Wild Instincts - Complete Edition (Werewolf Erotic Romance)

by King, Claudia

  Perhaps they wouldn't follow us. If they stopped to help Cyan, maybe we'd have enough time to circle around and find Ellie. But the sounds of the wolves behind us were already dimming, the pack dispersing in every direction as they fled from whatever was pursuing them. Had the Wood Pack found them so quickly? Perhaps Cyan's plan with the torch had been a little too effective. I began to slow, wondering whether I should turn back, but Thorne nudged me in the side with a growl, driving me onwards, and a moment later I picked up the sounds of our pursuit.

  We couldn't stop. Someone was chasing us, at least two or three wolves, loud and fast as they followed our trail through the forest. I didn't know which way I was going. Were we heading back into friendly territory, or further away from those who might help us? Where were the Mine Pack in all of this?

  I twisted my head up to try and catch sight of the moon, but it was invisible through the tangle of thick branches above us. All we could do was run, and hope we were headed in the right direction.

  I broke out of the undergrowth into dazzling moonlight shining on the surface of a wide stream, my paws splashing into the water before I could stop myself. The chill of it cut through to my bones, but I immediately recognised the watercourse as a blessing in disguise. They wouldn't be able to follow our scent if we kept to the stream.

  I waded through the rushing water to the far bank before turning to follow the current, making sure my paws never left the water. It took a moment for me to realise that Thorne was no longer at my side.

  I whipped my head around, and saw him moving in the opposite direction, jerking his head as he gestured for me to follow. We only had a matter of seconds before our pursuers caught up with us. Heading upstream would take us back in the direction of Cyan's pack, right into dangerous territory once more. Thorne jerked his head again with a growl, and I hurried back through the shallows to join him before breaking into a run, following my mate through the icy water as the current dragged against my fur. Was he trying to throw them off? We might cross paths with anyone doubling back like this. I swallowed my doubts and put my trust in him. If he had a plan, I wasn't about to second-guess it.

  The stream twisted and turned, becoming increasingly difficult to navigate as we ducked under low-hanging branches and clambered over the slippery trunks of fallen trees. I couldn't hear anyone following us, but amidst the sound of rushing water it was hard to make out anything. The chill of the water around my legs had me feeling feverish, my body throbbing with anxiety and exhaustion, coupled with the ever-present fear of what might happen to those I cared about. Cyan wouldn't hurt Ellie, would he? Even after his violent outburst, I had to hope that the human part of him was still clinging to reason. It was all I had right now.

  We were heading uphill, the tug of the current and the steep incline rapidly sucking the energy from my body as I forced myself to keep going, knowing I didn't have the luxury to stop and rest. Eventually we came to an opening in the trees, and an impassable barrier. The ground rose up ahead of us in a rocky cliff, water cascading down the well-worn surface to throw up small clouds of spray as it came to rest in a wide pool that fed the stream.

  We could look for a way around, but it would mean a slow and dangerous climb up through the rocks, and abandoning the water to leave a fresh scent trail for our pursuers to follow. Thorne looked back at me, bobbing his head slightly and blinking those solemn green eyes, then turned and waded out into the pool, everything but his head submerging beneath the surface as he began swimming across to the far side.

  I didn't have much choice but to follow, feeling horribly exposed in the wide open area without the reassurance of the ground beneath my feet. We paddled our way over to the base of the waterfall, the spray stinging my eyes as Thorne hauled himself out on to the rocks before helping me up, his teeth gripping the back of my neck firmly as he dragged my tired body up to join him. I could barely see a thing through the deluge. Every inch of me was soaked and shivering, but I followed in Thorne's footsteps across the slippery rocks until we reached a barrier of thick foliage hanging behind the waterfall.

  My mate sniffed his way along the rocks, pawing and nuzzling at the vines until he found what he was looking for; a narrow opening, completely invisible from the outside through the thick curtain of leaves and falling water. He urged me through and squeezed in behind me, nudging me on into the darkness as the sound of the waterfall became a muffled roar behind us. Up ahead I could make out a chink of moonlight, and I followed it until the tight passage opened up into a wide ravine between the rocks.

  The ground here was covered in thick moss, and the moonlight high above us was almost completely blocked off by a ceiling of vines and branches crisscrossing between the twisted trees that grew out from the sides of the gulley. There didn't seem to be any way out besides the way we'd entered. Lit by dappled shafts of moonlight, the hidden area would have been breathtakingly beautiful at any other time.

  I shifted back into my human form and fell to my knees, gasping for breath as I brushed strands of wet hair away from my eyes, shivering uncontrollably as the water that had soaked my fur transferred over into my clothes. Thorne's arms encircled me from behind, his body shaking just as hard as he clutched my hands between his and rubbed them together.

  "We'll wait here," he gasped, resting his chin on my shoulder, encasing my body in the warmth of his own. "We'll wait till Cyan's pack are gone, then we'll find the others. We can't get your sister back by ourselves."

  I nodded breathlessly, almost grateful for the heat of the exhausted tears spilling down my cheeks. In the silence I could hear the howls of wolves coming from far above, the howls of our old pack. They were still nearby, hunting us.

  "What happened?" I said at last, clutching Thorne's hands tight.

  "Ethan's patrol showed up. They must have been nearer than we thought. I was talking to the others, trying to make them see sense, and he managed to sneak right up on them before anyone even noticed he was there."

  "Did you see what happened to Ellie? Was anyone hurt?"

  I felt him shake his head.

  "Baya had her climb up on her back and took off. There wasn't any real fighting, but Ethan only had a few others with him. Once Cyan realises that and gets his pack back together they won't be scared off a second time. Did he hurt you?" He pried a hand from my grasp to touch my cheek. The pain of Cyan's blow had almost completely faded now.

  I shook my head. It hadn't been what he'd done to me physically that had hurt. "I don't know if I can do it, Thorne," I said, hating how tired and pathetic my own voice sounded. "My wolf's fighting me again. She's confused, she doesn't understand..." I squirmed in his grasp, a feverish shiver running through my body.

  "Try and calm her down, just like I first showed you, remember?" He held me tight, and I nodded shakily, trying to slow my breathing and think human thoughts. I'd shifted into my wolf form right as my instinct had been awakened, and listening to her animal impulses for so long had only made it worse. I directed my thoughts away from the forest and towards home, towards my family, and towards...

  "I can't." I let out a choked sob. "I can't think of Ellie, not now."

  Rather than the soothing images of the times I'd spent with my sister back home, all I could think of now was the scared little girl standing in the torchlight, Cyan dragging me away from her and holding me up against the tree, his breath on my face and his male scent in my nostrils, the memories of night after night spent in his grasp as my instinct ran wild.

  I didn't know how long I could hold out. Our escape along the stream had been exhausting, but it had kept me focused and distracted from my instinct. Now, trapped here, forced to wait, I didn't have anything else to occupy my attention.

  As I shivered in Thorne's arms I could feel Cyan stalking me, not just out there in the forest, but inside my own head. He'd never really disappeared, not completely. He was the part of me that made me feel ashamed of my instinct, the part that made me fight with my wolf, leaving me confused
and exhausted and helpless.

  I could stand up to him in person. I'd used my anger to push him away when he cornered me, but now that I was away from him he was creeping back into my thoughts, darting and flickering like an elusive shadow, dragging up the crippling shame and weakness that he'd made me associate with my instinct. I'd buried him in the back of my mind when I was with Thorne, but I'd never truly forgotten about him.

  A breathless wave of panic gripped my chest, and I almost tore myself away from Thorne as I imagined the memory of Cyan hanging over me for the rest of my life, stalking me patiently, waiting to pounce in those moments when I was at my most vulnerable. I let out a whimper of desperation as I fought to control the burning itch taking root in my belly, like a molten spark inviting me to touch it with poisoned promises.

  "I don't know if I can," I whispered, tears running down my cheeks. "Not now, not ever. It'll never be gone."

  "Look at me, Lyssa." Thorne cupped his palm against my cheek, the warmth of his hand soothing away the last traces of the ache where Cyan had hit me.

  I tilted my head towards him, so close and quiet in the dim moonlight.

  "It might never be gone," he said. "But neither will I. Even if your instinct keeps fighting you for the rest of your life, you won't have to fight it alone." He kissed me, the dampness on his lips giving way to the heat of his tongue as I tilted my head back in response, my instinct flaring brightly to life, any hope of fighting it evaporating in an instant.

  "Don't be afraid of it," he said. "Confront it."

  I choked out a wordless response as I squirmed around in his grasp, turning to face him as I clung to the back of his neck, afraid to let go. The shame was still there, the panic, the weakness. I could still feel the mark Cyan had left on my instinct clawing at me like a predator that refused to let go. But amidst all of that uncertainty there was the refuge of my mate, the man who had taken my painful instinct and turned it into something wonderful. I clung on to that, feeling like a lost girl being led through a forest of terrors by her strong guardian.

  Thorne cupped my face in his hands, stroking his thumbs down my chin and neck, easing my wet jacket down my shoulders and forcing me to let go of him for a moment as it slid off my arms. He held me again as my jacket dropped to the floor, my body already warming now that it was free of the wet clothing, the need for him building as he gripped me firmly by the shoulders and eased me back against the soft, mossy ground.

  I remembered the first night we had been together, not so different from this one. Trapped alone together, fighting our instincts. That time it had been Thorne who needed my help, and now it was the other way around. My wolf was ready for him to be rough and passionate with me, but I was glad when his hand settled gently on my throat, fingers tracing down my collarbone with tenderness and consideration. The wild and primal lovemaking my wolf hungered for was another carry-over from my time with Cyan. It wasn't what I needed right now.

  I steadied my breathing and laid back, willing the tension to leave my muscles as I looked up at Thorne. He seemed so calm, so in control as his thumb brushed the hollow of my throat, his lips slightly parted with desire.

  "Does your instinct even bother you any more?" I whispered.

  His eyes flicked down for a moment before returning to meet mine. "Sometimes. I think it always will, just like yours bothers you. But I'm not afraid of hurting you when we're together."

  I took Thorne's hand and tilted my head to kiss it, entrusting everything to him as I gave up control, tears of emotion blurring my vision. "I love you."

  He answered me with a kiss, shrugging his jacket off as his heavy body pressed down on top of mine, clutching my hand tight as he comforted me with the warmth and reassurance I needed.

  Any time, any place; whenever I needed him he would be there for me.

  The taste of his lips pushed away the memory of Cyan's breath, my mate's smoky scent filling my senses and leaving me hungry for more. I kissed him back furiously, latching on as he caressed my body with firm, steady hands, drawing shiver after shiver to the surface of my skin as he stroked the damp fabric of my tank top and slid his fingers beneath the hem to touch my stomach. The primal fire of my instinct burned in my core, and I knew that I was past the point of no return. I trusted Thorne to draw it out of me until I was calm again.

  I tried to squirm out of my jeans, but my movements felt sluggish and weak. I wanted to feel him inside me, but the exhaustion of the chase and the foggy haze of emotions pumping through my body were making it hard to think, hard to act.

  Thorne's hand settled on the top button of my jeans and popped it open, and I whimpered in satisfaction, pressing up against him as my stiff nipples brushed against his chest through the fabric of our clothing.

  He could have been practical and detached about it, satisfying my instinct as though it was an obligation to his mate rather than a pleasure to be shared with her. He didn't need to take the time to make it memorable, especially not now, but every touch and kiss was fired by the same passion I'd felt on the night when we were mated. He caressed me as though I would never be his to touch again, the urgency of his movements fuelled with longing.

  Perhaps, I realised, this really would be the last chance we had to be together. Though my instinct had clouded my thoughts, I hadn't forgotten the danger we were still in. If this was the last moment of intimacy the pair of us would share, I wanted to remember it. I ran my hands up Thorne's sides, feeling the firm definition of his body and the reassuring weight of it pressing down against me, all of that restrained power satisfying me in a way I'd never been satisfied before.

  I brushed the tip of my nose down his neck, leaving a trail of soft kisses as I tugged his shirt from his shoulders and he lifted my top to expose my breasts. My chest and stomach rose and fell beneath his palms, quivers of cold replaced by those of ecstasy as every subtle touch crackled through my nerves and down into my core. The brush of his thumb against my navel, the give of my breasts as he squeezed, the flick of his tongue between my teeth. A dozen little things stoked the desire within me higher and higher, coaxing my instinct out until it was all I could focus on, my quiet moans and whimpers almost sounding like feral yips and whines in the back of my throat as my body readied itself for him.

  My jeans and underwear had become tangled somewhere around my ankles, the dry carpet of moss tickling against my skin as Thorne unbuttoned his jeans and freed himself, his shaft rubbing against my stomach with the slick warmth of arousal as he prepared to enter me. His movements were calm and steady, but there was still an urgency to them that embodied the desperate need of the moment. I raised my hips in the air, my brow creasing with a frown, longing for him inside me.

  He pressed the crown of his shaft against my folds, pushed down, and let it sink into me slowly, my breath catching in my throat as my sex opened up to receive him, a brush of cold air sending a shiver through my sensitive entrance before the firm thickness of my mate replaced it.

  I let out a groan as he pushed inside me, a pinch of pain gripping my belly as he bottomed out against my back wall, entering me just slightly too fast, slightly too roughly. My wolf responded immediately, warm lust flooding through my body as I gripped Thorne's sides, curling my legs around his hips to drag him back in once he withdrew and thrust a second time, my warm juices bathing his length as it pushed insistently through my folds, striking down towards the troublesome spark inside me that was the cause of my debilitating instinct.

  He laid one hand on my shoulder, the other gripping me by the hip to hold me down, applying just enough force for my wolf to feel trapped, restrained, controlled in just the way she wanted. It was another feeling that called to mind phantom images of Cyan, stirring conflicting pangs of lust and panic inside me.

  In a way I craved the roughness, the assertion that my male was here to claim me and make me his. But alongside that feeling, the idea of being forced to submit to such a primal display of dominance frightened me, as it always had. It was
a fear I'd always hidden beneath anger and aggression, not just towards Cyan, but also Thorne on that night I'd provoked him into losing control. It would soon become lost in the mindless desire of my instinct, but tonight I was feeling those emotions more keenly than ever, and now was no time for anger.

  My eyes glistened as I looked up at Thorne, my grip on his body faltering as he slid in and out of me. Noticing my hesitation, he paused, but I shook my head, my voice thin and desperate as I spoke.

  "No, don't stop!"

  He lifted his hand from my shoulder to my cheek, ignoring my plea as he gazed down at me, the animal fire of his instinct burning in his eyes, but held in check by the warm human smile that belonged to my mate.

  "I would stop, if you asked me to," he said, his voice like warm smoke in the moonlight. "I'd never use your instinct as an excuse to take what I wanted. You never have to be afraid when you're with me, not even when it feels like our wolves are in control."

  I felt for his hand on my hip and clutched it, and the furious spark I'd seen in his eyes no longer seemed quite so intimidating. It was wild, yes; feral and dangerous, but that aggression wasn't directed towards me. Thorne's wolf was looking down with furious pride and affection, as though challenging the world to dare come between him and his beloved mate. He could suppress his animal instinct, perhaps far better than I ever could, but I saw that he didn't need to any longer. His wolf was my protector now, not my predator.

  He slid into me again, and I bit my lip to stifle a moan as my eyes closed, the ghostly memories of Cyan breaking and dispersing as I embraced Thorne, focusing on the intimacy of the moment. He moved his hand from my hip into the small of my back, lifting my body up into his as I arched and pressed myself into the firm warmth of his chest, my tight nipples grazing his skin as I felt his heartbeat pounding through me.

  Our short breaths swelled and contracted our bodies as they locked together, sometimes pushing against one another, sometimes breathing in unison as Thorne's gentle strokes warmed the fire between my legs. He gave me the time I needed to adjust to him, long moments of gazing into his eyes and seeing my mate there, calm and reassuring as he bent down to claim my mouth with tender kisses. My arms locked around his back, curled into his hair, clinging on to my source of warmth and pleasure in the dim surroundings and letting him envelop me.