by Jane Godman
Flames licked close to her bare feet, crackling playfully at the edges of the rock. Flaring higher toward the center, they flared and spat, showering sparks like a fountain, hurling plumes of gray smoke high into the air. Ash flew up high before showering the ground like great dirty flakes of snow.
“It’s like a living creature.” Hollie wrapped her arms around her naked body, gazing into the inferno. “A great hungry serpent, ready to devour everything in its path.” She turned her head to look at Torque. “Ready to consume me.”
His hands gripped her shoulders even tighter. “I’m here.”
She let herself feel the fire’s force, using her fear to drive herself onward. The blaze was regal and proud. Well, Hollie could hold her head up and stare into its yellow heart. For the sake of her future, she could take its hissing, spitting challenge. “Will it hurt when you bite me?”
“Yes.” Torque’s lips brushed her ear. “But the pain won’t last.”
She nodded. There were natural steps carved into the rock, and Hollie moved onto the next one, sucking in a breath as the scorching heat kissed her flesh. How beautifully the flames swayed and danced, reaching for her, inviting her to join them. She was so close now that her pale flesh had taken on a bluish tinge.
“It will be like walking into a river.” Her voice was dreamy. “Waters of fire.”
Behind her, Torque wrapped his arms around her and they took the last few steps together.
The blaze welcomed her with a brilliant display of color. Reds, oranges and purples bloomed all around her, bursting into life and fading to golden embers. As it heated her blood to boiling point, Hollie had a moment of perfect clarity. This was a mirror on her new life. Glowing bright and fading, only to be renewed seconds later.
Behind her, she could feel Torque shifting. His body was growing, his hands leaving her shoulders as his wings wrapped around her, his skin on hers becoming scales. Instead of the fear she’d anticipated, the fire acted as a balm, calming her nerves, warming her body and emptying her mind of care.
This moment, this commitment, they were all that mattered. Tilting her head back against Torque’s shoulder, she exposed her throat to his mouth. His sharp fangs closed on her neck and shoulder and Hollie hissed out a breath.
The searing pain was like a knife blade being driven deep into her flesh, but the agony quickly dulled to a throb. Time ceased to exist and she had no idea how long they stayed that way, his wings enclosing her, his teeth marking her. Slowly, he pulled away and shifted back. His human body was hard and strong against her, his lips tender on the skin of her neck. Sensation rushed through her, and her body became boneless. Hollie sagged against him, feeling Torque lift her off her feet as her vision darkened.
When she regained consciousness, she was on a ridge, close to the summit of Càrn Eighe. A warm blanket covered her nakedness and she was wrapped in Torque’s arms. Both of those things felt just fine. She raised one arm, studying her unblemished flesh with a sense of wonder.
“No burns.”
“How do you feel?” Torque’s expression was concerned.
She felt for the tender spot on her neck and shivered. It wasn’t painful. It was...delicious. “Different. And very turned on. Is that normal?”
His laughter held a note of relief. And something more. Her gaze traveled down his body, her eyes widening as she identified what the something more might be. “This is all new to me, as well. But I’m willing to learn.”
“We should probably go with our instincts, but maybe find some privacy.” Getting to her feet, she led him back into the cave.
Whatever had happened to her in that fire, she was now aching and raw with desire. As soon as Torque pushed her up against the rocky wall and kissed between her breasts, Hollie was squirming and panting.
“Please, Torque. I can’t wait.”
He swirled his tongue over her diamond-hard left nipple several times before taking it in his mouth and sucking. Pleasure shot through her and she moaned. He reached up and began caressing the other nipple between his thumb and forefinger. The restless longing spiraled out of control.
“Need your mouth on me now.” It was hard to talk, but she managed to gasp out the words.
He obliged by kneeling in front of her, pressing his face to the apex of her thighs. Hollie couldn’t believe how close she was to orgasm already. Using his thumbs to hold her outer lips apart, he ran his tongue along the length of her sex. Hollie’s whole body jerked wildly.
“Keep still.” Torque used one hand to hold her hip, keeping her pressed up against the cave wall.
With the other hand, he continued to keep her open while he covered her with his mouth. Finding her clit with his tongue, he flicked the tiny bud before sucking it hard. Hollie gasped. Throwing her head back against hard rock, she instantly succumbed to a thunderous orgasm.
“Want you in me. Right now.”
Torque threw the blanket down on the cave floor. As soon as they were lying down, Hollie pulled him on top of her.
“No condoms.” He ground the words out just as he was about to enter her.
“We don’t need them anymore, my dragon.”
He gazed into her eyes, and she felt the strength of the connection between them more powerfully than ever. This was what they craved. This was forever. Torque pressed forward, pushing into her, and the pleasure that streaked up her spine made her cry out.
“Mine.” It was a growl.
Hollie wound her arms around his neck. “Always.”
As she arched her back and lifted her knees around his hips, he sank fully inside her. They both moaned at the exquisite feeling. Torque held himself still and Hollie closed her eyes, reveling in the delicious sensation. Before long, it became too much and she gripped his arms.
“I need you to move now.”
In response, he pulled right out and plowed straight back in. Hard and fast. Hilt-deep. Hollie cried out with pleasure. He filled her completely and she instinctively squeezed her muscles around him. Torque repeated the movement, drawing out and thrusting in, over and over. Each thrust tipped her closer to a second orgasm. She could feel the familiar tingle building even though it felt impossible after only a few minutes.
When Torque began to tease her with shallow movements, she arched her back, and dug her nails into his shoulders. This time, when her release hit, there was no warning. She was thrashing wildly, flung into the most intense climax of her life. The fire she had walked through had entered her body, filling her veins and rushing through her bloodstream. Dragon pleasure. It was almost too much. As her vision grayed and the pressure inside her skull triggered a series of sunbursts behind her eyes, she clung to Torque as he continued to drive into her sensitive flesh.
His thrusts triggered a series of exquisite aftershocks and her muscles clenched tight around him, pulling him deeper into her.
“Ah, Hollie.” His head dropped onto her shoulder as he gave one final thrust before holding himself still. She could feel his own release shuddering through him.
After a few minutes, the reality of lying on the rocky ground intruded and Hollie sat up. Something more began to tug at her consciousness. It started out as a need, a hunger that filled her whole body, and quickly became a craving so strong she couldn’t ignore it. She hugged her arms around her upper body, unsure how to express this new sensation.
Torque, who was lying on his side watching her, started to smile. “You need to fly.”
She regarded him warily. “I do?”
“Trust me, I know exactly what you’re feeling. And remember—” He got to his feet, holding out his hand. “I’ll catch you if you fall.”
* * *
Torque watched Hollie closely as she stood on the ridge. She was trembling all over, her expression a combination of trepidation and exultation.
“I don’t know what to do.” It was a
wail of frustration.
“You are trying too hard. Shifting is a natural process.” He tried to find the words to explain it to someone who had never done it before. “You are part dragon now. A creature of legend, born to fly, to hunt, to mate, to breathe fire, to bring up your young as part of a clan. Reach deep inside yourself and feel your inner dragon rippling in the depths of your muscles, and simmering in your bloodstream. Hear the call of the Highland skies beating in time with your heart.”
As he spoke, Hollie closed her eyes. Her breathing slowed as she lowered her head and stretched out her arms. And slowly—oh, so slowly—she shimmered. He caught a brief glimpse of her dragon. Then a gasp left her lips and Hollie came back into view.
“Let it happen, Hollie.”
She gulped and nodded, her expression becoming determined. “I felt her.”
A second or two later, she shifted. A beautiful, graceful dragon stood poised on the edge of the ridge. Her scales were the color of shimmering aquamarine and she shyly unfurled new wings. She blinked as if waking from a deep sleep, and her eyes were like emeralds catching the light of the morning sun. As she raised her head toward the sky, white smoke drifted from her elegant nostrils.
Torque shifted quickly, wanting to be at her side when she took her first step off the mountain. Nudging her lightly with his snout, he swooped from the ridge, watching in delight as Hollie followed him. They soared together over the slopes and valleys, camouflaged against prying eyes as Torque showed his mate her Highland home.
Swooping over one dark loch, he hovered above a gaunt gray house that nestled among the tall pines. The exterior was as dour and unprepossessing as all Scots mansions of the same age tended to be. They had been built, after all, with the intention of repelling invaders, rather than welcoming guests.
When they returned to the ridge some time later and shifted back, Hollie was laughing with delight.
“I did it.” She threw her arms around Torque’s neck. “I really did it.”
“Yes, you did. Now get some clothes on, or I won’t be answerable for the consequences.”
They dressed quickly in the hiking gear they’d left inside the cave and started the long walk back down the mountainside. By the time they reached Inverness, it was evening.
“I’m so hungry I could eat two charred steaks,” Hollie said. “Maybe three.”
“There speaks a dragon after my own heart.” Torque pushed open the door of Kirsty McDougall’s and stepped aside to let her enter.
Kirsty bustled forward to greet them, her face breaking into a beaming smile. “Have you brought that reprobate Moiteil back to us?”
Torque took her hands. “I have some bad news for you, Kirsty.” He led her to a quiet table and the three of them sat down. “Alban is dead. We scattered his ashes on the slopes of Càrn Eighe this morning.”
“Och, no.” She burst into noisy sobs. “I suppose it was all his own stupid fault?”
“I guess you could say that.” Torque decided to keep it diplomatic and say as little as possible about the circumstances surrounding Alban’s death. “How’s the insomnia situation?”
Kirsty dabbed at her eyes with a corner of her apron. “All cured. The remedy Deigh recommended worked like a charm.” She gave a watered-down version of her chuckle. “Which is good, since I suppose it was a charm.”
“And has anything been seen of Teine or Deigh recently?”
Kirsty shuddered. “Not even a glimpse of the whites of either of their eyes. Tell me it will stay that way?”
“I hope so, but I can’t make you any promises.”
Kirsty sighed heavily. “We’ll live in hope. Now, can I get you some food? Neeps and tatties?”
“We’ll have steak. Well done,” Hollie said firmly. “No sides.”
Kirsty looked from her to Torque and back again with interest. “Like that, is it? Well, I hope you’ll both be very happy.” A dreamy look came into her eyes as though she was looking beyond them and into the future. “Aye, I can see it. You will be happy, although your hands will be full in about nine months’ time with the twin dragon-shifters that are coming your way.”
“Twins?” Hollie gave an exclamation of surprise.
“Och, did he no mention that twins are common in the Cumhachdach clan?” Kirsty chuckled to herself as she disappeared into the kitchen.
“Twins.” Hollie pressed a hand to her flat stomach. “Do you think we just...?”
“It’s possible.” Torque smirked. “We Cumhachdach are very virile.”
She started to laugh. “We haven’t even talked about where we’re going to live.”
He took her hand. “I showed you my ancestral home.”
Hollie’s brow wrinkled.
“When we were flying.”
“That house beside the loch was your home? Torque, that place was incredible.”
He nodded. “Home to the Cumhachdachs since my birth. Of course, my commitments with Beast mean we’d have to spend time in America, but we have the house in Maine and the apartment in New York.”
“I’d be quite happy with just one home.”
Torque’s cell phone buzzed as she spoke, and he experienced a fierce desire to throw the damn thing against the nearest wall. Just leave us alone. Surely nothing else could happen? When he checked, it was a message from Ged with a link to a news report.
Might want to check this out.
The article was short. Denver police were appealing for help in identifying a woman whose body had been recovered from the South Platte River. Although there were no signs of violence, the medical examiner had released the information that her body appeared to have been frozen for some time prior to entering the water. The unknown woman was described as petite with pale coloring and unusual, silver-white hair that was natural. At some point in the past, she had suffered severe burns to her upper body.
Torque held his cell phone out to Hollie so she could read what was on the screen.
“Deigh won,” she said when she finished.
“It looks that way. She finally defeated Teine, even though it was at the expense of her own life.” He placed a hand under her chin, tilting her head up so he could look at her face. “Are you crying?”
“Only because I’m so happy. I can’t believe, after everything that’s happened, it’s all going to be okay.” She smiled through her tears. “You will no longer be the last of the Cumhachdach.”
“And you, my beautiful dragon mate, need to start planning our wedding.”
“But we had our ceremony.” She blushed. “Up on the mountain.”
“That was for us.” He raised her hand to his lips. “But I want the world to know the truth. Next time I say it, I want it to be in public. You are mine, Hollie. All mine.”
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from The Black Wolf by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom.
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The Black Wolf
by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom
Chapter 1
Hot Miami nights in September were the bane of tourists and locals alike...but they suited Rafe Landau just fine.
Werewolves seldom reacted to heat the same way humans did. With body temperatures so elevated most of the time, a few degrees one way or the other didn’t matter. And humidity was Rafe’s friend. Sultry nights like this one were perfect for keeping criminals inside in front of their air conditioners. Or so he hoped. A detective’s job didn’t involve much downtime in a city this big. Having a night off from the usual chaos was a blessing.
Rafe sipped his soft drink on the narrow balcony of his semi-affordable oceanfront apartment, where the crash of waves almost completely masked the more invasive city sounds. Behind him, the blonde he planned to share a couple of hours on a mattress with shuffled toward him on bare feet.
“Got anything to drink in your bachelor pad besides sodas?”
Her voice was grittier than her looks. Rafe liked his temporary bed partners natural, without medically enhanced curves, dyed hair or overdone makeup. His preferences could have been a throwback to the times when wolves ran naked in the wild and nature ruled, but the fact was that he liked to see, taste and feel the women he dated with nothing artificial in his way.
Tonight’s date had already discarded most of her clothes; she was down to flimsy green lingerie that looked good on her. Her shoulder-length hair was tousled, her lips pouty. And her current state of undress made her invitation perfectly clear.
