Authors: Lea Barrymire
Chapter Seven
Seth couldn’t seem to get a grip on his thoughts. He knew
she was still sharing a connection with him because he could feel her shadow in
his thoughts. The images moving through his mind were erotic, and embarrassing,
but he just couldn’t stop them. The way she looked at him and stared at his
cock, as if it were a tasty treat, just fed his imagination.
He wanted to force her to her knees and shove his cock down
her throat. The image of his hands gripping her hair and guiding her hot mouth
to his shaft made his knees weak. He could just imagine the noises she would
make as she swallowed his cum. The sensation of her swallowing the head of his
cock while he came down her throat would be fantastic. Maybe he would make her
squeeze his sac while he pumped into her mouth. Or maybe he’d make her touch
herself while sucking him.
A slap to the back of his head made him jump. He opened his
eyes. When had he closed them? An angry, naked Emily stood in front of him. Her
foot tapped a rapid rhythm and her fists were at her sides, clenched hard
enough that her knuckles were white. Fuck. She had been privy to all those
thoughts.
She was staring at his cock again but not with affection or
even heat. He looked down and found his hand still moving along its length. He
ripped it off his member. Well, that would explain the sensations he’d imagined
as his mind had wandered. Embarrassment flooded his system, with irritation
close on its heels. She could easily pull her connection from his mind. She
didn’t
have
to stay connected to witness his fantasy gone wild, although
even if she didn’t see his thoughts, the manhandling of his cock probably would
have given away his thoughts. He looked up to find her still staring daggers at
him. He sighed.
“Sorry. I don’t know what got into me. The picture started
to form and then I just couldn’t let it go.” He closed his eyes and waited. He
had watched her put down males for much less than he’d just done. He wondered
if she would force him to do something disgusting or just mentally punish him.
“Fuck. I’m not going to do anything to you. Jeezus. I’m not
that much of a heartless bitch. You’re just reacting to the adrenaline and your
wolf is reveling in your first victory.” She sighed and he could feel her
relax. “Look, let’s run back to the cabin, then I can break the connection and
you can take care of that absolutely beautiful erection by yourself.”
He whipped his eyes back to hers. He couldn’t believe she
was sanctioning him taking matters—and his cock—into his own hands, pun fully
intended. Her face was a blank mask and she was blocking her emotions from him.
He nodded and pulled his wolf forward again.
The shift took only a moment and once he was in fur again
his thoughts centered on the female sharing his space. The urge to chase her
and mount her was strong. He knew those thoughts were going to get him into
trouble but he couldn’t stop them from forming. His wolf understood all too
well what had happened. He had won a challenge between himself and a rival male
for his female. The prize should be a romp and a fuck with the female he’d
protected. Instead he was forced to push his instincts down.
Energy charged around him as Emily shifted to her wolf. She
didn’t give him any time before she attacked. One moment she was changing from
human to wolf, the next she had him by the throat and on the ground. She pushed
her anger through their connection as she squeezed his throat and forced him to
remain belly up. Her thoughts came to him on a growl.
I am not yours. Now run back to the cabin.
He couldn’t fight the compulsion and really had no desire
to. He wanted to keep peace with this female so he did the only thing he could.
He relaxed and moved his head so his entire throat was bared to her teeth. If
submitting now would patch whatever problems he had created with his rampant
imagination, then so be it.
She released his throat and backed away, wariness evident in
the snarl she gave him. He wondered how many males she’d been forced to do this
to. How many times had she had to put a male in his place because she wasn’t
prepared to take him as a mate? His disgust at his reaction must have been
blatant enough for her to read because she stopped snarling and cocked her head
at him.
Don’t. You aren’t at fault, it’s instinctive. I’m just
keeping us from doing something we would regret once the adrenaline wore off.
Her voice was laced with understanding.
Come on—I’m hungry.
She turned tail and sprinted into the woods. His predator
couldn’t ignore her and he took off chasing after her. At least it seemed that
he hadn’t damaged what little peace they had between them with his erotic
fantasy.
Emily shifted in mid-stride once she hit the yard around the
cabin. She rushed into the building and threw on her clothes as fast as she
could. When she felt Seth close to the cabin she unwound her mind from his,
thankful to finally be free of his thoughts. She’d never really thought about
what sharing someone’s thoughts would be like. She’d only done it a few times
and never for this long. The images he’d conjured still played through her
mind. The pure sensual need that had flowed through her as she’d watched
herself suck his cock was still heavy in her body. She needed a cold shower
just as much as he did.
She could almost feel the sensations he’d built in his mind.
The fact that she’d almost given him what he’d envisioned scared her more than
anything else. The urge to let him mount her in wolf form had been strong and
oh so tempting. She was confused and didn’t like it one bit. She was a scary
bitch—everyone knew that. So why was one weakling of a male causing her so much
trouble? She’d actually
liked
watching him defend her against Ed. Where
the hell were these stupid and submissive female feelings coming from? Until
she knew what was going on, she was going to avoid him. She hoped time would
fix her issues but she doubted it would. She was wet even now. Traitorous body.
She felt like a coward but she just couldn’t face him in
this state. It’d be just her luck if her wolf pushed her into something stupid
like fucking him until they both passed out.
As soon as she heard his feet hit the top step she bolted up
the stairs into the bathroom, locking the doors between it and his room. A
shower would help her to deal with the rush of feelings she had stewing in her
gut. Putting a few walls and locks between them was a smart thing to do. Her
wolf was all for jumping him and riding his cock until they both came in a
storm of sweat and moans.
After climbing into the shower she debated getting herself
off just to release the tension. She knew his nose wasn’t good enough to smell
her desire—as long as she wasn’t loud she could easily give herself a quick
orgasm. The feeling of hot water slicking down her body, beating against her
sensitized skin, sealed the deal. She closed her eyes and ran her hand down
over her belly, sliding a finger between her folds to circle her clit. She was
already engorged. She pinched a nipple with the other hand and almost collapsed
to the shower floor. Sensations flooded her body and she chased a fast release.
She increased the speed and pressure against her clit. She pressed her mouth
against her upper arm to stifle the moan she let loose when the orgasm swept
like wildfire through her body.
She breathed heavily as aftershocks rocked her body. A sigh
of languid contentment slipped from her lips. Better. Much better. She could
think again without having the urge to lick every naked inch of Seth’s body.
With efficient motions, she scrubbed her body, eliminating the last of the
night’s scents from her skin. Her stomach rumbled just as she shut the water
off. Running twice in the same day and shifting numerous times must have burned
off more calories than she’d thought. She’d dress, then find something to quiet
her stomach.
“Do you do that often in the shower?”
Emily squeaked and spun to find Seth leaning against her bedroom’s
doorjamb. Her heart pounded in her chest. How the hell had he sneaked up on
her?
Well, girly, you did have your fingers in your pussy—sort
of a distraction.
She snorted at her own chiding.
She grabbed a towel and wrapped it tightly around her chest before
facing him. With a scowl she stalked the two steps to his relaxed body. “What
the fuck are you doing in my room? And better yet, what the fuck are you doing
watching me shower?”
“I wasn’t watching you. Well, not much, anyway.” He gave her
a sexy smile. She saw nothing but confidence in his body language. Even the
glasses perched on his nose gave him an air of quiet confidence. “I wanted to
apologize for my behavior but you escaped up here first. You had my door locked
so the only way I could get to you was through your bedroom.”
“Did you ever think I was locking you out because I didn’t
want to talk to you?” She pushed past him and stalked to her bag. She was
fighting the need to put him in his place, make him tremble and bow to her. She
sighed. If she did that it would negate all the good they’d done so far this
weekend. She turned and took a calming breath. “Look, I understand more than
you do what happened out there. I don’t hold your behavior or your thoughts
against you, okay? I just needed a minute to relax and decompress. I’m going to
dress and then grab something to eat before going to bed. We’re going to hunt
in the morning so you better go to bed early too.”
She pushed against his chest, forcing him to walk backward
toward the hallway. Once he was outside her door, she shut it in his face. She
pressed her back against the wall and fought the need to scream. What was she
going to do with this male who was obviously coming into his wolf? If things
continued to progress she would find herself spread out under him begging for
his mark. The thought that scared her the most was that she was actually
contemplating him as a mate. She, the Alpha’s daughter, was finally thinking
about a male as a mate. She shook her head. There was no way he’d be able to tame
her bitch so she was still safe. The niggling thought that her bitch was
already thinking about going belly-up to him made her shiver. This camping trip
might have been a very bad idea.
Chapter Eight
“Wake up, sleepyhead.” Emily grinned when Seth grumbled at
her from under his covers. She had stood in his doorway for a few minutes, just
studying him. He was definitely a fine male specimen. His face was relaxed and
almost boyish in sleep.
She had spent hours of restlessness thinking through what
was happening to her and had decided just to see what unfolded. She liked Seth
and it seemed that each passing hour made her like him more. Her wolf liked him
and was obsessing about the things they could do to his body. If he was going
to become her mate, then so be it. She didn’t hate the idea of having a mate,
and she’d always wanted a family of her own. The thought of being mated to a
male weaker than her had always been the problem, but if Seth ended up a strong
alpha or even beta male, then he might just be her match.
“Come on, Seth. Get up. We’re heading out to hunt our
breakfast.” She walked across the room and grabbed the covers, giving them a
quick yank. Her breath caught in her throat. Oh. My. He’d slept naked. Her eyes
swept over his prone form. He slept on his stomach, giving her a perfect view
of his ass. She swallowed the groan that threatened to escape her chest. His
body was pale and beautiful against the chocolate-brown sheets. She wanted to
crawl onto the bed and wrap her body around his.
“What?” He opened an eye and scowled at her. “What time is
it?”
She was amused that he didn’t flinch about being naked while
they chatted. “It’s five and if we aren’t out there soon we’re going to have a
tough time finding prey.”
“Five? In the morning?” He groaned and turned over. Wow,
someone was happy it was morning. His cock was erect and dark against his
stomach. He finally noticed his uncovered status, blushing and grabbing the
covers in one fluid motion. “Shit.”
She chuckled and turned away to give him a moment. “Be
downstairs in five minutes ready to run or I’m coming back up here and dragging
your naked ass out of bed.”
With a bagel and a cup of coffee, she stood on the deck
waiting for him. She could clearly hear him swearing and thumping around in his
room. She grinned. A night of good sleep had helped to settle her thoughts and
she was looking forward to the run. She hadn’t hunted with another wolf for a
long time. They’d be able to take down something larger than rabbits today and
she fully intended to find some deer for them to chase.
A giggle escaped her lips and she clapped her hand over her
mouth. She didn’t giggle. Ever. She shook her head and gave in to the happiness
bubbling in her chest. She couldn’t help it. Being here in the woods with this
male actually made her want something other than a fast, hard fuck. She wanted
nights cuddled on the couch, days spent wandering through grocery stores and
afternoons on a beach somewhere. She wanted a friend, partner, conspirator. She
turned to the sliding door just as she heard Seth stumble down the stairs. He
had dressed in only a pair of unbuttoned jeans and looked sexy all rumpled from
sleep.
She waved her bagel at him and pointed to the coffee cup
waiting for him on the counter. He nodded, swept up the food and headed to the
deck. She watched him take a deep breath as soon as he was outside. His brows
scrunched in a sexy scowl before he turned to her.
“Does it smell out here to you?” He scowled at the forest as
though it had done something evil to him.
Emily looked around and took a deep breath. Nothing seemed
out of the ordinary. “Smells the same as it did yesterday. Why?”
“I swear it smells like a pine tree from here.” He took a
sip of coffee, still looking confused. He looked into his cup and then at her.
Fear tainted the air. “Okay, why does my coffee taste like freshly ground
beans?”
She grinned. “Do me a favor and touch your nose.”
The scowl didn’t leave his face as he touched the tip of his
nose. He slid his hand up along the bridge as she waved her hand at him.
Astonishment crossed his face before he brushed a full hand over his face.
“Holy shit. I’m not wearing my glasses. I can see perfectly.”
“Welcome to some of your shifter traits.” She patted his arm
before heading back into the cabin. She set her cup on the counter after
rinsing it out and turned to find him still standing, stunned, on the deck.
“Come on—we’ve got to get going if we’re going to find us some deer.”
He looked up at her with something close to panic in his
eyes. “What other things are going to change, Emily?”
The fact that he used her name was significant and she knew
it. She walked back out to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She wove
some of her power around him like a thick blanket to help stem his concerns.
She couldn’t imagine how strange it would be to wake up changed. She rested her
head on his chest and rubbed his back with her hands, soothing him.
“Bringing your wolf forward and making peace with him seems
to have unleashed some of the traits you had locked down. Hopefully you’ll end
up with enhanced senses and strength. This is what we wanted to happen this
weekend. Don’t fight it.” She smiled against his chest when his arms wrapped
around her to return the embrace. She didn’t want to admit how good it felt to
have them around her even when she was trying to comfort him.
She was in so much trouble.
Seth took a deep breath and pulled Emily’s scent into his
lungs. With her pressed against his chest and her arms around him nothing could
be bad. She smelled of honey and a fruity shampoo. It made him hungry and
definitely not for food. He wanted her naked on the table so he could sip from
her body and find out where those delectable scents were coming from. He
wondered if her skin would taste as sweet as she smelled. He was forced to
swallow a few times as he salivated. Another wolf trait?
He looked down into her upturned face. She was relaxed and
smiling, beautiful in his arms. He only hesitated for a moment before pressing
his lips lightly to hers. He just wanted to thank her and taste her lips once.
The moment was perfect. Nature surrounded them with a background of singing
birds and the hum of winged insects. The heat of her lips branded his soul. He
couldn’t imagine kissing anyone else ever again after breathing in her scent
while her lips brushed softly against his.
Her body tensed for a moment but it was over before he could
pull back and apologize. She pressed up against his lips with hers, slowly
nibbling along his lower lip. She invited him to deepen the kiss with a breathy
sigh. When he didn’t take her invitation she invaded his mouth with her tongue,
teasing his until he gave in and tasted her mouth. She was hot and sweet with a
hint of coffee. Their tongues moved across each other in a sensual slide. He
found himself grinding his cock against her soft cleft as he pulled her firmly
against his body.
He felt her pulling away from his embrace and he fought the
urge to keep her tight against his body. He didn’t want the kiss to end. Hell,
he didn’t want her to get away without him burying his cock in her luscious
body. That thought, if nothing else, doused the flames burning through his
body. This was Emily Prescott he held, the Alpha’s daughter, the one who just
yesterday had laughed about making a male piss himself. The one who had
commanded him repeatedly in the last twenty-four hours. He needed to let her go
and back away before something nasty happened.
He couldn’t seem to help the feelings he had crowding his
mind, though. They were decidedly possessive and protective. The smells of the
woods carried the scent of dangers on the breeze. He wanted to keep her safe.
Shit. Was this another wolf thing to deal with? He was sure she wouldn’t allow
him to act on his instincts and would probably tell him where to stick it if
she found out. With a concentrated effort he released his female from his arms.
He shook his head.
His female?
Fabulous. He was starting to think of her
as his.
When she was firmly out of his arms and standing far enough
from him that he could think again, he cleared his throat. “Sorry. I don’t know
what got into me.”
“Mmm, don’t be sorry. That was a great kiss.” She winked at
him with a smile playing around her mouth.
“So, we’re hunting? Are we actually going to kill something
or just chase some furry creatures around?”
Stop staring at her lips
, he
scolded himself. She was playing off the kiss and smiling about it, so he
needed to let it go before he got himself castrated.
“Oh, we’re going to kill something and eat it.” She laughed
and the sound wound around his cock.
“Raw? I don’t even like my meat medium rare. How am I
supposed to eat something like that?” The images of wolves sporting bloody jaws
from nature films played through his mind. His stomach rolled. “Oh, uck. I
don’t think I can do this. There’s going to be blood, right? I don’t like
blood.”
She looked at him with something close to disgust before
turning and heading toward the stairs. “Too bad, wolf boy. We’re going and
you’re going to love it. Just let your wolf be in control. He’ll know what to
do.”
He watched her sashay off the deck and start pulling her
clothes off. He still couldn’t get over her openness about nudity. He loved
that she stripped in front of him, but it caused issues in his pants. Once
again he would be erect while nude in front of her. He blushed but pushed his
jeans off his legs. He pulled his wolf forward in his mind and relished the
transformation. The faster he could get into fur, the faster he could hide his
obvious pleasure at seeing her naked.
He grinned a toothy smile when she took off into the woods
with a quick glance at him over her furry shoulder. For once his two sides were
in complete agreement. They wanted to chase her down, and once she was caught,
they wanted to make her submit. Seth wanted to pull her under him in either
form and sink his cock into her body. His wolf wanted to claim her, brand her
with his scent and his mark. He jumped off the deck and raced into the woods
after her. A throaty growl rumbled in his chest as he caught her scent.
As they ran farther and farther into the forest, he noticed
other scents started to invade his thoughts. With his heightened sense of smell
he could distinguish between different animals that had recently passed across
his path. A few scents had him wanting to follow them, to find out what had
made them, but he followed Emily’s trail. His wolf didn’t want her too far from
him. He caught sight of her and slowed his pace, approaching her on silent
feet.
When he was shoulder to shoulder with his dark female, she
put her nose to the ground and looked expectantly at him. Not having her inside
his thoughts made this part of being in fur so much more difficult. He
understood her actions, though, and sniffed the ground. The scent was
mouthwatering and strong. She inclined her head and stood watching him. He
swiveled his head in the direction of the scent and gave in to the urge to
chase it down.
The closer they got to the animal they chased, the more Seth
gave in to his wolf side. It knew where to step for silence, how to move through
the branches without catching them in his fur. He was astounded how instinctive
all of it could be if he trusted that side of himself. He caught a glimpse of a
brown body streaking through the brush not far in front of them. He poured on
the speed. He wanted that animal with a predatory need. He was salivating
enough that it was dripping from his jaws.
He broke through a stand of trees into a small clearing and
saw the deer they were following. From the corner of his eye he could see Emily
racing toward the prey, ears pinned back on her head and her mouth open. They
worked together, instinctively forcing the doe along a path that put her
between them. He could sense the panic on the breeze and took a leap at the
deer’s flank. Teeth sunk into flesh just as the animal bleated in terror. Emily
launched herself at the doe’s throat, cutting off the noise. Between them they
pulled the deer down to the ground. Emily kept her jaws clamped on the animal’s
throat until it stopped moving, then she backed off the kill and waited,
watching Seth.
Adrenaline coursed through his body as he looked at the
animal. In the back of his mind he understood what they’d done from a human
perspective, but from the wolf’s view he’d just hunted and taken down prey with
his female. He approached her with the intent of nuzzling her but she bared her
teeth at him and growled. Right. No touching. Instead he turned to their kill
and just gave in to the wants of his wolf. With sharp teeth he bit into the
carcass and put his mind to eating from his first successful hunt.
Emily watched Seth with a mixture of pride and amusement. He
was a dainty eater for a wolf, but he was enjoying the meal. She couldn’t quite
wrap her mind around the fact that she wasn’t eating but was sitting on her
haunches, watching him ingest large quantities of meat. Her wolf side had
refused to eat anything from their kill. Instead she sat watching, swooning in
a wolfy way at the big, strong male. Fan-fucking-tastic. Her wolf had her mind
made up about this male. Against her better judgment her wolf was assuming that
he was their mate.
After that kiss on the deck she didn’t know if she would
fight the idea of being his mate either. It had taken every ounce of strength
not to strip him and mount him right there. She was thankful that he wasn’t
able to decipher scents yet because she had almost been drowning in their mixed
lust. She’d been so wet that she’d refused to undress on the deck with him,
afraid he would see the moisture on her panties. Seth did something to her that
no other male had ever been able to do. He had crawled under her skin and made
her react to him on a very primal level. She craved his touch. She wanted to
feel him, skin to skin, with such need that it was impossible to separate her
feelings for him from her wolf’s. They were definitely a pair, given the way
she was lusting after this male with such wanton abandon.