01 Taming the Wolf - Anna Avery

by Stephanie Nelson

“I see you’re a little impatient, so how about we take this to more solid ground?” He laughed.

  “I don’t need slow. I need fast and hard.” I winked at him.

  He rushed to the shoreline and once we were back on the ground, he set me down. “Your wish is my command, pretty lady.” He shucked his boxers, and I had a nice view of what awaited me. I almost jumped for joy!

  Sawyer lay in the grass and motioned for me. Without a second thought, I climbed atop him and moaned as his long shaft buried itself within me. I rode him hard, bracing myself on his pecs. His hands rested on my hips and moved me against his hardness. Sitting up, he took my breasts in his mouth and twirled his tongue around my nipple.

  “You like it rough, huh?” He teased.

  “Tonight I do,” I said against his lips. His emerald eyes glinted and his hands lifted me and drove me hard against him over and over. As Sawyer continued to drive into me, I glanced over his shoulder with hooded eyes. A black wolf stood not thirty feet away, its citrine stare glued to us. Something about Adam watching us ignited the fire that burned within me. I locked eyes with him and rode Sawyer, trailing my nails up his back and kissing his neck.

  An orgasm shot through my body, ricocheting through my bones. Sawyer found his release moments after. Our bodies’ slick with sweat, we stayed embraced in each other’s arms for a while. I peeked over Sawyer’s shoulder to see Adam but he’d disappeared. A twinge of guilt struck me but I ignored it. Wasn’t I supposed to be dating Sawyer?

  “That was so fucking good,” Sawyer said against my skin. “I hope you’ll give me the chance to experience it again.” He grinned.

  “Are you always thinking about the future?” I didn’t see the future, only the now. My parents had a happy marriage, so I didn’t understand my reservations towards commitment. I never dated anyone longer than a month before I found a reason to break things off. While I enjoyed Sawyer, I didn’t want to pick out our China pattern.

  “When that future means I’ll be spending time between your legs, then yes I do.”

  “We’ll see how things go,” I told him.

  Sawyer was quiet for a moment. I giggled and he leaned back on his arms to look at me. “What’s so funny?”

  “It’s just…usually, it’s the woman pressuring the man to commit.”

  “I’m not saying we should get married tomorrow, but I do want to continue seeing you and see where it goes,” he paused. “I guess what I’m saying is, after our five dates are up, are you going to be done with me? Are you only here because our Adam demanded it?”

  “Yes,” I answered truthfully and then scrambled to explain when Sawyer frowned. “The main reason I agreed to date you is because he threatened that if I didn’t, he’d give me to Luke the kook. But I slept with you because of your wily charm and gorgeous, good-looks. Plus singing to me loosened my grip on my panties.”

  Sawyer snorted and I smiled in response. His smile, like everything else about him, was beautiful. I began to climb off of him to get dressed, but before I could grab my clothes, Sawyer reached for my arm and pressed me against his hard body to begin the seduction all over. “I still have four hours left.”

  “Anna, get up!” Elle yelled as she pounded on my bedroom door. I grumbled and pulled myself out of bed. I spent all night with Sawyer, not getting home until the sun peeked over the mountains. The thought of my night brought a smile to my tired body. Stop it! Sex is like breathing for a werewolf. Ignoring my inner dialect, I headed out to find Elle. What I found was a house full of werewolves. The scent of bacon, eggs, sausage, and pancakes filled the space as everyone circled around the island to fill their plates.

  “What’s going on?” I asked Elle.

  “Don’t know. Adam called an emergency meeting.”

  The notion of seeing him again made me anxious. He saw what I did last night, and it was only a matter of time before he pulled me aside and chewed me out for giving up the very thing he’d been trying to get. He only wants me because he can’t have me. I trudged into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee. Hugging the warm mug, I leaned against the wall and tried not to fall asleep. The clock on the stove said it was 7:00 a.m., so I got two hours of sleep.

  I caught Sawyer’s gaze across the room. He winked and began to close the space between us, but at that moment, Adam and Eve walked into the house. Everyone stopped what they were doing to show respect to the alpha couple.

  “You can eat later,” Adam said huffily. “Everyone in the living room now.”

  “He’s in a foul mood,” Elle whispered.

  I nodded, but didn’t comment. I had a sneaking suspicion why.

  We filed into the living room. Sawyer made his way over to where I stood behind the couch. His hand rubbed against mine while he stared forward. I restrained my smile.

  “There’s been another murder,” Adam said.

  Another murder?

  He held up a newspaper, and a black and white photograph of a familiar face stared back at me. I swallowed around the lump that formed in my throat. I dreamt about killing him, and now he was dead. My heartbeat echoed in my eardrums as I tried to make sense of what Adam was saying.

  “Tim Emerson was attacked Friday night in the parking lot of Weston’s. The same night we were there. The officials are saying a mountain lion must have wandered into town, but I think we all know it wasn’t a cat that did this.” Adam flicked his gaze around the room and finally settled on my face. I dropped my eyes and tried to slow the pounding of my heart.

  “I believe this was the man that danced with you, Anna?”

  I nodded my head rapidly, unable to speak. I hadn’t told anyone about the dream, and now I never would. It was too much of a coincidence for it not to be connected. Did I kill him? Did my wolf take over and the only recollection I held was what I thought was a dream?

  “Did you speak to him after the dance?” Adam asked, his voice hard.

  “When I was leaving…I dropped my wallet and he gave it back.”

  “Sir, I was there, and we left right after,” Sawyer added.

  Adam gave him a murderous glare. “I don’t believe I spoke to you.” I curled my fingers around his hand and gave a gentle squeeze. Sawyer dropped his gaze and remained silent. He didn’t know Adam’s attitude was because of me.

  “Anna, everyone saw how you reacted to him. Clearly, you’re not ready to be around humans,” Eve interjected and was rewarded with a growl from Adam.

  “The last time this happened it was the results of a rogue wolf. We’re not accusing you, Anna, but it doesn’t look good that you were the last to see him alive.” Adam was silent for a moment. “I’ll be assigning each of you to a group. You’ll scour the mountain and see if you can find any trace of a trespasser. This will be our base to report back to. Anna, you’ll stay here with me. You’ll be under close watch until we have proof of your innocence. Eve has the lists.” Adam motioned for me to follow him upstairs.

  I was under house arrest with Adam as my warden? Giving Sawyer one last look, I followed Adam to the second floor. The house was around five thousand square feet, so there was definitely space for privacy should one need it. With a pounding heart, I entered the office that Adam disappeared into. He shut the door, and I braced myself for his punishment.

  He walked over to the desk and sat on the edge. I remained by the door, not sure what I should say or do. His blonde hair hung over his eye when he looked up at me. The V-neck t-shirt he wore allowed me to see his sculpted pecs. The muscles in his arms flexed as he gripped the desk.

  “Come here,” he whispered.

  I stood frozen in my place. My wolf wanted to go to him, but I wanted to stay as far away as possible.

  “Please,” he said, outstretching his arm towards me.

  With hesitant steps, I moved closer. When I was standing within reach, he grabbed onto my hand and tugged my body between his legs. His arms encircled my waist, and he trailed his nosed between my breasts. My wolf begged for him, and I cursed the bitch
. We were sated last night, more than once! How can you still be horny? I was sure that once I slept with Sawyer, she’d be happy as a clam and the attraction to Adam wouldn’t be as strong. But it seemed stronger now.

  Adam looked up, his blue eyes pleading for me, softening my heart. I trailed my fingers through his hair, and he closed his eyes at my touch. I was surprised he was still interested knowing that another man had me. My plan backfired.

  With a gentle hand, he steered my face towards his and pressed a soft kiss on my lips. Passion boiled to the surface, my hormones screaming for attention. Now that I was a wolf, I felt like an addict. My body demanded sex, needed it with a fury I didn’t understand. If I was going to sleep with a man, it’d only be one at a time. But how will I know what I like if I don’t sample them all? I thought about that for a minute before I squashed it. I was more human than wolf, or at least I was trying to be. In human terms, sleeping with multiple men would qualify me as a slut. As a wolf, it was just another day, another bed, and another man. The two ideals contradicted each other so harshly that my mind was one big ball of confusion. To screw or not to screw? That seemed to always be the question.

  “When he was inside of you, did you wish it was me?” Adam whispered, glancing up at me. “Did you envision my hands on your body?” He ran his hands down my arms and a shiver skipped up my spine. “Was it my face you saw when you looked at him? Rode him? Kissed him?” Adam spoke so soft that his words had more of an impact. I could feel the caress of his eyes as they roamed over my body.

  Adam slipped a hand under my shorts. “Did he make you as wet as I do?” His fingers buried themselves in me, and I gasped as the friction amped up my ever present desire. “Was it my cock you craved?” Adam moved his hand faster, and I clasped his shoulder to steady myself. We kept eye contact the entire time, too lost in each other’s gaze to look away. “Did you scream for me in your head? Did you picture me slamming into you, filling you?” Adam pulled my tank top down to expose my breast, his tongue flicking my nipple. “Was it my mouth you wanted on your skin? Did you wish it was me between your legs?” His movements grew faster and faster until an orgasm shot through me, leaving my legs wobbly like two wet noodles. “Does he satisfy your inner beast the way I do?” Adam withdrew his fingers and kissed me hard.

  “I’ll have all of you, Anna, and make you forget him,” he said against my mouth. His dominance was sexy as hell. I wanted to rip his clothes off and have him pound into me from behind while he fisted my hair and showed me who was boss. A smile curled his lips in victory. My shield crumbled to the floor as he walked out of the room and left me stunned.

  *

  A few hours later, I showered and dressed for the day. The pack members were out trying to pick up the scent of another wolf. I thought about my dream and wondered if it was possible that I could kill someone and not remember it. The dream had been so real, to the point of being able to taste the blood and feel the bone snap. I shuddered as the memory flicked through my mind.

  Filling a plate with food, I sat at the kitchen table. My intimate moment with Adam scorched my nerves and left me hyperaware of his presence. It was just the two of us in the house. Even Eve went with the rest of the pack. I wondered if that was her decision or Adam’s. Adam sauntered into the kitchen, sparing me a look. The smug smile on his lips was both sexy and infuriating. He knew he’d gotten to me. If I decided to remain strong in my decision to stay away from him, I’d have to put up four foot thick cement walls around my hungry libido.

  “Did you enjoy the show last night?” I asked as I took a bite of pancake. Adam turned around and crossed his arms across his chest. Before I became a wolf I would’ve never thought I’d enjoy an audience when I slept with a man, but seeing Adam heightened the experience.

  “I enjoyed the look of boredom on your face,” Adam remarked with a smirk.

  “I was not bored! In fact, Sawyer entertained me several times.” I laughed when the smug smile fell off of his lips.

  “Are you challenging me to show you what real entertainment feels like?” Adam quirked an eyebrow.

  “No, just stating the facts. I’ve been missing out this whole time. Sex as a werewolf is powerful stuff.” And it was. Sex as a human was good, but sex as a werewolf was amazing. All of my senses were amplified, causing the surge of an orgasm to feel like pure heaven.

  Adam closed the space between us, grabbed my wrist, and drew me to my feet. “Good God, woman, you won’t be happy until you’ve ruined all of me.” His lips found mine and just as he was about to tear through my clothes like a kid on Christmas morning, I stopped him. Fury blazed in his cobalt eyes.

  “I’m a one-man woman,” I told him and sat back down. My wolf growled at me, but inside, I did a happy dance that I stood up to him this time. Adam ran a hand through his hair and took the seat opposite of me. If looks could kill, I’d be dead.

  “So, about these previous murders,” I changed the subject. “When did they happen?”

  Adam regarded me for a while, his eyes trailing towards my chest and then snapping back up. “Three months ago there were a string of animal attacks. You may have read about it in the newspaper. They sent hunters into the mountains, sure that there was a bear or mountain lion killing hikers.”

  The food in my stomach turned sour. “I was supposed to die that day,” I mumbled. “That’s how you know it’s a wolf doing this?” I looked up. Flashes of my attack bombarded my mind. I still couldn’t put the incoherent pieces together and form a distinct memory of the event.

  Adam nodded. “Aside from the obvious marks that clearly were from a werewolf, I smelt a wolf on you. It was faint so you must’ve been in the forest for a while before I stumbled upon you. That and the fact there’d been a string of other hikers found mauled just days before.”

  “I never said thank you for saving me,” I told him. If it wasn’t for him, I’d be just another body found in the woods. He could’ve left me for dead. I’d been confused and a bit pissed about becoming a werewolf that I hadn’t taken a moment to step back and consider the other possibility. No matter how much I struggled with taming the wolf, I was happy to be alive.

  “Thanks are not necessary. The only reason I brought you back here was so the hunters wouldn’t find another body and continue to search. It was to protect my pack,” Adam stated.

  I frowned. “Oh.”

  “That’s not to say I’m not happy you survived the bite. I wasn’t sure you would, your heartbeat was just a slight tapping in your chest. I don’t know why the wolf that attacked you didn’t finish the job, but you’re one lucky woman.”

  I snorted. “That’s me, lucky.”

  “So, Sawyer,” Adam said, switching the topic back to waters I didn’t want to tread.

  “What about him?” I smiled and then chided myself. It seemed that happened at the mention of his name or if I thought about him. Have great sex and now you’re a sappy mess!

  “I’m releasing you from your remaining dates,” Adam said like this information would be music to my ears.

  “Why? Because he’s your competition?”

  “I’m the alpha. I don’t have competition.” He gave me a piercing look.

  “I’m not some shiny new toy you can steal so none of the other boys play with it. I’m a grown ass woman, and if I want to continue seeing Sawyer, and screwing him, then I will. I respect you, Adam, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to spread my legs for you. You’re mated to Eve, and the strong animalistic pull we have towards each other won’t change that.” I glared at him before I’d realized what I’d said. No matter how laid back he seemed around me, he was still my alpha and talking back to him wasn’t wise.

  I heard the groan of wood under Adam’s heavy grasp and then a loud crack as the arm of the chair broke off. Adam glared at me with such anger my wolf whimpered. My eyes went wide when Adam shot up and the kitchen table went flying across the room where it crashed against the wall.

  I jumped out of my chair and crou
ched on the floor—the equivalent of tucking my tail between my legs and exposing my stomach. Adam was pissed, and if I didn’t play what little cards I still held, I’d end up at the wrong end of his sharp teeth. Werewolf men’s anger was on a hair trigger, and a woman talking back was just the touch it needed to go off the deep end. While most men didn’t abuse their women for talking back or having an opinion, Adam didn’t appreciate being disobeyed by anyone—man or woman.

  Adam stood over me, and I waited for my punishment. I anticipated him shifting into wolf form and grasping me by the throat so that I could barely breathe. Instead, he jerked me to my feet, slammed me against the wall, and leaned in so he towered over me.

  “You piss me off so fucking much,” he bit out. I kept my eyes to the floor and tried to capture the breath I’d lost. The slam against the wall didn’t hurt, werewolves are difficult to injure. It was the pure essence of him that suffocated me. My alpha was pissed, and that power wrapped around me and demanded submission.

  “I-I’m sorry,” I stuttered. “I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

  Adam lifted my chin so he could look into my eyes. His stare searched for something on my face. “You don’t have to be afraid of me, Anna. I may talk a big game, but when it comes to you, I’m as dangerous as a kitten,” He took a moment to think. “It’s a new emotion for me, one that pisses me off actually.”

  I gaped, my mind too confused to form words.

  “I want you, Anna. I’ve always wanted you, but I knew I couldn’t have you. I thought once you mated with Sawyer I’d let the silly notion of me and you go, but seeing him with you, with his hands on your body…I wanted to rip his fucking head off. I deserve you, Anna, and you deserve me. I’m sure that if fate made it to where we could be together, our love would be so fierce they’d talk about it for generations.” His hand cupped my face. “I’m not a silly man. I don’t romanticize life or see the world through rose-colored glasses. I know how ugly the world we live in is, but I think…I know… that if I had you by my side, all the ugliness in the world couldn’t penetrate me. I don’t just want you—I need you.” Adam pushed off of the wall, glanced over his shoulder and left the house, the front door slamming.