After the Moon Rises (8 page)

His mouth burned a trail of kisses from her shoulder across her skin to where her tank top began. When his arms loosened around her waist, she clutched at his shirt to remain on her feet. Tom slid his hands under her tank top, pulled it over her head and dropped it on the floor in one movement. He traced a finger around the lace cups of her bra.

“Sexy.” He winked at her and sprang the back clasp free.

Before he could remove it, Vonda locked gazes with Tom and slowly lowered the straps down her arms, teasing him with small glimpses of her nipples, while she held the bra cups in place with one hand. His gaze left hers, fixating on her chest. Slowly, ever so slowly, she lowered the cups, the lace rasping against her sensitive nubs.

Tom licked his lips, glanced at her face and dropped his mouth to one nipple. With his tongue, he circled the bud, driving her crazy before finally drawing it into his mouth. Vonda sighed as she ran her hands through his hair, holding him against her. The man had talented lips, fingers, tongue. Wonder if all parts of him were equally good?

Probably.

His mouth moved to her other nipple, while one warm finger circled the nub he had sucked, the contrast of warm finger and cold air causing chill bumps to form across her skin. She felt desire rushing through her blood, heating her, her core growing wet for him, because of him.

She wanted the feel of his skin against her. Needed it. Needed him. His shirt had to go. Now. Even if it meant breaking the connection of his mouth against her breast.

Vonda yanked his t-shirt out of his pants, shoving it up until it caught on his arms. Drat it.

“Eager, eh?” Tom grinned at her, male satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.

“You have no idea.” Vonda managed to yank the offending t-shirt over his head and deposited it on the pile of clothes littering the floor. About time some article of his clothing joined the pile.

“I like you like this. Wanting me.”

She smiled at him, pulling him close for a kiss. The mating heat might rule her hormones and cause her to need sex, but it didn’t make her long for his touch. The longing was all Tom’s doing. She had never wanted a man like this before.

She trailed kisses to his ear, while his fingers played with her nipples, circling, pinching.

“God, Tom, you make me want you. Now.”

“Hmm. That’s what I like to hear. But it’s denied.” He flicked a fingernail across her nipple, eliciting a groan from her. “You have to wait. I have a lot to make up for.”

“Mmm. I like that idea. Unfortunately the sun sets soon, so unless you want a furry wolf in your bed, you need to get a move on.”

“You have a point.”

She reached for the button of his jeans. “Let’s make you more comfortable.”

His hands ran down her ribs, over her waist, stopping on the waistband of her low rise jeans. “Ditto for you.”

And then he kissed her and all thoughts except for getting that damn button undone left her mind. In a rush of hands, sweep of arms and some fancy footwork, they both managed to remove each other’s jeans and underwear.

Vonda felt the bed hit the back of her knees and she tumbled onto the patchwork quilt covering the mattress. Tom’s weight fell on top of her, a delicious blanket of warmth and comfort.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as his hips rolled against hers, his staff rasping against her sensitive clit. He pulled back and thrust forward, teasing her, making her groan.

The fire built in her veins, centered in her core, as he continued teasing her clit, thrusting, pulling back, until she started convulsing. One big hand touched her mound.

“Not yet. I want to be in you when you come.”

“Well then, hurry it up!”

Tom chuckled. Using his hand, he guided that huge erection to her entrance. Locking gazes with her, he thrust into her core, sinking to the hilt. Vonda gasped as he filled her. For sure she’d be sore tomorrow. His thumb stroked her cheek, concern in his eyes.

“You okay? I’m a little big.”

“A little? Feels good. Would feel better if you’d move.” She tightened her legs, pushing his hips into hers.

Tom smiled and did as she wanted, pulling back and slamming into her, over and over again until she tightened around him, crying out. Two thrusts later and he joined her, spilling into her spasming channel.

Dropping her legs from his waist, Vonda ran a hand through his hair and kissed his cheek. He raised himself onto his arms and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. A wrinkle appeared between his eyes, the anxiety bleeding into his gaze.

She smiled. “That was great. We’ll have to do a repeat later. Like when I’m human again.” Maybe Margie didn’t know what she was talking about. Everything looked to be normal. Oh, well. It had been an interesting theory.

The anxiety in his eyes vanished, replaced by joy. “We have a deal.” He pulled out, the absence of his weight leaving her feeling abandoned. Odd, that.

Since Margie was so obviously incorrect, Vonda needed to clean up and mentally prep for the bone-wrenching pain of the change. After all these years of changing, she knew when the sun was about to set, when the magic of the change would overcome her, turning her into a wolf. Shouldn’t be much longer now.

Vonda made it halfway to the bathroom when she heard Tom cry out. She whirled around to see him kneeling by the bed, one hand bracing himself against it. Pain-filled eyes turned to her.

“God, Vonda, what’s happening?” His voice broke, the ending of the last word coming out in a growl.

The skin on his back rippled and the oddest thought crossed her mind. The only time she’d seen another person change was when Margie forced it from Big G. And that happened so quickly, Vonda hadn’t processed it. But this, this she processed. Did she look like that when she changed?

“Congrats. You’re not genetically deficient after all.”

He panted, gritting his teeth against the pain. “Huh?”

“You’re changing.” She knelt beside him, touching his shoulder. “Margie said it can happen if a half-breed who hasn’t changed has sex with a full-breed. That’s why she stuck around last night, to see if you’d changed. Guess she’ll be surprised tomorrow. Shh, just relax, let it flow over you, don’t fight it.” Naturally, he fought it. She had too, all those years ago. Until she realized changing was much easier if she relaxed and let it happen.

“It hurts.”

She ran her hand through his hair wanting to take the pain from him. “I know. It will go away once the change is complete.”

Tom opened his mouth as if to speak, but before he could, she saw the beast inside him win the fight. His face changed, growing longer, growing fur. He yelled, the sound turning into a howl as he changed. Fur rippled across his skin, brown fur tipped in black as if he were a calligraphy brush dipped in ink. His arms turned into legs and he collapsed on the floor.

Damn. Does it hurt like that all the time?
His voice sounded in her head.

“Not quite that bad, but it’s still painful.”

Vonda felt the sun drop below the horizon, the magic in her veins pulling her beast out. Her skin rippled like Tom’s had, flowing into fur as she dropped to all fours, shaking the pain from her muscles. Unlike Tom she had grown used to the pain, or as used to pain as one could get.

Footsteps sounded at a fast pace, followed by a pounding on their door.

“Daddy! Are you okay? I heard yelling. Daddy?”

Elizabeth opened the door and burst into the room, coming to a halt as she stared at the two wolves. Fear crossed her eyes, but she held her ground.

“Vonda? Daddy?”

Don’t be scared, honey. I seem to have changed.

It’s okay, Elizabeth. Your Dad changed like me,
Vonda said at the same time.

Elizabeth’s eyes darted from one wolf to the other. “Oh, my gosh. Daddy changed into a wolf. How wicked cool!”

How wicked painful
, Tom muttered.

Elizabeth didn’t hear him. She ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck. Tom licked her face.

“Does this mean Margie isn’t going to try to take me again? I like her, but I don’t want to live with her.”

No, sweetie, that’s why Vonda’s going to live with us, Margie isn’t going to take you from me.

“But you’re a wolf now.”

I am, but Vonda is going to stay here and show us how to be wolves. Someone has to and I’d rather it be Vonda than Margie, wouldn’t you?

Elizabeth looked at Vonda and then back and Tom. Vonda kept her mouth shut. She was staying, no way was she letting Tom go, but Tom needed to explain things to Elizabeth. If it wasn’t for Tom’s change, she’d have left the two of them alone to talk things out.

“Yeah, I like Vonda. She can stay.”

Vonda gave her a toothy grin. Score, she was in with the kid. For now.

Tom, I’m going to run. You want to come with me? I promise I won’t eat your cattle.

“She was eating on the herd?” Elizabeth’s brows shook hands with her hairline.

They were tasty, but your dad made me promise not to eat his herd. One of these days you’ll understand the taste.

“Eww. I don’t think so.”

Honey, I’m going to go out with Vonda. You stay here. Keep the doors and windows shut and locked and we’ll be back by morning. We’ll be around the area if you need us. Okay?

Elizabeth shrugged. “No one’s coming after me again, right?”

Right, honey. Will you be okay?

“Sure. Soon I can go out with you, too. Cool. I’m going to go read. Maybe I’ll stay up all night reading since you won’t be around to tell me otherwise.”

Hey, now...

Elizabeth jumped up, kissed Tom’s head and darted out the door.

She doesn’t listen to me,
Tom sighed.

Yeah? Get used to it. They tend to do that.

Are you happy with this?
His paw gestured to her and back to him.

This?

Me. Like this. Or not like this. I mean, are you happy with this decision? It was forced on you and I appreciate you offering to stay with us so I could keep Elizabeth, but I want you to be happy with the decision.

Rambling. He was rambling. Vonda smiled to herself. If a man rambles, well, that means he cares. And Tom caring enough about her to ramble made her heart sing.

I’m very happy. Ever since I met you, since I shook your hand, I’ve wanted you. And not just the sex thing. It’s you. I’ve never felt about a man like I do you. I’m more than happy with this arrangement.

He walked over to her and licked her face.

It’s a little hard to do what I want in this body. But once the sun comes up, don’t run off.
He waggled the hair sticking out above his eyes.

She licked him back.
Don’t worry, I won’t. Are you ready for the hunt?

As long as you’re with me, I’m ready for anything.

Anything?
Her eyebrows waggled back at him.

Anything with you. Forever and always.

With Tom at her side and in her heart, the loneliness she experienced her entire life vanished, leaving only peace.

Wolf Mates

by

Karilyn Bentley

Dedication

To Lill:

This one's for you.

If not for our conversation that day at Starbucks, there would be no vegetarian werewolf.

Chapter One

A vegetarian werewolf was an oxymoron on a number of different levels. Could she even call herself a vegetarian if she took down that grazing deer? The usual monthly guilt slapped her like a twig on the snout. Her wolf instincts insisted she eat the deer. After all, she was a wolf and wolves preyed on deer, right?
Right.

Everyone knew wolves needed meat. Just because her two-legged self thought otherwise didn’t mean her four-legged one couldn’t eat it.

So much for the guilt. If she crammed it under a dark corner of her being, it couldn’t bother her, now could it?

Nope, no bothering allowed from that dark place. At least not until after dinner. With her guilt temporarily buried, Margie focused on the grazing deer. Her pack spread out, slinking through the trees to surround the herd. Tails wagging, they paused, waiting for her signal.

Margie scented the air, drawing the ripeness of earth and animals deep into her lungs. Upwind of the deer, she watched their ears twitch, their muscles tighten as they looked around the stream where they stopped to drink. The poor beasts knew they were dinner, they just didn’t know the time or location.

Her lip curled.
A couple of minutes and here, my yummies.

Margie looked at her pack—the males and females and a few of their young on their first hunt—that belonged to her. As alpha, it was her responsibility to care for them, to provide food. Good thing elk and deer were plentiful. She picked out two for dinner.

The young male on the right with the cut on its leg and the old one on the left. Is everyone in position?

Ready, alpha!
Voices chorused through her mind.

Go!

As one, they sprang forward, legs churning, a few of the younger wolves on their first hunt yipping with obvious joy. The deer ran, crashing through the underbrush, releasing scents of grass and dry wood. Hunting was a thrill ride, a high-paced, adrenaline charged run. Her blood thrummed through her veins, her breath sawed in and out, as she jumped over logs, twigs catching in her fur.

The young male fell first, neck snapped from a pack enforcer’s leap. Within seconds, the older stag joined the first, legs thrashing against the ground in a futile attempt to ward off death, before it too lay still. The rest of the herd continued their frantic flight, leaving their fallen comrades as the main meal on werewolf-night-at-the-ranch.

Margie trotted toward the young male. Alphas ate first so she might as well get dinner started. Guilt came back with a vengeance, hammering in her mind, telling her to run away, to avoid eating meat. Once again she ignored it. It was wrong, the wolf was right, dinner was served.

Take that, guilt
.