by Sarah Makela
Connor was one of the very few people who understood her, especially now that he knew of her number one secret, her abilities and Kira. Having an intimate relationship with anyone else would be impossible, but not with him, he held his own secrets. Still, the idea of mating intimidated her, and then there were the werewolves.
She wouldn’t put herself under their dominion. Her parents had run away from her own people for that reason when she was younger, so the idea of being under that kind of regulation didn’t sit well with her.
She ran her hands over his chest, massaging his deliciously firm muscles. She loved the feel of them. While he regularly worked out, he was a powerful werewolf with strength beyond what she’d probably witnessed.
He scooped her into his arms with his hands cupping her butt, switching their positions so she knelt over him while he sat on the couch. Nuzzling her neck, he slid his hands higher on her waist, kneading the stiff muscles of her back. His touch melted her bones and made her insides quiver.
Then again, she had her own tricks up her sleeve. Things she’d learned about him in the time they’ve been together because he was so transparent with her, letting her catch a glimpse of who he really was. She’d seen him with others, and his interactions were different with them as if what he felt for her was truly theirs.
Would he have ever told her about being a werewolf if things hadn’t gotten out of hand? She doubted it, but the fact she did know made everything that much more amazing. They trusted each other with their lives.
She trailed her fingertips toward his neck before caressing his throat and neck, then she dropped her hands to the buttons of his shirt. Moisture built between her legs and need overwhelmed her. Her body craved the feeling of his naked flesh against hers.
Connor nipped at her earlobe, sending chills down her spine. When she’d finished with his buttons, she stripped off the dress shirt. The sight of his delicious chest never ceased to amaze her. He tugged her shirt up as well then unhooked her bra.
She wiggled on his lap.
His cock hardened at the movement, and he fixed his gaze on her breasts. He gripped her waist, preventing her from gyrating too much. “What flavor of action do you want?” His breath came out harsh, and she loved his reactions. Loved she had such an effect on him.
She nibbled his neck. “I’m up for anything.” Slipping her hand down his stomach to his abs, she savored his increasing labored breaths. She cupped his thick cock through his pants. He tilted his head back, groaning. Desperation crept into that sexy utterance. Once she had his pants unfastened, she nudged them aside, revealing his shaft.
She stroked his hot length. If it weren’t for the fact his hands still clenched her hips, she would’ve slid between his thighs and taken him in her mouth. Instead, she enjoyed the velvety feel of him in her hand, but that wouldn’t be all. “Connor, I need more.”
“I do too. I need us together.”
From the look in his eyes, she understood what he meant, but he didn’t push mating on her. Not now at least. He released her, and she shimmied out of her shorts but not her panties. The frown on his face told her he wanted them off. Tsk, tsk…
“I’ll get rid of these in a bit.” She winked.
“Such a tease. Trying to keep me going, aren’t you?” Surprise widened his eyes as she knelt between his legs.
“Trying? Hardly. Looks to me you’re well on your way.” She slid her tongue along the underside of his cock from base to tip. When she reached the crown, she swirled her tongue over it tasting the delicious saltiness of his skin.
His breath hitched in his throat. “Point taken.”
* * *
Connor couldn’t tear his gaze from Angelique as she engulfed his shaft with her mouth. His riled beast clawed at him. Passion weakened his shaky self-control. If she didn’t stop soon, he’d be pinning her to the couch and claiming her fast and hard.
He leaned his head back against the couch, clenching his hands into fists at his sides. Right now, he was better keeping them there. Touching her silky smooth skin might drive him that much farther over the edge. She certainly wasn’t helping matters. The scent of her arousal sapped his strength.
She worked him with her mouth sucking, licking, and stroking him.
His breathing came out in harsher pants, and there would be no stopping him now. While he would try to be gentle with her, he needed to be inside her. No more delaying. She’d successfully weaved her erotic spell over him.
Humor danced in her eyes, but their gazes met and immediacy took its place. She climbed to her feet and then slid her panties off.
Clutching her arm, he pulled her off her feet, making her stumble on top of him. Magic vibrated from her like a cat’s purr.
They should use a condom, but if they didn’t, she’d come that much closer to being his mate. His scent would be with her. But he wouldn’t do that. There had to be honesty between them. Perhaps when they were in New York in a few days he’d take her somewhere nice and broach the subject then. He didn’t want to pressure her into mating with him, but he needed her in his life. They were running out of time.
“Connor,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
He cut off her words with a kiss. The beast wanted to claim his mate. His grip tightened on her arm, and he pulled her closer. No, he couldn’t. Within moments, they were in the bedroom.
His hands trembled as he ripped open a condom. If he didn’t act quickly, his beast would get the better of him. Already today, he’d almost lost control, and he wouldn’t do so again.
Angelique stared at him from half-closed eyes with her knees spreading slightly before closing again. She crooked her finger at him in a “come hither” gesture.
The condom was on, and he was on top of her before either knew what hit them. He pressed against her wet entrance, nudging his tip inside.
“Oh, Connor! Yes.” She arched into him, then wrapped her arms around his neck.
They stared into each other’s eyes as he eased himself the rest the way inside her. He let her adjust to his size and covered her lips with his, sliding his tongue over her lower lip. Without hesitation, she opened her mouth for him. Their tongues met, and he explored the moist cavern of her mouth.
He pulled out and then thrust his cock back into her, building up a steady pace. Pleasure drove him faster as did the gasping moans she made.
“Don’t stop.” Her nails bit into his back, and the slight pain flooded his system. She cried out, and her pussy clenched around his cock in waves.
Ecstasy crashed into him. Groaning, he clenched his fist into the blankets and spilled his seed, joining her in orgasm. Sweat mingled along their torsos, and he rested his forehead against her.
The low vibrations of a cat’s purr returned, and Angelique rolled her eyes, laughing.
Chapter Four
Angelique washed the dishes she and Connor had eaten from this morning. Last night completely turned around, and she was happy to have shared the night with him.
While she needed to go back to the office, she wasn’t exactly looking forward to it. Bruises marred her skin, but she couldn’t hide forever. She’d have to rejoin the workforce, instead of struggling to get her life back in order.
Ow. Pain tugged at her side from closing the dishwasher. She slid her hand beneath her shirt and touched the skin near the stitches. A shiver chased through her. If Kira were awake, she’d feel better, but her familiar was napping.
After last night, the big cat deserved a little peace and quiet. Besides, with going into the office, she preferred her familiar to sleep. Juggling work and Kira at the office could be a pain even when she was at full health, and she’d kept it together about her gifts for so long, the last thing she needed was for her coworkers to learn about Kira. She was in enough danger as it was.
Then again, how had Mahon received his information from Monica in the first place? With her gone, who’s to say he didn’t have another wolf giving him information now? Regardless, he was a
threat, and whether Connor or anyone else wanted to believe it, so was Monica.
He and she would probably be facing her again. Just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.
She used to fear becoming too close to anyone, then she fell in love with him—a wonderful thing—however, it put them both at risk.
Ugh, now wasn’t the time to dredge up those thoughts.
She needed to dress for work and organize her thoughts. Going back to the office injured was bad enough.
Someone knocked at the door, and she frowned. She wasn’t expecting anyone. Who was it? Monica? Mahon? A new menace to make her life hell? Fear still burrowed in her chest. She tried to shove it away, but the fact remained that she could’ve died last week. Yeesh.
With quiet footsteps, she approached the door. Connor had taught her a few self-defense tips, even against werewolves like himself. Hopefully she’d remember to use them when it counted.
She peeked through the window by the door, careful not to draw attention to herself. A woman Angelique had never seen before stood on her doorstep. The woman’s blonde, wavy hair flowed to her midback, and she wore a green T-shirt with a fairy and a pair of faded blue jeans. Her gaze remained on the door, then she glanced back at Angelique’s house number as if she might have the wrong house.
The woman seemed innocent enough, and there had been a few solicitors in the neighborhood. Perhaps she was trying to sell something. She would tell her she’s not interested, and that’d be it. She opened the door but kept the chain latched. “May I help you?”
“Angelique Trinette?” the woman asked. She trailed her gaze over her as if assessing her.
“Who is asking?” Suspicion flared into her chest. This didn’t feel right. Kira should be awake in case she needed her assistance. Maybe her familiar would extend her claws through Angelique’s hands again. Not that she wanted that to happen, but Kira’s claws worked well on Monica. However, this woman didn’t radiate energy as Connor’s ex did.
“Hi, I’m Ravenna Walsh. I need to talk with you.”
“What do you want? Never mind. I’m not interested.” Angelique started to close the door, but the woman held it open.
“You’ll want to talk to me. Please, trust me. I know what happened to you.”
Agitation turned to a palpable fear. No one should’ve known. Only Connor and his Pack. How would anyone find out, especially someone who didn’t seem to be a werewolf? Then again, she hadn’t been around very many werewolves. Until last week, she hadn’t even realized he was one.
Had it been because she didn’t know they existed, or was he that good at keeping his power under control? The only times she’d witnessed his wildness since she found out was when angry and during sex. She hated to admit it, but his feral side was incredibly sexy. Maybe it was the danger she liked.
Blinking, she couldn’t believe she’d gone there. Mind off sex and on the current situation! “Why would I want to talk to you?”
The woman at her door watched her. “Because, we’re kin.”
Angelique frowned. This woman had to be joking. She’d never laid eyes on Ravenna before, and she expected her to believe that? Okay, perhaps she hadn’t met all of her living family since most were still overseas presumably with her people.
“No, it’s not what you’re thinking. We’re not related. At least, I don’t think we are, but we’re similar in ability. That’s all I am comfortable saying here. Please, let me in to discuss this further.” She glanced over her shoulder as if someone would jump out and attack her, which wasn’t a distant possibility. “If you need proof, I can show you. I’d just prefer not to—out here, you know—where someone could see.”
As interesting as this was, she couldn’t be late for work. Not on her first day back. Her boss had been very patient with her. She needed to be there on time. “I’m sorry but come back later. This really isn’t a good time. I have to get ready for work.” Should she believe Ravenna? This sounded too convenient. No one had come to her in all the years she’d been gone. Why now?
“Could I talk while you’re getting ready?” Ravenna chewed on her lower lip.
She didn’t like pushy people, but who knew where this woman was from. If they were anything alike, she wondered why the woman was here. “Fine. But you can’t stay long.”
Ravenna nodded. “I won’t, I swear. Thank you.”
Angelique closed the door. For a moment, she considered locking the front door and going about getting dressed, but curiosity kicked in. She took the chain off, then let the woman inside. After the woman stepped inside, she secured the locks.
Connor had another one added, so the door had two deadbolts, a chain, and the doorknob lock. Although, after what the druid had done to the door at the hotel, she doubted this would hinder him. He simply decayed the wood, then shattered it. Shoot, she should have gotten a steel door to replace the old one. Why hadn’t she thought of that sooner?
Ravenna looked around her place, admiring the few remaining knickknacks she owned and took a seat on the couch. “Thank you again for having me. You have such a nice place.”
“Thanks. It used to be better, but you seem to know what happened, so tell me what you’ve heard.” She couldn’t shake her disbelief that Ravenna had heard about her when no one aside from the wolves should’ve known.
“I heard what happened from my father. He is something like a…shaman, if you will. He spoke of one of our kind being hurt. An evil man tied you to the bed in a small room. This man tortured you with big ants, and when you wouldn’t freely give your pet, he tried to skin you alive on that side.” Ravenna pointed to the side where Angelique’s scar was.
A cold shiver chased down her spine, and nausea roiled in her stomach. The idea of Ravenna’s father being a shaman didn’t surprise her, not after learning about werewolves and druids. Besides, there was something different about her own father. She just never learned what it was. “He…foresaw what happened?”
“We’re not sure. He’s not a psychic, but you know that since you’re familiar with our customs, right? A shaman doesn’t prophesy; he sees them when it’s necessary. But his vision was this past weekend. When did the attack occur?” Ravenna looked uncomfortable asking, which was nice, but she kept trailing her gaze to Angelique’s side.
She looked away from the woman and walked into the kitchen to pour another cup of orange juice. “The attack was a week ago.”
“So his vision was afterward.” A stool scraped against the hardwood floor of the kitchen, and she turned to see the woman seated at the kitchen island.
“Yes, coffee or orange juice?” She took a sip of juice, not wanting to prolong this discussion. The clock was ticking. If Ravenna had a point, she needed to get on with it.
“No, thanks. I wanted to let you know you’re not alone in this. You have people in the community that care. I’d like to help in whatever way I can.” The look on her face was of such honest sincerity that she believed her.
“What’s your tattoo of?” Angelique couldn’t help her curiosity. She hadn’t met many others of her kind. The only ones had been when she was younger. Her parents had taken her and left the community before she was five, so she didn’t have much recollection. Unfortunately she also didn’t know much about their customs. With her parents dead and no siblings, she felt so isolated from her heritage.
“Oh, right.” Ravenna slid her T-shirt up to expose her flat stomach, and a large raven spread its wings on her stomach. The raven watched her with its large black beady eyes, and it cocked its head to the side, cawing.
The moment the bird made the noise, Kira went from static tattoo to live wire. She climbed Angelique’s back to her shoulder, silky fur brushing along her body. Her familiar perched on her shoulder and stared at the bird, letting out a loud rumbling growl.
Cats and birds, cats and wolves. Heck, when would there be someone Kira wouldn’t see as a foe? She sent another calming thought to Kira.
Kira�
��s growl subsided, but the big cat stayed on edge, ready to pounce.
Not like Angelique thought Kira could pounce through her skin, but an ugly thought came to her. If Kira pounced full force out of her skin, the damage would be intense. She didn’t want that to happen at any costs.
“It’s about time you left,” she said. “As I mentioned before, you’re welcome to come back later, but right now, I need to be getting ready for work.”
Ravenna nodded. “Thank you for your time. I’ll take you up on your offer. You might need my help with what’s to come.” She slid off the stool, then walked back into the living room.
Surprise held her in place. Her mouth dropped open. “Wait! What’s to come?”
The woman stood at the door with a sad smile on her face. “Pain.” She let herself out, closing the door behind her.
She ran to the door, wanting to more information. Not caring about her work anymore. Who would be hurt? When? Where? Maybe they could prevent the pain. When she flung the door open, Ravenna was gone.
Taking a couple steps outside, she scanned the neighborhood, but no one was around. She glanced into the sky for the hell of it to see if the woman flew away.
* * *
People milled around the café on the bottom floor of Connor’s office building grabbing lunch. Several talked with coworkers, some of whom he recognized. He’d escaped a little early, needing to catch his breath after the day he’d had. His boss needed to calm down with planning the upcoming trip to meet the clients.
He picked up his rare roast beef sandwich, ready to bite into it when his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Reluctantly, he set down his sandwich. With today Angel’s first day back at work, he wanted to make himself available if she needed to talk. This was around her lunchtime too.
Instead of Angelique, Dave’s number popped up on the screen. They’d last talked last week. Typically they kept in better contact, but Dave understood his need for space from the Pack as Connor worked toward solidifying his relationship with her. Besides, she needed him.
