His Twisted Tail

by Melanie James

  Her body shook, but not from fear. Oh no—anticipation tore through her, and the thought of his warm touch in her most intimate places left her trembling with desire. He was on her a second later, his hands roaming everywhere at once as he kissed a trail from her ear down her neck. The sensual onslaught was almost more than she could bear, and she wondered if it was possible to climax with minimal stimulation.

  The sound of her T-shirt being torn from her body should have startled her, but it didn’t—in fact, heat pooled in her belly at the savage action. A breathy moan flew from her mouth when she felt the heat from Calder’s mouth circling her nipples, and they peaked instantly.

  “I can’t wait to taste every inch of you, Ást,” he groaned.

  She had no idea what ‘Ást’ meant or what language he had spoken; she’d have to remember to ask him later. For now, all she could focus on was his hand cupping her sex.

  Lost to the throes of passion and need, Daisy could do no more than claw at Calder like the wild beast she’d suddenly become. She almost came on the spot when he yanked her yoga pants from her legs, followed by the silky white panties that hid beneath.

  “This is what I’ve wanted since the second I saw you in the bathtub.”

  She had expected him to roll up his sleeves and dive right in, so to speak. Instead he took his time, making good on his promise of tasting every inch of her with long hot strokes of his tongue up and down her thighs, gentle nibbles on her calves, and finally kissing each of her polished toes before sucking them gently into his mouth.

  Good God, the foreplay alone would be her downfall. Never had so much attention been lavished upon her at one time. It made her head spin.

  Her back arched off the bed and she tossed her head from side to side as his tongue landed on her clit, sucking it gently into his mouth. He repeated the motion until her entire body shook and she cried for more. He slid one figure deep inside her, then another, rocking them back and forth, paying special attention to the area just behind her clit, an area she’d had no idea existed until he’d begun massaging it.

  Brilliant white lights flashed all around her as she felt her body explode into a million tiny pieces. She briefly wondered if they’d ever find their way back to her to leave her in one piece as she was before, or if she would remain a slew of broken floating pieces, all because one climax with Calder had blindsided her, slamming into her and knocking her into a neighboring universe.

  “You taste like the sweetest of candy.” Calder’s voice was thick with lust, and his eyes glowed with a hunger so raw and wild, she begged for more.

  A closer look at his full lips revealed a pair of, honest to god, fangs that had partially descended. Unsure if she should be worried or not, she gave him a questioning look as he covered every inch of her body with his.

  “I promise only a few nibbles, until I mark and claim you as my mate.”

  Daisy didn’t know why, but those words sent a shiver through her spine. Feeling the head of his cock pressed against her entrance, she decided to push the thought away to a later time.

  Calder nipped playfully at her lips. When she gasped in surprise, he took full advantage and plunged deep into her mouth. Hot and hungry for more, his kiss was one for which she had no comparison, filled with desire and lust. More than a kiss, it was a seduction on the highest level, a promise of what was yet to come.

  “Tell me you want me, Ást. I need to hear the words.”

  “Fuck me, Calder,” she said on a whisper, staring deep into his glowing amber eyes.

  “Ah, that’s it, Ást.” He thrust deep inside in one swift move, swallowing the guttural moan that flew from her mouth.

  He was larger than she expected, far larger than anyone she’d previously been with, stretching her almost to the point of pain. Calder held perfectly still for several moments, giving her body the time she needed to adjust. He stretched her arms above her head, covering them with his. Hand in hand he kissed her slowly, making love to her mouth.

  Only when the pain subsided, turning instead to the feeling of fullness, and she started to rock her hips against him did he move. He didn’t pull out and plunge right back into her, no—he circled his hips pushing deeper inside of her than she would have thought possible. His slow sensual strokes turned to long, lazy thrusts, slowly letting her climax build with each move he made.

  Chapter Twelve

  Calder pulled back from the kiss as he pushed his cock deeper into his mate, staring deep into her chocolate brown eyes, lost to the lust scorching a trail through his body. Mine! The mating call raged deep within, demanding that he skip marking her and go straight to the claiming. And he would. Before the night was through, she would be his. Forever.

  In the meantime he was bound and determined to claim her from the inside out so she would know that only he could bring her the pleasure she desired. Each moan he drew from her spurred him on, shifting positions as he found her favorites and sent her flying to the stars with more climaxes than he could count.

  He’d nearly lost the struggle with his self-control countless times, as her pussy clamped down on his cock, trying to milk his seed from him, but he held on each time, needing to make sure his mate was fully satisfied.

  ***

  Daisy’d had no idea sex could be so raw, and sweet at the same time. Calder had given her countless orgasms—his stamina was off the charts—but that last one would be forever branded into her mind. She reached up to her neck, her fingers sweeping gently over the spot where he’d bitten her—“claiming her,” as he’d later called it.

  He had waited until the moment just before she was sucked under by another orgasm. He’d shouted, “Mine!” before she felt his fangs pierce the soft spot of her neck, just above the shoulder.

  The stinging pain she’d expected never came. Instead, every nerve ending in her body sprang to life, consuming her every thought. Raw emotions, his and hers, flooded her mind as he continued to pound his cock in and out of her, relentlessly, never slowing.

  She felt the same rush of cold air that she’d felt in the kitchen just before he had shifted into wolf form, and saw the same swirl of majik surround them, making her feel as if she were undergoing some sort of fundamental change.

  Her gums had itched. She remembered reaching up to touch her mouth, shocked to find that her canines had descended. A whisper in the wind brushed softly against her ear, telling her to claim her mate, and she did. With her newfound fangs, she bit down on his neck in the exact spot he had bitten her. His blood poured over her tongue and down her throat, setting off a frenzy she was helpless to stop.

  Their fangs disengaged at the same time. He licked the mark once then twice, sending shivers through her body, and she followed suit. A guttural growl rose from his throat as he picked up his pace, and she could do nothing more than hold on tight for one hell of a ride.

  She swore the pounding he’d given her pussy was one for the Guinness Book of Fucking World Records, literally. They had to have a category for that, right?

  Even as she lay there glowing in the aftermath of sex, wrapped in his arms, she had a hard time believing all that had happened in such a short amount of time. She reached up to see if her canines were still as long as she remembered, or had she imagined the whole thing.

  A soft sweep of her fingers over the spot she’d bitten him confirmed that it did indeed really happen.

  “Careful, Ást. You’ll wake the beast once again, and you’ll not get a lick of sleep tonight.”

  “Really? How is that even possible?” She knew, better than most, how the human body worked.

  “The operative word here is ‘human’—, Ást.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “Did I say that out loud?”

  Calder chuckled. “I can hear and see your thoughts now, as you can and hear and see mine. All you have to do is listen and look closely.”

  “No! Seriously?” Daisy closed her eyes and pictured a big juicy burger, loaded with bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, pick
les, onions—the works.

  Calder groaned. “Now you’re just being mean, Ást. Rest. I’ll make you a bacon burger for breakfast if you want.”

  “Holy—you really can see my thoughts! I have to see if it works for me too. Think of something, quick!”

  “As you wish.”

  Daisy cleared her mind, concentrating on her mate—and as strange it sounded to her, that’s what he was. Within seconds, images of her bent over the side of the bed, him pushing into her from behind, appeared in her mind. “Ohhh, I like where you’re going with this.” She continued to watch until her core once again flooded with heat.

  In a flash, Calder vaulted from the bed and pulled her to the edge by her ankles, positioning her exactly how he wanted her. With her feet flat on the floor and her ass in the air, he slammed deep inside of her wetness. “I can smell your desire, and feel how desperately you want my cock back in your pussy.”

  “Yes!” Daisy shouted, grabbing on to the sheets for support.

  Calder wrapped his hand around her hair and gave it a slight tug, arching her back and lifting her chest from the bed. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her close. His mouth closing over the mating mark he’d given her earlier.

  Within minutes Daisy was once again soaring through the heavens, shattering into those familiar tiny pieces. However, this time, she noticed something different. Her bond with Calder pulled her scattered pieces back together, forming a version of herself that was stronger and more resilient than she could have ever imagined.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Daisy awoke to the shrieking sound of Calder’s cellphone blaring through the room. She flew to a sitting position, and flipped on the bedside light, knowing any call that came in at three in the morning would be bad.

  “What happened?” Calder said as he answered the call.

  Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. The tone of Calder’s voice coupled with the sound of sirens squawking off in the distance confirmed what she already knew. Years’ worth of training in the ER kicked in immediately and she dashed from the bed to grab the first set of clothes she could find.

  Much to her dismay, Calder’s words were not the ones she expected to hear.

  “You should stay here, Ást. Until I know it’s safe for you.”

  She turned to face him, annoyed by the very idea that he wanted to control her. The first thought that popped into her mind, flew from her mouth. “What does that mean? Ást?” It was a silly question, she knew from the moment she’d spoken it. It was hardly the time or place for this discussion, all circumstances considered.

  He paused for a minute then slid on his jeans. She watched as he pulled a T-shirt over his head. “It means ‘love’ in Old Norse.”

  Well, didn’t he know just how to melt her heart? “Aw, that’s so sweet. But I’m going with you.”

  Calder shook his head. “No.” His voice was firm and unwavering.

  “Yes.” Daisy had her own demands if she was going to be his mate. “I’m a trained and capable ER doctor. What if someone needs medical attention?” She wasn’t backing down. No way in hell.

  “Ást, please—just until I know what the situation is,” Calder begged.

  Hands on her hips, Daisy flew into a rant. She decided she needed to put her foot down and nip that shit in the bud right now. “You need to listen up, buddy. I agreed to take a leap of faith and come out here to see if I was your mate. And I am, but that does not give you the right to tell me what I can and can’t do. Especially when we’re talking about possibly saving lives. Now you need to take that leap, and trust that I know what I’m doing. I can take care of myself. I always have.”

  Looking far less happy about it than she had hoped, he inclined his head and agreed to her demands. “Fine. We’re leaving in two minutes. Grab a jacket—it’s cold out.”

  She met him by the front door in one, with her jacket and medical bag in her hand. She’d learned long ago to take it everywhere she went, never knowing when an emergency might pop up.

  The drive to town was quicker than she had expected. Calder filled her in on the way—there was a fire at an older apartment complex. They weren’t sure that everyone had made it out safely, and that didn’t sit well with him. The thought of losing one of his packmates hung heavy in his mind.

  Not that he had voiced a single word of his concerns. She’d felt them all through their new mating connection. At first, Daisy had sensed the strong emotions pouring through her. Due to the nature of the situation, she’d held a degree of worry for anyone that might be trapped in the building, but knew the strong sense of angst and worry that damn near buried her had come from her mate.

  ***

  Calder threw the vehicle in park and jumped out, rushing to where Alex stood anxiously watching the blaze. The few fireman they had on the scene battled the fire with all their might, but the flames would not be deterred.

  “What do we know?” Calder asked the chief.

  “My nose tells me that someone’s been up to no good, that’s what.”

  “Is everyone out of the building?” Calder paced back and forth, waiting for an answer.

  “We’re not sure. Whatever accelerant was used to start the blaze is messing with our ability to detect any scents at all.”

  “Fuck.” Calder jammed his fingers into his hair.

  “It’s not good, boss,” the chief stated plainly.

  “How many are unaccounted for?”

  “One woman and one child.”

  “Jesus. Has anyone been able to get in there?” Calder had to get in there to check things out. If members of his pack were stuck in an inferno he had to try everything in his power to get them out.

  “Boss, I know what you’re thinking, but it’s too dangerous. Even with our advanced healing, the flames are too hot. We’ve been concentrating our efforts on one spot hoping to cool it enough for someone to get in there and have a quick look-see, but we’re not having much luck.”

  “Has anyone asked for reinforcements from neighboring towns?”

  “Griffin had banned any outside contact.”

  “As of this moment the ban is lifted. If we need outside help until we get our services to the level we need them, then so be it.”

  “On it, boss.” The chief grabbed his cellphone from his pocket and called local dispatch for assistance.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” Daisy placed a comforting hand on his lower back. Having her provided more support than he would have guessed when he’d first argued about her staying back at the house. He’d never admit it out loud, but he was glad to have her standing next to him even if there wasn’t a damn thing either of them could do. He reached down and twined his fingers with hers.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Who’s the big-ass bitch?”

  Embarrassment poured through Daisy. Her cheeks burned from the blush that she knew covered them. Calder dropped her hand, quickly spinning on his heel ready to take action, knowing the chief would keep an eye on the fire and update him should the need arise.

  “What the fuck did you say?”

  Daisy gasped when he grabbed the weaselish looking man by his throat and lifted him off his feet to make direct eye contact. She should have felt sorry for the man when Calder slammed him up against the concrete building, but she didn’t. Not even a little bit.

  Instead, an unfamiliar feeling swept through her. She tried to catalogue it, but couldn’t. Her heart swelled at the sight of her mate defending her honor. No one had ever done that for her.

  “What did you say about my mate?” Calder’s voice was thick with anger as his fangs descended, a clear warning to all who surrounded him.

  Daisy watched as his face elongated, while his body remained human. It was the weirdest thing she’d ever seen.

  Calder dropped the choking, sputtering man to the ground, hard. Majik, thick in the air, swirled around her mate’s body, but this time Daisy had no problem seeing through the misty haze.


  “You will answer your Alpha.”

  Daisy’s skin itched as Calder issued the command, thick with majik. The air around her felt charged with a power so surreal she panted for air. She looked around to see if the others nearby had also succumbed to the effects of the powerful majik.

  Her head spun and bewilderment coursed through her as she looked around. The people who moments ago had surrounded her were gone, replaced instead by wolves—including the man who had been on the ground.

  Daisy’s tongue felt unusually thick when she tried to speak, and the itching she’d felt earlier in her gums had returned. Her stomach twisted as the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. A brief flash of nausea passed over her and almost sent her sprawling on her ass. In the back of her mind, a large brown wolf charged her, fast and furious. Daisy opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

  The wolf crashed into her body, knocking her to the ground.

  “We are one,” the animal growled in her thoughts.

  The ground quaked beneath her knees. She tried to stand, damn near passing out when she looked down at her feet and saw soft, fuzzy paws where her beautiful toes should have been.

  “Calder, what’s happening?” Daisy cried in her mind, though all she heard was the sound of a wolf howling.

  “Calm yourself, child. The Alpha speaks.” A strange feminine voice invaded her mind.

  “Let it be known to all that Daisy is my mate as decreed by the Fates. For all those who question the legality of our mating, look to her now. See that she is one of us, bound forevermore to me. Those who have the audacity to insult the Alpha’s mate will pay dearly. I am Alpha of Twisted Tail and there are several who would do well to remember that.”