by Kimber White
My nipples peaked beneath the thin cotton of my shirt, and Tucker tweaked one between his fingers before letting me go. His eyes flashed with desire, but we had an audience. Reed, Mal, and Barrett sat around the table. Tucker pulled me down so I sat on his lap. I tried to pull away, confused by my deepening arousal at having witnesses to Tucker’s bold display.
“Tucker,” I said, demurring when he nipped at my neck. “Let me clean this mess up. It’ll just take me a second.”
He snapped his teeth together, sending a ripple of desire through me. I stood on shaky legs, and leaned over to grab the last pot off the table. My eyes met Mal’s. Where Tucker’s were silver, Mal’s burned gold but with the same naked passion. I shuddered at how my body responded. Heat grew between my legs.
Tucker had been right about everything. My new sexual awakening started to become something I could control. And still, I felt a building need to be sated. I could keep it at bay for a little while, but soon I’d need Tucker, and badly. If it wasn’t safe for any of us to leave this small cabin, there was a very real possibility the rest of the pack would be in for a show. And I realized, with shocking clarity, how much that thought turned me on.
You belong to all of us now.
My heart thundered behind my rib cage as I excused myself and set the dirty dishes in the sink. I turned on the water full blast to try and drown out the sound of my own breathing and the way my blood roared in my ears.
Even as I did it, I knew it was futile. I stood less than ten feet away from four full-blooded werewolves already attuned to my emotions through my bond with their alpha. Their connection to me is what saved my life. Had they not sensed my fear, they wouldn’t have come running the moment Asher’s pack surrounded me.
I threw a weak smile back to Tucker as I finished rinsing the dishes. He shot a look to the others. The three of them moved in unison, reading their leader’s unspoken signal. Tucker leaned back in his chair and turned his eyes back to me as Reed, Barrett, and Mal filed out the door. I knew they wouldn’t go far, and that comforted me.
“Neve,” Tucker said. “Shut the water off. Let’s talk.”
I dried my hands off on a towel and came to him. He put his hands on my hips again, guiding me down to sit on his lap. He smoothed my hair back and kissed me.
“You don’t have to be afraid of what you’re feeling,” he said.
In that moment, his ability to nearly read my mind pissed me off, even though it also kept me from disaster. “Isn’t there a temporary off switch for that?” I scowled.
Tucker smiled, flashing his perfect, white teeth. There was no trace of the deadly fangs he’d used to protect me. “Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you are right now? All indignant and mad at me. God, the heat you’re throwing off is going to be the death of me.”
“Is that what it is?” I asked. “Heat? Pheromones? Tucker, it makes me want to do things but it scares me a little.”
His smiled softened. “You’re safe with me, Neve. I swear on my life. And you’re safe with the rest of the pack. And everything you’re feeling is natural. Don’t be afraid of it. You’re not in heat. Not the way you think.”
A deep blush warmed my cheeks. “So you mean I’m just unbelievably horny?”
The rich timbre of his laugh vibrated through me, sending a flare of warmth straight through my core.
“Yes,” he finally answered. “And I mean to keep you that way for as long as I can.” He squeezed my ass, and I landed a playful swat against his shoulder.
“You said mating and fucking were two different things. What did you mean?”
Tucker moved his hands from my hips and slid them up my shirt again. It was intensely erotic and somehow natural, the way he needed to constantly touch me, his fingers finding my pebbled nipples. God, would this insatiable wanting ever stop? I had to concentrate hard to keep myself still, because the need to grind on him was almost overwhelming. But, I was determined to get control of it.
“You bear my mark. It means I’ve claimed you as my mate. Someday, as the bond grows, if I mark you again and again, you may come into a real heat. If that happens, if we couple at just the right time, you may be able to get pregnant.”
My heart fluttered with a mixture of panic and excitement. I wasn’t ready for that.
“Let’s cross that bridge if and when we come to it, okay?” Tucker said, once again reading my emotions clearly.
“Would our children be like you?” I asked, frightened but deeply curious.
Tucker’s face hardened. He focused on a point over my shoulder, and for a moment he seemed lost to me. As if his thoughts had wandered to some dark place. I touched his cheek and brought him back to me.
“They might be were, or they might be human. Or my seed might not take root at all.”
For as much as Tucker could read my emotions, I was beginning to read his as well. “It’s important,” I said. “You need to sire more weres, don’t you?”
His eyes drifted, his thoughts threatened to take him to that dark place again. But I took his chin between my fingers, and tilted his head back up to look at me. He pulled his hand away from my breast and touched my face as well.
“Yes,” he said. “It’s important. But we have time. A long time before you might come into a full heat. And even then, you can choose whether you want to try. I meant what I said, that you never have to fear anyone forcing you into anything you’re not ready for.”
I kissed him then, going slow at first. I wanted him. It had been hours since I’d had him inside me. It meant I was starting to control the intense arousal I felt around him. But right now, I just wanted to quench it.
Tucker pulled away first. The pain of denial made his eyes flicker. For an instant, I saw his wolf’s eyes flash bright. But Tucker shut them tight and when he opened them, the wolf was gone.
“I have to leave for a little while, baby. I’m sorry. It can’t wait.”
My heart sank as my sex throbbed. “Now? You’re killing me.” I leaned forward and kissed the column of his throat. He swallowed hard, his Adam ’s apple bobbed, and I pressed my tongue against the strong pulse beat beneath his jaw. Tucker groaned and it sent a new flash of heat that settled between my legs.
“Have to,” he said, clearly struggling to get the words out. Then he put a firm grip on my shoulders, and pulled me away from him. I couldn’t help but smile as I saw the wolf flash in his eyes again before he got it under control.
“You are going to be the death of me, woman,” he said. “But no. Now that we’ve got Jake more or less stabilized, Mal and I need to do a sweep of the forest. I probably should have left a couple of hours ago, but I wanted to make sure you and Jake were safe.”
“How long will you be gone?”
A tortured look came into Tucker’s eyes, and I knew right away I was going to hate his answer. “We need to make sure they’re gone. We need to hunt for the pack. And we need to take care of Asher’s dead. We may be enemies, but I won’t leave another were out there to rot. He needs a proper burial. Jake’s out of commission for at least a couple of days. Reed and Barrett need to stay here for you.”
“How long, Tucker?” I fought the rising panic in my voice. It wasn’t me. It was this new bond we shared. The idea of being apart from him for more than even an hour or two made me feel physically sick.
“A day,” he said. “Two at the most.”
With shaking legs, I squirmed off his lap and walked to the center of the cabin. I took deep breaths, trying to still my pounding heart. What was wrong with me? The idea of not having Tucker within touching distance had me reeling. I wasn’t this girl. I wasn’t this needy.
“It won’t be as bad as you think,” Tucker said. He came behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. “You have a new survival instinct kicking in. Your body wants to stay close to mine. Your head will figure out how to deal. It’s okay. I won’t be so far away that you won’t be able to feel me.”
I turned to face him. He placed a
hand over my heart, and I knew at once what he meant. Tucker’s heart and mine were fused. They beat together and for each other. As long as I could still feel him in my blood, I could bear the separation.
“Two days,” I said. “More than that and I’m going to call the dog warden on your ass.”
He gave me a sheepish smile and swatted me on the ass again. I rose on my tiptoes to kiss him. There was movement at the doorway. We weren’t alone anymore.
Mal’s imposing figure filled the door frame. He kept a respectable distance but the urgency in his eyes was clear. Tucker gave me one last look and I smiled and nodded. It was going to hurt like hell not to have him sleeping beside me tonight, but he and Mal had to act for the good of the pack.
Reed and Barrett entered the cabin and I followed Tucker out. “Be careful,” I said, giving him one last hug.
Mal stood away from us. He’d been doing that from the moment Tucker brought me into the pack. If his look wasn’t openly hostile, it definitely wasn’t warm like the others. It bothered me. Mal had risked his life to save me as much, or more than, all of them. In fact, he’d perhaps put himself at the most risk, because he’d killed one of Asher’s pack rather than let him get to me. And he was Tucker’s second. I knew I’d need to find a way to coexist with him.
I stepped around Tucker and went to Mal. He narrowed his eyes at me and gave a quick look to Tucker, then turned back to me.
“Thank you,” I said. I placed a hand on his forearm. Mal stiffened but the heat coming off of him was undeniable. For the briefest of moments, I felt his heart beat quicken and mine matched his. Then Tucker stepped closer and it was his that filled me again from the inside out.
“What you did to save me,” I continued. “To save the pack. I know it puts you at risk now. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Before Mal could say anything borderline mean, I raised myself on my tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek. Or at least, that’s what I meant to do. He turned toward me at the last second and my lips brushed against his. It happened so quickly. He caught my bottom lip with his teeth and held it there for just an instant. It startled me like an electric charge, making my blood simmer.
I pulled away and took a step back. Then another. I went to Tucker and let him fold his arms around me again. He kissed the top of my head.
“You’re welcome,” Mal said. A hint of a smirk played at the corners of his mouth, and the golden eyes of his wolf shimmered. Then he dropped to the ground and shifted with almost violent speed, and his shirt and jeans fell to the ground in tatters. Mal snapped his massive jaw once, clicking his teeth together. Then he took a great leap and disappeared into the tree line.
Tucker shook his head. “Such a fucking show off.” He stepped away from me, pulling his shirt over his head. Then he kicked off his jeans and shifted just as quickly. He nudged me with his great, silver head, laying his ears flat against it. I ran my hand over the length of his strong back, my fingers disappearing into the dense fur, soft as sable. Tucker turned and ran his broad, flat tongue up my cheek, leaving a trail of slobber.
“Ugh,” I said. I pushed him away, and he too nipped the air in front of me. “Two days. Dog warden.”
Then Tucker turned and launched himself into the woods after Mal.
Chapter Eighteen
As soon as Tucker and Mal were gone, I walked to the back bedroom to check on Jake. He stirred when I walked in, and tried to raise his head. Pain made deep lines in his face, and he sucked his breath in through his teeth.
“Shh,” I said, placing a fresh, cool cloth on his head. His skin was on fire. I worried about a fever, but Tucker swore this heat was a perfectly normal part of Jake’s accelerated healing process. I had my doubts, so I carefully lifted the sheet away from his chest so I could get a better look at his shoulder.
“Don’t try to sit up,” I warned Jake. He gave me a grin and settled his head back against the pillow. An unruly cowlick mussed his hair, giving him a boyish quality. I smoothed his thick, blond locks away from his face and lifted the corner of the bandage on his shoulder. What I saw made me gasp.
“It’s okay,” Jake said. “It doesn’t hurt even half as much as it did.”
I nodded. I could see why. Just a few hours ago, the flesh at his shoulder had been torn clean off, leaving a gaping, jagged hole in his flesh. He’d lost so much blood, I didn’t believe he was going to survive the hour. But now, his flesh had already knitted itself back together, leaving shiny pink skin behind. He was still badly weakened from the loss of blood, and Tucker said the only cure for that was time, rest, and a hell of a lot of protein. He and Mal were hoping to bring back a deer or other big game to satisfy him.
“It’s just amazing,” I said, bandaging his shoulder again. “Jake, I’m so grateful. I would have died if you hadn’t put yourself between me and Asher’s man.”
Jake smiled, and took my hand in his. He raised it to his lips and kissed my knuckles. I smoothed his hair back again. and leaned down to kiss him. I meant for there to be nothing in the gesture but affection and gratitude, but when my lips touched his, I felt something not unlike the spark that passed between me and Mal. It was different, though, and I knew it was because Jake was a different kind of wolf. He comforted me. With Mal, there was something dark and dangerous about him, like I knew he would act on me like some powerful drug that would in the end be bad for me. Jake felt safe.
Still, my lips lingered on his longer than I meant and that same feeling of arousal and confusion filled me. I leaned back and held my breath. I waited for it. It took just a second or two, and then I could feel Tucker’s steady heartbeat. He wasn’t far. He was still with me.
“I’m sorry we let them get that close to you,” Jake said. “It never should have happened. Tucker didn’t think Ash would be bold enough to cross over onto our lands.”
I folded my hands in my lap. “He’s never done that before?”
Jake shook his head. “No. Not like this.”
“It’s going to get worse before it gets better, isn’t it?” I met Jake’s eyes. His were different than Tucker’s. They were the palest blue, his were almost translucent. They were rimmed in black, just like a Husky’s. The comparison made me smile.
“It might,” he finally answered. “But I trust Tucker to do what’s right for the pack. That includes you. You don’t have to be scared.”
Strangely, I wasn’t. Tucker’s tie calmed me. And I’d seen how lethal his pack . . . my pack could be in defense of me. I did feel safe and protected, even though I knew with Tucker and Mal out there, anything could happen.
“They know how to take care of themselves,” Jake said, and I wondered if he could read my thoughts, just like Tucker could.
“Shh,” I said again. “No more talking. You need to sleep. I like how your shoulder looks, but I don’t like your color yet. Until you get more sleep and food in you, you don’t leave this bed.”
Jake laughed. “You sound just like him in female form,” he said. “I think Tucker chose very wisely, Neve.”
I put my fingers on his forehead and pushed his head gently back against the pillow. “Go to sleep.”
He smiled again, but his eyes were already closed. I didn’t even make it to the door before he was snoring again. Another thing about werewolves I was learning. There was no medium button to anything they did. They slept hard and ate hard. And fucked hard. A shiver went through me as the memory of my last coupling with Tucker filled my thoughts. I shrugged it off, and went back out into the front room.
Reed and Barrett were taking shifts. Reed was stretched out on the longest couch near the fireplace. Barrett was outside the door keeping watch. One of them had left a pillow and blanket on the other couch for me. Just like Tucker had said, the pack would always take care of me.
I was spent. I curled up on the couch and pulled the blankets to my chin. As much as Jake’s ability to fall asleep fast amused me, I was just as exhausted. I felt myself falling under within m
inutes.
I don’t know how long I slept before the dream came. I felt myself floating, my arms and legs spread wide. Heat coursed through me, settling between my thighs. I pumped the air searching for release. Tucker’s hands. Tucker’s mouth. They were everywhere. He used his fingers to open my sensitive folds just like a flower. Yes! I gasped and begged, feeling my juices run down my thighs, as I arched my back to receive him.
But he was always just out of reach. Just when I thought he was about to fill me, give me the pleasure I craved, he would move away, leaving me panting with unfulfilled need. I begged some more.
Tucker’s low laughter filled my head. He gathered me in his arms and kissed me, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. I felt myself bucking and writhing beneath him, desperate to get him inside me, but he stayed distant. The faraway, keening wail of a wolf’s howl jarred me awake.
It was full dark. I was still on the couch, but hopelessly tangled in the sheets. My sex throbbed with desire, to the point of near pain. I moaned from it. I slid my hand down across my stomach, dipping it under the waistband of my cotton panties. I was soaked through. My poor, throbbing clit was hard as a rock, my lips swollen and slick with my juices. I stroked myself but it wasn’t enough. Until Tucker came back, it would never be enough.
Then, a pair of gold eyes flashed in the dark, watching me from across the room.
Reed.
He was wide awake and watching me, sitting full upright. His own breath hitched and his wolf eyes flashed. My sex throbbed so hard, I thought I might die if I wasn’t sated. Reed let out a low growl. I knew instinctively he was keeping himself in check. His wolf eyes glinted, sending a new flare of heat through me.
I wanted him. I wanted all of them. Then Tucker’s words took on a more urgent, erotic meaning.
You belong to all of us.
Chapter Nineteen
Tucker’s words thundered through me. I didn’t understand it then. Except I did. It scared me. But that was only part of the truth. It thrilled me too. I hadn’t wanted to admit it to myself. I wasn’t that girl. I wasn’t some whore, ready to give herself to any man that came along. I loved Tucker. I needed Tucker.
