by Elissa Daye
Tears filled her eyes as she moved closer to him. “Killian.”
“I don’t have to shift around you,” he whispered as he pulled her into his arms. “If it scares you.”
Brina put a hand on his face and stroked it. “I’m not afraid of it, Killian.”
“Then why are you crying?” he asked her.
“Because I don’t like to see you in pain.” She kissed his cheek and snuggled against him.
His voice was gruff when he answered. “It’s not all that bad.”
“Liar,” she whispered as she stroked her hand over his neck.
A slow rumble erupted from his chest as he laughed. “Woman, what am I going to do with you?”
Their eyes met and Brina licked her lips. “Whatever you want, I hope.”
The heat erupted in his eyes as her words sunk in. His mouth was on hers before she could utter another word. Her heart beat in her chest to a rhythm that matched his beside her. Their souls aligned together in that moment.
“As much as I’d like to take you outside in the moonlight, I fear we have spectators.” He glanced out at the tree line.
“Your brothers?”
“Voyeurs...the lot of them.” He shook his head ruefully. “Remind me to kill them later.”
Brina giggled. “No way. I might need them to hold you back.”
“Why’s that?”
“Someday I’m going to make you angry.” She smiled knowingly. Brina wasn’t a fool. She knew she was hard to live with. Sometimes she had trouble living with herself.
“I would never hurt you, Brina.” His hand stroked her cheek.
“You say that now.” She grinned at him. “Give it time.”
“Minx.” He teased her right before he kissed her again. His hand caressed the mark on her neck, the one symbol that had united them. When he pulled away from her, he stood up and offered his hand. “Let’s go home.”
Home. She liked the sound of that. Brina had been a perpetual roamer, chasing one thing after another. The need to save those that were being hunted filled her to the core. She didn’t think she could give that up any time soon. Her work was far too important.
She held his hand as they walked in silence through the dark forest. Glancing down, she found he was leading her back by the path she had marked earlier. She couldn’t help wondering how long it would take her to memorize the woods before her, especially when all the trees seemed to look the same.
By the time they made it back to the cabin, she wondered if his desire for her had fizzled out. Besides holding her hand, he had made no other advances toward her. That was a shame really. She rather liked the idea of him having his wicked way with her out in the open. Not that she wanted his family to watch, though. She’d never be able to look at them again.
The minute the door closed behind them, Brina could sense the shift in him. She didn’t even have to turn around to see it. The pulse between them beat erratically, and she shivered in expectation. She unzipped the coat and walked to the closet to hang it up. Brina barely closed the door before Killian pulled her into his arms. The breath almost left her lungs as excitement raced through her. His mouth closed on hers and she almost purred.
His fingers pulled the strings at her waist, and when he couldn’t undo the knot, a loud rip sounded as he tore the material. She felt long nails, almost like claws, as they scraped her skin gently. She shivered against him as his hands moved behind her and pulled her tighter against him. As they pushed up her back, she realized he was completing his task. She raised her arms and let him remove her shirt. He broke the kiss long enough to remove it before he devoured her lips.
Brina arched into him and felt his skin run along her breasts. She whimpered slightly when her nipples ran across his muscled flesh. Her hand slid between them and worked on the button of his jeans. When she slid the zipper down, his stomach seemed to ripple in anticipation.
Her other hand slid down, and she pushed his jeans over his hips. When they slid to the floor, her hand reached down and wrapped around his erection.
Killian growled against her. He broke the kiss and pulled her head back by her hair as he made a path of fire down her neck. Brina squeezed him hard and was rewarded with a sharp bite.
“You drive me wild, Brina,” he whispered into her ear before licking her lobe.
Her nails raked against his cock lightly as a need coursed through her. “Same.”
“You’re playing with fire, Brina,” he warned her.
“You don’t scare me, Killian.” She squeezed him as hard as she could and felt his stomach bunch up in reflex. She licked her lips. “I always liked fire.”
He trembled before her. “If you push me too far....”
“Oh?” Brina smirked at him as she leaned up to kiss him. When his mouth came down to hers, she pulled just out of his reach. Desire flashed in his eyes, the same feeling swirling deliciously through her. She was in control of the beast and the man. Both were entranced by her, and she felt power coursing through her at that knowledge.
“It’s my turn, Killian,” she whispered to him as she ran kisses down his face. Her hands stroked him slowly as she made her way down his belly, alternating with hot kisses and painful bites that made him flinch beneath her. When she made it to her knees, she looked up at him and licked her lips.
“What are you...? Ohhhh...,” he moaned when she took his cock into her mouth.
Brina had never felt the need to take a man into her like this before. She had never known the pleasure of having a man completely under her spell. Every time she pulled him in deeper, he groaned. When she bit against him, his legs trembled beneath him. She felt the heady power of control race through her as she reached for his scrotum. Squeezing him in her hands as she sucked him hard into her mouth, Brina felt a ripple of fire race through her. His hips started to grind as he moved himself deeper into her mouth. She drove him to the brink, until he pushed her face away from him.
“Witch,” he accused her.
She licked her lips and smiled. “Don’t you forget it.” She rose and put her hands on her hips. Her breasts jutted out proudly as she seemed to taunt him. “What are you going to do about it?”
Another flash of gold and he growled low in his chest. When he picked her up, Brina wrapped her arms and legs around him. His cock slid into her and she gasped aloud. “Oh!”
“Hold on, Brina,” he ordered her as his hips started to move.
Her breath caught in her throat as he pumped into her. His balance was strong as his hands grabbed her ass for better leverage. She burned for him as his heat seared her. Her hands reached for his face and pulled him into a kiss. Their tongues dueled for control as he stroked deep inside of her. Brina started to move against him, riding him as the fire ignited inside her. She shook around him as her climax ripped through her. His wasn’t far behind.
His voice almost sounded like a howl when he came inside her. “Yes! God yes. Bri....”
She trembled in his arms, still connected to him in the most intimate way. She lay her head against his shoulder and sighed softly. “That was....”
He kissed the top of her head, as no words could describe the way it was between them. When he carried her upstairs to bed, she found herself fading fast. Loving him was exhausting. She hoped it always remained that way. When he wrapped his arms around her, Brina fell into a peaceful sleep with him by her side.
Chapter 13
The next morning, Brina was happy to find herself still snuggled in the strength of his arms. She sighed against him, at peace for the first time in a long time. Was this what she had been searching for all these years? No other man measured up to the one whose heart beat next to hers. They were one, the two of them. Well, three, if she added his wolf into the equation—a wolf who seemed even gentler than the man, which was an irony in itself.
His mouth kissed her shoulder. “Good morning, Bri.”
She squeezed his arms closer around her. When his fingers stroked against her stom
ach her insides shook. “What are you doing, Killian?”
“Making love to my woman.” His teeth nibbled against her skin and she shuddered.
“You’re insatiable!” she accused him.
His finger thrummed against her nipple, which was already hard. “I’m not the only one.”
When his other hand slid down her stomach, she clenched her legs together.
“Open for me, Bri.”
His whisper sent a shiver down her spine. Her legs opened, giving him access to his target. His fingers worked slowly against her clit and a heat filled her core. His mouth rained small kisses along the base of her neck as he stroked her gently. His other hand continued to play with her breasts, one after the other.
Her insides quaked slowly as an intense need started to fill every inch of her body. It wasn’t fair, the pull he had over her. It was downright dangerous. She could see many a battle forfeited to his touch, his taste, as he conquered her resolve.
“Oh,” she moaned as the desire racing through her came to a peak. She climbed over it as his fingers stroked her faster. The building momentum inside her was almost painful as her body craved the finish line he was driving her to.
“Cum for me, Bri.”
His words sent a shiver down her entire body, which was punctuated by the orgasm that shattered through her. He refused to let her rest, as he picked up the pace. His hips pushed his erection into her back as he gyrated behind her. The knowledge that his desire for her was driving closer made her spiral even further out of control. She bucked against his cock as her body trembled painfully. She felt his teeth sink into her flesh, and she lost her mind as her desire took her over the edge of insanity.
She started to move against his fingers, riding the wave to the shores, only to push back for more. Brina was almost breathless, and when he shifted her hips, she whimpered her discontent. His hands pulled her legs further apart and he slid into her wet core. She moaned against him as he started to pump slowly into her.
“So wet for me. Oh, Bri.” His fingers continued to work their magic as he moved in and out of her.
The lights exploded behind her eyes, like fireworks trickling down the sky. One right after another, he took every chance he could to make her cum against him, enjoying every second of her brutal need for him.
He continued to slide in and out of her with a hand on her breast, squeezing and massaging them tight, and one at her clit, giving her no quarter. Brina was ready to pass out in ecstasy. Killian was pushing her past all her limits. Every inch of her throbbed for whatever he gave her, and no matter how much of him she took in, she craved even more.
When she thought she could take no more, he pulled out of her, releasing her. She shivered when he removed his heat. She wondered what was happening, until his hands wrapped around her and flipped her onto her stomach. “What are you...?”
He manipulated her body so that she stood on all fours. Sliding her legs open wide, she felt his tongue slide against her clit. “Oh, my.”
“You taste so good, Bri,” he murmured as he bit the inside of her leg.
Bri jumped at the exquisite pleasure that he kept strumming inside her. His finger slid inside her as his tongue worked her over. She quivered in excitement. “Oh!”
He made her wild for him, mastering her with his touch. When he removed himself from her, Brina mourned the loss. She whimpered aloud, wanting so much more. His hand squeezed her ass seconds before he shoved himself inside of her. From this angle she seemed to take even more of him into her. His movements were jerking and fast, as the animal in him wanted to take over. He may not be shifted at the moment, but Brina could tell the difference. The wildness that took over him shook her to the core. His hands slid around her and squeezed her breasts as he took her from behind. She arched her back when his teeth bit her shoulder. Her orgasm was pain and pleasure, as his cock slammed into her over and over.
“That’s right Bri, cum for me. Oh god, yes.” His nails scratched her breasts as he squeezed them tight in his palms.
Brina ignored the pain and gyrated her hips to meet his every movement. She felt him stiffen behind her, and knew he was trying to prolong the moment. Brina was tempted to push him further and faster, but she was enjoying this far too much to want it to end.
He slowed his pace as if he were teasing himself, and Brina shook around him again. When he felt her orgasm again, a wild need seemed to take him over. His cock ravaged her silky core over and over, until neither of them could catch their breaths. She erupted around him just as his orgasm shook through him. Brina had never felt so close to any living being in her life as she did right then, with his cock still pulsing inside her. She shivered around him and he groaned.
“What you do to me.”
“Mmmm...,” she sighed when he moved slowly in and out of her until his erection no longer held and he pulled out of her.
Killian pulled her into his lap and kissed her softly on the lips. “I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you.”
“Good, ‘cause you’re stuck with me,” she teased him.
“I’m not sure who got the short end of the stick with that one,” he chuckled.
She punched him playfully on the shoulder. Brina put her hands on his face and pulled him down to a deeper kiss. She sighed against him when he broke the kiss.
“It’s time to face the music, Bri,” he warned her. His eyes were probing hers softly.
A tear formed in each eye. “What if she hates me?”
“My mother?” he asked her softly.
“Yes.” she whispered, and sniffled slightly.
“She’ll respect my choice,” assured Killian.
“What if—?”
Killian kissed her before she could ask another question. When she was nearly breathless, he removed his lips. “You think too much, Bri.”
“A fault, I assure you. I tried to warn you.” She really had tried to warn him, but he was too pig headed to listen.
“I’ll just have to find ways to keep you distracted.”
Her eyebrows rose curiously. “Oh?”
“Later, Bri. I brought your things.” He gestured to the suitcase by the door.
When had he gotten those? Had his brothers helped him? She rubbed her hand across his cheek and smiled. “Thank you.”
“You can thank me later.” He winked at her.
“Promise?” She let her breasts tease his skin, and reveled in the tremor that shook through him.
“Bri...,” he cautioned her.
“Your loss,” she teased him as she pushed up from his lap. She walked over to the suitcase and pulled some clothes out for the day.
Killian was already pulling on clothes. “I’m going to make some coffee while you freshen up.”
“Sounds good.” She walked over to him and kissed him softly. “Thank you, Killian.”
“For what?” His voice was soft.
“I’ve waited all my life for you.” She sighed as his lips came down to hers again. When he broke the kiss, he put his head against hers.
“Get your shower, before he takes over,” he warned her.
“Hardly. I think you’re both pretty spent,” she teased him before slapping his ass with her hand.
“Woman, don’t try me.” A golden light flashed in his eyes. “You’re not getting out of brunch, Brina.”
Her hopes deflated as he saw through her plan. “It was worth a try.”
He chuckled against her. “Oh, you are going to keep me on my toes.”
“Always.” She tapped her finger on his nose and pushed away from him. She didn’t bother to turn back around as she made her way into the bathroom.
Chapter 14
When Brina was done with her shower and dressed, she looked in the mirror. Her neck was just a little pink from where he had bitten her. She touched the mark gently and felt no pain. She closed her eyes as she remembered the first time their bodies had mated together. Brina hope it would forever be imprinted in her mind.
<
br /> “Does it hurt?” His voice was quiet behind hers.
Brina turned around to look at him. “No.”
“Are you sure?” His face was filled with guilt for causing her any ounce of pain.
Brina smiled up at him as her hand moved over the mark slowly. “I kinda like it. Gives me character.”
Killian shook his head. “You’re a conundrum.”
“No more than you, sir!” She accused him playfully.
He handed her a cup of coffee. “I wasn’t sure how you liked it, so I guessed.”
She took a drink and found it light and sweet, the way she preferred it. “It’s perfect. Like you.”
Killian leveled his eyes on her. “What are you up to, Bri?”
“What?” she asked innocently.
“Bri....’
“Fine. Do we have to go?” Not a single part of her wanted to leave this cabin, especially if it meant marching in to deal with the consequences of their joining. Amber Knight was not going to be pleased at all. She had sensed the woman’s contempt for her the minute she sat next to her.
“You have nothing to be afraid of, Bri. My mother knows my choice.”
Brina grimaced slightly at those words. She blushed as she realized every single one of them would know they had slept together. Looking down at the floor, her lips trembled slightly before she took another sip. Before she knew it, she had drained the cup. “Maybe just one more cup?”
“Liquid courage?” he teased her.
“Gearing up for the fight,” she answered before she thought better of it. Her hand covered her mouth and she looked away from him.
“Bri, it’s time to go,” he told her. “If we put it off any longer, she’ll come. Better to go there.”
“Fine.”
Brina shook her head and walked out of the room before she could second guess it. It was going to be all right. That was the mantra that went around in her head as they left the cabin. He held her hand as they traveled through the woods to the path that would lead up to the inn. The walk took ten minutes, which meant that the cabin was reasonably close to the house. Had his mother heard his howls the night before? The woman probably knew the timbre of each of her sons.
