petted the large, midnight-coloured dog. She was scared. The scent of her fear was strong, the emotion so thick he felt as though he was the one afraid of what was coming.
"Lark?"
She looked up, caught his gaze, and held it for a moment. His heart lurched at the panic in her gaze. She turned and quickly walked away. Marilyn started to follow her. “Marilyn, stay,” he commanded and pointed to the table they had been assigned. He passed the well-trained dog as he strode after Lark. He found her in the enclave leading to the restroom. She was heaving, taking deep, gasping breathes that forced her large breasts to bounce with every gulp.
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