by Bonnie Vanak
“Interesting tradition,” he murmured.
A delicate flush tinted her cheeks. “The dance is filled with magick, and makes the night come alive. The Fae celebrate the ritual as a sacred tradition.” She gave a little sigh. “I was to participate when I chose a mate, but…no dance for me.”
She looked so wistful, it tugged at his heart. Matt went to the stereo system, flipped through a few CDs. He inserted one. As the lyrical melody filled the cabin, he stood, holding out a hand.
“Dance with me instead, Sienna.”
No refusal brooked in that husky command. Matt’s palm was warm as he pulled her to him. Sienna rested her cheek against his broad shoulder, feeling the heat of his body through his clothing. Beard stubble shadowed his jaw. He looked wild, like a wolf.
Yet this wolf had been only gentle with her. She kept finding more sides to him, the considerate man hiding beneath a protective layer of warrior and wolf. Matt was strong, fiercely loyal, courageous and would fall on his sword before harming her.
Holding her with ease, his steps were sure and light as he guided her around the room. She felt the tensile strength of him.
“Let go, Sienna. There’s nothing to be scared of. Let go of all your inhibitions.” His deep whisper sent a delightful shiver coursing down her spine.
The promise of sex gleamed in his blue eyes. Her body hummed instinctively to the sultry call of his demand.
A small moan escaped her as he kissed the underside of her ear. Sienna clasped his shoulders, her fingers digging into his wide shoulders. She explored the length of his body, dropping a hand between them to the front of his jeans. The rigid length of his arousal met her palm. She stroked, fascinated by this wolf’s desire for her.
A low growl reverberated through his deep chest, but this time, it didn’t scare her. Sienna leaned closer. Fisting a hand through her hair, he crushed his mouth against hers. It was no gentle, teasing kiss, but a wolf staking his possessive claim. His tongue boldly thrust past her lips, tasting her, exploring the wet cavern of her mouth. Moaning, she clutched fistfuls of his shirt as she sagged against him.
He kept at it, exquisite sensual torture, the tension simmering just below the surface. As if his life depended on her, his next breath.
Heat and masculine lust radiated from him. He nipped her bottom lip, then licked it in a lingering caress. She opened her eyes, startled at his hot, intent look.
Sex with Matt meant more than surrendering to his sexual dominance.
It meant forging a physical link between them, tying her physically to this strong, courageous wolf. Making love would be intimate and emotional, digging past all her defenses she’d erected since leaving the colony.
As if he knew, Matt slowed and stopped. He cupped her cheek tenderly.
The look shattered her. He gazed at her as if she were the most precious thing on earth. As if nothing else mattered, not his being a SEAL, nor a wolf. Only her. The sheer tender longing crumbled her resolve. No Fae had ever made her feel like this, had wanted her this badly.
He was a covert wolf, who risked his own life to protect others. All her life, she’d lived a covert life as a Fae, secluding herself from the world. Suddenly she wanted to throw herself headfirst into all he offered in the promise of his soft, seductive smile. Sienna shook with her own longing.
“Make love to me, Matt,” she whispered. “Make me yours tonight. I don’t care about anything else right now.”
They were only a man and a woman, with this burning need between them.
He took her into the bedroom, snapped on a light. Matt tugged the shirt over his head and shed his boots and pants. Breath caught in her throat.
“Um, wow. You were right. Commando,” she managed to say.
He looked up with a grin as he kicked his clothing aside. Dark hair covered his chest, stretching from nipple to nipple. Muscles layered his flat abdomen, his biceps. She glanced down at his genitals. His thick shaft was long and erect.
The thought of taking his hardness into her body filled her with anticipation and slight fear. Curious, eager to explore his body, she went around him, touched the small marking of a running wolf.
“What’s this?”
“The mark of our team. A member of the Phoenix Force gets branded with it after the first time he goes on an op.”
Muscles quivered beneath her touch, then he shuddered as she kissed the mark, tasting the salt of his skin.
Heat smoldered in his gaze as he turned. Never had anyone looked at her with such fire, such stark craving.
“Undress for me,” he said softly.
Slowly she removed her clothes. Her body tingled with arousal, hungering for the contact between them. She was naked, shivering as cool air caressed her breasts. Self-conscious, she covered them. Gently, he placed his hands over hers and guided them to her sides.
“You’re so beautiful.”
Tremendous heat suffused her beneath the warmth of his gaze. Sienna arched beneath his touch as Matt thumbed her cresting nipples. When he bent his head and took one into his mouth, she clung to him, dizzy with need, her core growing wet and throbbing. He swirled his tongue over the taut peak, then suckled her. She was growing hotter now, a fire stoking inside her as the sweet tension braced her body.
They fell onto the bed, as he kept kissing her breasts. She whimpered, her hips rising and falling off the mattress, driven by instincts of her own.
“Soon,” he soothed her.
Gathering her close, he ran a hand over her silky skin, marveling at her softness. Matt kissed her deeply, his hand drifting over her belly, down to her feminine curls. She made a startled sound, which he soothed with his kisses, as he slid a finger across her wet cleft.
Sienna gripped his wide shoulders as he began playing with her, easing her into passion. His wolf howled at the heady scent of her, but he grimly focused on her pleasure. Not his own. Matt slipped a finger inside her, drew it out. Tight. She was so very tight. The thought of her surrounding his cock made him nearly lose it.
Slowly he began to pleasure her, loving her little moans, the way she squeezed around him. He wanted to absorb her, brand her with his mark of passion.
Because this wasn’t destined to last. Nothing ever could with him.
Pushing aside the thought, he teased and stroked. Naturally sensual, Sienna would discover her own wild nature, and release the wolf inside her.
His fingers lightly circled her center, feeling her tense beneath him.
It was consuming, setting her on fire, every inch of her body crying out for something more. Sienna strained toward him as he teased and stroked, his hands sure and skillful. The ache between her legs intensified and she pumped her hips upward, desperate for something she didn’t understand. Every stroke and whorl sucked air from her lungs until she gasped for breath, ready to burst out of her skin. Tension heightened, spiraling her upward and upward. And then the feeling between her legs exploded. Sienna screamed, crying out his name as she dug her nails into his wide shoulders.
Her eyes fluttered as she fell back to the bed, spent and dazed.
Finally, her breathing eased and she lifted her head. A hint of untamed danger lurked in his eyes. The wolf barely held at bay.
Then he gave a dangerous smile. “Again.”
Matt knew she was shy. So many new experiences, and with a wolf, yet. Teaching her about the pleasure between a man and a woman would erase those emotions. He dropped to his knees as she lay on the bed, breathing heavily.
“Trust me, Sienna. Will you trust me?”
When she nodded, he smiled reassuringly. “Good. Now lie back, and just relax.”
Deeply moved at her absolute trust as she did so, he leashed the wolf howling to mate. Her pleasure first. Always. Once was not enough. Matt splayed her thighs wide open with his hands, the feel of her soft, silky skin driving him wild.
He stared at the wet, pink flesh of her center, scenting her arousal. “Gods, you are so beautiful,” he said thickly.
The first touch of his warm tongue made her jerk backward in delighted shock. He slid his tongue between her folds in slow, steady strokes.
Hot, delicious honey slid down his throat. Her sweetness ran for him as he stroked her. Matt swirled his tongue, absorbing her scent into him, marking her with the taste of arousal. Going to push her harder, and faster. Sienna cried out, her hands fisted in his hair. He could feel her excitement gathering, the crescendo of sweet tension ready to shatter her once more.
When she screamed his name, he stayed with her until the shudders ceased. Then he looked up with a small smile, backhanding his mouth. His cock ached with the need to penetrate. He opened the drawer and withdrew the condoms he’d placed there and sheathed himself.
She was ready now.
“Give in, pixie,” he whispered. “Let me inside.”
Mounting her, he felt the enormous strain of his muscles from trying to take it slow. He kissed her. Over and over, his tongue stroking her inside, imitating what was to come with his body. Nudging his hips between her legs, he braced himself on his hands.
“Look at me,” he commanded.
Slowly he pushed slightly inside her. Trust filled her wide green eyes. Hellfire, it felt so good, her tight, wet core squeezing his cock. Matt strained to hold back. Sienna needed tenderness and good loving.
She needed to know that a wolf knew how to love, and not hurt.
His heavy weight covered her, pinning her to the bed. Silky hair from his thighs sensually rubbed against her legs as he lay between them. This was the moment, then, when she shed all her cares and thoughts and joined with him.
Needing this closeness, wanting to share herself with him.
Matt laced his fingers through hers, his gaze fierce and glittering. Slowly he pushed into her. He felt huge, thick and invasive. She wriggled, trying to find ease as he penetrated.
Matt dropped tiny kisses over her face, soothed her with a whisper. Then he thrust forward again. Slight pain accompanied the odd fullness. He stayed still, watching her. Waiting for her to make the next move. A drop of sweat rolled off his forehead, splashed upon her like a tear. Sienna became aware of just how much control he exerted, how much this meant to him.
Experimentally, she wriggled her hips as the pain gradually faded. She relaxed, opening to him, marveling at the unique feeling of him joined to her so intimately.
He pulled back and began to stroke inside her. His muscles contracted as he thrust, powerful shoulders flexing and back arching. This was Matt, who cared for her, who would lay down his life for her. Not a vicious wolf who cared only about his own needs. Deep inside, her long-neglected wolf answered his call to mate. Sienna’s natural sensuality took over as she rose up to meet his rhythm.
The delicious friction was wonderful, the closeness of his body to hers, his tangy scent filling her nostrils. She pumped her hips, as he taught her the rhythm, feeling the silky slide of the hair on his legs. He began to move faster, his gaze holding hers as he claimed her with every thrust into her untried body, with each soft word of reassurance he murmured.
She could fall in love with this brave wolf. Maybe she already had. Emotions crowded her chest as she gripped his hard shoulders. It felt as if he locked her spirit in his, a closeness she’d never experienced.
His thrusts became more urgent. Close, so close… She writhed and reached for it, the tension growing until she felt ready to explode.
Screaming his name, she came again, squeezing him tightly as she arched nearly off the bed. Above her Matt growled deeply, but this time she wasn’t scared. Sienna welcomed the sound, welcomed his wolf’s call. He threw his head back with a hoarse shout. Collapsing atop her, he pillowed his head next to hers.
For a few minutes they lay tangled together, the sheets damp with perspiration, the cool night air sweeping over their bodies. Then he rolled off.
Matt gathered her close. Never had he spent the night with a woman. He’d always left afterward, not wanting any entanglements or complications. Not with Sienna.
She deserved to be held. All night.
He stroked a hand through the hair tangled on his pillow. Matt curled his big body next to her slender one, and draped a muscled arm about her waist to anchor her to him. She snuggled against him with a tiny sigh.
She was his, and he always took care of his own.
No matter what.
Chapter 14
With his long, jeans-clad legs stretched out before him, Matt lounged in a chair on the back porch. Sun streaked the mountains in rose and lavender. As Sienna watched from the kitchen door, he took a long pull of coffee from a mug.
Chipmunks and birds scavenged for seeds at the bird feeder. After the Fae had banished her to this cabin, she’d installed the feeder to lure the animals as company. Some days she was so lonely their noisy chatter helped fend off the desolation.
Not alone now. Not after last night… A flush ignited her cheeks. Warmth filled her as she remembered the gentleness of his lovemaking, the fierce pleasure he’d coaxed her to feel. Her body felt sore in places she’d never felt sore before, her muscles tingling with a pleasant ache. The piercing loneliness had vanished with this muscled wolf.
Sienna pressed her nose against the glass, staring in avid hunger at the big Draicon on her back porch. He was relaxed, yet she sensed an alertness that never fully left. He looked good in her home.
It felt right to have him here, as if he belonged.
Yet he did not.
The warmth faded, leaving her shivering. Last night’s fantasy of warmth and acceptance had sharpened into the cold facts. Matt was Draicon, and these woods belonged to the Fae. Just as she did.
But for these few precious days they had left, she would grab everything life gave her, and cherish it. Sienna opened the sliding door and stepped outside, pulling her fleece robe tight. Feeling shy, remembering his big body as it covered hers last night, his soothing murmurs as he’d entered her untried body. The intimacy they’d shared, and the feverish pleasure he’d coaxed her to feel.
He glanced up, his smile warm. Matt patted his lap. “You look freezing, sweetheart. Sit.”
His arm curled around her waist as she settled into his lap. Sienna pillowed her head on his broad shoulder. He stroked her hair in slow, tender caresses.
“You okay?” he murmured.
The earlier shyness returned. Sienna nodded, her throat tight.
Together they sat in companionable silence, watching the sunrise paint the mountains.
“Twilight used to be my favorite time of day,” she mused. “When the sun sets and the light grows rosy. There’s a stillness in the air of the world settling down. I’d sit in my secret place in the woods. Knowing I could go home and there’d be a big meal and laughter, and dancing by the night fires.”
A lump clogged her throat. “That’s all gone. Now I like dawn, because it’s a new day. Fresh hope. And it means the night, and all the loneliness, is behind me for a while.”
He rubbed his cheek against her head. “Yet they allowed you to stay here.”
“It’s a two-step program. Give me a home close enough, a chance to find a job and be on my own. Sometimes I thought it was best if I left for good. Went east, or anywhere, away from here.”
“Why didn’t you?”
Sienna stared at the wood rail fence. “Because I kept feeling there’s unfinished business here. Something happened in these woods. It’s buried deep in my memories, but I can’t retrieve it. And until I do, I’ll never feel whole. I’ll always have half a life. And I’ll always wonder, What’s my purpose? Surviving? It’s not enough. There’s something mysterious in my past. I have to discover who I am.”
Matt cupped her chin and gently turned her toward him. “I know who you are, Sienna. You’re beautiful on the outside, but it’s your inner strength and beauty that are strongest. I don’t know why your people insisted on abandoning you. I do know this. You’re a survivor. No matte
r what happens, where you go, you’ll do just fine. I have faith in you. You’re going to keep kicking life in the butt and winning, because that’s who you are. A woman who never gives up, and each time someone slams you down, you’ll get back up and keep fighting.”
A reassuring smile touched his mouth. “You’d have made a helluva SEAL, if they allowed females on the teams.”
His kiss was warm and tender, a promise of heat. She leaned her forehead against his, running her fingers through the silken strands of his dark hair. “You mean, if they allowed Fae on the teams.”
Matt’s smile slipped a notch. “Half Fae.”
“The half that matters most to me.”
A chill frosted the air that had nothing to do with the bitter wind. “You’re half Draicon. And you still want nothing to do with your wolf.”
Her heart gave a painful tug. “My wolf half is the half that hurt my mother. I have bad blood inside me, Matt.”
“How can you be sure? Your memories may be tainted.”
“I remember a cruel and evil father, and what Chloe told me. The Fae inside me needs to grow stronger. How can I ever find a place among them if I embrace my Draicon half, the blood inside me that caused so much pain?”
“You’re not cruel. Sienna, you’re compassionate and strong. Whatever memories you have of your father may be tainted. And if they aren’t, what he was doesn’t mean you’re the same.” His eyes were a fierce blue. “Don’t deny your Draicon heritage because you’re afraid of what you’ll find.”
She sat up straight. “I’m not afraid. I just know what I am. Where I belong. They raised me. They’re my family. They’re a part of my life and I can’t let them go.”
“Yet they let you go.”
The old hurt stabbed her in the heart. “Because it’s their way. I needed to prove myself.”
“You don’t need to prove anything. Not to me. Or any Draicon.” His gaze was intense. “I would never let you go, Sienna. When all this is done, break free of the colony. Accept your wolf nature instead of pushing it aside. Until you do, you’ll never find peace.”
