“Sebastian.”
“Sophia.”
He strode over to her and touched gentle fingers to her arms. She lowered her eyes, but he raised her chin, forcing her to look at him. Her pulse raced when he planted a featherlight kiss on her lips. A thumb stroked her cheek, and he lingered close. She almost parted her lips in invitation, but he moved back. The loss was hell.
“I have your best interests at heart.”
“You mean you want to control me.”
He frowned. “That’s not true. Sweetheart, you must understand that we are a people of—”
“Violence?”
His displeasure radiated. “I was going to say passion and conviction. There are those who would try to harm you in an effort to get to me. When we became mated my drive to protect you grew exponentially. It’s a natural occurrence.”
“Does that mean you would kill someone if they threatened me? Or if you thought they did?”
“Yes.”
She gaped. “I thought you were going to dance around it or lie. You would take a human life?”
“Or a shifter’s, yes. I’m not going to apologize for what I am. I’m not ashamed of what I am, and with time you won’t be either.”
“What if I can’t ever accept it?”
“You will.”
“What if I don’t?”
At that point, she was half mad with fear and confusion. He’d just confirmed Jack’s claims. She didn’t need to wonder if he spoke the truth. Her husband had said it to her face. Passion? Yeah, right. He meant violence just like she said. A sense of panic washed over her, and she panted. She pushed at Sebastian’s chest, but he held on.
“Easy, baby.”
“No, let me go, Sebastian. I gotta get out of here.”
“Easy,” he insisted.
She broke away and ran for the double doors that led outside. The doors banged the walls, rattling the glass, but she darted full tilt into the night. A grove of peach trees beckoned in the moonlight, and she made a break for them. Her heels sank into the soft soil, and when one shoe came off, she left it.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, Sophia. You’re supposed to be playing it cooler than this.
She kept moving, and when she reached the peach grove, the scent of peaches assaulted her nose. Winded, she stopped to catch her breath. A look behind showed no sign of Sebastian. He was fast. She couldn’t have distanced him so easily unless he was fed up with her attitude.
“Or he likes the chase.” She groaned, recalling that fact and wandered alone in the dark. A part of her wanted to go back, but frustration kept her moving. Okay, she didn’t want to accept Sebastian’s truths of who he was, but he didn’t get her either! He didn’t get that saying he’d kill someone in bloody murder just for threatening her was unnatural. People said it, but most didn’t mean their big talk. She knew Sebastian was different and had seen it in his eyes.
“Well, well, look what we have here.” The slimy tone set off alarm bells in her head, and she turned around to find a man stepping out from among the trees. He wore nothing other than old ratty jeans, and his feet were bare.
Sophia’s eyes widened. “I think you wandered onto the wrong property, buddy. You don’t want to cross the people who live here.”
The man, a wiry five foot nothing, cackled. “Oh, I know just where I am.”
He breathed in deep and noisily, and she imagined he flared his nostrils for dramatic effect. A prickly suspicion rose inside her, and fear clenched her stomach muscles. This was a wolf shifter, one Sebastian said would try to get to him through her. Maybe if she played it off she could get out of there before he found out who she was and that she wasn’t one of them.
“Well, I guess you’re here to apply for a position just like the rest of us. You should go inside because it’s about time. I was heading back myself.”
He cackled again, grating on her nerves. The ugly grin made her want to slap it off his face, but she didn’t dare provoke him. He tapped his nose.
“Can’t fool me, girl. You’re the one. Smell human too—sweet and stupid. He made a big mistake pretending a human is his mate.”
“Who are you calling stupid, and what do you mean Sebastian is pretending?”
He shook his head. “We can’t mate with humans. It’s unnatural.”
“You’re telling me.”
“When I take you out, I’m going to be rewarded big time.” He raised his hand, and she almost threw up seeing it change in the moonlight. At first he had a normal stout hand, and the fingers seemed to grow longer and darken. In the dull lighting, she realized he’d sprouted hair, and it wasn’t his fingers that were growing but his nails—hard, razor sharp claws.
She gasped and stumbled backward. A tree blocked her escape, and she edged around it, keeping her eyes on the man. “Y-you don’t want to do this. I know you guys have different ways, but you still have to obey the laws of the land.”
She sounded like an idiot. How would an argument about law sway him?
While she spoke, she slipped her other shoe off her foot. Maybe she could outrun him before he changed. In high school, she’d been on the track team, so there was a chance.
High school, Sophia, and forty pounds ago.
“Let’s think about this, uh, sir. I mean Sebastian’s pretty tough, and you don’t want to get on his bad side. You might not believe we’re mated, but he does love me. You don’t want to play with your life.”
He inched toward her as if he liked the delay, knowing it frightened her more. The scent of fear must be rolling off her at that point, egging him on. “They sent me because I’m the right man for the job. I know how to wait for the right time. Just like I said, sweet and stupid.”
He leaped at her, and she screamed while putting the tree between them. His clawed fingers hit the tree instead of her, ripping bark like it was tissue paper. She spun on her heel and ran full tilt. Twigs and rocks pricked the bottoms of her feet, but she didn’t care as long as she got away.
The man moved like he had already shifted. He was on her in seconds and grabbed her arm. She screamed again and dropped to the ground. The sudden move took him off guard, and she sprang up, catching him in the chin with the top of her head. His head snapped back, and he stumbled but didn’t fall. Neither did his grip loosen. She balled her fist up ready to punch him in the eye, but he suddenly rose off his feet into the air.
Sebastian had arrived, and he held the little man by his neck. The growls her attacker had been emitting, scaring the crap out of her, turned to gasps for air. Sebastian’s growls were deeper and far scarier.
“You dare put your filthy hands on my wife?” Sebastian shook the man so hard his head bobbled on his neck.
She grabbed his arm, realizing she was trembling. “Sebastian, you’re choking him. He’s just some weak wannabe. Let him go.”
A moment ago she was scared out of her head, and she was defending this bastard? Regardless, seeing him struggle was too much to deal with. Sebastian acted like he didn’t hear her. He squeezed harder. The moon went behind a cloud, sparing her from having to see the man’s face.
“I’m going to be sick,” she moaned.
“Take her to the house.” Sebastian gave the curt order, but she didn’t see anyone else around until after he said it. Tom appeared in front of her and gestured for her to walk ahead of him. She wanted to argue, but she didn’t have the energy. Her limbs hardly held her up as she stumbled along.
They reached the mansion, and Tom insisted on seeing her up to her bedroom. She slumped onto the bed for a minute and then stripped to take a shower. Staring at the shower floor, she watched the dirt and bits of grass that had clung to her feet wash down the drain. Her feet still ached, but it was a dull pain. She cleaned them, dried off, and climbed into bed.
Hoping to doze, she stared at the ceiling for a long time. “Sebastian’s probably…” She couldn’t bring herself to say it or even think it. This was the life she married into.
The door opene
d, and Sebastian walked in. She clutched the covers to her throat as he approached the bed. He dropped down on one knee and stroked her cheek. Compassion and love reflected in his gaze. She looked away.
“You don’t have to be afraid anymore, Sophia.”
“You…” She swallowed.
“Shh. It’s all right. Concentrate on calming down.” He removed his clothes and climbed into bed next to her. She considered fighting him, but from the moment he encircled her in his arms, the shaking eased. Even the warm shower hadn’t stopped it.
Sebastian tucked her head against his bare chest, and she touched his warm skin. She’d always loved the tautness and the color, tanned but nowhere near as dark as her shade of cocoa. He stroked her hair and whispered something she couldn’t understand. She thought it might be another language, but fatigue kept her from listening for individual words.
“I should have been there sooner, my love. I’m so sorry.”
She looked up at him. “Did you let him come after me to prove how dangerous things can be?”
“No! I wouldn’t risk your life like that. I wanted to give you a little space so you could think things through. I was going to follow right after you. It was my mistake in thinking security was tight enough. This is why you have to have Guard, Sophia, and why they must be the best.”
She shuddered, and he tightened his embrace. For a few long moments, she luxuriated in his strength and the warmth of his body. From the first day she met him Sebastian had meant safety and protection, a feeling she didn’t know was missing from her life. Her dad was never abusive, but he was awful with money. When she left home it was following a childhood of wondering where their next meal was going to come from. Probably why she ate food like it was going out of style.
“Sebastian?”
He shifted position beside her, and his erection brushed her belly. “Yes?”
She should have known letting him find her in this state would be temptation for both of them. In an effort to maintain her own control because she knew she could just tell him no and mean it, she brought up the question running through heard. “Did you kill him?”
“Rest, Sophia. I’ll tell everyone to return tomorrow, and we’ll make the selections then.”
He climbed out of bed, and she blinked after him. “You’re not going to try to seduce me?”
His back was to her as he picked up his pants, but when she spoke, he turned to face her. She couldn’t miss the huge dick extending from between his legs. Her breath caught in her throat. Was his thickness and length due to the wolf side of him? She panted with longing. It so wasn’t fair.
A slow grin spread over his face. “I’ll come back for you later if you like.”
She yanked the covers over her head. “Good night!”
Not until he finished dressing and had left the room did she recall he avoided answering her question. That could only mean one thing.
Chapter 5
Her body was on fire. A thin film of sweat coated the skin, and she threw the sheets aside. Sitting up in bed, she tried to figure out if some idiot had turned off the A/C. Then the truth hit her. This need, this ache was all about Sebastian. He never returned after he left her room, but she couldn’t get the thought of his naked body out of her head. Not to mention the memory of feeling him inside of her on their wedding night.
She stood on wobbly legs and brushed an arm over her forehead. Stumbling toward the door, she had one goal, and that was to get to him. Not until she’d turned the doorknob and pulled did she recall she probably shouldn’t go out to look for him naked. The house was full of other men.
After dragging on a nightie Sebastian had bought her, she stepped into the hall. The nightie was a pink confection of modal material and lace. He liked it because it showed off so much of her legs and the material was thin enough to define her nipples without being see-through. She liked it because it showed her curves so well she could almost forget the flaws.
The house lay in darkness, but there was a light coming from the first floor. She followed it and descended the stairs. Deep shadows extended from the corners of the area around her. She almost turned back, but voices reached her from behind a closed door. Without a knock, she barged in.
“Take care of—” Sebastian was saying, but he stopped the moment he saw her. His men, who had been waiting for the order started to turn. “Be still.”
The men froze in place so that the only one looking at her was her husband. Sebastian didn’t move. He leaned against a big oak desk with arms folded over his chest. The collar of his shirt lay open, and his hair was tousled as if he’d dragged fingers through it.
Sophia’s desire grew. Hell, she could have crumpled into a pile of ash on the floor just looking at him. She let her gaze scrape down over her husband’s body, taking in the narrow waist, the strong thighs, and especially the hard-on. Oh yeah, he was already hard again. He looked like he might rip out of his pants.
She licked her lips and swayed a little. He didn’t move. Was this the mate thing he released in her or could it be pheromones? Maybe no woman could resist his level of sexy, human or shifter. Whatever the case for the time being he was hers. Should she or shouldn’t she wasn’t a factor.
Sebastian hadn’t moved. Nor had he unfolded his arms. She staggered over to him and stood less than an inch away. His hot gaze followed her every move, and when she licked her lips again, she arrested his attention.
“I want…” she began. “It.”
Embarrassment killed her, knowing the others were right there. She couldn’t help herself. If he didn’t get those pants open and let her wrap her fingers around his dick, she would rip them open and just do it.
He didn’t say a word, the bastard. He must have known she would get to this point and that’s why he hadn’t pushed to make love earlier or in the days since she had come. She curled fingers into his sleeve and tugged.
“Sebastian!”
“Out,” he ordered.
The men vacated the room, but the door wasn’t even closed yet before Sebastian unfolded his arms and she tore at the button on his pants. He thrust her hands away and caught her about the waist to exchange their positions. He deposited her roughly on the desk and opened his own pants. She hardly drew in a breath before he parted her thighs and thrust forward. A small screech of shock and ecstasy escaped her as his thick shaft pierced her entrance.
She was already wet as hell, but still too tight. She whimpered and grabbed his shoulders while dropping her head back. “It hurts.”
He went still, but his chest bumped her breasts because of his heavy breathing. She figured it was taking all of his self-control to wait for her body to adjust.
“I’m sorry, Sophia.” The deep tone startled her. “You come before me looking like that, I can hardly stand it. That’s no excuse. I refuse to hurt you. I want you to enjoy our lovemaking.”
“It hurts, but it feels good too. You’re so damn big. Seems like it can’t fit, but I’ve got to have you in me.”
“If you talk like that…” He thrust forward. She gritted her teeth as his shaft penetrated her core. Gently, he eased in and out, and her walls expanded. Sebastian placed his hands under her legs so that they rested their weight on his forearms. He leaned over her and arched his hips. His dick slid out of her until only the tip pierced the opening. Then he thrust forward. His hips and pelvis pounded against her body. He withdrew and advanced again and again. She wanted to meet his movements with some of her own, but he stole her strength. Grinding and pumping, he took her.
Her moans wouldn’t be silent, and when she couldn’t hold herself up any longer, she fell back. He caught her before she made impact with the hard surface and let her down gently. Sebastian dragged on her hips, tugging her to the edge of the desk. He pushed into her at a different angle, and sensations of pleasure exploded in her core.
“Sebastian, I’m going to come.”
“Of course you are, my love.”
“N-no. Too soon.”
He increased the rhythm of his thrusts. The man wasn’t playing fair. He called the tunes on her body, and it obeyed him. She came—hard and powerfully. Sebastian didn’t stop pushing into her. If anything he increased the violence of his assault. Not more than a minute passed before she was coming again without much recovery time. Her body had never behaved that way with any other lover.
“Sebastian!”
“Yes, baby. I know.” His voice was deep now, and she shut her eyes in case she saw. Nevertheless, she heard it, the sound of his claws scraping and ruining the wood of his desk. “Sophia, you are mine. Mine.”
His release flooded her, and he was still at last.
The scent of bacon frying led Sophia to the dining room. Lucille, the housekeeper, was just placing a few dishes on the sideboard along one wall of the room. Sophia rushed over to fill her plate. She was starving after a full night of lovemaking with Sebastian.
Not to mention sore!
Her cell phone buzzed, and she checked the display. A text from Jack asking about how she was doing. She knew what that meant. He wanted her to check in about her progress. Guilt washed over her. She hadn’t even thought about being alone with Sebastian the night before without his Guard. Then again, it wasn’t like she had a second to think about it. He had jumped on her and thrust her legs apart to satisfy both their needs. A phone call or even delaying Sebastian wasn’t happening.
It would have been a good time though. Sebastian would have been distracted with her, and the hunters could have done their thing with him none the wiser. She chewed her lip thinking about it and gazed at Lucille.
The woman smiled shyly and nodded her head in greeting. She must be late fifties or early sixties with hair completely silver. The strands were bright like a new dye job, but Sophia suspected it was natural.
Married to the Wolf Page 4
