“I won’t lose them. And I don’t want to lose you.”
He pulled to a stop as the main road came to a dead end at a crossroad. “If I turn left here, we could go back to Cranville. I could drop you off at your hotel. And continue to court you.”
She nodded. “We could do that.”
He shifted in his seat to face her. “If I turn right, I’ll take you into the mountains to my cabin.”
“You have a cabin?”
“I’ll make love to you.”
She swallowed hard.
“And you’ll be mine. My mate.”
Her pulse speeded up. “What does that mean exactly? Do you expect me to become a . . . a bear?”
“Only if you want to.” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “I’m not sure you can, since you’re the Guardian. I can’t predict the future, other than the fact that I will always love you and protect you and cherish you for as long as I live.”
Her heart melted. “That’s a fact?”
“Yes.” His eyes glittered an intense blue. “And it won’t change whether you choose left or right. I’ll always love you.”
She touched his face. Dear, sweet Howard. “Turn right.”
Chapter Twenty-five
Howard was already growing hard with anticipation. He would jump her in the bedroom, in the kitchen, in the woods. And that was just today. Tomorrow—he realized he needed to make some calls before they drove out of range. Reception could be sketchy at the cabin. He normally took a sat phone there, but all he had now was his regular cell phone.
He called Jimmy. “You need to pick up Ian’s car. It’s on the main road.”
“How did it get there?” Jimmy asked.
“Long story.” Howard glanced at Elsa. He still couldn’t believe that she’d endangered herself like that. He’d almost had a heart attack when he saw her standing on the road behind him, trying to chase the birds away. He’d leaped from the SUV to protect her, but the deer had reached her first.
She never ceased to amaze him. She’d fought for him. She’d healed the deer. And she’d chosen to be his mate. That had to be the end of the damned curse. They’d beaten it. And in another fifteen minutes, he would be stripping her naked.
He shifted his weight in the driver’s seat. His pants were becoming uncomfortably tight. “I’m going to my cabin for a few days,” he told Jimmy. “Let Ian and Shanna know. They won’t mind. They wanted me to take some time off.”
“Okay.” Jimmy passed the news to his brother and they both snickered. “You’re not alone, are you?”
He gritted his teeth. “Tell Alastair that Elsa is taking a few days off, too.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “A few days?”
“Talk to you later.” He hung up when his cousins started making strange barking noises. “Crazy kids.” He dropped his phone on the console.
“I like them,” Elsa said. “I gather they turn into bears like you?”
“Yes.” His mind raced. Did he have any food at the cabin? Enough to get by, he hoped. He didn’t want to stop to buy groceries now. In fourteen minutes, he’d be stripping Elsa naked.
Thank God he’d taken care of business that morning. He had e-mailed the rest of his incriminating evidence to the editor at Northern Lights Sound Bites. Mr. West had e-mailed back, claiming that the war on Rhett Bleddyn had begun. The first article on Rhett’s embezzlement had been published in the morning edition. The mainstream media was predicting he would be arrested soon.
He’s going down, Harry. You will be avenged.
Howard turned onto the gravel road that zigzagged up the mountains. Thirteen minutes to go.
“I sorta bumped into one of your cousins, and it made my birthmark burn,” Elsa said. “I guess that happens with any berserker the first time I touch him.”
“You don’t have to worry about them,” he assured her. “They’re harmless.”
“That’s what I figured. They’re really cute.”
He tamped down on an urge to growl.
Her mouth twitched. “But no one is as handsome and sexy as you.”
“Damned straight.” His grip tightened on the steering wheel. Another twelve minutes. To hell with that. He stepped on the gas.
In eight minutes, he screeched to a halt behind the cabin. “Let’s go.” He jumped out and ran up the steps to the back door.
“It’s very nice.” Elsa approached slowly as she looked around. “Peaceful and rustic. Beautiful trees.”
“This is the back.” He unlocked the door. “The view is better from the front porch.”
“Oh. I’d like to see it.” She climbed up the steps to join him.
“Later.” He lifted her in his arms and carried her inside.
She grinned. “You’re treating me like a bride.”
He kicked the door shut and strode through the kitchen area to the front of the cabin.
“Nice open floor plan. Can I have a tour?”
“Later.” He turned into the bedroom and deposited her on the bed.
“Howard.” She sat up. “You’re forgetting. You need to shift to heal those wounds.”
“Later.” He kicked off his shoes.
“But your arms are bloody.”
“Oh.” She might consider that a turnoff. He pulled his polo shirt over his head and used it to wipe the blood.
She winced. “You’re smearing it. Is there a bathroom where I can clean your wounds?”
“There’s a shower.” That would work. He grabbed her hand and led her into the adjoining bathroom.
“Very nice.” She looked around as he pulled off his socks. “Lovely tile work.” She removed a hand towel from the towel bar.
By the time she had it dampened in the sink, he’d dropped his pants and underwear.
She turned toward him with the wet towel. “Okay, let me see—” Her mouth fell open.
He took advantage of her surprise by unzipping her jeans and pushing them down, taking her panties with them. “Step out of them.”
“Huh?” Her eyes were still focused on his erection.
He turned on the water in the shower to give it time to warm up. “We’re going to shower, right?”
“I thought I was going to clean your wounds.”
“You can. In the shower.” He grabbed the wet towel and tossed it onto the counter. Then he pulled her T-shirt over her head and unhooked her bra. “Let’s go.”
He tested the water with his hand, then stepped into the tiled stall, leaving the door open for her. Quickly he rinsed the blood off his arms and forehead.
“Where do you keep the washcloths?” She peered in at him.
He pulled her inside and closed the door.
“Aagh.” The spray hit her in the face.
He moved her against the tile wall, brushed her wet hair out of her face, and kissed her.
With a moan, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
He devoured her mouth as his hands slid up and down her wet, slick body. He palmed a breast and squeezed.
“I want you,” he whispered, nibbling on her lips. “I can’t wait.”
Her breaths panted against his mouth. “I noticed you were ready.”
“How are you?” He slipped a hand between her legs and caressed the soft folds.
She shuddered.
He rubbed her clitoris as he nuzzled her ear. “I love it when you get juicy. I can smell it, and it drives me wild.”
With a groan, she seeped moisture onto his fingers. “Howard.”
He grasped her rump and lifted her. “Put your legs around me.”
She did. “Will this work?” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’ve never done it like—ack!”
He drove deep inside her and froze. Holy crap, she was so tight and sweet.
She blinked, staring at him. “I guess it does work.”
He adjusted his grip on her rear. “I don’t think I’ll last very long.”
“Completely understandable. After all, i
t’s”—she whimpered when he dragged himself out to the tip—“our first . . . agh!”
He plunged back in.
“Oh, Howard. You’re so—” She gasped when he pushed into her again. “So—”
She gave up speaking altogether as he pumped harder and faster. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, and her heels pressed into his back. With each plunge, he ground her against him.
She tensed and her breath caught. He pulled her hard against him, and she cried out. Her body shuddered, her inner muscles spasmed, and with a shout, he thrust into her, releasing his seed.
Mine. He held her tight. The bear inside him purred like a kitten. My mate.
Elsa woke the next morning with the feel of Howard’s big body pressed against her back and his fingers gently teasing her nipples. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes. The man was insatiable.
After the shower, he’d taken her to bed, claiming he needed to thoroughly examine his mate. He’d pushed her onto her stomach, and then he’d counted her toes and tasted them. He’d nibbled the entire length of her legs, tickling the backs of her knees. He’d nuzzled her rear and licked a path up her spine. And he’d told her numerous times how beautiful she was.
Then he’d rolled her over to explore the front side. When moisture had pooled between her legs, he’d growled softly.
He’d inserted two fingers inside her, and then he’d licked her juice off them.
Just remembering it made her wet again.
Howard growled softly behind her. “I love your scent.” He slid his hand to the curls between her legs.
She loved what he did to her. After sex in bed, they’d gone to the kitchen in search of food, and they’d had sex again on the table. When night had fallen, they’d taken a blanket outside to make love under the stars. That hadn’t worked out because too many animals came to see her. So they’d gone back to bed.
She stretched her legs. She was a bit sore. But still getting excited at the thought of another day with him. She rolled onto her back. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.” His hand slipped between her legs. “You smell so good. I could eat you for breakfast.”
More moisture seeped from her.
He threw the covers back and nipped at her thighs till she opened them wide, exposing herself. She clutched the sheets in her fists, dying with anticipation.
With his first lick, she shuddered.
“Relax.” He blew on her. “We have all day.”
She didn’t relax. Within five minutes, she was squirming and panting. He stroked her, tickled her, teased her, suckled her. With a scream, she climaxed.
She climaxed again when he plunged into her. The man was insatiable. And it was contagious.
Thirty minutes later, they were in the shower, soaping each other up.
She rubbed soap over his broad back and shoulders. “We never compared our family curse stories.”
He shrugged. “They’re the same, aren’t they? Three sisters, three guardians. The Guardian of the Forest made the berserkers to protect some village in Norway.”
“Wolf and bears.” She ran her soapy hands down his arms, then back to his shoulders. “But they lost control and started attacking the villagers.”
“And then she betrayed them,” he grumbled.
“Excuse me? They betrayed her.”
He turned to face her. “She told the villagers where to find the secret berserker lair in the forest. The berserkers were caught by surprise, and a few of them were killed before they could retaliate.”
“I never heard that.”
“She even betrayed the were-bear she was sleeping with.”
“What? She was having an affair with one of them?”
Howard gave her a wry look. “Your family has the PG-rated version?”
She snorted. “Why am I not surprised that your version has sex in it?”
“Ours is better, obviously.”
She shook her head. “All I know is that the guardian created the berserkers, and then they betrayed her.”
“After she betrayed them.”
“I think what they did was worse. They actually killed her.”
He shrugged. “She was a traitor.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you saying she deserved it?”
He raked a hand through his wet hair. “Am I getting myself in trouble?”
Her mouth twitched. “No. We need to stop taking it so personally. I’d like to think we’ve beaten the curse.”
“I agree.” He leaned into the spray to rinse off.
“So there are other shifters that aren’t berserkers? Like panthers?”
“Yes. And I’ve met some tigers and dolphins.”
“Dolphins?” She pressed a hand to her chest. “Wow. I wonder if my great-aunt Ula knows any of them.”
“You’ll have to ask.” He squirted liquid soap onto his hands and massaged her back.
She moaned. “That feels so good.”
His hands slipped around to fondle her breasts.
“So is Shanna a shifter, too?”
His hands stilled.
She turned to face him. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m their guard. They trust me to keep their secrets.”
She bit her lip. It didn’t seem right for him to keep secrets from her. “What about Tino? Shanna said he was a hybrid.”
Howard nodded. “Half human. The human half came from Shanna.”
“Oh. So she’s a normal human?”
“Not anymore.” He nudged Elsa under the water nozzle to rinse off.
“Then what is she?” Elsa turned the water off and grabbed a towel. “She can teleport. She only comes out at night. She shifts into some kind of night creature?”
With a wince, Howard dried himself off.
“Doesn’t Shanna expect us to be together? If I’m going to live in your world, I should know what’s going on.”
Frowning, Howard wrapped the towel around his waist. “You have a point.”
“So tell me.” She pulled on a terry-cloth robe and belted it. “What exactly is Tino?”
“Half human, half”—Howard took a deep breath—“vampire.”
Elsa blinked. “What?”
“Vampire. Tino’s father, Roman, is a vampire. Shanna is, too, but she wasn’t when Tino was born. Vampire women can’t carry a baby to term, because they’re dead half the time. They could use a surrogate, I suppose—”
“What?” Elsa shook her head. “Shanna can’t be a vampire. They’re not real.”
Howard shrugged. “Berserkers and guardians are real. Why not vampires?”
“Because they’re . . . dead.”
“Undead,” he corrected her.
“Like that makes any sense.” Elsa recalled how pointy Shanna’s teeth were. “Shanna’s really a vampire?”
“Yes. She was mortal when she fell in love with Roman, and they had two children. But then she accidentally touched an angel of death and was about to die, so Roman had to change—”
“An angel of death?” Elsa asked.
“Yes. Marielle. She’s married to a vampire named Connor. She’s not really an angel anymore.”
“Right.” Elsa dragged a hand through her wet hair. Vampires? Angels of death? Maybe she shouldn’t have asked. “How do they eat? Do they go around biting people?”
“No. They drink synthetic blood from Romatech Industries. That’s Roman’s company. He invented synthetic blood.”
She grimaced. “So they drink blood every night.”
Howard nodded. “They get tired of the same meal every day, so Roman invented Vampire Fusion Cuisine. Stuff like Bleer, that’s half blood and half beer.”
She recalled the empty Bleer bottle in the convertible. Vampire food. “This is too weird.”
“Come on.” Howard escorted her to the kitchen. “You’ll feel better with some food inside you.”
She poured two glasses of orange juice they had made the night before from some frozen concentrate they�
�d found in the freezer.
Howard rummaged in the pantry. “Here’s some granola bars. And some graham crackers.”
“Is there any jelly or peanut butter?” She finished her juice and bit into a cracker. It was plain food, but at least it was food. She shuddered at the thought of having to live on bottled blood.
“A-ha!” Howard’s eyes lit up as he removed a plastic container from the pantry. It was shaped like a bear and held honey.
She snorted. “You would like honey.”
He glanced at the bear, then at her, then back at the bear. “Mmm.”
She backed up. “You wouldn’t dare.”
He stepped toward her, his mouth curling up into a smile.
She made a face. “But it would be so sticky.”
“I’ll lick you clean. Promise.”
With a squeal, she ran into the bedroom.
“Oh, sweetheart,” he called as he ran after her.
An hour later, she had to admit he’d kept his promise. She was licked clean.
That night, they were dressed in bathrobes and eating some warmed-up canned soup at the kitchen table when a form wavered near the fireplace, then solidified.
Elsa gasped.
Howard stood. “Is something wrong?”
The stranger set a bakery box on the coffee table. “Shanna sends these with her regards.” He nodded at Elsa. “Delighted to meet you, lass. I’m Ian MacPhie.”
Elsa sidled close to Howard. “He-he’s a . . . ?”
“Vampire,” Howard finished.
“In a kilt?”
Howard smiled. “There are a few of them like that.”
“Aye.” Ian walked toward them. “I dinna want to disturb you, but our phone calls werena getting through. Phil told me a Mr. West from Anchorage was e-mailing the school all day, trying to contact you. I thought ye should know.”
“Okay.” Howard nodded. “We’ll drive back in the morning.”
“Verra well.” Ian shook hands with Howard and inclined his head to Elsa. “If I might say so, lass, ye’ve found an excellent man here with Howard.”
“Thank you.” She couldn’t believe she was talking to a vampire. In a kilt.
“Good evening.” He vanished.
“Wow.” Elsa sat down at the table.
Wild About You las-13 Page 25
