“He did,” I answered, hoping my face didn’t reveal anything else. “Jasper, I wanted to talk to you.”
He glanced up from his work, the only change in his expression a slight raise of one eyebrow. “Well?”
“I want you to teach me to fight.”
I didn’t know who looked more surprised, Jasper or Beau. “Why?” he finally asked.
“Because I realized I was a liability today instead of one of the team, and I want to change that.”
Jasper glanced down at my body. It wasn’t flirtatious: it was the seasoned glance of an expert fighter sizing me up. Seeing what I was made of. “Are you sure?” he said doubtfully. “You might get hurt.”
“If me getting a few bruises prevents you all from getting hurt having to save my butt, I’m down.”
And for the first time since I’d met him, I saw Jasper truly smile.
9
Mal
Before we set off on our little journey, Jasper had warned Beau and I not to get attached to Allie. “She’s not staying,” he had growled, in that no-nonsense way of his. “And when she leaves, she’ll be banished from the Pack for good. So don’t get any ideas.”
At the time, I hadn’t been worried at all. I had a reputation for loving women, and rightly so, but nobody ever accused me of being a serial dater. One night stands were more my style, a way to appreciate a lady before time took away any of the thrill. So I had no interest whatsoever in this mysterious future Queen. She was only half-wolf, after all, and she hadn’t cared about the Pack enough to stick around.
But now I wasn’t so confident.
For one thing, she was gorgeous. Annoyingly so. She had soft waves of dark hair and deep grey eyes and that way of looking at me that made me say stupid shit. And her scent, that heady sweet ripe-peach summer smell, was driving me crazy. Not to mention an ass that made me feel like that wolf in those old cartoons: eyes popping, tongue falling down the stairs. What can I say? I know what I like.
But she wasn’t just a pretty face. She was tough. That surprised me most of all. I’d expected someone who lived around humans to be soft, afraid of the woods and afraid of danger. But the longer we were out here, the happier she seemed to be. It was like the wolf part of her was waking up, like she was becoming her true self. She even wanted to learn to fight. I bet old Jasper would enjoy the hell out of that.
I leaned down, splashing some of the cool water on my face. I didn’t know what possessed me to ask if I could share her tent. My mouth gets ahead of my brain more than I’d like. Honestly, I was surprised she even seemed to be considering it.
I wasn’t going to try to get in her pants. I knew she had a lot to deal with, and I didn’t want to be the one to complicate things. As hilarious as it sounded, I was actually interested in talking more with her. I’d never spent any time in a big city and I was curious about her life around all those humans.
But of course, if she was down for a little fun? If she initiated things? Well then, I would be more than happy to oblige.
10
Allie
The deer meat was delicious, but I barely tasted any of it. My mind was still reeling from the strange day. I felt like everything had changed in a few short hours.
First waking up with Beau. That had felt way too nice. And then talking with Mal, learning he was a real person under that smartass exterior. But the crazy thing was seeing Jasper actually smile. My heart literally skipped a beat. He was as handsome as the other two, but his cold businesslike manner was always like a wall between us. But that smile provided a glimpse into something that was simply unfair.
Luckily for me, the men didn’t seem to notice my inner turmoil. Mal and Beau were laughing about driving off the lone wolves in the woods and arguing good-naturedly about the route we would take tomorrow.
“I’m telling you, we cut through the hills and it will save us a half day,” Beau was saying. “It’s the better way.”
“According to you, Beau.”
He rolled his eyes. “Mal, you don’t know your ass from your elbow.”
“Yeah?” Mal drawled. “Well, you couldn’t find your ass with both hands… and your ass!”
Beau snorted. Even I had to giggle at that one, and Mal winked at me across the fire.
Jasper, a paper map unfolded on his lap, was ignoring the other two as he studied it. I guess GPS wouldn’t work out here. Not that our Pack was ever much for technology: we preferred the old ways.
I couldn’t stifle a yawn, and Beau smiled at me. “Bedtime?”
“I think so,” I said, glancing over at Mal. I don’t know what made me decide to do it, but I said it before I could overthink it: “Join me?”
A split-second flash of surprise crossed Mal’s face, but he got to his feet and dusted off the seat of his jeans. “Lead the way, Princess.”
I was worried that Beau would say something or to look irritated, at the very least. But instead, to my shock, he just grinned up at Mal. “Sweet dreams.”
I bent down and crawled into the tent, my heart thudding. Alpha males were notoriously possessive, but I had heard that some didn’t mind sharing. Were Beau and Mal like that? The idea sent a rush of heat to my face.
Mal climbed in after me and zipped the door shut. He turned and smiled at me. “What are you grinning about, Princess?”
“Nothing,” I said quickly.
“Nothing is a lucky guy, then,” he teased. He lay on his side next to me, completely at ease.
I, on the other hand, suddenly didn’t know what to do with myself. In the small space, his intoxicating scent of woodsmoke and earth enveloped me. I sat on the sleeping bag and pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them protectively.
He watched me, his pale blue eyes bright even in the dim light of the tent. “You’re so tense,” he murmured, reaching out and tapping my calf. “I’m not going to bite you, you know. I really do just want to talk.” I was expecting him to smirk again, but to my surprise, there was nothing predatory in his gaze.
“I don’t get you, Mal,” I said, shaking my head.
He chuckled. “Nobody does. I’m used to it.” He glanced down, and I saw his smile fade just slightly before popping back into place. There it was again, that strange hint of sadness I kept catching glimpses of. I remembered how he shut down last time, though, so I decided not to push.
He looked up at me again, and I felt a little thrill shoot up my spine as our eyes met. He really was unfairly good looking. I wondered if his hair was as soft as it looked. Luckily, he saved my from making an ass of myself by speaking up. “Tell me about the city,” he said. “Was it strange, living with all those humans?”
“Not any stranger than living with a bunch of wolves who think you’re an embarrassment,” I replied. “It was easy enough to hide that I’m only half-wolf since I never shifted. I was just another human to them. Quieter than most, I guess, but that wasn’t enough to be suspicious.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “Didn’t you run into any other wolves in the city?”
“Not with the humans I hung around with.”
“Your roommate seems cool,” he said, smiling. “She was very accepting. Maybe you’ll meet some more humans like that when you go back.”
So he was convinced I was leaving. Well, what else would he think? I had said that from the beginning. But I couldn’t stop the tiny flicker of disappointment at his words. “Beau wants me to stay,” I said.
Mal smiled. “Well, of course he does. He thinks you would be a good Queen.”
That was not the response I was expecting. “And you?” It was a blunt question, but I had the feeling he would answer me honestly.
“Me?” He sighed, looking up at the tent ceiling. “Honestly, I don’t know, Allie. You seem pretty cool and all, but you’ve been gone for so long.”
That was a pretty reasonable response. “What about the ceremony, then?”
“What about it?” He raised an eyebrow at me.
“Do
you think it was wrong?”
Mal shrugged. “I’m not really the guy to ask. I’m not much of a believer in that stuff.”
Now that was a surprise. “In what? Magic?”
“Yeah.”
I stared at him. “Mal, you’re a wolf who can turn into a man and you don’t believe in magic?”
“Hey, that’s just biology, Princess,” he said, grinning at me.
“So all our rituals are pointless?”
“I mean, they’re good for bringing the Pack together. But beyond that?” He shrugged.
“So you don’t think I’m really supposed to be Queen.” It stung, more than I was expecting.
“Hey, don’t get me wrong,” he said, holding up a hand. “You seem like a cool lady, Allie. But don’t you think it’s a little too perfect that your grandmother is Priestess and you end up being the next Queen, even after being gone all this time?”
I felt a flare of anger. He could say whatever he wanted about me, but talking bad about Gram? No way. “Don’t you dare say anything about my grandmother. She’s devoted her life to the Pack. She would never do something like this for selfish reasons.”
His eyes widened at my sudden outburst. “Shit, I’m sorry,” he muttered. “You’re right. I know she’s the real deal. Hell, she’s always been kind to me, and you know what a pain in the ass I am.” Mal cracked a tiny smile, and I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help but smile back. He was the type that was hard to stay mad at. Besides, I was actually enjoying our conversation, and I didn’t want it to end yet.
“Well, I can understand your concerns about my legitimacy, and I’m sure you’re not the only one who has them. But if not magic, then what about the Goddess?”
His smile faded, and he shook his head. “No.”
Admitting that was a pretty big deal. Werewolves considered the moon goddess the source of our power. Even I, a non-shifting half-breed, had a small secret altar in my room back in the city. It comforted me.
“Can I ask why?” I said, unable to contain my curiosity.
Mal looked uncomfortable for the first time since I’d known him. “Bad things happen in life,” he said quietly. “And nobody stops them.” His eyes were far away, suddenly, looking at something I couldn’t see. “What’s the point of worshipping something that can’t help people? Or worse, something that can help, but chooses not to?”
All of his walls were down. He looked so miserable, so lost, that my heart ached in sympathy for him. I didn’t know what to say, so I decided not to say anything. I rolled up onto my knees, leaned forward, and put my arms around him.
His shoulders stiffened. I couldn’t see his face, but I could feel his surprise for a few heartbeats before he melted. His arms slid around my waist, pulling me into his lap, my legs tucked over one of his thighs. I didn’t resist. I could feel the hard muscles of his chest, the power in his arms, the way he moved me so easily. It made me feel vulnerable, but not afraid. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me.
His forehead rested on my shoulder, and I gave in to the temptation that had plagued me since we met: I tugged gently at the tie that held his hair back, freeing it, and letting it spill in a copper curtain across his shoulders.
I slipped a hand through the silky strands, marveling at the softness, and stroked gently. Gram used to brush my hair when I was sad or stressed, and I remembered how soothing it was. He sighed softly, a contented noise.
“Gram and I talked about that once,” I said quietly, continuing to skim my fingers through his hair. “I was thirteen or so, and angry about something, I can’t remember what. Probably someone said something mean to me. But I said life wasn’t fair, and why wouldn’t the Goddess step in and help? And Gram said that if the Goddess solved all our problems then there would be no point to us being here. But we’re put on Earth to help each other and to care for each other, and that’s what I believe.”
Mal lifted his head, and when our eyes met my breath caught at the heat I saw there. “You want to know what I believe, Allie?” I could feel the vibration of his low voice through his chest as he spoke. “I believe in what I can see, and what I can touch. And I want you.”
My heart beat faster as what he was saying sunk in. “Mal,” I whispered, unable to say anything else.
“Being led by someone from the Pack didn’t do us any good,” he said slowly, as if he was talking to himself. “Maybe an outsider is what we need after all.” He reached up and traced the edge of my jaw with the lightest brush of his fingertips. It raised goosebumps on my skin, and I shivered.
I turned my head and brushed my lips softly across his palm. He looked startled for half a second, then he leaned forward and closed the space between us.
His lips were surprisingly soft and warm as they claimed mine. The kiss was soft, but an electric jolt of desire shot from our mouths to my thighs all the same. He tasted of cinnamon and something else that was uniquely him.
I ran my nails gently down his back as he deepened the kiss, and he groaned softly against my lips, another sound that went straight to the center of me. He ran the tip of his tongue teasingly across my bottom lip and I opened for him, tasting him, savoring the tangle of tongues.
It had been years since I’d been kissed, and it was like falling into a crystal pool of an oasis after wandering the parched desert. Like I was waking up after a long enchanted sleep. His hands roamed: one on the small of my back, pulling me into him, one sliding down to cup my ass possessively. I could feel his cock hardening beneath me, and the solid press of it tore a soft gasp from my throat. The sudden violence of my hunger for him startled me. Maybe it had been there all along.
He pulled back and nipped at my jaw, kissing down the side of my neck until I moaned. “Let me make you feel good, Allie,” he whispered, his lips hot against my throat. “I want to please my Queen.”
I couldn’t speak, but I nodded. I wanted this. No, more than that. I needed this. I needed him.
His hands came up, cupping my breasts, his thumbs brushing teasingly against my nipples. They were already hard and so sensitive, and I bit back a gasp. Mal’s strong hands slid down to my waist and carefully lifted me off his lap as if I weighed nothing, laying me down on the sleeping bag. He tucked the pillow under my head with a wink, elevating me slightly so I could watch him.
I gazed down, hypnotized, as he slid his hands down, caressing my tummy, before heading to the button of my jeans. His eyes found mine and he smiled, a wickedly lovely smile that made my tummy flip. Pale blue eyes, like a winter sky. He deftly tugged my pants down and tossed them aside in one smooth motion, like a magician performing a trick.
Mal’s eyes lingered on what he had revealed, and the sheer desire on his face made me feel powerful, wanted. It woke echoes of desire in me. I needed him. His eyes caught mine as he bent down, his long hair brushing my tummy as he settled between my thighs, his breath hot through the cotton of my panties. His lips grazed me through the fabric, and I moaned softly. Every touch was electric. He reached up and slid them down, baring me to the cool night air.
Mal turned his head to kiss my inner thigh, then leaned down and put his mouth between my legs, his lips hot against mine. I grabbed the sleeping bag underneath me, feeling my thighs tense as his tongue slid up and down my entrance, teasing me. I could feel how wet I already was, my body eager for him, every nerve alight with need.
He reached up and squeezed my thighs, holding me open as he circled his tongue tantalizingly slowly around my clit, the sensation making me gasp. Nobody had ever done this for me before, but I could tell he was an expert. He seemed to know my body, to anticipate what I needed as he licked and lapped, as if we had all the time in the world.
I couldn’t hold back a moan as he slipped a finger inside me. I was so wet he slid in easily, and I heard him growl softly in satisfaction, a sound that made my toes curl. He curved his finger slightly, and stars exploded behind my eyes as he brushed the spot deep inside me. “Mal,” I gasped, unable to say anything more eloquent
. I’m sure he could tell the effect he was having by the ragged sound of my voice because he laughed softly.
“So beautiful,” he whispered, his eyes finding mine. His irises seemed to glow in the low light, his pupils large and dark as he slowly slipped in a second finger, watching my face as he did.
He grazed the spot deep inside me again and I couldn’t help but gasp. “Yes, there,” I moaned, struggling to keep my thighs open. His clever tongue found my clit again, and he began to slide his fingers slowly in and out as he lapped and teased.
The combination of sensations started a heat building in me, a sweet slow tension that grew and grew. There was no end to it. I didn’t want it to end. I wanted more, this, him. Us. My breath came in ragged gasps as he worked me with fingers and tongue, those beautiful eyes never leaving my face. My thighs tensed, my fingers dug into the sleeping bag in a vain attempt to hold on, but it was too much.
With a cry, I went over the edge. Pleasure radiated through me in waves, and I gave myself over to it completely, my hips bucking against him.
After what could have been hours, I came back to myself. Mal was sitting between my thighs, Wordlessly, I reached out for him, and he climbed up to lay next to me before gathering me into his arms. “What about you?” I murmured sleepily.
He smiled. “We’ll save that for another night,” he murmured, his lips warm on my neck. “Sleep now, Princess.”
A delicious relaxation was washing over me like a wave, and I couldn’t stop my eyes from fluttering closed. Safe in his arms, I slept.
* * *
The wind off the ocean was tinged with salt, and I breathed it in as I walked down the beach. White petals drifted down over the waves, and the scent of magnolias blended with the sea air. A woman was standing on the shore, looking out over the water, and the breeze made her long pale hair float behind her. She was very beautiful, and when she turned to face me I saw that her eyes were the same color as the slate-blue waves.
Princess of Wolves: A Reverse Harem Romance Page 6
