She felt like a coward but she just couldn’t face him in this state. It’d be just her luck if her wolf pushed her into something stupid like fucking him until they both passed out.
As soon as she heard his feet hit the top step she bolted up the stairs into the bathroom, locking the doors between it and his room. A shower would help her to deal with the rush of feelings she had stewing in her gut. Putting a few walls and locks between them was a smart thing to do. Her wolf was all for jumping him and riding his cock until they both came in a storm of sweat and moans.
After climbing into the shower she debated getting herself off just to release the tension. She knew his nose wasn’t good enough to smell her desire—as long as she wasn’t loud she could easily give herself a quick orgasm. The feeling of hot water slicking down her body, beating against her sensitized skin, sealed the deal. She closed her eyes and ran her hand down over her belly, sliding a finger between her folds to circle her clit. She was already engorged. She pinched a nipple with the other hand and almost collapsed to the shower floor. Sensations flooded her body and she chased a fast release. She increased the speed and pressure against her clit. She pressed her mouth against her upper arm to stifle the moan she let loose when the orgasm swept like wildfire through her body.
She breathed heavily as aftershocks rocked her body. A sigh of languid contentment slipped from her lips. Better. Much better. She could think again without having the urge to lick every naked inch of Seth’s body. With efficient motions, she scrubbed her body, eliminating the last of the night’s scents from her skin. Her stomach rumbled just as she shut the water off. Running twice in the same day and shifting numerous times must have burned off more calories than she’d thought. She’d dress, then find something to quiet her stomach.
“Do you do that often in the shower?”
Emily squeaked and spun to find Seth leaning against her bedroom’s doorjamb. Her heart pounded in her chest. How the hell had he sneaked up on her?
Well, girly, you did have your fingers in your pussy—sort of a distraction.
She snorted at her own chiding.
She grabbed a towel and wrapped it tightly around her chest before facing him. With a scowl she stalked the two steps to his relaxed body. “What the fuck are you doing in my room? And better yet, what the fuck are you doing watching me shower?”
“I wasn’t watching you. Well, not much, anyway.” He gave her a sexy smile. She saw nothing but confidence in his body language. Even the glasses perched on his nose gave him an air of quiet confidence. “I wanted to apologize for my behavior but you escaped up here first. You had my door locked so the only way I could get to you was through your bedroom.”
“Did you ever think I was locking you out because I didn’t want to talk to you?” She pushed past him and stalked to her bag. She was fighting the need to put him in his place, make him tremble and bow to her. She sighed. If she did that it would negate all the good they’d done so far this weekend. She turned and took a calming breath. “Look, I understand more than you do what happened out there. I don’t hold your behavior or your thoughts against you, okay? I just needed a minute to relax and decompress. I’m going to dress and then grab something to eat before going to bed. We’re going to hunt in the morning so you better go to bed early too.”
She pushed against his chest, forcing him to walk backward toward the hallway. Once he was outside her door, she shut it in his face. She pressed her back against the wall and fought the need to scream. What was she going to do with this male who was obviously coming into his wolf? If things continued to progress she would find herself spread out under him begging for his mark. The thought that scared her the most was that she was actually contemplating him as a mate. She, the Alpha’s daughter, was finally thinking about a male as a mate. She shook her head. There was no way he’d be able to tame her bitch so she was still safe. The niggling thought that her bitch was already thinking about going belly-up to him made her shiver. This camping trip might have been a very bad idea.
Chapter Eight
“Wake up, sleepyhead.” Emily grinned when Seth grumbled at her from under his covers. She had stood in his doorway for a few minutes, just studying him. He was definitely a fine male specimen. His face was relaxed and almost boyish in sleep.
She had spent hours of restlessness thinking through what was happening to her and had decided just to see what unfolded. She liked Seth and it seemed that each passing hour made her like him more. Her wolf liked him and was obsessing about the things they could do to his body. If he was going to become her mate, then so be it. She didn’t hate the idea of having a mate, and she’d always wanted a family of her own. The thought of being mated to a male weaker than her had always been the problem, but if Seth ended up a strong alpha or even beta male, then he might just be her match.
“Come on, Seth. Get up. We’re heading out to hunt our breakfast.” She walked across the room and grabbed the covers, giving them a quick yank. Her breath caught in her throat. Oh. My. He’d slept naked. Her eyes swept over his prone form. He slept on his stomach, giving her a perfect view of his ass. She swallowed the groan that threatened to escape her chest. His body was pale and beautiful against the chocolate-brown sheets. She wanted to crawl onto the bed and wrap her body around his.
“What?” He opened an eye and scowled at her. “What time is it?”
She was amused that he didn’t flinch about being naked while they chatted. “It’s five and if we aren’t out there soon we’re going to have a tough time finding prey.”
“Five? In the morning?” He groaned and turned over. Wow, someone was happy it was morning. His cock was erect and dark against his stomach. He finally noticed his uncovered status, blushing and grabbing the covers in one fluid motion. “Shit.”
She chuckled and turned away to give him a moment. “Be downstairs in five minutes ready to run or I’m coming back up here and dragging your naked ass out of bed.”
With a bagel and a cup of coffee, she stood on the deck waiting for him. She could clearly hear him swearing and thumping around in his room. She grinned. A night of good sleep had helped to settle her thoughts and she was looking forward to the run. She hadn’t hunted with another wolf for a long time. They’d be able to take down something larger than rabbits today and she fully intended to find some deer for them to chase.
A giggle escaped her lips and she clapped her hand over her mouth. She didn’t giggle. Ever. She shook her head and gave in to the happiness bubbling in her chest. She couldn’t help it. Being here in the woods with this male actually made her want something other than a fast, hard fuck. She wanted nights cuddled on the couch, days spent wandering through grocery stores and afternoons on a beach somewhere. She wanted a friend, partner, conspirator. She turned to the sliding door just as she heard Seth stumble down the stairs. He had dressed in only a pair of unbuttoned jeans and looked sexy all rumpled from sleep.
She waved her bagel at him and pointed to the coffee cup waiting for him on the counter. He nodded, swept up the food and headed to the deck. She watched him take a deep breath as soon as he was outside. His brows scrunched in a sexy scowl before he turned to her.
“Does it smell out here to you?” He scowled at the forest as though it had done something evil to him.
Emily looked around and took a deep breath. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. “Smells the same as it did yesterday. Why?”
“I swear it smells like a pine tree from here.” He took a sip of coffee, still looking confused. He looked into his cup and then at her. Fear tainted the air. “Okay, why does my coffee taste like freshly ground beans?”
She grinned. “Do me a favor and touch your nose.”
The scowl didn’t leave his face as he touched the tip of his nose. He slid his hand up along the bridge as she waved her hand at him. Astonishment crossed his face before he brushed a full hand over his face. “Holy shit. I’m not wearing my glasses. I can see perfectly.”
“We
lcome to some of your shifter traits.” She patted his arm before heading back into the cabin. She set her cup on the counter after rinsing it out and turned to find him still standing, stunned, on the deck. “Come on—we’ve got to get going if we’re going to find us some deer.”
He looked up at her with something close to panic in his eyes. “What other things are going to change, Emily?”
The fact that he used her name was significant and she knew it. She walked back out to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She wove some of her power around him like a thick blanket to help stem his concerns. She couldn’t imagine how strange it would be to wake up changed. She rested her head on his chest and rubbed his back with her hands, soothing him.
“Bringing your wolf forward and making peace with him seems to have unleashed some of the traits you had locked down. Hopefully you’ll end up with enhanced senses and strength. This is what we wanted to happen this weekend. Don’t fight it.” She smiled against his chest when his arms wrapped around her to return the embrace. She didn’t want to admit how good it felt to have them around her even when she was trying to comfort him.
She was in so much trouble.
Seth took a deep breath and pulled Emily’s scent into his lungs. With her pressed against his chest and her arms around him nothing could be bad. She smelled of honey and a fruity shampoo. It made him hungry and definitely not for food. He wanted her naked on the table so he could sip from her body and find out where those delectable scents were coming from. He wondered if her skin would taste as sweet as she smelled. He was forced to swallow a few times as he salivated. Another wolf trait?
He looked down into her upturned face. She was relaxed and smiling, beautiful in his arms. He only hesitated for a moment before pressing his lips lightly to hers. He just wanted to thank her and taste her lips once. The moment was perfect. Nature surrounded them with a background of singing birds and the hum of winged insects. The heat of her lips branded his soul. He couldn’t imagine kissing anyone else ever again after breathing in her scent while her lips brushed softly against his.
Her body tensed for a moment but it was over before he could pull back and apologize. She pressed up against his lips with hers, slowly nibbling along his lower lip. She invited him to deepen the kiss with a breathy sigh. When he didn’t take her invitation she invaded his mouth with her tongue, teasing his until he gave in and tasted her mouth. She was hot and sweet with a hint of coffee. Their tongues moved across each other in a sensual slide. He found himself grinding his cock against her soft cleft as he pulled her firmly against his body.
He felt her pulling away from his embrace and he fought the urge to keep her tight against his body. He didn’t want the kiss to end. Hell, he didn’t want her to get away without him burying his cock in her luscious body. That thought, if nothing else, doused the flames burning through his body. This was Emily Prescott he held, the Alpha’s daughter, the one who just yesterday had laughed about making a male piss himself. The one who had commanded him repeatedly in the last twenty-four hours. He needed to let her go and back away before something nasty happened.
He couldn’t seem to help the feelings he had crowding his mind, though. They were decidedly possessive and protective. The smells of the woods carried the scent of dangers on the breeze. He wanted to keep her safe. Shit. Was this another wolf thing to deal with? He was sure she wouldn’t allow him to act on his instincts and would probably tell him where to stick it if she found out. With a concentrated effort he released his female from his arms. He shook his head. His female? Fabulous. He was starting to think of her as his.
When she was firmly out of his arms and standing far enough from him that he could think again, he cleared his throat. “Sorry. I don’t know what got into me.”
“Mmm, don’t be sorry. That was a great kiss.” She winked at him with a smile playing around her mouth.
“So, we’re hunting? Are we actually going to kill something or just chase some furry creatures around?” Stop staring at her lips, he scolded himself. She was playing off the kiss and smiling about it, so he needed to let it go before he got himself castrated.
“Oh, we’re going to kill something and eat it.” She laughed and the sound wound around his cock.
“Raw? I don’t even like my meat medium rare. How am I supposed to eat something like that?” The images of wolves sporting bloody jaws from nature films played through his mind. His stomach rolled. “Oh, uck. I don’t think I can do this. There’s going to be blood, right? I don’t like blood.”
She looked at him with something close to disgust before turning and heading toward the stairs. “Too bad, wolf boy. We’re going and you’re going to love it. Just let your wolf be in control. He’ll know what to do.”
He watched her sashay off the deck and start pulling her clothes off. He still couldn’t get over her openness about nudity. He loved that she stripped in front of him, but it caused issues in his pants. Once again he would be erect while nude in front of her. He blushed but pushed his jeans off his legs. He pulled his wolf forward in his mind and relished the transformation. The faster he could get into fur, the faster he could hide his obvious pleasure at seeing her naked.
He grinned a toothy smile when she took off into the woods with a quick glance at him over her furry shoulder. For once his two sides were in complete agreement. They wanted to chase her down, and once she was caught, they wanted to make her submit. Seth wanted to pull her under him in either form and sink his cock into her body. His wolf wanted to claim her, brand her with his scent and his mark. He jumped off the deck and raced into the woods after her. A throaty growl rumbled in his chest as he caught her scent.
As they ran farther and farther into the forest, he noticed other scents started to invade his thoughts. With his heightened sense of smell he could distinguish between different animals that had recently passed across his path. A few scents had him wanting to follow them, to find out what had made them, but he followed Emily’s trail. His wolf didn’t want her too far from him. He caught sight of her and slowed his pace, approaching her on silent feet.
When he was shoulder to shoulder with his dark female, she put her nose to the ground and looked expectantly at him. Not having her inside his thoughts made this part of being in fur so much more difficult. He understood her actions, though, and sniffed the ground. The scent was mouthwatering and strong. She inclined her head and stood watching him. He swiveled his head in the direction of the scent and gave in to the urge to chase it down.
The closer they got to the animal they chased, the more Seth gave in to his wolf side. It knew where to step for silence, how to move through the branches without catching them in his fur. He was astounded how instinctive all of it could be if he trusted that side of himself. He caught a glimpse of a brown body streaking through the brush not far in front of them. He poured on the speed. He wanted that animal with a predatory need. He was salivating enough that it was dripping from his jaws.
He broke through a stand of trees into a small clearing and saw the deer they were following. From the corner of his eye he could see Emily racing toward the prey, ears pinned back on her head and her mouth open. They worked together, instinctively forcing the doe along a path that put her between them. He could sense the panic on the breeze and took a leap at the deer’s flank. Teeth sunk into flesh just as the animal bleated in terror. Emily launched herself at the doe’s throat, cutting off the noise. Between them they pulled the deer down to the ground. Emily kept her jaws clamped on the animal’s throat until it stopped moving, then she backed off the kill and waited, watching Seth.
Adrenaline coursed through his body as he looked at the animal. In the back of his mind he understood what they’d done from a human perspective, but from the wolf’s view he’d just hunted and taken down prey with his female. He approached her with the intent of nuzzling her but she bared her teeth at him and growled. Right. No touching. Instead he turned to their kill and just gave in to the wants of
his wolf. With sharp teeth he bit into the carcass and put his mind to eating from his first successful hunt.
Emily watched Seth with a mixture of pride and amusement. He was a dainty eater for a wolf, but he was enjoying the meal. She couldn’t quite wrap her mind around the fact that she wasn’t eating but was sitting on her haunches, watching him ingest large quantities of meat. Her wolf side had refused to eat anything from their kill. Instead she sat watching, swooning in a wolfy way at the big, strong male. Fan-fucking-tastic. Her wolf had her mind made up about this male. Against her better judgment her wolf was assuming that he was their mate.
After that kiss on the deck she didn’t know if she would fight the idea of being his mate either. It had taken every ounce of strength not to strip him and mount him right there. She was thankful that he wasn’t able to decipher scents yet because she had almost been drowning in their mixed lust. She’d been so wet that she’d refused to undress on the deck with him, afraid he would see the moisture on her panties. Seth did something to her that no other male had ever been able to do. He had crawled under her skin and made her react to him on a very primal level. She craved his touch. She wanted to feel him, skin to skin, with such need that it was impossible to separate her feelings for him from her wolf’s. They were definitely a pair, given the way she was lusting after this male with such wanton abandon.
Seth’s yip broke her from her thoughts. His muzzle was covered in blood and his belly was rounded from all the meat he’d just swallowed. He looked pointedly at the carcass and tilted his head. Yep, he’d noticed her weird behavior. Great. She stepped forward and made the effort to eat instead of doing what she really wanted to do. There was no way she was going to admit her need to clean his muzzle with her tongue. Nope—she wasn’t going to give in.
Chapter Nine
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