Claimed Mate

by Jessica Aspen

  “It’s getting late.” Serena looked at the hot springs. “I suppose we should head back. It’s too bad. From what you said I doubt I’ll be getting up here anytime soon. The schedule is bound to be full until the end of the summer.”

  “I don’t see any reason why we can’t take a quick dip. Come on.” And before she could protest he had his clothes off and was heading into the water.

  SERENA’S MOUTH DROPPED open as she watched a nude Gabe walk to the edge of the hot springs pool. He was gorgeous, the sculpted muscles on his back leading down to a tight ass. She was used to seeing shifters naked and knew they always had fabulous bodies from their wolf metabolism, but something about seeing Gabe stripped down and walking so confidently across the grass had her insides humming.

  “Coming?” he called out to her as he stepped into the water and sank down to his waist. “It’s great. Just the right temperature.” He waved at her. “Come on.”

  Still, she hesitated. Nudity wasn’t the issue. She’d grown up pack with wolves shifting in and out her entire life, but now that she saw him naked again, it brought back memories of the meadow and her need for him the moment she’d seen him. And she’d sworn she wouldn’t go there again.

  “At least dip your toe in. I swear I’ll stay on the opposite side of the pool.” He gave a lazy wink. “If you want me to.”

  She didn’t want him that far away. At dinner last night, and tonight, he’d made her feel special. She’d vented her issues with Nancy and he’d just nodded and listened. Damn her previous decision. It was based on what she should do, not what she wanted to do, and what was this huge change she’d made in her life by moving out to Colorado anyway, if not to take a few risks just because she wanted to? It had been risky to move out here. Risky to take a chance on Sam. Risky to move away from her family and all her support system. So why not?

  “You know what, Wulfric? I’m in.” She stripped out of her clothes and carried her wine over to the water.

  The daylight was nearly gone, and while the sun was still streaming over the ridge, the rocks and pool were deep in shadow. “That water’s a little dark.”

  “I forgot you can’t see as well as I can. Hang on.” He got out, his skin slick with drops of water, went back to their picnic and came back with a small battery-powered lantern. “When you want more light, we’ll just turn this on. Okay?”

  “Okay.” She was face to face with his dripping body, the last of the dying sun turning the drops of water caught in his chest hair to gold. She licked her suddenly dry lips.

  His eyes heated.

  Suddenly she felt powerful. He’d given her the control. She could do what she wanted. She could simply step into the water and let the heat and the wine take away all her horrible day, all her doubts about whether or not she’d made the right move, take away all her sadness over missing her family and pack.

  Or, she could walk away. Get dressed and ask him to take her home.

  Or, she could do what she’d been thinking of ever since Friday. She could lose herself in Gabe’s body and find out if he, and not Sam, was what she’d really come searching halfway across the country for.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Serena stood on the edge of the pool, Gabe only a few feet away.

  “For God’s sake, woman, make up your mind. It’s just water.”

  It wasn’t just water. It was her entire future poised on the muddy side of a pool of hot water. And she was going for it. She laughed and held out her hand. “Help me in. It looks deep.”

  He took her hand in his strong one and braced, lowering her into the water. “Careful, over there on that side it gets really hot. This side has more creek water running into it, and over there, where the creek comes in, it’s lukewarm.”

  “Ah, it’s perfect.” She sank in and let her feet touch the bottom. “Oh, I thought there might be something down here. It’s sandy.” She moved around, her breasts floating in the chest-high water.

  “Once a year we haul sand up from farther down the creek.” He got in next to her. “Girls are weird about getting mud between their toes.”

  “That’s not weird. It’s normal.”

  “Not when they pay big bucks to have it spread all over their bodies.” He flicked drops of water at her, and she laughed with him. Their laughter died out as they stared at each other in the water.

  “Gabe, I—”

  His voice dropped to a growl. “Don’t start this unless you want to finish it. I’m prepared to take this all the way. Are you?”

  Her stomach fluttered with nerves. She took a quick sip of her wine. She wanted this, oh how she wanted this.

  “Serena, maybe you should stay there and I’ll move over here. I know dreamwalkers aren’t exactly used to going with their instincts.” He went to brush past her.

  Despite his comment, she reached out and touched his arm. “No, stay here.” Sexual energy sparked under her palm, racing through her and turning her legs to jelly.

  Gabe’s mouth descended on hers, hungry and taking everything she had to give. Then he was gone, a rush of water pouring off his body as he got back out of the pool. Disappointment flooded her.

  “I don’t understand.”

  He was over to their picnic and back before she’d barely gotten the words out. “I told you I’d brought supplies.” He dropped the bag with the towels next to the water and got in. “Condoms.” He leaned in, his face inches away from hers. So close, she could feel the tension radiating from his body. “I’m not stopping this time, Serena, so you’d better be sure.”

  A flash of heat raced through her.

  This was it. They’d been building to this from the first moment she’d laid eyes on him. In the meadow, in the restaurant, when he’d kissed her—it all led up to this nervous, heart-pounding moment.

  “I’m sure. And unless you’re worried about safe sex, I’m on the pill, remember?”

  “The idea of being with you without any barriers.” , A shudder went through him. “Fuck, woman, the things you do to me.” He moved through the water, closing the distance between them.

  Underneath the surface his cock brushed against her thigh. Anticipation rushed through her. They weren’t stopping this time and the thought of having him inside her was as arousing as hell.

  She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, their tongues sliding against each other, like their bodies slid in the water. Her breasts crushed between them, the hairs on his chest rubbed against her nipples, stimulating them into hard peaks. He lifted her up and down rubbing her against him, their skin slick with water. She wanted more, she wanted to be so close to him she was never getting away.

  His cock nudged her, and she reached for it under the water, taking it in her hand and squeezing. He gasped and slid his fingers in between them, toying with the outer edges of her folds under the water. She moaned, and he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around him, his erection floating between them, reminding her of everything he had in store.

  Her breasts were out of the water, but the heat kept her warm, despite the chill in the air now that the sun was down. It was getting darker, but she wasn’t afraid of the darkness in the water. Gabe had her in his arms and the shadowed steam rose off the water, creating a sense of magic and mystery.

  He cupped her ass in his hands and rubbed her up and down against his cock. She kissed him again, the friction of her clit against him getting her hotter and hotter. He turned around and walked backward to the side of the pool, leaning back against a rock and working her faster over his cock.

  “Is that good? Is that what you want?”

  It was so good that she could barely put two words together to answer him. “Mm-hmm, yes,” was all she could get out.

  She wanted more, she wanted him, but oh God, the pressure building inside of her was too much. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, cried out, and tumbled over the edge into paradise.

  Her face fell against his chest, and she trembled against his body.

&nb
sp; “Ah, yes, honey,” he whispered into her hair. “I love the feel of you coming. I want to feel that again and again. I want to feel it when I’m deep inside of you and you come so hard you never want to stop.”

  His words shuddered through her, and she suddenly wanted more again. She lifted her face, and he kissed her, his mouth hot and needy on hers.

  He turned them around, lifting her up to the rock and setting her down on the edge. It was cold and hard under her bottom, but she didn’t care. Gabe spread her legs, and she jumped as his mouth came down hot and wet on her pussy.

  She dug her fingers into his head, the short strands of his hair tickling the bottoms of her palms. She opened her eyes for a second and looked up at the starry sky above her until he touched her again. Her eyes slammed shut. He used his tongue and his teeth, sucking her clit in and out of his mouth. And when she was begging and gasping for more, he pushed his tongue into her center, plunging it in and out as she came again, her hands digging into his scalp and the stars swimming in her head.

  “Gabe,” was all she said. But he understood. He was out of the water and putting on a condom. He sat down on the rock next to her, and she climbed onto him, using her fingers to spread her pussy for the tip of his cock.

  They worked together, and she slid down over him, taking him in. His eyes gleamed in the starlight. “You’re so tight.” He grabbed her hips and pushed her down farther.

  “Oh yeah.” She gasped with the pleasure. “That’s good. So good.” She moved up and down, taking him deeper and deeper with each thrust.

  His fingers dug into her hips, urging her to go faster and faster, and she did, the pressure building with each stroke. Her third orgasm took her by surprise. She came, and he stiffened beneath her, his face contorting next to hers as he followed her fast with his own orgasm. His fingers dug hard into her ass as they came together, shuddering and slowing under the stars.

  As she came down, everything looked wonderful. The stars glinting in the water in Gabe’s hair. The steam rising around them. Her future.

  What future?

  The excitement of the evening, the feeling of stealing away from reality faded as the water on the skin of her back grew cold. She still had a crappy boss. She still had to deal with Sam. And, as fun and as exciting as this was, she couldn’t ignore it all and just be with Gabe. As much as she’d wanted it, this was only an escape for a few minutes, nothing more. But by the smile on his face, she knew he didn’t see this as just a fun interlude. He saw it as something more. And she wasn’t sure right now that she had that something more.

  GABE HAD NEVER FELT this light. The entire drive back to Serena’s he had trouble keeping his hands on the wheel. He wanted to touch her, hold her hand. He wanted her to unbuckle her seatbelt and climb onto his lap.

  He never wanted to let her go.

  His need for her had eased the moment he’d come into her on the banks of the pool, but it wasn’t completely gone. It ran like hot lava just under the surface of his skin. Pulsing. Waiting for just the right opportunity to erupt.

  She was quiet on the drive home. She let him hold her hand, but the reluctant feel of her fingers in his hands bothered him.

  “Everything okay?” he asked as they pulled up to her cabin.

  “It’s fine.” She flashed him a quick smile, there and gone. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

  A rumble of unease stirred his wolf. “This was supposed to relax you, not make you more stressed.”

  She gave his hand a squeeze, then let go, gathering her things. “I am more relaxed. I guarantee I’ll sleep tonight, between the wine, the hot water”—she shot him a shy look from under her fall of hair—“and the sex.”

  It appeased his wolf, but Gabe still couldn’t shake his concern. They got out of the truck, and he walked her to the cabin. She’d left the front light on, and it brought back full force the memory of their kiss on Sunday and how badly that had ended.

  “Do you want me to come in?”

  “No, I’m fine.” She unlocked the door and opened it, turning back to him. “Thank you for tonight. I really needed it. Good night, Gabe.”

  She was saying all the right words, but something was wrong. She was cool and distant, and he felt farther away from her than when he’d picked her up. Had he screwed up? Had he pushed her too fast?

  He held back his need to crush her in his arms and merely brushed a soft kiss aimed for her lips. She turned, and it brushed her cheek.

  “Good night, Serena.” It took every ounce of willpower he had to walk back to his truck. Once inside, he waited until she’d shut the door and turned on her lights. Then he started the car and drove the mile back through the dark woods to the intersection with the main ranch road.

  His mind wasn’t on the driving, and he lost speed as his thoughts wandered back to the cabin with Serena—where he should be. His wolf didn’t understand why they were leaving her, and the farther he drove away, the more distracted he became. He took the hairpin curve and didn’t see the log laid across the road until it was too late.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Gabe pitched forward, his foot automatically pressing harder on the accelerator even as he slammed against the seatbelt. The airbag exploded in his face, knocking the wind out of his chest, and forcing his arms to fly open, the impact shattering his death grip on the steering wheel. Tires popped with a loud Bang! and the truck lifted up in back teetering before it hit the peak. Fear rushed through him, sending his blood throbbing, seconds before the truck dropped back down and settled onto the road with a heavy thud.

  The shift rose to the surface, his wolf coming to defense.

  “Fuck me.” The words were nearly intelligible. Every part of his body throbbed in pain. He scrambled to unbuckle and get the door open, falling out of the car and landing on his shoulder, unable to control the shift rushing over him.

  It was hard and fast and painful. Joints popped like firecrackers as his bones shot into their positions—some lengthening, some shortening. His face morphed, and a scream ripped out of him as bruised muscles stretched and changed.

  He lay panting and stunned on the side of the road, trying to pull his brain back from the wolf’s control as adrenaline coursed through him. His t-shirt was choking his much larger neck and his tail bunched up inside his shorts. He choked out a ragged howl.

  His wolf wanted to rush back and get Serena—she should help them. Gabe forced the wolf’s instincts back. Serena wasn’t his mate. Yet. And while his wolf sensed her dream wolf and knew she was pack, it didn’t understand that she couldn’t shift here and fight off the danger.

  He slipped his much smaller paws out of his shoes and stood up on all fours. His left shoulder buckled under him, and his chest ached with a pain he recognized. He had to have broken at least one rib. Probably more than one. Crouching low to the ground, he crow-hopped on three legs for cover. He sniffed for the enemy as he went, but the smell of oil and gasoline and chemicals from the airbag were overpowering and the only thing he caught was a whiff of household cleaner. Gabe’s enforcer instincts kicked in—this hadn’t been an accident. Whoever had done this might still be here, waiting to attack.

  Reluctant to howl for help and attract the attention of anyone who might be watching, he slunk from bush to bush. Everything ached, especially his chest from the impact of the airbag, and his forelegs from when his arms had been blown off their position on the wheel. His vision going blurry, he limped down the hill and headed for the ranch.

  A mile down the road, staggering with exhaustion, he cleared the trees and stopped to sniff the air. The land spread out in rolling pastures, dotted with black clusters of sheep grazing and sleeping under the night sky. Funnily enough he felt safer out in the open. Out here, he’d see if anyone was following. He took his time, catching his breath in his burning chest, but he couldn’t see or smell anything out of the ordinary. The lights of the main compound were finally in sight. He sent out a howl.

  One answered back. The
n another, and another. His pack was coming. He dropped to the ground and watched the black shapes of wolves flowing over the hill.

  SERENA RACED THROUGH the dreamscape on four feet, her wolf glorying in the movement. Here, she could be who she was on the inside, a full shifter, able to howl and fight and run. Here, her wolf was every bit as much a wolf as anyone else’s. She sprinted through the woods, until she came upon a wide pool, full of rising steam.

  It wasn’t the pool by the creek where she’d had sex, but being a lucid dreamer, she was aware that that was what it represented. Sex and Gabe and a dip into the wild.

  She shifted into human and slid into the water, letting the sensual feel of the hot water caress her skin. Thoughts of sex rose up. She slid her hand down her belly along her skin under the water.

  Knock! Knock! Knock!

  That was real. She forced herself from the dream. Someone was banging on the front door.

  “I’m coming.”

  What time was it? It had to be late. She was groggy with sleep and heated dreams, but she grabbed her bathrobe, putting it on over her t-shirt and yoga pants, and went to the front window.

  A strange man was standing on her front porch wearing the official Fated Mountain enforcer logo—“WG” topped by three stars. And right behind him was Sam, in his own buttoned-down enforcer shirt. She opened the door. “Yes?”

  “Sorry to bother you, ma’am. I’m Rico Villalobos, and this is Sam Wulfric, who I think you already know. We’re here because there was an accident.”

  “Sam?” She looked from Rico to Sam’s carefully controlled face. “I don’t understand. What’s going on? Is it Gabe?”

  Sam’s face contorted, red washing over it. He stepped closer, pushing the door wide. She stumbled out of the way.

  He sniffed her hair, her face, and down to her shirt. “He’s been here. He’s all over you.”