Claimed Mate

by Jessica Aspen

  She followed Vince to the little cabin. Its sunflowers were thinner than those of the other cabins in the row, and they drooped, looking as if they searched and searched but never had a chance of finding the sun. A cloud passed overhead leaving the cabin looking even darker and more isolated than before.

  She gave a little shiver.

  Maybe she’d made the wrong decision to come here. Her boss Nancy didn’t want her, that’s for sure. And while she thought she’d made a connection with Sam Wulfric, one night of kissing wasn’t enough to chase a mate clear across the country.

  Or was it?

  An hour later she finally got Vince out of the cabin. He’d insisted on showing her everything, including where the water shut-off valve was and what she would need to do if the pilot on the water heater went out.

  It was much later than she wanted, and she was already antsy to get outside the dark cabin and into what was left of the sunny afternoon. At least it was still summer and she had daylight left to burn. She stripped off her jewelry, ran a brush through her long hair, and changed into shorts and a t-shirt.

  She double-checked the locks on all the tiny windows and the back door, which for some reason led directly into the bedroom instead of into the open living space too small to really be called a great room. The cabin was just as dark and claustrophobic as she’d thought it would be from the outside, but that didn’t matter. She hadn’t come here for the free lodging; she’d come here for the mountains. And Sam. Time to get out and see what her new home had to offer.

  The sun was high in the clear, blue, Rocky Mountain sky and once she was out of the cabin, her mood lifted with it. She followed the small dirt path Vince had pointed out and started her exploration into the woods. She hiked along the trail at a snail’s pace, making her way into the forest of pine, spruce, and aspen, with a few scrubby bushes thrown in for good measure.

  No blueberries—and it was definitely drier here than in Maine—but the feel of the mountains was the same as the wild land of her pack, and the dappled sunlight coming through the trees was enough like home to make her smile.

  Her mind wandered to Sam.

  She’d flown out to Denver last month for the interview, at Fated Mountain’s Denver extension. It was close to the foothills and had some acreage, but nothing like the open pastures surrounded by mountains here in the high country. It was there she’d met Sam. Tall, rugged, and definitely a full shifter, Sam was a volunteer pack enforcer and he’d come down with the council members and Vince as security.

  He’d been charming and fun and had come on to her like a train. And after a few glasses of wine, she’d let go—and so had her wolf. Just thinking about his kisses made her warm inside. She’d taken the job. And now, she couldn’t wait to see him again to see if he was just as sexy sober as he’d been when she’d had a few drinks. It was a crazy thing to do, come clear across the country for a man, but the job had been perfect. And, even if she and Sam turned out to be just one of those crazy nights, the opportunity to get out from her parents’ shadow made it all worth it.

  She hiked around a bend in the trail, and the trees opened up to a small, sunny meadow. Standing in the tall grass was a gray wolf with brown highlights. He saw her and shifted into a naked man.

  Her heart jumped. It was Sam. She’d been thinking about him, daydreaming about him, and now she had the opportunity to see if what they’d had that one night was real. She stared at him for what seemed like five minutes, but was probably only seconds, while her heart skipped in her chest and logic fought with desire.

  He’d cut his hair almost brutally short. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. It gave him a leaner, almost military look, accented by his enforcer tattoo of a WG topped with three stars on his shoulder. She couldn’t spot his other tattoo, and for a moment she wondered if she’d been confused, but his bright blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight and a wicked grin crept over his face. Her thighs began to shake.

  Suddenly—missing tattoos, responsibilities, her crappy day—it all disappeared in a fierce rush of need.

  She stepped off the path and into the grass. This was meant to be. She’d started the ball rolling, taking big risks with her life, moving, getting a new job. Now she was about to take another. She was going to sleep with Sam Wulfric.

  Chapter Three

  Gabe caught the woman’s scent from across the meadow—light vanilla with a hint of feminine musk—and it turned his head in an instant. Her skin had a light sweat that made her glow, almost as much as the heat in her eyes when she looked at him. His temperature rose to boiling.

  He’d had a terrible day. He’d fought with his twin brother Sam over who should be handling what responsibilities at the restaurant for which they were now both responsible. His recently widowed mother had lectured him about getting along with his brother. After the fight, he’d had a run-in with Chief Howler, who told him they were shorthanded, and he needed to put in more hours for his part-time enforcer job.

  Shifting to wolf and taking the mountain at a breakneck pace had seemed the best way to take the steam out of his anger, and it had worked. It had left him tired and relaxed, and more than just a little hazy from the run.

  The woman drew closer, each step breaking and releasing the smell of sun-warmed grass.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “Hi, yourself.”

  “I know it’s insane.” She was tall with long legs and straight black hair gleaming with health. The way she walked toward him with purpose in her eyes gave him an instant hard-on that he did nothing to hide. “We haven’t known each other that long, but I have to know for sure.” She reached out a hand and touched him, setting all the little hairs on his forearm on alert. “Kiss me.”

  It was totally crazy. Like some mind-blowing dream. A too-hot afternoon, a tall woman with long hair moving gently in the breeze. Her black eyes were full of secrets—and promises—and a hunger he couldn’t resist.

  He lightly touched her arm with just the tips of his fingers. As tall as she was, she still had to lift her face to meet his. He closed the gap, afraid she’d disappear into the warm haze of the afternoon.

  His kiss was tentative, just a brushing of his lips on her softer ones, but her reaction was not. She kissed back, increasing the pressure, and his world spun off its foundation. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in close, his erection pushing in between them. It was unbelievable, she was unbelievable. But the spark between them was hot and real, and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in tighter, trying to get every bit of his need into the kiss.

  They broke apart and she laughed, the sound belling out over the empty meadow. “That’s what I thought.”

  “What?”

  She shook her head, her long hair rippling with the movement. “How popular is this trail?” The gleam in her eyes had his cock twitching.

  He swallowed. “Not that popular. It’s a work day. Everyone’s busy.”

  “Good.” She pulled her t-shirt off over her head and then reached back and undid her bra. “I want you here. Now.”

  Her breasts were round and firm, her nipples taut, hard peaks in the center. His mouth watered. She was perfect, a goddess offering herself to him on the platter of the hot, sunny meadow. This had to be the most insane day of his life, but he was taking the chance.

  “Screw it.” He pulled her into his arms again.

  This time his kiss was just as challenging as hers, all tongue and a little teeth, and so much heat poured into her that she could have no doubt about what he wanted. She reached down between them and took his cock in her hand, squeezing in firm pulses that had him wondering if she wanted him to come right there in her palm. But he had no intention of doing that and wasting this moment. No intention at all. They nearly fell to the ground together, crushing the long stalks as they went down. Now, no one from the trail would be able to see them behind the wall of dried summer grasses.

  Not that he cared. He bit her lightly on the neck and sucked.
She hummed, arching into him, her breath coming in short sharp pants. Her skin was like velvet in his mouth. He brought his hand up and cupped her breast, palming her nipple in the center. The sensation tingled through him.

  “I want more. Now.” She fumbled for the snap on her jean shorts and ripped them open, shimmying out of the brief piece of fabric and the panties underneath, and tossing them aside.

  Inside, his wolf growled approval. This woman would be a good mate. She smelled of health and sex, and even though she wasn’t their pack, she smelled of wolf. Gabe pushed the wolf back, not taking the beast’s urges seriously. He’d had a lot of sex without starting the mating fever. This tumble with a stranger wouldn’t bring his dormant virus to life. And right now, he had other things to focus on.

  Like the fact she was pulling him down on top of her, pulling him in to kiss her again. His hand found its way between them and touched the slickness of her center. She gasped as his fingers slipped in.

  “God, I want you.” He wanted to be inside where his fingers were, sliding in and out, slick and wet and hot. “But I don’t have any protection.”

  She moaned against his mouth. “I’m on the pill. Is that enough for you?”

  It shouldn’t be. He didn’t know her at all, but his brain was gone by now and his cock was hot and aching. The smart thing to do was to get up and walk away. She arched her hips, and his fingers moved in deeper. Again, his wolf growled his approval, pushing Gabe to enter this woman and take her for their own.

  He had a moment of clarity. Was this the way it happened? Was this the way the Fever started, with a heated rush and a rash decision? He fought to take back control from his cock, from his wolf, and from this sexy stranger lying under him.

  “I can’t.” He gasped. “Fuck.” He rolled off her, taking his hand out of her pussy and lying on their crushed bed of grass. He let the heat of the summer sun beat into him. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I need to know you better.”

  She crawled over to him. “Hey, it’s okay. I get it. But is this okay?” She moved down lower and licked the tip of his erection, her long black hair spilling over his belly. “I got this started, and I really want to finish it. I can’t explain it.”

  “You don’t need to.” He tucked a strand of her silky hair back behind her ear so he could see her face.

  “I want to.” She moved her mouth deeper over him, and he shuddered. The warm wet depth of her mouth balm to his heated cock.

  “Then yes, woman. For God’s sake, yes.”

  She squeezed the base in her fist, working her mouth over and down and up, again and again. He arched into her, grabbing at whatever part of her he could reach and coming up with a fistful of hair. He hung on, wishing he had more of her to hold. And then it was too late. She sucked hard. His shoulders pushed back into the ground, his hips lifted up thrusting deeper into her mouth, and he came with a groan.

  He lay on the ground, spent, looking up at the wide blue sky and the tips of the trees edging the meadow. She crawled up next to him and into the crook of his right arm. A deep sense of satisfaction filled him. Logically, he should know more about her. But right now, he knew everything he needed to know.

  “You fit”—he tightened his arm around her—“just exactly here.” His wolf sent waves of pleasure and approval to him, and he knew—no matter what—she was the one.

  “I know. Oh, Sam, I’m so glad I made the decision to move out here.”

  Gabe’s gut twisted. The sunny day went dark, and the world went spinning out from beneath him. How the hell could this have happened? This woman, this absolutely perfect woman, thought he was his twin. Sam.

  Chapter Four

  The laughter started quietly, then it began to explode out of Gabe in uncontrollable waves. He released the woman he’d just come into. She sat up, and he curled up on his side as big belly laughs—with not a single ounce of real humor—rolled out.

  He levered himself to sitting, but he couldn’t even catch his breath from the hysteria pouring out of his mouth and sending tears down his cheeks.

  “Sam? What’s so funny?” Her long black hair streamed down over her shoulders and a crooked line of concern etched between her fine dark brows.

  As suddenly as it had started, the laughter faded away, leaving him drained and wondering what came next. “God, you are so beautiful.” And she was. The more he looked at her the more stunning she became. And the more it hurt. “Why the hell did you have to be so confused?”

  “I don’t understand.” She wrapped her arms around her bare torso and stared at him.

  “No, you sure as hell don’t.” He propped himself up on his elbows and stared at her, the pain and disappointment nearly cutting him in half. “You smell like wolf, but you aren’t a shifter and you aren’t from Fated Mountain. You must be a spelltalker because you’ve sure put a spell on me.”

  “What are you talking about? I’m a dreamwalker. You know that. And you know I’m from Smokey Top.” Her lips pursed together. “Sam, what’s going on?”

  She wasn’t a spelltalker, so there was no witchy reason why he’d taken one look at her and fallen as fast and hard as if she’d been his for decades.

  “Sam?”

  His brother’s name washed over him. “Christ, stop calling me that. I’m not Sam. I’m Gabe.” He examined her face for some form of recognition. None came. Sitting so close he could see the thin line of light gray in her very unusual eyes, but despite his revelation, she looked just as confused as ever. “I’m Sam’s identical twin, Gabe Wulfric.”

  She went slowly white, and her hand rose to her mouth. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  “That’s flattering.”

  She shook her head from side to side. “No, that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry.”

  He gave her a minute to let it sink in while he tried to sort out his own emotions. The scent of sex still lingered in the air. Even with her mouth—the mouth he’d just finished in—dropped open in shock, his cock twitched at the sight of her sitting there naked in the field beside him. God, he wanted her again. And this time he wanted all of her.

  In the back of his mind, his wolf sent out an answering call of desire. He squashed what that might mean and focused instead on her words as she began to speak.

  “I don’t understand. We’ve been texting for a month. Why didn’t Sam tell me he had a twin?” She shook her head. “God, can this day get any worse?” Her cheeks had gone from sheet white to dull red, her obvious embarrassment cutting even more deeply than her words.

  His defensiveness kicked into high gear. “You’re the one who seduced me.”

  “Maybe you should have said no.”

  “Are you kidding?”

  Said no. To her. As if he would. As if he could.

  He sat all the way up, folding his legs underneath him. “The woman of my dreams walks up to me and says she wants me here and now and I’m supposed to say no?” He snorted. “Right.”

  “I’ve never been in your dreams.”

  “Don’t be so literal. I’ve never dreamed of you specifically, but if I had, it would have gone down exactly like this.” She raised an eyebrow, and he shook his head. “Okay, the ending would have been different. You would have declared your undying love for me and we would have run off into the sunset together.”

  “I’m sorry for the mistake.” She pulled her t-shirt over her head and grabbed her pile of twisted shorts and panties, trying to sort them out as she stood up.

  Her pussy was eye level with him as she finally got her panties untangled from her shorts and slid them on. His cock did more than twitch; it rose to half-mast. Damn, why did she have to be so attractive? Why did she have to be exactly the kind of woman he would have beelined for in a bar? Why did the genes he had in common with his twin have to rule everything?

  But most of all—why hadn’t he seen her first? The initial pain of her rejection deepened into an ache and settled right in the center of his chest.

  �
�I hope you’ll let me sort this out with your brother before you say anything. I think it should come from me.” She pulled on her shorts and zipped them up and all he could think of was how to get them back down. “Well?” She put her hands on her hips. “If you’ll just say okay, I’ll be out of here. You’ll never have to see me again.”

  Never see her again. Both he and his wolf wanted to howl.

  “Damn, I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that.”

  “You want to tell Sam?” The worried crease between her eyes smoothed away. “Thank you.”

  “No, that’s not what I meant.” He stood up, letting his wolf play the dominant. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you walk away from me like this. You may have thought I was Sam, but we have something. You and me. I can feel it right now, drawing us together. And I’m not going to let that go.”

  She didn’t back away. His wolf sent waves of approval. She had spunk—another mark in her favor. As if she needed any more.

  “I thought you were Sam.”

  “I don’t doubt that. But the chemistry we have is between us. Gabe and...” He stared at her. “I’m sorry, what’s your name?”

  “Really?” Her eyebrows shot up. “We have this chemistry, you and me, but you are only just now realizing that you don’t know my name?” She stepped closer to him, challenging him. She poked a finger at his chest. “You don’t know my name. You don’t know the first thing about me.”

  “I know this.” He reached out and pulled her in, crushing his mouth to hers. This kiss was hard and demanding. He needed her to understand what they had. Before it was too late. She resisted for a few seconds, then she softened and kissed back, giving just what he’d taken. Waves of desire washed over him, and he didn’t want to stop. He wanted to take her back down to their bed in the grass and prove to her who he was so she’d never mistake him for Sam again.

  But he let her go when she pulled back. He had seconds to note her lips were pink and swollen and her cheeks flushed before her hand shot out and slapped him in the face.