by Emma Carter
“I frowned. Oh. I thought since I might not get a response, it didn’t make sense for me to answer.”
His eyelids lowered and his irises glowed in the dark. “Just ask the damn question.”
I grinned at him. “Very well then. Werewolves travel in pack, right? So, why are you alone?”
He took so long to answer, I thought he wasn’t going to acknowledge my question. “It’s a long story.”
“I could use a bedtime story,” I said to lighten the mood.
He gave a wry smile, pushed down on the ground until he was lying on his back, his hands folded behind his head. I followed his posture until I was lying on my back as well. The moon looked eerie in the sky, its shape blurry.
“I was raised by an adoptive family,” he answered. “After my parents were killed when I was fifteen, my uncle and his wife took me in. But, my uncle was abusive. So, I left home as soon as I could. Since my father was the leader, I should have been alpha of the pack. I did return when I was twenty-four for the rite of passage by my people.”
“And what happened?”
“I didn’t fit in. I was restless. I frequently left our village to roam the city streets. The Elders didn’t take too kindly to it and we argued. I left one night and-and that’s when Sinn and his legions attacked.”
“Oh no.”
“My people can protect themselves, but that night was a full moon. Sinn knows that the tradition is that the able-bodied werewolves save for a few would visit our ritual spot to offer a sacrifice to our god Fenrir. It has been our traditions to thank the god who bestowed on us this gift of transformation.”
I feared I knew where the story was leading yet I couldn’t tell him to stop. I sensed he needed to talk about this even more than I wanted to hear what happened.
“Sinn raided our village,” he said, his voice tight with anger. “We didn’t mind him raiding the village. It’s been this way since as far back as I can remember. Vampires and Lycans are mortal enemies. But, there’s honor that has been in our past disputes. What honor is there in killing the disabled, women and children? What honor?”
A shiver ran down my spine at his last words which ended up in a shout. I sensed the hurt he felt as much as the anger and I knew then. I knew he blamed himself.
“It’s hardly your fault what Sinn did,” I said softly, inching closer to take his hand and squeezing it.
He turned to face me, his eyes haunted. “I should have been there to protect my people.”
“But if you were there, you would have been at the sacrifice,” I pointed out. “So really, Ralf, it would not have been much help.”
“Tell that to my pack. They believe I let them down.”
“They are just looking for someone to blame but that someone is not you. There’s no one to blame but that vermin, Sinn.”
“I voluntarily stepped down as the leader of our pack,” he continued. “I thought it best, especially since I wanted to go after Sinn, but the others voted against it. You know how they say, ‘all’s fair in love and war?’ In our world, ‘all’s fair between vampires and werewolves.”
“Is that the reason you decided to help me?” I asked him. “Because you can finally get vengeance for your people?”
His thumb ran lazy circles at the back of my hand that was still in his. “Partly. But when you told me what happened, it hit home. I couldn’t let another innocent be destroyed by Sinn. Not if I can do anything about it. I don’t want your money. I never intended to keep it. I just took it to keep this, what’s between us professional.”
My heart skipped a beat then raced in my chest. I stared into his eyes, burning but not with anger this time. He wanted me. I should move away. I should let go of his hand.
“And now?” the second the question left my lips, I knew I couldn’t fight it anymore.
8
Ralf
Fuck, but my lips are loose tonight, I thought as I lay there under the moonlight talking to Lilly. I hadn’t planned to answer her question, but she was so easy to talk to. I was drawn to her by a pull I couldn’t explain. The way she was looking back at me screamed for me to take her, but I was terrified that if I touched her, I would lose myself into her. I’d not been with a woman in a serious way for as long as I could remember. I always engaged in fast flings, no more than a few nights. I’d had more than my share of women and the sexual attraction was always there, but this was different. This was more, and it scared the crap out of me.
“And now?”
I took her question seriously. And now what? She was looking at me with expectations in her eyes. I should tell her that I didn’t do expectations. I didn’t do complicated. Instead, I found myself reaching across the space between us until we were face to face. I heard her breathing, the rapid intake of breath before I felt it on my lips. Heightened as my senses usually were during intimacy, I could hear her heart pounding in her chest. I could smell her, the essence of her desire which was strong.
I kissed her, dousing myself with the passion that blazed between us. She met my kisses, without inhibition. I kissed her hard, tangling my fingers into her hair. With my free hand, I aligned our bodies until I was lying half on top of her, my leg wedged between hers.
“I’ve been wanting to do this since I took a whiff of your scent in the bar,” I growled, scraping my teeth across her cheek and down her neck. She moaned, wrapping her arms around me, pressing me closer to her. She was wild beneath me, shifting restlessly, her hips pressing upwards. She was wet. I could smell the dew of her arousal pooling between her legs and my lips watered for a taste of her.
“Ralf,” she moaned my name and the sound hit me in the gut. My cock stiffened, hurting for release.
“Oh God baby, I want you so bad.” I thought I would have frightened her with the raw passion I spoke with, but she only smiled up at me.
“I want you too,” she whispered. Those words of consent were all I need. I kissed her again, running my hands over her body. I found her tongue and teased it with mine, licking and sucking the tip into my mouth. Her fingers dug into my shoulders and she pushed her head back as I kissed down her neck.
“Sit up for me.”
Together, we struggled in the night, to divest each other of our clothes. With only the camp fire as light, I wished I was back at my condo where I could lay her back against my sheets and watch the expression on her face play across her features at my touch. I grasped the hem of her shirt and she raised her hands, allowing me to pull the material over her head and drop it to the ground beside us. If only I could snap a picture of the way she looked, sitting up in just her jeans and her bra. Her lips were swollen from our kisses, her hair a tangled mess and her eyes half-lidded with passion. She was breathing hard, her full breasts straining against the black cups of her bra. Before I could help her with it, she reached behind her and unsnapped the clasps. She pulled it down her hands and threw the bra on top of her shirt.
I watched in amazement as she stood and reached for her jeans. She stripped out of it, but let her black bikini briefs remain. I could scarce decide where to look. She was gorgeous, from the cherry-sized tips of her nipples to her small feet. Her legs were long and shapely, her hips wide and her waist small.
“Stop staring,” she said breathlessly.
“I wish I could,” I mumbled, reaching for my own shirt. “You’re too beautiful.”
I shucked out of my pants and unlike her wasn’t shy about removing my boxers. She gasped at the sight of my manhood, long and thick, jutting upwards in its full erected glory. I pressed my hand to the base and ran it upwards to the tip, a moan slipping from my throat. If I wasn’t inside her soon, I would bust my nut way too early and that would be such a damn shame when her moist heat was waiting to cocoon me into her body.
“Come here.”
I snagged her around the waist and pulled her back down onto the ground but this time on top of me. I kissed her, running my hands upwards from her tummy to her round breasts. Our moans mingled
as I squeezed and teased her nipples with my fingers. She was gasping above me, moaning and pressing her hands into my shoulders.
I rolled her over, so she was lying onto her back once more. I latched onto her right nipple and licked, flickering my tongue over the tight bud. She spread her legs and I slipped in between the space moving my hips to rub my erection over her mound. She gasped, and cupped the back of my hand, her fingers tugging at my hair.
After treating her other nipple to the same attention, I kissed down her body, the night air cooling her flushed skin. I hooked my fingers into the waistband of her underwear and pulled. She eased up her hips and I stripped her of the material that hid her gem. I lowered myself between her legs, clutching her thighs and pushed them apart.
“Ralf, you don’t—” Her words ended in a cry as I kissed her nether lips. The aroma of her arousal hit me. Her body jerked but I didn’t stop. I wrapped my hands around her thighs and feasted on her pink flesh, swollen with desire. I tongued her entrance, sliding into her body. I licked a path upwards and found her clit.
“Ralf!” she gave a scream when I sucked on the little pearl nub. I circled my tongue over the tip, licking her over and over. She became wild beneath me, her hips pressing upwards, undulating to the rhythm of my mouth. I slipped my index finger into her sheath and moaned at the tightness that I encountered.
“Damn, baby,” I muttered, sliding my finger in and out slowly. I watched the wonder that formed on her face and penetrated her harder and faster with a second finger when I felt the contractions that tightened her even more. Her hips rose up off the floor of the forest and she gasped, her mouth open as she climaxed.
While she was riding the waves of her climax, I grasped her legs and draped them over my thighs. With one hand on my manhood, I guided my girth to the apex of her thighs and pressed at her opening. She moaned and gasped at the difficulty I encountered in penetrating her. I changed my stance, lying on top of her while supporting myself on my arms. I kissed her lips, her eyes and neck, gentling her. I knew I was bigger than the average man and it would probably hurt somewhat since she was so small.
“Do you want me to stop?” I asked her, not wanting to hurt her, especially if she had changed her mind.
She shook her head. “No, please, don’t. I-I’ve never wanted anyone else the way I want you.”
I kissed her at the same time, I pulled back and thrust deep inside her body, pushing past her tight walls. She cried out, the sound swallowed by my lips. I didn’t fully understand why until I thrust again and felt her hymen give way. I released her lips and stared down at her in wonder. She had her eyes closed and tears slipped from the corners.
“Lilly,” I moaned her name in reverence. “Oh God Lilly, why didn’t you tell me?”
She blinked those big dewy green eyes at me and I fell in love with her then. “I didn’t want you to stop.”
“But I could have made it much easier on you.”
She offered a shy smile. “It’s not that bad now.”
I slowly undulated my hips and this time her gasp was of pleasure rather than pain. “Feels good?” I asked.
“Yes,” she gasped. “Please, do it again.”
I had no idea why this woman remained a virgin in her mid-twenties when most women were so eager to do away with it these days. Whatever reason she had, I felt a sense of pride as I rocked into her body, knowing no other man knew the sweetness that was to be had between her thighs. I believed that moment only served to bond us even more. For whatever reason, this woman was beginning to feel like mine and I was no longer afraid. I wanted her to be mine. I could see the future ahead, her gentleness, her devotion, her strength and determination. I could even think about the little ones she wasn’t sure she wanted.
It wasn’t too long before she was moving in tandem with my slow rhythm. I could have rocked into her all night and fallen asleep that way. Not out of boredom but from the sheer pleasure and peace I found in her body. But I knew the greatest joy was just a grasp away. She was close to the edge and I wanted her to feel the pleasure that could be had between a man and a woman, especially when you found the right one.
Her fingers dug into my back. She ran her hands upwards and clutched at my arms as I increased my pace. Sweat beaded on my back. My senses were pleasantly tortured and heightened. The sound of my groans mixed with her moans filled my ears. I could smell the sweet aroma that our coupling brought, our individual scents mingling to produce a scent I would never forget.
I placed my hands beneath her hips and raised her slightly to meet my thrusts and to avoid pummeling her into the ground. She wrapped her legs around my waist, her heels digging into my ass. I stared into her eyes, full of passion and hoped she saw the words in my eyes that I could not say to her.
“Oh God, Ralf!” she gasped, and her eyes began to roll over. Her body jerked, her inner muscles spasming around my thrusts. My own release was so close. I pounded into her, elevating her climax to another level. With a howl that tore from my throat, I felt my fangs lower. I threw my head up at the moon and spilled my seed into her.
This wolf had found his mate and I was about to take her into the lair of my most dangerous foe.
9
Lilly
“But why?”
As I lay in Ralf’s arms in the aftermath of our lovemaking, it was the one question I’d hoped he wouldn’t ask. I didn’t want him to think it was more than it was. So, what if I’d been apprehensive at first but as he claimed me, I felt like I was a part of him and he was a part of me? What if I didn’t feel the regret now that I thought I would be feeling? After twenty-four years, I had given myself to a man for the first time, lying on the ground in the open air, beneath the moonlit sky. It wasn’t supposed to be romantic, but it was, and I knew regardless of what the future held for us, I’d never forget this night.
“Why what?” I asked him to bide myself some time to respond.
“You know.” Even though I had my head buried in his neck, snuggled in his arms, I could hear his scowl. “Why me? Why haven’t you done this before?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t want to? There was no one? I don’t know. I just always knew when it was right, I’d know.”
“Are you saying…?”
“I’m saying that it’s no big deal,” I replied, trying to make light of the situation. “Really, we don’t need to discuss it in great detail.”
Silence reigned between us at that. I calmed down and relaxed once more, closing my eyes. He was huge and snuggled up to him as I was, I felt protected. Cherished. But that was stupid of me. He hated me, but he just didn’t know it yet. He would feel tricked when he found out the truth and then the hate would just be worse.
“Okay, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine,” he said softly. “But, thank you. I’ve not felt this connected to someone in a very long time.”
His words prompted tears that I worked hard to keep at bay. It wasn’t the time to get all emotional. Regardless of what we felt in this moment, a union between a werewolf and a witch was as unheard of as the union between a vampire and a werewolf.
“Me too,” I heard myself whisper, even though it wasn’t the right thing to say.
“Lilly.” His speech was hesitant. “I was thinking, maybe you should stay here and let me continue the rest of the journey alone.”
I shifted so I could stare at him. “Of course not. We already discussed it.”
“Things have changed,” he answered. “How can you expect me to take you into that deathtrap?”
“Nothing’s changed,” I insisted. “My sister is still kidnapped by Sinn and I plan to be there when she is rescued. End of story.”
He cupped my chin and yanked my face down to his. His mouth pressed firmly against mine and he kissed me hard. I kissed him back, returning his ardor until his lips gentled upon mine. “You’re so damn stubborn,” he said against my lips. “I can’t decide if it that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I just know that I don’t want anyth
ing to happen to you, Lilly.”
“I am tougher than I look.”
He chuckled. “I know. I saw you take down a vampire that I was holding.”
I frowned at him. “I’d have still taken him if you weren’t holding him.”
“I believe you. Now close your eyes and get some sleep. We’ll be up early in the morning.”
Having already donned our clothes, I snuggled closer to him, thrusting one of my legs between his. Sleeping like this with him felt so natural that it worried me. I fit right into his arms and felt comfortable there. I had my head on his chest and his hand was around me. I yawned already feeling the pull of sleep.
He ran his hand slowly up and down my back in a comforting gesture. I thought of Annie and felt a measure of guilt that I had found so much pleasure in her abduction, but everything had just happened. I hadn’t planned to sleep with Ralf. As I drifted off to sleep, I prayed she was okay wherever she was.
***
I twisted and turned, trying to get comfortable but nothing worked. I blinked my eyes open, confused for a bit by the outdoors and the fire still blazing. “Ralf?” He was nowhere to be found but the fire had fresh brambles and sticks in it. He must have added them to the fire when he woke up.
I tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t. I wasn’t afraid that he had left me here. He wouldn’t do such a thing and I was confident enough in what I’d learned of him in the past few days alone. He was a decent person, a loner longing to belong. He reminded me of myself and wasn’t that the reason I was falling for him? We were more alike than he realized. My parents had been taken away from me and his had been as well. Regardless of what my parents had done, I had loved them, and they had been good people. I had no idea what had been up with them that night that they had slain Ralf’s parents. It had all happened so suddenly, then they had been taken from us by the Elders with nothing but a goodbye. I remembered the regretful tears welling in my mother’s eyes though and knew there was much more to the story. If only I knew what so I could offer some form of explanation to Ralf when he eventually found out who I was.
