by Marie Fraser
“You should head back home. It’s getting dark.”
Emma spun slowly on her heels, mind still dizzy. He was leaning against the streetlight, his body thrown into thick shadows as the sun dipped into the horizon behind him. Orange light splayed across his angular face in thin lines, setting his features on fire. Emma sensed her stomach twisting at the sight. She closed her eyes to his intense look, and scratched her nose.
“Thank you,” she said, looking back at him. He nodded. Stuffing his fingers into his jeans pockets, he walked over to her. His body was no longer swallowed by the shadows. His lovely hair bared for her sight. Emma gulped.
“What for?” He said, a careful expression gleaming off his smooth face.
“That monster back there,” Emma stammered, lifting her finger to the werewolf’s head. “What did you call it?”
“Teil werewolf It’s what we call a part werewolf. Though I’ve never seen one before.”
“We?”
Noah’s gaze drifted away, his face falling again into shadow. “I mean – the wolf community. There’s one in every county here in Northwoods Wisconsin.”
“Why was he chasing me?”
Noah pressed his lips together. “Possibly because of the baby wolf. He wanted to steal it.”
A long silence stretched between them. Emma pondered over everything he said, and then spoke,
“Thank you, Noah. I don’t know what that monster would’ve done to me.”
Noah edged near. He was too close now, his sea blue eyes staring deep into hers. His breath fogged in the cold air, mingling with Emma’s. Emma could see how long his lashes were, pulled back as his gorgeous eyes scanned her face. “You are welcome.” He took her hand in his, and pressed them lightly. A warm rush of feeling shot up her body, and Emma curled her other hand into his grip too.
“Lord Emma, you’re freezing!”
Emma bit her lower lip. He was too close now. She shut her eyes, and felt the soft touch of his lips on hers; the gentle caress of his hand as it braced her face, the other running through her hair. Emma kissed harder. Their teeth clashed, bodies curled into each other, the night growing around them. Emma dug her fingers into his silky hair, and felt his hand withdraw her hair and snake around her waist. His fingers gripped her stomach lightly, slipping beneath her shirt. Unlike Emma, his movements were trained; well-practiced. His fingers climbed up her stomach swiftly. He was fingering her bra now, lean fingers running the length of her covered boobs. Emma could sense the energy in his movements; the passion in every caress too evident. She wanted more. Wanted to kiss every inch of his body, to feel him upon her – inside her. But it was too early for that now. And as Noah’s fingers hovered beneath the edge of her bra, sleek fingers slowly daring to move beneath, she pulled his arm away.
“Would you like to get some drinks? I want to warm myself up.”
“Sure. Great idea!” He placed a kiss on her neck, and she smiled coyly. “I’ll get my car.”
* * * * * *
Noah had driven them to the most lavish bar in Antigo. Apparently nothing was ever expensive to him. Emma had changed into a short black dress at her apartment, while he’d waited outside in his Mercedes. Clearly, she was following some incredible dream, and Emma wanted to taste the whole of it.
The ‘Ace of Clubs’ was far beyond Emma’s expectations. It was immensely huge. As Noah and Emma slid past the glass doors, they were met with a vast dance floor, and a long counter for drinks trailing the three corners of the hall. Beyond the hall were private rooms for customers for…well, to live their passion.
Noah, being as careless as ever, strolled towards the rooms, but Emma pulled him back, sighing.
“I want to get drinks, Noah!”
Winking at her, he swept to the counters, and returned with two large pitchers of beer.
“I’ve never felt the urge to get drunk hit me harder.” He sank into a chair beside her.
They drank away for hours. Minds too tired to stop, and bodies relishing every sip. Though it was Noah who initially intended to get drunk, it turned to be Emma who was on the verge of losing her senses.
Noah led her to the rest rooms. After throwing up the large doses of beer she’d guzzled shamelessly, she bustled out, swaying on her feet.
“Whoa-oa-o.” Noah gripped her body, and led her to the sofas.
“Alcohol usually doesn't hit me so hard,” she groaned, helping herself to some water.
Noah shifted closer to her, her heaving chest touching his arm. “Luckily, it’s not such a bad thing tonight,” he grinned, his gorgeous lips curling upwards at the corners, and dimples forming at the cheeks. Emma placed her finger atop his lips, touching them lightly. And before they knew it, they were kissing again. Although this time, the kiss was deeper, more rapid, and desperate. Emma grew into his body, her arms digging into his shirt. Though Noah’s hands had ventured not too deep beneath her dress, Emma knew he could hardly wait.
Noah bit her lip playfully, and Emma groaned. Shooting her a sly smile, he took her in his arms and glided past the thick red curtains, locking them behind a mahogany door.
Inside, the room was heaven. Noah slid her body on to the silk sheets, and got into bed beside her. He curled his hands around her stomach, lifting her dress up. But this time, Emma didn’t hesitate. As he ripped her short dress off her body, she pulled at his shirt, while kissing him deeply. She laid in her underclothes now. Noah slipped out of his shirt. She undid the zip of his trousers, and they fell to the floor beside them.
Noah got to his knees, hovering above her body. He traced his fingers at the laces of her panties, hesitating.
“More,” Emma panted, and he untied the knot. Her panties slipped down, and Emma felt a deep flush gathering in her face. She was almost nude now. Emma felt too vulnerable. Yet she relished every bit of it. Noah was gentle and passionate at the same time. He moved to her bra now. Emma felt too shy though. She pulled the silk sheets around her legs, hiding her body but Noah grabbed her wrists gently, moving the sheets away. He removed her bra, tossed it away, and leaned above, gazing at her body.
“Noah,” Emma whispered, her body tingling.
He cupped her breasts with his hands gently, squeezing them, and a groan escaped Emma’s lips. She lunged her legs into his underwear, removing them with her toes.
Noah’s cock sprung out free from the restraints, and her eyes widened at the size of him. He chuckled at the look on her face, hoping she wasn’t too intimidated.
“You know you can tell me to stop whenever, right?” he said reassuringly, looking down at her body and wondering if he could really stick to his word. She was downright dazzling to look at. His fingers skimmed over her skin tracing invisible intricacies as she shivered under him.
“I want this,” she said softly, yet confidently, “I’ve want you really badly, Noah.”
The way she breathily said his name with so much longing warmed his heart, and he leaned over her frame with elbows beside her shoulders, lowering himself to meet her lips. She reveled in his warmth and affection, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as her legs hooked over his thighs, feet brushing the back of his knees playfully.
His lips slipped off from hers, traveling down slowly, pecking softly down her chin to her jaw. His teeth grazed her skin, making her gasp and moan as he left little purple flowers in his wake.
“Are you giving me hickeys?” she asked breathlessly.
“Do you have enough make-up for it?” he shot back chuckling.
“Dammit, Noah,” she whined, and he only continued to nibble her as his hand slid down her stomach and to her thigh. Her breath hitched in her throat as his fingers teasingly skimmed past the spot between her legs, a brush of air and no touches.
“Noah!” she cried out and he decided to put her at ease, slipping his fingers between her folds to play with her clit. She groaned as she threw her head back, the pleasure rising up from her core and to her head, making her feel light-headed. It wasn’t long bef
ore a finger slid into her opening, making her cry out.
“Oh, God, yes!” she gasped, “Faster, Noah. Please!”
“Wouldn’t you rather it be something else?” he smirked as he picked up his pace, inserting a second finger. Her walls clenched around them, “Holy shit, you’re tight…”
“Just please fuck me already,” she groaned, and he gladly complied, rising up and pulling her legs apart, placing himself snugly in between them. Without a warning, he pushed himself into her wetness, making her mouth fall open in pleasure. Emma eyes rolled back into her head as her hands shot out to grip at his arms. He was slow at first, but he picked up his pace, accelerating until he was pounding into her and making her scream.
Emma couldn’t tell when she came or what happened, all she remembered were white lights and insane amounts of pleasure coursing her body, making her explode until she could hardly breath. She knew despite how tired she was, she felt happy.
She felt absolute bliss in that moment.
Chapter 5
While Emma had fallen asleep in bed beside him last night, Noah had slid out of the room, and paid for their room and stay till the next afternoon.
“Emma,” Noah said, setting his coffee cup on the table in the morning; the coffee was still scalding. “I want to talk to you about something important.”
They were lounging in the balcony outside. Emma sat in an armchair across him, a robe thrown across her narrow body, and light brown hair tied in a bun. The sun streamed through her hair, breathing a golden rue, and cast slender shadows across her face. She looked radiant. A sharp gale of wind swept past them, and Emma’s cheeks burned crimson. Noah’s breath hitched in his chest.
It was so unlike him. Falling in love with a woman’s looks. But there was something that set Emma apart, an unusual habit that appealed to him. Perhaps, it was the stubborn look in her eyes, a daring sense that never shied from anything.
“Hmm?” She brought the cup to her lips, glancing pointedly at him.
“I have a feeling that the part werewolf, who was sent to kidnap the baby wolf from you, was actually hired by somebody superior to him. My best guess is that once the main person responsible gets no response from teil werewolf, he’s only going to send more after you.”
“…so you want to talk that wretched orphan wolf into custody? Nope.” She shook her head resolutely. “Ain’t gonna happen.”
“Why?”
“Because I found him, Noah. So that makes me responsible for taking care of him. I can’t just hand him over to you – you’re not even a veterinarian!”
Veterinarian, huh, as if he needed to know any more shit about wolves. A grin formed at his mouth, but he quickly pursed his lips.
“Emma,” he said softly, leaning his body forward, “I’ve done extensive study on wolves. A part-time interest, you can say. I’m practically a wolf expert. You can trust me.” He eyed her with concern. “Besides, your life’s in a hell lot of danger, and I can’t simply abandon you. Not after last night.”
Emma turned her head away, hiding her face. But Noah gently held her jaw, rotating her face back to face him. “Please.”
She threw her hands in the hair, sighing. “Alright, alright, we’ll go to my apartment in the afternoon.” Noah beamed at her.
* * * * * *
“There’s something wrong.” Noah glanced around the corridor, brows furrowed in suspicion, and caught Emma staring.
“What do you mean something’s wrong? You have some magical powers, or it’s simply an intuition?”
Noah was caught off-guard. He shouldn’t have said that in front of her. “Just a strange feeling,” he said quickly, and rushed through the door.
The apartment inside was a complete wreck. The room was tiny, the carpet grossly crowded by unpaid bills and receipts, and rickety furniture occupied a meager amount of the floor. Noah was appalled by the sight.
“You live here?!” He burst out, grimacing deeply. Emma’s face fell, and Noah realized how rude that must have sounded.
“No! I mean it’s quite wonderful…the bed room and kitchen, they’re-”
“Quit it, Noah. You don’t have to act. My apartment’s a shit hole. And I know it.” Emma’s crisp voice made him horribly uncomfortable.
“So, where is it?” He said, trying to change the subject hastily.
“Stay right here. And I’ll be back.”
However, Emma took too long. Noah stood there for lengthy moments, miserably observing the grimy walls around him. But when he grew too queasy with anticipation, he walked out of the room.
“Emma?” He caught her standing next to an empty locker, hands clasping her head. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s gone!”
“What?! What do you mean by gone? He’d be here somewhere, look harder!”
“I’ve looked everywhere, Noah. He’s not here.”
Emma sank into the sofa, the color drained from her face. Noah couldn’t believe it. If the orphan wolf wasn’t here…it could only mean one thing. The enemy wolves had gotten to him first. Damn Noah.
“Do you have anything that belonged to the orphan wolf? Anything that he touched?”
Emma lifted her head and nodded. “He wore a collar around his neck. More like a woman’s choker.” She rose to her feet, and rummaged through the drawers. Finally, she found it and handed over the choker to him.
Noah took it in his hand, and turned it over. It seemed too familiar. White in color, with an emerald stone dangling from it, it looked beautiful. Its image tore through Noah’s mind, and he gulped.
It was Sofia’s.
“Is something wrong Noah?” Emma was staring at him suspiciously.
But at that moment, Noah didn’t care. The only thing that clasped his mind was the choker. How had it gotten here? And why was the orphan wolf wearing it? He looked harder at the choker. Could he be wrong? Perhaps, he was being delusional. Besides, all chokers are fairly similar. This could only be some replica of Sophia’s.
“Nothing,” he mumbled, moments after.
Noah gripped the collar tightly, and closed his eyes. His mind drifted into darkness. And finally an image came into view. A pack of part werewolves were speeding out of Antigo, heading towards…Vilas, the capital of the wolf community.
Noah’s eyes cracked open. Suddenly, the room felt too cold, the air sucked out of his chest.
“We’re in deep trouble, Emma. Big time.”
Chapter 6
“What do you mean? Why are we in trouble? And what the hell did you just do we the choker?”
Emma caught him staring at the ground vacantly, eyes narrowed to slits, and mind floating somewhere else. At her question, he snapped out of his reverie, and lifted his head, lean fingers running through his hair.
Casting one last dark look her way, he rose to his feet languidly, grabbed his jacket, and slid into it, zipping it close. Noah kept his head down. He simply ignored her growing perplexity, and strode to the front door.
“Where are you going? Noah!” Emma jerked him around, and caught him pursing his lips.
“I can’t,” he sighed, voice breaking, “I can’t tell you.”
Emma’s brows knitted in confusion. This was simply ridiculous. Incredibly furious at his perpetual silence and strange replies, she pressed her face into his face, teeth grinding, “If you’re going after the orphan wolf, Noah, then I’m coming with too.”
“No!” He lifted his head, expression tired. “Emma, you don’t understand. These wolves – they’re dangerous.”
“And still you plan to go after them alone?” Emma was bent on being relentless. As long as her unyielding demeanor helped draw Noah closer to the verge of taking her along, she was determined to exercise it.
“I know I can handle them.” This time his voice didn’t break. There was no hesitation, no uncertainty pooling his eyes - only a deathly cold gaze.
Emma took a step back, waving her arms rapidly in the air. “How can you be so sure? Besides, the orphan w
olf belongs to me, Noah. I found it! And I’m going to save it, no matter how perilous the task proves to be.”
“Why can you not understand!” Noah’s angry voice tore through her ears, but Emma didn’t care anymore. She wasn’t going to back out. Not now. Not ever.
“These are wolves, Emma. They can run a hundred times faster than you, fight fiercely and can simply brand you with one bite to shoot your soul right to the heavens. They are more lethal than even your wildest imaginations.”
“How do you know so much about them?”
A shadow passed Noah’s face, but Emma’s features remained unflinching. “I- I told you, I’m a wolf expert.”
“One can never find such stuff in library books, Noah.”
Emma caught sweat beading on his brows, and felt her stomach lurching.
“I’m not from around here. Antigo’s behind on research -”
“Who’s Light Flayer?”
Noah’s brows shot up, color rising in his face. “What?!”
“That part werewolf back there, he called you Light Flayer. And something about a Wolf Mage?” Emma paused to breathe. The silence around them was skin-piercing, awake and heavy, bearing hidden mysteries.
“Who are you Noah?” Emma’s voice was slow, and heavy.
Noah’s feet buckled under him. He sank to the floor, head bent low and leaning against the front door. His shiny black hair fell forward, covering his slick forehead. Emma waited, hands still on her hips, and throat dry with the argument.
In only a few moments, the atmosphere around the room had transformed. A grim feeling had slipped beneath their bones, tangled their minds, and slit their once passionate hearts into a million pieces. Suddenly, Noah was more than just a man she’d spent a lovely night with. Emma could sense his soul coursing through her limbs, meandering past her heart, and gripping her mind. She could hear his pulse beating; the unsteady lub-dubs intertwining with hers. He was within her.
