The Wolf's Bride (Shifters Unleashed Book 1)

by Natalie Aejaz

Desire surged as she rubbed against his erection, the friction of his trousers against her naked sex making her need him so bad it was hurting. When she rubbed harder, he released a sound somewhere between animal and human as he lifted his face, letting go of her hair and head falling back as he moaned her name. Right now, she did not care what he was—she wanted him. As she kissed the base of his neck, she struggled with the buttons of his shirt, pulling it off his shoulders and trailing her fingers down that strong bare chest, to the waistband of his trousers. His shaft strained against the material as she slipped her hand between them to open the zip. The crown of his cock was broad and moistened across the slit, the tip of it weeping just enough for a drop to slide down that long thick shaft. His lips found hers again as he held her by the hips, positioning her just above his erection. “Rex,” she whimpered. He brought her down, pushing into her with a long thrust, making her scream out his name as she finally felt him inside her.

  She cradled his head, pressing her chest up against him and shifting so he filled her completely. How could anything feel so damn good? He moved his lips to her breasts, and she moaned as his hot mouth suckled one nipple and then the other, gently tugging with his teeth. His hands on her hips, he pressed so he went deeper, his tongue flicking her nipple at the same time, and she let out a cry. As he pumped inside her with long strokes, she was desperate to bring him even closer. He panted and groaned as she pushed harder against each thrust.

  “Leanne,” he moaned into her ear. “You don’t know how difficult it is for me to stay in control, when I need you so badly.”

  She did not want him to be in control and pumped her hips until he let out a loud groan and shifted to press deeper. “Yes, Rex. More.” She kept her eyes on the deep glow inside his as she moved along his shaft; breathless with desire, need overcoming her. The ecstasy too much to bear, yet not enough. They came together, crying out each other’s names as she collapsed against him, those strong arms holding tight as if he would never let go.

  She did not know how long they remained in that position, her legs straddling him and head resting on his shoulder, with him still inside her. His mouth eventually went to her breast, his lips fastening over her nipple and sending a surge of wetness to between her legs. She wanted him, all over again. What the hell was going on? He went hard inside her as he lifted his head. “I can’t get enough of you,” he whispered against her ear. He kept hold of her and—holy shit!—flipped her to her back in one expert movement. His eyes fastened on hers as he moved in and out of her, setting every inch of her on fire. “I don’t know what the fuck it is about you.”

  She also could not get enough of him. Nothing could feel as good as Rex pumping into her, hard as fuck as he told her what he wanted to do to her. He wrapped her hair around his fingers, drawing her head back. As he shoved into her, his mouth went to her neck, his body tense. Kissing and licking at the base of her neck, making her shiver. When he softly bit, the pain only increased the pleasure. She pressed her hips up, matching each of his thrusts, shaking with lust. “Rex!” How could he make her feel so good, again and again? She panted loudly, desperate for him; Rex moving faster and harder until they were both coming again.

  He pulled out of her and when he lay back with her body on top of his, she settled against his chest as if she belonged there, smiling as she listened to his heartbeat. She did not want to think about anything other than how it felt being clasped in his arms, safe inside her little apartment. But reality eventually forced its way in, grabbing her with both hands to drag her out of bliss. They were from different species. Despite this inexplicable connection, they could not be any different. And it did not matter how right it felt being with him, this would go nowhere. She pressed closer to him as she ran her hands over his arms, wanting to remember how he felt, taking in his scent, his touch. Already adjusting to not seeing him again? He kissed her softly on the shoulder. “What’s wrong, Leanne?”

  How did he know?

  She lifted her head to look into his eyes, at a glow so intense it unnerved her. What she had just experienced with him was not enough. And anything more? Heartache. She moved away to sit on the edge of the sofa, straightening her skirt and pulling on her blouse. She shook her head, standing. “Nothing.”

  His voice was controlled. “Then why are you suddenly being like this? Distant?” He also stood, pulling up his trousers. “We both want each other, what’s wrong with that?” She tried to turn away, but he took her arm to pull her closer, fingers on her neck as he checked the area where he had bit.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” Relief flitted across his face. “Just checking.”

  Panic clenched at her. “Checking what?”

  He was hesitant. “Just making sure I didn’t bite too deep.”

  “Because?” Silence. “Just tell me, Rex.”

  His handsome face was tense. “We can turn humans through a bite, make them like us … but it has to be deep—”

  Fuck! She ran to the mirror to check, but there was no mark on her neck. She turned to him, pissed. “How the hell could you do that to me?”

  “I’m so sorry. I don’t know how I got carried away … But I controlled myself, didn’t go deep.”

  “And if you bit deeper, then?” Shit! She might have been running around with a fucking tail attached.

  “We have access to an anecdote,” he told her. “We have forty-eight hours to administer it and it’s easily available for humans who don’t want to turn.”

  “Humans who don’t want to turn?” She was getting pretty worked up now. “I have news for you. Most people don’t want to become bloody animals.” She sat on the sofa, head in her hands. Why did he have to show up?

  “I know this is a lot to take in.” When he sat next to her, his closeness spread that warm glow through her all over again, even though she wanted to be angry with him. “And believe me, I’m confused too. I also don’t get what this is.” She looked up, and he held her gaze. “We’re both different, but that doesn’t change the fact we want each other. Big time.”

  “All I ever wanted was a normal life, Rex.” She was not denying their strong chemistry, but all this was too much to handle.

  “A normal life?” His jaw clenched. “With someone like Dave?”

  “Yes.” Well, she did not fancy Dave anymore but did want stable and normal, which Rex was not. She placed her palm against his jaw and he tilted his head to give it a gentle kiss, the gesture comforting. Her voice was soft. “Don’t you get it? You’re not human.”

  “And if I’d managed to control myself—which I do a shit job of around you—well, you wouldn’t have known.”

  “But I do know.” And nothing would change that.

  “Can’t you just forget about the shifter part? When I’m in human form I eat, sleep and behave like any other man.”

  Forget he was a shapeshifter? How? “One of your kind, a fox, savaged two young men not that long ago. Is that true?”

  “Yes.” Which meant Harry might be right about the possible government investigation, too. “But the fox was angry—for fuck’s sake, they murdered her mate. They killed her, too.” She moved her hand from his face. “Your kind kills for fun, but that’s all right?” he asked, an edge in his voice and eyes flashing. Okay, so this was a touchy subject. “And when the beast kills in self-defense, she’s dangerous? You might not admit it, but humans are the most savage creatures on this planet.” She got what he was saying, but what difference did it make to their situation? He was still a shifter, one who could turn dangerous. Gripping her waist, he drew her to him. “Tell me you don’t want this.” Even while her mind insisted this was madness, her body betrayed her. “I’m not asking you for commitment,” he said, voice low and lips hovering over hers, “But don’t deny us this.”

  She pulled back. “And what if I ever decide to stop seeing you?” Images of the savaged men flashed through her head.

  He hesitated for a moment. “I never expected to feel this stro
ngly for a human,” he admitted, “But to be honest, I always saw myself with a wolf for a mate.”

  “Mate?”

  “Like a bride, I guess, but without the paperwork—” He paused, as if considering his words. “I get where you’re coming from and know this won’t work long term, even if we want it to.” His gaze now held hers. “I’ll leave whenever you say. I promise.”

  Too easy. “But would you really, when the time came?”

  He nodded. “I give you my word.”

  Amazing sex with no attachment? Exactly what she needed after a pretty ordinary six-year relationship. So why shouldn’t she just go for it? She shifted toward him and he took her in his arms, kissing her. As the kiss deepened, she opened his trouser zip, her hand slipping inside. They might have agreed to no commitment, but she had taken a step further with him … what the hell, she was not going to think about that now, not when it felt so good being with him. She wrapped her fingers around his shaft, sliding up and down its long length as he groaned against her lips. He suddenly placed his hand over hers, stilling her. “Not right now.” His voice was strained. “I can’t.” His throbbing cock indicated otherwise, and she moved closer to kiss him again, relishing his immediate response. She pressed her tongue against his, exploring, her hand applying pressure along his shaft as that strong body writhed against hers, until she felt … fangs in his mouth? Even as heat shot through her at the contact, he pulled away his face, his effort to stay in control visible. “I told you,” he said, moving her hand away. “I’m losing control.”

  Flashing eyes, claws and fangs. Freaky? Yes. A game-changer? Probably not. But what came after that? “What is”—how to bloody put it?—“the next level of change?” He was silent. “I need to know.”

  “It won’t happen, not when I’m with you.”

  “Tell me. Please.”

  “My muscles become stronger, and body larger … And a shadow of my beast flashes over me.” As a threatening image of him like that appeared in her mind, making her tense, he added, “But you don’t need to worry, because I release my wolf regularly and can hold it back from that state.”

  “And what about during sex?” In the forest, he had told her it was a time when shifters could lose control.

  He paused. “To be honest, being in that form during sex increases the pleasure for us, but we only allow it to go that far with another beast—never with a human.”

  The thought of seeing him in that form? Terrifying. “I couldn’t bear to see you like that.”

  He drew her closer. “Trust me. I won’t let it happen. Even this, the fangs and claws … it has never happened with a human before.”

  “Promise me, Rex. This stuff—your claws and fangs—I can deal with, but I couldn’t handle that.”

  “Whatever it takes, I’ll control myself. Promise.” He smiled. “Check.” Those fangs had subsided. Impressive. And now mischief tugged at the corner of his mouth, a glint entering those blue eyes. “About the fangs and claws … you can really handle them?” For some reason, they did not freak her out. She nodded, and he guided her hand back to his erection as he kissed her. “In that case, let’s get back to where we were …”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  * * *

  HAD HE REALLY THOUGHT SEX with Leanne might get her out of his system? If anything, their connection was now stronger.

  “You owe me big time,” Tyr told him yet again as he leaned back in the chair, the jacket of his expensive two-piece suit stretching across his wide shoulders. “Instead of hiring a PA I was covering for you, while you went loopy in the forest.”

  Rex had been back at work for two weeks, but his brother was a bloody broken record. They both sat in Rex’s office, a spacious and luxurious number with its rear wall made of glass, resulting in a splendid view over the River Thames. The rest of the walls were painted crème, a perfect foil for the high-end dark wood furniture—kept to a minimum so he had enough room on the floor to work out whenever he took a quick break. He had just been over the accounts; and it was a damn relief that although Tyr was used to paying never-ending charges on his own credit cards, he had done a stellar job of managing the expenses of the floor they rented in the tower building at Canary Wharf. Sure, his younger brother had taken advantage of his absence to fit out both their offices with designer accessories, but Rex had quickly grown addicted to that top-of-the-range coffee maker that brewed the best fresh coffee he had tasted—and what was not to appreciate about the custom ergonomic chair he sat on right now? “Tyr. You do know you wouldn’t have such a hard time finding a PA if you agreed to hire humans for your team?” Stubborn ass.

  “Fuck that. I’ll leave the human charity cases to you.” His brother glanced at him over the rim of his coffee cup as he took a sip. “Anyway, it’s great you’re not a walking corpse anymore. And I can’t remember when I last saw you smiling like this.” He cleared his throat. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m damn proud of everything you do for the beasts but seriously, you needed to lighten up a bit.” Rex joined GCB after the death of father, dealing with the loss by throwing himself into his duties; determined to do his best by his kind and help others like his family, who faced constant danger. He dedicated himself body and soul, taking on every damn project he could. Tyr was probably right; somewhere along the line he just forgot to live a little. When his brother spoke again, his voice was controlled, careful. “What’s brought the change?”

  He was not about to open up and piss Tyr off big time, not when he did not know where this thing with Leanne was going. And was it even going anywhere? Weeks were so damn insignificant compared to the years she spent with that Dave. She was slowly getting rid of anything that reminded her of the prick but even after weeks, Rex would come across the odd photo of them both together, out at dinner or on a vacation. Six years of memories …

  The other day he had given her a gift, a gold chain with a crystal pendant. Her first reaction? To refuse it. She only bloody accepted it after he promised not to buy her any more gifts. She was deliberately keeping a distance and to be honest, so was he. He believed her when she promised not to tell anyone what she knew about shifters, not even her best friend, but humans were at their most unpredictable when romantic flings turned ugly. If this ended badly, Leanne could expose him in an instant, which was why he had not even told her what he did for a living yet. And there was no way he could take her back to his place, not when he did not know where he stood with her. He hated avoiding pictures with her—thank fuck she was not a selfie maniac—and she had no idea the mobile number he used was untraceable. No matter how he felt about her, he could never forget she worked for a company like The Alternative. If things did not work out, what would stop her from publishing what she knew in a tell-all article?

  “I just needed some space to get my head together,” he replied.

  Tyr snorted, setting his coffee down. “Fuck off, Rex. In the forest you looked as if your fangs were about to drop out, and now you’re the cat that’s got the cream …”

  “Don’t compare me to a fucking cat.” He had feline friends, great ones, but doubted they would be any happier at being referred to as wolves. “Anyway, the main thing is that I got through it and now I’m back at work, ready to tackle any shit.”

  “Good for you,” said Tyr, his voice low and deliberate. “Dad put a lot into this firm. Before humans murdered him.”

  A fucking broken record.

  “Tyr, we live among humans and have no choice but to get on with them.” Rex could do nothing about the perverse human desire to spill blood for entertainment, but over the years had convinced Council members to support animal rights organizations through increasing donations and resources. But was anything he did enough for Tyr? No. His brother would only be satisfied with him breaking all contact with humans, which was not going to happen. Especially after meeting Leanne.

  “Listen to yourself. Talking about getting on with the people who killed father.”

  When the fuck would h
e get it? Rex leaned over the table, resting his weight on his elbows. “You can’t keep blaming all humans for what happened. We have to move on.”

  “Try telling mum that.”

  Mother was still a recluse, but at least laughed more these days. She might even find another mate. God knew she was beautiful enough—nature was kind to the beasts—with plenty of wolves interested in her. “I don’t want to argue with you over this, Tyr. Let’s say we’ve different opinions on the matter and leave it at that.”

  “Sure, but try browsing the internet. That shitty site, The Alternative or whatever it’s called, might have stopped writing about us”—just as well Tyr did not know he was seeing the woman who put out those stories … damn, he would never hear the end of it—“but conspiracy theories are popping up all over other online forums. The humans have even given us a new fucking name. Beastoids!”

  It was a waste of time worrying about conspiracy theories, with any potential damage already done. What concerned Rex was a recent report from the shifter leopard who worked in the intelligence service. Government agencies planned to invest intense resources in their investigation; if they even suspected shapeshifters to be more than a drunken hunter’s hallucination, his kind would be tracked down and weeded out. Anxiety suddenly crawled through his stomach at the thought of having revealed their secret to a human.

  Can I trust her?

  LEANNE OPENED HER WARDROBE, smiling at the sight of Rex’s jacket. She had intended to return it but held on to it instead, because she kind of liked seeing it each morning, hanging among her clothes. Rex was picking her up after work, so she took out that new black dress. After slipping into it, she checked her appearance in the mirror. No, her legs were not too thick for the short dress, which finished just above her knees. She hung that beautiful pendant around her neck—she was not comfortable accepting such an expensive gift from Rex but man, did he have classy taste or what? She let her hair hang in loose waves and with a pop of red lipstick was good to go.