by Becca Dale
He claimed he wanted her. If she went to him, would he send her away? He had given his word not to touch, but she had made no such promise.
Ja came upstairs, his rumbling purr whisper quiet as the door to Lynx’s room opened and closed and then another farther down the hall. The house grew still. Outside, wolves howled at the gate, but the answering scream of a cougar pierced the night, and all went silent once more.
Nadi rose to stare at herself in the darkened window. The chocolate satin nightgown Kya had lent her left little to the imagination. It clung to her hips and waist, and dipped low between her breasts. The color and sheen reminded her of Ryan’s skin after their time in the river, rich and shimmering. She flopped on the bed and stared at the intricate tin ceiling, counted to a thousand forward and back, and recited every reason why she should go to sleep before she finally gathered the courage to slip down the stairs. The stone floors chilled her bare feet, but she tiptoed to Ja’s office and eased inside.
Ryan stood at the window, staring into the night. A pair of sleep pants hung low on his hips. “Go back to your room, Nadi.”
She moved closer to him. “I need to talk to you.”
“In the morning. Or better yet, in a few days when you’re feeling better.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk about. I’ve never felt this way before.”
He turned toward her, his hands fisted in his pockets. “I don’t have answers, only maybes.”
“I’ll take whatever you have to offer.” Her body yearned for his touch, and a hollow place swelled beneath her breastbone, making breathing difficult.
“Kya would know more than I do.”
“I’m not going to ask your sister why I want you so much when you scare the hell out of me. So you’re it.”
“All right, sit down.” She started for the cot, but his pain-filled growl stopped her. “Not there!”
Hiding her smile, she sank into a chair near the desk and crossed her legs. The slit in her gown fell open to reveal her calves and half of one thigh. The soft lamplight highlighted the contrast between the sable-colored fabric and her pale skin. Thoughts of Ryan’s dark skin pressed to hers accelerated the heat vibrating through her body and coiling between her legs.
He pulled another chair close and sat, hands clenched in front of him. “Haven’t you ever gone into heat before?”
“No. The dogs did a couple times a year and the wolves in the spring, but I never did. Mama used to talk about it, but then it stopped after my father…after Grant left. The mill owners would try to breed my sisters and I whenever the wolves entered estrus.”
He touched her knee then jerked his hand away. “We need to talk about your father and Jake.”
She leaned forward, offering him a glimpse of her breasts, pretending not to notice the animalistic spark in his eyes. “I can’t think about them right now. You’re the only one in my head.”
“Stop it.” Ryan rose and paced the small office. “I promised I’d wait. You’re not ready if I frighten you.”
“Answer my questions first. Why haven’t I felt this way before?”
He flashed a half smile but did not stop his agitated movement. “I’d like to think it’s me, but my bet would be on the availability of male shifters. Your body instinctively rejected the wolves and dogs for a potential mate, so without a male, you didn’t prepare to breed.”
“That makes sense.” She stood and stepped in front of him. His naked chest drew her gaze, and she couldn’t resist pressing her hands to his firm muscles, his skin warm and smooth. Her wolf howled in her head, jerking to get at the beautiful specimen before her. What had begun with a slow burn escalated to pure fire. Desire buzzed over her nerves and sensitized every inch of her skin with a painful ache. She raked her nails down his stomach and inhaled his inviting musk. “So what can you do to help me out?”
Ryan stepped away. “Keep the wolves from your door. Otherwise, nothing. Go back to bed, Nadi. We’ll talk in the morning.”
“I can’t.” Even the satin of her gown abraded her sore nipples. “I need relief.”
“I promised I wouldn’t take what wasn’t given freely.”
She laughed. “Did you misunderstand my offer?”
“No, but it’s the heat, not you. I scare you.”
“You do, but so does every other male on the planet. I witnessed too much violence during breeding to be comfortable.”
He came to her, his touch feather light against her cheek. “Give it time. I’ll help you get past your fears. But not like this.”
Closing her eyes, she leaned against his hand. “I hurt.”
“I know, gorgeous. Please, go back to bed. Things will be better in the morning.”
Rejection sparked a different kind of fire. Just as her father and brother had done, he’d promised to take care of her yet had no problem shoving her away when she needed him. She pushed from his arms and headed for the door without a word.
“Nadi…are you okay?”
Hand on the doorknob, she longed to scream. “I will be about five minutes after I walk outside Ja’s security gate.”
“What?”
She didn’t look back to see if he followed her no matter how much she hoped he would. Pushing him was a bitchy thing to do, but with her hormones and emotions on high alert, she couldn’t play nice. He grabbed her arm and spun her against his chest before she could unlock the front door.
“Don’t be stupid, Nadi. The shifters out there will be more than happy to slake your need, but they won’t be gentle about it.”
Twisting to escape did no good. His arms locked around her like a vise. Giving in, she laid her head against his solid strength. A shiver of undiluted lust ripped through her. “That’s the point. You’re not interested, but someone else will be.”
He snarled. “Knock it off. I want you, and you know it.”
“Then help me, Ryan.”
“I can’t promise to control myself. I refuse to hurt you.”
His hands rubbed up and down her back in long, soothing strokes, and she wrapped her arms around him, keeping him close. “You’ll hurt me more if you leave me to find comfort from strangers.”
“That’s not going to happen. Not ever.”
Ryan swept Nadi into his arms and strode up the stairs with her cradled against him. Desire roared, and his wolf howled. Touching her, holding her so close, ripped his promises to shreds, but he gathered them around him like armor, reminding himself of Drake’s words and Nadi’s frightened face. He elbowed the door to her room closed behind them and tossed her on the bed, following her down to crouch above her. “You’re mine. You may not know that yet, or even want it yet, but it will happen.”
Desperate to erase her fears, he bent and kissed his woman with every ounce of tenderness he could muster. When he eased back to allow her to breathe, he swept her bangs from her forehead, struggling to slow down for her sake. “For now, we’ll focus on your comfort.”
She squirmed beneath him, arching high and thrusting her pelvis against him. “I burn, Ryan. Please.”
“Shh, baby, I know. Close your eyes and feel.” He shifted to rest beside her, drawing small circles over her stomach and lower, pausing above the juncture of her thighs before gliding upward once more. The satin fabric covering her skin did little to cool the heat of her body. He caught the bodice in both hands, eager to rip it from her, but her eyes flew open, and she grabbed his wrists.
“It’s your sister’s. Are you going to explain how it was destroyed?”
No need to explain. Kya would smell him all over his lovely mate, but he didn’t want to embarrass Nadi if he could help it. Easing the nightgown up her long, sexy legs, he nibbled the tempting bend of her throat. “Take it off.”
He hadn’t meant to sound harsh, but it didn’t seem to faze her. She sat up and pulled the offending material over her head then tossed it aside. Fear still hovered in her gaze, but the primal need to accept a male’s seed overrode it. Blood flooded through her,
turning her pale skin pink and hot.
“You are far more beautiful than I remembered. Fine porcelain and wild roses.”
“Hurry, Ryan.”
Rushing would weaken him further. He needed to stay in control. To see to her pleasure, not his own. “Trust me.”
Nadi struggled not to scream. Her skin flamed, heat escalated, nearly blinding her to everything but the shifter beside her. Talented fingers played her body, tweaking her nipples to rigid peaks, making her writhe with want. He had told her to close her eyes and feel, but she needed to know it was him touching her. His size and strength terrified her. Still, she longed for his claiming. Such a male would never give up what belonged to him. Security lay in that thought.
His mouth followed the path of his touch, teasing and stroking, nipping and sucking. A shiver pulled goose bumps, and she bowed her spine, greedy for his light caress. Finally, his broad hand slipped between her thighs, cupping her mound and rubbing firmly over the swollen tissue.
“Ryan, I need.”
“I know, Nadi.” Dipping between her wet folds, he stroked her, driving thick fingers into her aching core. “Tell me if I hurt you.”
Desire outweighed the ache, and she could only shake her head in a silent and frantic plea for more.
His delicious weight settled over her then lifted. He knelt and guided her knees to his shoulders. Before she understood his intentions, warm lips kissed along her slit, his tongue invading her entrance rather than the fat cock stretching the front of his cotton sleep pants. He led her in an erotic dance, his mouth creating music her body could not ignore. Relief crashed over her in shuddering jerks, but his lips covered hers and captured her cries while his hand continued to make her nerves sing.
Though the tremors eventually softened and left her limp and satisfied, the flame had not receded. Her skin continued to burn, and her pussy cried for a male to fill it. “More.”
Ryan moaned and thrust his cock against her thigh. “Without the hormones, you wouldn’t want me. I won’t take what isn’t yet mine.”
“I need you.” Why couldn’t he understand such a simple concept?
“You need a male’s seed to take the edge off.”
“And you’re here. Please, Ryan.”
His growl echoed in the small bedroom, his wolf plain in his heated stare. “Fine. Sit up.”
She blinked in confusion but scrambled to do as he commanded.
“Now, take my cock in your hand and milk my sperm from me.”
Was he serious? “How will that help?”
“Just do it, Nadi.”
His touch had eased the ache for a short while, maybe touching him would fool her system, too. Uncertain how to proceed, she unbuttoned the front of his pajama bottoms to reveal his thick shaft. Closing her fingers around his cock, she slowly stroked up and down, adjusting her speed until his groans grew deeper. Dew seeped out to pearl in the tiny slit, and she bent to taste it, swirling the tip of her tongue over the dark purple flesh.
“God, baby. Take it as deep as you can.”
She sucked him into her mouth, rubbing his balls with the same tenderness he had shown her. He tasted of salt, passion, and wilderness—sage, birch, and bliss. A tremor shook him, and his cock swelled to lock in place. He pulled away to shoot his cum over her inflamed skin. The hot liquid brought instant relief, soothing her in ways the orgasm had not.
“Better?” His broad hand covered her pussy and massaged his essence over her. “If we’re lucky, your body won’t realize I wasn’t inside you. It’ll only register my scent and absorb what it needs from my ejaculate.”
Her hormones believed his lie, and sanity returned. She still felt empty, but his kindness could not be denied. She shivered, and tears of relief trickled down her cheeks. “Thank you.”
He chuckled and righted his clothing then tugged her to his chest, moving her about like a stuffed toy until he had her exactly where she wanted to be. “You’re welcome. Now get some sleep.”
“You won’t leave?”
Ryan stiffened but did not cease petting her back. A habit she’d quickly grown addicted to. “Later, unless you want me to go now.”
“No.” She could not look up; the thought of what she might see in his gaze terrifying. Was he angry or upset because she didn’t want him to claim her? He could without her permission; no one would stop him even if she panicked and tried to shove him away. Instead, he chose to help her without demands…but for how long?
Chapter Nine
Ryan awoke to Nadi’s restless thrashing. She sat up before he was fully awake, the smell of need heavy in the air. His trick had obviously not solved their problem. “You okay, gorgeous?”
“No.” When she looked at him, desire darkened her eyes from gold to sable, from clear blue to navy. Without warning she swung astride his hips, her folds parting to kiss the length of his cock through the too thin material of his pants.
Struggling not to thrust inside her warmth, he stilled her rocking, his knuckles white. “Did you change your mind overnight, Nadi? Do you want me or will any male do?”
She trembled. “I don’t know. I can’t think. Please, fuck me.”
Rage and primal need burned in him. To claim her without her full permission lowered him to the snail-like standing of the bastards he faced in court every week—men who saw women as things to be owned and used. Ignoring her plea for help made him no better. He boosted upward to rest against the headboard, and the new position pressed her clit to the crown of his cock. He bit the inside of his cheek in an effort to tame his wolf, but the animal in him snarled to be free.
“Nadi, gorgeous, listen to me. I know you hurt right now, but if I take you with a condom on, it’ll be no different than my fingers inside you. It’s my seed that will bring you peace. Are you ready to carry my child?”
“I don’t care.” Then the choice was no longer his to make. She rose to her knees, ripped open the fly of his sleep pants, and lifted his swollen shaft, holding it steady as she sank down on him. Her pain-filled whimper fueled his protective instincts, and he clutched her shaky form, steadying her until her tight channel softened to accept him. Maybe he was wrong; maybe the feel of a cock inside her would be enough to drive the heat away. He could pull out before he impregnated her as long as he did so before his cockhead thickened to lock inside her channel.
She wiggled, restless and eager. He caught her hips and slowed her down.
“Move easy until you get used to me.” He let her have the lead despite the fire roaring in his gut to prove she belonged with him. The urge to roll her beneath him and fuck her hard swelled to overtake better judgment. What would she do if he sank his teeth into her throat and held her steady while he knotted inside her and filled her womb?
She began to ride him, insecure and innocent, and he lost the thin tether holding his wolf. Giving in, he gripped her hips and drove upward, slamming deep inside her to ensure any offspring carried his blood. Again and again he shoved his cock into her heated core, demanding she accept his seed if not his heart.
Nadi’s knees shook, but she embraced Ryan as he took her. His thick rod stretched her, opening her wide to accommodate his demands. He shoved her to the mattress and reared above her like the savage animal he was, still man in form but beast in action. Fear returned, screaming to escape the violent being above her.
His hand slid beneath her head and fisted her hair. “Open for me!” You asked for this—begged to be fucked—don’t shy from it. His voice had deteriorated to a growl, but the telepathic message rang clear.
His free hand found her clit and drove off fear in favor of a reprieve from the nonstop hunger. Her own wolf howled. She drew the scent of passion deep into her lungs, savoring his rich musk laced with her own raw need. The big bastard above her had proven worthy in a fight, he protected the weak in his pack, and his virility could not be questioned as his cock knocked on the door to her womb. No matter if her human side had reservations. Her animal wanted him, needed to sta
ke a claim before some other female, unhindered by self-doubt, sank her fangs into him.
Jerking from the fingers tugging at her hair, she reared upward. Her canines lengthened without voluntary command, and she bit him hard, slicing the skin and marking him so others would hesitate before taking what belonged to her.
Ryan tried to pull her away. “No! Nadi, don’t do this.”
Her wolf would not let go. Locking her legs around his hips, she clung to him until she felt the telltale swelling. Once he knotted, he would be locked inside her while his life-giving essence flooded her and put out the estrus fire. She sucked harder on his throat, drawing blood to the surface and allowing her scent markers to sink into him.
Strong hands burrowed into her hair, pressing her mouth to him. Tension coiled tight. He shuddered and came inside her. Her body soaked up his orgasm and used it to launch her own bone-deep release. Ecstasy washed through her in vibrating waves, stealing breath and fire in a peace inducing release.
He relaxed and his breath tickled. “I’m yours, Nadi. Only yours.”
***
Nadi jolted awake as Kya practically ripped the curtains from their hooks and flooded the room with light. Sitting up, she searched for Ryan, but like the raging burn, he had disappeared without a trace.
“Get up.” His sister stood at the end of the bed, hands on her hips and sparks in her gaze. She picked up the cast-off nightgown and threw it on the bed. “I want you out of my house within the hour.”
“What’s wrong? Did something happen last night? Did the wolves get past your guards?”
“No.”
Surely the other woman wasn’t upset that Ryan had shared her bed. They were adults, but hurt and anger shimmered between them. “Where’s your brother?”
“Gone. Ja and his men will take you back to the Sanctuary or to Jake’s if you’d rather.”
Gone? Her heart clenched in a way it never did when the massive black wolf was near. “He wouldn’t have left without me.”
