That feels so good!
He was lost in the sensation of her hand on his body when he heard her talking about how old he must be. Remus couldn’t help it, his beast laughed at the concern in her voice. Luckily, he didn’t seem to have scared her with the sound. Maddie was going to be quite surprised when she found out just how slowly his kind aged.
Confident she wasn’t afraid of him now, Remus turned over and licked her hand, then crawled up and licked her cheek. Maddie laughed and began rubbing his head. Encouraged, Remus crawled closer and put his head in her lap.
“Wolf, do you miss my grandfather?” Maddie began to scratch behind his ears while she talked to him. “I miss him so very much.”
Remus raised his head and looked into her eyes. He saw a loneliness there that nearly broke his heart. He wanted to erase the sadness from her eyes and give her as much happiness as he could. But first, he’d have to figure out a way to gain her confidence as a human. He had a feeling it would be difficult to get her to trust him this soon. Licking her cheek once more, he settled back down with his head on her lap, content to listen to the sound of her voice.
“Grandpa left me his house, wolf, so it looks like you and I’ll be neighbors now. I never thought I would get to see this place again.” As she continued speaking to Remus, she gazed around at the river and mountains.
“I feel a little silly talking to you, Wolfie.” She reached over and scratched behind Remus’s ear again. “I guess you must be wondering where I’ve been all this time.” Sighing, she pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.
“I’ve been away in a clinic, wolf. When I was little, I nearly drowned in a boating accident.” Glancing at Remus, she continued. “Something happened to me when I drowned, something nobody could explain. When I woke up in the hospital, I could do things I couldn’t do before, things with my mind.” Maddie wiped at her eyes and turned to look at the flowing river. “Whenever I get upset, objects fly around or explode. It freaked out my father and brother. But do you know the worse part, wolf?” She looked down at Remus as if expecting him to answer her. “It made them afraid of me.”
It shattered Remus’s heart to hear her pouring out her story.
“They let me come home for a while, but things kept happening and Daddy couldn’t take it. He let Dr. Constantine convince him to bring me to his clinic, and then he left me there in his care.” Her voice turned sarcastic. “The good doctor talked like he’d be able to find out what caused me to have the ability, and even possibly be able to stop it from happening in the future. At least that’s what he told my dad. He promised me he’d teach me how to control it.” She glanced at Remus and laughed. Her laughter had a sad sound to it. “His idea of controlling it was to give me pills, lots and lots of pills. It was awful, wolf. They made me feel horrible. I heard him tell Daddy that they were going to suppress my emotions since the incidents only happened when I reached an emotional state about something.” Sighing, she laid her cheek on top of Remus’s head.
“Sometimes I’d forget several days at a time. I couldn’t remember what I’d done or what had been done around me. It terrified me, wolf. I felt so out of control.”
Maddie laughed when Remus crawled up even closer and settled across her lap. Then she giggled when he reached up and licked underneath her chin. Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him tightly.
“I got tired of the clinic experimenting on me. I vowed that I’d do whatever I could to get released. He was never going to help me learn to control my gift. I knew I’d have to do it on my own if I ever wanted to be free.” Sighing, she sat back up and glanced back toward the house.
“My dad remarried and then stopped letting me come home for visits and pretty much stopped visiting me. His new wife wasn’t comfortable around me, and he just wanted to make her happy. I understood he just wanted to move forward with his life in my head, but my heart took a little longer to accept it. Even Grandpa stopped visiting me. Nobody ever told me why he stopped coming around.” Maddie jumped when Remus licked away the tear falling down her cheek. She smiled at him and ran her hand over his head.
“Then Daddy and his wife were killed in a car wreck, and Grandpa died shortly after that. My brother wouldn’t let me come home. He thought I’d be better off in the clinic with Dr. Constantine. I might have been stuck in that place forever if it wasn’t for a kind attorney who went to the courts on my behalf. Thanks to him, they had to let me go.”
Maddie smiled down at Remus, and he could sense she felt happy and safe. “I stayed with Michael, my brother, until yesterday. It took us some time to get my father’s will probated, and then I had the money to do whatever I wanted. Grandpa left me this house, so this is where I’ve come to live, wolf.” Frowning, she picked up a rock and threw it toward the river. “Michael wants me to stay in touch with Dr. Constantine, but I’m not gonna do it. They don’t know this, but I’m learning to control my gift on my own, wolf. Watch this.”
Maddie pointed to some rocks lying in the grass a few feet away. Remus’s eyes followed the path of her hand and focused on the rocks. All of a sudden, they slid across the grass about two feet. Shocked, Remus turned his head to look at her more closely. She grinned at him and really looked quite happy.
“See, wolf? I can control it myself. Of course, I admit, there are still times when being angry causes me to lose control, but that’s why I’m happy to live up here alone. At least I can be assured I won’t hurt anyone up here.”
With a wistful expression, Maddie stared up at the sky. “I have dreams, wolf, dreams of falling in love and getting married, of having children some day. But I’m realistic. I know it isn’t likely to happen. So, I’m determined to be happy here, enjoying the scenery and painting, and hopefully, having you as my best friend.” Maddie patted Remus’s head one more time and then pushed away to rise to her feet. He stood beside her, watching to see what she would do. He was elated to be with her, and longed for the time when he could tell her the truth about himself. He couldn’t believe she was starting to be able to control her gift. She’d clearly recovered more than anyone knew.
As she walked back toward the cabin, he fell into step beside her. Arriving back at her new home, Maddie opened the door. “Would you like to come inside with me? We could sit in front of the fire, spend some time together.” As much as he wanted to accept her offer, Remus preferred talking with her as a human. Yipping at her to offer his regrets, Remus raced off toward the woods. He wasn’t going to waste any more time. Maddie needed to make friends with Remus, the man.
* * * *
Maddie watched the wolf run away. She felt saddened that he didn’t want to stay with her.
“Well, I guess maybe he’s right. It could be a real problem with a full grown wolf in the house.” Laughing, she headed into the kitchen to fix some lunch and to get rid of her sweater. She had grown quite warm sitting in the sun.
After a quick sandwich and a glass of milk, Maddie took a book out to the front porch and settled into the swing for some afternoon reading.
* * * *
Maddie had been engrossed in her book for a while when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement down the hill. Looking up, she saw someone walking up the dirt and gravel drive. She recognized Remus Wind River, the man to whom her grandfather left all his land. She only met him once, at the reading of the will. Gosh, he was even better looking than she remembered.
Easily six and a half feet tall, he had broad shoulders and a very muscular body. His brown hair fell down his back, and he kept it pulled back with what looked to be leather ties. She’d never forgotten his eyes. They were the deepest blue she’d ever seen. Glancing up at the sky, she couldn’t help but notice they were almost the exact same color. Puzzled, she wondered where she’d seen eyes like that before.
Watching him walk toward the porch, Maddie realized just how handsome he really was. Suddenly embarrassed by how she kept staring at him, she felt her nipples hardening and moisture gatheri
ng between her legs. She might be an innocent, but she read enough romance books to know what her body wanted. It wanted Remus Wind River, and it wanted him badly.
As Remus walked up to the porch, he smiled and spoke to Maddie.
“Hello, Miss Barrows.”
“Good afternoon to you, Mr. Wind River.”
“So you do remember me.” Remus smiled and looked pleased.
“Yes, I remember you. What brings you to visit me today?” Maddie asked but already knew why he was there.
Remus flashed her a toothy smile. “Please, call me Remus.”
“All right, Remus. You may call me Maddie.” Maddie smiled. “Let me guess, you’re here because my overprotective brother wants you to check up on me.”
Laughing up at her, Remus replied, “Well, he did give me the perfect excuse to come up here and see you, but I’d have found a reason to stop by anyway.”
“Now why would you be wanting to stop by here?” Maddie asked, puzzled.
“I find you very attractive, Maddie, and I’d like to get to know you better and to have you get to know me.”
“Now why would I want to do that?” Maddie asked before she could stop herself. She seemed to surprise Remus as much as she surprised herself.
“Maybe you’ll start thinking of me as attractive, and that I’m someone you want to spend more time with.”
Chapter 2
Maddie blushed and looked away.
“May I join you?” Remus asked. He gave her an amused smile, making her think he was enjoying her embarrassment.
After she shyly nodded her consent, he came and sat next to her in the swing, directly in the middle, with his thigh touching hers. Maddie froze. She had no real experience with men. She could feel her face blushing furiously, and she struggled for something to say.
“You don’t have to be afraid of me, Maddie. I’d never hurt you,” he said after he chuckled. His voice stayed low, his tone soothing.
Maddie looked into his deep blue eyes and heard her grandfather’s voice in her head again.
This wolf will never hurt you, and he will always protect you.
“How about I tell you a little about myself so you’ll be more comfortable with me. Then you can tell me a little bit about you.”
Maddie looked into his eyes. “Okay,” she said hesitantly.
“Hmmm, let’s see. I have two brothers. Ethan is thirty-four, and Latan is thirty.” Remus smiled at her again. “In case you are wondering, I’m thirty-eight.
“Our mother passed away when we were little, and our father just a little over a year ago. None of us are married yet, but we’re all very hopeful.” At this, he gave her a wide smile. “We own a construction company and live together in our family home a few miles from here.”
Remus shifted on the seat, and then he continued, “I knew Victor and his wife, Eloise, for a long time. I was very fond of both of them. In fact, I thought of Victor like a second father to me.”
Suddenly worried, Maddie chewed her bottom lip and worked up her courage to ask Remus a question. “Did my grandfather ever talk to you about me or my family?”
Remus frowned and reached out to take her hands in his. His frown changed to a smile when she didn’t pull away from his touch.
“Victor told me about your accident and about your special, new gift,” he told her.
Horribly embarrassed by his admission, Maddie lowered her gaze. “Aren’t you afraid to be around me?”
Remus leaned over and kissed her lightly on the forehead, shocking her speechless.
“Does that feel like I’m afraid of you?”
“No,” she whispered.
Lowering his head further, he touched his lips to hers, then slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.
Maddie knew the way he was clutching her wrists so tightly in his hands, he’d be able to feel her pulse speed up. She panicked and pulled her hands free, then placed them on his chest to push him away.
“I’m sorry, but I really have some things I have to get done. I…um…I appreciate you stopping by, but as you can see, I’m doing fine. I’ll see you later.” She was up, off the swing, and in the house closing the door before Remus could say a word.
Maddie watched him walk away from behind the safety of the curtained window, her heart pounding, her nipples so hard they were painful, and her panties soaked.
“Oh, Grandpa, what have you gotten me into?”
* * * *
When Maddie didn’t immediately try and pull away from his kiss, Remus folded his arms around her, pulled her close and slid his tongue into her mouth.
Oh Maddie, you taste so sweet, little one. I can’t believe how good you feel. God, I want to taste you all over.
Remus was so caught up in the kiss, he didn’t realize his little mate was trying to get away. When he became aware of her hands on his chest pushing against him, he raised his head and looked down. He was stunned when Maddie pushed him firmly back and jumped up from the swing. His blood was still racing from his unfulfilled desire while she rambled on about having other things to do and that she’d see him later. He could hardly believe it when the door to the cabin closed with her on the inside and him still on the porch.
Damn, I pushed too hard and too fast. I must have scared her. I’ve got to come up with a better plan for her to get to know me.
He chuckled and shook his head. “I’ll let you get away this time, little one, but I’ll be back.”
* * * *
Remus arrived back at his home and walked in the front door to find Nanita sitting in the living room with his brothers. They didn’t look happy.
“Remus, I’m so glad you’re back. These two wouldn’t tell me where you were.”
The young woman jumped up from the couch and began to walk toward Remus with her arms spread wide as if to embrace him. Quickly, he backed away, growling a quick warning. “Not true, Nanita,” Ethan said. “We told you we didn’t know where he was, and it was the truth.” He looked annoyed as he responded to her accusation.
“Well, no matter now because he’s here. Remus, please, can I talk to you alone, maybe in the kitchen?” She looked like she couldn’t wait to get him alone.
“Absolutely not, Nanita. My brothers have to remain with us. You know it’s improper for an unmated female to be alone with an unmated male. What’s so important that we’d need to talk privately?”
Nanita moved even closer to Remus, who erupted in another warning growl. She stared at him with a hint of fear and didn’t come any closer.
“Well, I was thinking about the annual picnic in two weeks and remembered you don’t have a mate to help you with pack gatherings. I wanted to offer my services to plan it for you and help you get it set up.”
She smiled at him coyly and put her hand on his arm.
“Thank you for your offer, Nanita, but the picnic’s already been planned. There’s nothing for you to do.” Firmly, Remus removed her hand from his arm.
He could tell Nanita was becoming angry but was trying very hard not to show it.
“Well, if you ever need someone to fill in for an Alpha’s duties, please remember I’m always available, at least until you decide on a mate, of course. I am the highest ranked unmated female in the pack.”
Remus nodded to his brothers and sent them a telepathic message.
Get her out of here now.
Wolf shifters were born with the ability to communicate mind-to-mind with their blood family members, and as Alpha, he could send his thoughts to any of the wolves in his pack. After they were mated, he would be able to send and receive thoughts from Maddie.
He watched as they each walked over and took one of Nanita’s arms to escort her out. After closing the door behind her, Latan glanced over at Remus.
“Mate fast, Remus, or you’re going to have female troubles the likes of which you’ve never seen.”
Both brothers laughed when he grimaced. Remus understood his brothers’ worries, b
ut there was no way he’d rush Maddie again. He wouldn’t mate with her without her consent and without her knowing all there was to know about him. He promised to let her fall in love with him before he mated with her, but he was beginning to want that love for more personal reasons. Reasons he didn’t want to share with his brothers.
* * * *
Maddie was lying back in the grass, asleep in the sunshine. She slowly awakened to tiny nibbles on her lips. She brushed her fingers around her mouth, thinking to shoo away some insect, but the nibbles continued.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and gazed into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. Remus! What was he doing here?
Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her. Lightly, he ran his tongue along the seam of her closed lips, begging for entry. Maddie sighed and he took advantage, slipping his tongue into the depths of her mouth, causing her to groan deep in her chest.
Pulling her closer and lying partially across her body, Remus ravaged her mouth with his tongue, running it over every surface. At the same time, his hands caressed her shoulders and ran up and down her back. Shyly, Maddie placed her hands on his chest. She could feel the springy hair below the thin cotton of his shirt.
Remus pulled from the kiss to run his lips along her jaw and down to the hollow of her throat. He slowly brought his hand around to gently cup her breast. Maddie gasped, and Remus covered her mouth with his as he firmly squeezed. When Maddie arched into his touch, Remus brought his fingers quickly to the buttons of her blouse.
Shocked awake by the ringing of her telephone, Maddie was shaking all over from the intensity of her dream.
Oh, why did I have to wake up before we got to the good stuff? Maddie snorted. Not that I know anything about the good stuff.
Reaching over, she picked up the phone, not bothering to check the identity of the caller before she answered. “Hello?”
“Hey, baby sister, how are things back in Wyoming?”
Discovering Their Wolfen Heritage Page 3
