Heart of a Wolf

by K. D. Friedrich

  He walked her backward until her legs hit the bed. She tumbled down onto the mattress with a bounce, leaned up on her elbows with a sexy stare, and ogled him. Her eyes lowered, stopping on his hard cock that now tented the front of his sweatpants.

  He flashed a quick grin.

  How could he not smile, when his mate stared at him with such desire?

  "You're gorgeous and big," she blurted. Her cheeks suddenly blushed. "Goddess, did I just say that." She fell back on the bed and covered her eyes

  He didn't laugh at her. Instead, he lowered his pants, fisted his rock-hard cock, and pumped, getting her attention in an instant.

  "I've never seen a woman more beautiful." Absolute truth, in all his life, he'd never been stunned by a woman until Winter. She took his breath away. She made him harder than a damn diamond.

  She quickly brushed off her embarrassment. Her eyes locked on his hand, which continued to slide up and down his shaft. "Why are you just standing there with your cock in your hand?" She licked her lips. She scooted back. "Let someone else enjoy that bad boy."

  "Take it off, Winter. Everything. Let me see my female."

  She revealed herself with a quick lowering of her jumpsuit's zipper. She could have used magic to shed her clothes, but Winter wasn't the type to take the easy route. She played to his need for seduction and he loved her for it.

  One supple, round shoulder slid free and then the other. Slowly, the material parted, revealing her lace-covered breasts.

  "So fucking sexy. You've been hiding this enticing lace the whole damn night, haven't you? What else do you have hidden under there for me?" She quickly pulled away the rest of the jumpsuit, leaving her in nothing but her bra and of all things, a thong and garter. "Sweet Goddess have mercy, I've died and gone to heaven." She giggled. His gaze rolled over her slow, memorizing every inch of her perfect curves.

  He flashed his fangs as he watched her get up on her hands and knees in order to toss her jumpsuit to the side of the bed. Her breasts jiggled with the shift. Her ass…damn her ass lifted in the air, beckoning him to cage her beneath him and drive his cock home.

  Within, his wolf stalked, starved for a taste of her. The animal was not as patient as the man. Tristan had to fight the beast's need to claim her constantly and he was battle weary. His powerful wolf slammed against the thinning wall of his control. He growled deep at the irresistible sight before him, the husky rumble inhuman…hungry.

  She glanced up and dared to grin at him.

  "Don't look at me like that," he warned.

  She smiled. "And how am I looking at you this time?"

  "Like you want me to sink my teeth in you and claim you."

  "Tristan…I…"

  He moved fast. She fell back on the bed with a slight bounce. He hovered over her now on all fours. The reflection of his glowing, pulsating irises danced over her features like the shadows of a raging fire.

  "Don't worry. I know you aren't ready for a claiming. Tonight, isn't about our future, Win. Tonight, we settle the past."

  Her lips were as soft as a rose petal, yet strong and confident. She demanded. He delivered. With her held tight in his arms, Tristan nestled his hips between her warm thighs with a satisfied groan. His erection rubbed against her core.

  "Jesus, I can scent how hot you are. You need this as much as I do. We need this." He drew his hips up and down, rubbing his hard cock over her lace-covered clit, the friction a tortured bliss he'd willingly suffer.

  Each of her pleasured moans hit him like a splash of gas on a flame making him burn. Drawing his sharp fang over her sensitive pulse, he teased her. Tempted her with what was to come. Her magic flared in response and so did his.

  "My wolf," she moaned.

  "Oh yeah, I'm yours, Win. Always have been, always will be."

  He sealed his promise with a dominating kiss that left no question that he belonged to her.

  In seconds, he tore away her bra and panties, leaving her bare, exposed to his appreciative gaze. Her perfect breasts, topped with tempting pink nipples, called to him to suck and play. Between her thighs, guarding her sweet pussy, he found a trimmed patch of soft honey-colored hair, glistening with the evidence of her desire for him. Taking a deep breath, he scented her need. He swore his dick hardened even more. He needed her. He'd die without her. She was everything.

  A sudden breeze swept in from the balcony doors they had left open in hast, and he welcomed the chill. In fact, the cool night air was a balm to the heat that threatened to burn him alive. His hands explored her, kneading her tits as he rolled her hard nipples between his fingers. Never had he known skin so soft, silken like the petals of wildflowers growing in the untamed woodlands.

  She writhed on the bed, arching her back, pressing her chest into his palms. So fucking responsive to each caress it made his cock weep in adoration.

  He moved his hand lower to find her slit wet with need. He speared through her plump pussy lips with his finger and toyed with her swollen clit. She was wet, soaked for him.

  Flashing a wicked grin, he scooted down only to have her stop him a moment before his tongue thought to breach her.

  "What are you doing?" He loved the breathlessness her heard in her voice.

  "I thought it would be obvious?"

  "But I want you…I don't want to wait…I need—"

  "I know what you need, and I plan to give it to you all night. Trust me."

  He swiped his tongue the length of her pussy, stopping at her tight little button. A growl rumbled in his chest the second her flavor exploded across his senses.

  She tasted of sweet musk tinged with citrus. Familiar and wild, fresh and clean like the forest back home. He let her moans guide him, discovering what made her feral with desire. He licked her again and again, short steady flicks, learning what she liked, relentless with his attention.

  Not one to leave anything unattended, his finger joined the fun, breaching her slit. He began to finger fuck her with gentle steady strokes while his lips wrapped around her clit and sucked. Slow and then hard. Slow and then hard.

  "Tristan, I can't take it…please."

  "You can." He growled. "You will."

  He increased the pace. Fucking her harder with his two fingers, knowing what would send her over the edge, he added a third digit, stretching her more, bringing her closer to coming. He wrapped his lips around her clit. He sucked hard. Suddenly, her pussy locked around his fingers and she started to come. She screamed out his name. Her cry was beautiful beyond belief. The sound almost made him lose his load all over the blanket beneath him like a damn pup with his first fuck.

  Intense power rocketed through him.

  His.

  Hers.

  It made no difference. All that mattered was he finally had his mate in his arms.

  "Tristan." She gasped.

  Still lost in her orgasm, he positioned himself over her entrance and thrust himself deep.

  Their gazes locked. "Jesus, you're like a fist wrapped around me. Hold onto me, Win. Hold on"

  "Goddess, it feels good." Her lips brushed over his pulse on the side of his throat and painted kisses over his shoulder. She nipped and licked, trapped his skin between her teeth as his hips moved faster.

  "I'm not going to last if you keep playing those little teeth over my shoulder," he warned. His warning did little to deter her. In fact, she bit him harder. He growled. "You want to play. Let's play." He pulled out, ignoring her whimper at his retreat, and gave her an order. "Get on your hands and knees." She did as he asked without argument. Presenting her body to him the way a shifter female did during a claiming. "So fucking pretty."

  His voice lowered to an inhuman rasp. Proof his wolf rode the edge of his control. He forced the wolf back. This was his claiming. He had waited too long to rush such pleasure.

  With appreciation, he caressed the soft globes of her fine ass. He positioned himself behind her, nestled his shaft between her soft thighs, and rocked between them, savoring the hot co
mfort of her wet lips.

  Humans wondered what heaven was like. He didn't have to. Paradise knelt before him.

  Careful not to breech her yet, he coated his length with her sweet honey. She wiggled her hips trying to make him slip inside.

  "Naughty little witch." He gave her a light slap on her left cheek. "Not yet."

  "Please, Tristan." Her throaty plea undid his control.

  "Mine," he growled before he sank his cock into heaven. He pulled out, leaving only the head of his shaft inside, and then slammed into her. His balls slapped her pussy. Crying out, Winter threw her head back.

  "I've been waiting for this view for ten fucking years. Beautiful. Mine."

  His hands roamed over her hips and under, across her belly, until he reached her swaying breasts. Leaned over her, he toyed with her nipples, matching each deep short plunge, with each pull of her hard tips.

  She was close. Her channel was tightening around his cock. He neared his own release too. A few more thrusts and he'd be filling her with his seed.

  "That's it. Take what you need from me." His hands left her breasts and returned to her hips. He guided her, making her take him deeper, faster.

  "Tristan, I'm…"

  "Yeah, baby, come for me…come for me."

  She did as he demanded and exploded. Her magic shot into him, his magic responded, locking around her energy, blending, merging. She threw her head back and shouted out his name. Within him the wolf fought to claim. His canines lengthened. Ready to sink into her shoulder and complete the next step of the bond.

  No damn it, she's not ready. He snarled at the wolf.

  He roared out his release, jerking up into her with one last hard thrust, bathing her pussy with his seed. She collapsed on the bed, her hair covering her face like a shroud.

  Tristan fell beside her, pulled her against him, and held her.

  Breathless, they clung to each other, refusing to let go.

  Chapter 23

  Dawn speared through the balcony doors of their hotel room. Tristan hadn't ripped his gaze away from Winter all night. Instead, he lay beside her, watching the hypnotic rise and fall of her chest as she slept.

  Gentle highlights sparkled in her hair, adding warmth to her dark–honey brown strands. He drew his gaze over the peak of her round shoulder, locking on the evidence of their passion. Dark marks ran a trail up her throat. He hadn't escaped unscathed either. A smile graced his face. His back had felt the sting of her nails more than once, and her sexy little nips left him littered with proof of her possession.

  He sat there, meditating to her gentle sighs, taking in the amazing beauty of his mate.

  His.

  He loved the way that sounded.

  Within, his wolf lay content for the first time since she walked out of their life. Over the years, the beast had been downright hostile.

  A sudden echo of her cell phone shattered his mate's peaceful slumber. Winter jerked her head up, turned toward the nightstand, snatched her phone, and hit talk as if she hadn't been lost in some deep sleep moments earlier.

  "Hey, what's going on?"

  She glanced up at him and grinned. She mouthed, "Hi…it's Levi." Her smile fell. "How is she? Is she okay?" He noticed her fingers tighten around the cell phone. A couple seconds of silence passed before she muttered, "Thank the Goddess. Wait, what?" Her brow narrowed. "Crap, I'll be there as soon as I can." She hit end on the screen. She jumped up from the mattress and hurried to her clothes lying in a heap on the floor. "I have to go."

  Tristan slipped from the bed. "What's the hurry?" He slid his hand up her hip. Lost in the soft feel of her skin, he kissed her shoulder. "From the way it sounded, your friend's doing better."

  "She is, but there's another complication I should have anticipated." She swirled her hand around her jumpsuit lying on the floor and the navy-colored garment lifted, disappeared for a split second, and reappeared on her body free of any wrinkles. "Her father is there."

  "Why is that a problem?"

  She glanced up at Tristan. "He's a member of the HRO."

  "Shit, you're kidding me right." Humanity's Righteous Order—or HRO—was a group of religious fanatics who hated the supernatural community. They wanted to end the coexistence and despised any mingling of the species.

  "Nope." Winter pulled her hair up into a messy bun. "He's a proud follower of those ignorant paranormal-hating nutjobs." She strapped on her weapon. Damn, she was sexy as hell. "And if we don't get to the hospital soon, your top guard is going to rip out his damn voice box." She hurried to the bathroom. He heard the sink turn on. He stepped up to the bathroom door. "Levi is trying to hold him back." She squeezed a wad of toothpaste on her toothbrush and started brushing her teeth.

  Grayson had a thing against humans to begin with. Put him in a room with one spewing hate and derogative terms and he was bound to go downright undomesticated. On second thought, maybe one less human tyrant wouldn't be so bad.

  After a few swooshes, she rinsed and then spit the water in the sink. "Now, Grayson is aiming his anger back at Levi. Levi said if we don't get their soon, he's going to end every one of the cat's nine lives."

  Tristan squeezed his way between her and the wall. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught her staring at his bare ass in the mirror as he stepped in the shower.

  "There's no time for a shower." Now she eyed his hardening cock. She licked her lips and it wept a bead of cum. He wanted her again. Right here. Right now, against the cool tiles. "There's no time for that either." She tossed some mouthwash in her mouth.

  "There is always time for that." He stroked his shaft. He chuckled at her frown. "Don't despair, Win. I take the quickest showers in history. Unless you'd like to join me, then I can't promise anything. With you, I like to take my time."

  She spit out the mouthwash, spun, and then glared at him. He smirked at her obvious annoyance. Beneath her irritation, he also found desire. He couldn't hold back a chuckle as he watched her. She looked adorable with a smidge of toothpaste on the corner of her perfect lips. He used his thumb to wipe off the spot of white paste. She quickly wiped off the rest with a facecloth. He cleaned off his finger on the towel she held.

  "Your top guard is about to murder a human you know and the tracker of a local pack." She perched her hands on her hips.

  She was right, but he turned on the shower anyway. The hot stream hit him like a heavenly answered prayer.

  "Levi looks like a wolf that can hold his own and I'm sure he'll stop Grayson from hurting the human." Not likely, he thought. He shampooed his hair and rinsed. "You still got a little something right there." He pointed at her chin. "Here let me help you with that." He pulled her in the shower with him.

  She sputtered as the water hit her. "Tristan MacGlenn, are you crazy?"

  "For you, absolutely."

  And he kissed her, because at that moment there was nothing he wanted more than another taste of her. She moaned in his mouth the second his tongue infiltrated the seal of her lips. She tasted like fresh mint and sexy woman.

  "We have to go," she breathed as his mouth trailed over her pulse. Her argument no longer sounded so sure. He nipped over the spot where he would claim her as his.

  The sound of Winter's cell phone ringing in the other room penetrated the sexual fog filling his mind. With a groan he released her. Not before pressing his lips to her forehead. He didn't want their wonderful night to end, but he knew they both had responsibilities. People counted on them and they couldn't let those people down.

  "Go on." He patted her ass as she stepped over the tub.

  "I'm soaking wet now," she complained without any true annoyance. Her phone went off again in the other room.

  "Go on. The real world awaits us."

  He watched her hurry into the other room. Quickly, he rinsed whatever soap remained on his body, hopped out of the tub, and with a wave of his hand, dried himself with a simple spell. Another flick of his wrist and he was dressed and ready to go.

  ***<
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  Snow had begun to fall at a steady pace, making the roads slick and traffic slowed to a crawl. Tristan spoke to his father on his cell, checking in on the happenings of his pack. All was well, from what Winter could determine based on the easygoing tone of Tristan's voice.

  He glanced over at her. Heat burned in his eyes. He flashed a wicked grin, bit his full bottom lip, and then returned to his present conversation. Winter had to admit, holding back a smile was near impossible, especially when he looked at her with such desire.

  Shaking her head, she brought her gaze back to the busy city street.

  Her night with Tristan had exceeded all her expectations, but as she knew from experience, bliss this wonderful didn't last. After all, the last time she felt this hopeful, a certain skanky she-wolf answered Tristan's door in a T-shirt and little else. The distant memory put an instant stop to her smile. Now frowning, she closed her eyes, leaned her forehead against the cold glass, and heaved a deep somber sigh.

  Tristan's conversation continued. Although, she didn't glance his way, she heard every word.

  "How are the trainees coming along?" Tristan grunted a few times as if the answer made him frustrated. "I don't know how long. There are things I need to tie up here." She felt his gaze on her again, but she didn't turn to him. To do so would reveal the sadness creeping behind her gaze. He didn't need to be subjected to any more sorrow. There was more than enough to go around. "I can send Grayson back if need be." She felt him shift in his seat. He chuckled though it lacked humor. "I doubt he would have left anyway." His voice grew serious. "I understand."

  Reality certainly was a bitch. She never seemed to let joy last for too long. Soon Tristan would leave her, and she'd have no choice but to let him go. He had to return to his people. Alphas didn't have the option to shirk their responsibilities. The longer his absence, the better chance tensions would erupt. Not to mention, he'd appear weak, one thing an alpha couldn't afford to let happen.

  Sure, she could return with him. Become the perfect alpha's mate. Yet, Winter wasn't ready to give up the life she loved. To do so would slowly break her. Being a guard gave her purpose, strength, and fulfillment. The second she stepped out onto the field with her comrades, she had found her calling. She refused to give it up. To do so would destroy her.