Layers to Peel

by Tilly Wallace

  Dusk fell and the men gathered around the fire. The smell of dinner made Alick's mouth water and yet he knew a far more delectable treat awaited him. Quinn coughed into his hand and then gestured with his head. Alick turned as the women reappeared and parted to reveal his Izzy-Cat.

  At their church ceremony, she had walked the aisle as a regal bride. Now she appeared as a Highland one. Strands of jasmine were entwined through her braided hair, and she carried a bouquet of more jasmine and wild roses that trailed to the ground. While she wore a plain gown, she sought his gaze and smiled. That simple act graced her face and made her radiant. Here was a woman who wanted to join hands with him, not a prisoner walking toward a life sentence.

  He took her hand and they stood before Hamish, who would one day be his laird. His cousin spoke of families coming together, and bonds of blood and friendship. Then Ewan handed Hamish a length of red ribbon. Alick and Isabel stood facing each other, hands clasped. The flickering light of the bonfire played over their forms so they seemed enclosed by a golden orb. Hamish wrapped the ribbon around their wrists, binding them together as they said their vows.

  Alick cleared his throat and then said the words he’d thought would never pass his lips. Never, in his most fanciful imaginings, had he thought to find a woman like the one beside him.

  "Ye are Blood of my Blood, and Bone of my Bone

  I give ye my Body, that we Two might be One.

  I give ye my Spirit, till our Life shall be Done."

  Alick tried to steady his nerves, wondering if his cousin had spoken to Isabel about her vows. Then her voice came clear through the night.

  "You cannot possess me for I belong to myself

  But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give

  You cannot command me, for I am a free person

  But I shall serve you in those ways you require

  And the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand."

  As she said the words, giving herself freely, he wondered if there could be a more perfect woman. His mate. Her words were so apt for his fiercely independent Izzy-Cat. His eyes moistened—not that he was crying. Never. It was simply smoke from the fire curling into his eyes that made them moisten.

  Her gaze met his and she licked her lips. He didn't need prodding this time. He knew exactly what to do. He pulled his wife to him and claimed her mouth in a hard kiss that left them both breathless while the others cheered.

  22

  Isabel

  * * *

  For the first time in her life, Isabel existed in a state of blissful happiness. The ceremony was beautiful, simple, and heartfelt. Then the men carved the venison and they ate a modest meal with much laughter and the warmth of genuine companionship. By comparison, she remembered the exquisite and expensive wedding feast her father had provided as being sand in her mouth. This simple meal nourished her soul.

  Night deepened around them and the men kept the bonfire blazing. The firelight flickered around the group and conversation washed over Isabel. She leaned back and stared at the midnight blanket overhead. Nature provided a ceiling more spectacular than the most lavish ballroom boasted. Stars sparkled and reminded her of diamonds, winking in candlelight.

  The voices beyond the shadows belonged to those who were not supposed to be her people and yet they embraced her. She had been raised amongst the highest echelon of society and played with princes and princesses. Nannies had tended to her every need. She once spent months refusing to walk, forcing the tolerant staff to carry her around. That game only ended when her father offered her a pony. Why walk or be carried when you could ride?

  And yet here, sitting on a blanket in a meadow with the stars as her roof, she found a sense of calm enveloped her mind. These people would share what little they had with her and the man at her side would protect her with his body. When she thought of stuffy parlours and stiff conversation she could no longer see the appeal. Why sit in a gilded cage in Mayfair when she could ride free on an elephant in India, or hunt through jungles with the wolf at her side?

  "You are beautiful when you smile. You should do it more often," Alick whispered.

  "I'm sure I have smiled before." What an odd comment; she smiled all the time, didn't she? Although now he remarked upon it, she couldn't think of much in her old life that made her smile.

  He lay on his side, propped up on one elbow and, almost shyly, took her hand. He brushed a kiss over her knuckles and his pale, intense gaze captured hers. "I think today has been the first true smile I have seen on your face, and may it be the first of many."

  Her heart stuttered in her chest at the sight of him and she marvelled at the change their days together had wrought. When he stepped forward in the ballroom, fear had gripped her at the sight of him. She had thought him monstrous, a creature made of the basest, crudest material. Yet now he inspired quite different thoughts within her. His countenance had not changed, but her perception of him had.

  The dark claimed one half of his face and the firelight the other. He was both at once, light and dark. Wolf and man. Like his nature, she realised there was another part of him. The scarred part of him stood in the full sunlight. That was the side people saw and assumed was the whole of him, the mindless warrior or the vicious beast. But there, hidden in the night and cloaked in shadow, was a quieter part. The thoughtful gentleman. The patient lover. Perhaps that was why he preferred his wolf form, for it meant people didn't judge the man.

  She caressed the side of his face, her thumb rubbing over the scar. "I see you, the man you hide from the others."

  Everything about this man should have been anathema to her, from his ordinary position, lowly rank as a soldier, and unrefined appearance to his coarse personality. He wasn't even fully human but an Unnatural, afflicted by a lycanthrope bite and prone to chasing red balls. He should repel her on every level, both social and personal. And yet, in an instant, she understood why he was the only man who could ever understand her. Why he was the only man she could ever consider giving herself to—because they both struggled with the perceptions others held of them. His wolf was in every way the match for her own creature that dwelt deep inside her. The harpy who lashed out in anger and frustration that he called his Izzy-Cat.

  She parted her lips and sighed at the thought of events ahead. A shiver ran over her skin. Lord, the way he fired her body. He exuded power as he held her captive, but it was cloaked in velvet. His very strength made her safe and allowed her to surrender. He would challenge her and confront her but at the same time protect her.

  I will never let you fall.

  Isabel would never be happy with a fat, placid noble who sat inside playing cards. Perhaps the fates had known something when she’d made her wish in the ballroom and this fierce man stepped forward. For so many years she had longed to be free, and only this man was capable of smashing down the bars that held her.

  "India," she whispered. "I want to go to India."

  He arched an eyebrow. "So it's an elephant ride first? Very well."

  Her smiled widened and a star shot across the heavens. She was free and the world was laid before her. There was one last step she wanted to take.

  "Shall we slip away?" she murmured to her husband.

  Alick smiled and pulled her to her feet. With his arm around her waist, they walked back to the lodge and their bedroom.

  In their little room she closed the door and leaned against it. Her heartbeat seemed overly loud and her palms sweaty. She drew a deep breath and tried to settle her nerves. Silly, this man had already performed intimate acts upon her. Why was tonight so different? Was it because she offered herself without pretence? She had no anger to cloak her responses or to goad him into exerting control over her.

  He turned, perhaps sensing her hesitancy. "We don't have to do this if you're not comfortable with it."

  The solid door behind her held back the rest of the world. Here it was just the two of them. "I find myself beset by nerves. It seemed so
much easier the other times."

  He took one step closer and his gaze never wavered from her face. "Anger and passion are two sides of the same coin. One flows into the other. Your body battles your mind and so it's easier when I physically dominate you, and give your body what it craves."

  He spoke the truth her mind tried to grasp. She needed to fight before she could surrender, but could she place herself in his hands willingly? Heat surged through her limbs. She would never know unless she tried.

  "Help me, Alick. Help me to be yours." She whispered the words, the first time she had ever reached out to another person, laying herself bare.

  He closed the distance between them and buried his hands in her hair. Holding her head immobile, he plunged into her mouth and stole her breath. She moaned as her tongue twisted around his, following him, daring him. Harder, he pressed into her and nipped at her lip, sucking it into his mouth and then letting go to dive back. He didn't let her pause for breath; he kissed her until her legs wobbled and she swayed against him. Only the solid door and the press of Alick held her upright.

  He pulled back a few inches and dropped his hands to work at the fastenings on her gown. As they came loose, he pulled the dress from her form so she stood in only her shift. Then, with one arm under her knees, he swung her up into his arms and walked to the bed. He placed her in the middle, the pillow under her head.

  He stood back and stared at her for a moment, drinking her in. Then he opened the drawer in the little table by the bed. "Raise your arms and hold onto the bedstead."

  "Why?" A quiver ran through her limbs, triggered by both the excitement at the unknown and the unexpected command. She could refuse and things would end here, or she could trust him and see what marvels he would show her.

  He lifted out a length of silken rope. "You need to let go, Izzy-Cat. I'm going to show you how, if you'll let me."

  Her gaze widened, but she did as he asked, lifting her arms over her head and twining her fingers through the bedstead. Taking care of her delicate skin, he tied her hands to the bedhead, tight enough to hold her captive but not so tight as to chafe her wrists.

  The tremor ran down her arms. Tied, she was at his mercy, powerless. The one thing she had rebelled against her whole life. Helplessness. Except she wasn't. One glance at his intense gaze and she knew that she held him captive. Everything he did was for her.

  He cupped the side of her face in his palm. "I would never hurt you. If you want me to stop just say so."

  She shook her head. "I want this. I need this, please."

  Leaning down, he kissed her again. Isabel arched up, seeking more, but he drew back. Standing by the bed he reached down and pulled the knife from his boot. Then he slit her shift from throat to hem and pulled it from her body. He could have taken the garment off her first, but there was something about the small act of destruction that made her feel vulnerable. He tore away more than the flimsy fabric; he ripped away her last defences.

  Drawing a deep breath, she embraced his power, even as her hands tested the bonds.

  He watched her struggles and chuckled. "You have no control, Izzy-Cat. Trust me to look after you and you will soar."

  With one hand, he pulled his shirt off over his head. Then he discarded his boots before he knelt on the bed, straddling her thighs. His gaze ran hot over her nakedness, his hands following his eyes as he stroked her body. Isabel had nowhere to hide; she was completely exposed to him and it made heat trail over her skin under his touch, setting her body alight.

  She closed her eyes and arched her back as his hand moved over her ribs and down her stomach then back up again until he cradled her breasts. His thumbs flicked over her nipples and she bit her lower lip at the sharp pang of fire the touch sent to her core.

  She cried out when his hot mouth suckled on her skin, sending stabs of passion through her body. He lavished attention on her breasts until her body sang, every nerve and fibre tense as she waited, not knowing what he would do next. She pulled on the cord, desperate to move him lower, but her hands were held fast. There was no escape. Not that she wanted to.

  His weight moved off the bed and she opened her eyes as he removed his trousers. She once thought him beastly, a crude model of a man. Now she saw him as magnificent, raw power moulded into human form. She clenched her thighs as her gaze devoured him, thinking, imagining the things he would do with her. The dominant thought in her mind centred around the hollow ache at her core and how he would fill the void.

  "I need you, Alick," she whispered. She sighed and felt it deep in her bones. A sense of relief washed over her, as though she set down a great burden and Alick took it up and carried her load. A strong woman needs an even stronger man to offer her safe harbour. Her Highland Wolf was exactly that man.

  She closed her eyes and breathed out. He would care for her, protect her, and far from locking her in a cage or stifling her, his control allowed her freedom. Under his touch she soared, higher than a hawk skimming over clouds.

  With his hands on her knees, he drew her legs apart and knelt between them. "You'll have me, lass. All of me."

  She twisted against the cord and he chuckled. Leaning forward, he captured her breasts in his hands. She gasped as he caressed her form before his tongue tortured her further. Heat shot from her chest, spiralling down to her core. She couldn't squeeze her legs together as he knelt between them. All she could do was cry out as he teased and tormented her flesh. First one breast, then the other. He licked and sucked until she begged him for release.

  His only answer was another chuckle. Then he slid down her body, spreading her thighs farther apart.

  "Please, Alick," she murmured again.

  Then the words dried up in her throat as he stroked her flesh with a large finger. She arched and writhed, trying to impale herself on his hand, anything to ease the growing ache.

  "Please," she sobbed again, her hips rising against him, trying to direct his hand to where she needed it most.

  "You still need to let go, Izzy-Cat. Stop trying to control events."

  She shook her head as he stroked harder. Closing her eyes, she arched her head back on the pillow and let her mind go, trusting him, just as his mouth fastened onto her. Nothing prepared her for the soft pull of his teeth. Her moan became a cry as he licked and sucked on her most secret flesh.

  When he inserted a finger she whimpered, "I can't—"

  "Yes, you will," he murmured. He stroked in and out, grazing her with the pad of his finger, even as his tongue continued its ministrations.

  Her world contracted. Even the room and very bed she lay on were forgotten. She knew only Alick, his tongue, and the rhythm of his fingers. He threw her higher and higher until she could touch the stars far above, as her body tightened and contracted on itself. Then he turned his hand, and his finger pressed against a spot deep inside her body.

  The stars around her exploded and release shot hard through her body. Her back arched off the bed and she cried out his name. He kissed her inner thigh and crooned to her as her body spasmed around his fingers. Only as her shudders subsided did he withdraw his hand and rise up her body, kissing a path on her hot skin as he murmured her name.

  "Good girl." He rained kisses on her face.

  "More," she whispered hoarsely, like a greedy child at dessert time. "You promised me all of you."

  He chuckled. "That's just what you're going to get."

  Bracing his hands either side of her head, he lowered his hips over hers. The thick end of his arousal nudged against her entrance. Fear and excitement collided in her mind. He was so big; this was the ultimate possession. Inch by agonising inch he sank into her slick flesh. But it wasn't pain that rent her, it was need and pure desire to have all of him, just as he took all of her.

  Her moans turned to sobs. She thought she would split and, at the same time, she never wanted it to end. Her mind screamed no while her body cried for more. Her hands pulled and twisted against the rope as he filled her until there was no sp
ace between them.

  Then he stilled, leaning on his elbow to stroke her hair and croon to her. He covered her, possessed her, and dominated her, and both her body and mind revelled in it. She trusted him to protect her and it left her free to simply feel.

  He reached up and undid her hands, letting them fall over his head. She dug her fingers into his back as the ache dispersed through her body. His hands stroked her constantly, caressing her breasts and down over her ribs. Then she moaned as the pressure built, knowing he would take care of her.

  "Ready for more, Izzy-Cat?" he asked with a wicked grin.

  She rubbed her body against him and sighed, "Yes."

  Alick began to move his hips with long and slow thrusts that drove her wild. Over and over he withdrew until only his tip remained inside her, then he pushed back into her depths, possessing her deeper each time, and throwing her higher until she could gather the moon and stars to her.

  She thought she had experienced passion before, but now it consumed her. Like a tide crashing over the shore, it seemed one wave followed another. Each pushed her a little higher as he plunged deeper into her body. Then her mind could experience no more and she crested a peak. To stifle her scream she bit his shoulder. Her teeth sank into his skin, muffling her passion as she shook. Her complete surrender fuelled his release. He groaned as she tightened around him and his seed spilled in a hot gush.

  Her eyelids fluttered as he rolled to one side and drew her against him. Safe in his embrace, she allowed events to wash her away and she fell asleep.

  23

  Alick