Wolf’s Heart

by Ruelle Channing

  She turned away to hide the flush that rose in her cheeks. Time to change the subject. She got up and started pacing.

  “Let me tell you what I have. I have what were normal, healthy adults from all over the country, from different walks of life, social status, and ethnicity that are showing up dead and missing their vital organs. Another obvious, someone started a black market on organs. Just for the sake of discussion let’s call it Kidneys ‘r’ Us. You gotta kid, loved one, anyone that needs a kidney and your doc can’t find a match. Call Kidneys ‘r’ Us and they find you one, I’m sure at a premium cost. I have a search running now to find out exactly who is behind MedVision. They have it pretty buried, a lot of fake corporations and fronts, but I will get through it. Then, we find the backer, expose them then I’m home free.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  It took a while, but when Carlee hit pay dirt, her face beamed. Ryden watched with pride as she told him what she’d found. All this time while she’d been working had been a trial of patience for him. He’d never wanted a woman like he wanted Carlee, and he had a strong feeling he’d never want for another. He still wasn’t sold on the whole mating thing, but regardless, Carlee was special.

  “Okay, so let me see if I understand. Not enough people come and register, getting the cash for their troubles, so they go another route. The drug, Smiles, is created and sold on the street to kids. They get sick and die. Well, not exactly die. Some of those kids have been missing for months. My guess is that whoever is selling the stuff waits and watches. When they finally start to die, they sweep in and stick them on a ventilator until they find someone with the cash. Organs are harvested and sold on the black market.”

  “Exactly. They are creating a supply for the demand!”

  “I knew you could do it, Buttercup, and you’ll figure out who is behind this.” On impulse, Ryden pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her. It was a quick kiss at first, but when he pulled back, her eyes met his and her tongue slipped out to wet her full red lips. As his eyes drifted downward, his fingers caressed her cheek and brushed her hair back from her face.

  “Are you ready, Carlee?”

  She didn’t speak, but her eyes drifted to his mouth and back up to his eyes. With a hand at her waist, he pulled her closer so she could feel the proof of his need for her. He wouldn’t force her, but with the scent coming off her, Ryden had a feeling she would be more than willing. “I can smell your need, sweetheart. You can’t deny it. You want me as much as I want you. Don’t think, just feel.”

  He could feel her body tremble but not in fear. It was anticipation. Her breath hitched as he leaned over and kissed her again. He could feel her hot skin beneath her shirt, and the urge to remove the barrier overcame his common sense. The shirt seemed to ease up of its own accord; her flesh trembled under his palm as his hands spanned her waist and pushed the shirt up over her head. He couldn’t explain it, but it seemed his entire life led to this moment. It was fate.

  The kiss broke as her shirt fell to the floor. He scooped her up, and carried her to the bed, their eyes never leaving each other. She clung to him, her hands running through his hair as he laid her down, pressing her back against the mattress. He would not take her quickly. They had been here before, but this was so far removed from those moments in time that he had to ask her again.

  “Are you sure? There’s no going back, Carlee.”

  “Y-yes, Ryden. Please...”

  And with those words, Ryden knew this was how it was meant to be. His mouth captured hers, but there would be no more teasing, slow kisses. This one was heated, claiming as his wolf was up front and center. No more lingering behind the man and letting him lead. This was his doing and he would be right there for the moment, and all the moments that followed. Their tongues tangled and somehow, they managed to get the rest of their clothes off as their bodies molded together.

  Perfect, that’s what she was. Pure perfection. Her fair skin was without blemish but for the faint scar that ran along her belly. She was petite, her stature shorter than Ryden’s six foot-two, but she fit like she was made for him. And maybe she was. His hands worshiped her, memorized every curve, the swell of her hips, firm breasts with nipples that peaked as his mouth brushed softly over them. He smiled when he saw the peach tattoo and was glad she’d never covered it.

  “Carlee, you’re so beautiful. My Carlee...mine.” The words came unbidden and were said with conviction.

  With tender kisses, his lips covered her body, teasing and licking until he found that sweet nectar at the juncture of her thighs. The smell was intoxicating, and he could see her cream as it wept from her core. He nipped at her thighs, leaving small bite marks along the way until his tongue finally tasted the ambrosia. The taste was pure heaven, and he couldn’t get enough. Her hands gripped his hair as she pulled him closer.

  “Ryden, oh God, Peach…yes...” Her words spurred him on as he tasted, bit and sucked at her swollen nub, stroked his tongue along the slit and then speared her with it until she finally came in his mouth as she screamed his name.

  As her tremors eased, he moved back up her body, suckling at one breast, then the other, all while his cock jerked. It throbbed painfully, but Ryden wanted this to last, to linger until they were consumed by need and lust. He wanted her to burn for him. She obviously had other thoughts in mind, however, as her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling at him until the head of his cock was coated in her cream.

  “God, Carlee, what you do to me, baby.”

  The air sizzled with excitement at just his touch. His hands were strong, callused yet soft as they moved across her skin. His eyes flared as he moved over her, the head of his cock resting right against her weeping core.

  Carlee could almost feel the wolf within him. It was something primal, as if she was connecting to Ryden on a level she never knew existed. She felt his hunger for her, his need as his tongue skated across her breasts. “Please, Ryden, I can’t take anymore…please.”

  His voice came out as a low growl, filled with lust and desire, and vibrated through her until she thought she would lose her mind. “You’re going to burn for me Carlee, only me. You are mine!”

  He groaned as he pushed the broad head of his cock at the entrance to her still quivering pussy. The way he said the word mine sent shivers through her. This was not the Ryden she remembered. They had been together before. This shouldn’t be new, but it was. It was different. He was different. He was everything, strength and power wrapped in a package that stole Carlee’s breath away.

  He leaned down and took her lips in a hungry kiss. “Are you ready for me, Carlee? God knows once I get started, there is no going back. I've waited too damn long to be inside you.”

  Her hands threaded through his hair. “Just stop talking and fuck me.” His hips pressed, and the large mushroom head entered slowly. Their eyes were locked together. Carlee moved her hips trying to adjust to his size.

  His teeth clenched. “Dammit, Carlee, don’t move. Your pussy is so damn hot and tight around my cock. I’m hanging by a thread here, baby. If you don’t stop, this is gonna end faster than either one of us want."

  Her hands reached up and grabbed his shoulders, pulling him to her. “I don’t want your control, I want you. Stop acting like I'm going to break.” That was all it took. In one thrust he was buried deep, every nerve ending screaming out for more. “Ryden! Please!”

  The orgasm was building inside her, she could feel herself on the edge of an explosion that just seemed to keep building in intensity as Ryden's cock moved with slow strokes. She knew he was trying to make her lose her mind. The burn that he had promised, he delivered. Her body shuddered beneath him as he moved inside her. Filled with his cock, his mouth on hers, their bodies moving in rhythm, she gave herself over to him. Her pussy began convulsing around him. Watching as he fought to keep his own control was the hottest thing Carlee had ever seen. His eyes were blazing as she arched, taking him deeper as he moved inside her.

  �
��Baby, you’re too damn tight, too sweet. I’m never going to be able to get enough of you.”

  Her heels wrapped around him and hips lifted. She battled to breathe as he began thrusting deeper and harder. He was claiming her body and marking her soul. Crying out as she was pushed over the edge, her body nearly convulsed at the strength of the release. "Ryden! Ryden! Oh God!" A growl rumbled from his chest, his body twitching as she felt him shoot his seed deep inside her. As he slowed his motion, Carlee pulled him down, his lips soft on hers as she smiled and they struggled to catch their breath.

  “I think I might like the new and improved Peaches.”

  Pressing his weight over her body and rolling them, his shaft still buried deep inside her core, he pushed the hair from her face as he said, “Don’t get too comfy, Buttercup. I’m not done with you yet.”

  Her head raised, eyes meeting his sexy wicked gaze as his hands moved over her ass. “That makes two of us.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ryden and Carlee made love until the early morning hours and then passed out from exhaustion. Or maybe it was just Carlee that passed out. He was tireless, insatiable in his need. It was more like a primal hunger had taken over, a need to memorize and claim every part of her body. With his teeth nipping at her shoulder, the low growl that would come from his chest pushed her farther than anything she had ever experienced. Sometime in the early hours of the morning as she snuggled against him, she had an epiphany. Ryden Coulter was back, and if he left her again, she didn’t know if her heart would survive.

  Carlee woke early, her body stiff and sore in all the right places. Lying quietly, she felt Ryden’s body cocooned around her as she listened to him breathe. Even in his sleep, he was keeping her safe and warm. She felt his chest rise and fall against her. There was no doubt in her mind that at the slightest noise or movement he would be awake. He would be her hero, her knight in shining armor coming to her rescue as he had the past few days. If she closed her eyes, she could still see him rushing her to safety when the car exploded, then watching with her heart in her throat as he cared for the burning man before coming back and whisking her away from any danger.

  They had been damn close when that car exploded. The burning man could have just as easily been him. She realized then that a conscience was a terrible thing. Ryden Coulter was exceptional. He needed to stay alive. He couldn’t risk getting involved in the mess her life had become and the distinct possibility that he would be killed. If MedVision found out about his existence and the unique qualities of his blood they would take him, and before they finished, death would be a small mercy. She fought to hold back tears as she realized she would rather live without him, knowing that he was out in the world someplace, maybe not exactly happy, but at least healthy.

  When he woke, she held her breath. He rolled her over, his lips coming down on hers in a blistering kiss that curled her toes. His hand moved down to the juncture between her legs. She was amazed at what he could do to her body with just a touch. He settled himself between her legs and slid easily inside her. She was so wet and ready for him. She inhaled deeply at the first thrust, every inch of him filling her core.

  Moaning, she said, “Well, good morning to you too, Peach.”

  He reached down and grasped her hips, pulling them up as he sank himself deeper inside her. His voice was sexy and playful. “Morning, Buttercup. Hmm...sore?”

  “A little...but it feels so good. Don’t you dare stop.” She hissed a bit as he slid deep inside her, stroking her until they were both gasping for breath.

  There was nothing hurried, no frantic need. He didn’t fuck her. There was just tenderness, a possession that, in the end, had her screaming his name as she gasped for every breath.

  Ryden had a smirk of satisfaction on his face as he rolled off of her, his calloused hands so gentle they nearly floated as they moved across her body. He acted as if he couldn’t get enough of the feel of her skin.

  “Tell ya what, I’ll give you ten minutes to rest while I shower. If you come in there with me now, I will be inside you again. We might get breakfast eventually.” Just the words sent shivers through her. “Maybe later, we can talk about this fascination of yours with my anatomy. Rest up, Buttercup. You’re gonna need it.”

  One final kiss and he went into the bathroom to shower, leaving her alone. For what seemed like long minutes she just watched the bathroom door. In reality, it wasn’t long at all. She knew this is what it would be like now. She would be alone, but Ryden would forever be in her heart and on her mind.

  Damn, she would miss him. She waited for the sound of the water before she reached for the phone and called a cab. She tip toed through the room, putting on clothes and tying back her hair. She knew she wouldn’t have long and would never make it on foot. Walking over to the desk, grabbing a pen and paper, she quickly wrote a note.

  Peaches,

  This is not a request: Do not follow me. This is crazy stuff going on. Not you and me but the other stuff. Ryden, no one can find out about you. No one can know that you healed me. I won’t put you in danger.

  She looked down at the page as tears dropped, smearing the ink. Holy shit balls, this was harder than she thought it would be. She wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand, then finished the note. She needed him to know, to believe, she would be okay without him.

  Girl Scouts’ honor, I will be careful. I know what I need to do. Thanks for everything, I will never forget you. Take care of yourself and eat more veggies.

  XOXO

  C

  She turned as a horn sounded outside their room just as the water shut off. There was no time to grab anything. Whatever she needed would have to be gotten wherever she landed next. She grabbed her purse, quietly opened the door and paused to look back at the bathroom. There was one thing she knew for sure. If she died today, she would be content, knowing how it felt to have belonged and to be loved unconditionally, even if for a little while. Closing the door quietly, she ran to the cab. As she closed the door to the cab, she looked back as the door to the hotel room opened. Ryden stood there in a towel, the look on his face could only be described as hurt and rage. She pounded on the window that separated her and the driver.

  “Mister, you seriously need to go, like now. Go!” The driver turned slowly in his seat, asking for the address as her heart caught in her throat. “Dude, unless you want that big guy ripping the doors off this cab, just drive!”

  The cabbie got the message when he looked towards the hotel and saw Ryden standing there. She was flying back in the seat after the driver dropped the car into gear and hit the gas. Turning back to watch, her eyes locked with Ryden’s, his fists now clenched, and his chest puffed out looking as if he might explode. She watched as he got smaller and smaller while they pulled away, not letting out a breath until they were out the parking lot and down the expressway. Only then did she give the driver the address. The first place she needed to go was back to where it all began. She needed to go home.

  Ryden stood under the hot shower and wondered, not for the first time, what was going through her mind. In his mind, nothing else mattered but keeping her safe and happy. He would gladly spend the rest of his life making sure of both. But was that what she wanted? How could he be sure? He wasn’t sure if this was love, but the feeling of belonging was so strong, there was no way he was letting her go again.

  Closing the bathroom door, he stepped under the hot spray of water. It felt good and he wished he had insisted she join him. He could just imagine pressing her lithe body against the shower wall, holding her hands above her head and melding their mouths together while he thrust his hips, driving hard into her sweet core.

  “Dammit...” His cock throbbed again. He needed her, he would never get enough. He used his soapy hand to stroke down the length of his shaft, hoping to relieve some of the pressure before he got out of the shower. As much as he would love to spend the day in bed with Carlee, he knew they needed to move again. They still we
ren’t safe.

  He stroked, getting faster and visualizing Carlee’s mouth as she took him deep, sucking him. He groaned out as he came on the shower wall, wishing he was deep inside her instead. With a ragged breath, he rinsed off and grabbed a towel. He didn’t bother drying before he opened the bathroom door.

  Ryden saw the empty bed as soon as he came out of the bathroom frantically looked around the small room. Carlee was nowhere to be seen. A car door slammed outside, and he rushed to the door as he wrapped the towel around his waist. There she was, looking at him through the cab window.

  “CARLEE!!” He growled as he watched her pull away, helpless to go after her. He could feel his wolf, so close to the edge, his chest puffed out as a growling shout rose up. “CARLEEE!”

  His heart felt as if it had been ripped from his chest, but he managed to get the cab number before it got out of sight. She looked at him through the back glass, her eyes wide, red, brimming with tears. He jerked away from the door, slamming it and began collecting their belongings. If he’d not been jacking off in the shower, he might have been able to stop her before she got into the cab. Now, he was fucked, trying to find her again.

  He was dressed and ready to leave in five minutes flat, and was just about to call the cab company when he heard Carlee’s laptop beep.

  It was then he saw her note sitting by the computer. She actually thought he wouldn’t come after her. How could she? He saw the tear drops that blurred the ink and brought it to his nose, inhaling her scent.

  “Mine!” It came out as a growl, and then he looked at the computer.

  She had a waiting message. Something she’d been looking for - the founders of MedVision. What he didn’t expect to see were her parents’ names, Carl and Ava O’Shannon. He knew there wasn’t much time. He had to get to Carlee, and fast. Closing the computer he stuffed it in his bag, running out of the hotel without even bothering to close the door. With tires squealing, he was out of the parking lot and dialing the cab company to find out where she had been taken. Giving the dispatch some bullshit story about the FBI, the address was given to him easily.