by Zena Wynn
Shayla shivered at the certainty she heard in his voice. Something had just happened. Something important, but she lacked the cognitive ability to decipher it. She was too tired. Shifting her head to a more comfortable position, she yawned and felt her body sink deeper into his. “Where are we?” She yawned again and felt her eyes closing.
He raised his head and looked around, the movement jostling her, and she grumbled until he settled back down. “Playground.”
“Umph.” Consciousness faded as all her sleepless nights caught up with her in rush.
* * * *
Shayla woke to the tantalizing scent of bacon passing back and forth beneath her nostrils. Before she was completely alert, hunger took over and she’d snatched the slice of bacon out of the air and stuffed it into her mouth. As she chewed, she debated whether she wanted to satisfy her appetite or her need for more slumber. Hunger won, and she held a hand out for more.
“If you want it, you have to open your eyes.”
Rory! Sleep was looking better and better. Mentally she reviewed what she remembered of last night while pondering the wisdom of facing him without all her faculties intact. Her conversation with Shannon and the scene at the playground all flashed through her mind in a matter of seconds. After that she drew a blank.
Where am I?
“Shayla, I know you’re awake. You’ve slept all night and half of the day. If you plan on making it to the wedding on time, you need to get up. I’m perfectly content to let you sleep the day away, but your family might take issue with it.”
At that her eyes popped open. She jackknifed into a sitting position, holding the covers to her chest, and immediately wished she hadn’t as the room spun round in circles. Putting a hand to her head to hold it in place, she closed her eyes until the dizziness faded. Damn, she knew better than that. Sudden changes in position, especially going from lying to sitting, always upset her equilibrium, courtesy of her pregnancy.
“Are you all right?” She felt his hand settle on her shoulder, steadying her. She must be swaying.
“I’m fine.” Not…but she didn’t want to get into it with Rory right now.
“If you say so. Here! You’ll feel better once you eat.” He plopped a plate down onto her lap.
The smell of meat caused her to open her eyes once again. The plate was loaded with sausage, bacon, seared strips of steak still dripping blood, and scrambled eggs. Her stomach gave a loud rumble, and she swore something shifted inside.
“I’m not really a meat eater,” Shayla told him, watching in horrified fascination as her hand—independently of her mind—reached out and snatched a piece of steak and brought it to her mouth.
Once the meat touched her lips, it was gone, and so was the rest of the food. She scarfed it down in a flurry of movement. The fork fell unnoticed onto the bed as Shayla ate with her hands. She was licking the grease off her fingers when she remembered Rory. One glance showed he was amused by her appalling display.
“Want more?” He wiggled his eyebrows and held aloft another plate full of the same.
Not even close to being satisfied, with a muttered, “Thanks,” she forced herself to calmly remove the plate from his hand and continue eating. She was halfway finished before she noticed the unused fork. No sense worrying about it now, she thought with an inward shrug.
When she was done, weariness rushed over her and a huge yawn cracked her jaw. She dropped back onto the pillows and allowed her eyes to drift close.
“It’s obvious to me from the way you demolished this food that you haven’t been feeding our babe properly.”
And as simple as that, sleep was the furthest thing from her mind. Shayla tapped her heels together three times and made a wish. Cautiously she peeked one eye open, and then the other. Damn, Glinda was wrong. She was still here. Where’s a pair of red magic slippers when you need them?
“You know I’m pregnant?” She popped herself on the forehead. “Of course you know. It’s that damn nose of yours. You probably knew before I did.”
Rory set the plates on the side table and leaned over her, a hand on either side of her body. “Aye, I know. How long have you been aware, and when exactly were you planning on telling me?”
His scent overwhelmed her, and another hunger rose to the surface in a rush. Not ready to have this discussion, she let lust consume her. Mentally she flipped through her arsenal of feminine wiles, pulled out her sexiest come-hither smile, and allowed it to form on her face. Then she reached out and grazed his torso with her nails, beginning with his ripped abdominals, past bulging pectorals, to settle on his rock-hard deltoids.
“Stop trying to distract me. We need to talk.” He grabbed her hands and pushed them down to her sides, holding her in place.
Determinedly Shay wriggled around and kicked with her feet until the covers slid down around her waist. Arching her back to draw his attention to her bare, puckered breasts, she licked her lips and exhaled his name on a sigh. “Rory.”
“No, Shay.”
“Fuck me.”
He growled, and she felt her cream coat her thighs. God, she loved it when he went primal on her. His nostrils twitched, and his eyes began to change, the gold edging out the hazel. To add to the temptation, she spread her legs wide and shifted around under the sheet until even she could smell her arousal.
“We will discuss this,” he stated as he snatched the sheet off the bed and looked down at her naked body.
Shay’s gaze followed his, and she noticed her pubic hair was already glistening with moisture. Only this man had the power to make her this wet without even trying.
Rory stood and yanked down the zipper of his faded blue jeans. The bulbous head of his engorged cock popped out to bob against his abdomen. He snarled as he shoved the pants down his legs. “Don’t think you’ll control me with sex. We will discuss the babe and our future together.”
“Whatever, just get that cock in me where it belongs.”
He planted a knee on the bed. “As long as you realize—”
The phone rang.
“Don’t answer,” Shayla commanded, already reaching out to pull him over her.
He glanced at the caller ID. “It’s Alex, probably wondering where we are.”
Loyalty to Kee warred with lust while the phone continued to ring. She noticed the time on the bedside clock. Darn, they really didn’t have time to fool around. The wedding was scheduled to start at six. It was almost three now. Finally she pushed Rory away with a sigh. “Better answer. If you don’t, they’ll keep calling.”
Chapter Three
Sitting on the edge of the mattress, Rory snatched up the receiver and snarled, “McFelan.”
“Hate to interrupt the happy reunion, but your mate’s parents have arrived and are asking questions. My mate’s ready to kill someone. You think you two could put a halt to the festivities and get here?” Alex asked.
Rory gazed at Shay, who was still laid out like a veritable banquet before him, and mentally calculated how much time he had to feast and still arrive on time. “Fifteen minutes and we’ll be on our way.”
“Make it five and I’ll keep Kiesha from castrating you as she’s threatening to do.”
Rory’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. “Ten minutes and remind your mate we’re family now.”
Alex choked on a laugh and started coughing. “Yeah, that will go over real well. How ’bout I wait till after the wedding to let her know that little tidbit?”
“Fine, whatever. Clock’s ticking,” he reminded Alex. As he went to hang up the phone, he heard Alex call, “Rory?”
“Yeah?”
“No claw marks. The dresses Kiesha picked out are pretty revealing.” Alex disconnected.
Rory scowled at Shayla as he tossed the phone back in the cradle. “What does your bridesmaid’s dress look like?”
She stared at him like he didn’t have all his faculties intact. “What! What did Alex have to say?”
“Your parents are asking about you, an
d your cousin’s homicidal. Now answer my question. Just how revealing is the dress you’ll be wearing?”
She tried to jump up from the bed. “My parents are here? We’ve got to leave, now! Where are my clothes?”
He snatched her down onto the mattress and pressed her flat on her back. “We’ll get to that in a bit. First I want to know about this dress.”
She glared up at him as he loomed over her. “Do we really have time for this? Where are we? I assume we’re not in Refuge or Kiesha would have come pounding on the door. How long of a drive is it? Shouldn’t we be leaving? The wedding will be starting soon.”
He held her stare before flicking his gaze to the clock. Damn it, she was right. They needed to leave. He’d told Alex ten minutes, and he’d already wasted three. Coming to a sudden decision, he stood, reached down, and scooped Shayla up in his arms and strode toward the bathroom. “You’re right. We’ll discuss it on the way there.”
He carried her straight into the shower and turned the water on, laughing when she shrieked and tried to climb his body to get away from the cold spray. As the water warmed, he maneuvered Shay until her legs were around his waist with her ankles locked at the small of his back and his cock deeply embedded inside her warm, wet sheath.
She gasped and then asked on a moan, “I thought we were leaving.”
“I can multitask. Can’t you? Grab the shampoo bottle and wash your hair,” he ordered.
“You want to see multitasking?” she challenged.
Shay leaned back into the spray, and it was his turn to groan as her small, rounded breasts with their taut, brown areolae and nipples were put on prominent display. Her cunt rippled around him, gripping and releasing in a manner that stole all the fluid from his mouth. He stood with his feet apart, legs braced, and gripped her by the waist, supporting her back as hot-pink-colored water ran down her body and out the drain. Of their own accord, his hips made mini jabbing motions. He loved the feel of this woman, the way her tight, velvety sheath gripped him like a glove, milking him. Loved the feisty way she opposed him at every turn. He’d never be bored with Shay. Angry, frustrated, bemused, but never bored.
She lifted her arms to wash her hair, and his gaze became fixated on the pure pleasure in her expression. She was such a hedonist when it came to sex. Mating with Shay was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. In the past he’d had to temper his strength, leash the beast, even with female shifters. Shay took—no, demanded—all of him, no holding back.
Bending his knees, he leaned forward and latched on to one of the nipples brazenly on display, drawing strongly.
Shay balled up her fist and popped him upside the head—hard. “Watch it, buster. That hurts.”
He released her breast, making a small popping sound. “Are they tender?” He glanced from her chest to her face.
“Like you wouldn’t believe.”
He grunted, inwardly pleased at this small sign of the changes her body was going through. He lightened his touch and smiled when she moaned and her sheath tightened. Shayla undulated her lower body in a circle, and he lost it. He swung her around so that she was braced against the wall. “Hold on,” was all the warning he gave.
Shay was right with him every second, going over the edge into a screaming orgasm just moments before he spurted inside her. He leaned against her, breathing heavily. Annoyingly she pushed and shoved on his shoulders.
“What!” he snarled.
“Parents, wedding, Kiesha? Helloooo, we have to go.”
“Shit!” He lowered Shay until her feet touched the floor. If he thought he could get away with it, he’d take her back to bed. He wasn’t nearly satisfied.
She washed quick and climbed out of the shower, smelling of the soap she’d washed with. His wolf urged him to snatch her up and scent mark her again. He resisted. They really didn’t have time, but tomorrow was a new day and they had the rest of their lives. He allowed the thought to comfort him.
“Where are my clothes?” Shay faced him in the center of the bedroom with the towel wrapped around her.
“What’s left of them is in the trash,” he stated shortly.
“I can’t go to Refuge like this.” She swept a hand down her body, emphasizing her current state of undress. “Did you at least grab my suitcase?”
His only thought after she’d crashed was of finally getting Shay where she belonged, at home in his bed. “Didn’t have the opportunity.”
“What am I supposed to wear?” she demanded, hands on her hips.
“I’m sure there’s something here that will fit you.” He walked into the closet and came out with a black tux to find Shay glaring at him, an evil glint in her eye.
“If you think I’m wearing something an old lover left behind, forget it,” she said on a growl.
“Feeling possessive?” he teased. When she snarled at him, he laughed. “Shay, I’m alpha. This is the pack house. We keep clothing here in a variety of sizes since shifters have a nasty habit of losing theirs.”
“I knew that,” she muttered.
“Down the hallway to the left you’ll find the storage room. Pick something. And don’t take too long. I’ll be ready to roll in ten.”
Shay flipped him the bird as she walked out of the room.
* * * *
Shay woke as the vehicle slowed and came to a stop. Once again she’d been aware of little of the drive from Rory’s town to Refuge, having knocked out almost before they got rolling. “Why are we at the church?”
“Shannon called while we were en route and stated that she’d bring your things here and save time. She said to tell you Kiesha excused your absence by telling your parents you’d started your new work assignment.”
She stretched and yawned before gazing out the windshield through sleepy eyes. “I’ll have to thank them. God, I feel like I could sleep for a week and barely make a dent in all the rest I’ve lost this past month.”
He lifted her chin by a finger, tilted her head in his direction, and studied her face intently. “After this is over, I’ll make sure you get rid of those dark circles under your eyes. I’ll take good care of you and our cub.”
Shayla was proud of herself for not flinching at the mention of her pregnancy. Then she had a thought. “Don’t you dare mention any of this to my parents,” she growled.
Rory met her stare for stare until she found herself looking away. He captured her chin between his thumb and index finger and turned her head back toward him. “When you’re ready, we’ll announce it together. This is your cousin’s day. I have no intention of doing anything to take away from it.”
Shay breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted right now was to have a knock-down, drag-out brawl with Rory over this. “Kiesha’s already pissed with me for not telling her. I just can’t handle any more grief,” she found herself explaining.
He released her. “Let’s go. They’re waiting.”
Rory opened the door and got out while she sat there looking at the church. Inside were the people who knew her best, the ones who loved her most. Their opinions were very important to her, but right now she could do without their alarmed inquisitiveness if her condition became known. Her father would go into protective mood, demanding Rory take care of his “responsibility.” Her mother, who had a streak of traditionalism a mile wide, would be in raptures over Shay finally “settling down with a nice man and starting a family.”
She snorted. As if by any stretch of the imagination Rory could be considered nice.
Then there was Kiesha, her cousin who loved and annoyed her the way an older sibling could. They’d shared everything through the years, but for the first time she understood and appreciated Kiesha’s reticence to share when she’d first hooked up with Alex. It wasn’t so much reluctance to dish but an “I don’t know what the hell is happening myself so how can I rationally discuss it with you” type of thing. Too bad she’d nagged until Kiesha had no choice but to talk.
Payback was a bitch, and payme
nt was due.
Her door swung open, and Rory stood in the opening. “You going in or you gonna sit here till the wedding’s over?”
Snapped out of her thoughts, Shay noted the way he hovered protectively over her, the possessive glint in his eye. “Don’t do that in front of my parents.”
“What?” He looked confused. It was not a good look on him.
“That”—she waved a hand, indicating his facial expression and body posture—“whole possessive vibe you’ve got going.”
His eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed. “I’m a wolf, babe. It’s in my DNA.”
“Yeah, well, tone it down or something, will ya? Mom’s already going to be on the whole ‘when are you going to get busy producing grandkids, Shayla’ kick. I don’t need you giving her ammunition,” she snarled as she slid out of the truck.
He backed up to give her room. As she pushed past him, he murmured in her ear, “Only around your parents and only because you’re covered in my scent.”
“Damn it, why didn’t you tell me I stink?” she asked just to piss him off.
He growled. Shay smirked even as her pussy creamed. Damn she loved yanking Cujo’s chain. He was so easy. She picked up the pace, finally feeling a bit more like herself. She didn’t even grumble when his arm shot past her to pull the door open for her.
Shannon met them at the door. “It’s about time you two showed up.”
“Hello to you too. Where’s the bloodsucker? Asleep in his coffin?” Rory asked his sister.
“Don’t mind him. He has penis envy. Everyone knows vamps are at the top of the paranormal food chain, which means they do everything better,” Shay stated. Glancing past Shannon, she called out, “Hey, Dad,” effectively cutting off the snarling comment she knew Rory was forming.
“You’ll pay for that later,” Shannon murmured as Shay brushed by, headed for her father.
“Aye, she will,” Rory confirmed.
Shay certainly hoped so. Otherwise what was the point?
As her father enfolded her in his embrace, she could feel Rory’s gaze. Ignoring wolf man for the moment, she concentrated on her dad, whom she hadn’t seen in a while. He pulled back and stared down at her face. “Baby girl, you work too hard.”
