Wolves’ Bane (10 page)

He slid his hand down, leaving her breast to rest on her hip, testing, waiting for resistance. She wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair, pressing her full breasts up against his chest so that he could feel her hard nipples rubbing him. He lifted her hands away, pulling his mouth from hers, and ignoring her cry as he quickly spun her around until she straddled him with her ass pressing fully against his cock. He bit back a moan as he ran his fingers through her smooth hair, shifting it to the side to give him better access as he dabbed his tongue along the beautiful arch of her throat and latched onto her earlobe. She groaned with pleasure, titling her head, giving him more of her flesh.

He reached around to cup her breast again, loving the heavy fullness as he kneaded it, bringing his fingers across to pinch her nipple again and again. She writhed against him, pushing her ass down to rub his cock, pumping him with delicious friction, driving him mad with want. He slid his other hand to her jeans so he could pop the button and quickly slip his hand past the elastic of her panties. She arched into him as he cupped her there, reveling in the heat, the wetness before slipping two fingers deep inside of her.

She gasped at the penetration and then moaned when he started to slowly pump her, using her juices to wet the nub of her clit, rubbing with his thumb as his fingers, encased firmly within her sheath, began to stroke with more urgency. She rode him too, arching into his hand, pushing her ass against his erection.

He wanted her. Wanted to take her right then and there, push her back, rip her clothes from her body and pound the living hell out of her until they both cried out with satisfaction. But she deserved more,
wanted
more from him. With one last thrust, she came, her pussy spasming, clenching around his fingers, pulling him deeper within. His longing to slip his cock into her, to mark her as his own and bond with his Huntress, was so intense that he almost did the unthinkable—he almost followed his heart.

As reason and reality flooded through his mind, he pulled away, slowly removed his hand from her breast, and slid his fingers from her hot core. He helped her shift from his lap, adjusting his uncomfortable erection. He kissed her one last time, claiming her mouth with such desperation that he felt her breath hitch.

He pulled away and she looked at him, her mouth puffy from the ferocity of his kiss, her eyes hooded with her desire and her satisfaction.

“I can’t make promises to you that I won’t keep, Morgan. I can’t give you what you want. You have to know that I will protect you, I will be your Hunter in every possible way, but I cannot love you.”

Morgan looked as though she couldn’t understand his words for a moment, a puzzled frown pulling her forehead down into a vee. And then as it sunk in, her face crumbled, a blush spread over her cheeks. Her eyes flashed with anger, then sorrow. “I don’t understand, Cal.”

His heart thudded painfully. He reached over to touch her cheek, regretting what he’d said but knowing that he had to say it. “I
am
a coward, just as you said. I know you don’t understand, and I wish I could explain it to you properly, but it’s the way it has to be. I can’t fall in love with you.”

The look she gave him had him wanting to take it all back, to rewind to their passionate kiss and skip over his sudden need for a conscience. “I-i-is there something wrong with me? Am I defective or something?” she stuttered, a few tears popping from her eyes.

Cal shook his head as he pulled his hand away from her face. “No, Morgan. You’re perfect, more than perfect.”

“So then what’s wrong?”

He lowered his head, his hands lying useless on his lap. “I just can’t. I can’t.”

She stood, pulling away from him when he reached for her. Cal was unable to truly distance himself when she was throwing off such strong emotions. Her eyes blazed with anger once again and he sighed.
Way to destroy—no, obliterate—the moment, asshole.

“That’s the last time I let you kiss me, Cal.” She pointed at him. “You’re a stubborn, stupid man and I want you to leave me the hell alone!” she yelled as she turned and ran.

He watched her flee, only satisfied when he saw her disappear into the safety of the house. “What I want and what I can have are two totally different things.”

Chapter Fifteen

Wake-up Call

Candy waltzed into my room bright and early as promised, bouncing on her sneaker-bound feet and urging me with a bellowing cheer to get my sleepy ass out of bed.

I moaned as I pulled my pillow over my sore eyes, shielding myself from the bubbly, energy-soaked teen.

“What time is it?” I croaked from beneath the pillow. I hadn’t slept well, not even close, and my whole body ached from tossing and turning.

It was that story that Cal had told me—the one about the first Huntress, Alkaia, and her Hunter. I hadn’t realized it at the time, my brain so muddled by all that was happening, but I’d heard that story before. Well, kind of. A version of it, anyway. Whenever I’d ask my mom to tell me a fairy tale—on the rare occasions when she was sober enough to remember that she had a daughter who might like to spend time with her—she would always tell me
that
story. The one about the murdering beast and the brave woman warrior. She’d tell it in such vivid detail that I finally stopped asking her to tell me stories at all, too frightened by the gruesome nightmares I would always have afterward.

It made me wonder if my mother had known all along that I might be one of the chosen ones. Had she known about the heritage and genetic link that would lead me to this
destiny
? There was no way to know now, not with her being dead and buried three years, her liver having finally conked out after so much abuse. It did make me wonder if our frequent trips to psychic fairs in search of what my mother called “guidance” was a result of her knowing something about what could happen when I grew up. She had often said in her drunken stupors that she prayed I would have a normal life. A sentiment that I always found ironic as I had lived anything but a
normal
life with her as my mother.

I’d tossed and turned after leaving Cal, unable to get comfortable all night, my mind racing through so many details. If I was being honest, my inability to settle wasn’t only because of my thoughts of Mom. I’d also been stuck in a torturous loop of Cal. Even the thought of him had my body humming to life, warming at the memory of his hands on me, his tongue in me, everything coming to a crashing stop as I recalled his words to me.

I will not love you, Morgan.

Each time I replayed what happened between us—the electricity, the fire—the crushing truth always followed. He was fighting me while at the same time wanting me. His body told me I was his, while his mouth, his mind said something entirely different. And for someone I barely knew, I was amazed by how much that hurt.

With the kind of childhood I’d had, it wasn’t hard for me to imagine why someone wouldn’t want to fall in love with me. I was used to feeling inadequate and rejected, but this time it seemed to dig in deeper, fester hotter. For some reason, I wanted Cal to love me, to accept me, to cherish me. And maybe all this really came down to was the magic of the Hunter-Huntress bond. Maybe all I was feeling was a byproduct of that, nothing more. My childhood had made it necessary to shield my heart and I’d always fought hard against vulnerability. Somehow, Cal had wormed his way through my defenses, making me utter such weak and pathetic things, like asking him if I was defective. I didn’t really understand why this was happening, but I didn’t like it.

And now Candy was ready and waiting, and all I wanted to do was tell the annoying girl to go the hell away. But I couldn’t,
I wouldn’t
, do that.

“It’s five thirty,” Candy called over her shoulder as she riffled through my clothes. “Here, put on these.”

I peeked from beneath my pillow. Luckily, the sun had yet to fully rise so the light in the room was bearable. I squinted in Candy’s direction. “Yoga pants?”

Candy nodded. “It’s the best thing to wear out there. The spandex will keep you warm—it’s a little nippy around here in the morning. I’ve got a jacket you can wear while we’re running.”

I pushed myself up. “What do you mean? Are we running outside?”

Candy smiled and nodded. “Yep. We’re running with Lance today. He likes to do the perimeter of the property—unlike Jer, who only likes to use the treadmills. I love to run outside, though.” She tossed the pants on the bed. “You’d better get moving or Lance will start without us and if he starts without us, then he’ll put us through hell later in the weight room.”

“Hey, I only signed up for jogging.” But the look Candy shot me sent me scrambling out of bed and beelining for the bathroom, slightly fearful of what kind of drill sergeant Lance would turn out to be.

I used to run all the time, jogging every morning before class. Until I’d dropped out of school and became a hardcore lazy bum. But I’d always missed it, the quiet mornings with only the chirping birds and crisp air to greet me. It was calming and invigorating at the same time. Like Candy, I’d never enjoyed running on a treadmill. Jogging lost all of its appeal if you couldn’t go out and experience the world.

I quickly cleaned up, washed my face, brushed my teeth and got dressed. When I exited the bathroom, Candy was sitting on my bed, a pair of sneakers dangling from her hand. “I’ve got an extra pair of runners for you. I hope you’re the same size as me.”

I smiled as I accepted the shoes. “Thanks, Candy. I really appreciate it. I used to do a lot of jogging, but I kind of stopped.”

Candy shrugged. “Well, I hope you’re ready for a workout today. Lance likes to run for an hour before breakfast.”

I grimaced as I plopped down next to Candy and quickly laced up the shoes.

An hour? Shit, I hope I don’t embarrass the hell out of myself.

The early morning assaulted my nostrils with the fresh sting of crisp air, instantly bringing life to my exhausted body.

Lance was waiting for us, wearing his usual playboy smile. He swept his gaze down my legs then slowly back up again. With a small nod, he said, “You’d better do some stretching before we get started.”

I followed his suggestion, falling into my old routine for warming up muscles. I’d given up lately. Dropping out of school in December had been the first of many things I’d abandoned. It could be why I’d made such a poor choice when it came to Jimmy, desperate to feel something, do something that got my heart working again. I’d wanted so badly to be normal, to stop feeling like my world was crashing in on me. My life had never been wonderful, but things had definitely been better.

I had always believed in potential at least. The potential for a bright future. When I’d earned a full scholarship to Reed College in Portland, I’d had such high hopes for a better life, and for a while, being away at school had given me that. I’d loved the academic atmosphere, being surrounded by like-minded people—intelligent people. I had thrived, and I’d been happy. Once I’d completed my Arts degree, and Master’s, I immediately enrolled—and been accepted—in the doctorate program, my scholarship carrying through for that as well.

But two years into my doctorate and the depression hit like a cement block. Things like school stopped appealing to me. I no longer wanted to socialize. I lost my drive. My grades slipped and I was on the verge of losing my precious scholarship altogether. That was when I dropped out. I told my advising professor that I was quitting, and he convinced me to take a leave of absence instead so I wouldn’t lose my scholarship right away. Just in case I changed my mind. He’d argued that it would be such a waste of potential if I closed the door on my education.

That had been over six months ago and up until Cal and his gang of Hunters had crashed into my life, I still hadn’t found my drive. With Jimmy’s betrayal, that final tether had seemed gone forever.

But now that weight had shifted. In some really messed-up way, Cal had given me back the drive to succeed. He’d given me a challenge to overcome. Defeat the king of the werewolves? I hardly thought it was possible, but just the idea had my heart pounding with vigor. Was I scared? Yes, shitless actually, but I was also excited. I had a purpose, even if it was a death sentence. Although I didn’t really believe that. Call me naïve, but despite our problems, I didn’t think Cal would let me die—something in my gut told me that if we worked together we could overcome any obstacle. It wasn’t enough to make me want to bond with him, not yet anyway, but it was enough to get me out of my slump and focused on something other than myself. I pulled my arms above my head and arched my back in one long stretch, loving the crack as my spine realigned.

“Okay, girls,” Lance said as he started a slow jog toward the tree line. “Let’s get going.”

I hesitated, remembering Cal’s fury at seeing me so close to the forest the night before.

“Come on, Morgan,” Candy called as she easily caught up with Lance. “There’s nothing to worry about. They can’t get past the barrier.”

I eyed the border a moment longer before the urge to run pulled me into motion. It had been so long since I’d been motivated to do anything for myself that I couldn’t pass it up. Also, fuck Cal and his overprotective bullshit. He couldn’t have it both ways.

I sprinted, a short burst of energy to get me in line with Lance and Candy, then fell into an easy jog, loving the feel of my lungs working, my legs pumping and the soft grass beneath my shoes, cushioning the impact.

I made it a lot longer than I’d thought I would, keeping pace with them for at least two miles before I started slowing down. Candy called to me, slowing as well, but I waved them on. I was developing a nasty cramp in my side and knew that before long I’d have to stop altogether. I didn’t want to hold them back.

“I’ll meet you guys at the house,” I called.

Lance backtracked to me, then turned on his heel to run backward as he kept pace with me. “You’re not getting out of it that easily.”

I forced a smile but slowed even more, the stitch in my side turning into a deep burn. “Trust me. I just need some time for my body to adjust. It’s been a while since I’ve been jogging. Just give me a week and I’ll be able to keep up with you. You’ll be watching my back.”

Lance smirked as he craned his head as if to check out my butt. “And it’s a nice
back
if I do say so myself, but I think Cal might kill me if I stare too long.”

I hissed out a long breath and slowed my pace even more, resting my hand on my side as I did, grateful for the flush of exercise to disguise my embarrassment. “What does he care? Fuck Cal.”

Lance snorted, his eyebrows raised. “Ah yes, fuck Cal. That is definitely what he wants.” His gaze swept my body once again. “Who wouldn’t?”

I stopped and doubled over, my hands resting on my knees as I sucked in deep lungfuls of air. “I don’t think that’s really the problem.” I stared up at him as he continued to jog in place. “It’s not the wanting part that I have an issue with. It’s what comes after—or doesn’t come after, in Cal’s case.”

Lance’s eyebrows shot high once again before his expression returned to the usual cocky grin. “He has his reasons.”

I nodded, scowling. “Yeah, so I’ve heard.”

Lance shook his head, and for once, the smirk was gone. “No really. Has he told you why? The whole story?”

I frowned. “What, about not wanting to fall in love with me?”

Lance nodded. “Has he told you why he can’t?”

I forced myself to stand, ignoring the knot of pain that burned in my side. “He doesn’t want to get hurt if I die.”

Lance snorted. “So, no, he hasn’t told you. You know, he might act like an ass sometimes, but there’s more to Cal than meets the eye. The bonding of a Hunter to a Huntress is a big deal in our world, maybe more so than even Cal realizes. I can’t say that I agree with the stand he’s taking, but I certainly understand why he’s doing it. Maybe you should ask him what the real reason is, then perhaps you’ll understand his motivation a little better.” Lance turned and started off to catch up with Candy. Over his shoulder, he called, “Get something to eat then meet us in forty-five minutes in the training room. You’ve got some weapons training to do.”

I slowly shook my head.
Weapons training?
What the hell have I gotten myself into?

I bent over again, nursing my side as I tried to slow my breathing to a more reasonable rhythm. Despite the pain, my body felt good. Well used. I turned back toward the house. Now that the sun had fully risen above the tree line, the house was awash with the yellow glow of morning. I started at a good speed, walking as fast as I dared without aggravating my side. It would take a few days for me to get back into shape, but I knew I wouldn’t give up again. I’d missed jogging—I just hadn’t realized how much.

What Lance said had me thinking. My anger had flared at the mention of Cal’s name, but was simmering now, losing some of its power. I wasn’t asking for a marriage proposal for Christ’s sake. My very existence seemed to be rooted in this Order of the Wolf stuff. My life depended on becoming the Huntress, and to do that I apparently needed to bond with Cal. But the word itself, bonded, suggested that it wouldn’t be a pairing for a short time. Could we be bonded and not be in love? Would I grow to hate him? Was there a ticket out of the bonding after I defeated Lazarus? All I wanted was some clarity going forward. Because, in essence, I was trapped. Despite what anyone said. I didn’t have a choice unless I considered death an option. If I needed to bond with Cal, I wanted to make sure that he wasn’t going to close himself off to me forever—like being stuck in a loveless marriage, an arranged union out of duty. Or I needed to know that there was a way out afterward. I was willing to go in with an open mind—he wasn’t, and I wanted to know why. For whatever reason, Cal couldn’t directly lie to me. Maybe all I needed was to ask him for the whole truth and he would tell me.

Lost in my thoughts, I’d made it within a quarter mile of the house when I felt an eerie chill of apprehension wash over me. Something unsettling crawled across my skin, fear that slithered down my back. I quickened my step, keeping my eyes on the house and turning away from the edge of the forest, cursing myself for having strayed so close. Figuring it was probably just Cal’s reaction from last night that had me spooked, I turned my head to the side and glanced into the forest, but saw nothing to warrant my sudden fear.