by Kym Grosso
Kalli began to quietly cry as she listened to Tristan talk to the boy he loved. She wished she could go back in time and find another way to hide instead of creating CLI. If he hadn’t taken it, he might still be alive. Perhaps her mere presence in the Lyceum Wolves territory had brought war by the Wallace Pack. Even after all these years, she should have known they’d never simply let her go. While she may have been lower than an omega, they viewed her as their property. Sato’s vile words toward her had confirmed that their hate was alive and well.
One by one, the wolves shared their goodbyes, sharing memories of Toby. The experience reminded her of a Quaker funeral she’d once attended for one of her colleague’s parents who’d passed. Beautiful stories were met with both laughter and tears. Sitting with Logan and Tristan, listening to the crickets sing their music, she felt oddly at ease within the pack. By the time everyone who wanted to speak was finished, it was nearly midnight.
Tristan whispered in Kalli’s ear, as the last speaker finished. “Chérie, we’re gonna run now. I’ll meet you at home in a few hours.” He kissed her on the cheek, stood and walked over to pick up a shovel.
“And now my wolves, we’ll return Toby’s body to our great Earth. We’re pack in life and in death.” Tristan shoved the cold metal into the massive pile of dirt. With a heave, the red and brown particles scattered over the linen-shrouded form below. Several joined in to help, digging and pitching, until the burial site was sealed. Young pups placed wild flowers and seeds onto the loose terra, in an effort to bring forth a new circle of life onto the otherwise barren covering.
Wolves didn’t leave headstones, for with scent, they’d always know where their loved one was buried. And in their hearts, they believed that lost souls returned to the Goddess of nature from whence they came. Their land was life. When they played or rode through this field, they’d be reminded of Toby and of his great spirit within their pack.
In preparation for their run, pack members began to strip. Feeling like an interloper, Kalli flicked on her flashlight and began to walk back toward the cabin. Out of curiosity, she briefly stopped and turned back, to catch a glimpse of her Alpha shedding his clothes, right before he turned into his spectacular black wolf. His lean, tanned body glowed under the stars giving way to shiny raven fur. Fascinated, Kalli quietly sat down on a rock, voyeuristically watching the remarkable sight. From afar, she admired her Alpha, and her heart tightened as she yearned to be with him.
Falling in love with a man like Tristan was easy. His physical beauty paled in comparison to his charismatic personality and cunning intellect. It took her breath away how he approached every single thing in his life with passion and vigor, from business to making love. She’d never witnessed such compassion and dominance in one man. Tonight, observing him command his wolves both as human and beast, exhilarated her.
In that reflective moment, Kalli realized she’d fallen in love with him. There was no mistaking the ache in her heart. As her mark tingled upon her shoulder, she was reminded that she was his. Her wolf begged to claim him in return. Mate. The word ran through her mind as if it was as natural as swimming on a warm summer day. Kalli released a small gasp as Tristan ran back and forth, playfully corralling the pups who sought to frolic on the outskirts. She indulged in her own fantasy, imagining him playing with their own children. He’d make a wonderful father. Raking her hand through her hair with a sigh, she once again wished she could run with him, to ease his pain. Speaking her thoughts aloud, she whispered, “I love you, Tristan. Run well tonight.”
As if he’d heard her, the black wolf stopped to gaze upon her. His penetrating glare told her that he’d known she’d been watching all along. Giving him a small smile, she waved from the distance and slowly began her track back to the house.
Tristan heard the words, a mere whisper upon her lips. His heart beat wildly at her confession. His mate loved him. He wished to go to her, to tell her that he loved her as well, and make love to her all night long until she screamed his name over and over. But it would have to wait a few hours; his responsibility to the pack came first. He released a celebratory howl, and the pack snapped to attention, readying to follow his orders. Respecting his command, Lyceum Wolves raced into the night.
It had been nearly two days since she’d taken CLI, and her proximity to the pack had left her skin itching to shift. But only the draw of the full moon could initiate her change after suppressing her wolf for so long. Her wolf was clawing to escape, to run with her Alpha. By the time Kalli got back to the cabin, she felt on fire with the need to shift. Like in the past, she could feel the change coming. But instead of resisting the transformation, her body and mind craved it. Even though she was still terrified, Kalli knew that, with Tristan, she’d be safe. And like her wolf, she planned to mark him the first chance she got.
Being with the other wolves pulled at her emotions in ways she’d never thought possible or expected. Seeing their naked skin melting into fur drove her into a muted exhilaration. She rubbed her limbs, which tingled in anticipation. Everything seemed amplified; sound, touch, smell. Safely within the wooden walls of Tristan’s home, the cries of the night were still audible to her hypersensitive hearing. All senses on alert, she took a hot shower, hoping it’d subdue the overwhelming sensations racking her body.
Even though the warm water had helped to take the edge off, she felt like she was clinging to a precipice, rocks slipping under her feet. Wrapping her bare skin in Tristan’s thin cotton robe, she made a cup of calming chamomile tea. But finding the chocolate truffles in his pantry was like finding gold in a mine. When it came to chocolate, the answer was always ‘yes’ as far as Kalli was concerned. As she bit into the tasty delicacy, a small gasp of pleasure escaped her lips. Oh yes. Next to sex, it was the best thing on the planet. Grabbing her warm mug and a book off one of Tristan’s bookshelves, she trudged upstairs on a mission to lose herself within its pages.
After thirty minutes of reading on an overstuffed chair, she gave in to her exhaustion and opted for the mattress. Within seconds of lying down in Tristan’s bed, she found she could no longer keep her eyes open. The smell of him on his pillow calmed every nerve in her body. Like an animal, Kalli rubbed her face into it, wishing his strong arms were wrapped around her. Shedding her robe, she slipped into the soft cool linens and embraced sleep, awaiting his return.
“Hmm, Tristan,” Kalli purred, breathing in the masculine scent of her Alpha. Kissing his skin, eyes still closed, she brushed her tongue over his nipple, teasing it with her teeth until it hardened. Feeling his arms pull her closer, she slid her hand down his chest. Finding the growing evidence of his arousal, she wrapped her soft fingers around him.
“Kalli,” he groaned. Tristan had thought of nothing else but Kalli for the past three hours. She loved him. After running, he quickly showered and slid next to the warmth of her body. He could tell she wasn’t quite awake but not asleep either. The touch of her hand sent blood rushing to his cock. Dominance still fresh in his system, he cuffed her wrist, demanding he take the lead.
She protested with a small moan, but was rewarded with a long, drugging kiss, bolting passion throughout her blood. In a fluid motion, he turned her onto her back, nudging her legs apart with his knees until he was comfortably settled on top of her. Supporting his weight with his elbows alongside of her head, his fingers pushed through her hair, fisting large spools of black curls as he continued kissing her deeply and thoroughly.
Kalli breathlessly kissed Tristan back, intoxicated by his essence. She welcomed the pressure of his body restraining her against the bed, allowing him to command their lovemaking. Wanting to be utterly possessed by him, she opened her heart and mind, submitting to their pleasure. The womanly heart of her ached to be taken. Moist and desperate for his touch, she acquiesced to the agonizing anticipation.
Releasing her lips, Tristan lowered his head to suckle a bared rosy tip. Gently, he swirled his tongue around the quivering areola until the throbbing peak stood
stiff. Switching to the opposite breast, he continued his arousing assault.
“You are so perfect,” he murmured as he licked and sucked her sensitive skin.
“Tristan,” she whispered in response, altogether lost in his touch. She pushed her hips upward until she felt the tip of his straining sex.
“Kalli. Open your eyes,” Tristan urged.
With heavy-lidded eyes, she peered up into the universe of his soul.
Tristan gazed into her eyes as he trailed his thumb along the seam of her lips. “I love you too. You’re mine as I’m yours. You’re my mate,” he professed as he slid the hard length of him into her slick heat.
Her mouth opened in a soft cry as he buried himself in one swift motion. He gently cupped her cheek, pushing his thumb into her mouth. She wrapped her lips around his finger, allowing him to pull her cheek against the cool pillow, baring her neck to him. She moaned in response to the thrilling sensation of being purely dominated by her loving Alpha. Her mouth, the stretching walls of her tight depths, her swollen breasts and the rest of her soft curving flesh was his to take however he wanted. She offered it up to him on a platter, reveling in the ecstasy streaming through her consciousness.
At her passionate submission, Tristan nearly came. It was if he could sense the exact moment Kalli gifted him with her boundless trust. She gave herself freely, and he sought to take everything she offered.
“Feel me, Kalli,” he instructed as he began to move within her. “Feel us.”
He began thrusting his thick hardness in and out of her core, teasing every last moan from her body. Kissing her taut neck, he gently bit down on his mark, reminding her of his claim. She dug her fingernails into his back, feeling as if she’d explode any second. Her entire being, ignited in arousal, ached for release.
“That’s it baby, feel me inside of you,” he encouraged as she set free a cry of pleasure. “We are made for each other.”
Tristan ground his pelvis against her clit, and she writhed upward, savoring every second of their joining. Propelling her to the edge of rapture, he plunged into her again.
“Please,” she beseeched him. “I need to come. It’s so good…so close…please.”
Ravishing her mercilessly, he continued to work her into a frenzied state of euphoria. He fought for his own breath as she panted, releasing cries with each deep thrust she received. As his powerful fullness built up her orgasm, she moaned as the clenching spasms racked her body. She screamed his name, embracing the uncontrollable quivering waves of climax, grinding herself into him as he slammed against her.
“Fuck, yes, Kalli, I can feel you around me. So tight. I’m coming,” Tristan yelled, as her warm sheath pulsed around him. Abandoning himself to his orgasm, he bit her again, stifling his masculine groans of satisfaction while exploding deep within her core.
“I love you,” she whispered, slowly recovering from the erotic release.
Tristan gently slid out of her, yet never let go. As he fell on to his back, he brought her with him so that she rested on his chest. With one hand intertwined with hers on his belly, he caressed her hair with the other.
“Mon amour, what you do to me.” His heart bloomed with emotion. Loving her would consume him forever, and he couldn’t imagine living his life any other way.
Chapter Twenty-Three
From the minute Kalli woke, her senses were uncontrollably sensitive. While making love throughout the night had brought tears of joy, she now felt unsettled, overwrought with a thousand sensations bombarding her body and mind. She knew immediately that the rudimentary signs of her impending transformation had officially commenced. But this was different. Symptoms exaggerated exponentially; she assumed the influence of the pack drove the intensification of the effects. Every nerve and sense stood alert. The smell of the wildflowers. The sound of the birds. It was all too much. And then there was her hunger.
Tearing through the refrigerator, she cooked a huge feast of eggs, bacon, pancakes, sausage and toast. Ravenous, she ate five eggs, several pieces of bacon and two pancakes. While Tristan normally loved watching his little she-wolf make breakfast, he sought to comfort her. But there was nothing much he could do to ease the evidence of her affliction. Her first shift around pack would be difficult, he was certain. But once she got over the hump, she’d learn control over the way the pack heightened one’s already animalistic ways.
Tristan stood behind her while she sat drinking tea, hands shaking as the amber liquid washed over the lips of the cup. Rubbing her shoulders, he worked the knots; she moaned in relief.
“Chérie, how about we take a run? It’ll help release some of the tension.”
“I’m sorry, Tristan. I don’t know what’s happening to me. Everything was so special last night…” her words trailed off, as she remembered the intensity of the evening.
“It’s okay. Come up here.” Tristan took her by the hands, pulling her upward and hugged her. “Tonight will be even more special than last night. I can’t wait to see your beautiful wolf. I promise that it’s going to be incredible. You’ll learn how to trust in the reckless abandon of being wolf. The smell of the trees and animals. The taste of the hunt. We’re going to run and then come back, take a hot tub…celebrate. As for the sexual release, it will be what it is…and with you it’s always incredible.”
“But what if I get lost? Go crazy? And Logan…I could seriously die of embarrassment that I could attack him as if I’m in heat,” she huffed.
“Remember who’s Alpha, chérie. No matter what happens later, you are mine. Trust me when I tell you that your wolf will not forget, nor will Logan’s. I’ll control what happens, I promise. Come on, now. Go get your shoes on. We’re going for a walk. I want to show you around in the daylight, before tonight. It’s beautiful here.”
“Tristan,” she said quietly, looking up into his golden eyes. “I know we didn’t talk about things last night. About mating…I want you to know that I meant what I said. I love you. I want to claim you tonight…after the shift.”
“Aw baby, you will. And believe me, I can’t wait.” He gave her a broad smile. “And after this mess is cleaned up with the Wallace Pack, we’ll announce our mating to all of Lyceum Wolves, and hold a formal ritual…just you and me.”
“I don’t know how…I mean, I haven’t been around wolves long enough to know how it works. I can just feel it within me. I want you…to be with you. God, this is so crazy.”
“No it’s not. But in a way, I know how you feel. Before you, the whole need to mate never made a lick of sense. But now, it’s perfectly clear.”
She smiled, knowing that everything always came back to nature for Tristan. Kalli wished she could be so confident, knowing what to do and say. But every minute she spent with Tristan, she grew more and more aware of the mating bond. More than a human’s love, it bound their wolves eternally. Organic and instinctive, their mating would bond them irrevocably throughout time.
Tristan had taken Kalli for a long and winding walk through the woods, stopping to teach her about the plants and even point out the natural habitats of small game and reptiles. As a veterinarian, she found it fascinating. She was amazed at how much he knew about the environment and conservation. By the time they reached a small spring, she was unusually relaxed. He showed her how they’d fostered the spring. The cool clean water ran from the pipe in the rock into his stainless steel canteen as he filled it. As she drank the nectar, she eyed him thoughtfully, wondering exactly what he couldn’t do. Whether it was riding a Harley or identifying a copperhead snake, he did it all with a cool air of confidence and a smile.
By the time they got back, Tristan directed her to eat lunch and take a nap, one that, regretfully, he insisted did not include sex. Instead, he’d stripped her bare, massaging every last muscle until she’d fallen asleep at his hands. He knew that her body was storing energy for the shift. Eating. Drinking. Exercising. And finally sleeping. It was everything she needed to make a smooth transition to lupine.
After a long nap, Tristan woke Kalli. Red streaks painted the dusky sky as the sun fell below the horizon. Wearing only cotton bathrobes, both Kalli and Tristan stood on the last step of the large cedar deck which wrapped around the back of the cabin. The harmonious sounds of the cicadas and crickets blanketed tranquility over Kalli’s mind.
In the distance, she heard the yips of wolves, already singing in celebration of the full moon. Tendrils of her Alpha’s power danced along her skin as she disrobed. Fully bared to the twilight, she closed her eyes and took a cleansing breath in preparation for her shift. Her wolf rejoiced in appreciation, no longer confined to the deep recesses of her soul. No, tonight the wolf would command her very being and in truth, Kalli delighted at the prospect. The gravitational force of the pack’s quintessence reminded her of how this change represented a threshold to a new life. No longer a lone wolf, she’d claim her mate and belong to pack.
Turning to Tristan, she lifted her eyes to meet his. He smiled down at her, enjoying the sheer bliss she’d been experiencing at finally coming to acceptance of her nature. Tonight, he’d watch out for her, making sure she learned the land and was comfortable with him before introducing her to the pack. He expected that certain females such as Mira might try to challenge her. And while he was fully confident of her Alpha tendencies, tonight there’d be no fighting. Tonight was about helping Kalli while she rediscovered her wolf and learned to control the exhilarating, but sometimes distracting, assault to both one’s senses and libido when in the presence of other wolves.
“I’m ready, Tristan,” she breathed. “My wolf is here and can’t wait to run.”
“Okay chérie. Remember what we talked about. The tendency to want to go with the others will be strong, so pay attention to me. We’ll introduce you to the pack another night. Logan’s with them and he’ll let them know you’re around, but they’ve been instructed to leave you be.” He tossed his robe onto the wooden planks, and took Kalli’s hand in his.
