by Dahlia Rose
Wolfe moved when Connor nodded, and they proceeded on in silence. It took about half an hour for them to find the camp. The men Maynard sent had made a shelter out of a black tarp and some rope between the trees. They had radio machinery, food, and other tools under it while they sat around, and dark coffee from a camping stove. Wolfe knew they were in it for the long haul. They could probably have taken Vicki the first night if he hadn’t shown up and spent hours doing whatever they wanted to her. “We can take a piece outta her.” The man’s words came back to Wolfe’s memory, and he felt his rage build inside.
Time to hunt. Wolfe crouched low in the bushes, bidding his time until the light faded enough so he and Connor could make their move. Patience was their friend while darkness would be their enemy. I’ll show them terror. Wolfe knew he would enjoy schooling them. His leg ached, but he ignored the pain. He was a navy seal for more than half of his life. He hunkered down in places worse than this and injured more. This was a piece of cake. Night descended quietly while they sat in wait. There was more than one conversation with Maynard via the radio they had, and he called them all kinds of names to match their incompetence. He wanted them back there as soon as the sun rose because it had to be done. Wolfe wanted to make sure he left them with more men down. That way they would have to regroup.
Finally the first one moved away to relieve himself, and it was dark enough for him to strike. He knew Connor was close by. He had him scented, and his guy would see him when he struck. Wolfe moved, blending into the shadows, and with precision he pulled the man into the bushes before he could make a sound. He snapped the man’s neck easily and moved the body away from the area. He was back in his spot in minutes just in time to see a man rear back as if he was caught, but nothing was there. Connor took this thug down just as quick as he did, but the man was able to get a shot off and all hell broke loose. For the invisible man he had no finesse. Wolfe shook his head and moved away from the camp quickly. He had to get far away fast because unlike the invisible man, he could be seen.
The rain started to pour again as if the sky broke open, and that made it easier for him. They could not track any footprints he made. Wolfe made it back in double time to Vicki’s cabin home. He kicked on the door, and she opened it as if she was standing right there waiting for his return. She pulled him into her arms soaking wet and kissed him like there was no tomorrow.
“I was so worried!” She kissed him over and over again. “ You were gone so long!”
“I’m okay, darling, really I am.” That didn’t stop Wolfe from holding onto her tight.
“I’m fine too.” Connor’s voice came from behind them. “Move out of the way. Let me go get dressed.”
“He sounds cranky,” Vicki murmured as they stepped aside.
Wolfe closed and barred the door again. “He’s just upset that he got us caught.”
“We did not get caught. How was I supposed to know he would squeeze the trigger when I….Never mind.” Connor stopped talking in the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later. “You should grab some shut eye. They’ll be coming in hard and fast in the morning.”
“I made you guys something to eat while you were gone. I thought you would be hungry, and I needed something to keep me occupied,” Vicki said sheepishly. “I can’t wait until this is over so I can get back to work. I have to catalog some birds’ nesting I saw and start on the new habitats for animals. Anyway I made some beef stew and bread.”
“Sounds good. Can you make me bowl while I take a shower? I feel like mud and sweat,” Wolfe said.
I’ll bring you both a bowl.” Vicki went off to the kitchen, and Wolfe stepped into the bathroom.
He stood under the hot spray and let the water cascade over him. With eyes closed he assessed his body and could feel the internal injuries that he had knitting. He was almost healed, and when he looked at the stitches the skin was already puckered and instead of being raw was almost healed. He just needed it closed so his flesh could have time to heal. The tiny tub felt cramped for his big size. She is really going to need a new bathroom if I’m going to be staying out here, he thought. He grinned when he realized what was going through his head. His dad was right after all. Wolves did mate quickly and for life. He wanted to howl in pleasure with knowing he had found his mate.
Chapter Five
The rain was still pounding against the roof when Wolfe came out of the bathroom toweling his hair dry and looked around for Vicki. Instead he saw Connor stretched out on the bullet ridden sofa with a blanket thrown across his body.
With a wink and a big grin on his face, Connor pointed to the closed bedroom door. “She took your food in there. I guess that’s where you’re sleeping tonight.”
He threw the damp towel at him. He was always fond of Connor. But now being stuck in this situation showed him that the man who turned invisible had his back. “Don’t sleep too deep. We don’t know what the hell’s going to happen at first light.”
Connor gave him a mock salute and went back to eating his big bowl of dinner. “She’s a pretty good cook,” he said around a mouthful of beef stew.
Wolfe smiled and turned toward the bedroom. He opened the door without knocking. Vicki sat on the edge of the bed brushing out her hair. He sat on the bed and took the tray with his dinner and thick buttered bread on the bedside table. Then he scooted back against her pillows until he could put his feet up on the bed. It was such a comfortable feeling, like it was a routine they had. Wolfe could see himself getting accustomed to this easily, sitting watching her brush her hair at night while they got ready for bed. She lifted her thick hair and was about to put it into a ponytail.
“Leave it down. I like it that way,” Wolfe commanded softly.
She looked back at him with wide chocolate eyes and a small smile on her full lips. She put the brush and the hair tie down and sat beside him while he ate voraciously.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “Did you hurt your leg?”
He pulled down the side of the sweatpants he wore again and showed her the scar. “I’m okay.”
She gasped. ‘You’re almost healed. That’s amazing. Will you be able to shift again now?”
Wolfe nodded. He could feel the delicious zing of his shifter blood running through his veins. The internal wounds had knitted, and he was at full strength once more. “I can feel the longing to shift.”
“Does it feel like that all the time?” she asked. When he put the tray with his now empty bowl down she laced her fingers with his.
Wolfe wanted to explain to her the excitement of being a wolf how everything felt right in the world when he was one with nature. But a human could never understand the depth of feeling that came with being a shifter. Because it was her, he tried anyway.
“Every day I walk through D.C. I go for coffee, pick up a paper, sit, and have breakfast in the same deli. And while everyone else is going about their day, I look like I’m doing the same. I have this animal inside me longing to be free and to run.” Wolfe sighed and leaned his head back against the headboard. “It’s like my skin is tingling, and sometimes when I’m back at my place, I’ll shift and pace the room, but it’s not enough. I need to feel the earth under my feet and smell the air and the sounds of the wild to feel complete.”
“You should move out of the city and commute,” Vicki announced. “I think that’s the only way you can have some kind of freedom.”
Wolfe grinned and pulled her close. “I was thinking the same thing. Are you looking for a roommate?”
“I could be persuaded to think along those lines.”
Wolfe rolled to face her and pulled her into his arms. “By all means let me start with some serious convincing by kissing you here.” He placed a kiss on the nape of her neck. “And here.” Another kiss was placed on her jaw. He continued to place small kisses on her skin until he reached her mouth and their lips met in a kiss that made the world spin on its axis.
Wolfe sank his fingers in her dark hair and exposed her neck to his
ravenous kisses. Her little moan of pleasure stoked the flames inside him, and all he thought about was taking her hard. She opened her eyes slowly, and her hands combed through his dark hair. Each time her fingers slipped through his thick mane and grazed his neck, his body shuddered. Wolfe took her lips in a searing kiss. He tasted and explored her mouth with his tongue. When her tongue tangled with his, his groan of pleasure was muffled against her mouth as he pulled her closer and deepened his kiss.
He pulled away and looked into her eyes that were heavy with desire. The need to touch her was like fire in his blood. The wolf was there and pushed into the background by the yearning being with her created. His hand went under her blouse and cupped her full breast. Vicki’s gaze was still on his face, and he watched as she bit her lip when his hand was filled with her chocolate globes. Wolfe kept her gaze while his other hand went into the band of her shorts and cupped her pussy through her panties. A small cry escaped her lips when his fingers slipped between the barrier and into her moist snatch. He put his mouth to her breast and sucked her nipples through her shirt.
“God, I can feel you getting wetter. I love how your body responds to me,” he murmured while he fingered her.
Vicki spread her legs wider in a silent plea for more. He obliged sinking his digit inside her in a fast piston motion until she bucked and came on his hand. She moaned her disappointment when his hand moved from between her legs. He could see the sultry awe in her eyes when she saw him lick her juices off his finger. He wrapped his arms around her and took her lips in a kiss and took it even deeper. His tongue grazed her teeth before he slipped it into her mouth to taste her. She pressed herself more intimately against him and rubbed her hand against his cock.
A groan rumbled deep in his chest while she worked her hand along the length of his cock. He moved and with one quick motion took off his sweatpants so she could touch him. He filled his hands with the soft mounds of her breasts when she removed her shirt, massaging them with a strong firm motion letting her nipples bead to hardness against his fingers.
“Wolfe, oh yes.” Vicki whispered the words and pushed herself more firmly into his palm.
She pulled her shorts and panties off and returned to him quickly. Wolfe sunk his hands in her hair. He pulled her back so he could bury his face into her chest and took her nipple into his mouth. He sucked and played with one before moving to the other to give it the same attention. Vicki held his head to her body, and her head fell back in pleasure.
“You taste so fucking good,” Wolfe said against her skin.
His body reacted to her writhing in his arms. Vicki pressed herself against him like she was trying to ease the ache he created. Her soft cries of pleasure told him how much she approved of what he was doing. Vicki tore her lips way from his and trailed kisses and tiny licks down his body until she reached his cock. With deft fingers she took his rod and cupped his heavy balls. Wolfe’s body jerked in response to her touch, and a sexy smile crossed her lips. He knew what she was going to do and swallowed in anticipation of her mouth on him.
On her knees sinking into the soft mattress Vicki leaned over and sunk her mouth over the length of him. Her hot lips almost made him come instantly when she began to suck him. She licked and kissed her way down and then back up his manhood. She took his hard cock in her orifice once again and with fervor used it to please him.
“Jesus, Vicki, don’t stop.” His words came out in a rush before his breath hissed out between his teeth.
Vicki would not be deterred. She took her time pleasing him until he could no longer bear the sweet sensations running through his body and caused his skin to feel as if it was on fire. He pulled her away unable to stand the torture. Wolfe’s hot gaze followed the line of her body, taking in every inch of her skin, and he imprinted to his memory.
“Ride my cock, honey.”
Her hands slid up his chest to his shoulders, and she climbed over him to straddle his lap. Her thighs quivered against him as he rubbed the tip of his shaft against her snatch. With one thrust he filled her and her head fell back in pleasure.
“Take it slow, baby. I want to savor how you feel,” Wolfe said.
She began to move slowly and he watched her chocolate eyes darken in pleasure. His fingers tightened on her hips and with each movement of her body he matched her thrusts and went deeper into her pussy.
“Oh God, Wolfe, I need you.” Vicki said the words in a whisper against his ear. “Harder, fuck me harder.”
She was bent low against him riding him like a jockey trying to break a horse. Sweat sheened their bodies. Wolfe could hear their harsh breathing amplified in the room. Her words spurred him on, and he lost all control. He grabbed her hips pulling her against him hard, and she cried out in ecstasy.
He felt a gush of her essence as she arched against him. “Oh, oh I can’t stop. I’m going to come!”
“Come for me, sweetheart. I’m right there with you.” He took her nipples in his mouth and sucked deeply.
He felt her pussy clench around him, and she shook while she orgasmed. The feel of her body sent her over the edge of sanity. She fell against him weakly, and Wolfe rolled over so she was beneath him. He raised her leg high against her chest and fucked her hard, burying himself to the hilt while she held on to the headboard. She gave his shoulder a quick sharp bite, and he growled low in his throat. She’s mine, his mind roared, and the animal inside him howled in delight. She pressed her face against him and came again, and with his orgasm he never knew anything so intense. Silence reigned as he tried to catch his breath. He pulled her close with her ass curved against him, and she kissed his hand before resting it on her breast. He cupped the mound and kissed the back of her neck nipping it lightly. They slept that way until morning curved in each other’s arms.
* * * *
Vicki stared outside at the beautiful scene. Mist rolled through the bottoms of the trees trying to escape the sun’s rays. The dew and raindrops clung to each blade of grass and shimmered like diamonds. Usually this was a scene that would have brought her peace and she would have stepped out onto her patio to take a deep breath of the fresh air and get along with her work day. Instead everything around her was tense. The air was thick with it, and the two men who were now her protectors were ready for a fight.
She didn’t want anything to happen to them or see them hurt, especially Wolfe. Through happenstance they had met twice, and she called that fate. They were destined to meet and become what they were now. She could not bear the thought of losing him, not after she had only just found him. She looked over to him and Connor as they talked over strategies and he coordinated with someone on the phone. A helicopter would be going up as soon as the fog cleared, and they were given an okay to take off. Forty-five minutes later they would be here for a rescue and then Senator Maynard would be taken into custody in D.C.
It was a simultaneous mission that had to go off flawlessly because if the senator caught wind of what was going on, he would be gone and out of the country before he could be caught. He had enough money to live in a country with no extradition treaty. So he would never be able to be brought to justice. They just had to hope that the men were scared enough not to come looking again from what they did last night. If not they had to last until help arrived.
No such luck. She heard the roar of ATV engines and the sound of cheers and catcalls as their attackers came in with a vengeance. Wolfe dropped the phone and grabbed her arm, pulling her to the floor as the first bullets hit her cabin home. She could hear them going around the house trying to corner them from each direction.
“Don’t move,” Wolfe ordered.
He threw a gun at Connor who caught it easily out of the air, and while he fired out of the front, Wolfe moved to the back of the cabin. She covered her ears as both men began firing back at their attackers. The noise was deafening from both outside and in. She knew those outside were probably wondering who the hell was in the house with her. But that did not stop them from trying to k
ick the sturdy back door in or trying to light the entire cabin on fire.
“Wolfe, we got a problem, man. They set a fire at the far corner of the house,” Connor called out.
“We’re going to have to go out and take this fight to them.” Wolfe ran back in and handed her the shotgun. “If anyone comes in here who is not us, take their heads off.”
Vicki nodded mutely. Everything was happening so fast she didn’t know how to react. Connor stood and turned invisible before her eyes. Clothes fell as if they’d been suspended in air while Wolfe unlocked the heavy back door. He gave Connor only seconds to get out and then he came back to her and pulled her to her feet so she had to stand on shaky legs.
“Baby, I’m heading out there. I can’t leave Connor to fight alone,” Wolfe explained. “When you let me out you close that door and you don’t open it until you hear me come and get you. If I don’t come one of my people will when they get here. I’ll keep them off until you are safe.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “Please be careful, Wolfe. I can’t lose you!”
He kissed her soundly. “I’ll be back, sweetheart. I promise I will.”
He shed his clothes quickly and threw her a grin before he began to shift into his wolf form. Even though the danger from outside was looming she couldn’t help but be amazed at the transformation as he morphed from man to wolf. He went to the back door and waited for her to open the door, and when she did he was out in a flash. She closed it and barred it tight like he ordered and crouched next to the closest window to catch a glimpse of what was going on.
She saw flashes of gray and black as Wolfe moved around through the trees with speed that none of the assailants could keep up with. They fired at him and missed, but that did not make her any less scared. Wolfe jumped at one of the men and she could see every one of the muscles under his thick coat move. His weight easily knocked the man over, and the force caused him to crack his head. He lay still, and Wolfe was gone like a wisp of smoke again. She saw one man rear back and his gun be used to shoot another man in the leg. The rest of them looked around scared not knowing what was going on. They were being attacked by an unseen force and a wolf. They had to wonder who or what was trying to keep her safe.
