Ellida

by J. F. Kaufmann

  Time stopped. Neither of them knew how long they stayed in the bathroom. When they came out, the sun was setting, bathing their bedroom in golden light.

  Jack walked Astrid to the bed, looking into her eyes again. One moment, they were blue, the next they were amber. Both spirits were still there, alert.

  “Let me lick you dry,” Jack said and covered her mouth with his. Astrid’s lips automatically parted, taking him deep inside. He moved down to her throat and shoulders.

  “Come here, baby,” he whispered a bit later, pushing her gently toward the middle of the bed and sliding in beside her.

  So, this was the big night, Astrid thought, smiling. Well, so far it was better than in her dreams. She let out a deep, satisfying sigh and dived deep into the pleasure of Jack’s hands and lips on her body.

  A little bit later—or much later, she wasn’t sure, and it didn’t matter—on the brink of release, she said, panting, “Jack, I want you inside me. Is it okay now? I’ve been longing to feel you inside me for such a long time. I can’t wait anymore.”

  “It’s okay, baby. In a minute. Before that… Astrid, I touched and kissed every part of you. You need to do the same before I take you. Don’t ask me how I know. Just a little touch of your lips, Astrid. Could you do that for me?”

  She opened her heavy lidded blue eyes. “Shhh, stop talking. I don’t have much experience, but I do want to do that, Jack. I would do anything for you. I love you insanely. I want to taste you.”

  She closed her eyes and lowered her head. Her lips parted taking him inside. Imagine it’s a popsicle, she chuckled silently remembering her dream. A very big popsicle, indeed, she murmured to herself. She licked him, sucked him, kissed him, enjoying the tangy and salty taste Jack was leaving on her lips and tongue.

  “It’s okay, Astrid. I want to take you now. I want to be inside you, baby.”

  She looked up at him and blushed. “Do you remember what I told you when we were in the cabin? About our first time?”

  Jack let out a short laugh. Pulling her up onto his body, he swiftly rolled with her, until she was lying on her stomach. “I’m glad you brought that up, Miss Spock. That will save me unnecessary explanations. It’s been a long foreplay, sweetheart. It’s too much pressure for you. On your knees, love.”

  Jack pulled her toward him, parting her thighs, exposing her shiny, moist sex to his view.

  “Magnificent,” he murmured, and pushed gently inside her slippery cleft.

  She immediately felt Jack swell inside her and her body’s automatic adjustment to him. It was a wonderful, fulfilling sensation, exactly like in her dream.

  So they do have the knots, although it feels like it is more around the top than at the base, her rational brain concluded. The rest of her surrendered to the deep pleasure of Jack’s hard flesh inside her hot, thirsty womb. Stroking her breasts, squeezing them gently, rubbing her swollen nipples and kissing her shoulders, Jack moved inside her in long, deep, even strokes.

  His head dipped and bit the soft curve of her neck, not painful, and not gentle either.

  She moved her hips faster in response to the ultimate pleasure, eliciting Jack’s deeper and harder penetration.

  “Am I hurting you?” he said in hot, throaty voice, very close to her ear. His teeth continued to nip her neck, keeping her torso firmly pinned to the mattresses to control her movement.

  “No, oh, no… just don’t stop. Hold me, Jack. ” Her voice was thick with a primal satisfaction, yet light with joy and excitement at the same time. “Oh, Jack, it’s too much!”

  “I have you, baby…”

  They moved their bodies toward climax in a perfect rhythm, like two lovers who instinctively recognized each other’s deepest needs.

  Astrid moaned and cried, aware of Jack’s heavy breathing and the frantic pounding of his heart, pressed to her back. A split second before Jack released her neck and started spilling himself into her, and her own climax swept throughout her body, she heard her wolf howling, joining her mate. And then time and space shrank into a single, white, pulsating star, and exploded, pulling them both into oblivion.

  “WHAT HAPPENED, Jack?” she whispered a little bit later, still lying on her stomach, Jack’s solid, warm body sprawled over her. “I lost a piece of time again.”

  He laughed deeply, with an unmistakable note of male pride in his voice. “You passed out for a moment. Sometimes, if your orgasm’s hard enough, you can pass out. You know that; it’s a medical fact.”

  “I knew that theoretically,” she murmured back.

  “Now you know it empirically as well. How are you feeling, baby, passing out aside?”

  She giggled. “Like a million dollars!” She turned her head and kissed him. “Jack, you just knotted me, on top of everything, right?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “It feels wonderful, but your knot is in the wrong place.”

  “It is not! It’s right where it is supposed to be!”

  She laughed hard, head buried in the pillow. “Okay, okay,” she said, catching her breath. “It’s not where I expected it to be, that’s what I was trying to say. It’s on the head of your penis, not on its base, like in wolves.”

  “That’s because I’m not a wolf, darling. In fact, the gland starts at the base and runs to the top. It makes the penis thicker, but as you could feel, it locked the top inside your womb, not the base, as if in wolves.”

  She stirred under him. “I had a dream once about it, but I don’t recollect where it was. I want to see it.”

  “You continue wiggling your little ass, and you won’t see it for a long time. You can have a close examination, I don’t mind, once we’re unlocked. And I want to hear about your dream.”

  “Maybe one day. A knot at the base, once locked, would actually restrict the movements, making them quick and short, right?”

  Jack laughed and gently bit her shoulder. “I don’t know, love. I don’t have that type of knot on my dick. And I believe I’m exactly the opposite of quick and short.”

  “Oh, I couldn’t agree more, Jack Canagan,” she said, and then continued murmuring something into the pillow.

  “What did you say?”

  I said, “You’re long, thick and hard, just the way I love it.”

  “Thanks, ma’am.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, I suppose my womb is adjusted to accept it?" [<--]

  “Correct.”

  “But my uterus doesn’t look different than humans’.”

  “It’s a sort of ‘anatomy on demand’. It’s relevant only when you have sex with a werewolf.”

  “Ah. What about werewolf men and their non-werewolf partners?”

  “Sometimes the gland spontaneously swells with other partners as well but usually there is no locking. They feel us like, well, a plus-size. Some say a woman has to have some of our blood in her to ‘turn on’ her partner’s gland, but I’m sure it happens with anyone you deeply care about. When we give all we have.”

  “When we all give what we have…” Astrid repeated softly. “What a way to say it, Jack! Beautiful!”

  “It’s true. Not that we have a prejudice against casual sex, not at all, but for us, love and sex often come in the same package.”

  “Well, it suits me, for sure. Back to the knot, is it the last thing I need to know regarding our sex life?”

  “I saved the best for last. You know that we have an above-average sex drive, don’t you?”

  “I can live with that. What else?”

  “We like variety, we like spontaneous sex, anytime, anywhere. Pretty much all that kinky stuff you’ve been mentioning all the time… Let me see your eyes, baby.”

  Astrid turned her head and looked at Jack. His own darkened eyes indicated his wolf was close. “Why are you checking my eyes all the time?” she said.

  “They’ll tell us when your spirits are finally connected.”

  “They’ll change permanently, won’t they?” It was more a rhetorical question. “I’m wo
ndering what the new color would be.”

  “I’m pretty sure about the new color, but let’s wait a few more hours.”

  Astrid tightened her inner muscles. Jack was still firmly locked inside her.

  “How long does it take?”

  “For the knot to release? Depends. We can release it very quickly manually. You’ll hear a loud pop. Do you want me to?”

  “No!”

  “Normally it takes ten minutes to half an hour.”

  “And what will happen then?”

  Jack gently kissed her shoulder. “Then the pressure will start to build up again, and we’ll make love again. I have to bring you to release every time, as often as possible. As often as you need it, in other words. You must not wait long between the two orgasms because too much arousal can be hard to deal with for both of us.”

  A tiny alarm went off in Astrid’s head. “Are you going to be okay, Jack?”

  Instead of answering, Jack concentrated on her earlobe, nuzzling it gently. “Mmm, delicious… I’m sure I am.” To back up his last statement, his flesh started swelling inside her again.

  “Wait, wait, turn me around first,” she said, amused. “It’s my sexual energy that’s supposed to build up in no time, not yours.”

  Jack laughed and stopped moving his hips. “You’re right. Tonight is all about you. Tomorrow I’ll show you my sexual energy in action.”

  “Jack, I’m serious. We don’t need to have intercourse every time I need release, right? You can help me in other ways?”

  Jack laughed. “Astrid, it’s you who need to have sex all night long, not me. I’m just an enthusiastic participant. We can do that in alternative ways, oral option being my favorite. And it seems you also liked it.”

  “I know I need more practice, Jack, but yes, I liked it a lot,” she said, feeling suddenly shy.

  He moved his lips to her ears and whispered, “And I liked what you did a lot, you know? I don’t care how much experience you have. It was the best experience for me.”

  Astrid chuckled. “I’m glad you liked it, but I’m sure it was my wolf doing it, not me.”

  “Oh, that was low, Miss Spock. You did it and you liked it. I’m wondering what your wolf has to say about it.”

  A deep, sensual laugh came out of Astrid’s throat, announcing her ever so close wolf.

  “We loved it, Jack. Both of us.” She paused and the color of her voice changed slightly when she continued. “Jack, please make her join me. This is crazy. She’s so happy with all this attention she’s getting, I’m not sure she’ll let us connect.”

  After a while, the knot eased, and Jack slid out. He rolled them until Astrid was on the top of him. He framed her head with his hands, studying her face.

  “You are staring into my eyes again.”

  “No, I just want to tell you how much I love you.”

  He closed his mouth over hers, in a deep, sensual kiss, a sweet aftermath of their lovemaking.

  AS JACK had predicted, the pressure quickly continued to build, demanding to be released. Both Astrid’s spirits stayed close to the surface. To the naked eye it was hard to tell which one was dominant at a certain time. Astrid’s sexual response was a better indicator: the wolf was more open, noisier, wilder, more demanding. The other Astrid was incredibly gentle, soft and passionate in a different way. A totally explosive combination, Jack happily concluded.

  Between lovemaking, they ate, rested, talked and bathed, alternating between Jack’s shower bathroom and Astrid’s king-size claw foot tub. Astrid was releasing an incredible amount of energy, and she needed plenty of food, but this time she didn’t want meat and opted for light meals.

  “Surprise me,” she said to Jack that evening when he asked her to be more specific. “Something nice but quick, because I think it’s building up again.”

  Jack made tagliatelle with black truffles, the tastiest pasta Astrid had ever tried.

  She drank a lot of water, and even took a few quick naps. Within hours, her temperature dropped to a normal level, there was no pain, discomfort or muscle weakness. She was bursting with life and energy.

  The curtains were pulled back, allowing the silvery light to spill all over the room. The moon, a swollen, pale-yellow melon, just one night away from its full, perfect orb, shone in the ink-black sky, but this time it didn’t affect Astrid. Her wolf was happy in her human body, as her human soul was finally at peace with her wolf self.

  Every time Astrid’s and Jack’s bodies joined, every time Jack brought her to another climax—sometimes explosive, sometimes gentle like a touch of the feather—more and more of her two spirits merged, answering to their own needs and to the presence of Jack’s spirits, both human and animal.

  It was the first time Astrid was able to clearly see Jack’s beast in its human form close up: strong, brave, possessive, protective, smart and fast. And all hers. Completely, absolutely, entirely hers.

  She could also sense his almost century-long human loneliness, which had vanished the night they’d met each other. She understood the feelings he had for other women in his life—attraction, affection, loyalty, friendship—but she knew that only with her had he found everything he’d always dreamt of: a love that made him complete. It was their bond, of course, but the tie between them ran even deeper, connecting them to the time of Illeani and Harlan. They were an incarnation of the sacred union of an asanni and a blaidd, a wizard woman and a werewolf man.

  “Jack,” she whispered in a raspy voice, reaching for him. “I think I’ll need you again. God, are you going to be okay?”

  “The night is young, my love.” He kissed her gently, staring into her eyes that were shifting toward a green hue. “As long as you need me, my queen. How do you want me this time?”

  “Oh, just kiss me. Everywhere. It’s so nice when you kiss me.”

  “My love,” Jack kissed her temples, lips, breasts, stomach, hips...

  She was so arousing and sexy with that uncontrollable lust no other man could satisfy, Jack thought, his chest swelling with primal, almost animal gratification. She was his woman, the other half of his body and soul. His Astrid, so soft, so open, so ready for his hands, his lips, his hard flesh. His lover, his friend, his joy. His wife.

  He dipped his head and found her moist, hot opening. He sucked her, and licked her, lazily traveling between the silky folds of her flesh with his tongue, circling the sensitive nerve-rich pearl until she tilted back her head and cried out aloud, fingers tangled in Jack’s hair.

  “I’M TIRED, Jack,” she said sleepily a little bit later. “And I’m afraid it’s not over yet.” She sighed and closed her eyes, nestling in his arms.

  A thought flashed through her mind and her body stiffened. “Jack, we didn’t use any protection. I can’t get pregnant tonight, can I?”

  He stroked her face. “No. Not in the pseudo-estrous phase. And we aren’t supposed to use a condom. Tonight we’re marking each other.”

  “Okay,” she said, relieved. “But starting tomorrow, you’re gonna get dressed first, okay?”

  Bracing himself on his elbow and hovering over her, he said with a feigned sigh, “You don’t think I maybe deserve a break tomorrow?”

  Missing the phony tone in Jack’s voice, Astrid stuttered, “Oh, I’m sorry. Of course!” Then she saw him shaking with laughter.

  “You bloody, over-confident, over-masculine… big bad wolf!” she screeched, bursting with laughter.

  “And if you think you can mess with him, it’s better to teach you a lesson right away.”

  Strong white teeth flashed between his parted lips and the corners of his mouth curved into a predatory grin. In one swift movement he was above her. His amber eyes darkened. He lowered his head and—blew a raspberry on her tummy!

  “That tickles!” Astrid shrieked and laughed, wiggling under him and feeling his renewed erection.

  “YOU WON’T end up as a redhead, so you’ll be able to wear pink, but I can’t do anything for your blue eyes,” Astr
id’s wolf suddenly announced in the wee hours of the morning.

  “Thank you,” Astrid said, truly grateful. “Tell me, how long will Jack need to make love to me? Do you plan to connect with me or you are simply having fun?”

  “Oh, I am enjoying it, for sure. Not too long, don’t worry. Does he look he has any trouble keeping us happy? He loves it! Look at that satisfied grin all over his face.”

  Astrid turned her head to face Jack. He was smiling, indeed. His eyes were bright liquid gold, his hair tousled and his body strong. She bent her head and buried her nose in his neck. He smelled of musk, rain and sun.

  Her wolf laughed in her throaty voice. “One more time, Astrid, and I’m coming home. Pinky promise.”

  “I love you, Jack,” Astrid said, and moved closer. Her hand stroked his face, tracing the line of his strong jaw.

  Jack closed his eyes surrendering himself to her touch. She kissed his closed eyelids and temples, and moved to his lips, soft and warm. “You taste wonderful. You smell even better. I think I’m in love with your scent. It turns me on… Oh, Jack, I want you!”

  Jack lay almost motionless. It was time for Astrid’s spirits to connect and she spontaneously took control over it.

  Astrid kissed his neck, his chest, his abdomen, slowly and steadily moving downwards. Jack let out a soft moan, still trying not to move, not to break the spell.

  He let her love him with the gentle touch of her soft, swollen lips and her tongue. Her hot mouth was his sanctuary, the place where he felt at home like nowhere before. It was her turn to bring him to the edge of the universe. She left him shuddering on its edge for a long, long moment, until he heard her voice, quiet, soft, alluring, calling him back.

  “I want you inside me. Take me hard, Jack. Make love to me like there is no tomorrow…”

  With a quick motion, he pinned her under his body and entered her in a single, hard stroke.

  Astrid could feel the knot swelling inside her, the incredible sense of being filled up completely, of being joined with the magnificent male body above her. She gasped in sheer delight, clinging to him, and then her lips sought his and claimed them in a ferocious kiss. Jack started moving inside her, in long, hard thrusts, reaching deep inside her.