Grace lay on the couch, her bra-clad breasts exposed to Derek as he straddled her lap, gazing down at her body with an animalistic hunger glinting in his eyes.
He took her arms and raised them above her head, pinning them in place with one hand, as his head lowered to her neck again.
“I claim you as mine,” he whispered, his tongue lashing against the skin on her neck.
Grace shivered. His actions were driving her insane. She’d never had a lover take so much time before, always eager to find their own release, and the way Derek looked at her made Grace feel like the most desirable woman in the world. She tried not to squirm with impatience as Derek’s lips wound a slow path down her neck, and across her collarbone. When he reached the notch between the bones, he licked across the skin, causing Grace to squeal breathlessly. He looked up briefly and smirked at her, then licked the spot again, his eyes never leaving hers as he watched Grace's reaction. Satisfied with the response his action had caused, he continued kissing down her upper body, coming to a pause as he reached her black, satin bra.
With expert deftness, Derek reached his hand behind Grace’s back and unfastened her bra, whipping the article of underwear away so that her breasts tumbled free, her rosy nipples steadily hardening.
“Gods, you’re gorgeous,” he said reverently, and Grace felt herself blush.
Derek’s mouth claimed Grace’s breast, sucking the nipple into his mouth and grazing his teeth across the skin. He sucked until her nipple was a stiff peak, and then ran his tongue across the valley between her breasts, to lavish the same attention on the other breast.
For her part, Grace gripped Derek’s hair, pulling his head closer to her body and holding it in place, hoping he could hear how his actions made her heart pound.
When both of Grace’s nipples were hard and swollen from the attention of Derek’s mouth, he continued to trail his lips down Grace’s body, gently licking and kissing any exposed skin he could reach, until he came to the waistband of her jeans.
“Is this still okay?” he asked, his hand hovering on the top button, his eyes searching Grace for any sign of hesitation.
“Yes,” she answered breathlessly. “But you’re far too clothed for my liking, and wouldn’t we be more comfortable in my bed?”
Derek smiled again, that wolfish grin that made her knees weak spreading across his face. “I like your thinking,” he said, scooping her up in his arms and lifting her off the couch.
“My room’s through the door opposite,” she said, as he carried her across the room and to the hallway.
9
Derek
The door opposite the living room was slightly ajar, so Derek strode forwards and pushed it open with the back of his forearms. As they entered the bedroom, Grace extended her arm, and flicked on the light, revealing her bedroom. Three of the walls were decorated with pastel plum wallpaper, but the wall her bed was against was covered in black damask. The double bed dominated most of the room, the headboard resting against the dark wall, and the bedspread, sheets and, pillows a mixture of complementary shades of purple, black, and grey.
Derek approached the bed and gently laid Grace upon it, her head resting on the pillows. He climbed on top of her, straggling her hips as he had on the couch, and continued kissing her upper body, until he reached the waistband on her jeans. He shuffled down the bed as he unfastened the buttons, slowly removing the clothing from her lean, lithe legs. As he did with the upper half of Grace’s body, Derek kissed his way down while he undressed her, his mouth reaching her ankle as he threw the jeans to the floor.
As she lay on her bed in just her panties, Grace watched with eager eyes as Derek stood from the bed and lifted his t-shirt over his head. His rippling abs were exposed to her, and even though she’d seen him semi-naked before when he’d shifted, this time it felt different. He was her in her bedroom, and they were about to give their bodies to each other. The thought made Derek’s heart pound harder. He could barely wait to feel her skin beneath his fingertips and taste her lips on his mouth.
Never breaking eye contact, Derek slowly unfastened his jeans and pulled them off, exposing his muscular legs, and his tight black boxer shorts, against which his erection was already straining.
Grace’s eyes widened as she took in the full size of it.
Derek joined Grace on the bed again, laying his head down on the pillow beside her, and wrapping his arms around her waist, so that he could tug her closer to him. He pressed his lips against hers, his hands running through her hair. His hands stroked through the coppery locks, and he cupped the base of her head, bringing them even closer together, as his tongue delved into her mouth, and swirled against her own tongue.
Grace wrapped her arms around Derek’s neck, raking her nails along his shoulder blades as she pressed her chest against his, her nipples rubbing against his skin.
Derek growled deep in his throat and broke the contact, bracing his hands on her shoulders, and pushing her flush against the bed. Once again he straggled her, his erection pressing against her lower stomach, but aching to delve lower.
“I want you,” he growled, his hands resting on the hem of her panties.
“I want you too,” Grace said, lifting up her ass and pushing her covered mound towards him.
“You’re eager, aren’t you?” Derek chuckled.
Grace locked her eyes on his, a lazy grin covering her lips. “And you’re a tease.”
“Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet,” Derek promised.
He slipped a finger below the hemline of her panties, gently stroking the skin and wiry hair there. Then he trailed his finger up to her bellybutton, his eyes never leaving hers as he watched her every reaction.
Grace bit her bottom lip as he trailed his finger down across her panties, slipping in the side to caress her mound.
“I want to make you be for it,” he said huskily.
“I am begging,” Grace replied breathlessly.
“Oh no, you’re not begging nearly enough.” On top of her panties Derek stroked her sex, seeking out the sensitive nub between the folds and gently caressing it gently. “Tell me what you want, Grace.”
“I want you. Inside me. On top of me. Claiming me.”
Derek slipped his fingers inside her panties, stroking her sensitive nub. “How much do you want it?” he demanded.
Grace’s eyes rolled back in her head. “More than anything.”
Derek ripped away Grace’s panties and continued lavishing his attention on her sex, alternating between gently sweeping his fingers over her nub and down to her opening one moment, to vigorously rubbing her nub the next moment so that Grace never knew what was coming next.
Grace’s hips buckled, and she pushed her sex up, her hands gripping the sheets as her legs quivered and her eyes screwed up tightly. Derek quickened his pace until Grace’s body was pulsing under him, and she let out a long, shuddering cry.
“Okay, now I’m begging. I need you inside me, Derek.”
Derek studied Grace’s face as climax claimed her, feeling his erection straining against his underwear. He wanted her too, could hardly wait to bury himself inside her.
“Protection?” he growled.
“In the draw in the bedside cabinet,” Grace replied breathlessly.
Derek reached over to the cabinet and located a condom. He ripped open the packet, and then pulled off his underwear, rolling the protection down the length of his hard cock.
Grace watched him eagerly, as he positioned himself between her legs, his cock in one hand, as he used the other to grip her waist and pull her to him. He pressed his hardness against her entrance, finding her wet and ready for him.
“Tell me what you want,” he commanded.
“You. Inside me.”
With a growl, Derek obliged, plunging deep inside her, Grace’s hips bucking to meet his thrusts. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, and her hands gripped his shoulder blades. Derek gripped her hips, thrusting inside of her,
and together they met in an age-old rhythm.
As Derek felt Grace’s body clench around him, he felt his own release building and opened his eyes to find her staring steadily at him. He matched her gaze, never breaking eye contact as she found her climax. At that moment, he’d never seen anyone more beautiful. An instant later, Derek felt his own release and he spilled his seed, before collapsing on top of her.
Derek nuzzled against Grace’s neck, burying his head in her hair and inhaling her soft, floral scent, as they both caught their breath and came down from their post-coital highs. When Derek felt himself nodding off to sleep, he got out of bed and quietly crossed the room to the bathroom so he could clean himself up. When he reentered the bedroom, Grace was asleep, so he climbed into bed and snuggled up beside her, pulling her sleeping form into his lap, as he wrapped his arms around her. Derek kissed Grace’s crown and closed his eyes, drifting off into a contented sleep.
Derek woke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat with his heart pounding. For a moment, he was disorientated and didn’t know where he was.
The specter in his dream still haunted him. “Murderer,” it hissed.
Derek tried to shake the vision from his mind, and his gaze fell on Grace. She looked so peaceful in sleep, her chest gently rising and falling with each breath.
I shouldn’t be here, he told himself, carefully climbing out of bed so he wouldn’t wake her.
He dressed in silence and then tiptoed out into the hall to retrieve his shoes and coat. Moving as stealthily as possible, so that he wouldn’t disturb Grace, he pulled on his shoes and coat, then quietly left her apartment. He closed the door softly behind himself, and walked away, knowing if he looked back, his resolve would crumble and he’d return to her side.
On the slow walk back to Shadowbrook, the events of the evening before, coupled with his troubled dreams, haunted him and a battle raged in his mind as conflicting thoughts warred.
He knew now it didn’t matter, it would never matter, that Grace was human. His body and soul belonged to her, and he wondered if this is how Ben and Josh had felt when they’d found their mates. Only Derek knew he could never claim Grace as his mate. Once she knew the truth, once she discovered he was a killer, she’d want nothing to do with him. He didn’t deserve her, anyway, her light shined too brightly compared to the darkness in his soul. He’d only bring her down and corrupt her.
He’d finish the case and help her find the missing kids, but after that, he’d keep his distance. He could never again allow himself to taste the sweetness of her lips, or feel her body clench around him as they reached climax together.
Derek entered Shadowbrook glad it was still early enough that no one else was awake. He knew he’d never be able to lie to Jason if his friend asked where he’d been, and he couldn’t face confessing to being with Grace, when he knew he could never be with her, at least not in the way he wanted, ever again.
He huffed out a breath and made his way to his room, stripping out of his clothes and throwing them in the laundry hamper. They smelt of her. His skin smelt of her. He needed a shower. As the stream of hot water hit him, Derek closed his eyes and an image of Grace, naked and looking perfect, appeared in his mind, taunting him.
In the vision, Grace came towards him, her arms outstretched as if to embrace him, but when she reached him, her face screwed up in disgust.
“Murder,” she accused, her body morphing into the form of the figure that haunted his dreams.
“Murder,” his victim said.
Derek forced open his eyes, and rested his forehead against the tile of the shower wall, heaving out a breath.
I am nothing. No one. Worthless. I don’t deserve her. She deserves better. I killed him. I failed to protect Lana, and couldn’t save Eloise. I bring death wherever I go. I don’t deserve Grace’s love, and I don’t deserve the pack’s loyalty. I’m not good enough to be Alpha. I should be alone. It would be best for everyone.
As the water turned cold, Derek made a decision. He’d help Grace find the missing children, then he’d track down the rest of the Carnegies. Once he knew his pack and the town were safe, he’d leave. He’d permanently become a wolf, and live in solitude in the forest. That’s what he deserved. That’s all he was worthy of. Isolating himself was best for everyone. It was the only way he could protect those he cared about.
10
Grace
Grace woke after the most peaceful night’s sleep she’d had in years. Her body ached in the most delicious way, and the glorious memories of the night before flooded her mind. Her heart raced as she remembered Derek claiming her, and she glanced across to the empty space beside her. For a moment, she hoped he’d just risen early and was waiting in the living room, but one touch of the sheet told her the bed was cold. Still hoping he hadn’t left, Grace climbed out of bed and padded around the room to retrieve her robe from the back of her door. As she moved in the early morning light, she noticed Derek’s clothes weren’t there. Walking into the hallway, Grace searched the coat rack and shoe stand, and her heart sank.
He was gone.
Unbidden, tears filled Grace’s eyes and she sank down to the floor as her body shuddered.
She shouldn’t be surprised, really. Why would someone like Derek want to be with someone like her? He was strong and brave. He put his life on the line on a regular basis to save people from burning buildings and gave up his free time to help find innocent children. To him, she couldn’t compare, and he deserved better. She was a failure. She hadn’t been able to find the teens on her own, more proof of just what a terrible officer she really was. Deep in her heart, Grace knew it all came down to Will, and the fact she’d caused his accident with her own petty jealousy. She was the reason her twin was in a wheelchair, and nothing she ever did would change that. Nothing she could ever do would redeem her for paralyzing her twin and snatching his life away from him.
Knowing she had work soon, and couldn’t stay crumpled on the floor, drowning in her misery, Grace listlessly pulled herself to her feet. On autopilot, she showed and dressed for work, then forced herself to eat breakfast. Every mouthful of cereal tasted of bitterness and regret.
Grace walked to the police station in a zombie-like state, ignoring the greetings of town’s people she passed on the way. When she entered the station, she spoke to no one and instead sat at her desk in silence. All morning, she worked in solitude, reviewing the missing children’s case, re-reading every statement for something she might have missed. At lunch, she ate alone ignoring her workmates’ invitations for her to join them. Just before the afternoon half of her shift was due to begin, her mom summoned Grace to her office.
Grace dropped into a seat opposite Captain Alcott, refusing to meet her mother’s gaze or look at the pictures on the wall opposite her, and instead stared down at the floor.
“What happened?” Louise Alcott asked.
Grace kept her eyes trained on the floor. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”
“Because you’ve been moping around here like someone’s told you tomorrow’s the end of the world.”
Grace shrugged. “It may as well be.”
“Is this because you haven’t had a breakthrough on the missing children case?” her mother asked softly, adopting a hardly used tone. She wasn’t speaking as the police captain now, but as a concerned mother. “I know it’s hard to remain positive when innocent people are missing, and possibly in danger, but you’ve got to stay strong, Grace. We will find the children.”
Grace nodded, daring to look at her mom. “We will,” she affirmed. “I won’t fail at that, too. But once the case is closed, I’m handing in my resignation.”
“What?” Captain Alcott asked, her eyes wide.
“I don’t deserve to be a police officer. It was Will’s dream, and I let him down.”
Her mother sighed. They’d had this conversation, or variations of it, many times over the past ten years. “His accident wasn’t your fault,” she insisted.
�
��Yes, it was!” Grace blurted out. The weight of everything - the guilt of Will’s accident, not being able to find the missing children, Derek rejecting her - bore down on Grace and the words tumbled out before she could stop them. “When we were younger, I was always so jealous of Will. He was better than me at everything. He wanted to become a police officer like you, and he always got the best grades. He was going to become valedictorian and get a scholarship for college. I hated him. Everyone always compared us. ‘Grace, why don’t you study harder like your brother?’, ‘Grace, don’t you want to become a police officer too?’ , ‘Grace, if only you were more like Will, your future would be sorted.’ I couldn’t escape it - you and dad, other relatives, teachers - everyone compared me to Will.
“I was going through a phase where I was obsessed with comedy prank shows like Jackass and stuff. After months of hearing people saying how Will was so wonderful, and I needed to be more like it, I thought it would be funny to get revenge on Will by playing a prank on him. I didn’t want to hurt him, I just wanted to take his ego down a peg or two by giving him a scare. I got home from school earlier than him one day, and set up airhorn in the fridge so that when he went to get a snack, it would jumpscare him.”
Grace started to cry as the story unraveled, and her mother stared at her in shock. Ever since the accident, Grace had insisted it was her fault, but Captain Alcott had never heard this story before. She could only listen in horror as her daughter continued speaking.
“It did scare him, and he stumbled backward and lost his balance. His spine hit the floor, and he cried out in agony. I immediately called 911, and while I waited for the ambulance to arrive, I hid the airhorn, so no one would know the truth. I hoped Will wouldn’t realize what had happened so he couldn’t reveal that it was my fault. I never meant for him to be paralyzed. I promise I didn’t want to hurt him. It’s my fault. It’s all my fault. I should be in that wheelchair, not Will. It should have been me.”
Claimed By The Alpha Wolf (Firefighter Wolves Shifters Book 3) Page 6
