"Nafarius, please." Sam reached for it.
Responding to the need in her voice, his own climax close, Nafarius thrust home, quickly drawing back and thrusting again and again until he felt her passage clamping down around him.
Sam cried out once in pleasure...
Nafarius bared his teeth and struck, biting into the muscle between neck and shoulder.
...and she cried again in pain.
Immediately, she tried pushing him off, the pain shattering the haze of pleasure.
Nafarius held on, a growl of warning rumbling up from his throat. The taste of her filled his mouth, saturated his senses. Still buried inside of her, he grew almost painfully hard, couldn't stop the thrust of his hips or the rush of his release. As the first wave of his seed hit her womb, the mating bond snapped into place.
Sam fisted her hands in the blanket beneath her. Eyes shut tight, she tried to keep from struggling. The first flash of pain and panic had passed, Nafarius' growl of warning reminding her that he could easily rip out her throat if she didn't submit. She tried to breath through the pain, let the last of her body's pleasure wash over her as blood from her neck and shoulder ran down onto the bed beneath her.
She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, locked together in such a violent and intimate manner. Eventually, Nafarius started to stir. Moving slowly, he found her hands, linked their fingers and gave her a gentle squeeze.
Sam's breath caught as he withdrew his teeth from her neck, a fresh flood of blood spreading out beneath her.
Nafarius licked at the wound, his saliva carried both the infection and a healing agent. Tightening his control, he willed his canines to retract, his face shifting fully into human form. Lifting his eyes, he searched her face. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears but otherwise she looked okay. "How do you feel?"
Sam reached up, her fingers hesitating over the wound before lightly brushing at the torn skin. "I uhhh...I'm not sure how I feel. That was amazing and intense" she said, hesitating, "...and painful. But I think I'm okay."
"I'm sorry," Nafarius stared down at the wound on her neck. There were several large teeth marks, red and still weeping blood.
"It's okay," she lifted her hand, forced him to look at her. "You warned me."
"I wish there had been an easier way," he said. "But I wanted to make sure to infect you." He could feel her pain and fatigue through the bond. It wasn't a definite thing, not like his own emotions but more a general sense of if. It was a lot like the bond he had with the rest of the pack, but closer and more intimate.
Sam was aware of Nafarius, felt his concern. She frowned, she could really feel his concern. Turning inwards, her eyes growing unfocused, she asked, "What is that?"
Nafarius nuzzled her chin, not surprised when she flinched a bit before giving him access. "The beginning of the mating bond."
"The what?" Sam could sense him, felt fur brushing up against her mental insides. "Oh, wow."
Nafarius jerked his head back, knew his eyes had gone gold. His wolf had surfaced, responded to her presence through the bond. Something it had never done with any of the pack. "All members of the same pack share a bond. It's stronger between a member and their alpha and strongest between mated pairs."
"You didn't tell me," Sam said, searching his face.
"I wasn't sure how it would work, if it would work."
"Because I'm human?"
"You were human," Nafarius clarified.
"We don't know..."
Nafarius cut her off with a kiss.
"Oh...my..." Sam said, when he let her back up for air.
Her eyes were slightly out of focus again, her concentration centered on their bond. She could feel the warmth of him, and knew that all of his focus was on her. She caught hints of guilt, and long slow waves of desire. Everything coursed between them, a steady flow of emotion.
Slowly, she slid her hand down between their bodies, wrapped him in her fist. "I can feel your desire warring with your guilt."
Nafarius' hips jerked.
"I say we go with desire," she smiled.
Nafarius growled. Surging through her fist, he buried himself in his mate.
* * *
They lay tangled in the dark, limbs entwined, bodies glistening in the light of the last candle as their breathing slowly returned to normal.
They'd made love twice more, each time slower than the time before as the edge of lust gave way to something tender.
Sam lay quietly beside him.
"You're thinking too hard," Nafarius said.
She trailed the tips of her fingers across the arm he had sprawled across her chest, smiling at the whisper of his response along the bond. "It's like waking up and realizing I've been blind all this time."
Nafarius let her explore. He was wide open, had been since the bond had slipped into place. He wanted her to know him, to learn the feel of him and wanted that in return.
"I get...not exactly glimpses," she said. He could picture her frowning in the dark, her brows pulling down over green eyes. "Flashes...no, it's not an image...I don't know how to explain it."
Nafarius chuckled. "I'm familiar with the phenomenon."
Sam gave him a poke in the ribs. "I know...I'm just trying to figure it out."
"Think of it this way," he said. Rising up, he looked down into her face. "You have a new sense, this one tied to emotion. The way you experience it is going to be new as well. Emotions aren't sight or sound, you won't experience them that way."
"Some seem clearer than others," she said.
He noticed that her eyes went a little out of focus when she tried concentrating on the bond.
"I can name some of what you're feeling," she said. "Some of it is more like a fuzzy kind of knowing."
Nafarius nodded. "Stronger emotions are easier to sense."
"What's it like with the pack?"
"I've never really thought about it," he said. "But, it's...muted. I get a more general sense of well being - or not - with the pack as a whole. I can sense disturbances, especially if they are mentally or physically charged."
"Do you sense individuals?"
"If I concentrate, but even then it's not as strong as what I sense with you."
Sam liked the sound of that. "I like feeling connected," she admitted quietly.
Nafarius stared down into her face. He knew a little bit about her history, knew that she had grown up in the foster system. "Will you tell me about it some time?"
She looked away, nodded. "It wasn't bad, really. It could have been much worse." She thought about the girls she'd met in the system that had been raped, beaten. "But not tonight," she said.
Nafarius' head suddenly swung towards the room's entrance. A moment later, he slipped out of bed and disappeared.
"Nafarius?" Sam sat up, wrapped a blanket around her chest. He wasn't gone long, returning with two plates piled high with hot food. "There is a God," she said, eyeing the plates. "What are you having?"
Nafarius laughed and handed her the bigger of the two plates.
"Maddie?" she asked.
Nafarius nodded, too busy chewing to answer. Swallowing, he said, "she also left these," and passed her a beer.
"I could kiss her!" Sam took a long drink, her eyes turning to where Nafarius sat facing her, his back up against the footboard. "I caught that," she said, her eyes lit with laughter.
"What?" Nafarius tried for innocent, knew he'd failed when she smiled at him.
"That little spike of interest."
"This mating bond is going to be damned inconvenient," he muttered, aware that she could hear him.
Sam laughed. It felt good, right, to be here like this...with him. And she knew, no matter what happened, she wouldn't be leaving.
They'd devoured the food, made love again and then finally slept. She'd roused briefly when Nafarius slipped out of bed, willing to listen when he'd told her to go back to sleep.
Hours later, Sam stretched and knew that she had to get out
of bed. She couldn't avoid the pack forever. They knew she was back, and if she stayed in Nafarius' room much longer, they would know she was hiding. I'm not a coward, she reminded herself, before tossing back the blankets.
Sam rose, slipped into her jeans and pulled one of Nafarius' t-shirts over her head. She'd only taken her own clothes with her when she'd left, leaving the borrowed dresses behind with Maddie. Looking at her small pack, she realized that she was going to need to talk to Nafarius about retrieving some of her things.
Still barefoot, she made her way down the tunnel and back to the den. Raising her chin, she met the gazes of those few present without flinching. She didn't bother hiding the bite mark on her neck, or the smell of sex that clung to her.
Sam's nose twitched. There were more scents in the air, and those she'd noted before seemed stronger. A thrill of excitement went through her. It was proof that Nafarius' bite was changing her.
Happy with the thought, she zig-zagged through the den and stepped out into the afternoon. It was later than she had thought, most of the pack spread out taking care of various chores, while Nafarius stood watching Roland sparring with a young male.
"Show him how it's done, Roland!" Nafarius hollered, watching as his beta grappled with another pack member. Roland was the larger of the two males and had years of experience on his side.
"Come on, Jaxs! Take the old man down!" Marcus jeered. Jaxs was smaller then Roland but he was quick and looking to impress his watching alpha.
Sam watched with fascination as the two males locked together in battle. Nothing about the exchange hinting at the fact that it was just practice. There were body blows and punches, Roland's head snapping back, blood splattering the watching pack when Jaxs broke his nose with an impressive right hook.
Despite the violence, or maybe because of it, Sam thought, there was an almost festive air. The gathered men were shouting taunts and encouragements equally. Not wanting to disturb the convivial mood, Sam bypassed the group and headed towards the nearby stream.
Nafarius saw Sam step outside, watched her hesitate. Opening himself up, he let her feel him through the bond. Her smile was almost instantaneous, her green eyes glowing. With a small wave, she set off, hips swaying, into the forest. He noted her direction, knew that she was likely heading to the stream to wash up, so he turned back to watch Roland.
He didn't like seeing her hesitate. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, hoping for. Most wolves were affectionate by nature, taking comfort in touch. And mated pairs were rarely far from each other, linked not just by the bond but by something deeper. His parents, mated for many, many years, had it. Their life filled with endless small touches. He realized he wanted that with Sam, wanted to give that to her.
It wasn't something he'd thought about before. He'd known from an early age that his would likely be a political mating. That fact alone didn't preclude love, but it certainly changed the nature of things.
Thinking of politics, Nafarius realized that he was going to have to deal with Dimitri. The sooner, the better.
"Enough," Nafarius ordered, ending training for the day. Motioning for Roland to stay, he waited until the others dispersed. "We need to send a very carefully worded message to Dimitri."
"He's not going to be happy," Roland reached for a towel, wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"He'll want blood." Nafarius frowned. "The message should come through you..."
"That isn't going to happen." Roland thought of Natasha, and the invitation in her eyes. He wondered what would happen to her now that Nafarius was mated to another.
Nafarius shook his head. "No, you're right. Dimitri wouldn't let you into their territory, let alone meet with you. Who's next?"
"Marcus."
Nafarius considered, nodded. "I'll put the message together while you prep Marcus. Make sure he understands that this is a delicate matter. Everything counts."
Roland nodded, and went to find Marcus. The strongest male next to Nafarius and him, Marcus was still relatively young. He trained hard, was good at taking orders, but could be trusted to make decisions on his own. He was Roland's right hand, stepping in for the beta when need be. Still, the idea of sending the young male into another pack's territory left Roland feeling itchy.
He hadn't said anything when Nafarius finally emerged later than usual that morning. He didn't have to. The entire pack was aware of what had gone on, could feel the shadow of the mating bond, knew it was there. There was no turning back. Their alpha had chosen his mate and chances were good that she would soon be the new alpha female. Shit was about to get interesting.
* * *
"She's going to be trouble," Maddie said, casting her eyes across the room.
Sam followed Maddie's gaze to where Rose sat with two of her friends, the three of them whispering quietly. "I know."
"Maybe you should mention it to Nafarius," Maddie suggested.
Sam shook her head. "I have to handle it on my own." Involving Nafarius would leave Sam looking weak.
She didn't have time or the inclination to think about Rose. She was too busy worrying about tonight.
Three days had passed since her mating with Nafarius. Three amazing days and nights that had stripped her bare of everything she thought she knew about herself. What had been revealed was a woman of incredible strength and an amazing ability to love.
She was hopelessly, head over heels in love with her mate. Shit. Talk about timing. Tonight was the first full moon since her mating with Nafarius. Realizing she was in love with the male she was mated to could have waited another 24 hours to reveal itself. Way to go, Sam. Nothing like worrying about disappointing her mate to take up the stress level up a notch.
Sam stared down into a pan of soapy water, scrubbed at the blackened bottom. She felt like throwing up. God, what if I can't change? she wondered. It was the first time she'd really asked herself that question. She had options - she could stay, grow old and die while Nafarius stayed strong and beautiful. Or she could leave, always feeling him there through the mating bond, but never close. Of course, both those options assumed the pack would let her live. It kind of sucked to be her right now.
Her face felt like it was about to crack, break wide open. Three days ago she had pasted a everything-is-going-to-be-fine smile on her face and it hadn't slipped. She honestly doubted she was fooling anyone, certainly not Nafarius who could feel her thoughts and fears flowing through the mating bond. But he seemed content with the fiction, both of them pretending everything was going to be just fine. Fine. Fucked up, insecure, neurotic and emotional. Isn't that what "fine" stood for? Well, then, yeah...she was feeling fine.
"You don't have to help," Maddie said, breaking through Sam's thought. "I can take care of this if you want to go get ready."
"I'd rather be out here helping," she said. "Besides, there's not much else for me to do." She couldn't stand the thought of being cooped up, left by herself to think. Right now she welcomed any distraction. Anything to keep her from reliving her earlier conversation with Nafarius.
"What happens if I can't shift?" she'd asked. It had been late, the two of them laying in bed together.
"It doesn't matter," he said.
But Sam could feel his worry, knew that there was something he wasn't telling her. "Nafarius."
She had said his name softly, a whisper of something soothing flowing through the bond. "It's an old custom," he said at last. "I can't even remember the last time it was practiced."
"Tell me," Sam insisted.
"There was a time when a human that had been bitten but was immune was considered an abomination and put down."
"Put down by who?" Sam asked quietly.
"By the pack," Nafarius pulled her into his arms. "But like I said, it's an old custom. It was done before we understood about infection and immunity. Back then it was thought that a human that could survive a werewolf's bite without changing held some sort of special power."
"But you're worried," Sam said. S
he didn't need him to tell her, could feel his fear for her.
"They are, at heart, a pack of wolves," he said. "If something should go wrong..."
"But it won't," Sam said. Tilting her head back, she pressed a kiss along his jaw. "You said it yourself, everything is going to be fine."
He'd made love to her then, his touch tender in the dark.
"Sam. Sam?" Maddie said quietly, snapping Sam back to the present.
"Huh?"
"It's time."
Sam looked up surprised to see the den empty. "Oh." Standing, she smoothed down the front of her dress suddenly wishing she had thought to run a brush through her hair. That's when she heard it - a low hum of excitement coming from outside.
"Come on," Maddie said and took her hand. "Everything will be okay, I just know it."
Sam let Maddie lead the way through the den but stopped her before they stepped outside. "Make sure you stay near Nafarius or Roland," Sam said. "No matter what happens, you stay clear of it. Okay?"
Maddie nodded, her blue eyes bright.
Sam stepped outside, Maddie following a step behind. All but the youngest children were gathered, those too small to understand having been put to bed. As she stepped among them, Sam felt the weight of all those eyes. There was a lot riding on the outcome of tonight. She didn't need Nafarius or their bond to know that the stakes were high. The pack knew that Nafarius had broken his agreement with Dimitri when he took her as his mate. They knew too, that Dimitri would be unwilling to negotiate with a leader that had broken his word. That left the pack vulnerable, something no member could easily accept. And unfair or not, many of them blamed Sam.
Let it go, Sam told herself. For now, just let it go. She couldn't afford to be distracted by the pack's fears, or her own. Begin as you intend to go on, she thought, lifting her chin and stepping forward.
The pack parted, clearing a path for her, showing her the way.
Legend (A Wolf Lake Novella) Page 10
