by A. D. McLain
“Hey, no problem.” Mark leaned over and picked up Meghan, careful not to wake her. His blood warmed when she shifted in her sleep, settling her body closer to his. Her hand flattened up against his chest, and a tiny moan escaped her lips.
David got up reluctantly from the couch and headed towards the front door. “I’ll get the door for you and walk you out.”
“Thanks.” Mark glanced over at Nicole on his way to the door. “I’m glad you’re all right, Nicole.”
She smiled warmly and followed them. David saw them to Mark’s car and then returned to the front door. Standing with Nicole, he watched as Mark drove off.
David put an arm around her and pulled her close, planting a possessive kiss on her lips. She returned the kiss, leaning into David, wrapping her arms around his neck.
David ended the kiss and lifted his head enough to look at her. He was smiling broadly. “So, are you ready to go get some rest… or whatever?”
She laughed. “Hey, I’m up for whatever.”
Nicole crouched down and picked up a broken piece of brick and mortar. Part of it crumbled in her hand when she turned it around, examining it. Just a few days earlier it had been part of the dilapidated SES meeting hall. She couldn’t even remember how long ago it had been. Was it yesterday, the day before? So much had happened, her days had begun to run together.
“Hey, John,” she called, without looking up to confirm the identity of the approaching steps. She continued to be amazed by how much her hearing had improved since the wolf began to grow within her.
John crouched beside her and shook his head. “How did you—. never mind. You look different. New hairstyle?”
Nicole thought about her now-redundant glasses and smiled. “Something like that.”
John surveyed the site and sighed. “It’s going to be a lot of work to rebuild. Are you sure you’re up to it?”
“Are you saying you want to move on and forget about reestablishing the SES?”
“Nah. It’s just that all of our stuff was in there. We’d have to start up from scratch again. I wasn’t sure if you’d be up for that type of responsibility right now, or if you’d think it was too much trouble.”
Nicole got to her feet and dusted off her hands. “Actually, I’ve recently come in to some resources which might be of help for that.”
From what David had told her, she was rich. For once in her life, money wasn’t going to be an issue. “I’m not certain what I want to do in the long term, and you’re right. I do have a lot going on right now. But if you want to keep it running, I’ll do what I can to help. That is, of course, unless you want to cut your losses while you can and move on to something else.”
John straightened up and smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of leaving. I’ll be more than happy to run things.”
Nicole smiled. “Thanks, because I really don’t think I could do it alone. I need to get going now, but I’ll be in touch.”
After one final glance, Nicole got into David’s car and drove to her new home – or her old home – depending on how you looked at things.
Opening the front door she called out, “David, I’m back!” both verbally and psychically.
David came down the stairs and brushed a quick kiss across her lips before he picked her up and carried her up the stairs and into his bedroom. After another, longer kiss, he gently lowered her onto the bed. “I’ve missed you.”
Nicole brushed the hair out of David’s face and kissed his cheek. His skin was warm and soft beneath her lips. “I never get tired of you being beside me, touching you, kissing you.” Her lips touched his as she spoke, kissing him deeply. She ran her hand across his chest, tracing a path down to his hip. She flicked her tongue along the side of his face and scraped her fingernails lightly over his skin.
A low growl erupted in David’s throat and desire rippled through her body. “I love it when you growl.” Her voice was rough with passion.
He offered her a knowing grin and growled again, this time pinning her down with his body. He ran his own nose along the sensitive skin of her neck, lightly biting , then burying his face in her hair.
Nicole giggled and arched against him. Her hands roamed across his body, rubbing against his bare back and pressing against his skin. She vaguely wondered when he’d taken off his shirt, but her thoughts quickly scattered. She moved one hand lower, down over his butt and she massaged his skin, kneading and stroking.
David’s lips created a path from her neck to her chin and onwards up to her mouth. He kissed her deeply, thoroughly, as he pulled off her clothing.
He covered one breast with his hand, his fingers plucking at her sensitive nipple. David took it between two fingers and pinched lightly.
Nicole moaned against his mouth and pressed her nails into his back and butt,. as David’s fingers tickled and teased her.
He ended the kiss and moved his attention to the other side of Nicole’s neck, licking, swirling his tongue. His tongue flicked over her ear, licking all around the delicate shell. He captured her tiny earlobe between his teeth, tugging gently and then sucking the lobe into his mouth. His hand drifted down her body, brushing across her stomach, exciting her with every touch. His attention slipped lower, to the apex of her thighs. His fingers played lightly over her skin, teasing her, stroking, exploring. Using his knee, he nudged her legs apart and rubbed his erection against her.
Nicole’s entire body shuddered with desire. She wanted to be filled by him completely.
As if reading her thoughts, and perhaps he was, David recaptured her mouth and simultaneously thrust deeply into her. His tongue forced its way between her lips, exploring every corner of her mouth, while his rock-hard shaft slid smoothly in and out of her body.
They moved together, Nicole meeting every thrust with equal fervor. The pressure built inside her until she suspected it would destroy her. She dug her nails into David’s skin when her release spiraled through her limbs. For long, blissful moments, she felt as if she was falling, utterly weightless. The room was gone. Everything was gone. All that existed was herself and David. She clung to David, her only anchor in the torrent of sensations. Slowly, her muscles relaxed. Her heart rate slowed, her breathing became less frantic. She didn’t think she could move, even if she wanted to. Her limbs were heavy, sluggish, completely drained of energy.
She became aware of David’s weight on her. He let his head fall with an exhausted sigh to rest against her shoulder. His breath hit her neck when he exhaled, and it sent a small shiver down her spine, but she was too exhausted to do anything other than acknowledge it.
After some time, David rolled over, taking his weight off her, and he raised his hand to her face, turning her to face to him. They stared at each other, smiling warmly. Nicole rolled onto her side and draped an arm over David’s chest, snuggling closer. David ran his fingers through her hair, and they both enjoyed the moment in each other’s arms.
David inhaled deeply, noticing that Nicole’s breathing matched the same time and pace as his. They were completely in sync. For the first time in his life, he was at peace. This was what had been missing all these years. They hadn’t talked about the future, but he thought about it a lot. He couldn’t imagine his life without her. Every time Nicole’s life was threatened, he died a little inside. No one had ever affected him the way she had. No one else had been able to get past his defenses. No one had ever cared enough about him to try.
They had a connection which was beyond anything he’d ever experienced before, and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved her and wanted to be with her for all time. Now, he just had to figure out how to ask her. It needed to be perfect, but how should he go about it? “Nicole, you mean so much to me.” No. “Nicole, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.” No, that wasn’t it. “I know I’m old, and stubborn, and can be really difficult to deal with, but do you think you’d like to— What do you think about a winter wedding?... Hey, if you’re not doing anything next month, what do y
ou think about getting hitched?” Should he go for comedy and catch her off guard, or should he be serious and sentimental? “From the night we met outside your apartment building, you’ve been in my thoughts constantly. I’m happier when I’m around you. I feel alive. You do that to me. You fill a void that’s been in my life for as long as I can remember. I know I could never live without you with me. Life would just be unbearable. I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side.” Maybe he should do it down on one knee. “Nicole, will you marry me and make me the happiest man alive?”
“Yes.” Nicole spoke softly, a tear in her eye. Those were the most beautiful words she’d ever heard. She raised herself on her arms and looked down into David’s eyes. He had such a surprised expression on his face, she started to giggle.
“You heard…”
She nodded. “Everything. If you really mean it, then my answer is yes.”
“If I really mean it? Of course I mean it. I—” He smiled broadly and hugged her close. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” she said, brushing a kiss against his lips. When she lifted her head, David was staring at her as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing, and she noticed his beautiful blue-green eyes were glimmering with unshed tears. She gently kissed his eyes, tasting the salty liquid on her tongue and lips, and smiled lovingly at him.
He gazed up at her, seeing the love shining in her eyes. How had he gotten so lucky?
“We’re both lucky.”Nicole replied.
“You’re getting a little too good at that.”
Nicole giggled. “Hey, I can’t help it. I’m not even trying. You sure you want to spend the rest of your life with someone who knows what you’re thinking?”
She smiled, but he could see her unconsciously nibbling her lip, and he could sense her uncertainty. “Yes, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to be with you forever. And I want to make love to you each and every night.
“Sound like fun for me.” He grinned mischievously, raising an eyebrow. Suddenly he flipped her onto her back and lowered himself on top of her, seizing her right nipple in his mouth.
Nicole yelped in surprise and started giggling, but only seconds later her back arched as he sucked and nibbled her sensitive breast. After some minutes of this sweet torture, David raised himself up on his elbows and brought his face closer to hers. Teasingly, he rubbed the tip of his nose against hers and pressed against her. “Do you know what I’m thinking now?”
His warm breath on her face made her neck tingle. “Nope. I guess you’re just going to have to show me,” she said innocently.
He grinned and proceeded to show her every single thought, in great detail.
27
“Get in there.” Rodney Steagel stumbled into the cell and stared back over his shoulder in disgust at the police officer who’d pushed him. He straightened his shirt indignantly and grunted his disapproval. How dare they treat him like this? He had rights.
The police officer dismissed him with an unimpressed look and let the door slam shut. The loud clanging sound reverberated through the cell. It was a hollow sound, the death toll on a wretched existence.
Rodney trembled at the power of his own imagery. He might as well be dead. What good had come out of his life? He’d stumbled through every moment, trying to carve out something for himself, and he’d been thwarted at every turn. His parents had abandoned him first, leaving him in a juvenile detention center when he was fourteen. They hadn’t even tried to help him avoid his fate. They’d said it would do him some good, teach him a lesson. If it wasn’t for his uncle, he wouldn’t have had anything at all. His uncle had always stood up for him, until now.
After his parents died – of a heart attack and a bad case of pneumonia respectively – his uncle had helped him with a job and a place to stay, but now he’d abandoned Rodney, just like his parents had. If there was any justice in the world, his uncle would get dragged down off his high horse by sickness, just the way his parents had. Who were they to criticize him for the way he lived his life? They weren’t so perfect. In fact, they were hypocrites. That’s what they were.
The same could go for that other guy, the dark one whose identity he still didn’t know. He’d approached Rodney. He’d said he could help. Now, he’d abandoned Rodney, just like everyone else.
Who needed them, anyway? He sure didn’t. He would get out of this and show them all. He would get back on top, and when he did, he would make everyone suffer for what they’d done to him. They would learn what a mistake it had been, to cross Rodney Steagel.
As bold as those words were, he couldn’t do anything until he got out of this current situation, and he didn’t have a clue how he was going to do that. He was in deep this time. He was locked away on numerous charges and there was a lot of evidence against him. It didn’t look good. He could be spending years in this cell, or another one like it, if he couldn’t figure out a plan.
Rodney surveyed the small, dark cell. The only piece of furniture was a simple bed on a metal frame, bolted to the ground.. There weren’t any windows, so the only light came from a dim light bulb which looked as if it was about to blow. the globe flickered, as if it had heard his assessment.
The floor was the only thing which seemed to be in relatively good shape. It had been swept, maybe even mopped, recently. A cold breeze blew over his, making him shiver and his teeth chattered.
Well, this was just perfect. Not only was he in prison, in a dreary, dark, little cell, but he couldn’t even get decent heating. He needed to find a way out of this. He couldn’t stay in this place, he just couldn’t. He needed his big screen television, lush carpet, king sized bed, and central air conditioning and heating. Another breeze blew across him, and he turned his head quickly, eyes moving before his brain could register what it had seen. Rodney could have sworn the shadows had moved, but the movement had been at his periphery, so he couldn’t be certain. It had probably been a trick of the light. He inspected the cell to make sure, but didn’t see anything.
Just as he was about to dismiss the phenomenon and go back to cursing the world, he saw it again. He squinted, trying to figure out what it was, but he still didn’t know what had caused it. Absentmindedly, he lifted his hand to rub the back his neck. A strange stinging sensation caught his attention, and he felt something wet, something wet and slimy. He lifted his hand to his face, saw red liquid dripping off his fingers.
His hand was covered in blood.
Rodney’s shirt seemed to be sticking to his chest all of a sudden and he lowered his gaze from his hand to his chest. Blood was running down his shirt and pants, collecting in a rapidly spreading puddle on the floor.
The last thing Rodney heard as his body fell and darkness consumed him, was the sound of evil laughter.
Nicole stretched, moaning softly when she did.
“Did you sleep well?” David walked across to the bed and sat beside her.
“Yes. I slept wonderfully.” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. “How about you? How did you sleep?”
“Pretty good.”
“Good. Um… I wanted to talk to you about something. I was wondering about some things, about the transformation.”
David smiled and nuzzled her neck to put her at ease. “Shoot.”
“I was wondering about that light which was all around me. I couldn’t see anything, and I didn’t really know what I was doing. It was so quick.”
“There’s always a flash of light when you change. You were basically just stuck in the transformation stage. It takes a lot of concentration to hold the shape. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to hold it for longer, and then you’ll be able to see things as an actual wolf would.”
“If it takes so much concentration, how come you could stay as a wolf when you were sleeping with me at my apartment?”
He smiled. “Lots of practice. Once you’ve gotten good at it, it isn’t as hard to maintain the shape. It becomes more nat
ural, like breathing.”
“Could you… teach me?”
His smile broadened. “Of course. Do you want to work on it now?”
She gave a hesitant nod, and he kissed her reassuringly. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m here with you. Now, do you remember what I told you before?”
“Yes.”
“All right. Start with that.”
Nicole took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to visualize herself as a wolf. Even through her closed eyelids, she could see the light gathering around her. Warmth filled her chest, and her senses all tingled.
Nicole blinked her eyes open, and she briefly saw a paw before the energy rushed out of her body, and the light disappeared, leaving her as she’d been. She collapsed back on the bed. “I can’t do it.”
“Yes, you can. You almost had it that time. Do you want me to help until you get used to it?”
She rose up on her elbows and shook her head. “No. I want to do this on my own.”
She didn’t close her eyes this time. Instead, she let the light fill her vision, let herself be consumed by the sensations, and immersed herself in the process. Instead of fighting against the weightless, the falling sensation which threatened to overwhelm her, she gave herself over to it. As the light faded, her senses heightened. Smells became stronger. Sounds were louder. She peered down and saw paws and legs, covered in white hair. She jumped up in excitement, clumsily running across the bed and jumping to the floor, testing her legs. Something pressed against her side and she turned to see the black wolf beside her. He rubbed against her and nuzzled her neck. Nicole returned the affection, loving the sensation of her fur against his. She rubbed her nose with his and he licked the side of her face.
David motioned toward the balcony and she heard his voice in her head.
“Want to go for a run before breakfast?”
“Sure.” Nicole followed the black wolf out onto the balcony and down the steps. It took her a moment to get her balance as she tried to maneuver the stairs on four feet. The black wolf paused and waited for her, as she moved tentatively. Waves of reassurance flowed over her, giving her the confidence she needed to trust in her wolf’s instincts. With certain steps, she quickly made it the rest of the way down to the ground.