Weremones

by Buffi Becraft-Woodall

  “Oh, I’ll bet.”

  “Mom?”

  Diana blinked and looked into the doorway where Karen stood clutching Bradley’s arm. Her daughter’s face was pale.

  Diana sucked in another breath to calm her skittering emotions. She ran a hand through her drying hair. It always dried in a half straight, half waved mess, like a rumpled haystack.

  She needed to get a grip.

  Diana cleared her throat, aware of all the eyes centered on her.

  “I … I apologize for my outburst,” she said to the room at large.

  Every eye seemed to judge her and she thought she came up lacking. Maybe not true, but it was how she felt. The crowd closed in on her without taking a step closer.

  The sensory memory of Dog looming behind her made Diana catch her breath. The kitchen pressed in on her.

  “Excuse me. I have to get dressed.”

  She was dressed. She needed to get away. To hide. Diana angled for the doorway when Adam reached out. To capture her. She didn’t want to be captured. Held down.

  Forced against her will. Diana slapped the hand away.

  “Don’t,” she hissed, missing the hurt her rejection caused. “Don’t touch me again.”

  Diana spun on her toes and shoved past the two boys in the kitchen entry, cringing at the contact. She prayed her room was empty as she fled up the stairs. Wrapped up in her own pain, Diana missed the confusion she left behind. And in one case, too much understanding.

  ———

  Adam waited until he couldn’t sit still any longer. The sound of the shower barely muffled a sob. Steam filled the bathroom with hot moisture.

  Stepping over the pile of clothes, he eased the curtain aside. Wide startled brown eyes met his. His libido reacted instantly to the wet naked curves on display. He pulled the scrubber thing out of her hand and tossed it behind him.

  “You’re going to hurt yourself like that.”

  “I …”

  Adam shook his head. With one finger, he traced the path of a stray drop of water down her cheek. Or was it a tear? A wry smile tugged at one corner of his mouth.

  “Sweetheart. You are killing me.”

  Diana shook her head. She squeezed her eyes shut. Wrapping her arms around her body, she began to shake.

  Caught up in the pain, she lost track of time. One moment she was denying him, the next he was in the shower with her. Naked and holding her close.

  He felt familiar. Right.

  Diana buried her face against his god’s body and absorbed the comfort of his presence. Her hands traveled over the ridges and valleys of his terrain. She felt the jut of his desire against her hip. Warm water cascaded down her back and buttocks.

  Diana didn’t want to remember the horror from last night. She raised her face.

  “Make me forget.”

  “You’re not ready.”

  The unsure squint in his eyes made her grip the swells of his biceps and press against the slick wetness of his body. Sliding her breasts against his torso, she repeated the demand.

  Adam’s head descended. The water darkened his hair. Slicked back, his features looked chiseled from marble. Hard and graceful, a work of art. His lips were perfect.

  Diana melted into the kiss, taking strength from him like a draught on tap. She wanted this. To feel wanted. To be cared for. To belong forever.

  She pulled back with a gasp. The emotions were his, not hers.

  Shaking her head, she tried to pull away. She needed distance or she’d be doomed.

  “I don’t want a commitment. I just want ....”

  His finger against her lips stopped her words.

  “I know. I’ll give you a new memory.”

  Taking the digit into her mouth, she teased the rough pad with her tongue. She sucked him hard before letting go. The heavy digit at her hip jumped in response.

  “No commitment.”

  Adam’s answer was to cover her mouth with his. His tongue delved deep. His hands traveled down the line of her back to grasp her full buttocks. Reveling in the slide of their bodies, she looped her arms around his neck as he pulled her up in an easy movement.

  Holding her tightly against his body, Adam began to slide his thick shaft against the folds of her pubis.

  Diana gasped. Adam growled into her neck. The rasp of his whiskers left a tingling trail.

  Growing wetter by the stroke, her grasp on his neck tightened. She rocked back over him, trying to ease the thickness inside. He eluded her movements, torturing her into clenching her abdomen with each almost entry until she whimpered for mercy.

  Adam had none to give. He’d waited too long for this moment. Both the wolf and the man wanted to mate.

  Letting her slide down his body, he turned her around so that she faced the shower wall. His little human she-wolf half turned, but he would have none of that. Grasping her hands, he placed them on the wall tiles before covering her with his body.

  Trailing small bites across her shoulders, he thrust against the crease between her legs. Diana arched backward and he took the opportunity to palm one full breast. His other hand traveled down the front of her body to bury in the auburn curls of her sex.

  She was his. Words were meaningless. She could deny him with words all she wanted. He’d stake his claim now, with his body.

  Diana gasped and pressed backward, riding his shaft, wanting more. Her breasts ached. Her nipples were tight and hard, sensitive to every touch he gave them. Every thought evaporated as his fingers found and teased the bud between her nether lips.

  Adam rumbled in satisfaction as she squirmed against him. He scented her climax was close. This time he wanted to feel the clench of her as she came on his cock.

  He entered her in one stroke, tearing a strangled cry of sheer pleasure from both their throats. Pausing, he regained control. He was in charge. A nip of encouragement on her made her writhe again. Pulling almost out, he drove his next stroke back in, setting a steady pace.

  Diana found that she could use the wall for leverage against each thrust that filled her completely. She met his rhythm stroke for stroke, slowly building toward her climax.

  His hands settled on her hips, urging her on, keeping her balanced.

  Then he changed his angle, the head of his penis pressing against that spot inside her channel. Diana groaned. She panted.

  Both of his hands covered her breasts, teasing her nipples with light tugs. Adam’s hips kept pace.

  She wanted ... Diana gasped, her fingers curling against the wall. Her body shattered and locked around his. Adam heaved a groan and pulled free of her body, spending his release into empty space.

  Cooling water cascaded onto their still-huddled bodies. He turned off the water before the spray turned ice cold.

  Feeling her gaze on him, Adam dared to look at the sexy woman he’d just made love to. She lounged against the tiles, a sated smile on her face.

  Just one more kiss, he told himself. Then he would leave her with her memory and give her time to adjust to the idea of them together.

  Her sex swollen lips tasted faintly of blood. His tongue teased against the marks her teeth made as she’d held back her cries of pleasure. Sweeping once more inside her mouth, tangling with her tongue in an imitation of the act they’d just completed, made him ready for more.

  Adam pulled back and dove for one more quick kiss. Another round and he’d press her for the commitment she wasn’t willing to give. Yet.

  He made good his escape while his ragged honor was still intact.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Adam’s cell phone rang, breaking into his musing. He pulled it out and checked the ID.

  Mack. Damn. He’d hoped to get at least a little rest. Finish another cup of coffee.

  Figure out a way to get in Diana’s bed for good. God he was pathetic.

  “Yeah?”

  “Hey, Buddy. You need to get your hairy ass down here.”

  Dread loomed over Adam’s already shot day. Mack was more than a
good foreman who wanted to keep his job. Hell, he was an investor. If he said Adam needed to get his ass there, then well, Adam was about to haul ass.

  “What’s up?”

  “That inspector, that’s what. God-damn house is miswired to fuck and back. An A-1 fucking fire hazard, that’s what.” Like most guys, when the shit hit the fan, Mack’s language deteriorated to gutter quality. “Inspector Cleuso will be back tomorrow. I didn’t want to push him too far.”

  Translation: Mack the psychic had mind-screwed the building inspector into thinking the inspection was tomorrow.

  Adam rubbed a hand over his face. He didn’t need this. He needed a shave, a bath, a bed, and food. While he was wishing, he decided to add sex with the soft and curvy female upstairs. Having his pack trust him was on that wish list too.

  “Fuck. Re-dos cost money.”

  “Yep. Me and Jase will be here waiting.” Mack sounded tired. Adam remembered how much energy Mack’s powers required. All that on top of working all day had to drain the foreman.

  “Okay. Give me a few. I’ll pick us up something to eat on the way.”

  Adam flipped the cell phone shut and headed back to the kitchen to inform everyone of his plans. He’d give Diana a little space to work through her problems. Not that he intended to give up his suit. He was more determined now for a permanent matebonding.

  Bradley sat at the kitchen table mooning over the cute and bouncy Karen while she started dinner. In a move much like her mother, the girl shooed Brandon out of her way and into a chair.

  She leaned against him for a moment, touching like wolven do to offer companionship, a move that most humans would consider a sexual invitation. For wolven, it was non-sexual, the equivalent of a pat on the shoulder or an upper torso hug.

  Adam had noticed that little miss cheerleader was comfortable enough with wolven touches even before last night’s puppy pile incident. She seemed awfully trusting for a human, more so considering she was a psychic. He wondered again what her abilities were and shook his head.

  Adam had an idea. He smiled, letting it creep over his face. Yeah, that might be exactly what he needed to do.

  “Brandon.” The boy jumped, his eyes wide and startled to suddenly be in the alpha’s radar. “You’re with me.”

  Adam couldn’t stand the dull-sick wave of fear that rolled off of the boy. But Brandon nodded dutifully, as expected. Nor did Adam like the brother’s sharp look of protest. Karen came to rest a supportive, and protective, hand on Brandon’s shoulder.

  She smiled cheerfully at Adam.

  Adam gestured for Brandon to get a move on. He killed Bradley’s protest with a look.

  “I’ve got to head back out to the job site. Keep an eye on things here. Call if you need me. And,” he pointed a finger at the floor, “everyone stays close. Got it?”

  ———

  “So.”

  Mack gestured with a jerk of his chin after Brandon. Loaded down with fast food bags, the boy headed to the kitchen where Jase was setting out the drinks.

  Adam and Mack followed at a much slower pace, presumably to talk about the miswiring sabotage. “Why’d you bring that one?”

  Then again, maybe not. Adam frowned, resisting the urge to rub the ache between his eyes.

  “What? Do you have a problem with him?”

  “Nah. I just wondered why you brought the pack nothing instead of one of the others.”

  Adam stopped. He reminded himself that Mack was his friend. Because right now all he wanted to do was deck the bastard. He planted himself in front of the foreman.

  “Let me tell you something,” Adam growled. His tone was soft and deadly. “He’s not a nothing. He’s part of the pack. He’s mine.”

  Mack held up his hands in surrender.

  “No offense, partner.” Mack’s tone was also soft, but careful, and smart for pointing out the relationship between them. “Just a question. I’ve been reading up on wolves on the Internet. I’m trying to see how it applies. From what I read, it seemed like the alpha wolf wouldn’t take the omega out on a hunt. Hell, it seemed to me, that guy was lucky he got anything to eat.”

  Adam cocked his head. Mack went still as he met the eerie husky blue eyes that looked nothing like a human’s. As Adam sized him up, Mack wondered if he’d pushed the wolven pack leader too hard this time.

  Mack was good in a fight. He’d taken out wolven rejects, real werewolves, before and wondered if he’d have to protect himself from his friend. The friend he’d given up his life, literally and figuratively, for.

  There was no going back for Mack Spencer. For the sin of choosing tying himself to the supernaturals, for choosing them over his family, Mack was dead to the psychic community.

  Adam smiled. Not the smile of a friend. A dominant predator’s baring of teeth.

  “We’re not animals. We’re people.”

  Adam walked away, leaving Mack in the hall to call himself all kinds of stupid for forgetting the eye contact thing. One of these days, Mack realized, that wolf was going wind up biting his dumb ass for being his aggravating self.

  He didn’t have to use any of his psychic sensitive abilities to figure that one out.

  Mack was counting on it.

  ———

  “Geez, it’s late.” Mack yawned and pulled a long cylinder tube out of his shirt pocket.

  “Nah. It’s early.”

  Exhaustion dimmed Adam’s usual appreciation for the sunrise. Jase was long gone, mumbling a half English/ half Spanish reminder to pick up diapers.

  “Why don’t you take off and get some rest? That inspector isn’t going to be here for a few hours,” Adam said.

  He kept one eye on the yard light pole at the far corner of the back yard. More accurately, on Brandon balanced on the ladder, also balanced against the light pole.

  Adam stretched at a kink in his back, and then leaned back against the wall.

  “He’s just about done. Then we’re outta here.”

  Mack grunted.

  Adam glanced over. Being up for two solid days made him think he was exhausted, but in reality, with his wolven constitution, Adam was just very tired. And selfish.

  As a human, being up the same amount of time, and a psychic who’d expended energy to make the building inspector come back later today, Mack looked ready to fall over.

  “Mack. Go home. Get some rest.” He tried to frame the order in his gentlest tone.

  Mack straightened and gave a full body shake similar to what the wolves often did. Unbuttoning the pocket of his work shirt, the foreman retrieved a capped silver cylinder and pulled off the lid. He upended a cigar between his fingers.

  “Nah. I want to see the kid finish.”

  Adam wanted to argue, but the exhausted human would only fight any suggestion he made. Besides, Mack had already clamped the cigar between his teeth and lit the noxious package. He puffed and exhaled bluish smoke that drifted Adam’s way.

  Adam stifled back a cough and ended up sneezing instead.

  “You do that on purpose, don’t you?”

  “What?” Mack was all offended innocence.

  “Light those damn sticks so that I’ll sneeze half the day.”

  “Now why would I do that?”

  “Because you’re a prick.”

  Mack settled back against the outside wall with a grin.

  “Hey! I’m finished!”

  Brandon jumped the ten-foot drop to the ground and jogged back to the men.

  “Well, turn it on.” Adam thumbed in the direction of the sliding glass door, waiting while Brandon slipped through.

  After a couple of minutes of nothing happening, the boy stuck his head back out the door.

  Adam waited while Brandon walked back out to the yard, thinking. He wanted the kid to figure it out himself. The boy climbed back up the ladder and checked his electrical connections. Brandon smacked a palm against his forehead.

  “Duh!” He jumped back off the ladder and ran into the house. The light bli
nked on with a warm yellow glow.

  “I wondered how long it’d take for him to figure out to flip that breaker.” Mack laughed. He pulled out another cylinder from his pocket and offered it to Adam.

  “Cigar?”

  “God, no. Why?”

  “‘Cause you got the look of a proud papa. By the way, I’ll get that motion sensor installed in a couple of days.”

  Adam chuffed, a canine sound between a cough and a laugh from deep in his chest.

  “I’m no one’s papa. But he is a smart kid.”

  Adam’s sensitive ears picked up Brandon’s soft tread on the bare concrete floor and he shut up. The boy spilled back out onto the patio area with a look of amazement.

  The light winked out.

  Brandon walked forward a few steps and waved his arms. The light blinked back on. Adam shot Mack a smug look. The foreman responded by tossing him the cigar.

  “Yep, you’re right. He is a smart one at that.”

  ———

  From the cab of his truck, Adam watched Mack drive off with a wave. He’d nearly had to arm wrestle the man into letting him lock up. Brandon quietly caressed the leather tool belt and basic tool set Adam had given him earlier.

  He reached behind the seat and grabbed one of the Lobos Luna Construction caps.

  He dropped it in Brandon’s lap, then cranked the truck and started back to Diana’s house to round up the rest of his pack and plan on his next move.

  Out of the corner of his eye Adam could see the boy trace the sunshades of the Lobos Luna wolf on the front of the cap.

  “Every one of the crew got a cap. That one’s yours. You earned it.”

  Brandon touched the wolf logo once more before settling the cap over his head.

  After a few moments of driving in silence, the kid spoke up.

  “Could we get something to eat? Breakfast?”

  A growl rose from Brandon’s stomach that made Adam grin.

  “You bet. Sounds like you’re stomach’s ready to go hunting without you.”

  “Not rabbits.”

  “Hell, I mean, heck no. That’s the sound of a big game hunt.”

  “Like deer?”

  “Nah. More like the whole cow.”

  “Or an elephant.” Brandon’s grin was brief, but reached his eyes.