* * * * *
Rylee woke to the sensation of warm heat surrounding her. She opened her eyes to see it was no longer dark inside the tent. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled. Atticus lay on his side spooned against her back. He had his arm over her waist with his hand covering one of her breasts. A muscled leg was between hers. She lowered her head and snuggled deeper into his embrace. He didn’t stir.
She smiled again. He’d woken her during the early morning hours with his fingers playing her like a fine-tuned instrument. One thing was sure—Atticus gave the best oral sex she’d ever had in her life. He knew exactly how to touch her, to lick and gently nip to arouse her until all she thought about was coming.
And true to his word, even after she’d made him come, his cock had stayed hard. Like he was now. She felt the length of him pressed against her backside. Rylee knew he wanted to wait for her to get to know him better first, but she wanted all of him. The thought of pushing him to his back, straddling his hips as she impaled herself on his thick shaft made her pussy weep with need.
Rylee pushed her bottom against his cock. It twitched in response. Atticus’ hand tightened on her breast as he nuzzled her hair out of the way to kiss the back of her neck. “I have to say I like waking up with you in my arms,” he said in a sleepy voice.
“And I think I could get used to having my own human furnace warming me.” She rubbed against his erection again. “I could also get used to waking up to this every morning.”
Atticus made a soft animalistic growl, something he’d done a few times during the night. Instead of finding it freaky sounding, Rylee found it sexy as hell. She liked the thought of driving him so wild he made noises like that.
With a hand on her hip, he pressed her tight enough against him she couldn’t move. “I’d love more than anything than to indulge in what you’re blatantly offering, but the boys are awake.”
Rylee lifted her head and looked in the direction of the tent’s entrance. “Are you sure? I don’t hear anything.”
As if on cue, she saw a shadow appear at the side of the tent and then move to the front. She groaned when she heard Luc call her name.
“Rylee? Are you awake? We’re hungry and want some breakfast,” he said in the whiny tone he used on their mother.
“I’ll be out in a few minutes, but don’t expect much.”
“What’s the hold-up? You slept in your clothes like we did. I’m coming in.”
Before Luc could bend for the zippered flap, Atticus said in a loud voice, “You do, boy, and I’ll throw you out by the scruff of your neck like the pup you are.”
“Atticus?” Luc asked slowly.
“Yes. Go away. Your sister will come out when she’s ready.”
“Sorry. I didn’t know you were in there with her.”
Luc’s shadow disappeared as he walked away. Rylee giggled. “That should keep him quiet for a while. I swear I don’t know how my mother puts up with his whiny ways. Luc whines and she gives him whatever he wants. I’m glad I don’t live at home anymore.”
“He’ll grow out of it.”
“I doubt it. My mom spoils him rotten. I think she does it because she had a miscarriage between me and Luc.” She rolled out of Atticus’ arms and sat up. “I guess we’d better get out there. I’ll whip up some bacon and eggs on the camp stove for all of us.”
“I can help.”
Rylee watched Atticus sit up. Her gaze ran over his hard body, landing on his erection. God, she could spend an entire twenty-fours in bed with him and would still want more.
“You’re staring at me as if you’d like to have me for breakfast instead,” Atticus said.
She dragged her gaze up to his. “For breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
He cupped the back of her head and kissed her soundly. “After I make sure Marla has gone, we can sneak away to my campsite.”
“I’m all for that.”
Rylee pulled on her clothes from the day before. While Atticus went to take care of Marla, she’d hit the shower. Once he was dressed as well, she unzipped the tent’s flap and ducked to step outside. Looking up at the sky, she saw dark cloud masses were moving in. It figured the weatherman had gotten the forecast wrong. But it wasn’t all that surprising to see rainclouds. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d gone camping on the Victoria Day long weekend and had it rain. If it didn’t get too heavy she could stick it out.
She took the camp stove out of the van and brought it over to the picnic table. The three boys were already sitting there, watching her and Atticus, who had come up behind her. “I hope you guys like bacon and scrambled eggs, because that’s all I’m making.”
All three boys nodded, then Luc asked, “When did he show up? I thought you were done with him.”
Atticus put his arm around her waist and pulled her back so she leaned against his chest. “Your sister and I worked things out late last night after you were asleep.”
“So does that means you’re her boyfriend again?”
“Yes. And it also means you’ll be seeing more of me from here on out.”
“Great,” Luc said sarcastically.
After that, Rylee got the eggs and bacon from the electric cooler and started the breakfast. Once everyone had their fill, Atticus helped her wash the dishes in the small plastic tub she’d brought for just that job. Of course the three teenage boys didn’t offer to help.
Before Atticus left to go to his campsite, he pulled her aside and kissed her. Pulling away, he cupped her face in his hands. “Hopefully I won’t be too long.”
“Just as long as you come back.”
“I will. Since I want to take a shower and change my clothes as well, I shouldn’t take more than an hour. If I go over, come to my campsite and wait for me.”
She nodded. “All right.”
“See you in a bit then.”
Rylee watched Atticus walk away. She’d give him that hour and not a minute more. If she found Marla still at his campsite, she’d toss the bitch out on her ass. Atticus was hers and she wouldn’t give him up without a fight.
Chapter Five
Atticus hoped when he arrived at his campsite he would find Marla had been long gone. He ended up not being so lucky. The thorn in his side sat at the picnic table drinking Tim Horton’s coffee. A Timmy’s bag was on the tabletop along with another cup of coffee.
He walked over to Marla and glared down at her. “I thought I told you to leave once it was morning.”
Ignoring his statement, she said, “I drove into Elora and bought us breakfast.”
“You should have just kept on driving until you reached Toronto. I told you I don’t want you here.”
“And I told you,” she said as she stood, “I wasn’t going to let you go. I know you spent the night with your stupid mortal—her scent is all over you—but you mustn’t have claimed her as your mate yet, or you wouldn’t be here by yourself. Having second thoughts?”
“None. And I already ate. Rylee made me breakfast. You can take your coffee and food and leave.”
Marla’s face flushed red with anger and she growled low in her throat. “I’ll go straight to your father and tell him about your little mortal.”
Atticus growled back, crowding close so she had to look up at him. “Go ahead. He can’t stop me. Rylee is mine and I love her.”
“How can you love someone who is so beneath you? Werewolves are the superior race. We always will be.”
“It was easy to fall in love with Rylee. If that hadn’t been a possibility, my mating urge never would have kicked in. And that’s why it never did with you. You’re too bitchy for my taste.” Marla’s hand, fingers curled in a claw, went for his face. Atticus caught her wrist and squeezed until she whimpered. “Try that again and I’ll make you pay. Now are you willing to leave under your own volition, or do I have to haul you over my shoulder and take you to your car?”
She wrenched her wrist free of his grasp. “I’ll go, but I still think you’re lowering your stand
ards by taking a mortal as your mate. I wonder what your father will do when you bring her home. No one from our pack has ever bound themselves to one before.”
“Then it’s about time we brought in some new blood. Goodbye, Marla.”
Atticus calmly stood by as Marla gathered up the rest of the breakfast she’d bought and flounced out of his campsite. Once she disappeared up the road out of sight, he waited a good ten minutes to make sure she wouldn’t come back before he collected clean clothes and the things he’d need for a shower.
There wasn’t any doubt in his mind Marla would go straight to his father as soon as she got back to Toronto. Atticus had no idea what his reaction would be. It wasn’t as if he got to choose who his mate was. Not that he’d want anyone besides Rylee. And it was true, their pack did need some new blood in it. Once he became pack leader with Rylee at his side, the superiority complex most of his kind had when it came to mortals would end. They’d either accept her or they were more than welcome to go lone wolf.
* * * * *
Rylee managed to hit the women’s washroom at just the right time. There wasn’t anyone using the shower. She pounced on it before anyone else arrived. It didn’t take her long to wash her hair and body. By the time she shut off the water, she heard voices on the other side of the stall door. She dried herself and dressed in the clean clothes she’d brought with her before she stepped out into the washroom area. A quick pit stop at the sinks to brush her teeth, then she was on her way back to her campsite.
The three boys were where she’d left them, sitting at the picnic table. From the looks of it, none of them had changed their clothes. She put the things she carried in her tent and came back out with her comb.
Using her fingers to help untangle the knots in her damp hair, she said, “Aren’t you guys going to shower?”
Josh shook his head. “We’re camping, Rylee. That means you don’t shower and you wear the same clothes.”
“We’re going to be manly men,” Nick added.
She shook her head. “No, what you will be by the end of the weekend are stinky teenage boys.”
“A little man stink doesn’t hurt anyone,” Luc said.
“I beg to differ,” she said in return. “I’m telling you right now, if you three smell too bad, I’ll take you down to the Grand River and dunk each of you in the freezing cold water. I’m not making the trip back to Kitchener in the van while you stink me out.”
“What if it was Atticus? Would you dunk his ass in the river as well?”
She smiled. “It won’t come to that. Unlike you three, he’s gone to take a shower right now. I guess he doesn’t think it’s manly to reek like a pig.”
Finished combing out her hair, Rylee returned to her tent to put the comb back in her bag. While she did that, Luc ducked inside. She gave him a questioning look when she turned to look at him.
“Did you and Atticus really work things out last night?” he asked.
“Yeah, we did.”
“What about his other girlfriend? Is she gone?”
“She really wasn’t his girlfriend. More like a fling who didn’t want to let go. Along with showering, Atticus went to make sure she left.”
“Can you trust him? You just met him, Rylee. For all you know he could be a horn dog and is playing you both.”
“I trust him.”
“Are you absolutely certain you can? Some guys are like that, you know? They think with their dicks and not their brains.”
Rylee chuckled. “I’ve met a few men like that. Atticus isn’t one of them.”
“If it were me, I’d want to make sure. I know you think I’m a major pain in the ass sometimes, but you’re still my sister and I want to watch out for you.”
She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “You might be, but I still love you anyway. I’m just waiting for the day you grow up and stop being that pain in the ass. And thanks for looking out for me.”
“I just don’t want to see you hurt.” Luc hugged her back. “I guess I’ll go back outside. I can’t have Josh and Nick think I’m actually getting along with you or anything.”
Rylee laughed. “God forbid.”
After Luc left, what he’d said about trusting Atticus wouldn’t leave her head. Shit. Now she was second-guessing herself. Luc was right, she really hadn’t known Atticus long enough to judge whether he’d told the truth about booting Marla out of his campsite, or just feeding her a line of bullshit.
He’d said to give him an hour, but with the doubts she felt, Rylee wondered if it wouldn’t be a good idea to surprise him, go to his campsite and see if all was as he’d said. If Atticus was there alone, she’d tell him she’d missed him and couldn’t wait any longer to see him. And if he wasn’t there, and in the shower like he’d said, she’d just wait until he returned.
Rylee left her tent, zipping it closed behind her, and told the boys she’d be back later as she headed for the road in front of their campsite. As she walked, she thought of what she’d do if she did find Atticus with Marla. She’d probably kick him in the balls first, then slap the haughty bitch who was with him.
She hoped that wouldn’t be what she found when she arrived at Atticus’ campsite. She really did. Her feelings for him had grown stronger during the night. She’d never fallen for a guy so fast, or so hard, which left her wide open for him to easily hurt her. The few other boyfriends she’d had were nice while they lasted, but when they parted ways, it was amicable. Rylee was actually still friends with one of them. But with Atticus, it would be totally different. Her feelings were already too invested. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say she had started to fall in love with him. Having never been in love before, what she felt for him was too new to say for sure.
Rylee found Atticus’ campsite empty. No Atticus, and most importantly, no Marla in sight. Some of the worry she’d felt drained away. At least she hadn’t caught them in each other’s arms. Walking farther into the site, she looked at the tent, but couldn’t see any shadows or hear any sounds coming from it. He had to be showering.
Prepared to wait for him to return, Rylee headed for the picnic table to sit. Glancing at the line of trees that ringed one side of the campsite, she caught sight of someone standing inside them. Changing direction, she walked over to the edge of the site. She managed to see what looked to be the back of Marla as she ran deeper into the bush.
Not taking the time to think about what she was doing, Rylee went after the other woman. If Atticus had sent her on her way, Marla had no right to be hanging around spying on them. Working up into a good anger, Rylee pushed through the thick bush intent on finding the person who’d put her in such a foul mood.
Seeing brighter light up ahead, she worked her way there in as straight a line as the trees would permit. Rylee hadn’t seen a glimpse of Marla again, but she bet that was where she’d gone.
Just before she reached her destination, she heard the sound of a wolf howling very close to where she was. She quickly spun around. Her eyes widened when her gaze landed on the wolf a short distance from her. Its fur was a dark blonde color. It stared at her and curled its upper lip in a snarl as it growled deep from its throat. Where the hell had the wolf come from?
Rylee swallowed when it took a step toward her. She backed up, trying to keep the same distance apart, but her movement only caused the wolf to break into a lope. Spinning, she took off at a run, heading for the brighter light up ahead. Branches slapped her in the face and pulled at her hair while she ran. She didn’t stop for anything, and she didn’t dare look behind her to see where the wolf was.
Breaking through the trees, Rylee just about slammed into the barrier that marked the edge of the gorge. Nowhere left to go but back into the bush, she turned only to be brought up short at the sight of the wolf almost directly behind her. She backed up with her hands behind her until she hit the barrier.
She couldn’t hold back a shriek as the wolf bunched its back legs under it and lunged toward her.
; * * * * *
Atticus returned to his campsite a little later than he’d thought he would. He’d had to wait for the shower. Luckily there had only been one other person ahead of him. He hadn’t seen Rylee at the women’s, but really hadn’t expected to. There was another set of washrooms where his campsite was.
He walked into the site and took a deep breath to pick up the scents around him, mostly to make sure Marla’s remained old. Atticus smiled when he detected Rylee’s, which was fresh. Thinking maybe she was inside his tent, since he didn’t see her anywhere else, he crossed to it and unzipped the flap. His smile fell away when it turned up empty. Where could she have gone? Her scent wasn’t all that old. She had to be around somewhere.
Going back out, he went in search of her scent trail. His muscles clenched when he found it leading into the trees that bordered his campsite. What reason could Rylee have had to go into the bush? None he could think of.
Not liking this one bit, Atticus followed her scent trail. Some distance into the trees, he picked up another scent. If he’d been in his wolf form, his hackles would have been rising. Marla’s scent had mixed with Rylee’s.
The sound of a wolf’s howl coming from somewhere in front of him had Atticus shifting to wolf form as he took off at a run. More agile on four paws than two feet, he ran at a fast clip, never wavering from Rylee’s scent. Marla had gone way too far this time. And he knew it was her, he recognized her howl.
A shriek ripped through the trees. Atticus ran faster. He broke through the bush just in time to see Marla lunge at Rylee in her wolf form. To escape Marla’s sharp claws and teeth, his mate climbed over the barrier at the edge of the gorge. His stomach twisted at the sight of Rylee so close to it. One misstep and she’d fall to her death.
Before she could make another lunge at Rylee, Atticus slammed into Marla, forcing her back. Unlike the night before, she didn’t back down. If it was a fight she wanted, then it was a fight he’d give her. He’d also show her she didn’t stand a chance against him.
Using teeth and claws, they went at each other. Their growls and howls filled the air. Not risking the chance of being distracted by Rylee, and his need to make sure she was safe, he focused entirely on Marla. He didn’t hold anything back. He went for blood.
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