Protecting His Wolf: A Hot Paranormal Fantasy with Witches, Werebears, and Werewolves (Weres and Witches of Silver Lake Book 7)

by Vella Day

  “Bring it on, soldier.”

  Chapter Sixteen

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  Lexi was in heaven right now being in Sam’s arms. With her back pressed against the pantry door and her hands gripping his shoulders, he dipped his head. The first tug on her nipple had her spinning. Arching her back to give him easier access, Sam switched to the other side and twisted the tip using his teeth, causing waves of delight to spread over her. Desiring more, she wiggled her hips, loving the pressure of his cock. But it wasn’t enough. Needing some control, Lexi pressed the soles of her feet onto his thighs and lifted high enough to reach his cock.

  “Lexi, be careful.”

  She’d be careful all right. She’d put it in a nice warm place. Taking aim, she placed the tip of his cock at her entrance. Raising his head, Sam drew her closer, and she slid down on him. Sparks flew. Her pulse rose, and her wolf jumped for joy. Even before she lifted up, she moaned as she ran her tongue against her sharpening teeth.

  “Don’t shift, Lexi. Not yet.”

  Her eyes must be pure amber or else he could hear her body transforming. “I’m working hard not to, but it feels so fucking good.”

  Sam plastered his lips to hers as he drove into her, taking her higher with each stroke. It didn’t matter she’d just climaxed. That had merely shown her how much she needed him.

  After he plowed into her again, she lifted and then dropped, all the while devouring his kiss. He was the one to break the contact and move his mouth to her neck. His lips suctioned the sensitive skin at the top of the collarbone before moving his mouth upward where he nibbled on the shell of her ear. Each lick and touch ignited her further. It was when he slammed his hips up against her, driving into her deeper than ever before, that she could no longer hold back. Her climax came in strong waves, transporting her to a place of love and freedom—a place she never wanted to leave.

  Sam’s hold tightened, and his near yell brought her back to the present as his hot cum pumped into her. When the flow stopped, she lowered her head onto his shoulder and waited for her breath to return to her body. Lexi wasn’t even aware they’d moved positions until her butt hit the cold kitchen counter. From the drawer he retrieved a clean cloth, wet it, and cleaned them both up.

  Finally, she was able to wrap her head around the amazing sex. Even her wolf was totally satisfied. “That was a great dessert,” she said.

  He grinned. “Indeed, but I still want my apple pie.”

  *

  Both Sam and Lexi propped their feet up on the coffee table enjoying their dessert. “I have to admit the vanilla ice cream adds a new dimension to the pie.”

  “I thought you always ate it that way,” Lexi said.

  “Nope, but when you mentioned it, I went along with it.”

  “I’m glad I was able to expand your horizons.”

  She’d expanded his horizons in many more ways than offering a different way to eat pie. He picked up the television remote. “What do you want to watch on television?”

  “Are we spending the night here?”

  “We could, I guess. I thought the longer we’re here, the more normal your life will seem.”

  She smiled. “I appreciate it, but Justin is still out there. My life can’t truly be normal until he’s caught.”

  “Come here.” He set down the remote and gathered her in his arms. “Nothing is going to happen to you or me.”

  “Justin and his men are werewolves. They could tear you to pieces in a minute.”

  He stroked her face. “I can implant thoughts into their heads that tell them I’m not Sam Pompley, or that no one is standing in front of them. Hell, I can even read their minds a little bit.” He told her what happened when Anna Fairchild had helped find something the Changelings wanted. When they came to take it away, he’d successfully convinced them that the sardonyx wasn’t there.

  “That’s amazing. Okay, what am I thinking now?” she asked with total sincerity.

  Maybe it was time to tell her the truth. Lexi was a wonderful woman who was brave and tough yet tender at the same time. “Hmm. You’re thinking about my huge cock and how you’d like to make love with me again.”

  She burst out laughing. “That’s not fair. I think I’m obsessed with your body. I can never get enough.”

  He grinned, in part because that might mean she realized they were mates too. “In all seriousness, there are some people I just can’t read.”

  Her face lost some color. “What happens if you can’t read Justin’s mind?”

  He blew out a breath. “He’ll be no problem. My grandfather explained when I could and when I couldn’t get into someone’s head. While he didn’t say this explicitly, I doubt I can put thoughts into the minds of gods or goddesses.”

  She laughed. “I can assure you I am not one of them, so no problem there.”

  “I figured. Naliana, the goddess who frequents Silver Lake on the white moon, has an immortal husband. While I’ve never tried to put thoughts into his head—because I’ve never met him—I doubt he’d be susceptible to my mind bending abilities either.”

  “But you can read everyone else, right?” She finished the last bit of her dessert and placed her plate next to his.

  “Not quite. There’s one other person that I can’t affect.” Here goes. “It’s my mate.”

  Lexi stilled. He swore she stopped breathing until a giant smile spread across her face. “Are you saying you can’t put thoughts into my head because I am your mate?”

  Sam returned her grin. “Seems so.”

  Her shoulders sagged. “Is that the only way you can tell?”

  “Relax.” He stroked her arm. “If you’re wondering if I’m like a shifter who becomes obsessed—your word—with finding then being with his mate, then yes.” He held up hand. “There are differences between my kind and a shifter though. While I love how your skin tastes and smells, I didn’t notice that you were my mate when I first met you because of your scent, like most shifters do.”

  She cracked up. “I should hope not. I was layered in garbage.”

  “I meant after that, silly. Bottom line, I know you’re my mate by more than one factor. It’s not only because I can’t warp your mind.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? It would have saved me a lot of wondering.”

  Now it was his turn to stop breathing. “Are you saying you know I’m your mate?”

  “Yes. If I didn’t, I never would have trusted you like I do. The moment we met, I knew there was something different about you. Mind you, I was a bit preoccupied after crawling out of the trash bin.”

  Lexi was something else. “I can only imagine. Being sold and then having someone rob you gives you every right to be preoccupied.”

  “Why did you wait so long to tell me?” She straddled him and his body shot to life again.

  He clasped her waist because it was the safest place for his hands. “Did you forget that you had other things to worry about? Like a crazy man who was out to kidnap and whisk you back to Vermont?”

  “Hardly, but if you’d told me, it would have been one less thing to worry about.”

  “I’m sorry. At the time, I figured the last thing either of us needed was to become so blinded by lust that we became distracted.” He cupped her face. “Once this mess with Justin Kapok is finished, we can talk about mating and what we want to do with the rest of our lives.” Sam watched Lexi as she turned and looked away. “What? You don’t want to mate with me?”

  Maybe that was why she hadn’t.

  “No! Of course, I want to mate with you. I agree we should wait till this whole Justin thing is settled though. Plus, when I left my home, I was headed to Florida. Since I was little, I have always wanted to live there. I still would like to visit, since I will be making a life here with you.”

  If she felt that strongly about it, then now might be a good time to fly down there for a few days. They’d have a fun vacation and visit his parents. Since returning from his service in the war, he ha
dn’t taken much time to enjoy himself either. “How would you like it if we took a three or four day vacation to Florida?”

  Her eyes shone brightly. “Really?” she asked.

  “Yes. I’d consider moving there for good if I had could get work there, but I’ll admit that I love Silver Lake. I have the best job in the world. Not only is Teagan here, this is my home.”

  Lexi hugged him. “You are amazing. I can’t wait to go. When can we leave?”

  “I’ll check flights tomorrow.”

  She ran a hand down his chest. “When we get back, will you teach me to shoot?”

  “What? Where did that come from?”

  She lifted a shoulder. “You know I want to. With so much danger swirling around, I thought I should know how to protect myself.”

  “I’ll think about it.” He wasn’t sure it was a good idea, though why he couldn’t say. “You’ll have to get your concealed weapons’ permit if you expect to carry.”

  “Hmm. Will you help me?”

  He smiled. “Of course I will.”

  She kissed him. “Then I want to do it.”

  “Okay then. Silver Lake has both an indoor and an outdoor range.”

  “Perfect. You won’t be upset if I end up a better shot than you, will you?”

  Sam laughed. He did love his woman. “That will never happen.”

  She tapped his chest. “Don’t be so sure, Sam Pompley.”

  *

  No matter how disgusted Vinea was at the actions of those two lovers, she couldn’t help but listen to their conversation through the device Devon had provided her. If he ever learned that the equipment had been for Sam instead of Justin, Devon would come after her. Hell, he’d probably try to kill her. Poor soul would be so disappointed when he failed.

  The sounds of sex finally stopped and Vinea let out a breath.

  She could hear her sister now. “You’re just jealous because they’re enjoying themselves, and you’ll always be alone.”

  That was crap. Vinea had no use for a man. Her jealousy of her sister existed because Vinea was ambitious. There was nothing wrong having that trait. In her opinion, wanting something and not working for it deserved to be called jealousy. That wasn’t Vinea’s problem. She worked her ass off only to have the prize given to someone else—namely her younger sister. Vinea vowed she’d be the best. Too bad Naliana and she had different definitions of what that meant.

  Lexi squealed at something Sam said, and Vinea returned her focus to them. Not only had she planted the devices on each of the windows at Sam’s house, she’d bugged his truck when it was parked in front of the office. The conversation he and Lexi had on the way to his house hadn’t been the least bit interesting. She didn’t give a flying fuck what they liked to eat or what kind of movies they enjoyed.

  What did catch her interest was what they had just said—that they planned to be away for a few days. This would give her and Justin time to create a foolproof plan. Her mind had spun the moment Sam mentioned he’d take Lexi shooting. Vinea would question some locals to find out the best place to shoot. Seeing how much the people around here liked to hunt, the town probably had a designated area where one could practice. Assuming he took her outdoors, away from everyone, Vinea would strike.

  Her heart pumped hard at her near victory. Yes! It was time to make sure Justin and his men would be ready. Vinea didn’t want to be stuck in this hellhole any longer than necessary. She had other important work to do.

  Vinea smiled. When Naliana learned what she’d done, Vinea’s retribution would be complete. She couldn’t wait.

  Chapter Seventeen

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  Lexi was so excited. Not only would Justin go crazy trying to figure out where she’d disappeared to, she and Sam would have the most romantic and wonderful vacation in sunny Florida with no worries, lots of romantic walks on the beach, and tons of hot sex.

  Sam even promised they’d go shopping for a bathing suit and some summer clothes once they arrived. According to the weather report, the temperatures were supposed to be in the mid seventies in Daytona Beach. To her that was perfect. While she felt a little bad leaving Connor, Kip, and Devon to answer the phone, Connor assured her the three of them could handle it. After all, they had done it before she took the job.

  After a layover in Atlanta, the plane landed smoothly in Daytona Beach. As soon as they exited the airport, the warm, humid air sent shivers of delight straight through her. “It’s wonderful.”

  “I will admit, a thirty degree change in temperature is nice, but don’t get too used to it.” He winked.

  While she would take advantage of the warmth and absorb all that a Florida beach town had to offer, the best part was that she and Sam were here together. Lexi had to admit that Silver Lake had grown on her, though if she could move about freely, she might really enjoy more of what the town had to offer.

  Sam had rented a car even though his folks said they could pick them up. “When did you last see your parents?” she asked.

  “A few months ago. They had a break in their schedule and drove up to see me and Teagan.”

  “How did that go?”

  Sam smiled. “It was actually great. They really seemed focused on what my plans were and not on trying to convince me that I needed to do a past life regression in order to see where all my stress was coming from.”

  As much as Lexi tried to embrace what all witches did, she didn’t understand a lot of it. “I’ve done a past life regression, and I have to admit it was quite enlightening.”

  “I’m glad.”

  Sam pulled into the mall parking lot. Lexi had only filled half her suitcase knowing she’d need to buy some summer clothes. While she didn’t have a ton of money, it was enough for a few pairs of shorts, a bathing suit, and some lightweight tops.

  He cut the engine. “Ready?”

  “Yes, but don’t worry about having to wait while I try on everything. I’m a quick shopper.” She chuckled. “I don’t like to shop.”

  “Well, I do.”

  They both laughed. These four days would be ones she would remember for a long time.

  *

  “So, Lexi, tell me how you met my son,” Mrs. Pompley asked.

  Sam huffed out a breath. When he’d called his folks to let them know he and Lexi would be visiting, he’d said she had a stalker and that they wanted to lay low for a few days. This wasn’t supposed to be meet-my-mate time. Hell, he didn’t even mention the word mate to his mother. She better not embarrass him by asking what his intentions were toward Lexi.

  Lexi glanced over at him, and he nodded. One thing about his parents, they were good at keeping secrets.

  “I was dumpster diving, and Sam came to my rescue.” She held up a hand. “In my defense, I was in my wolf form.”

  The looks on his parents’ faces were priceless, and he needed to explain. “What she meant was that her car broke down in the alley behind McKinnon’s Pub and Pool, and she was trying to find something to eat. When I found out why she was on the run, I offered to let her stay at the McKinnon and Associates’ safe house.”

  His mom reached out and clasped his hand. “You’re a good man, son.”

  “Thank you.”

  His mother faced Lexi. “So have you contacted your mother about meeting your mate?”

  Sam nearly spit out his drink. “Mom. How do you—?”

  She smiled then looked over at his dad. “Why it’s as clear as the nose on your face.”

  Whether that was true or not, now wasn’t the time to discuss it—or ever. Talking about his lust and need wasn’t a topic he was comfortable with. “Fine, we are mates, but we haven’t mated. Lexi is trying to deal with this man who wants her for his own but don’t worry. I won’t let that happen.”

  “I’m glad. So Lexi, if you want to speak with your mother about—”

  Lexi shook her head. “My mother passed away a few years ago.”

  “I know. I can sense that her spirit is around you though. Just
because you can’t pick up a phone and call her doesn’t mean you can’t speak with her.”

  Sam was used to his parents being out there, but he didn’t want to scare Lexi away. Even though she was a witch, her talents extended to the physical and not the metaphysical.

  Lexi clasped her glass with both hands. “What do you mean I can contact her?”

  “Once we have dessert, I’ll explain. We can try to contact her then.”

  She smiled. “I’d like that very much. Thank you.”

  “Evan, why don’t you get the dessert, and I’ll clear the table?” his mom asked.

  Sam jumped up. “I’ll help.”

  Lexi stood. “Me too.”

  When his mom grinned, all doubts about bringing Lexi to meet his parents disappeared. Together they cleared the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher while his dad pulled the pie out of the refrigerator.

  “Your mom made your favorite dessert,” his dad said.

  “That would be apple pie,” Lexi chimed in smiling.

  “I see you know Sam well.” His parents laughed together.

  Once they finished cleaning up dinner and then ate a fabulous dessert—albeit without the ice cream topping—they headed to the living room. His mother located a candle along with a crystal on a string then motioned for them to sit across from her on the sofa.

  After lighting the candle, his mom said some incantation words and then held up the crystal. “Lexi, ask your mother a question that can be answered with a yes or no response. If the crystal swings toward you, it represents a yes.”

  Even though Sam knew his mom could reach the spiritual world, he had never actually witnessed her contacting anyone before. He watched Lexi, hoping this experience wouldn’t be too painful for her. His mother should have warned him that she planned to do this.

  “Are you feeling any pain, Mom?” Lexi asked.

  He’d never asked how her mother had died, but given her young age, he figured it was an accident or something like cancer.

  The crystal slowly moved and the pendulum swung toward his mother.