“You’re also pretty special.” Sage stopped and faced her. “We’re not like your old pack, Rina. You can trust us. You can trust me.”
He wanted to be the one she depended on in times of trouble. The one she turned to when something was bothering her. Hell, he wanted to be her knight in shining armor. His brother would laugh his ass off if he knew what Sage was thinking.
But his brother had never met Rina.
She was special in a way no other woman had ever been or ever would be. He might not be a full-blooded werewolf, but he knew Rina was his mate.
She looked away, not meeting his gaze. He slid his hands up her arms and cupped her neck. “What is it?”
She nibbled on her bottom lip. “How can I trust any of this? It’s too good to be true.”
He stifled the pang of hurt and the burst of anger. She had every right to be distrustful after what her own pack had done to her, but it didn’t make it sting any less.
He tilted her head until she was looking at him. Then he rubbed his thumbs over her neck. “If you can’t trust them yet, at least trust me.” He knew he was being unreasonable and didn’t care. He moved closer until their bodies were almost touching.
It was still warm even though the sun was down. The heat from the day was still clinging to the ground and trees around them. An owl hooted and a mouse scurried through the nearby underbrush.
He could see the longing in Rina’s eyes and knew she wanted to trust him. He knew she wanted him. The sensual heat scorched him, burning all the way to his soul.
“Rina.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. There was no hesitation on her part. She opened and invited him inside. He slipped his tongue into the hot cavern of her mouth and tasted her. His entire body hummed with pleasure. He could kiss her all night long.
But that wasn’t all he wanted to do to her.
She clung to his biceps and leaned into him. Sage wanted to howl with pleasure at her touch. She made a soft sound of pleasure in the back of her throat and went up on her toes to get closer.
He was surprised the front of his jeans didn’t split open. His cock throbbed like a toothache and his balls were trying to climb into his body.
He had to have more or he’d lose his mind with wanting her.
He reminded himself to keep his touch light and unthreatening. The last thing he wanted to do was spook Rina and have her back away. He had to let her know she was the one in charge. If she wasn’t onboard with something, he’d back away.
He wanted her pleasure and happiness more than his own. That’s how he knew she was his one true mate.
Sage splayed his hands over her ass. It was full and firm and he wanted to take a sensual bite. He slid his hands over the slight curve of her hips up to her waist. She was too thin for his liking. He wouldn’t care if she was naturally this slender, but he knew it was the result of too much hard work and not enough food.
“Sage.” He almost lost it when she whispered his name. There was such longing in her voice that it made his chest tight. She nibbled at his lips and ran her hands over his shoulders.
He continued upward and brought his hands around to her front and cupped her breasts. They were high and firm and fit his hands to perfection. He thought he might die if he didn’t have her soon.
Snap. Something moved in the trees just beyond them. They pulled apart and Sage instinctually shoved her behind him. A white-tailed deer stared at them before bounding off in the opposite direction.
Sage knew the moment was broken. Rina wouldn’t quite meet his gaze and she seemed ill at ease. He knew he had his work cut out for him in order to get her to relax again and let down her guard. He wouldn’t have made love to her outside anyway. Not with an unknown hunter after her. Maybe later when the danger had passed.
And he was getting way ahead of himself. He didn’t know for sure she’d let him touch her again. But he was damn sure going to do everything in his power to see that it happened.
“We should be getting back.”
“Yeah. Sure.” She started past him. He could tell from her tone she was as reluctant to return home as he was.
Then he had an idea. “Want to go for a run?”
She came to a dead stop. “Are you joking?”
The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. “No, I’m dead serious.”
“Half-breeds can’t shift,” she pointed out.
He inwardly winced and, once again, felt lacking. “I can still run faster than any human. I can keep up.”
Rina raked her fingers through her hair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.” Her eyes glowed in the moonlight. He could see the unease written all over her face.
“It’s okay. I can’t shift and nothing will ever change that.” He wanted to reach out and touch her, so he shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. “Doesn’t mean I don’t have a wolf’s instincts.”
She nodded. “I know.” He wasn’t sure if she believed what she was saying or if she was trying to placate him.
“You want to go for a run or not? We’ll have to stay close to the pack houses.” Maybe it was unfair of him to entice her with an opportunity to run. He knew her wolf had to be restless and uneasy after everything that had happened.
“Is it safe?” He could tell she was wavering.
“It’s safe,” he promised her. He’d damn well make it safe. “The woods are empty this time of night and there are patrols.” He knew there were at least two other wolves out scouting the perimeter. He also knew all the males would sleep lightly for the next while.
She scuffed her toes in the dirt and rubbed her hands up and down the thighs of her jeans. He could tell she really wanted this.
“Trust me.” It was like a mantra. He figured if he kept repeating it, she’d someday come to really trust him without question.
She glanced around and sniffed the air.
“There’s no one around but us,” he told her.
Rina’s hands went to the front of her jeans. The zipper sounded unusually loud as she lowered it. She took a deep breath and shoved her pants down. She briefly held them in front of her before folding them and setting them aside.
She was still decently covered with only her long legs showing. Sage couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Rina turned her back and shimmied out of her underwear. He sniffed the air and inhaled her sweet scent. Anticipation was mixed with fear and arousal. The fact that she wanted him helped to settle his restlessness. She needed to run, and it was up to him to make sure she got what she needed.
He didn’t rush her even though he was dying to see what she looked like in her wolf form. She yanked off her shirt and tossed it aside. She wasn’t wearing a bra beneath it so she was totally naked before him.
Sage licked his lips, feeling every inch the big bad wolf. He wanted to devour her whole. She was gorgeous with her slender spine and waist and her flared hips and long, long legs.
The air around them seemed to shimmer, and his entire body clenched in anticipation. Rina fell forward, her body changing shape before his very eyes. Bones snapped and reformed. Fur pushed out from beneath her skin. He held his breath and waited for her to turn and face him.
She slowly turned and he caught his first glimpse of her muzzle and the flat slope of her forehead. He wished there was more light and promised himself he’d see her in the full light at the first opportunity.
He fell to his knees and opened his arms. “You’re beautiful.”
Rina wanted to run when Sage just stood there staring at her. She wished she knew what he was thinking. He’d shocked her with his suggestion that she shift and go for a run. Her wolf, on the other hand, had fully embraced the idea, practically clawing to get out.
He’d assured her it was safe, and she knew he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the safety of his family and pack. S
he felt bad about what she’d said, even if it was the truth. Sage couldn’t shift. It made her sad that he’d never experience the glory of embracing his wolf. To have the instincts and the strengths of a wolf but never able to become one had to be tough.
Funny she’d never thought about it that way before. She’d been taught that half-breeds were weaker. In reality, they were stronger. They had to be in order to survive.
She wished he’d say something. He was making her nervous.
Then he fell to his knees and opened his arms. When he told her she was beautiful she felt something hard in her chest melt away. She inched forward. He showed no sign of impatience. His eyes glowed with longing and something more. Was it pride?
Rina couldn’t resist prancing a bit as she neared him. Sage threw back his head and laughed. “Oh yeah, baby, you’re gorgeous.” He ran his large hands over her head and down her flanks. “Sleek and fast and dangerous.”
She felt all those things and more. He buried his face in her neck and just held her. “I’m so damn glad you found me.”
She was too. She didn’t even want to think what might be happening to her if she hadn’t gotten lucky enough to cross his path. She backed up and gave a small yip.
“Time to run. Hang on a sec.” He took the time to bundle all her clothing together and tuck it against a tree. “I’ll come back for it later,” he promised.
She raised her head and sniffed the air. Everything seemed fresher and wilder than it had even seconds before. There wasn’t even enough of a breeze to ruffle her fur. It was hot and still. Her entire body quivered in anticipation but she waited.
Sage touched his hand to the crown of her head. “Ready when you are.”
Rina was off like a thoroughbred out of the racing gate. Free. She was safe and someone else was watching over her, leaving her to fully enjoy just being a wolf. She didn’t need to look over her shoulder to know that Sage was right beside her. He ran lightly, barely making a sound. He really was fast.
She had no idea where she was going and didn’t care. All that mattered was that she was free to run. She’d forgotten what it was like. Living and working in towns and cities had left her feeling cramped and confined, like an animal in a zoo, still wild but not able to fully be herself.
Sage had given her this gift.
He surged ahead of her and urged her to the left. Resentment surged to the fore and then commonsense returned. She had to stay on pack land close the houses. The last thing she wanted to do was bring more trouble their way. This pack had been nothing but kind to her. The man running alongside her had risked his life to save hers.
He’d also sensed her need to embrace her wolf and run and had made it happen. The least she could do was follow the rules. It wasn’t like being caged. She was still free.
She sensed another wolf up ahead but wasn’t ready to face the other members of the pack in her wolf form. Tonight was special. It was about her and Sage. She veered off again, heading toward the houses.
She zigzagged though the trees, jumping logs, and flying over rocks. She felt like a teenager who’d just made her first shift, giddy and overwhelmed by the sheer pleasure of being a wolf.
Rina hit a clearing and slowed to a trot. Sage was just behind her and to her right. He was flanking her. Protecting her.
She stopped and sprawled on the warm bed of wildflowers, rolling one way and then another. Sage dropped down next to her and chuckled. “I take it you’re enjoying yourself.”
She raised her bottom in the air and pounced. He caught her and rolled, taking her beneath him. “Now what are you going to do?”
She licked him. One big, sloppy lick down the side of his face. Sage laughed so hard he fell to the side. She sidled up to him, rested her head on his shoulder, and sighed.
He rubbed behind her ears and down her spine. “It’s been a long time since you’ve been able to do this, hasn’t it?”
She gave a small whine of agreement. She could shift back and talk to him, but she wasn’t ready. They stayed there watching the stars and listening to the sounds of the insects and nocturnal animals. A bat swooped overhead and disappeared.
Rina knew it was time to head back to the house. She also knew Sage wouldn’t pressure her to go. It was up to her not to abuse the gift she’d been given. She forced herself to leave the comfort of his arms. He immediately rolled to his feet.
“Home?”
She dipped her head in agreement. Home. Home was quickly becoming a person and not a place. Sage made her feel as though she belonged somewhere. And for a wolf, that was an enticement she couldn’t ignore.
By unspoken agreement, they took their time on the walk back. She started to detour to get her clothes, but Sage stopped her. “I’ll get them in the morning. Promise.”
She didn’t fight him on it. Truth be told, she was exhausted. The adrenaline of shifting and running was diminishing, leaving a bone-deep tiredness in its wake. Yes, she’d napped and eaten a good meal, but she was nowhere near back to full strength yet, and shifting and running took a lot of energy.
But soon.
Then what would she do?
Rina shoved that thought aside. She wouldn’t let anything destroy her joy of this evening. She’d spent time with a pack, eaten good food, and shared in their laughter. She’d shifted and run through the woods, feeling safe for the first time in more than a year.
Even on the night she’d shifted outside her motel room and been seen, the night that had sent her on this path, she hadn’t run far for fear of being discovered. It had been more of a tease than anything, and nothing at all like tonight.
Tonight had been glorious. And she had Sage to thank for it. She hadn’t been alone, but among her own kind.
She went straight to the patio outside his room and waited until he opened the screen door. There were lights shining from a window on the other side of the house. Rina was grateful that Sage’s room was on the opposite side of the house from the rest of his family. She was also grateful he had a separate entrance. She didn’t want to run into anyone else and have to answer any more questions. Not tonight.
Sage moved around her, went to the nightstand, and clicked on the light. She blinked against the sudden illumination. Sage stood by the side of the bed and stared at her. She fought the urge to fidget under his regard. His blue eyes seemed to deepen in color and his nostrils flared slightly.
“Let me look at you.”
She sat and stared back at him. He leaned down and rubbed his hand over her neck and flanks. “Your fur is like your hair. Brown with hints of red, like the finest mahogany. You’re sleek and slender and powerful at the same time.”
He sighed and straightened. She missed his touch. “I wish I could shift. Wish I could be the wolf you want me to be.”
His soft confession hit her with the force of a sledgehammer, and she reacted instinctively. She embraced her human form. Her bones cracked and reformed, fur receded to reveal smooth skin and her jaw shrank in size. She pushed herself to her feet and met his troubled gaze.
“You are all the wolf I could ever want or need.” And deep in her heart, she knew it to be the truth.
Chapter Ten
Sage wanted to believe Rina, he truly did, but he worried his inability to shift would always stand between them. Running with her, watching her race through the woods with such joy was an experience he’d never forget. Yet for the first time in years, he’d felt lacking, something he’d thought he’d gotten over as a teenager.
Old insecurities, it seemed, died hard.
“Sage.” She trailed her fingers down the side of his face, and he swallowed hard. He turned his head and pressed a kiss to the center of her palm.
He didn’t want to talk about things. Not now. Not with Rina standing naked in front of him, so proud and fierce. He inhaled deeply, breathing in her fresh wild scent. Her perfum
e was a combination of the fragrant flowers and leaves she’d brushed up against, the dry heat from the dirt she’d trod upon mixed with just a hint of arousal. It mingled with the sweat from his skin and the sandalwood from his soap.
He lowered his head and pressed his lips to her forehead. She closed her eyes, sighed and moved closer. He loved the way her breasts pillowed against his chest, but he hated having even a thin layer of cloth between them. He reached behind, grabbed a handful of fabric, and dragged his tank top over his head.
This time, when Rina leaned against him, it was skin against skin. She fit him like she’d been made for him. Seeing her in her wolf form had only made him want her more. He might not be able to shift, but he was all wolf at heart.
His bed was only inches away. He wanted to lay her down there and make love to her all night long. And if he did, his Uncle Elias would hear every sound, despite the soundproofing in the walls. It was summer, so all the windows and patio doors were open to let the air flow through. If it was winter, they’d have a lot more privacy.
She stroked her hands up his chest. He caught both of them and kissed her knuckles. “Not here.”
She frowned, and he could tell she didn’t quite understand. “Sound carries though open windows and doors.”
Her cheeks turned a delightful shade of pink and she nodded. Sage grabbed a quilt off the end of the bed. “Let’s go.”
Rina shifted again, going from woman to wolf in a matter of seconds. He was glad she’d shifted. Werewolves were more casual about nudity than most regular folks were, but he really didn’t want Cole or Gator or whoever was patrolling to see her naked. He had to swallow back a growl of possessiveness.
She was waiting by the door for him. He shook off his overprotective urges and opened the screen. She padded outside and he followed her. The yard was quiet, the area still. They weren’t going far.
“This way,” he told her. She padded along by his side as he led her away from the houses and past his gardens to a lovely natural meadow just beyond. A stream trickled in the distance, close enough to add music to the night but not so close that they’d have to worry about animals trekking by them on their way to the water.
Wolf in his Heart (Salvation Pack) Page 10
