Between Two Wolves (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Menage Werewolf Romance)

by Catherine Vale

  “For the time he missed my birthday party.” I flung the rock. It skipped once on the water and disappeared. I took another sip of wine. I wasn't sure if it was the ritual, or the Chardonnay, but I suddenly felt better.

  I went through the rocks one by one, letting go of a little pain with each one, throwing the rock into the river. Finally I was down to the last. It was different, bigger and black, polished to a high sheen. I wondered what kind of rock it was. But again my knowledge of geology failed me.

  “For my father. I miss you, Dad. More than you can imagine.” I held the rock, thinking about my father, about him and me—just him and me—for as long as I could remember. Maybe this rock should be for my mother, who left us when I was seven. But I'd given up being angry at her a long time ago. She'd made a choice in her life that didn't include her husband or her daughter. I didn't—couldn't understand why. But being angry with her had torn a hole in my heart. I'd given up the anger, and tried to patch up that hole.

  But my dad...missing him was a palpable thing, an ache somewhere deep inside. I didn't want to forget him, but the pain of missing him was just as sharp as if he'd died yesterday, instead of two years ago. I wanted the memories, just not the pain.

  I held the rock, weighing it in my hand. Closing my fingers around it I raised my arm, ready to toss it into the river. But I couldn't unclench my fist. I brought my arm down, opened my hand, and looked at the rock through a curtain of tears. Maybe this was the wrong time, wrong place for this. I found myself crying, tears plopping onto the rock, making the black surface glisten. Not today. Finally I slipped the rock into my pocket.

  After a minute or two I scooted to a lower rock, pouring another cup of wine. The water rose up around my waist, heat sinking into my core. I slouched down, stretched my arms along the rocks at the edge of the pool, and let the water rise up almost to my chin. I was in heaven.

  I lost all track of time as the water moved and danced around my body. My muscles relaxed bit by bit, and then all at once it was perfect. The water was the perfect temperature and I couldn't really tell where I ended and the water started. My body floated, and my mind went blank. Maybe the rock tossing ritual had actually helped.

  There was a bird singing somewhere in the middle distance, a low whistle that repeated twice, then paused, then picked up again. I counted the repeats, waiting through the pauses, then started whistling back, trying to see if the bird would answer. It did, giving me a long series of whistles in response to my amateur attempts. I giggled, and took another sip of wine. I was nicely buzzed from the heat and the wine, and by now, more than a little giggly.

  “That's pretty good. You must spend a lot of time up here.”

  I sat up too quickly, slipped in the water, then splashed around for an awkward minute, while trying to see who was talking to me. The sun was in my eyes, and all I could make out was a dark form towering over me.

  “Sorry. I startled you.” The form moved around to the other side of the pool. I pivoted, watching him turn from a dark faceless shape into a man with longish dark hair and piercing blue eyes.

  “You did.” I'd stopped splashing now, and I sat on the edge of the rock, watching as he walked so the sun was shining on his face. My heart was still thumping away in my chest. There was always the possibility of other hikers showing up at the springs, but still, he’d scared the daylights out of me. And no matter how nice hikers could be, I was always uneasy when I was out here alone, and a lone guy showed up. I like to trust people, and give them the benefit of the doubt, but I’d heard enough stories over the years to be wary. He seemed okay, so far. But I sort of regretted being buzzed on wine, and out here all alone.

  “Sorry again. I thought you heard me walk up. I crashed through the underbrush like a moose. Anyway, can I join you?” He dropped his pack and smiled at me. For a minute I lost the thread of our brief conversation. The smile was dazzling, all white teeth set against tan skin. I managed to look at the rest of his face, bright blue eyes framed by long dark hair curling around his shoulders. The moment stretched on, and then I remembered he'd asked me a question.

  “Oh, yeah. Sure. There's lots of room.” Actually, there wasn't. It was one of the smaller pools. But it would hold two. I pulled myself upright, the air chilling the skin on my arms, and my upper chest. It cleared a bit of the logy feeling in my head.

  Why did he have to choose my pool of all the ones around? I suddenly feel so awkward, and uncomfortable.

  “Great.” If possible, the smile got bigger. He pulled off his black t-shirt, and started undoing the buttons on his jeans. I realized I was staring, then quickly dropped my eyes. Some people liked to skinny dip, and while I didn't have anything against skinny-dipping, I wasn't sure I wanted to be in a pool with a naked stranger. A stranger...this stranger, maybe; but not necessarily a naked one.

  “It's okay. I'm wearing trunks.”

  My face flushed, but I looked up at him, managing a smile and an apologetic shrug. “You never know at the springs. A girl can’t be too careful.”

  He was right; he was wearing trunks. But if he'd been naked he couldn't have looked any sexier. It had been a long time since I'd looked at any guy with the least bit of interest, but I couldn't look away from him. He was all long legs, tan skin, broad chest with just enough dark hair to keep him from looking too man-scaped. I swallowed hard, managing to keep the smile on my face from getting any wider.

  “So you've been here before then?” He slipped into the pool, the water distorting his shape as he sank below the surface. There was an eddy in the pool, and I swore it carried an extra wash of something, besides heat, against my body. My arms flushed with goose-bumps, and I was suddenly conscious of my wet t-shirt, how it clung to my breasts. How little was left to the imagination, his imagination. I sank slowly into the water, the heat of it against my cool skin sending a shiver through me.

  Don’t get all excited here. He’s still a stranger. Just stay cool, okay? Don’t embarrass yourself.

  “I've been coming here since college...I used to come with friends on breaks, and then started coming alone after that.”

  “Oh, hey. I'm so rude. My name is Colt.” I thought I heard an accent, not Canadian, certainly not American. He leaned across the space between us, hand extended. I hesitated, then reached out, fingers just brushing his. I scooted forward a little more, and that's when I lost my balance.

  I slipped off the rock, going face first under water. For a minute the world was very hot, and very murky. Water went in my mouth, and up my nose, the odd taste of minerals heavy on my tongue. I flailed for a moment, unable to get a grip on anything solid, unable to get my footing in the small pool. Then a hand grabbed my upper arm, pulling me out of the water.

  Sputtering, I finally drew a breath that wasn't full of water. I blinked, and spit out a mouthful of warm water. It tasted bitter, metallic. The guy pulled me up onto his lap with a strength I found quite surprising, more than a little alarming, but strangely appealing. I wiped the last of the water out of my eyes, coughing. I was sitting on this stranger's lap. There could be worse places to fetch up after falling into the pool though. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me against his chest. I was at a loss as to what to do with my hands, just barely resisting the urge to run my fingers through all that chest hair. I finally ended up with my hands folded primly in my lap. If my heart had been beating hard before, now it practically shook my body with every beat.

  “You okay?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. Just embarrassed. I'm not usually this clumsy.”

  “It's okay,” he chuckled, and I was immediately captivated by the sparkle in his eyes. “Do over? I’m Colt.” He held out his free hand. I took it, shook it, pulled away...but he held on. “And you are?”

  “I'm Risha. Rish to my friends.”

  “Can I call you Rish then? Do I qualify for friend status yet? I did save your life, after all.”

  “You did. And you do. So, yes, Rish is fine.”

  �
��Or Red. I think you look like a Red.” He reached up, fingering a strand of my hair between his fingers.

  I stared at him. A flash of resentment at that old name rose up, but I bit back my retort, and looked closely at his face. There was no malice in those dark eyes, obviously nothing intended, other than him looking at my hair, at the strand wound around his fingers. But I was a little freaked out by the intimate gesture, even if it seemed innocent.

  “Yeah. I've been called Red.” In the past. But I didn't add that. I was moving on, and he sure wasn't part of my past, although I wasn’t sure right now what he was, or what he really wanted. Or what I was doing. I should be back on the other side of the pool. Or out of the pool.

  “It suits you. You look like a Red.”

  I cocked an eyebrow. “And what does a Red look like?”

  He tugged gently on my hair. “I bet when this is dry it blazes like fire.” His eyes moved languidly to mine. “And I bet you're just as fiery.”

  The hand on my waist slipped down to my hip. My t-shirt had ridden up, and his fingers brushed over my bare skin. I gasped, then coughed to cover the sound.

  Colt let go of the strand of hair and reached up to touch my cheek. “You okay? Do you need mouth to mouth, or anything?”

  I had no choice but to laugh. “Do you think it's a little late to ask? I'm talking, and...” His fingers slipped to the nape of my neck. “...breathing...” I might be breathing, but those breaths were coming in short little gasps. His eyes moved slowly from mine, down to my lips. I swallowed hard.

  “Yeah. But, you know...” He pulled me closer. “Better safe than sorry.”

  I pulled back. “Speaking of safe...” His pack lay behind him and I eyed it warily. “I'm not exactly sure...”

  “You're not exactly sure if this is the right thing to do? If I'm dangerous? Or if you can trust me?” He raised an eyebrow. “I'm not dangerous. I can tell you that you can trust me, but those are just words. You'll have to make up your own mind about me.” He looked over his shoulder at his pack. “If you can reach it, toss it where I can't. If that makes you feel better. I won't be offended.”

  I looked between him and the pack. Without too much trouble, I snagged the strap, tugging it around to the side of the pool. Colt watched, his expression open, easy.

  “Better? A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right?”

  Before I could answer, his lips touched mine, softly, but not tentatively. Behind the gentle touch was an energy, something powerful, but restrained. I'd never felt anything like this in my entire life, and it wasn't just that I was kissing a stranger.

  Oh, wow...I was kissing a stranger.

  I tried to pull back, but Colt's fingers tightened on the back of my neck. I should have been...not exactly scared, but at least a hell of a lot more cautious. I should have pulled away. But I didn't. I might regret this later, but right now, I wanted this...whatever this was, or wherever it was going. I wanted Colt.

  The kiss deepened, his lips parted, and I was right there with him, my tongue meeting his, dancing between his mouth and mine. I raised a hand from my lap, touching his neck, his jaw, moving to wind my fingers into all that dark hair. It was curly and soft, and I couldn't help running my fingers through it.

  Arousal washed through me and my fingers tightened against his head, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss even further. I felt Colt's lips curve in a smile against mine as his fingers worked beneath my wet t-shirt, tugging it higher, up the curve of my ribcage, stopping just short of where I wanted his hand to be.

  He broke the kiss, pulling back just enough to look into my eyes. “You seem to be breathing just fine, Red. You sure you need any more mouth to mouth?”

  “You're kidding, right?” I wiggled in his lap, felt his thighs tense and flex, felt something else tense beneath the thin fabric of his trunks. “I'd think we both want the same thing, Colt. Unless there's something else...”

  Colt laughed, pulling me back until my forehead rested against his. “Yeah. Okay. Just wanted to make sure. I get the sense this isn't your usual method of approach. Mine either. But...”

  “I'm sure.” I might not do this often...or ever. But I was sure of what I wanted, even if he was right about me.

  I kissed him, moving on his lap so I could wrap both arms around his neck. He shifted in response, his erection rising up against my hip. I wiggled again, just to feel the hardness of it, and to see what Colt would do.

  Colt didn't miss a beat. Without breaking our kiss, he grabbed my hips, sliding me back off his lap. I pivoted, legs apart, so when he pulled me back, I was straddling his lap. I was sitting face to face on his hard thighs, with his erection sliding up between my legs as the hot water swirled around us. He pulled me closer, until my breasts were pressed against his chest. He slid his hands down my back as he broke the kiss, slowly, teasing my lower lip between his teeth. When he released me I was weak and shivery with desire, glad I was sitting down.

  He cupped my ass, pulling me hard against his body, making waves in the pool. “You really are ready for this.” I couldn't tell by his smile if he thought this was amusing or confusing, if he was asking a question, or making a statement.

  “Yeah...are you?” I rolled my hips, grinding against Colt. “You want to change your mind?”

  This time his smile told me everything, his words the icing on the cake. “Like hell. It's not every day a gorgeous, barely dressed woman practically falls into my lap.”

  “I did fall into your lap.” I ran my hands through his hair, returning his smile. “You saved my life. I'm just showing my gratitude.”

  “I like how you think, Red.”

  I wasn't sure I was thinking, or that I wanted to. I wanted to feel, to just go with the flow. Somehow as crazy as this all was, it felt right, and that's all I cared about right now.

  “Yolo.”

  “Hmm?” he murmured, his eyes wild with desire.

  “You only live once.”

  He pulled me back against him, capturing my lips with his. Birds sang around us, the sound of the river catching the edge of my consciousness. All of that faded as Colt kissed me, the sound of his breathing, the soft moan he made as I shifted against his erection, the only things I heard. I was lost in a sea of arousal and sensation swirling through me.

  Colt's hands moved up my back, tugging up my shirt further, exposing my breasts. It was my turn to moan against his mouth as he cupped my breasts, working his thumbs over my wet nipples. They puckered up hard and tight, and my moan turned into a full-throated cry of pleasure as I broke away from Colt, head tipping back.

  “Oh, god.”

  Spanning my torso with his hands, Colt pushed my breasts up and together. He looked down, and I arched my back, pushing against his hands. Colt responded, fingers tightening against me, kneading my flesh. I bit my lip, unable to stifle back a second cry.

  “Watch me, Red.”

  I looked down at him, meeting his eyes as he lowered his head, flicking his tongue over one hard nipple. Something close to an electric shock ricocheted through me, and I jerked in his arms. I saw the corner of his mouth turn up as he moved to the other breast, circling the rosy nipple with the tip of his tongue. The feeling was exquisite, sending another shock wave through me. Watching him made little tendrils of excitement curl through my stomach. Having him ask—demand—that I watch him, heightened everything.

  So I watched as he pulled the nipple into his mouth, sucking gently at first, then gradually more forcefully. I wound my fingers through his hair, holding him against me. I pretty much fall apart anytime a guy touches my breasts, and I was already miles down that road before Colt even bent his dark head to work his magic.

  Watching was one thing; I needed to participate. I reached between us, fumbling for a minute with water and fabric, until I found Colt among the swirling warmth. There was a brief pause in the movements of his lips and tongue as I wrapped my fingers around him. The swim trunks muffled contact; the close proximity of our bodi
es limited my movements. It didn't take long for Colt to begin shifting restlessly beneath me. Finally he lifted his head, dark eyes meeting mine.

  “As much as I'm enjoying this, Red, I think we could do better.”

  “I agree. We need a change of venue. And a change of clothes. Or less clothes.” I squeezed him through his trunks, and he grunted out a breath, the corner of his mouth curling up.

  “Actually I like the venue. You're right about the clothes though.”

  He reached down, undoing the snap on my shorts, fingers working the wet fabric over my hips. But he didn't get very far. “Stand up.”

  I did, resting my hands on Colt's shoulders while he tugged my shorts over my hips. They slid down my legs, sinking beneath the surface as I stepped out of them. Leaning forward, he kissed my stomach, tracing a circle around my navel with his tongue. I shivered as a breeze wafted over us, over my exposed breasts. The sun was setting somewhere behind the tall trees, the air getting cooler. I looked over his shoulder, half-expecting to see a hiker or three enjoying the show. Colt turned his head, following my gaze.

  “No one there.” He turned back, fingers tracing over my skin. “Goosebumps. Come here...”

  “Not till you get rid of those.” I pointed to his swim trunks. “I'm not going to be the only one naked here.”

  Colt chuckled, and lifted his hips. I remained standing, hands on his shoulders, as he pulled off his trunks. I couldn't help but grin at the momentary difficulty he had in getting the wet fabric over his erection. The water was opaque enough that I couldn't get a good look at him, just tantalizing glimpses. I bit my lip, trying not to stare, but not succeeding. Colt tossed the trunks onto the edge of the pool.

  “Better?” He grabbed my hips, fingers playing over my skin. There was an insistence, an urgency to his touch, an impatience that matched what was building inside me. I glanced around, scanning the woods again.

  “If you're worried about being seen...”