Sylvia's Torment (Enforcers and Coterie Book 2)

by Veronica Del Rosa

  He leashed his desire to run full speed. The scent of rabbits teased him, begging him for a chase. Squirrels scurried up trees, their high pitched angry barking directed at him, amusing him. He strained to hear Lori’s footsteps behind him, a bare whisper of a sound. She moved with the silence of a predator. A recent development, or a sign of her impending merge?

  Racing ahead, he stopped in the middle of the path, turned and sat down. The oak and maple trees had turned colour, autumn a time of reds, oranges and yellows. Several pines and a rare spruce intermingled, their greens muted next to the vivid palette. All of it disappeared into the background against the beauty of Lori. Strong and confident even in an unknown area. The sedate suit did nothing to hide her curves, and each time her skirt moved with her steps, he found himself fascinated with her thighs. Blonde hair pulled back, bangs ruffling in the breeze, she exuded the calm of a warrior.

  Her eyes darted around, missing nothing, an inhuman shine to them. Fuck, she was closer to the Change than he thought. At best, she had a few weeks. Could he teach her control in such a short time? Complete dominance over her wouldn’t work. She’d chafed at the merest hint of it earlier.

  Hating himself for his next actions, he growled a warning. Confused, Lori stopped several feet away.

  “What’s wrong? Great, like you can talk to me when you’re a wolf.” She shook her head in disgust. “Stupid.”

  Getting to his feet, his ears erect and teeth bared, he snarled at her, forcing her to step back. The shock of his actions wore off quickly, and her body tensed. No scent of fear; instead, anger and frustration teased his nose.

  “What in the nine hells? Is this some kind of sick joke, Tariq? Take the newbie into the woods and scare the hell out of her? If you want me pissing myself in fear, forget it!”

  The blue in her eyes faded away, bright amber taking its place. Her own snarl filled the air, fighting with his. Fingernails grew into claws and her wolf fought to emerge. Now wasn’t the time, though, for her first Change. She didn’t yet understand the difference between the two halves. He wanted her to experience the instincts of her other side and learn to recognize them. If she gave herself completely over to her wolf now, she might not come back from it.

  Tucking his tail and ears downwards, he whined an apology. His head stayed proud and upright, maintaining his dominance. As a Delta to a Top Alpha, there were few he’d submit to, and a newbie wolf wasn’t one of them, no matter how much he desired her.

  Chest heaving, she took a step toward him, her feral side staring back. Could she wrest control before taking a swipe at him? Any damage she caused wouldn’t be lasting, not physically anyway. Some wolves had a hard time forgiving themselves, though, if they harmed another during a violent episode.

  Shifting to human, palms up and out, he waited. Another step closer, and her hands wrapped around his neck. He tensed, expecting to feel claws digging into him. Instead she tugged him closer, and her nails scraped along his scalp.

  “Why do I want you?” she whispered before covering his lips with hers. Soft, plush and made for sin.

  Resting his hands on her hips, resisting the need to cup her delectable ass, he gave himself over to the kiss. Her tongue teased him, touching his lower lip then retreating. Blunt teeth nipped at him, opening his mouth, and her tongue darted in.

  His hands tightened on her hips; damn how he wanted to move them, grind her against his hard cock. If he lifted her up, her skirt would bunch up, giving him unlimited access. Breathing ragged, he pulled back. Swollen, glistening lips begged him to continue.

  “What’s wrong with me? I don’t even like you.”

  Laughing, he placed a tender kiss on her forehead. “Like has nothing to do with lust.”

  “Uh, you’re still naked, aren’t you?” she said, her hands untwined from his hair and smoothing down his shoulders to his biceps. Yep, the petting felt better in human form.

  “Yes, I am. No clothes stashed out here.”

  “Okay then. I’ll keep my eyes averted.” Pulling out of his arms, she kept her back to him. “What was all that about? Why growl at me?”

  “You’re close, very close to your Change. You need to feel your wolf’s emotions, learn to recognize them. While you are two halves of the same person, as a wolf, you work more on instinct. How you react and interact with someone is coloured by those instincts.”

  Her spine stiffened, and she tossed an evil glare over her shoulder. “So you were toying with me? Playing with my emotions?”

  Her gaze slid downwards before swiftly flying upwards again. He smothered a grin. His body hadn’t yet gotten the memo about the lack of sex coming his way.

  “I wasn’t toying with you. And I didn’t expect the change in emotions. I’m not complaining, mind you.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, I noticed. Okay, so maybe you’re not a total jerk. You could’ve taken advantage of my less than sane moment. I’m willing to try a friendship with you. Maybe it’ll help calm some of these intense feelings. It’s like I’m fighting with myself. Part of me wants you, is almost desperate to have you. And why am I telling you this?!”

  He gave her a wide grin, loving the way her nose scrunched up in disgust. “It’s normal. Trust me, stay away from anyone you don’t like. You’ll be blunt and honest with them. Don’t worry though, it doesn’t last long. It’s all about control.”

  “That explains why I told off Ed. I’ve wanted to do that for months now.” Her eyes drifted downwards again. “You’re still naked.”

  Her gaze was a caress, and his body responded. Damn it, he’d just gotten that part of him to behave. “Yes, and you’re not helping. Keep that up, and I’ll show you why sex is so intense between werewolves.”

  “Promises, promises,” she taunted, although her head straightened, hiding her laughing blue eyes from him.

  He embraced his wolf and savoured the pain when his body contorted. Having recently changed from human to wolf and back again to human, the process was slower than usual. Racing past Lori, he led her back to the house.

  Friendship. Yes, he’d like a friendship with her and that meant wearing clothes. If not, the temptation to explore might overwhelm his good sense.

  Chapter Six

  The days drifted into each other. Patrolling the city was no longer a pleasure but a torturous pastime that took Tariq away from Lori. He’d never complain to Derek, though. Protecting the pack was an honour.

  Each day he spent as much time with Lori as possible, pushing her emotions and then teaching her how to pull back from the brink. No longer were her verbal attacks automatic, although the twins had a knack for ticking her off.

  Her voice drifted from upstairs, exasperation clear. “Damn it, Rafi, or Kurt, whichever one you are. Sniffing me in wolf form is bad enough, don’t do it while human. It’s creepy and weird!”

  Bounding up the stairs, he heard one of the twins laughing.

  “Oh, find that funny, huh. I’m done with this crap. You either treat me with respect, or we’re having it out here and now.”

  “Easy. We’re just having some fun. I promise we’ll behave.” The twin was silent for a moment. “Rafi agrees.”

  “Where’s Rafi? I don’t see him. Are you wearing an earpiece?”

  “Ow! Crazy woman, don’t do that!”

  Tariq burst into the entertainment room and started laughing. Big, tough Kurt was hunched over while Lori yanked on his ear. Peering intently in it and not finding anything, she released him, glaring at him with deep suspicion.

  “So, how do you do it? How do you talk to Rafi?”

  “They have a special bond,” Tariq replied for Kurt, his grin widening when she whirled around in surprise. While her strength and speed had increased these past several days, her hearing and sense of smell lagged behind.

  “What do you mean? Is it a werewolf thing? Are they mates or something?”

  Kurt blinked at her, repulsed, before he exclaimed, “Ew, no! That’s just wrong. That’s the worst kind of mas
turbation. And Rafi is disgusted, too. I don’t think we’re talking to you anymore.”

  “Is that what it took? Should’ve thought of it earlier.” Her teasing grin implied a comfortable truce between them. Kurt and Rafi enjoyed their menacing, thuggish aura but were softies underneath.

  Kurt growled, a teasing sound lacking any heat. “We’re twins and it bonds us. Kinda like the Alpha link except we can talk back and forth. It’s fun to mess with people, switch places and still know exactly what’s happening.”

  “Interesting. I’ll keep that in mind then.” Lori folded her arms, looking a little annoyed. “Can’t wait for the sense of smell to kick in so I can tell you two apart.”

  “Might be sooner than you think. Today, we’ll practice changing,” Tariq said, sobering.

  “Changing? Changing what?”

  “From human to wolf.”

  “But I can’t, remember?” Her tone implied a certain amount of duh.

  “Which is why we’re practicing. Please, come with me. We’ll go into the woods for privacy. I don’t think you want an audience.” Tariq held out his hand.

  Her fingers threaded through his. The ease and lack of hesitation spoke of her newfound comfort with the pack’s need for touch. Walking towards the stairs, Lori turned her head and blew a raspberry at Kurt.

  “Stay out of the woods. No peeking.”

  “I’ll behave,” Kurt promised with an evil glint in his eye. Tariq fought the urge to smack him. The twins needed to stop flirting with his woman. Time spent with Lori proved what he’d initially thought. Both him and his wolf liked this woman and enjoyed spending time with her.

  “That means Rafi, too. Both of you stay out.” An impressive growl vibrated Lori’s throat, underlining her words.

  “Shit, hoped you wouldn’t think of that. Fine. We’ll both behave. You’re ruining all our fun, woman.”

  Tariq continued down the stairs, dismissing the twins from his mind. Once he made his claim, the others would respect it. Then again, Lori was capable of defending herself when needed.

  “Does this mean I’ll be the naked one instead of you?” Lori’s question almost had him stumbling down the stairs. Why hadn’t he remembered that important fact? Had he purposefully forgotten?

  Clearing his throat, he replied, “Yes. Don’t worry, I won’t look.”

  “Ha! Yes you will!” Kurt’s voice trailed after them, proving he shamelessly eavesdropped.

  Chapter Seven

  Nerves knotted Lori’s stomach. Now was it due to attempting a change or stripping in front of Tariq? The sight of him naked and proud burned in her mind, tempting her late at night. Sexual tension wound tight in her body. Hell, she hadn’t pleasured herself since moving into the house. Sure, Tariq said the bedrooms were soundproof, didn’t mean she wanted to test that theory. It was embarrassing enough with some of the conversations the pack had overheard.

  Spending time with him proved to be her undoing. Her initial impression of him as a He-Man jerk had dissolved, leaving behind the undeniable truth: he was a nice guy. The kiss of death, perhaps, being labeled nice, except assholes didn’t rate high in her mind. She wanted a nice guy who’d treat her like an equal, coddle her when she needed it and loved her above everyone else. Add in Tariq’s hot body and gorgeous green eyes, and she was half-way in love.

  No, not love, lust. Pure lust, that’s it, nothing more. Her hormones were acting up, that’s all.

  Oh, who was she trying to kid? She’d been in lust before many times. A woman didn’t make it to thirty without some interesting experiences littering her past.

  None of them measured up to Tariq, though.

  “Strip,” Tariq said, cutting through her musings.

  “I’m sorry, what?” She missed the entire trip out into the woods, so lost in her thoughts she hadn’t noticed the house disappearing far behind them.

  “You heard me, strip. Get naked. Lose the clothes. Bare your skin.” Her hand itched to smack the smirk off his face, and yet, she had to turn away before she started laughing.

  “Been thinking a lot about getting me naked?” she tossed over her shoulder while she swept her shirt upwards. Next she pushed down her jeans and underwear, shimmying as she went. A strangled cough confirmed her suspicions. Naughty boy hadn’t looked away.

  “Thought you weren’t going to watch?” Spinning on her heel, she glided toward Tariq, unclipping her bra. It fluttered to the ground, and her nipples hardened in the cold air.

  A deep flush highlighted his cheekbones, a fascinating colour against his brown skin. His eyes skimmed downwards, and he stammered, “I, um, ah…”

  Her hands slid over his shoulders and into his hair. His scent teased her, begged her to breathe in deep. She wanted another taste of him. For a moment he tensed, and she almost pleaded with him. Instead, his hands cupped her ass and lifted her. Squealing in surprise, Lori wrapped her legs around his waist and clutched at his head.

  Her body stretched. His face landed between her breasts.

  “Oh, I’m sorry!” she said, afraid her flesh was smothering him.

  “Ooh, I’m not.” Though his voice was muffled, she could still hear the satisfaction in it.

  She tried to pull back, give him room to breathe, but he held on tight. Keeping her upright with one hand, the other roamed up her hip and then ribcage before settling onto her breast.

  Tilting his head back, he asked, “How far? Heavy petting, oral or all the way?” The husky growl coupled with his words increased the tingle between her legs.

  “Ah, protection? I’m on the pill, but…” she trailed off, unsure how to ask about his sexual history and not offend him.

  “I’m clean. Werewolves don’t catch STDs. Doesn’t survive in our bodies. And getting you pregnant isn’t possible anyway. We’re sterile until we merge with our wolf.”

  “Really? I didn’t have to use the pill? Damn it, what a waste!” She furrowed her brows for a moment before she grinned and wiggled against him. “I’ll be irritated about that later. Right now, can we do all three?”

  A deep groan vibrated between her breasts when he again buried his head.

  “Did you just motorboat me?”

  “That, my dear, was not motorboating.” He pulled back, giving her a wicked grin before he buried his face in her chest and blew, whipping his head back and forth.

  Shrieking with laughter, she grasped his hair to stop him. “Okay, okay! I know the difference now.”

  The amusement died from his eyes, replaced by lust and something else she couldn’t identify. A hand slid into her hair, urging her closer. Slipping down his body a little, the heat of his skin seared her through the cloth separating them.

  Lips touched, tasted, learned. One hand cupped her ass, holding her steady, while the other retreated from her hair. His wandering fingers tickled her back and skimmed across her hip. He caressed the crease of her thigh, inflaming her senses. The tingle became a raging torrent, one impossible to contain.

  Tearing her mouth from his, she trailed kisses across his jaw and down his throat, nipping at his flesh. His pulse thudded against her lips. His ragged breathing was harsh and welcome in her ear.

  “Put me down. I want to touch you,” she whispered against his neck.

  As she unwrapped her legs from his waist, he slowly lowered her to the ground. Once her feet touched earth, she took a step back, anticipating the pleasure in removing his clothes.

  Placing her hands on his hips, she inched them upwards, dragging his t-shirt higher. Slowly she revealed his taut stomach and hard chest dusted with crisp hair. Licking her lips, she leaned forward and flicked his nipple. A swirl of her tongue, and it tightened up, demanding more attention from her.

  Tariq’s fingers dug into her hips. “You’re driving me crazy. I want to feel that tongue somewhere else.”

  Feeling mischievous, she liberated him from his shirt and dropped her hands to the button on his jeans. Toying with it, she glanced up at him and said, “Somewhere around t
his area?”

  “Maybe a little lower.”

  “Oh? Here?” Her hand skimmed across his hipbone.

  “Lower…”

  And she touched his thigh.

  “You’re killing me, darling.”

  Stretching up on tiptoes, she breathed into his ear. “Why don’t you tell me exactly what you want me to do? I follow instructions quite well.”

  A shudder went through his body, her words hanging in the air.

  He brushed her hair back, exposing her neck. Lips against her sensitive skin, he said, “I want you on your knees, wrapping your hand around my aching cock, your mouth sucking me off. I want your tongue licking me. And then I want my face between your legs, your thighs squeezing me until I make you scream.”

  She gasped in excitement, his words creating erotic images in her mind. The dichotomy between his proper, almost staid, exterior and the dirty talk excited her. Her fingers clenched, digging fingernails into his thighs. She barely restrained herself from ripping his jeans off and dropping to her knees.

  Swallowing hard, she asked, “Is that it? I thought I said all three.”

  “Greedy, huh?” She heard the smile in his voice.

  “For you, yes. I want it all.”

  “Once I have you dripping from the first orgasm, then I’ll bury myself deep inside you. Pound you until you come again. Make you scream my name until that’s all you can say. I want you on top of me, riding me to an orgasm. I want your breasts bouncing while you take everything you need.”

  “Is it possible to have an orgasm from words alone?” Her mouth found his nipple, and she sucked, wishing for another body part.

  “Take off my pants,” Tariq demanded.

  Under normal circumstances, she would’ve balked at the order. However, in this she was eager to comply. Unbuttoning his jeans and pulling down the zipper, she knelt and stripped him naked. His hard cock bobbed next to her face, impatient for attention.