Shelter Me (Sawtooth Shifters, #6)

by Kristen Strassel

  “I know you think the answer is yes, but I don’t. They attacked Shea and X first. I’m not sure what her strategy is, but something tells me she’s not going to put on an apron and pearls once she has a mate. She’ll just use the lucky guy to her advantage.”

  “I’ll wear that for you. Apron, pearls, and nothing else.” Lyssie’s smile was feral. Just because she didn’t shift didn’t take away the primal need to protect what was hers. “No matter what she does, she’s going to tear you apart.”

  I nodded.

  “That leads me back to my original question. What can I do to make her not matter?”

  I lay down on the couch, bringing Lyssie down with me. “Exactly what you’re doing. Make the fever go away with your touch, giggle when I try to be sexy—“ Lyssie giggled, “—just like that. And give badass animals like Fluffy a chance when no one else will.”

  Lyssie glanced over her shoulder at the lizard lounge. “I have a thing for badass animals. But the smart thing is to let you go. No more fighting, Dallas. It’ll destroy the pack. I won’t be able to live with myself if someone gets hurt because of me.”

  “And I won’t be able to live with myself if I see you with another man,” I growled, and pulled her in tighter. “I’ll fight for you.”

  A smile spread across your face. “I was really hoping you’d say that. I want to fight for you, too. For us. I’ll be your beta, or gamma, or...what does that make me?”

  “My mate.”

  Lyssie melted. “I like the sound of that.”

  “Me too.” I wrapped my finger in her hair. “I need you to do something you’ve never done before. I need you to be really selfish, and claim what’s yours. Think like a wolf, Lyssie.”

  She pulled away from me, stood up, and pulled off her sweater. “Show me how.”

  My wolf was on point. Lyssie pulled the sweater between her hands, unsure of what to do. Everything being new for her made it more exciting for me. “Kiera will be home soon?” I asked.

  “Probably.”

  “Good. Bring me into your bedroom, and when we get there, take off the rest of your clothes. I didn’t get a good look at you last night. It left me with a craving that might make me crazy. I want to see every stunning inch of you.”

  Lyssie nodded, but she didn’t walk away. Instead she reached for my hand. Just being here made me feel better, but her hand was so cool and small in mine, but she squeezed it with the strength I knew was inside her. She bit her lip, trying to conceal her smile, but failed before leading me into her bedroom.

  I sat on her bed. This was going to be a sweet reward for all the nights I spent here. Holding her, guarding her while she slept had been more than enough, but the animal inside of me had longed for more. To be able to taste her sweet skin, and touch her in places that would make her howl. I’d been patient, knowing she’d run to me when she was ready to be wild.

  She didn’t acknowledge me, closing her eyes as she let her jeans fall from her hips. She hooked her thumbs in her panties and slid them down her thighs, bending over to step out of them. With that round, luscious ass high in the air, she paused to look up at me. The woman I was in the room with, I’d never met before.

  The seductress.

  I looked forward to getting better acquainted with her.

  “Lay down on your stomach,” I said, my tone low. Lyssie stood up, pulling her hair away from her face. I’d do that same thing later, when I was buried balls deep inside her. I was hard before, and now I was about to explode. She put one knee on the bed, then the other before sinking down against the comforter. Lyssie didn’t have any hang-ups about her body, and it was fucking refreshing. She made no effort to cover herself or hide from me. It made for an interesting paradox. Innocent and wanton. I was excited, wondering what other surprises she’d have in store. If she’d let herself get lost in her pleasure, now that she knew she had me forever.

  I was the one who was terrified. Thirty years old, and I’d never been able to commit to a woman. This one was forbidden, too. But the rules had ruptured when Ember broke the skin on my neck. Lyssie was going to expect the world from me. This had been the dream, and as Lyssie waited patiently for me to strip out of my own clothes, I wanted to make it real.

  She nestled her face on the pillow, her arms resting by her head. It didn’t surprise me that she tensed when I brushed her hair away from her face, but her expression was so serene. A couple of long blinks and a moistening her lips, but that was it. Lyssie wanted this. I’d been watching her for months, always making sure everyone was taken care of. It was time for someone to take care of Lyssie.

  I trailed my fingers down her back slowly, surprised smoke didn’t rise from her skin. All along I knew she’d be submissive, hoped she’d be my submissive, but I couldn’t fuck this up. She’d been so timid about her lack of experience, she needed to learn what she liked and didn’t like. We’d work up to more. Peace washed over me. This wasn’t a one night stand. No need to rush, or claim what was mine. I had her, lying before me.

  Lyssie grazed her lip with her teeth and tongue in hypnotic rhythm as I continued exploring her body. I wanted to touch every inch of her. She wriggled when I touched her ass, eyes bright. Whether she meant to or not, she squeezed her thighs together when she settled. None of that. I had the best view in the house as I trailed down her legs, goosebumps erupting on her skin. Her feet were ticklish, and she squealed with laughter, jerking them away from me when I ran my thumbnail along the arch. So naturally, I grabbed her foot and did it again. I loved the way she looked when she laughed. The fear melted away and she let herself be free. Even better, I loved the way her body moved, the hint of her tits, her legs moving without any regard for modesty.

  “Why’d you stop?” Lyssie asked, lying on her side, trying to catch her breath.

  I didn’t answer her right away, still lost in every voluptuous curve, her blue eyes shining with the tears that laughter brought, and the smile she didn’t even know she was wearing. “You mesmerized me.”

  “I’m ticklish. I can’t help it.”

  She didn’t realize what I was saying. “It has nothing to do with that.” I crawled up her body. Cool air radiated from her skin, an elixir that made the outside world disappear. If only we could get it to be permanent. I couldn’t resist her lips, they were too close not to kiss. “What do you want to do, Lyssie?”

  Her breasts rose against my chest with her deep breath. My wolf was going crazy, clawing at the surface. Claim her, any way you can. What the hell? Everything peeled away—the heat, the sickness—gone.

  It didn’t matter what the fuck Ember thought. My wolf wanted Lyssie. The whole world could burn around us. I didn’t care.

  Lyssie’s eyes sparkled with an entirely different emotion. Desire. She licked her lips. “I want to make your fantasies come true.”

  Holy shit. The most amazing part was she had no idea what she was doing to me. If I made it through this night without marking her, it would be a miracle.

  I kissed her again, grabbing her ass, hard. She moaned against my lips, even hungrier than I expected. “Lay on your stomach again,” I said, breath raspy. “I had a plan.”

  “Did you now?” Lyssie complied with my request, settling back to her original position. She wore her serenity like a diamond necklace.

  “I did. And it was to make your fantasies come true.” I kneaded the muscles in her shoulders, tracing small circles the length of her spine, until I reached that glorious ass. “If you like something, tell me. If you’re not into it, I want to know that, too.”

  “I want you to do the thing you did last night. When you made me lose all control. I liked that. A lot.”

  Last night had been perfection, Lyssie’s clothes clinging to her soft curves in that bathtub. I’d never seen anything so fucking sexy in my life. I’d had no control over my body, but the euphoria I felt when the fever broke, that was all Lyssie. “There’s more than one way to get there.”

  “Show me.”

>   I hooked my fingers under her hips, and she slid back into a kneeling position. I wanted to take my time, let the pleasure build slowly, but I was so fucking turned on seeing her like this, it wasn’t going to be easy. Nothing good was. Thirty years in Sawtooth Forest taught me that.

  Kissing the small of her back, I needed to get to work. She giggled, and my gaze flicked up her body. Curls obscured her face, but her arms were out in front of her. Total surrender. A soft growl rumbled through my body, my lips tracing the curve of her ass. Her back rose and fell with her deep breaths. She was excited, and she wasn’t the only one.

  Lyssie jumped when I slipped my fingers between her legs. I continued the slow, circular strokes from before, coming close but never actually touching her pussy. She started to relax, her hips circling against the movement, trying to trick me into touching her in other places. Her body took the lead. She let herself got lost in the sensation. I’d been so afraid she wouldn’t be able to let go, but after last night, I shouldn’t have had any doubts.

  She moaned when I brushed my thumb against her clit. I circled it, giving the pressure time to build and she writhed in time with the movements. She was so ready for me, and my fingers slipped inside her easily. I curled them forward, and Lyssie threw her head back, the closest thing I’d heard to a howl came out of her.

  I caught her clit between my lips, craving the taste of her. I licked it softly, letting the little electric sparks ignite, and when I couldn’t handle the burn another second, I started to suck. Lyssie was the one on fire now. Moving away from me, pushing closer, but I still had her, my fingers stroking her inner walls.

  As much as I wanted to take her from behind, bury myself completely in her, I really wanted to see her face. “Roll over,” I whispered.

  “Don’t tell me we’re done,” she groaned, turning on to her back. She had to move carefully, since I was still inside her.

  “We haven’t even started yet.” I punctuated it with a hungry kiss. It was Lyssie’s turn to possess me, grabbing my shoulders hard, her fingernails digging in my skin. She planned to mark me, too.

  “Drag them down my arms,” I growled.

  “I’ll draw blood.”

  “Good. These scars I’ll wear proudly.” This was why I wanted to see her face. I would’ve missed the way her eyes lit up when she realized what I was saying. “Everyone in the forest will know who marked me. And it won’t be that Ember bitch.”

  “But I’m not a wolf.” Lyssie’s lip quivered with uncertainty.

  There was only one way to convince her that she’d claimed me. I scrambled for my jeans, retrieving a condom from my wallet. Lyssie laughed when I ripped the foil open with my teeth, tossing it aside as I sheathed myself. I had to get inside her. My fingers were good, but she needed more.

  Lyssie hooked her legs around me. I’d read her all wrong. She wasn’t afraid to take the lead, and take what she wanted. The best part of it was she didn’t realize she was doing it. I groaned as her fingernails sliced my skin.

  We’d never done this before last night, and Lyssie deserved something slow and sweet. But no. Fuck that. She wanted all of me. The passion, the intensity. The wolf that wanted to run wild with her. She needed to know my animal was capable of something other than violence and pain. I wanted her to know what kind of pleasure it could bring.

  I followed her lead. I never thought I’d let a woman take control, but the way Lyssie let go, giving herself over to the sensation, she was the teacher tonight. Our bodies dictated the rhythm; hard, deep thrusts. Her hips moved wildly, not missing a thing. Lyssie’s blood-slick fingers gripped my back, and she kissed an uneven trail from my cheek down to my neck.

  “No.” I pulled away from her when she came too close to the bite.

  It was like someone hit a switch—her body deflated underneath mine. The light faded from her eyes. “I wasn’t going to do anything.” Lyssie looked away. “All right, that was a lie. I wanted to make that mark mine. You’re stuck with it for life, it’s going to scar, and that bitch will have a piece of you forever. A piece of us. I can’t have all of you because of that.” She ran her finger dangerously close to the healing wound.

  “You have all of me.” I picked up her hand. Her fingers were stained red. “Do you need any more proof than that? I don’t know what will happen to you if you touch that bite. Look what it does to me. You’re human...I can’t risk that. This isn’t going to be easy on either of us, but if anything happens to you because you touch that bite, there will be hell to pay.”

  Lyssie stared at her hand, mouth open in horror. Shit. We’d gone too far. I’d never lost control like that before, totally given myself over to another person. Her smile was shy at first, but it gained confidence as it grew. She motioned for me to lay next to her. As soon as I settled, she put her head on my shoulder, and tangled her legs between mine. She reached down and slipped the condom off. We may have been a perfect fit when I was inside her, but this was so good, too. “Ember can try to take you from me, and maybe she’ll succeed.” She placed her finger over my lips when I started to protest. “But she’ll never have this. The way we are right now. No bite can give her that.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Lyssie

  Today was one of those unexpected but much appreciated warm January days. Either that or everything seemed sunnier and brighter now that Dallas and I were truly together. I’d dreamed of being with Dallas, and being the center of someone else’s attention for so long, but it wasn’t anything like I expected. I wanted to believe I was Dallas’ mate, but every time I let myself settle into the idea of it, it was interrupted by the image of Ember at The Redheaded Stepchild, ripping down his sweater, and exposing the bite. I swore I could taste her pine flavor like cheap cleaning products. I was willing to bet it was probably poisonous.

  Regardless, Dallas had started every day of this New Year waking up in my bed, not hers. Ember may have a little bit of his skin stuck between her teeth, but I had his body, and more importantly, his heart.

  It changed things. In the last twenty-seven years, I’d learned to enjoy my own company, never expecting someone else would actually enjoy it more. Now I laughed more easily. And I could almost tolerate Kiera and Trina’s endless sex talk.

  “I like cuddling.” Sometimes I even joined in. The girls were still shocked when it happened, but they always listened to what I had to say. I’d held back so long they probably figured it had to be good. “When we settle for the night, I put my head on Dallas’ chest and his heart is still pounding. I mean, I did that. It’s my favorite part.”

  “I bet our counselors didn’t anticipate that being part of our therapy,” Trina said, looking off in the distance, smiling at whatever vision played through her mind. “Each of the guys is powerful and fierce, and we, the staff of Forever Home, can bring them to their knees.”

  “They told us to give the animals a chance.” Kiera chuckled, hooking a leash on one of the dogs. Since it was nice out, we planned to take the dogs for a walk. There were twelve of them, and three of us, and every time we did this we would up with a tangled mess. Somebody always managed to get off their leash, and someone else would eat something they shouldn’t. But the dogs loved it so much it was worth dealing with the aftermath for the rest of the afternoon.

  “I can’t believe you two have been here almost a year already. You’ve lasted the longest of everyone who’s worked for me.” Trina grinned, gripping the leashes and digging in her heels. Four dogs packed a lot of power, and it was easy to be the one getting walked. “The difference in both of you since you got here is like night and day.”

  Kiera glanced over at me. “It’s true, Lyssie.”

  She had the magic touch, and her dogs were the best behaved. I looked up at her, untangling the leashes from around my thigh. A little bit of the panic, the one that even now the girls could leave me behind as they followed the dogs through the lot, crept in. But it faded.

  “What’s the matter?” Trina asked when sh
e looked back at me. “Don’t tell me you’re leaving me.”

  I laughed. Of all the things she could’ve said, that was the most ironic. “Nope, not going anywhere.” I swallowed hard. “A couple weeks ago, I thought I was slipping. I didn’t want to go anywhere or talk to anyone. Even coming to the shelter was a struggle some days. I think the hardest thing is realizing that it never goes away, the thing that got us here. It’s part of us.”

  “That’s pretty genius,” Trina said softly. “I have days and weeks like that, too. We do the best we can. You know what, though? I couldn’t do any of this without the two of you. I’m so glad you guys came here.”

  “Me too.” Kiera’s smile was too big for her face. It took her a long time to be able to do that. When I met her, she was angry a lot. “I’d never had girlfriends before. I had no idea what I was missing.”

  “Right? When I first got here, all I could think about was what I’d lost. Never did I think about what I’d gain. The animals, you girls; Delaney, even though we’re just getting to know her, it’s awesome to see the process all over again. And even the Lowes. I can’t imagine my life without any of you now.” Trina looked like she wanted to give us a hug. None of us were big huggers, but I went over and put my free arm around her shoulder. She laughed and did the same. “Let’s go check the mail. I always mean to do it when I drive by, but I zone out every single time.”

  Only one dog got loose before we got back to the shelter. One of mine, of course, slipped out of his collar. A couple of squirrels may have needed a good, stiff drink after our walk, but all things considered, it went pretty smoothly.

  But the big news was my lingerie came.

  The girls squealed loud enough to get the dogs excited all over again. They took my crew off my hands as soon as we got back inside so I could open the package. Both of them paid more attention to me than the dogs, and got smothered with kisses. Dogs knew a good thing when they saw it.

  I was nervous to open it. Funny. A couple weeks ago, this seemed like a big deal. Like I needed a special uniform to turn Dallas on, and I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own. Now I could see it for what it was: a new toy. Would it change anything? Dallas never cared what I had on, as long as he could take it off. I’d listened to the girls, letting my body take the lead and quieting my mind. This was the prettiest thing I’d ever owned, and it was part of the mind game. It was powerful, holding the tissue-wrapped lace in my hand, knowing it could unlock a piece of me I’d been afraid to explore.