“Dog,” Wachei interrupted.
“Why don’t you take Dog with you,” Cassidy continued, looking as if she was trying not to smile.
Edensaw let out a bark of laughter and motioned to Kajakti. “Let’s go. I think you’ve pushed it long enough.”
His alpha left the living room with Kajakti on his heels. Wachei breathed a silent sigh of relief. He and Kajakti were going to have a little talk later. He also needed to get back at him for the kissing stunt he’d pulled.
“Why don’t you two take a seat while we’re waiting for everyone?” Cassidy motioned to the empty spaces on the couch.
Wachei and Eryn did as she suggested after he shrugged off his bow and quiver and placed them on the floor near where he was going to sit. He kept his fingers linked with Eryn’s and rested their joined hands on his lap. It didn’t take too long for his wolf brothers to arrive. He was pleased to see Kajakti had shifted to his human form while outside.
After the introductions were made, everyone sat either on the unoccupied furniture or cross-legged on the carpeted floor. Cassidy was the one who got the conversation flowing.
“How did the bow practice go?” she asked.
“Not bad,” Wachei replied.
Eryn shook her head. “He’s being nice. I could barely hit the tree he had me aiming for.”
“It’s not something you’ll excel at after one day,” Edensaw said. “It took us years to shoot with the accuracy we now have.”
“So you all hunt with a bow?”
“Most of the time, yes.”
“And don’t forget about our spears,” Durlach said. “We hunt with those as well.”
Eryn gave Durlach a confused look. “Spears? Really? Isn’t that like from the Stone Age or something? I’ve never heard of anyone actually using them in this day and age.”
Wachei realized Durlach’s mistake as soon as the words had left his wolf brother’s mouth, but he had no idea how to fix it. Luckily for him, Cassidy came to the rescue.
“Ah, the guys like to make the weapons their ancestors would have used. They even have handmade bows. They’re all Tlingit.”
“So it’s a hobby. That’s different.”
“What’s a hobby?” Capac asked.
Not sure what it meant himself, and seeing how Eryn stared at Capac strangely, Wachei decided it was probably best to have his mate leave before another one of his wolf brothers did or said something they shouldn’t. At least not until Wachei had told Eryn the truth about himself.
He stood and tugged her up with him. “I’m sure Eryn would like to leave. I’ll walk her to the door.”
Before Eryn could say anything, Wachei had them walking out of the living room and to the front door. He stopped once they stood in front of it and took Eryn into his arms. He claimed her lips in a kiss that said he was going to miss her when she was gone. And he was. He wanted nothing more than to take her up to his bedroom and make love to her fully to make them mates. After spending the day with Eryn and experiencing the pleasure she could give him, he ached for all of it. And the thought of being parted from her had his mating urge digging its claws into him deeper.
He lifted his head, reluctantly ending the kiss, and looked into Eryn’s eyes. “I want to see you again tomorrow.”
She smiled as she pressed herself closer. “Definitely. I want to see you too. Maybe we can hang out here. That way I won’t have to worry about my knucklehead brothers trying to interfere.”
“Sure, we can do that.” Wachei would just have to make sure no one slipped up or pretended to be the family pet while she was here.
“And I have to say your roommates are really nice. I think Cassidy and I will get along well.”
“Good. I’m sure Cassidy will like having you around. She always says she feels outnumbered with all us men around.”
Eryn chuckled. “I bet. It would be even worse than how I felt growing up being the only sister to two brothers. I can relate.”
“I suppose you can,” Wachei said with a smile. “What time can I expect you tomorrow?”
“How about after lunch?”
“All right. I’ll be here.”
Wachei took Eryn’s hand again and walked her out to her pickup. He stepped back as she got in and closed the door. She wound the window down, then stuck her head out to give him one last kiss before she started the engine.
He watched her drive down the driveway and turn onto the street. Once Eryn disappeared from sight, he headed back inside the house. Now it was time to have a little talk with Kajakti and maybe a little payback for the wolf kisses he’d laid on him.
* * * * *
The next morning while Wachei and the rest of the inhabitants of the house were in the kitchen eating breakfast—that Cassidy had cooked, not Durlach—the doorbell rang. At first, he thought it might be Eryn, arriving earlier than planned. But that ended up not being the case. Capac, who had gone to answer the door, returned with Brice on his heels. The pack leader didn’t look happy about something.
Brice tossed the local newspaper he carried onto the table. “Did you guys read this yet?”
Edensaw shook his head. “No, we don’t normally get the paper. Cassidy usually reads all the news on the internet.”
“That’s what I thought so I came over here to show you.” Brice pointed to the newspaper. “A body of a woman was found in one of the city’s alleys. She’d been raped before she lost her life. The paper said it looked as if she’d been ripped to shreds by some kind of wild animal.”
“You’re thinking a werewolf did it?”
“Yes, but not just anyone. This has Tanner written all over it. Obviously, he’s hiding out somewhere in Juneau.”
“But we haven’t seen anything of him for almost a year,” Ketah said. “Nor have any of your pack members.”
“That only means he’s done a good job of staying off our radar. Until now, that is.”
“Do you think he’ll make another move against us?” Capac asked.
“Maybe.” Brice let out a sigh. “That brings up the other reason why I came here.” He looked at Wachei. “Have you told your mate the truth about you yet?
Wachei shook his head. “No. It’s too soon.”
“Sorry to say, but your time just ran out. With Tanner on the loose,” Brice pointed to the newspaper, “and the death of the mortal woman, I think you have to bring her over into our world as soon as possible.”
He shook his head again. “That won’t work. Unlike Cassidy, Eryn didn’t find me sleeping in an ice cave on a glacier. She doesn’t have a clue there’s something different about me. Edensaw allowed Cassidy to choose him as a mate. I want to do the same with Eryn.”
Brice gave him a look of pity. “I know that’s what you want, but you have to look at this realistically. Tanner is out there. We have no idea if he’s been watching you guys without you knowing. There’s a good chance he knows about Eryn being your mate.”
“I can’t turn Eryn without her understanding what it will mean. She has family she’s close to.”
“Then at least claim her as your mate so the bond forms. That way she’ll be forced to stay with you at all times or suffer separation anxiety.” When Wachei gave a curt shake of his head, Brice let out a low growl before he looked at Wachei’s alpha. “Edensaw, talk to him. You understood when Cassidy could have been used as a means to get to you. You turned her before she had wanted you to.”
“I hate to say this,” Edensaw said, “but I have to agree with Brice, Wachei. Think of what the consequences will be if you don’t at least claim Eryn as yours. Are you willing to lose her before you’ve even had a chance to have a life with her? I know it was different with Cassidy, but sometimes you have to take a choice away from a person you care about if it’s the best thing for them.”
Wachei knew if he refused again Edensaw would more than likely order him to do it. And as his alpha, Wachei would have no choice but to do as Edensaw said.
He blew out a breath. �
�Fine, I’ll claim Eryn today, but I won’t turn her. Not yet. She needs to have that choice. I don’t like this, and if she reacts really badly to this and runs, I don’t know if I can honestly force her to stay with me.”
“Once it’s done, the separation anxiety will change her mind real quick. A few hours away from you and she’ll come back in a hurry,” Brice said.
Whereas before Wachei had looked forward to Eryn coming over that afternoon, now he dreaded it. This was not how he’d envisioned telling her about him being a werewolf sentinel. And he hated that he’d have to make her his mate without her having time to adjust to it all.
Cassidy stood and walked around the table until she was behind his chair. She bent and wrapped her arms around him. “It’ll be okay, Wachei. In the end, Eryn will be happy to have you. If you two weren’t meant to be together your mating urge wouldn’t have been set off.” She kissed the top of his head, then straightened. “All of us will leave before Eryn arrives so you can have the house to yourself to do this. It might be easier that way.”
Wachei nodded, his mind already churning with thoughts of what he’d have to do. He still didn’t think it was fair that he had to pressure Eryn into accepting him as her mate. As for turning her today, he would hold firm on letting her decide whether she wanted to become a werewolf or not. The shaman had given him the choice, it was only right that she had that too. It wasn’t something a person could agree to lightly. There was no going back once it was done. But the part of him that wanted nothing more than to protect his mate understood it would be the best thing for Eryn. It still didn’t make it right, though.
Chapter Six
Eryn’s phone rang as she washed up the dishes from her breakfast. Drying her hands on a tea towel, she walked to the living room, then picked up the cordless that was on the coffee table.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Eryn,” Noah said.
“If you’re calling to bug me about Wachei, I’m going to hang up on you now.”
“No, that isn’t the reason.” Her older brother took a deep breath and blew it out. “I’m sorry for sticking my nose where it didn’t belong yesterday, and I promise to allow you to get to know Wachei without having to worry I’ll try to drive you apart.”
Noah’s speech sounded rehearsed and monotone, as if someone had told him what to say. She had a feeling that someone was Heidi. She was soon proven correct when she heard her sister-in-law say in the background “And? You’re not done yet, Noah.”
“And I promise to be on my best behavior whenever I’m around you and your new boyfriend. I’ll act like the mature adult I’m supposed to be and not as a fourteen-year-old.”
Eryn burst out laughing. That last part definitely came from Heidi. “Okay,” she said once she settled down to a chuckle. “If you go back on your word, what is your wife going to do in way of punishment?”
Noah let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “She’ll invite Mom to come stay at our place for a week, then tell her everything I’ve done.”
She barely held back more laughter. The pained way Noah spoke, you’d think a visit from their mother was akin to being tortured for weeks. “Oh, you wouldn’t want that.”
“Is that good enough?” her brother asked, his voice not as loud, as if he held the phone away from his mouth.
There was a stretch of silence, then Heidi came on. “Hi, Eryn. Noah has gone to sulk now.” In the background, her brother yelled from somewhere in their house that he wasn’t. “Yes, you are,” her sister-in-law called back.
Eryn chuckled. “Thanks for getting him to call. Even though you forced Noah into doing it, it’s the thought that counts.”
“Tell Wachei I’m sorry my crazy husband got a little out of hand yesterday. It won’t happen again. And by the way, can I say how hot Wachei is. All that long hair and bronzed skin. Yummy. That man is gorgeous, and what little I saw of him, he seems nice.”
“I will. I’ll be seeing Wachei a little later today. And I doubt Noah will like hearing you say my boyfriend is good-looking.”
Heidi snorted. “First of all, Noah isn’t around to have heard me. And second, even if he had, it would have done him good. I can’t have him taking me for granted or thinking I wouldn’t find another man attractive.”
“You’re so bad,” Eryn said with a laugh. “You keep Noah on his toes, and I love you for it.”
“Hey, we girls have to stick together and give the males in the family what for when they step out of line.”
“So true. Anyway, thanks for getting Noah to call.”
“No problem. You have a good time with Wachei today.”
“I will.”
Eryn hung up and shook her head. She loved Heidi as if she were a true sister, instead of one through marriage. And she loved that Heidi could easily handle Noah. Her brother and sister-in-law were perfect together. Noah might grumble when Heidi reined him back, but he was utterly devoted to his wife.
She returned to the kitchen and finished the dishes, then brushed her teeth and took a shower. Eryn put on some of her sexiest lingerie—a matching lacy bra and thong set—with the hopes that Wachei would be getting to see them at some point today. After pulling on a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved t-shirt and a jacket, she headed out of the apartment.
Eryn drove to Wachei’s house, looking forward to seeing him again. During the night, she’d had one dream after another about him. All of them were erotic. In her REM sleep, her mind had her doing every sexual act she’d wanted to experience while in Wachei’s arms the day before.
And because of those dreams, she wasn’t prepared to settle for only heavy petting and a bit of oral sex. She ached to have Wachei’s cock buried deep inside her pussy, stroking in and out, until he’d wrung every last ounce of pleasure out of her.
Once she arrived and parked her pickup, Eryn walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Wachei answered. With a smile, he grabbed her hand and tugged her over the threshold and closed the door before he had her in his arms. He held her tight and kissed her as if he hadn’t seen her for a month.
Wetness pooled between her legs as Wachei stroked his tongue inside her mouth. Her body was already primed from her erotic dreams. She returned his kisses with equal fervor, clutching at his broad shoulders to pull him closer, even though they already stood as close as they could possibly get.
He left her mouth and nibbled a path down the side of her neck as he reached up and palmed one of her breasts, kneading the mound. Drowning in the pleasure Wachei’s touch caused, Eryn forced her brain to work enough to form coherent words.
“Ah, Wachei, what about your roommates? Oh god,” she breathed when he dropped a hand to her bottom and ground his hard cock against her.
He gently nipped her skin before he licked the tiny pain away. “No one is here. We have the house to ourselves.”
“Good. For how long?”
“All day, I think.”
“That’s nice.” He unzipped her jacket, then shoved his hand up the front of her shirt. Wachei tugged a bra cup aside and plucked at her nipple. “And that’s nice too. God, you’re turning me on.”
“Upstairs,” he said in a gruff voice.
He didn’t give her a chance to say anything. Wachei lifted her off her feet and carried her toward the stairs that led to the upper level. Eryn wrapped her legs around his waist and took his mouth in a heated kiss. She locked her ankles at the small of his back and rubbed her pussy against the hard bulge in his pants.
Their progress up the stairs was slow since Wachei had to stop every few steps, put her against the wall and drive her almost out of her mind with desire. He kissed her as if he couldn’t survive his next breath without tasting her.
By the time they reached the upper floor hallway, Eryn was desperate for Wachei to take her. She moaned into his mouth, riding his erection as he walked into his room and then shut them inside.
Wachei carried her to his bed, then lowered her to her feet, her body sliding down his in the m
ost delicious of ways. He released her mouth, but Eryn buried her nose in the hollow of his throat and breathed in his scent, her hands roaming up and down his body.
“Before we go any further, we have to talk about something,” he said in a strained voice.
Eryn continued what she was doing, not prepared to let Wachei slow things down. “Then talk, I’m listening.”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to do that with you touching me like this.”
“Ah, come on. You’re a big, strong man. You can do it.”
She grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and yanked it up and over his head. She tossed it to the floor. She kissed a trail across each of his collarbones and then down to his pecs.
“This is really important,” Wachei said on a groan.
“And so is what I’m doing.” Eryn licked one of his flat nipples and he groaned again.
“Okay. I’ll try. Since we’re still getting to know each other…that feels so good…there are things I should tell you about me.”
As Wachei spoke, Eryn slowly worked her way down his chest, licking and sucking, until she was on her knees before him and eye level with the prominent bulge in his jeans. She trailed her hands along his six-pack abs, stopping when she reached the top of his pants.
“Go on,” she urged.
“Well, you see, I’m not like normal men you’re used to. I—” He cut off on a moan that bordered on a growl. “Eryn, you’re really not making this easy.”
She’d undone his jeans, yanked them past his hips and tugged down the front of his underwear to spring his hard cock. “Yes, I am. I’m going to make sure I don’t interrupt you. My mouth will be busy doing something else besides talking.”
Eryn grasped Wachei’s shaft and pumped her hand up and down. She used her thumb to rub the bead of moisture that leaked out of the tip into his skin. Her pussy clenching, and wetness leaking into her thong, she leaned in and dragged her tongue up the full length of his cock before she took it inside her mouth.
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