by Jaci Burton
She slept peacefully beside him after a wild night of lovemaking. He smiled and stroked her silken hair, amazed that he'd found a woman whose passions matched his own. Now he just had to figure out how to keep her.
He slipped out of bed and moved to the door leading to the porch. Compelled by the full moon, he knew he'd have to leave and meet the pack. They'd expect their leader to hunt with them. Already his body felt the impending change, the pull of the moon a force too strong to resist. Slipping on jeans and a T-shirt, he tiptoed out the back door, grateful that the park adjoined his property, one of the main reasons he'd bought this place.
Privacy assured them safety tonight. No one wandered outside in the middle of the night, especially in a deserted park, unless they were looking for trouble. Those hunting trouble tonight would find it.
Besides, wolfen magic allowed them to meet, make all the ruckus they wanted within the confines of the area, and no one could wander in after they started.
Exhilaration fired his blood. Not only did he look forward to the change, but he'd also met the woman he wanted to spend his life with. Their weekend together had been more than he'd hoped for. Kelsey wasn't just beautiful and sexy, she was smart, and not afraid to voice her opinions. He loved her sassiness. Arguing with her had been the second greatest thing about their weekend.
The greatest thing had been that, no matter what they'd been arguing about, as soon as he pulled her into his arms and fit his mouth over hers, the argument was over. She would crawl into his arms and kiss him back, pouring out the kind of desire that he'd never thought to find with a woman. Their lovemaking was powerful, intense, both rough and achingly tender. He'd never realized that being with one's mate could be this fulfilling.
He loved her. The only thing left to do was to work through the details of telling her what he was, and hope that she was as open minded about his secret as she'd been about every other subject they'd discussed this weekend.
She had to accept him, because he couldn't imagine life without her now.
No way was he going to let her go.
*
Kelsey woke with a start, turning over to reach for Jason. He wasn't there, but his pillow was still warm. She slipped out of bed, wondering if he'd wandered into the kitchen for something to eat. As she passed by the sliding glass door, she stopped, blinking to focus her still-sleepy eyes.
Someone was in the backyard. Her heart slammed against her chest as she recognized that sexy walk. It was Jason, and he was heading towards the park that backed up to his property.
She glanced at the clock. Two a.m. What the hell was he doing?
He surely couldn't be restless. She was damned exhausted from their lovemaking, which had been long, passion-filled and eminently satisfying, as always. She'd slept better this weekend than she had in years.
Even if he couldn't sleep, no one in their right mind would enter the park alone in the middle of the night. But sure as hell, he disappeared into the trees.
Shit. She knew she shouldn't follow him, but dammit, this was just too weird. Curiosity won over caution and she hurriedly threw on her jeans and shirt, sliding her feet into her tennis shoes as she bounded out the door.
The park was a short distance from the back door, but she sprinted anyway, not wanting to lose him in the winding trails and dense woodland. She sucked in a breath of courage as she plunged headlong into the darkened woods. Though the full moon offered enough light, once she'd entered the park the tall trees and dense foliage prevented her from seeing much.
She couldn't hear any sounds to indicate in which direction he might have gone, so she tried to stay on the trail, hoping she'd run into him or at least figure out what he was up to.
A niggling feeling of foreboding came over her. She shouldn't be here. Something bad was going to happen.
Jason, dammit, why are you in here? What could you be doing? Whatever it was, it wasn't something he wanted anyone to know about. Nobody came to the park in the middle of the night. Nobody.
She should turn around and run back to the house and forget she ever saw him heading to the park. She loved him. Shouldn't she trust the man she loved?
A rustling to her left caught her attention. She froze, unable to move an inch for fear that someone would pounce on her. But after a full minute, no one came crashing out of the hedges. Then she heard it again.
Hell. Now what? It wasn't like she'd been smart and brought some kind of weapon with her. What was she going to do if someone jumped her? Kick him in the shin with her Nikes?
Really, Kelsey. You're going to have to learn to think first, react second. This was stupid.
Then she guessed she'd go on being stupid, because she headed left to follow the sound, her heart pounding against her ribs and sweat pouring from her.
She'd never been more scared, nor more curious, as she tiptoed through the hedges, staying low to the ground in case whatever she heard wasn't someone, or something, she wanted to notice her.
When she got to the other side of the thick bushes, she came upon a clearing. It was as if the treetops parted in the middle of the park to reveal the full silver moon overhead. A man stood in the center of the clearing with his back to her. She couldn't tell if it was Jason or not, but the body type was similar.
What was he doing here? He looked as if he was waiting for someone, but who?
Fine. She'd just stay out of sight and wait, too. Damn him, if he'd had something to tell her, he should have done so this past weekend when she'd sworn everything was off the record. Well, they were back in D.C. now, and all bets were off.
Pushing aside the guilt at the thought of writing anything at all about Jason's private life, she straightened and looked around, intent on finding a vantage point a little closer.
But when she started to step out of the bushes, a hand clamped over her mouth and she was drawn against a hard body behind her. Her scream was muffled as the hand held firm to her.
Just as suddenly, she was whirled around to face her attacker.
"Jason!" she cried, smacking him soundly on the chest. "You scared the shit out of me!" Her heart still raced and she felt dizzy and nauseous. She blew in and out slowly to calm the rush of adrenaline.
"What are you doing here?" he hissed.
"Following you. What are you doing here?"
"None of your business. Go back to the house."
How dare he tell her what to do? "I don't take orders from you. What are you hiding? Why are you here, Jason?"
"You don't want to know." He jammed his fingers through his hair, frustration evident on his frowning face. "Well, maybe you do want to know. Christ, Kelsey, I didn't want you to find out this way!"
"Find out..." She closed her mouth, looked at the man in the clearing, then back at Jason.
No. No way. It couldn't be true. Not after what she'd experienced with him this weekend. "Oh God. You're gay."
Jason's eyes widened. "Uh, no."
"Yes you are. You're meeting that guy over there for some quickie action or something. You just fucked me for appearances, so that I'd never report the truth about you. I could be your irrefutable evidence." The thought hurt. Way more than she'd wanted to. He'd used her.
"No, Kelsey. You're wrong. I'm not gay. For God's sake, were you there this weekend? You know what we shared."
She crossed her arms, fighting back the tears she refused to shed. "You're a good actor."
Rolling his eyes, he said, "Nobody's that good!"
That's what she'd thought, too. She was wrong. "Then tell me what you're doing meeting that man over there. If it's not for sex, what is it?"
"It's not just that guy, Kelsey. There are more here."
She looked around, confused. "More what?"
"More people."
"I don't think so."
"Come with me. I'll show you." He held out his hand and she glared at him, refusing to allow him to touch her again. With a shrug, he walked toward the clearing. Unable to resist, she followed.
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The man who'd been waiting for him turned around. She recognized him. It was Brandon King, one of Jason's staffers. But he was the only other person in the park. So what did Jason mean by more people?
When they reached the center of the clearing, Jason stepped toward her, taking her by her upper arms and forcing her to meet his gaze. "Listen to me Kelsey. What you're going to see will shock you. You won't believe it at first, and then it will frighten you. Don't be afraid. No harm will come to you as long as you stay by my side."
His words confused her even more. What the hell was he talking about?
Oh good God. He wasn't part of some satanic cult, was he? Her mind whirled with the possibilities. Some kind of secret organization? Hell, what if he was affiliated with terrorists? Could her feelings have been all wrong about Jason? What if he wasn't the man she'd thought he was?
No. She refused to believe it.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted more people entering the clearing. Startled, she sucked in a breath. Where had they been hiding? She hadn't heard or seen them. And yet there had to be over a hundred of them filling the clearing. From young adults to older folks, men and women. She spotted the blonde bimbo from the hotel the other night! They came nearer and nearer to Jason and to her. She found herself sidling closer to Jason, feeling more uncomfortable and claustrophobic as the crowd surrounded them.
Jason grabbed her hand and said something in a language she didn't understand. She turned to him, and then he shouted the words in English as he looked at her.
"This is mine!"
He meant her. Dammit, he meant her. What did he mean by that? She wasn't his.
Then a low growl caught her attention and she turned to the crowd. They were snarling at her, their eyes glowing an eerie yellow.
Glowing? She blinked, certain the moon played tricks on her. But when she turned to Jason, his eyes had taken on a golden hue, just as the others.
"Don't be afraid, Kelsey," he said, his voice thicker than it had been before. And he had...hair on his face. Hair that was growing rapidly.
She had to be hallucinating. Sharp cries filled the night air as painful moans and howls surrounded her. Clothes were discarded and bodies sprouted fur. Everyone around her was changing, including Jason!
Chapter Seven
Jason swore under his breath, his body warring with the unavoidable change and his desire to remain human.
Dammit, this wasn't the way he'd wanted to reveal himself to Kelsey. Not during a pack fest. Not when he could barely control them all during the full moon. As it was, he'd have to count on his closest allies to make sure things didn't get out of hand. He had to keep Kelsey safe, and the only way he knew to do that was in wolf form. Or at least partial wolf form. Then, he'd have the strength to fight off any challengers. If he stayed human and they all changed, they might be able to take him down.
Now that he'd staked his claim on Kelsey, he expected challengers. There were a handful of pack members who felt he shouldn't lead them. He hadn't led them very long, so until he firmly established himself as the dominant male, he knew he'd be challenged. During full moon, he always had to defend his right to be alpha.
He'd win, of course, but he'd have to take care of Kelsey too.
Kelsey, who right now regarded him with fear and loathing. Her eyes were wide with horror as she began to back away. She'd no more take a few steps then she'd bump into a changing wolf and scurry forward again.
He had to be in the center of the pack. It was the only way to assert his control. And she had to stay with him.
"Kelsey. Don't run. Stay with me. It's the only way you'll be safe."
"Safe? You call this safe? What the fuck is happening here, Jason?"
Her high-pitched voice told him she was nearly hysterical. He could only imagine what this must be like viewed from a human's eyes. Changing from human to wolf was messy, the sounds of bones shifting and reforming in different positions, muscles expanding and growing thicker, hair spurting out all over. Snarling, growling, elongating of teeth and salivating.
"We're werewolves, Kelsey. And there are more of us than you think. We come from all different backgrounds and locations. We don't hunt and kill like you see in the movies. When in human form, we're just like everyone else. But we are dominant in wolf form."
"You don't even look like a regular wolf. You're still standing, but you look...strange."
"We take many forms. Human, half-wolf as I am right now, and we can also take on the full wolf form. In this way, I can still speak to you. In full wolf form I can't."
"You have an erection." He watched her eyes widen as she focused between his legs. Her gaze only made his cock stand out more prominently.
The change was an erotic experience for a werewolf. During the monthly pack meet there would be sex of every kind imaginable. Sounds of lustful howling would sail through the night, going on until right before dawn.
He hadn't wanted to expose Kelsey to all this yet, but now he had no choice. The best he could do would be to control his own lustful urges. Right now, his blood boiled with the primal urge to take her, throw her to the ground and drive his cock deep into her until she begged for mercy. The need to mate was strong, the lust nearly overpowering. His cock rose between his legs, longer and thicker now than it was in human form. His balls were tight and hot, aching with the need for release.
But he was stronger than the beast. He had to be. Kelsey's very life could depend on it. "I won't lie to you, Kelsey. The need to fuck you right now is very strong. But if I take you in this form, I will brand you and make you lupine. Once you are turned, you will be like me."
She stepped back and raised her hands in front of her. "Don't touch me. Don't ever touch me again."
His heart sank at the revulsion on her face. She wouldn't accept him. Others would know it and would challenge him for her. He didn't want to use force on her, but he had no choice. He reached for her and clasped his hand around her wrist, careful not to scratch her with his claws. His strength in this form was more than enough to keep her next to him.
"Listen carefully. Don't move. Don't try to get away. I am alpha of this pack, which means I'm their leader. I've claimed you as my mate. If you deny that claim in front of them, it makes you fair game for a challenge by those who seek to take over as alpha. They'll run after you. They'll catch you. And when they do, they'll fuck you until you bleed and scream for mercy."
"No. You're saying that to scare me."
"Look around you. I wish I was just trying to scare you, but it's the truth." He held tight to her wrist and drew her against his chest. "I am no different now than I was before. I'm still the man who loves you."
Her fingers curled against her palm. "Don't say that. It's a lie!"
"Don't raise your voice to me!" He hated to sound so harsh, but it was imperative the pack not see how she felt. "You can hate me later. Right now, you need to act as if you want to be by my side. I need to touch you, to stake my claim on you in front of everyone. I won't fuck you, but I'm going to come damn close to it. Trust me on this. If you don't, you could die tonight."
Kelsey fought the emotions warring inside her. She didn't know what to do. Shock made coherent thought impossible. She wanted to be revolted by Jason's appearance. He looked so different, with his glowing eyes and facial hair, his chest huge and barrel-like and his cock so goddamn big she wanted to faint.
Lust filled her. Her panties were soaked, her body on fire as if some strange spell had been cast on her.
Hell, maybe it had.
She didn't want to desire Jason. Not like this. Not now that she knew what he was. And yet, she couldn't help herself. She was still drawn to him.
Somewhere deep inside, past the hurt and anger, she knew he told her the truth. If she didn't do exactly as he said, the others would take her. She glanced around at the half-dozen males sniffing the air around her, their faces more like a wolves than men. They were so close she could reach out and touch them. T
hey licked their long teeth, their eyes glowing as they kept their focus on her and her alone.
She had to trust Jason. She stepped into his arms, winding her fingers into the thick pelt on his chest. "I hate this. I want you to know I hate this. And I hate you."
He hissed but nodded. "Fine. Hate me. I just want to get you out of this alive, so just go along with me. And for God's sake, at least pretend you're enjoying it."
That wouldn't be a problem. Her body screamed for his touch, his tongue, his cock. She wanted him to possess her. Hell, she wanted him to fuck her, right in front of this crowd. She might hate him, but she wanted him.
"Undress," he commanded. "And be quick about it or I'll tear your clothes off."
Before she could think about what she was doing, she stripped off her shoes and clothes and stood there naked, feeling more exposed and vulnerable than she'd ever felt before. Even though everyone else was naked, they at least had fur covering parts of their bodies.
Jason turned her around so her back was to him. He ran his hands over her breasts, her traitorous nipples responding to the scrape of his palms. He cupped her, and she noticed he didn't touch her with his long claws. Moving his hands down over her abdomen, he brushed her sex with two long fingers. Her legs trembled and he wrapped his free arm around her middle to hold her steady.
"I could sink my teeth into the nape of your neck right now and fuck you, Kelsey. Do you know how much I want my cock inside you?"
She wondered if he had any idea how much she wanted the same thing.
"But if I take your pussy and shoot my come into your womb, you become lupine. I won't do that to you without your consent."
She was grateful for that, at least.
As he stroked her moist slit and flicked his thumb over her clit, he whispered harshly in her ear. "But if I take your ass, you stay human."
Oh God. Her pussy quaked at the thought of that huge cock buried in her ass. She wanted to scream "No!" as loud as she could. But she didn't. She wanted to think the reason she didn't was to protect herself. But that wasn't true. The real reason was because she wanted him to fuck her that way.