Branches of the Willow 3

by Christine M. Butler

  “What?” I whispered, but then I was too caught up in the euphoria of the moment to care what they meant. The world spun around me, the warmth seemed to fill every pour in my skin, branching out beyond that to every follicle of hair I possessed. A deep moan of sheer pleasure escaped my lips when Mikael’s face came to mind. I smiled, wishing he was there, feeling the love and light flowing through him as well. Then his voice broke through, calling to me, pulling me out of the dream, and into his arms…

  ~*~

  “Jess, baby, wake up!” I opened my eyes to see the emerald deep pools of Mikael’s irises staring back at me, shadowed with concern. “You were moaning in your sleep. I wasn’t sure…”

  I took a deep breath, taking in the intoxicating scent that was all Mikael. It wrapped around me like a blanket, making me want to be closer to him. I moved, in his arms, wriggling my body until I was flush up against his chest with my own. The skin of my cheek a fiery trail across his, and down his neck, as I marked him with my own scent. An overwhelming need to possess him, to make him entirely mine, to be one with him had taken hold. It was a need so deeply ingrained that I began to ache with it. Something in my belly tugged me even closer, if that was possible. My hands began to roam all over his body, and I slid my way back up to lay not so gentle kisses on his neck. I grazed along his jaw and chin with my teeth, alternating between playful bites, and sweet kisses.

  “Jess?” Mikael asked breathlessly.

  A moan erupted from somewhere in the back of my throat as his voice sent tender gooseflesh dancing across every inch of my skin. “Mikael…” I whispered throatily as I tossed a leg over the other side of him, straddling his hips now. A wave of pure, blissful heat swept through my whole body, igniting a fire I didn’t know was possible to feel. That tug in my belly went deeper now, to my very core as I felt Mikael move underneath me.

  He pulled me closer, wrapping his muscular arms around my back, and tipping my head back so that he could nuzzle into my neck this time. When he did, I felt the change in him immediately. He started growing rock hard underneath me, and the playful little nuzzling he started turned into an unbridled passion that neither of us had experienced before. All thought was lost then, as our clothes were quickly disposed of, and our bodies came together with a need that burned. Mikael twisted, pulling my body around, and underneath his once our clothes were no longer a burden. He leaned in, kissing me deeply with that first thrust, and suddenly I never wanted it to end. This was how I wanted to die. It was how I wanted to live in the same moment. We were so close, so consumed with one another-in one another-that we were very nearly a single entity that only existed as pure bliss.

  He moved his hips above me, swirling and surging forward as I arced my body to meet his. Each of us was striving to meet the other’s demands. It was a sensual dance that continued on for some time, and even when we had both reached our climax, we weren’t done. The rest of the world simply fell away as we lost ourselves in one another for the next few hours.

  I was staring up at the ceiling, not really seeing it, but daydreaming about being able to wake up like this every day with Mikael. I just knew that if I could see myself right then, I would have been glowing. A blissful peace settled in around me that I hadn’t known since that day Mikael and I spent at the cave, when I lost my virginity and we bonded. “Hey babe, penny for your thoughts?” Mikael called to me as he looked through the closet for something to wear. His hair was sending little rivulets of water cascading down his shoulders and back to be swallowed up by the towel he had wrapped around his waist.

  The intense hunger to have him there, touching me, inside of me, bonding together again was overpowering. He must have felt the same pull because he stopped what he was doing and turned to look at me with an equally heated gaze. In the space of a breath, he was stalking towards me, his towel lost along the way, as he climbed across the bed to get to me. The spell was only broken when my stomach growled loudly in protest.

  “Okay,” Mikael sat back quickly, “we need to get you fed first before this can continue. I don’t want you wasting away any further in here.”

  “I’ll be okay.” I managed to choke out.

  Mikael laughed at me then. “Let’s eat first. We’ll both be fueled up for the next round that way.”

  “I like the sound of that.” My traitorous stomach grumbled again.

  “Fueling up?”

  “No, the next round!” I laughed as I followed him downstairs. “I’m thinking we should just stay in bed the rest of the day and forget the world exists for a little while.”

  “I can’t argue with that, baby.”

  I turned on a movie in the living room while Mikael made us some food. I was more lost in thought than paying attention to whatever was on though. When Mikael brought the food, I ate, chewed, swallowed, and repeated the process not really tasting anything or registering what he had made. For a brief moment I felt guilty, because he put effort into it and there I was not caring. Then, I looked over at him watching me, and I was undone. A blazing fire spread through my veins, and it was trying to consume from my middle outward.

  I didn’t even think, didn’t stop to clean up our mess, or to worry about all the things I should be doing today. I climbed over the couch and tossed my leg over Mikael’s straddling him right there, and I kissed him. That kiss was full of need and heat, and he met it full throttle. Neither of us held back any longer. After what seemed like forever, Mikael and I collapsed back against each other on the couch, spent for a little while.

  “I guess this is that blissful, newlywed, honeymoon period the humans always go on about, huh?” Mikael laughed.

  “Mmmm, I just know I can’t get enough of you!” I smiled up at him then.

  “Baby, I am all yours! Anytime! Anywhere!” His gruff voice made my body react again, instantly filling me with heat. The sexy as hell grin on his face had me turning in his arms, and climbing back on top of him again. “Hell, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were like a bitch in heat right now.” Upon seeing my pouty face starting up, he added on, “not that I mind at all.”

  I smacked him on the arm playfully. “I’ve already had my heat cycle this year. Maybe, I just think you’re irresistibly sexy.”

  “I always knew you were trying too hard when you didn’t want to date me!”

  I smiled at him again, then trailed my tongue down his throat, over his chest, dropping long kisses as I moved lower across his body. He would inhale sharply each time I hit a sensitive spot, and I marked those areas to come back to repeatedly today.

  “I also know I can’t wait for next year’s heat cycle, because if this is normal behavior for you, that shit is going to be crazy!” He laughed, then sucked in a another breath as I pulled my nails up his thighs while I nipped at the skin just below his navel. His hardness was right there, waiting for me to take it, but I was teasing him, moving all around the spot where he wanted me. “Sweet Jesus, that’s going to be a solid week of amazing sex. I think we better go ahead and ask for some time off.” I laughed and decided he was still way too coherent for my liking, and I licked up the length of him then. His head fell back on the arm of the couch as he surrendered himself to me completely.

  When it was clear, later, that this was going to be a continual pattern until they were too exhausted to continue, Mikael sent my mom a message. “We’re on our honeymoon. Do not disturb. Love you!”

  I laughed when I saw the message, and asked him what was up. “I want you. You want me. We’ve been giving everything to everyone else for quite some time. Hell, we got thrown into this mess before we ever really got to enjoy each other. I am making it my duty to ensure you are pleased in every way for at least a couple more days before we go back to reality. We’ll call it our stay-at-home honeymoon period. Later, when things are settled more, we can take a trip somewhere and actually have a vacation together.”

  “Going away sounds like heaven, but then again, so does getting to keep you all to myself for a c
ouple more days.” I relaxed back on the bed then, and stretched my muscles. Mikael took it as an invitation, and joined me, spreading his body out across mine, skin on skin, and everywhere he touched became a flaming heat that possessed us both once again.

  ~*~

  It was a full two days later before I heard from anyone. My phone had stayed silent, as had Mikael’s. I owed my mom, because I knew it was her doing. That didn’t stop my phone from ringing that morning though. Apparently, we’d met our allotted window of freedom, and now we were free game again. Mikael had gone to the store for coffee and some food, since we’d pretty much run out of everything the day before. As my phone rang, I thought about not picking it up, but the thought occurred that it might be Mikael, so I reached over and snatched it up off the dresser. Ashley’s name popped up on the screen. She was the only other person I would answer for today.

  “Jess?” She questioned before I could even get a hello past my lips.

  “Hey girly! How’s Europe treating you?”

  “It’s been…” she hesitated a moment, before continuing on, “interesting. I will definitely have a lot to fill you in on when we get back.”

  “Oh yeah?” I smiled when I thought about getting to sit around and just hang out, chatting with Ashley for a while when she got back. I missed her. “So, have the guys been treating you okay? I hope they’ve at least allowed you to play tourist a little.”

  “Yeah, they’ve been great. Asi has shown me around. This place is crazy. It’s not like our little pack lands. It’s an entire fucking town full of werewolves. It’s ridiculously crazy, Jess.”

  “I wonder if all of them will want to come here. Someone mentioned to me the other day that the majority usually travels to wherever the source of power resides.”

  “I don’t know. I think, maybe some will. A few will be coming back with us.”

  “Really?” I questioned.

  “Yeah, I think Evan will fill you guys in about that soon. There are some people here that certainly don’t want to be left behind.” She sounded a bit off, but then continued on. “That’s a story for another time though. I was going to call the other day, but your mom sent a message to us saying you were not to be disturbed for a couple days. What’s going on with you? Everything okay? I was a little worried, but your mom said there was nothing to get excited over, you just needed some rest.”

  I laughed. “I don’t know that I’ve gotten any rest. It’s been more like a honeymoon for Mikael and I. We just both realized we haven’t really been able to be together much lately. You know, we bonded, then everything happened, and we were too busy to really enjoy each other for a while.”

  “Oh, I get that! Wait! What are you doing talking to me then, go get another piece of that fine man-meat.” She giggled out that sentence like only Ashley could.

  “It’s fine, Ash. He had to run to the store. We haven’t left the house in days, so we’re out of pretty much everything.”

  “Sounds like time well spent!”

  “Definitely!” I agreed with a smile on my face that she couldn’t see. “So, what about you? Have you and Asi had a little bit of time to treat this trip like a vacation?”

  “Oh, we’ve definitely had our moments, and there was a taxi driver that I am certain won’t ever forget our visit. Poor guy!”

  “Poor guy, hell. I bet he’s telling all his friends about the dirty, hot red-head he had in his cab.”

  “I don’t know,” Ashley said with a laugh. “I think he was more interested in Asi than me.

  “Oh! Well, I bet he’s telling all his friends about the hot stud, who unfortunately had a busty redhead all over him in his cab.”

  “Ha! Ha!”

  “So, when are you guys coming home?”

  “I’m not sure. Evan is having to get together documentation for some of the people coming back with us, so it’s taking a little longer than we thought. We might be here a couple more weeks.”

  “Weeks?” My voice came out a bit higher pitch than I had intended, but I was expecting them to come back a lot sooner.

  “I know. It’s a lot.” Ashley consoled me. “You’ll be busy in the meantime though, so you won’t even notice.”

  “Not notice my best friend’s absence? Unlikely, Ash.”

  “I’m sorry, hon. If it weren’t important for me to be here I would be headed home before the boys. They need a woman here with them though. There’s a lot going on.”

  “You’re starting to worry me, Ash. What don’t I know?”

  “I’m still new to some of the wolf stuff, Jess. I think it would be better coming from Evan. He said he was going to give Mikael a call later. He got the same message from your mom that we all got, so he’s been holding off for a few days.”

  “I see.” I heard the door downstairs open, and listened as Mikael went to put the groceries in the kitchen. A part of me felt bad for still lounging in bed naked while he’d been dressed, and out the door early to go get us some food. “Well, I’m still sad that you’re going to be gone longer, Ash. What about pictures? I haven’t seen any yet!”

  “I uploaded some to my Facebook this morning. You can take a look if you ever get your ass out of bed.” She was laughing at me again, trying to cheer me up.

  “Yeah, well, my ass has been very comfortable in bed lately.”

  Mikael had come into the room and made a bee-line straight for the bed. He leaned over and playfully bit me on the butt. “And what a fine ass it is!” His gruff voice was like heaven, and then he bit me a little harder, causing me to yelp.

  “And on that note, I’m going to let you go, before I hear things I can’t un-hear!”

  “I love you, Ash!” I managed as Mikael continued to nibble down my thighs.

  “You too, hon! Later.” Just like that Ashley hung up, and I tossed my phone aside as Mikael flipped me onto my back and straightened himself out against me.

  “Hi beautiful. You ready to come downstairs and eat? I stopped by Java Joe’s and grabbed you a caramel macchiato and some blueberry muffins.”

  “Blueberry muffins?” I bit my bottom lip in, trying to decide which was more important in that moment. Fresh, hot, blueberry muffins or my gorgeous, hard-bodied mate. It was definitely a tough call.

  “Come on.” Mikael laughed at me, and hauled me to my feet, pulling my body tight against his and caressing my backside with his right hand while he kissed me and reached for my robe with his left. “Let’s get you food. I talked to your mom while I was out. She said she’s stalled for as long as she could, but that people are starting to get antsy about your being MIA so long.”

  “Damn those people!” I whined as we made our way downstairs.

  “Truly!” Mikael agreed with me.

  The rest of the day was spent much like the previous few. We couldn’t get enough of one another, taking time out only to eat, shower, and watch a movie towards the end of the evening. I was already dreading the next day, when we’d have to go back to reality, and try to find a balance between our time together, and what we had to give to everyone else.

  I started dozing off at the end of the movie, which is when we started to give up for the night, and call it a day. As I was beginning to drift off in bed, with Mikael spooned up behind me, I was suddenly bound and determined to take him with me to meet the white wolves in the dream world where they always appeared to me. Part of me wanted to show him off to them. The other part of me wanted someone else to understand what the white wolf dreams were like, so I didn’t have to feel like a complete nutter when I talked about them. I figured if I could pull him into the dream, he could validate things for me with everyone else who had a hard time believing I actually talked to our ancestors when I slept sometimes. Nobody likes the insinuation that they may just be a big ball of nuts.

  I wasn’t sure I would be successful, even when I smelled the familiar scents of lavender and fresh earth. The candle light danced in my periphery as usual. Everything appeared as it always did when I first showed up,
and the dream haze began lifting a bit.

  “What the hell?” It was Mikael’s voice.

  “Oh my God! I did it!” I screeched at him.

  “Did what? Where in the hell are we, Jess?”

  “I brought you along to see the white wolves with me.”

  “You did what?” He questioned, but I didn’t get a chance to answer as laughter towards the center of the room boomed all around us.

  “She is growing stronger.” The wolf voices commented aloud. “Jessica, you have introductions to make.”

  “This is Mikael, my mate.” I spoke reverently, then I gestured to the dais in the middle of the cave. “These are the former white wolves.”

  Mikael stood speechless for a few minutes, before he finally collected himself. Then he bowed down before them, going to one knee, as he did. “It is my honor.”

  “The honor is ours, young man. For you are the true mate of our daughter-spirit. From you both, the cycle continues.”

  I watched as Mikael tried to focus on what he was seeing upon the dais. Soon, he was looking away, and rubbing his eyes. “Apologies, the constant shifting is hard to look at.” When he looked up again, there was only one image, that of a young woman with beautiful auburn hair and dark forest green eyes.

  “We forget sometimes, the spectacle we make. You have nothing to apologize for. I am Aislynn. You shall see only my visage now, but we are all still here-still one.”

  “Aislynn,” Mikael repeated thoughtfully. “You were the first?” It was a question and a statement all at once.

  “That is correct.”

  I suddenly felt like a jackass because I didn’t know that. It made me appreciate the fact that I had Mikael by my side even more though. As they conversed some more I tuned them out and absentmindedly began moving closer to the dais. There, in the little square of turned earth before them was a tiny little sprout of green beginning to push its way forth from the dirt.

  “How can something grow in here with no light?” I wondered out loud. Then, a tiny little pinprick of light slipped through the top of the cave, sending a kiss of sunlight to land upon the little sprout, giving it the nutrients it would need to grow. I was awed, and I wasn’t even sure why. The white wolves seemed pleased with my interest in the little sprout. Mikael came and put his arms around me, taking note of the tiny thing too. “Maybe when we come back it will be filled out a bit more.”