Chapter Twelve
“What did you call this, again?” Justin asked. He sat on the edge of Savannah’s bed, watching as she walked around the room lighting candles.
“Astral projection,” she replied. “It’s kind of like going into a trance. My spirit will leave my body but I’ll still be alive, just in a state of multi-level awareness. I can only do it for a few minutes at a time. If I don’t return to my body, I could discorporate.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means my body will go into a coma and eventually die, because my spirit can’t get back in.” She lit a stick of incense and set it in a bowl fashioned from a large seashell. Dimming the lights, she climbed onto the bed and reached for a digital timer on the nightstand. “I’m setting this for ten minutes. If I don’t wake up on my own when this goes off, I need you to bring me back. Call my name, shake me, whatever it takes to pull me back in. Okay?”
Justin nodded. “Got it.”
She stretched out on her back. “I have no idea where I’m going, so I’m going to have to use you as my guide.”
“What do I have to do?”
“Just hold my hand and think about the place where your father died. The physical contact will give me focus.”
“Oh, you know I like getting physical with you,” he said with a sly smile. She snorted and gave his knee a light, admonishing shove, which made him laugh. “Sorry, couldn’t resist.” Smiling, Justin gathered her hand in his. As he linked their fingers together, his brow furrowed. “What exactly are you looking for?”
“Anything to prove you didn’t kill your father.” Savannah settled in and gave his hand a squeeze. “Wish me luck.”
As Justin watched, Savannah closed her eyes. She began to breathe deeply and evenly. All the tension left her body. Even her grip on his hand relaxed but their fingers remained entwined. Her dark, curly hair fanned out around her head on the pillow like a black halo. Her long lashes rested on the smooth rounds of her cheeks and her lips parted slightly. She really is beautiful, Justin thought, gazing down at her in wonder. I’ve lived in the Chicago area all my life. I used to come down to this side of town all the time when I was younger, but I never knew she existed – not until last night. He looked at their joined hands, hers small and soft in the protective cradle of his larger palm, brown contrasting with white. Over the past few years, his werewolf libido had kicked into overdrive with the need to find a mate and breed. But it had to be the right mate, someone from his race who would become his partner for life or what his people referred to as “The One.” Of course, Justin had resisted, uninterested in the women of his species, and instead sought out Human women for gratification. He had been with so many; some he never bothered to learn their names.
But now, one name seemed to ring in his mind: Savannah. Her name conjured images of African veldts, exotic and beautiful and wild. It suits her, Justin thought, smiling. All day long in the restaurant, Justin could not take his eyes off her. When Savannah had come under attack by her sisters, Justin had turned protective, filled with the need to defend her. I could feel her pain, too…the fear and worry and worthlessness. And when he took her in the kitchen just an hour ago, it had been the most incredibly satisfying sex he had ever experienced.
Is she The One?
Or was it this whole Familiar thing making him feel this way? You just met twenty-four hours ago, he reminded himself. And don’t forget where you were, before that. Now, Savannah was willing to risk her life to help him. What if she can’t? The Pack is still going to come looking for me. He considered his original plan to leave Chicago and hide out in the mountains in Colorado. This time, however, he thought about asking Savannah to go with him. Her sisters want to take this place from her – maybe we should both go somewhere else and make a new start.
The timer went off, the soft electronic beep making Justin jump in surprise. He reached over to turn it off. “Savannah?” He wrapped both hands around hers and bent to press his lips to her knuckles. “Come on, baby. Wake up.”
He watched her eyes track under their lids before her lashes fluttered open. He smiled. “Welcome back,” he said. “How did it go?”
“Good – I think.” She freed her hand from his and rubbed her temples. “I was in a room, like a library. There were shelves full of books, and a fireplace, and antique furniture.”
“Dad’s study,” Justin said. He had not described the room to Savannah before she began, so for her to get that much right surprised him. “What else did you see?”
“Well, I didn’t get much of a chance.” She pushed herself up in a sitting position. “These two guys came in – I recognized one of them, he was one of the men who got into a car that stopped out in front of the restaurant last night. I heard them say they had to ‘hurry up and find it,’ whatever ‘it’ was. Then they started to look around on the floor, moving furniture and searching under it.” She shook her head. “I don’t know if the found what they were looking for, I had to leave.” She pushed her hair back from her face. “But I did hear one of them say that if anyone else found the thing, ‘they’d know the truth.’”
Justin’s brows came together at this. “What do you think they were talking about? ‘The truth?’ What, like the truth about who really killed my dad?”
“That’s what I figured,” Savannah said. She sighed. “I need to go back. I have to know what they were after, and see if they found it.”
She started to lie back again but Justin caught her shoulder. “Maybe you should wait,” he said. “You’ve been working all day, you look exhausted.” He shook his head and chuckled. “Wow – listen to me. Dad used to tell me I wasn’t capable of caring about anyone but myself, and yet here I am, worried about you endangering yourself on my behalf.”
Smiling, Savannah reached up and placed her palm against his cheek. “With respect to your dad, he was wrong about you. You’re a good person, Justin.” She glanced around. “The wards on this property protect against anyone bad getting in.”
He smirked. “What about your sisters?”
She waved off the question. “Ceara and Tynice aren’t evil. They were just hurt at a real young age and it planted bitter seeds in their hearts. You know that old saying about ‘killing with kindness?’ I’m good to them because I hold out hope that one day they’d change.”
“Well,” Justin said, bemused, “Dad thought I could never change, and I did.” He found her hand and gripped it gently. “I want you to take a break, though. Get some rest, and try that – what did you call it? – astral projection thing again, later.”
Savannah wet her lips, sucking the lower one between her teeth. “Maybe you can rest with me,” she suggested, and patted the spot beside her.
The husky timbre of her voice made Justin perk up. A grin stretched across his face. “If I lie down with you,” he said, “I don’t think either of us is going to get much rest.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Savannah smiled impishly. She walked her fingers up the front of his shirt and twisted up a fistful of his collar before dragging him in for a kiss.
Justin let out a soft laugh but still allowed himself to be pulled close and was more than happy to kiss those voluptuous lips. Savannah leaned back and he followed her down. He felt her arms and legs wrap around him as he stretched out on top of her, her body so plush beneath him. Her tongue welcomed his, her fingers threading through his hair.
What happened earlier in the kitchen had been rushed, an urgency driven by primal need. Now, Justin wanted to take his time. He wanted to pleasure this amazing woman, to savor every moment with her. He sat up long enough to strip off his shirt and throw it aside. Savannah seemed to appreciate the view, her eyes widening slightly before her hands pressed against the hard muscle of his chest. She followed the path of his body hair down to the button on his jeans, taking the initiative to get them open.
Justin got her to sit up long enough to remove her shirt, leaving them both topless. He stroked her
breast, cupped it and lifted it to his mouth. His tongue swirled around her small, dark brown nipples before his lips closed on it. He could tell by the change in her breathing that she liked this. She arched her back, wordlessly begging for the attention he was only too happy to give.
Shedding the rest of their clothes, they returned to trading lazy, wet kisses. Justin followed the curve of her hip and skimmed over her thigh to stroke the damp, wiry curls of her bush. She spread for him and he eased two fingers inside while his thumb rubbed her clit. Her scent drew him down; abandoning her mouth, he shifted to lie between her legs, her thighs framing his head as he buried his nose in her pussy. “God, you smell incredible,” he moaned. He parted the folds with his tongue and she gasped. She tasted just as good, her juices sweet to his palate. He could hear her whimpering. Glancing up, he saw her head twisting against the pillows. He smiled. Yeah, woman, he thought, I can make you feel good…the way you deserve to feel. Her hips began to rock, humping against his mouth. He felt her nails dig into his scalp as she gripped his hair, her whimpers turning into short, desperate yelps.
“Yes, baby,” she whined under her breath. “Ooh, yes, ooh, yeah…” Savannah’s body quivered and her legs opened and closed around Justin’s head as she fought the urge to clamp them together tight. He pressed his hands up under her knees and held them apart while carrying her right over the edge with his very agile tongue. Savannah wailed and jerked, but she could not escape. Her sobs of pleasure morphed into bubbling peals of laughter wrapped around a string of breathless obscenities. “Fuck – oh, you shit – you gorgeous, dirty, hot bastard!”
Justin started to chuckle. Lifting his head, he licked his lips and grinned up at her. “I’ll have you know, my parents were married,” he said. He released her legs and crawled up to lie beside her. “I’m just going to assume that’s your way of saying, ‘you really know how to eat pussy like a connoisseur.’”
“In so many words,” she replied, her chest still heaving. She gazed at him, her lips curved in a satiated smile. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
He shrugged and propped his head on his hand. “I never liked being predictable.”
“Likewise,” she said. Rolling toward him, she kissed his lips, not seeming to mind at all that they tasted of her. Justin had to give her props for that, recalling how many of the other Human women he’d been with would always turn away when he tried to get a kiss after going down on them.
Savannah began to make her way down along his body, taking a moment to tease his nipples which made him yip in surprise. His eyes slid shut and he groaned. “Oh, that’s…yeah, that’s nice…I like that.” He could feel her kissing a path down his abs. He knew right away where this was going, and his nearly-erect cock nodded in expectation. He gripped a handful of Savannah’s hair, the coarse curls twining around his fingers. He sprawled on his back when one of her hands closed around his shaft and gave it a few long, slow strokes. Justin hummed in appreciation a moment later the instant he felt her lips brush the sensitive tip. “Aw, yeah,” he sighed, as her tongue traced the vein that ran his length. “Come on, baby,” he rumbled. “Don’t tease me.”
“Oh, I won’t.” She tossed her head and turned so she could look up at him with those spellbinding green eyes. Maintaining visual contact, she drew him into her mouth, her full lips stretched to accommodate his girth. She swallowed him down slowly, taking him as deep as she could.
Justin could feel the press of her tongue against the underside of his cock. He groaned again, watching her pull up while sucking. Her fist moved in counterpoint, throwing in the occasional twist. Justin reached down and cupped her jaw. As good as it felt, and as much as he wanted to find out if she would spit or swallow, he had a more overpowering desire to be buried inside her again – and not in her mouth. “Savannah,” he croaked. “I need…”
She pulled off, her lips dripping with saliva and precum. “I know,” she replied. “Me, too.” Rising to her knees, she crawled up over him, straddling his hips. She smiled as she rubbed her pussy against his erection before lining up. Justin couldn’t resist thrusting up to meet her when she sank down onto him. Her pussy was still wet from her previous orgasm. Savannah moaned softly as she took him in to the root.
Justin held her hips as she began to ride him. She started with a steady, easy gait, rocking forward and back. She leaned over him, hands splayed on his chest for support. Her tits bounced heavily as she picked up speed. Justin sat up. Wrapping his arms around Savannah’s middle, he nuzzled her breasts and licked the sweat gathering between them. One of his hands dropped down to caress and clutch her ass.
Without warning, Justin held onto Savannah as he rolled them both over until he had her under him. She made no protest at the change of position; digging her heels into his buttocks, she raised her arms over her head and grabbed hold of the brass rungs on the headboard. “Fuck me!” she demanded. “Yeah, please – fuck me, do it, make me come again!”
Justin grinned. “Yes, ma’am!” he growled, his hips snapping faster. The bed shook under them, springs shrieking, headboard smacking the wall. The whole time, Justin stared down at Savannah, panting. “Come on…let’s do this…give it up, baby, give it to me.”
“Oh, shit!” Savannah pressed her lips together and arched her head back into the pillow, her eyes shut tight.
Justin could feel her contract around him, felt her shudder and heard her whine deep in the back of her throat. At the same time, he felt his balls draw up, the pressure building, pressing hard up under his scrotum. He held out, though, waiting for her. It happened a moment later, right after a few more quick, deep thrusts. Savannah screamed – literally screamed – as her orgasm tore through her. It took Justin by surprise, but he liked it, and he found himself following right on her heels. “Yeah!” he bellowed. “There you go! Come on!” He drove home and delivered his full load, his cock jerking within the hot, slick grip of her well-fucked pussy.
Sometime later, Justin lay with his cheek pillowed on Savannah’s ample bosom, one arm wrapped around her in a show of both protection and possession. He could feel her breath against his forehead. Her fingers had stopped stroking his hair and now her hand rested there, cradling his head. Twenty-four hours ago, Justin had been confused and afraid as he huddled down, exhausted, in a cold, filthy pigeon coop. Tonight, he had a soft bed and a softer woman, and he could not remember the last time he felt so safe and happy. They still had to find a way to clear his name, but for now… I could get used to this.
His mind drifted back to what Savannah had said after her astral projection. Two men looking for something in Dad’s study…and one was either Phil, Samuel, or Gerard. He frowned as he pictured the stocky, militant Beta that had been his father’s bodyguard. He was the closest to Dad, and he also hates me the most. He was so quick to accuse me, too. Damn, I’ll bet he’s in on this! He probably killed Dad and pinned it on me!
That level of betrayal set Justin’s blood on fire, and suddenly he found he could not relax anymore. With a soft sigh of frustration, he extracted himself from Savannah, who had already fallen asleep, and eased out of the bed. Finding his borrowed jeans, he pulled them on. He glanced back once as he left the room to make sure Savannah didn’t wake up.
The chill night wind hit his bare chest as he stepped out onto the roof. Being a werewolf, Justin barely noticed the cold. He walked barefoot across the stone tiles of Savannah’s ritual area and stopped at the altar. He could see his reflection in the dark polished marble, his face in shadows with the full moon high above behind his head. They killed my dad. They killed him, and they want to kill me. I can understand why they would be happy not to have me around, but…Dad? He was a good man and a great Alpha, hardcore traditionalist, always putting the Clan above everything else. Justin let out a bitter snort. “Even his own son,” he muttered.
His kind had always been big on blood redemption, and the murder of an Alpha always meant retribution had to be carried out. Justin set his jaw. I’m going t
o find out who did this, he thought. His hands formed fists on the altar. And then they’ll be the ones who get hunted down.
Chapter Thirteen
The alarm went off at five o’clock, and Savannah rolled out of bed, feeling completely refreshed and ready to start a new week. As she stood and stretched, she heard a muffled groan come from under one of the pillows. She smiled. “Sorry, Wolf-Man,” she said, leaning over and giving a playful swat to the lump in the covers where his ass would be. “Mama’s got to go to work.”
Justin’s head emerged from under the bedding, letting out a hiss when Savannah switched on the overhead light. He squinted and shaded his eyes with one hand. “Remind me never to run a restaurant,” he mumbled. He turned over and flopped back. “This is way too early for me.”
“Well, no one said you have to help.” She smiled as she pulled clothes out of her dresser. “This is who I am, though, and this is what I do, and I was doing it long before I met you.” Tucking her hair behind her ear, she bent and kissed him on his bowed lips. “Go back to sleep. Come down later and I’ll make you breakfast.”
“Hm,” he grunted, the corners of his mouth curving upward. “Now that you’ve said those magic words, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep. I’ll be too busy thinking about your cooking.” He looked up at her. “And everything else about you that’s delicious.”
She chuckled against his mouth as he drew her in for another tender, lingering kiss. “Okay,” she said after a moment, forcing herself to push away from him. “You keep that up and I’m not going to open the café until noon. That would not go over well with my Monday morning regulars.” She gathered up her clothes. “I’m going to hop into the shower, now.”
He levered himself up on one elbow. “I don’t suppose I could join you in that shower…?” he asked. He had the audacity to look even sexier, all naked and muscular, with the covers low around his narrow waist and his tousled blond hair, gazing at her with those sleepy hazel eyes.
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