Slade's Desire (White River Wolves Series, #2) (10 page)

At those words, Slade could not stop another low growl from escaping.  Quickly closing the distance between them, he scooped Gypsy up in his arms and hurried to his bedroom.  Kicking the door shut behind them, he laid her down gently on the bed before stepping back to look at her.  She was so beautiful.  Her long, brown hair fanned out around her on the pillow, her dark eyes sparkled with desire, and her soft skin begged for his touch.  His gaze drifted from the red wisps of lace barely covering her full breasts, down her soft stomach, to more lace that stood between him and what he wanted most.

He slowly raked his gaze over her body, from top to bottom, and then back up again.  Their eyes caught and held, as his hands went to the button on his jeans.  “Are you sure, Gypsy?  Once these come off, I won’t be able to stop.”

Her eyes left his and trailed down his body to where his hands rested.  “Yes,” she breathed.  “I want to feel your hands on me.  I want you inside of me.”

Slade could not hold back any longer.  Undoing the button, he quickly slid off his jeans, and his boxer briefs with them.  He watched as Gypsy stared at his thick erection, slowly licking her lips.  He wanted to feel those soft, pink lips wrapped around his dick.  He wanted to pump into her mouth, watching her take all of him.  But his desire to bury himself deep inside his mate won out and he climbed on the bed, resting on his knees beside her legs.  Letting his gaze wander over her again, he could not stop himself from snarling, “Mine.”

“Yes,” she panted softly, “as you are mine.”

Reaching out, Slade softly skimmed his fingers along her thigh, up over the silky skin on her belly, to the top of a breast.  She was so damn stunning.  Letting one of his claws emerge, he deftly sliced the front of her bra open, chuckling at the gasp that emerged from Gypsy.  He peeled the lacey cups back from her beautiful breasts, cupping one of them in his palm.  He groaned when it filled his hand perfectly.  Lowering his head, he licked around the nipple, then sucked it gently into his mouth, before nipping at it.  “Slade!” Gypsy cried out, sliding her fingers into his hair and clasping him to her.  Moving to her other breast, he gave it the same attention he had given the first as he reached down and cut the panties from her.  Retracting his claw, he slowly slid his hand over her mound and slipped a finger inside her. 

Slade groaned as he moved up to capture her soft cry with his mouth.  Rubbing her clit with his thumb, he began pushing his finger in and out of her, adding one more after a few thrusts.  Gypsy moaned, pulling her mouth from his and flinging her head back, crying out as she arched into his touch.  “Oh God, Slade!”  He continued his onslaught, loving the sounds of pleasure coming from her.  “Slade!” 

A scream tore from her throat as she came, and Slade watched in shock as a bright glow emanated from her body.  Gypsy opened her eyes, eyes that glowed a dark golden-brown, and panted, “My turn.”  Pushing him onto his back, she straddled his legs and leaned down to kiss him.  His body shuddered as she grasped his aching cock in her hand.  She began to stroke his thick length as she slipped her tongue into his mouth, tangling it with his.

Slade groaned as he rotated his hips, thrusting his cock into her hand.  It felt so damn good.  There was one thing that would feel better, though.  Grasping her hips, he pulled her up until her moist folds slid over his cock.  Lifting her slightly, he groaned as he slowly lowered her onto his straining erection, encasing him in her hot wetness.

Gypsy sat up, her hands on his chest, and slowly raised herself up, then back down.  He watched her tongue slip out to moisten her lips as she tilted her head back.  Gypsy’s long hair flowed down her back, her eyes were slightly closed, and the noises coming from her as she rode him drove him wild.  His fangs punched through his gums, and he tightened his hold on her hips, guiding her faster as he pushed deeper inside her.  A thin sheen of sweat coated Gypsy’s body, and her beautiful breasts moved up and down in sync with his thrusts.

Making sure they stayed connected, Slade flipped her over onto her back.  Bending down, he took one of her hard nipples in his mouth, scraping it with his fangs, and then soothing the sting with his tongue.  Gypsy called his name as he continued to move deep inside her. Letting go of one breast, he quickly found the other one, reveling in the soft cries coming from his mate. 

“Slade, please,” Gypsy panted, pushing up into him, “I’m so close.” 

Slade let go of her breast and looked into her still glowing eyes.  Tangling his hand into her hair, he grasped it tightly and tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck to his hungry gaze.  Leaning in, he began to lick and nibble his way down the sensitive skin on her neck.  Stopping at the soft hollow between her neck and shoulder, he gently sucked the skin into his mouth, before lightly scraping his fangs over to her shoulder.  He wanted to mark her, to claim her as his mate.  He wanted to sink his teeth deep into her shoulder so that everyone would know that she belonged to him.  Opening his mouth, he placed his fangs on her shoulder as he pumped deep inside her.  It would be so easy to make her his.

Gypsy cried out, dragging her nails down his back and digging them into his ass as she came.  Snarling, Slade slammed into her two more times before he spilled inside her.  Just as his jaw started to tighten on her tender flesh, an image of Sarah ran through his mind.  With a roar, he pulled his teeth away from Gypsy’s shoulder and buried his head in her neck breathing heavily.  More images of Sarah swamped him, and he fought to block them out.  He did not want Gypsy to see them, and he was sure she could. 

“Slade?”  Gypsy’s small voice broke through the mixture of emotions swirling through him.  She placed a soft kiss on the side of his head, gently stroking her hand down his back.  “Talk to me, Slade, please.”

“I can’t,” he grunted, “dammit, Gypsy, I just can’t.”

“If you don’t, then we aren’t going to get past this,” she whispered, “and I really do not think that is an option for mates, Slade.”

Slade swallowed hard, another shudder racking his body.  He didn’t know what to say.  What if she left him?     

“What was her name?” Gypsy asked softly, still hesitantly stroking his back.

Slade tightened his fist in her hair, fighting tears that threatened to break free.  “Sarah,” he rasped finally.  “Her name was Sarah.”

“And you loved her?”

“Yes,” he admitted.  “I did.”

“Who was she to you?”  The question was voiced quietly, but the hand on his back had stilled.  He could feel her starting to withdraw from him, and that was why he had not wanted to have this conversation.  Not yet.  Not until their relationship was stronger.

“She was my wife.”

“Your wife?” Gypsy asked in confusion, slowly pulling away from him and sitting up.  Grabbing the sheet from the bottom of the bed, she held it up to cover her breasts.  “But I thought shifters only got one mate?  You said I am yours?  I know I am.  I feel it too.” 

“They do,” Slade agreed roughly, resting his forehead on the pillow in front of him.  Shit, how could he explain this to her without losing her?  “Not all shifters find their mates, Gypsy.  Some can look for years and never find them, so they choose to live their lives alone.  Some fall in love and marry.”

“Even knowing their mate could be out there somewhere waiting for them?”

“Yes,” he said shortly. 

Gypsy rose from the bed, wrapping the sheet snuggly around her.  “Where is she?”

“She died years ago.”  Clutching tightly to the pillow he lay in silence for several minutes trying to collect his thoughts. “I’m sorry, Gypsy,” he finally said.  “I should have waited for you, but...” Slade froze when he realized that he was alone.  Lifting his head, he slowly turned around to look at the empty room.  “Shit,” he hissed as he sat up and threw the pillow.  “That went well.”  Cursing loudly when he heard the soft click of the lock on the front door moments later, he jumped out of bed and ran to the living room, but he was too late.  She was gone.

W
hen she left the apartment, Gypsy had no specific destination in mind.  All she knew was that she needed to get out of there.  She had no idea what to think.  It was obvious that Slade was still in love with his deceased wife.  Gypsy had known that he was about to bite her, to claim her as his, and she had welcomed it.  Then, images of a pretty, young woman with long, straight, blonde hair and some of the bluest eyes she’d ever seen had come between them. 

It had not been Gypsy’s intention to read his thoughts.  She never tried to get inside anyone’s head, but sometimes things slipped through.  This time Slade had been projecting his thoughts so loudly that she was unable to block them out.

A few minutes later Gypsy found herself in front of the hospital, the only place in the compound that she was familiar with.  Sighing, she decided she would go inside and check on her sister before trying to figure out what to do next.  Did she go back to Slade’s apartment?  Did she stay in her room at the hospital?  She was so confused.

“Gypsy?”  Jade’s soft voice came to her from the top of the stairs. 

Glancing up, Gypsy gave her a weak smile.  “Hi Jade.  I came to look in on Sari.”  It was partly true.  It may not have been her original reason for coming, but it was the decision she had just made.

Gypsy could tell Jade suspected there was more to her surprise return, but the other woman did not ask.  “Come in out of the cold,” she said, motioning to the front doors.  “You are going to freeze out here.”

Looking back toward the apartments, Gypsy saw Slade standing out in front of them watching her.  He wore a pair of jeans, but nothing else.  Even his feet were bare.  He did not make an attempt to move in her direction.  It seemed as if he were waiting for something, with his hands resting on his hips, and his head cocked to the side.   

Making her way silently down the stairs, Jade came to stand beside Gypsy.  “He won’t leave until he knows you are safely inside the hospital,” she said quietly.  “If your intention is to have some time apart, I suggest you come with me now.”

Tearing her gaze away from Slade, Gypsy turned and trudged up the stairs.  It was not what she wanted to do.  She wanted to turn back around and run to her mate.  She wanted to take him in her arms and tell him everything was going to be alright.  That no matter what, she was not going anywhere, and they would work things out.  Maybe he didn’t love her now, but she knew he cared for her, and love would come eventually.  Her heart was already starting to open to him, one day his would for her as well. 

When Gypsy reached the front entrance, she placed her hand on the door and turned back one last time to look at Slade, but he was gone.  A tear escaped and slid down her cheek unnoticed.  Jade was wrong.  She had not made it safely inside yet, but her mate was nowhere to be found. 

A soft sob catching in her throat, Gypsy turned and ran through the front doors.  Did she even have a chance?  Would Slade ever love her like he did Sarah?  Could she stay with him if he could never feel more for her?  How could she leave?  From what she knew, mates could not stand to be apart for very long.  Even now, without the mating bite, the pull between them was strong.  She wanted to be with him, and had to fight the urge to turn back.

Stopping in front of her sister’s room, Gypsy knocked lightly on the open door.  Sari was sitting up in bed watching television.  She smiled when she saw Gypsy, and quickly shut it off.  That smile turned into a frown when she saw Gypsy was no longer wearing one of the hospital gowns they had both worn since they arrived.  Nibbling on her bottom lip, Sari asked nervously, “Where were you, Gypsy?  I wanted to come see you earlier, but they said you weren’t in your room.”

Gypsy had asked the staff to allow her to be the one to tell Sari that she was leaving the hospital.  She did not expect them to deliver that kind of news to her sister, especially when she had no idea how Sari was going to respond.  Smiling gently, Gypsy walked in and sat on the side of the bed.  “I’ve been at Slade’s,” she admitted.

“Slade’s?” Sari questioned in confusion.  “Who’s Slade?”

That was when Gypsy realized that she and her sister had not had a chance to sit down and talk.  At first it was because of Gypsy’s memory loss.  Since she was unable to remember the young girl, she’d had no idea what to say to her.  Once she finally regained her memory, Sari had closed in on herself and spent most of her time in bed following her minor breakdown.  Now Gypsy wondered just how much she should tell her.  There was a time when the two had talked about almost anything...anything except Gypsy’s gifts.  That was something she had not been allowed to share with anyone in the past, but maybe now it was time.  She trusted her sister with her life, and she was so tired of carrying her burdens alone.  That was exactly what her abilities had become to her over the past few years; burdens. 

In the beginning, Gypsy’s powers were magical and fun.  She used to love to sneak in and out of people’s minds just to see what they were thinking.  Well, most people.  Some minds were scarier than others.  She had learned fast to leave instantly when she touched the dark sludge of hatred and evil that was alive in some. When she got older, she became more wary about others finding out about her abilities and began to heed her mother’s advice.  She became better at hiding the things she could do, but it did not stop her from helping those in need if she could. 

Deciding it was time to share everything with Sari, Gypsy stood and kicked off her boots before sliding onto the bed and leaning back against the pillows beside her sister.  “There are so many things you don’t know about me, Sari,” she started slowly.  “Things I always wanted to tell you, but Mom was afraid of what might happen to me, to all of us really, if I did.”

“Well, you can tell me now.” 

Hesitating slightly, Gypsy said, “Growing up, you always knew we had different fathers.  I loved our Papa so much, but he wasn’t my biological father.”  When Sari nodded, Gypsy continued, “My dad was a very special man.  He had gifts that not a lot of people have.  Gifts that he passed down to me.”