by Anne Kane
Nikki turned to smile gently at Aaron. “Thanks for coming tonight. Maybe next time you’ll play for us.”
“Yeah. Sure.” Aaron ducked his head as he turned back into the room. “We’ll see.”
Nikki included Wolfe in the smile and his heart did a little flip-flop.
* * * * *
“I’m not leaving you here alone.” Wolfe stood in the kitchen of the small cabin, arms crossed stubbornly on his chest.
He didn’t argue, didn’t explain, and didn’t give her a chance to push home her point. He didn’t plan to negotiate away her safety. If she wouldn’t come to stay at his place, then he would stay at hers. If she didn’t like it, too damn bad.
The intruders from earlier in the day had disappeared without a trace, but he had a bad feeling. They could come back at any time and whatever they were after, it wouldn’t be good.
You think you can just stand there like a statue of a Greek god and tell me what to do? Damn, you’re annoying.
Wolfe raised one eyebrow as her thought drifted through his mind.
Nikki stomped one small foot on the floor and glared. “Get out of my head and my cabin.”
“No.”
“Fine! I’m too tired to argue with you.” Nikki turned on her heel and stalked into the living room. “The sofa is lumpy or the floor is hard and cold. Your choice.” She opened the hope chest in the corner and produced a pillow and comforter. Turning, she tossed the bedding onto the sofa and headed for her bedroom. “Sleep tight.”
Wolfe watched her enticing little ass sashay its way up the stairs. Somehow, he doubted he’d be getting much sleep.
The strength of the attraction between them intrigued him. When his grandfather had talked about finding his true mate, and bonding her to him, he’d thought the old man was stuck in another generation. The age of the Cosantoir, the Druid Protectors, was long over. These days women looked after themselves, and any man who tried to impose his will on a female, even for her own good, would likely be handed his head in a basket.
He’d had many women friends over the years and he’d enjoyed each of them, but he’d never felt more than a momentary pang of regret when a liaison ended. The whole “’til death do us part” thing was a holdover from the feudal past, when monogamy was necessary to protect the children. Modern couples met, stayed together for a time and then parted with no regrets.
Nikki was different. If you’d asked him yesterday, he would have sworn he was a confirmed bachelor, and yet, after less than a day in her company, he already felt incredibly protective and territorial. Her presence sat in the back of his mind and it felt somehow right. He’d be willing to bet she had the same awareness of him.
Prowling around the ground floor, he locked the doors and checked each window to make sure they were secure before he settled himself on the sofa and pulled a fuzzy blanket up to his chin.
She was right. It was lumpy.
Told you so. Amused female laughter wafted through his mind.
Wolfe didn’t bother to reply, but the corner of his mouth quirked upward.
He gave the pillow a couple of good punches and rolled onto his side.
Chapter Five
Gruener Kvordic looked through the glass wall of the enclosure, his brow furrowed in disappointment. The creature wasn’t going to survive. Barely three months into gestation, and already the tiny life force was failing. He could feel it, the same way he could feel the aggression in the werewolves or the deep connection to the earth in the dwarven creatures.
He’d had such high hopes for this mating. The grace and harmony of the selkie would have tempered the raw power and voracious killer instincts of the werewolf. Once they’d matured enough to enter his training program, the offspring would have made perfect soldiers.
“Terminate the pregnancy, and we’ll see if we can get her healthy enough to try again. God knows, the werewolf is game to give her another go. I promised to give her back to him if he behaved. Stupid creature has no idea what’s really going on here. Such a pity it didn’t work out. Her genetic code may be flawed.”
Gruener turned on his heel and strode down the corridor toward his office. The tech scrambled to keep up while his thumbs moved frantically to input the notations on the female’s chart.
Gruener ignored him, as he ignored all the inferior underlings who kept the compound running. The backers wouldn’t be pleased, but he could handle them. They might be powerful in their own circles, but they had no idea of the true power of science. His research would create a race of superior beings who were loyal to him alone.
Once he’d perfected the breeding program, he wouldn’t need to pander to those idiots. They’d be on their knees, begging him to let them participate. If he could just get this pairing to produce a viable offspring, his plans would be well on their way.
He stopped abruptly, causing the poor tech to scramble to avoid smacking into him. He needed another selkie, a healthy one capable of bearing multiple offspring, one after the other. He didn’t dare hope for multiple pups from the same breeding, although that would be perfect. Littermates would bond closely, forming an invincible fighting unit.
“Find me Todd. When he sold me his half-sister, he said he had a line on more of these selkie creatures. Find out if he can deliver.”
“Yes sir.” The flunky tucked his tablet into his pocket and hurried off toward the main offices, muttering under his breath. Gruener ignored him and changed direction to check on his other acquisitions.
Entering the holding area, he stopped to watch the female werewolf pace her cell. She’d come into heat just that morning and would be at optimal breeding strength within two more days.
It was more difficult than he’d anticipated coming up with a male to breed her. She’d torn the last stud, a human with enhanced psychic powers, to shreds when he’d failed to satisfy her. Perhaps it would be best to have her restrained during the breeding. He couldn’t afford to lose any of his handpicked breeding stock.
The female caught sight of him, and threw herself against the walls of her pen, snarling in rage.
He shook his head. She didn’t understand that what he was doing was for her own benefit, and that of her as yet unborn offspring. He’d realized long ago that the supernaturals of the world were wasting their talents chasing their petty individual goals. They needed a leader, someone with the vision and strength to unify them. They needed him.
He’d catalogued all of the varieties, their strengths and vulnerabilities, and then he’d created a database to match them. From this, he’d plotted which species to crossbreed to maximize their abilities.
This sprawling complex hidden in a deserted mining town in the backcountry of British Columbia was the culmination of years of planning and hard work. Here he would gather the best of each species and breed an army of supernaturals with powers the world had never even dreamed of, with him at their head, of course.
He stroked his finger down the glass in front of the enraged werewolf. Her offspring would be part of the new world order. She should be thanking him, not trying to tear him apart through the glass.
Chapter Six
Nikki perched on the edge of her bed, her head cocked to the side as she listened intently to the gentle rhythm of Wolfe’s breathing. He’d finally drifted off to sleep. About time, too, she’d been waiting for hours. The full moon called, its invitation irresistible. She could feel her control slipping, and if those men were truly hunting her she needed to keep a tight rein on her true nature.
She sighed. It would be nice to live without worrying about what people would do if they really knew her.
She grabbed the towel she’d draped over the bedpost earlier and tiptoed to the top of the stairs, being careful to avoid the squeaky board by the closet. So far, so good. Gentle snores wafted up from the living room. She covered her mouth with one hand, suppressing a giggle. She’d have to make sure to tease him about that in the morning.
Although she could still sense his pres
ence, Wolfe’s voice was thankfully absent from her head. The way he waltzed through her shields as if they didn’t exist unnerved her. No one had ever managed that before. Not even her parents. He needed to learn to respect boundaries—hers in particular.
Holding on to the smooth wooden railing, she snuck down the stairs and crossed the kitchen to the back door. She closed her eyes and said a quick prayer to the God of WD-40. Now would not be a good time for the hinges to squeak. She grasped the brass doorknob. Took a deep breath. Turned the knob.
The door behaved beautifully, opening silently on its ancient hinges. Nikki glanced up and mouthed a heartfelt thank-you before she headed off to the riverbank. The air had a crisp, clean tang to it, and a choir of crickets played a welcoming sonata in the moonlit meadow.
Quickly discarding her jeans and sweatshirt on the grassy bank, she waded into the water, shivering as the cold mountain spring water swirled around her calves. Closing her eyes, she mentally braced herself and plunged into the frigid waters.
She could feel the shimmer of magic as the change took her, the flash of heat as her body shifted, elongated, fur covering her sleek river otter form. The knowledge of the outcome tempered the familiar spasms of pain, as joints and bones reformed, making it bearable, and the water hid her reforming body from prying eyes.
Selkies were capable of shifting without being submersed in the water, but the danger of being caught mid-shift, unable to defend herself, terrified her.
Fully shifted, she burst up through the surface and rolled for the sheer joy of feeling the water sluice off her smooth pelt. She dove again, feeling playful, joyous and alive.
Slapping the surface with her front paws, she sent droplets sparkling through the moonlit air in a colorful spray. She reveled in the freedom of her other self, the feel of the water, the joy of sliding down the muddy banks and diving deep to chase the salmon fry and painted turtles that dwelled in the watery ecosystem.
A noise from the bank caused her to freeze, listening intently for danger. She scanned the banks but couldn’t see anything out of place. It was probably just a windfall branch or the skittering of a rodent foraging in the night. She flipped onto her back and floated contentedly.
You’re cute with fur.
Wolfe’s voice took her by surprise. She rolled onto her belly and dove, instinctively seeking the protection of the depths. Belatedly realizing there wasn’t any danger, she resurfaced and scanned the water to locate Wolfe’s hiding spot.
I’m not hiding. I’m over by the willow.
The suppressed mirth in his voice should have warned her. It really should have. She glided through the river water in the direction of the willow, her eyes adjusting to the shadows cast by the drooping branches.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him.
Unashamedly male, he finished stripping off the last of his clothing and threw it carelessly on the bank. Striding to the edge of the river, he tested the water with one foot.
The full moon shed more than enough light to see every detail of his gloriously naked masculine body. In her less-inhibited animal form, his raw sex appeal drew her as a flame draws a moth.
Come on in. The water’s wonderful. Nikki splashed a paw playfully on the surface, staying just out of reach and coyly batting long lashes at him.
A predatory grin lit Wolfe’s features as he took another step and dove into the lake.
Nikki rolled smoothly onto her belly and dove deep, flipping the still surface of the lake playfully with her tail. Catch me if you can.
She swam to the far side and surfaced under an overhanging tangle of branches. From her hiding spot, she had a clear view of Wolfe as he sliced cleanly through the water, searching for her. Where did you go, you little minx? Or should I say otter? Surely, you’re not afraid of the big bad wolf!
She let him search a while, ignoring his taunts as he attempted to trick her into revealing herself. She wasn’t a newly turned pup he could lure into the open with easy male tricks.
Taking a deep breath of the clean mountain air, she dove, making sure she was well under the surface before leaving the protective cover of the branches.
She reverted to human form, ignoring the pain caused by her impatience. What she planned to do next required her human body.
Come on out, Nikki. Where’d you go?
Nikki surfaced with her long dark hair streaming behind her.
I’m a river otter, not a minx. The words eased out of her mind in a sexy whisper. She turned in the direction she sensed him and her breath caught in her throat.
Wolfe floated on his back, looking completely at ease in her native element. One hand rested under his head and the other stroked casually over the massive erection curving upward from his groin. His eyes found her and slid over her body possessively, smoky with a sensual hunger.
Nikki’s attention fixated on his hand. She licked her lips as it took another slow journey from the broad tip of that impressive cock back to the nest of wetly shining curls at its base.
She drifted toward him, her sense of self-preservation deserting her entirely. Heat coiled low in the pit of her belly.
Come play with me. His voice resonated in her mind with pure, silky seduction.
She moved through the water between them with sure quick strokes, stopping within an arm’s length of his gorgeous male body. Treading water, she watched while his engorged shaft became impossibly larger.
Closer. I need to touch you.
No.
But she didn’t move away.
Wolfe’s gaze dropped to the pebbled tips of her breasts. Please?
That one word tore through all her defenses. She’d expected demands, domination and male arrogance, not a plea for mercy.
Covering the distance between them in a single stroke, she reached out to run a featherlight caress over his rigid cock. The size of him sent delicate shivers of fearful anticipation racing through her. You’re too big for me.
I’d never hurt you. We were made for each other. The loving reassurance in his mental touch calmed her fears even as unbridled lust raced along her every nerve ending.
Wolfe rolled over and the full length of his hard male body pressed along her, rubbing against her sensitive skin. He feathered one finger lightly across her cheek before using it to tilt her face upward. “I could spend hours just looking at you.” He lowered his head slowly, his eyes dark and hungry. His lips moved over hers in a tenderly erotic caress that sent desire racing through her, making her edgy with need.
Where she’d expected aggression, he worshipped her with his lips.
She hooked one leg around him, drawing him closer to rub herself against his thigh, seeking relief from the building pressure.
Wolfe used his free arm to propel the two of them in the direction of the shore, still holding her tight against him. His tongue delved deep, exploring the depths of her mouth, robbing her of her ability to think straight. He took his time, a pirate reveling in the plunder.
Pure sensual feeling engulfed Nikki. The taste of Wolfe’s mouth, the feel of his big, calloused hands, his musky male smell and the low satisfied growl he gave when she opened her mouth wide for him to explore combined to overwhelm her. Forget playing hard to get. She wanted this man and she wanted him now. Hell, she wanted him yesterday.
She felt him stumble slightly when his feet hit the sandy river bottom in the shallows. He strode out of the water like a Greek god, carrying her as though she weighed less than a feather. He headed straight to the weeping willow where the stately drooping branches provided shelter from prying eyes.
Parting the branches with a thrust of his broad shoulders, Wolfe entered the leafy sanctuary and laid her gently on a quilt spread conveniently on the ground.
“Had this planned?” Nikki raised an accusing brow, aware her kiss-swollen lips spoiled the effect.
“I was hopeful.” A mischievous grin curled the corner of his mouth.
Nikki laughed. He certainly didn’t suffer from a
lack of self-confidence.
Wolfe inhaled deeply. “Do you have any idea how intoxicating your scent is?” He propped himself up on an elbow and reached over to stroke her breast, his big hand cupping the generous mound, kneading and stroking boldly. “You are so incredibly beautiful.”
The raw passion in his voice excited the animal within her, and Nikki raised her hand to trace a finger across his lips, exploring his face with the soft pads of her fingers. She ran the tip of her tongue across her lips in blatant invitation as her lashes drifted down to hide her eyes.
Wolfe wrapped a brawny arm around her and rolled her under him, his muscular forearms supporting his weight as he towered over her. Her lower body lay trapped between his solid thighs and his thick shaft pushed impatiently against her belly.
She should have felt trapped, but she didn’t. Fiery darts of liquid heat ran through her veins, and his aggressive posture caused her to cream in anticipation.
Wolfe lowered his head, nipping her earlobe before his warm tongue darted out to taste her. Licking and nibbling, he worked his way down her neck, stopping briefly to kiss her hard on the mouth before continuing his explorations.
He sucked one tender nipple into his mouth, his eyes darkening as Nikki gasped at the delicious sensation. Scoring his teeth gently across the tip, he tore a whimper from her lips before he moved to the other breast.
He explored every inch of her body, his hands moving possessively over her hips, stopping to memorize the slight swell of her stomach before moving on to the hollow beneath her hips. His questing fingers worked their way down to the apex of her thighs while his tongue swirled in the dimple of her bellybutton, sending heat flaring through every nerve. She drew a hissing breath in through her teeth when he brushed his knuckles lightly across her mound.
“Liked that, did you?” Wolfe raised his head and she could see red-hot desire swirling in the depths of his eyes.
“Oh, yeah.” She struggled to form a coherent thought, caution banished in the heat generated by Wolfe’s questing fingers.