The Boy and His Wolf (9 page)

On autopilot, my legs spun me around and led me to the now human body. Dash was covered in gashes and a coat of blood blanketed most of his torso. I cupped his head with one hand and pulled him into my lap. I was shaking uncontrollably as I wiped the blood from his face. His long eyelashes rested over peaceful cheekbones, his lips parted slightly. He looked the same as he did every morning I woke up next to him.

“
I’m so sorry.” The words bubbled through my quivering jaw. “I’m so sorry.”

How could I lose him after all this time? It didn’t matter that he was with other people. I realized that now. I just wanted him back. I wanted him to wake up and tell me I was stupid for being captured. To scold me for not leaving with Jacey. I would give anything to feel his arms around me again. That’s all I wanted. California and hunting meant nothing. Dash was what I wanted. He was the only thing I wanted.

Bodies were around me now, filling the air with warmth and the thick scent of sorrow. Hands rubbed my shoulders and pulled me into an embrace. Marco held me and I fell against him.

Grady leaned closer to Dash, head cocked to one side. “His heartbeat is faint. He’s still alive.”

“
What?” I cried and touched Dash everywhere I could. “We need to get him to a hospital. Right now.”

I was so lightheaded from joy and hope, but I held myself together. We had to get Dash to a hospital. He would live.

“
Help me get him up.” I started to lift Dash, carefully, but Grady put his hands on mine.

“
He won’t make it.” His soft words sank to the bottom of my stomach, the heaviest of any I ever heard. “His spine’s been severed. He’s bleeding out too quickly.”

“
No.” That wasn’t possible. Dash had a chance. He was strong enough to make it.

I looked around the group frantically, not understanding why his pack brothers wouldn’t help him. “What are you all doing? Help me get him up.”

The faces around me dropped and with them my hope.

I tried to swallow, but my throat was too dry. Hands shaking, I took his into mine. Time slowed around me and I took in every piece of Dash I could. The strong line of his jaw and the scruff that covered it. His long eyelashes that tickled me when we kissed. His full, red lips and perfectly aligned teeth. I pulled him closer and lay my head on his as tears continued to stream down my face.

And then my scar burned. First, it was an itch, and then it turned into a roaring solar flare that spread through my body and down into my hands. I cried out, but I refused to let go of Dash. Was this what happened when your wolf died? Did I finally get my stupid wish of having the scar disappear? No, I needed it.

“
What’s happening?” Marco asked, pulling away from me.

The pain was almost unbearable now, but I welcomed it. Take me, I begged the fire that raged through me. I didn’t care. The blaze now sat in my right hand as if I held the sun itself. Just take me, I screamed each word clearly to the pain. I hugged Dash further into me and willed myself to go with him. The inferno flared so hot that I wasn’t sure if my screams were internal or out loud and then, all at once, it stopped.

My entire body trembled as hands pulled me backwards. Gasps escaped from the men around me and my eyes landed on a glowing red handprint on Dash’s lower side. What did I do? The light burned for another moment and then settled into a fresh scar, the perfect shape of my hand.

“
What did…” I didn’t finish because Dash jolted and coughed.

“
The hell?” Carson spoke for everybody.

I grabbed at him, turned him as he spit out blood and caught his breath. Dash opened his eyes and looked right into mine. Confusion at first, darting back and forth in panic, but then relaxing as he recognized my face.

“
Tanner.” His whisper was the most beautiful thing I ever heard.

“
Dash.” I bawled over and over in between kissing him. “You’re ok.”

His hands reached up and brushed my cheek. They were gentle, as always, and his eyes took in every part of my face. I felt weightless in that moment, like I was air itself. The pain, the sorrow, the hell ride I just went through fell free from me.

Dash lifted himself slightly and pulled me closer to him. His warm lips rested on mine and the magnificent scent of burning wood filled me.

His lips parted ever so slightly. “I love you.”

I laughed as I cried and kissed him back. “I love you, too.”

My hands were still shaking. Dash had almost died. Two hours later and I couldn’t steady my hand enough to turn on the shower.

“
I can help you.” Dash started to reach forward.

“
No.” I grabbed his arm and held him in place on the edge of the tub. “What part of you almost died don’t you understand?”

“
But I didn’t,” he reassured me.

“
We’re all very happy about that,” I said, turning the hot water on. “And now you’re going to let me take care of you.”

I half expected Dash to drop dead at any moment. I could still see his body on the ground, unmoving and covered in blood. At that moment I was sure I had lost him forever. That wasn’t something I could just get over.

Dash was touching the scar at his side, feeling the outline like I had done a million times with mine. A tingle spread across my palms and down my neck. Dash was thinking about me.

“
So this works both ways now, huh?” I cocked my head at the scar.

He nodded. “Apparently. Sylvia’s never seen it before, but somehow you marked me. Never knew it was possible.”

His look of pure amazement summed up exactly how I felt. I, a human, marked a wolf. This was an unexpected twist.

“
So I’ll always know when you’re thinking of me. I’ll feel it?”

“
Mhm.” He pondered that for a moment, not nearly as shocked by it as I was.

I scratched at my thumb nail. “So this also means you knew when I was thinking about you…and the emotion I was feeling at the time?”

Dash smirked up at me, a sexy part in his lips. “Every time.”

“
Well, damn.” That meant that along with the thousand angry thoughts I had towards Dash, he also knew about the ten thousand fantasies that included him.

From his sitting position, Dash put his arms around me and pulled me in between his legs. He rested his cheek against my stomach and held me. “If only you could have felt the times I rolled with your thoughts.”

Then he laughed to himself, his head bouncing against my abdomen. The image of him grabbing himself all too vivid.

“
So not fair.” I dropped to my knees and gripped him under his arms. “Now time to get in.”

I pulled him to his feet, Dash only wincing once. The wolf’s healing ability had all but closed his wounds and healed his spine. Sylvia suspected I transferred some of my energy to Dash with the mark, which is why he was able to even stand right now. I didn’t understand it and I honestly didn’t care to. Dash was alive and that’s what mattered to me.

I took my time unbuttoning his pants, making sure to slowly drag my hands against his legs and I slid them off. The tickle was back, only this time it was along my balls. The erection threatening to pop out of his boxers was a good indication as to what his thoughts consisted of. I pulled down the boxers.

“
Interesting.” I looked up at him over his length, his dark stare accompanying a lip bite. “What ever will I do with this?”

“
Can’t think of a single thing.” His voice the same temperature as the running water.

I stood up and Dash started to lift my shirt. “Nu-uh, mister. I’m taking care of you tonight. You just get in that shower.”

Dash narrowed his eyes for a moment and I knew he was contemplating the idea of giving control over to me. With his eyes on me, I took my time removing my clothes. Tingles erupted over my body, but the core of it nestled in my groin. Damn, I understood what he meant by going with the flow.

I stepped into the shower, pulling the curtain closed behind us. Dash and I held each other’s gazes for a moment, his giving me authority to take control and mine blazing with the promise that I would. I picked up the bar of soap and massaged circles into his chest. I worked my way lower, never breaking eye contact as the image of me on my hands and knees flashed through my mind.

Dash buckled and let out a moan.

Oh yeah, this whole being connected by supernatural scars thing was going to be fun.

“
Turn around.” My voice was heavy with command, but light with a surprise.

My hands scrubbed at his concrete shoulders and my eyes traveled the length of his body. The curve of his back led to twin dimples and an ass that begged to have teeth sunk into it. Powerful thighs turned into calves that could only have been handcrafted by God himself. The sight of him made my cock so tight it was almost painful. It pulsated and slapped against my skin.

Dash turned around and immediately began to kiss me.

His hands cupped my lower back and arched me into him. Wet and hungry, his tongue searched my mouth with desperation and I willingly accepted him. We pressed against the wall and I shoved my length deeper against him. His fingers scratched at my back and I could hear the moans emanating from my throat. He pulled away and kissed the side of my cheek and then my neck, rubbing his scruff against my smooth skin.

Oh God.

I wanted this. I needed this.

My hand slipped between our bodies and I took hold of his girth. He fit perfectly and I tugged his length toward me, alternating between rough and smooth.

“
Uhh.” Dash let out, his hot breath on my face. He forgot how well I could handle him. He dropped to his knees. One hand cupped my balls while the other guided my length into his mouth. I bit into my lip as I slipped past his soft, smooth lips and met his flickering tongue. He worked circles around my head and then sucked ferociously. Oh man, I found paradise in this man. If he kept it up I wasn’t going to last much longer. I pulled back, but he fought against me.

“
I wanted you in me, baby.” And Dash wasted no time turning me around.

“
You want me inside of you?” the wolf in him breathed into my ear, hot and hungry. When Dash allowed the wild side of him to take over I fell into complete submission. It meant our sex would be rough and exhausting, just how I craved it.

“
Fuck yes.” I bent lower and spread my legs. “Don’t be gentle.”

I knew I was supposed to be in charge, but I never needed anything as much as I needed Dash inside of me right now.

His tip pushed at my hole and I backed myself against him, welcoming his length, as the shower added the lubrication we needed. I had forgotten how Dash filled me up and took me completely. His thrusts started out slow, allowing me to adjust, but then they became deeper and more vigorous. I couldn’t catch my breath after a minute and the familiar lightheadedness clouded my vision.

His arms wrapped around my waist and his lips closed over my ear, his tongue tracing it. My eyes rolled backwards and my moans grew louder. His tongue moved down to my shoulder and his teeth bit into me.

“
Ohhh.” My brain was mush and I was nothing more than endorphins.

Dash grunted as his balls slapped against my ass and I pushed back against him, frantic to prove I was still the power bottom he loved. I squeezed myself around him, my legs trembling underneath. He bit harder and reached around to jerk me off in sync with him. I held myself against the wall and allowed the chain reaction of fireworks to explode through me. Every molecule of our bodies intermingled together.

“
Oh baby.” The tremor of his voice was pure sugar to me. He was close.