by E A Price
The two of them had been mated for about two months now, and Don had kept his trips to a minimum, only going away for a couple of days at a time. But it still bothered her. It bothered her that he was away in the first place, but it bothered her more that he was going away with single she-wolves. More than once, she had mentioned that she wished she could come with him on these trips. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Don; she just didn’t trust the rest of the female population.
Her comments sure had come back to bite her in the ass.
“Yeah, I did say that,” she admitted grudgingly.
Don stood up and sauntered over to her. She quivered as she always did at seeing her tall, Texan, drink of hotness coming toward her.
He pulled her into a searing kiss and nibbled on her bottom lip playfully. “You’ll enjoy yourself; you’ll see.”
“Hmmm, yes, I’m sure I will,” she murmured, eyes hooded with desire. God, she’d have agreed to anything while she was in his arms. “Where’s the bathroom?”
Don chuckled. “You have to go in the forest.”
Kayleigh’s eyes snapped open. She looked like she’d been slapped. “What?! You want me to… to… to do my business out in the open air?”
Don nuzzled her neck trying to soothe her by rubbing her bonding mark. The next few days were going to be fun; he couldn’t wait for them to get naked and share a sleeping bag. Kayleigh was human, well a witch, so it might be a little cold for her, but he’d soon warm her up.
Kayleigh tamped down her feelings of lust in order to be outraged. “But… but… but where am I supposed to plug in my hairdryer? Or my curling iron? What am I supposed to use as a make-up mirror?”
“Darlin,’ you don’t need make-up or curly hair out here. I’m the only one who’s goin’ to see you, and you look beautiful.”
Kayleigh wrinkled her nose pushing up her glasses. “Yeah, you have to say that because you love me.”
Don nipped the bonding mark. “No, I have to say that because it’s the truth.”
Kayleigh sighed as warm pleasurable darts shot to her womb. “Kiss ass.”
“Let’s wait ‘til I got the tent up before we start that.”
Kayleigh slapped him as moved back to the tent. Alright, it was just for a few days. She could cope with a few days, right? Who knows, it might actually be fun. Not fun as in having steamy sex in a hot tub, but fun as in… ummm… not freezing to death while sleeping on the ground?
Oh god…
*
Kayleigh rubbed lotion on her cheek and glared at Don. He chuckled and blew her a kiss. It had not been a good day as far as she was concerned.
At first it was okay. Don had shifted to his gorgeous wolf, and she had watched as he hunted. That she enjoyed. But afterwards, she wasn’t thrilled about cooking their lunch. When he was hunting, she assumed he was just having fun, but no, he was catching their lunch. And seeing Don gutting Thumper had not been fun.
After that, Don thought it would be a great idea if they went on a hike. He dragged her for miles. He easily loped through the forest as she puffed and panted after him. She managed to fall over and get mud all over her new jeans. Then some unidentified bug bit her on the cheek resulting in a huge red mark. Before, finally, she got whacked in the forehead by a tree branch, so now she had an angry looking bruise.
Thankfully, Don had managed to stop himself from laughing at her. If he had, she probably would have just marched right back home.
At last, it was time for bed. Which was good because she was exhausted. And that’s the part that really pissed her off.
It was Valentine’s Day, and she was too tired to even have sex. How sucky was that?
At least they had made love that morning, and Don seemed content just to sleep. But she was still pissed.
Don, on the other hand, was having a wonderful time. He loved camping, and being out in the middle of nowhere alone with his mate was pure bliss for him. He sort of felt bad that she wasn’t enjoying herself as much as he was, but, in his defense, she had told him numerous times that she wanted to come camping. If she just relaxed, she would probably start to like it. His wolf growled uneasily. Part of him knew she was too attached to her hairdryer to ever fully enjoy it, but he was determined to make the experience a happy one.
He pulled her down into his arms and she promptly fell asleep, lightly snoring. She would have a better day tomorrow.
*
15th February
Kayleigh roughly brushed her hair. It had turned unbelievably frizzy. She needed shampoo, conditioner and a hairdryer, stat. She glanced at her compact mirror. Ugh, she looked frightful. At least the bite mark appeared to be fading.
Don had woken at, quite frankly, an ungodly hour, to go fishing. Which meant she sat on a cold rock while he splashed about in the water. He then proceeded to gut and cook the poor fish. Ugh, she discovered that she really preferred her meat pre-prepared, in plastic wrap and sold at a grocery store.
Then, Don had suggested they try and track some animals. Okay, she got on board with that and actually found it kind of interesting. Things were going okay, and they’d actually managed to track a deer together! Kayleigh felt inordinately proud of herself, until, as they were hidden watching the deer, she let out an enormous sneeze. The deer scampered away, and seeing the hungry look in Don’s eyes, she told him to go after it. He didn’t need to be told twice.
She had chosen to go back to the campsite and attempt to do something about her hair. Ugh, it wasn’t helping.
She froze as she heard a twig snap behind her. “Don, is that you?”
No answer. Oh crap, what if it was a bear? As much as she enjoyed the company of her bear shifter friends, she’d rather go skydiving naked than face a wild one.
“Don, if that’s you, this isn’t funny,” she shouted, crossly.
Still no answer. She jumped as she heard some snuffling behind her. She grabbed the flask Don used for coffee and started waving it around.
“Stay away you beast! I have a weapon!”
She frowned as she saw two foxes trot toward her, one white fox and one red fox. They cocked their heads on the side and regarded her.
Kayleigh was in two minds as to whether she should still throw the flask at them, when their limbs started shaking, and the two foxes gradually turned into two men. Two identical twins. Who were now stood before her, absolutely naked.
She averted her gaze, and they both chuckled in unison.
“You scared the crap out of me,” she told them, grumpily.
“I’m sorry,” said one.
“We didn’t think anyone would be out here,” said the other.
Kayleigh put up her hand to cover the lower halves of their bodies and turned slowly to face them, carefully making sure she didn’t get an unexpected eyeful. “It’s fine; I’m Kayleigh.”
They both smiled. “I’m Garrett and this is my brother, Grant,” the one on the right told her.
They were identical, except for one thing. Their hair. Garrett was blonde, and Grant was a red head. She guessed they were about 18.
“That’s great, boys, but do you think you could cover up? I’m not in the market to see strangers nude.”
They both grinned. “Do you mind if we borrow your towels?” asked Grant.
“No, go nuts.”
“Thanks.”
Kayleigh breathed a sigh of relief when she saw their dangerous areas were covered. She wasn’t exactly a prude, but it just felt really wrong to look at another man naked. Which was strange, she had been to the pack runs and seen all the men in the pack stripping down to their birthday suits without a care in the world. Maybe she was just used to that, and maybe it was just because these boys weren’t pack.
“So how come you boys are all the way out here?”
Garrett grimaced. “Skulk right of passage.”
Kayleigh raised her eyebrows, and Grant explained. “In our skulk, when a fox turns 18, they have to survive out in the wild for a month to prove
that they haven’t lost touch with their animal roots.”
“Really? How’s that going?”
Garrett rolled his eyes. “It’s day four and we’re sick of it.”
Grant clucked his tongue. “It’s not that bad. We’re just having a bit of trouble hunting. Since yesterday morning, all the animals seem to be a bit scared of something.”
Kayleigh’s eyes widened. Oh god, maybe there was a bear in the forest!
Garrett sniffed the air as his eyes turned orange. “I can scent wolf; that’s probably what it is.”
“Fuck, that’s all we need, you haven’t seen a wolf around, have you?”
“Ummm…”
At that moment, Don came crashing into the campsite as his wolf. The foxes leapt to their feet as Don jumped in front of Kayleigh and snapped and snarled at them.
The foxes growled back, and Kayleigh yelled at everyone to calm the hell down. Slowly, she knelt down and smoothed her hands through Don’s fur, calming him.
“Guys, this is my mate, Don. Don, this is Garrett and Grant.”
The foxes eyed the wolf warily as Don continued to growl at them.
Kayleigh made soothing noises and tickled his ears. Finally, Don calmed enough to shift and wrap Kayleigh in his arms.
“Mine!” he roared at the foxes.
They both held up their hands and bared their neck in submission to the dominant shifter. Kayleigh cooed at Don and stroked his chest.
“We’re sorry, man. We came across your mate by accident, and we were just checking she was okay,” said Grant.
“We thought there was some kind of predator in the area… we didn’t realize it was you.”
Don nodded stiffly, acknowledging their concern for his mate. “Thank you.”
When the tension diffused, Don, feeling a little guilty over his outburst, offered the foxes the remnants of their fishy breakfast. They eagerly accepted.
Don managed to calm his wolf. When Don was out hunting, he had sensed Kayleigh’s sudden panic, and he rushed right back to her, getting more and more wound up along the way. He should never have left her alone; he was just thankful she was okay.
The foxes told the mates about their unsuccessful attempts at hunting; it involved trying to set a trap for a squirrel… it wasn’t pretty.
“Ooh, Don’s an excellent hunter, I’m sure he could help you.” Kayleigh squeezed his arm and looked at him adoringly.
The twins’ eyes lit up. “That would be great,” agreed Grant.
Kayleigh batted her eyelashes at Don, and seeing those beseeching doe eyes was too much for him. “Alright, I’ll give you a few pointers.”
Kayleigh kissed him soundly, and they set off to hunt. Don insisted Kayleigh come with them; he didn’t want to leave her alone again. Kayleigh had a somewhat better day. Although she was still having trouble getting on board with the whole camping thing, she was absolutely dying for a warm bath, watching Don teaching others how to hunt was nice. He was so patient and good with them. It really made her appreciate how important his role within the wolf pack was. She could imagine that, one day, he would teach their children how to hunt… Yeesh, where the hell had that come from?
When it was getting toward nightfall, they parted ways with the foxes. It was a full moon, and Don didn’t really want other unmated males around his mate. Normally, wolves were forced to shift on the full moon, and were generally more aggressive than usual. Don, through self-discipline, was able to control his shift, but he thought he might struggle with two naked, young men around his mate.
The foxes understood and thanked Don for all his help. Kayleigh told the twins to look them up if they were ever in Rose.
Walking back to camp, Don felt his wolf pushing forward, trying to take control and tamped the beast down. He caught sight of his mate walking in front of him, hips swaying; he scented her sweet honeysuckle fragrance, and he couldn’t hold back. If he wasn’t going to shift that night, he needed something else. His wolf roared at him.
He caught up to her in two easy strides and wrapped his arms around her. She squealed in delight as he turned her in his arms and plundered her mouth with an intense kiss. He left a burning trail over her jaw and neck before scraping his fangs over her bonding mark.
Kayleigh shuddered with pleasure and gripped his shoulders. “Our camp…” she breathed.
“I can’t wait,” he growled as his hands feverishly ran all over her body.
She let out a lusty ooh as he ground his rock-hard manhood against her sex. She nipped his bonding mark with blunt teeth making him howl in excitement. “Me either.”
Swiftly, he worked her out of her jeans and panties, and pulled her down to the ground, so she was straddling him. He held her over him and crushed his mouth to hers; she moaned contentedly before crying out as he thrust inside her.
He set a fast, hard rhythm, making her gasp every time he drove inside her. She clenched and tightened around him, crooning his name as her body prepared for a magnificent release.
He pulsed and grew inside her, almost chafing her inner walls. His fingers gripped her flesh as he crashed her body down on his, crushing her clit.
She dug her fingers into his shoulders and screamed as she climaxed. He growled gutturally before exploding inside her. He threw his head back and roared into the sky as his wolf howled in glee.
Kayleigh panted, collapsing over his body. “Wow! That was… not that it isn’t always… but wow!”
Don’s chest heaved as he held her to him, stroking her hair and kissing her neck. “You alright, darlin’?” he asked gruffly.
“Mmmm hmmm, never better.” She chuckled. “I hope the foxes didn’t hear.”
Don grunted and tensed.
She frowned. “What’s wrong?”
His wolf snapped his jaws in irritation. “I didn’t like seein’ you with those boys.”
“Seeing me what? Talking to them?”
Don fidgeted. “I didn’t like seein’ you near those naked males. I can handle a lot, but you bein’ out here alone with them…”
Kayleigh pulled back to look at him before bursting into laughter. “You’re joking, right?”
His nostrils flared, and she sobered. After all the times he assured her she had no reason to be jealous…
She ran a finger over his jaw. “Do you maybe now see how easy it is for me to get jealous when you’re off in the middle of the woods with lithe, young she-wolves?”
Don clucked his tongue. “That’s different.”
“How is that different?”
His wolf snarled. “I ain't in the least attracted to any of the she-wolves in my pack; they’re all just silly, little girls. For all I care, they could be hunks of wood - that’s how attractive I find them.”
Kayleigh pursed her lips. “You’re wrong; some of the she-wolves in your pack are gorgeous.”
The wolf huffed. “Not half as much as you; don’t you think if I wanted to be with a she-wolf, I would have been before I met you?”
She chewed her lip. “Well…”
“And, to be clear, those she-wolves ain't attracted to me. I’m like a father figure to them. Hell, I’m about the same age as their fathers, I’m an old man.”
Kayleigh let out a sound of disgust. “You’re not an old man!”
Don shook his head. “Compared to them I am, compared to you I am…”
“Ugh, is that why you think it’s okay for you to be jealous and not me? You think because I’m younger, you have to worry?”
His lips twitched. “I’m just aware that you can do better…
She rolled her eyes. “Better than you? Jeez Louise! Don, there is no one better than you. You’re the man I’ve been dreaming of since I was a teenager. Everybody else always says that you don’t end up with the person you expect, but that’s not true for me. You’re everything I ever wanted. You’re so perfect; it drives me mad because I know I’m not.”
“Who says you’re not perfect?” he demanded fiercely.
“Co
me on, I’m pushy and loud, and gossipy and I have trouble keeping secrets, I can’t hang onto money to save my life, and sometimes I get too overexcited. Just the other day I almost got me, Mel, and Carly kicked out of a bed store for jumping on the beds.”
“You did?” She nodded. “I’m sorry I missed that.” His wolf yowled in agreement; when she walked, it was poetry in motion, seeing her wicked curves bouncing up and down would be heavenly.
Kayleigh pouted prettily. “Even you tell me I’m pushy and loud.”
Don hung his head. “You're right; I do. But I don’t say it because I want you to change, darlin,' or because I think it’s a bad thing. You’re the most excitin’ person I ever met, and I couldn’t stand it if you ever changed. I love you just the way you are; you’re easy to love. Which is why I get jealous on occasion; because if I see how wonderful you are, others will too.”
Kayleigh let out a snort of laughter. “You’ve nothing to worry about; I’ve been told I’m a bit of a handful, other men have trouble containing me.”
His chest shook. “I can well believe it.”
She nipped his chin. “That’s why I need my big, bad wolf to control me.”
She giggled before a shiver wracked her curvy frame. His wolf grumbled at him. It was freezing out there, and Don was keeping her out there to have a conversation.
“Big, bad wolf, huh?”
“Mmmmm hmmmm,” she purred.
“What do you say we go back to the tent and I show you how bad I can be?”
“I say, camping is starting to grow on me.”
He grabbed her discarded clothes and stood up, pulling her coat around her more tightly. She squeaked and wrapped her arms around him as he began striding back to their camp.
*
16th February
Kayleigh gently snoozed. Her plump lips were slightly open, and her long eyelashes twitched as she dreamed. Don caressed her pink cheek, smoothing the pad of his thumb over her skin.
He carefully raked his fingers through her honey-blonde hair before burying his nose in her shoulder and inhaling deeply. Her familiar scent of honeysuckle elated him, yet it was tinged with something new. Something new, and wonderful, but also a little daunting. His wolf was practically prancing around in glee.
