She leaned her hips on the edge of the desk, surprised to find it took no effort to park her butt on the edge. Having always been average in height, she had to have grown at least four inches. No wonder her body hurt so much. The mutation had been extensive.
Matt stepped to her, leaned in, and lowered his eyelids as he sniffed. “I smell Reed, but something else, something metallic. Under those is the female. Where is your wolf hiding?”
Ariel chuckled and caught herself. “She’s not hiding. She’s clamoring to get out—trust me. I feel like she could emerge at any moment.”
Hearing her declaration, Matt moved even closer. Bracing his hands on either side of her body, he bent the attractive female backwards on his desk. It was the most excited he could remember being about having sex in years.
He was close to her mouth now. It looked delicious and he wanted a taste—wanted it badly. He wasn’t going to let her stop him from having one, but it was probably better not to announce it.
“I guess you smell good enough. If I can’t kiss your mouth, what can I kiss? I can’t be with a female without marking her a little. It’s just how I am. Call it an alpha thing.”
Ariel’s heart pounded. Her upper body was almost horizontal under his much larger one. The fire between her legs burned hotter than ever, but the rational part of her started having second thoughts. Sex with a stranger was always a bad idea. And this man had no reason to honor the limitations she’d set. What was she going to do if he refused to wear protection? She should have gone for the quiet man out front. He would have probably done anything she asked.
“You know, now that I think about it, I haven’t showered in two days. Maybe we should shelve this until I clean up a bit. Sex between us is probably a bad idea anyway. I’ve had a lot of those recently—like the one that brought me to Alaska in the first place. Will you back off and let me up please?”
She let go of holding her shredded coat together to push at his shoulders. The pieces fell to the sides, exposing her front. Matt smiled at what she’d revealed which just happened to be two of the most perfect breasts he’d ever seen in his life.
“Now I see the perfect thing to kiss. I accept your offer. I will put out your fire.”
Matt’s mouth moving down her neck to hover near one breast brought a whimper out of her. A fever of biblical proportions spiked in her body. Her nanos started break-dancing when she started panting. “Condom. Please use a condom. Trust me. I’m not worth the risk to you or your wolf.”
Matt wrestled his wallet out of his back pocket and handed it to her just before latching on to one nipple and sucking hard. He unfastened his pants and let the weight of his belt take them and his underwear to the floor at the same time.
Ariel’s hands shook as she unfolded the well-worn brown leather and pulled a foil wrapper from inside. She felt him switch his attention to the other breast, growling against her when she flinched. His tongue laving her stomach moments later had her trying to lift her knees. But she couldn’t let him go there—no matter how much she wanted him to.
“Let me do what I want,” he demanded, sensing how much she wanted it too.
Ariel shook her head. “I can’t. It’s too much of a risk. You’re just going to have to take my word for it.”
His hands pressing her hips into the desk were insistent, but he stopped licking her stomach and laid his head just above her pubic bone. “I smell the wolf now. She smells divine.”
“Thank you,” Ariel said in awe, handing the condom back to him. “Please put this on and relieve me of this torture.”
Matt was surprised to find his hands shaking as he sheathed himself with the protection he only used with human women. He hadn’t been seriously interested in the new alpha when they had first started, but after smelling her growing arousal he was the hardest he could ever remember being. It was obvious she was not going to allow him to taste her, not in any real sense. Yet their coupling could not be all on her terms. It just wasn’t something he could allow.
Lifting both her legs, Matt slid her up his desk. Then crawling on it himself, he straddled her body. Her look of surprise was priceless and he loved the challenge in her eyes.
“I can’t let you dictate everything. Tell me your actual name before we do this. I know it is not just Dr. Jones.”
“It’s Ariel. My name is Ariel. I graduated with a 3.8 GPA from Johns-Hopkins. I was married briefly, but left him after a year because he said I was boring. After that, I came to Alaska for stupid reasons. Next month I’ll turn thirty-four.”
“Umm. . .Ariel. I like the sound of your name.” Matt growled softly as he put one knee between her legs. She surprised him by lifting and shoving the other one there for him as well.
“Anxious, sweetheart?” he asked in a husky whisper.
“You have no idea how much,” Ariel whispered back. “And I can’t let you keep torturing me. You seem plenty ready and I’m dying here.”
Grabbing his hips, Ariel used them to drag his sheathed erection into her. Her body bowed as she held him in place and writhed on him. The first wave of fire quenching rolled through every cell. She vaguely felt Matt fighting her efforts to hold him still, but she couldn’t let him go until the wave had ebbed. Finally, her rapid panting settled into mild breathlessness, and she realized the fire had finally died down to something less than an inferno.
“Are you okay? I’m sorry I did that, Matt. I couldn’t help myself.”
His name was torn from her lips again when he pulled out and thrust back in hard, sheathing himself completely. It was so damn relieving, Ariel felt like crying. Her back arched to meet Matt’s nearly violent thrusts.
When that wasn’t enough for her, she wrapped her legs around his legs and let him move both their bodies. For the most part, she kept her eyes closed. It let her focus on the ease he was bringing her.
“Ariel—look at me,” Matt whispered.
His command broke her concentration and she opened her eyes to stare into his. His blue gaze glowed with tension as he slowed his pace, but thankfully he didn’t stop moving.
“Is this helping enough?” he demanded, keeping his strokes deep and possessive.
Her head nod against his desk prompted him to press down and hold her in place as she had held him. What had started as a lark had changed into something very different the moment he’d felt the intense fire inside her. The female beneath him was no simple werewolf. He’d been with plenty of those. Whatever the demanding female was becoming, he was suddenly very glad she’d asked him for relief with her burning time. The idea of anyone else putting out her raging fire didn’t sit well with him now. Neither did knowing with certainty that the alpha would have sought it from someone else if he’d refused her request.
Surprisingly grateful he’d made the spontaneous decision to be with her, he plunged hard and held still as he thought about his unusually strong reaction to her. “I will pleasure you again—as many times as you need. Don’t go to anyone else in my pack for relief. Promise me,” he ordered.
Ariel lifted hands and framed his face. It seemed strange to her that someone so commanding needed reassurance that he was enough for her. “Despite getting you onto your desk in the first half hour I knew you, I’m really not one of those women who routinely preys on men for sex. You have no idea how much what you’re doing helps. Already, the fire is dimming. I feel like I can make rational decisions again. I hope you have a couple of guys willing to do this for the two women with me.”
“My pack is mostly male. Many will be willing. If you and I are going to do this only once though, then I want to do it right,” Matt said, selfishly not wanting it to end yet.
He lifted Ariel’s thighs until her legs slid around his waist. The angle was the deepest he could go. She felt yielding and glorious—hotter inside than any female he’d ever known. He thrust hard a few times until he heard her whimper in pleasure. He lifted her hips with his hands and held her suspended for the next few plunges. She went nova
in his arms when he hit all the right spots for her. His elation required celebrating before he lost his usefulness.
Leaning forward, he thrust hard again and sent her over the edge completely. He took her mouth savagely in the middle of her climax absorbing her screams as he tasted her release. Her arms wrapped around him tightly. She kissed him back like he was the only man in the world for her. It was a thought he relished, even if he didn’t like relishing it for someone who was still a stranger.
Moments later he found relief himself, fierce like a rutting young cub. That peak was immediately followed by a sincere hope that he’d given her enough.
When they’d both calmed completely, he slipped out of Ariel’s now lax body and crawled off the desk. The condom had strained under what they’d put it through, but it seemed to have held up. Working it off as neatly as possible, he tossed it into the trash can under his desk.
When Ariel remained still and unmoving, he smiled in smug satisfaction and wished they were in his king-sized bed at home. Following an urge stronger than his common sense, he scooped Ariel off his desk and sat down in his large office chair with her cocooned in his lap. He wasn’t a cuddler after sex, but for some reason, he wanted to bond with the fierce female alpha just a little more than he had.
He bit back a growl when Ariel turned her face into his neck and snuffled happily. His wolf whimpered in satisfaction and he had a hell of a time holding the expression of his possessiveness in. Though still in shock at his wolf’s reaction, Matt hugged her a little tighter.
“Thank you,” Ariel said finally. “I feel much better.”
Matt nodded, his chin touching her forehead. “You’re welcome.”
“Since you kissed me, I’m going to have to get a blood sample tomorrow and see if you picked up any nanos through my saliva. I don’t know what they’ll do to you if you did. I warned you not to kiss me, though I’m not sure all the things your tongue did in my mouth fit the description of the term.”
Matt ignored her teasing to focus on what she’d shared. “Nanos? Like little robot things mad scientists inject into your body to heal you? I thought they were science fiction.”
“They once were. Now they are science fact and just as real as werewolves are. Funny how someone trying to kill me wiped my disbelief about werewolves completely away even before I turned into one.”
Pushing away from his chest, Ariel took a deep breath and slid off his lap. Being comforted by Matt was nice, but Reed was still in trouble. And she needed to check on Brandi and Heidi. The urge to take care of them was too strong to fight. Walking to where the ugly coveralls lay on the floor, she shrugged off the ruined lab coat. She heard Matt hiss when her bare backside came into view.
“Once was not enough for me, Alpha Ariel.”
She wiggled the restrictive clothing up over her rear-end, zipping it before turning around. “You’re just as nice as Reed said you were. And if I need sex again, I’ll definitely let you know—and only you—because I promised. But right now, I’d like to go see if Reed is going to make it. I’m worried sick.”
Matt nodded and stood. With evidence of his renewed desire jutting in her direction from under his flannel shirt, he stiffly walked to the end of his desk. He turned his ass to her as he stepped into the pile of clothes he had fastidiously dropped there earlier. Her grunt of frustration made him grin. Yeah, Alpha Ariel might not be admitting it at the moment, but once hadn’t been enough for her either.
“Are you going to tell me your real story now that I’ve put out your fire?” he asked. “It seems a fair trade.”
He turned to face her to, let her watch him tuck his straining erection away before zipping his jeans. His mouth twitched as Ariel’s gaze darkened with lust again. He wasn’t surprised when she shook her head and said “not yet”.
He’d never let great sex change his mind about important things either. No alpha would. His respect for her nearly doubled, as did his determination to get inside her again.
“We’ll find something better for you to wear later. What did you do? Break out of a hospital? I saw the other women had on lab coats too. I’m guessing they were the only clothing you could put your hands on when you ran away.”
“You would be guessing right about the only clothing available,” Ariel said. “I’ll tell you the rest some other time, preferably after I’ve talked to Reed. It’s his story to tell as much as mine.”
Matt walked to her and yanked her into his arms for a hug, just to make sure she would let him. Arial fought for an instant by grabbing his arms to push, but finally relaxed and let him soothe her. It was a small skirmish over power, but he was happy when she hugged him back.
“I want you to consider me a friend, no matter what happens—or doesn’t happen—between us in the future. Reed was right to send you to me. I just can’t believe he’s still around here. Some grandson of his is now alpha in his pack. They’re up north and keep to themselves, out in nowhere land. His last mate died a few years ago and afterward Reed took off. When he passed through here, I recognized he was an old alpha and made him welcome. He told me he was tired of all the responsibility. That’s why he left his pack.”
Ariel nodded as she pulled from Matt’s arms. “That’s exactly what he called me—his responsibility. I asked if he was my father now or something. I think he laughed, but I couldn’t tell. He huffed like a dog panting.”
“Sounds like Reed,” Matt said. “We are the closest pack, so his decision was wise, especially if he is dying. I’m glad he sent you to me. I’m glad to help—and for the record—the sex was outstanding.”
Ariel chuckled. “Thanks. I haven’t been with anyone since my ex-husband. You were pretty good too.”
“Pretty good?” Matt repeated, sputtering at the low praise. “An alpha is never just pretty good. Try for a better description.”
“Yeah, it sounds like your ego really needs it.” Ariel laughed genuinely as they hit the cold air.
Matt motioned to a giant SUV. “It’s not far, but you don’t need to walk in your socks.”
Ariel looked at her feet once she was inside the vehicle. Matt turned it on and blasted her feet with heat. She raised her head and smiled at him in gratitude.
“Two days ago, I was at least four inches shorter and my feet were much smaller. I don’t even know if I’m done changing yet. You’ll never believe what keeps running through my mind.”
“The urge to kill when things don’t go your way?” Matt suggested.
Ariel turned an interested gaze to him and nodded. “Yes. Exactly.”
“Alpha problem number one. What just happened between us can be problem number two for a young alpha trying to keep desires in check. If you’re a genuine were now, you’re in for a few more of those sort of problems. Not all of them are this intense.”
“Great,” Ariel said, smacking the back of her head against the leather headrest. “Maybe it’s the great sex talking, but I’m glad we ended up here. Reed said you would turn out to be a friend.”
Matt looked at the female he still desired. “With benefits,” he said solemnly. “I want you to be a friend with benefits. Your presence as my consort will temporarily keep the other females from thinking I’m ready to mate. I’m only seventy-five. My father lived to be four hundred and thirty. The last thing I need right now is permanent responsibility for a female and a bunch of pups.”
Getting a laugh out of her as she shook her head made him smile. “What’s so funny?”
“The last thing I want is another relationship. And I have no idea how long I’ll live. When the nanos start to die off, changing into a wolf may kill me or become permanent. If that happens, I’ll probably get nabbed by Alaskan hunters. I want to go back to Anchorage in a bit and see if the creepy place I worked is really shut down for good. Escaping means nothing if they start up their work all over again.”
Matt nodded, more anxious than ever to hear her story. “When it’s time for you to check, I’ll take you. You might nee
d to wait a week or so. Things happen really slowly up here.”
Chapter 5
Inside the medical facility, Ariel found Brandi and Heidi sipping coffee in some sort of waiting area. Someone had found uniform pants for both of them. They looked like Crane and his asswipe assistant, but she wasn’t going there, no matter how much she wanted to order the women to take off the clothes. Knowing they had obeyed her every utterance nearly without question so far, she was going to have to bite her tongue really hard.
“As soon as Reed is out of danger, we are all getting normal clothes. Matt offered and I accepted.”
“We look like Crazy Crane dressed like this, don’t we?” Brandi demanded. “I see it in your eyes.”
Ariel put a hand on Brandi’s arm and lied. “Not even on the worst day. How’s Reed doing?”
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