The Wolf & The Empath

by Serena Simpson

  “I knew love, did you?”

  “It was just a catchy song.”

  He gave a growl. She squeezed his hand.

  “Why didn’t Troy bring you home immediately?”

  “He said something about not wanting to fight the wolves. I didn’t tell him I swear.”

  “I always suspected he knew. Are you ready for a shower?”

  She nodded her head realizing she felt better. She felt like crap warmed over, but it was better than the dead crap feeling she had earlier.

  “A shower sounds good.” Her head still hurt, but the shower was helping. Brushing her teeth helped more. She no longer tasted what she was going to call the aftermath of her destruction. Nor was she going to answer the burning question in her mind, did she throw up and then go to sleep with a nasty mouth. Some things shouldn’t have answers. She let the water run through her hair wishing she could clean her memories the same way.

  “How are you?”

  She was gingerly drying her hair as she stood in the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her breasts.

  “Better, thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For not laughing at me, well you know what I mean. Also, for not telling me what a fool I was or how low my tolerance is.” Or a hundred other things she could think of.

  “Is it okay to tell you that you’re a cute drunk?”

  “No.” Unfortunately, she couldn’t make the sudden smile on her face go away. “Go, I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

  She was so happy she would hum, but her head.

  Only Tristan was there when she walked in.

  “I think the others got tired of waiting for us.”

  “I don’t blame them. What are we having for breakfast?”

  “Eggs or french toast?”

  The thought of eggs running on her plate made her gag reflex engage. “French toast.”

  “I’m on it. Did you learn anything last night?”

  She went out to be with her friends, but part of her was listening to hear if there was word about Meghan. She was still missing.

  “Mum’s the word on Meghan, but I did hear something strange.” She reviewed the emotions she picked up to analyze if what she remembered was true or some tequila induced daydream.

  “There was a woman, she was the aunt of one of the girls. She says six of them went out and never were heard from again. She’s gone to the police as well as the news. The girls aren’t exactly model citizens, so the news didn’t pick it up. Her friends think her niece ran off with a new boyfriend or a pimp who would give her a bigger share of the pie. The aunt was scared, not just for her niece, but for herself.”

  “Mira?” She was staring off into space. “What’s wrong?”

  “You know the world is made up of more freaks than norms.”

  “You’re not a freak.”

  “Aww, thanks love. You have no idea how many times I’ve been called one or how many times I’ve been harassed for being different.” The aunt had met her eyes, in that moment, she detected something about her that was different.

  “What if the missing girls are different, like me?” She paced the kitchen trying to make her alcohol-soaked memories make sense.

  Tristan kept cooking giving her time to think.

  “Meghan’s missing. We know she’s the daughter of someone prominent, but we don’t know who. Doesn’t that strike you as weird? No one is on television pleading. The cops haven’t come back, just nada. Like she fell off the face of the earth. Now we have six girls missing, and the cops are refusing to look for them. The news won’t pick the story up. Something smells bad, and it isn’t me; I showered.” She gave him a smile and sat when he placed a plate of french toast on the table.

  “Do you think I’m crazy?”

  “No, I’ve been troubled ever since we found Tina.”

  She knew the feeling. The fact that Tina almost died said that there was a new player in town, and he wasn’t playing with a full deck.

  Tristan picked her up and placed her on his lap. He began to feed her. Never in her life, had she ever met a male strong enough to pick her up and thick enough not to complain about her sitting on his lap.

  The world was destroying itself while she enjoyed the eye of the storm.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Tell me about mating?” She was curled up on Tristan’s lap while they sat in the living room watching a movie with everyone.

  She ducked her head to miss the popcorn that was thrown at him.

  “I’ve been waiting a long time to find out about mating,” Ven said. “I can’t wait to hear this.”

  “I was underground when it all went down at the compound, please enlighten me,” Taris said with a smile. He was another member of Enigma One.

  “We all want to know,” Cade told him. “Who better to tell us than you with your advanced age?”

  “Umm, I’m sure it’s just the birds and the bees,” Mira told them.

  “Did you know I looked up the birds and the bees? None of the different species copulate together,” Ven told her.

  She waited for his grin or laughter. Then suspected there was a gotcha coming. The longer she stared at him, the more she realized he was serious. Her jaw unhinged allowing her mouth to open on the perfect ‘O.' She saw the youth and the innocence that was Ven.

  No wonder Deja would kill a fool over her son. He had just gained another mother. It didn’t matter what he could do, he was a kitten and she would protect him with her life. If she wasn’t laughing at him.

  “I think I should probably call it a night.” Tristan’s fingers tightened on her waist keeping her still.

  “You,” Tristan said to Ven, “are only old enough to look. The rest of you ask me after you have attracted your female.”

  He stood, still holding Mira and carried her to their room.

  “I liked how you said that.”

  “What?”

  “The way you told them to come to you after they attracted their female. It sounded like they were special, and the women for them are special.”

  “You’re right on both counts. The woman each of us will attract is special because she is perfect for us, our mate. You, Mira, are my mate. That makes you perfect for me.”

  “But still human.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He stopped in the sitting room and set her on her feet. “We could finish watching the movie.”

  “Or we could talk.” She sat down and then stretched out her hand inviting him to sit with her.

  “We were never allowed to mate.” He changed their positions, so that she was on his lap. “Our job, our life, was to fight and die. It wasn’t until Deja walked into our compound that we understood that our lives could be more.”

  “Sounds like she turned thing's upside down for you guys.”

  “She did. All the mates did. The same way you are.”

  She gave him a small smile.

  “We mate for life. Our lives are long since we were created to fight. I would bite you here.” His hand smoothed over one delicate shoulder making her shudder. “We would exchange what you call DNA and what we call enzymes.”

  “Enzymes?”

  “Our bodies are designed differently than yours. We both have one set of genetic characteristics that are the same. They allow us to bond and interbreed.”

  She nodded, biology was never her passion in school. “What happens after that?”

  “Our body's sync. We have exchanged part of our life. It will bind us together. Then certain characteristics may change or be enhanced.”

  “Will I still be me?”

  “Yes, but a different version of you.”

  “That sounds a lot like marriage.”

  “It is, except, there is no divorce.”

  “What if you cheat on me?”

  “I won’t, not only because you're beautiful and I care deeply for you. My bond with you will stop me if I suddenly experience brain death.” She raised a brow at him.
“It’s the only way I would cheat on you.”

  She shook her head, but the smile on her lips wouldn’t leave.

  “Do you want this?” Talking about mating was nice and all, but there had to be a reason besides I think you’re the perfect fit for my life.

  He hesitated unsure of what to say. “I wasn’t built for the thing you call love. No one ever cradled me or held my hand. There was no parent to wipe my tears or watch me grow. I never grew, when I opened my eyes, I was as I am now. You, Mira, are a foreign concept that some days I can’t wrap my mind around.

  “I want you not because I’m scared there will not be another female for me. I wanted you the minute you called me suga. It was the way your lips wrapped around the word, and your brown eyes glowed with an inner fire that consumes you. I didn’t know that your body would be this lovely, voluptuous, curvaceous. I wanted you before I saw you physically.”

  His hands skimmed down her body appreciating the curves that were on display for him.

  “I didn’t know about you and your kittens. I did know that you pulled me to you. Now that we’ve spent weeks together I can tell you about your kindness, your generosity. I love your laugh. I want to hear it for a lifetime or an eternity, whichever comes first. I’ve held your hand when you were hurt and wiped your tears. I want the privilege of doing that for the rest of our lives. If we were blessed with a child, I want to speculate if it is a boy or a girl. Who will they look like? I want to see that fiercely protective look on your face. The one you get when you look at Ven.

  “I don’t know what love is, but I know I feel these things and so much more for you.”

  She blinked her eyes, the tears falling made it hard for her to see him. She sat up and straddled his lap.

  “Suga, you had me at the word suga. I’ve been hurt more than I want to talk about. I thought I’d never find anyone like you. I love the way you look at me. I see the desire and love in your eyes. You never complain if I need help with something. When I went out, you were willing to laugh at my antics when I got back. I love all that.

  “I love the way my heart speeds up when I’m around you. Then there’s this need deep inside of me to take care of you while you’re taking care of me. The only person I can say that I loved was my grandmother. If she were still here she’d say, 'Mira, you hold on to that boy, he’s one of the good ones.' She’d be right. I want to be your mate. I love you, Tristan. You are worthy of love.”

  She kissed him getting lost in the taste of his mouth. “This is the part,” she whispered into his ear, “where you pick me up and take me to the bed. Then you have your wicked way with me.”

  He stood holding her close to his chest, then walked into the bedroom. He placed her carefully on the bed; his eyes stroking her with lust and a look that said he couldn’t believe this moment was happening.

  “I wasn’t supposed to have this,” his voice was filled with awe.

  “Every now and then life comes together. It’s a mystery, but when it happens correctly, it’s a marvel.” She sat up and pulled off her top before reaching around back and taking off her bra. His hand went to the snap on her pants and then the zipper. She lifted her hips allowing him to take her pants and panties off.

  She peeked up at him; she was still wearing hipsters, but he seemed to like them. No thong needed. Once she was naked, she tried to drape herself over the bed to look like a femme fatale. She felt silly, but the look of lust in Tristan’s eyes was enough for her to push those feelings aside.

  Then he began to undress. There was no time for anything as her pussy heated and her nipples tingled with need.

  “I want to touch you,” a hoarse whisper came from her. She was held down with need. It kept her from slipping her talented fingers between her legs. She needed her hands on him.

  He kicked off his pants and crawled onto the bed. His arms caged her making her feel small compared to his body that was full of muscles. She loved the way he moved. How each muscle flexed with just enough warning to let her know the male pursuing her was deadly.

  “I’m going to make you mine Mira. You get one more chance to say no or go slow.” He stopped, waiting for her decision.

  “Please Tristan.”

  He lowered himself until he was lying on her. She tilted her hips, but he ignored them. He leaned down and took one nipple into his mouth. Her head went back a moan of pleasure escaping as her fingers worked through his hair.

  His fingers went to her other nipple squeezing hard until she gasped.

  “I love how responsive you are.” The moan that came from her lips was the only response as her fingers found his neck and his clavicles.

  She pushed against his shoulders when her hands finally worked their way down. He lifted letting her push until he was lying on his back. She crawled over him until she could lean down and feed him one needy nipple. He sucked hard making her pussy pulse with need. Cream rolled down her thighs making her hands itch to plunge between them.

  “Harder Tristan, please.”

  He sucked on her nipple pulling it while he rolled her other nipple between his fingers. Her hips rocked on his hard abs making him nice and slick with her wetness.

  “I want you,” she cried out as she pulled her nipple from his mouth. The pop was enough to drive her over the edge. His fingers walked down her body caressing and teasing. She tried to regain her mental stability, but his mouth on the underside of her breast stopped her.

  “Tristan,” It came out as a plea. She wasn’t sure what she was asking for.

  He flipped her making sure her legs were braced on his shoulders as he walked down her body with his mouth. He tasted her and when she tried to move to taste him back his hand went to her luscious ass smacking it. The sound of it was followed by a moan, and more cream was enough to make her come.

  “Who’s a naughty girl?”

  She laughed; she couldn’t help herself. They were never going to watch porn together again. He sure did learn quickly. She had to give it to him.

  “Me,” she moaned. She’d make a career out of being naughty if that was what he liked.

  His hand smoothed the ache that made her want to spread herself open and offer herself up to him.

  “Whips and chains suga,” she managed to say before his finger stroked her slit. She was gone, lost in a feeling so good that it should be bottled. It was his half laugh half groan that brought her back.

  He had been appalled when he found out some people liked to be beaten or tied up. She had quickly assured him she wasn’t one of those people, but whips and chains became her catchphrase to rile him up.

  His lips went to her clit pulling it into his mouth as he devoured her.

  “Yes, please, just like that.” Her head moved from side to side as he sucked on her clit. Her body was a bowl of Jell-O shaking. She couldn’t get away from the pleasure rolling through her.

  She thrust her hips needing to be closer to the mouth that was taking her to nirvana. “I need you in me.”

  “Mira, I want to take my time, feast on you.”

  “Umm sounds good, let’s do that next year.” Her hands were back in his hair pushing his head closer into her pussy as if she could get him deeper.

  “I need your big, thick cock pounding into me now, Tristan.” His name came out sounding whiney with an extra side of begging, but she didn’t care. Her body was on edge, trying to go over the edge of the falls, but she needed a large paddle to help. His cock would do nicely. She grinned at the thought as he sat up between her legs.

  “Mira?” His words stopped, but she knew what he was asking. She could see it in his eyes. He wanted to bite. Already she could see his sharp teeth descending enough to latch onto her vulnerable shoulder. She should be running; pain did not turn her on.

  “Yes.” Pain or not she needed to be connected to him, and this was the only way.

  He ran his fingers down her slit again before he pushed two of them in.

  Damn him, he wasn’t trying to give her relie
f. He was keeping her right on the edge of insanity. It would be a nice way to go.

  She growled, and he gave a low chuckle before he moved his hips so that the head of his cock was lined up with her needy pussy.

  “You want this baby?”

  Could she hit her lover and still convince him to fuck her brains out? She was about to try. He moved pressing the large head of his dick into the tight hole she loved to call her vagina.

  “Yes,” she hissed as he opened her up and stuffed her full. “So thick, and long. Give me every inch, I need you. I have to be full of you.” Her words became nothing but sounds as she took every inch he had to give. When he bottomed out in her, she cried her pleasure before wrapping her legs around his hips and working her pussy on him like it was her job.

  Deep groans came from him as he swung his hips meeting hers in a rhythm that was as old as time. Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest any minute as her moans sped up. The need growing at the base of her spine was rolling around her body like a cat scarfing up catnip.

  She needed. Every time he made love to her, she needed more, more closeness, more of a connection. She wanted to find a way to burrow deep into his skin and live there.

  “Tristan,” she cried his name out looking for something she couldn’t understand.

  “I got you, love.” He swung his hips pounding into her until her eyes closed, and a scream of need mixed with strands of satisfaction came from her.

  Her body shook that’s when his teeth sunk deep into her shoulder. The sound that left her lips was primal. She could feel something wet, maybe slick being forced into her body through his teeth. It burned as it went through her, on its heels was a calmness she never felt. Then he sucked, and she felt part of who she was being pulled into his teeth. Her hands went around his shoulders clutching him tightly; she wanted, needed this connection.

  When his teeth withdrew, she realized he was still pounding into her body. He stiffened then cried out as she felt his seed pump deep inside of her. The warmth of it combined with whatever his teeth pumped into her sent her over the edge one more time. She clutched at him as pleasure spiked through her.