by Marilu Mann
With a shuddering breath that matched her own, he pulled out of her. She noted how gentle he was even after fucking her utterly boneless. He lifted and rearranged her so that she was entirely on the bed on her back. She couldn’t even lift her arms, much less her eyelids and she felt his tongue slowly lapping at her breast then gentle pulls on her nipples. She could only groan as he continued down her body, licking and tenderly biting at her until he reached the juncture of her thighs again.
This time his hands were gentle, stroking her hips, her legs, all the way down to her feet. Now she knew what it meant to be cherished. His hands and mouth worshiped her body. His lips were gentle, he murmured to her, telling her how soft her skin was, how good she tasted. His tongue was warm as he lapped at the moisture that coated her thighs, cleaning her body, warming her all over again.
There was no way, absolutely no way she could rouse again, but it didn’t matter. When she was quivering under his touch he moved back up her body and as she sluggishly rolled onto her side he curved his body around hers. She felt his cock, hard and pulsing again at her back. She reached behind, stroking her hand over his hip and leg, her nails gently raking him. Warm skin over hard muscle. She could almost imagine claws instead of nails.
She wasn’t surprised, really, when he lifted her leg and entered her again. This time everything was in slow motion. She felt his kisses along her neck and shoulder, felt the strength in his body as he made love to her again. She gave herself over to it, pushing back against him, twining her fingers with his and clenching her muscles as much as she could.
His soft growl reached her and she felt him coming again. Gentle pulses this time. She smiled drowsily as he gathered her back against him and softened inside her. He didn’t pull out though and he didn’t pull away. She drifted off to sleep, secretly pleased she’d been able to keep up with him, a shifter male in full strength and at his prime. She also knew her dreams tonight would be sweet ones, not the paralyzing, fearful ones she’d had in the past after dealing with Tom. No, tonight she would sleep well.
Rain yawned as she moved away from the window. She’d tried going to bed but it was just too weird with Gareth in her mom’s bed. She wasn’t stupid, she knew they’d gone in there as soon as she’d gone to her own room. The glances they’d exchanged, the tension in the air and the scents every time they’d looked at each other. She didn’t remember her mom ever looking at anyone else like that. Not as though Mom had dated much at all since the divorce. She’d moved to the window since it was the farthest she could go in her room without going outside. It was okay because she liked him. If he made her mom happy, cool.
Shivering, she turned back to check that the window was still locked. This shiver didn’t come from the cold but from the fact that her ass of a father had found them—again. It didn’t seem to matter how many restraining orders Mom took out against him or how many times he was arrested, he just wouldn’t give up. Maybe now that everyone on the res knew he was around they’d convince him to leave them alone. Her counselor back at her other school had told her it was okay to not want to see him. She’d told Rain that some people weren’t meant to be parents.
Maybe Gareth or Micah, or even Uncle Pete, could talk him into just going back to California and leaving them the hell alone. She yawned again as she slipped out of her clothes and into the flannel pajama pants and oversized t-shirt she usually slept in.
Looking in the mirror on the old-fashioned dresser, she studied her features, searching for any sign of a wolf. How freaking cool was it that Gareth could turn into a wolf? And how awesome would it be if she could too? She bared her teeth, trying for a low growl. Maybe she could make her dad understand she didn’t want to ever effing see him again.
Gareth had said that Keme had already Changed…shifted, he called it. Figured. Not only was he the hottest guy she’d ever met, smart as all get out, popular and nice, but he could shift too! A giggle bubbled up as she realized this was not a fantasy story. Gareth turning into a wolf had been real. She’d seen that with her own eyes. Another yawn, which wasn’t so pretty when you saw yourself doing it in the mirror. No way would Keme want to go out with her. He was just being nice.
Sighing, she combed through her hair and then crawled into bed. The small cabin settled around them and she could hear the wind picking up outside. Gareth had said the first lessons on how to make herself a wolf started Saturday and she could hardly wait. Picking up the novel her English teacher had assigned, she immersed herself in the French Revolution.
Rion Volpe slammed the door to the motel room. Rustic wasn’t really the right word…cheap? Yeah, that fit. He curled a lip at the bed, knowing by scent alone how many other bodies had already slept there. He should have figured Gareth would still be pissed at him. Just showing up out of the blue that morning probably hadn’t been the best idea he’d ever had. They hadn’t even seen each other in years, much less exchanged Christmas cards. But he’d always been the impulsive twin. Gareth had been the quiet one, the deep thinker.
He rubbed across his chest, trying to ease the ache there. Tomorrow he’d have no choice but to go to the Alpha here and request permission to try to convince his brother to go back West with him. He’d been unable to catch up with Gareth again since their first unsuccessful encounter. He’d be putting himself in even more trouble if he didn’t go to the local Alpha within the first few days of entering Pack land. He probably should have started with the Alpha but he hadn’t really even been sure if Gareth was part of the local Pack.
He’d learned differently at the local watering hole tonight. Part of the Pack? Hell, he stood as a second to the Alpha. Rion barked out a laugh. How fortunate his twin had landed on his paws. Unlike his own standing in their birth pack where he wasn’t good enough for their uncle to even consider him for a second. God, the anger and guilt ate at him still.
Rion had one more ace up his sleeve. He decided to pull it out. Time was of the essence now. Couldn’t hurt, right? Besides, Gareth couldn’t hate him any more than he already did. The scars on his chest ached. Though he’d wanted to heal this rift between them before, to apologize, to do something to get his brother back, he might have just waited too long.
Shoving the thoughts aside, he pulled his phone out and dialed the number he’d stored last week. He parked on the edge of the bed, listening to the ring. “Time to call in reinforcements. I hope this works.”
Thirty minutes and a difficult conversation later he stepped into the bathroom, stripped and cautiously got into the small shower. At least the water was hot and plentiful. Letting the warmth stream over his head and shoulders, Rion said a silent prayer that he could convince the Alpha to let him talk to Gareth again, more formally this time. He added a fervent PS that he didn’t just piss the Alpha off as well.
Chapter Eight
Morning sun washed the room as Harmony stretched her way awake. A strong arm tightened around her waist, making her smile. He’d stayed in her bed. She twisted around to face him.
“Morning.”
His answer was a soft kiss. So gentle it nearly made her cry. His fingers grazed from her hip, brushing the side of her breast to curl carefully around her neck. He rumbled quietly, “So I’m guessing since it’s a school morning there’s no time for nookie?”
The word nookie seemed so foreign coming from this powerful male shifter that she laughed. He yanked her in close for a more forceful kiss then let her go. “Laugh at me? You laugh at me? I’ll teach you to laugh at me!”
He had her giggling hysterically by the time she’d squirmed away from his tickling fingers. Harmony had twisted and writhed beneath him until she could smell the heat of his desire for her. But footsteps in the hall interrupted their game just as Harmony stood panting at the edge of the bed with Gareth reaching for her.
“You two going to be doing that all day or what? I gotta go to school, you know.” The slightly petulant tone had him quirking an eyebrow at Harmony, who just shrugged.
“She�
��s sometimes a little cranky in the mornings. You can stay in here if…” Her voice trailed off as she looked at the bedroom door as though a monster lurked in the hallway.
“Nah, I ain’t askeered of no teen wolf.” He sat up to find his jeans and t-shirt. “I’ll catch up.”
She had already slipped into a t-shirt and soft gray pants. She smiled at him as she headed out of the room. Gareth lay back on the bed for a moment. Cradling his head on his hands, he grinned up at the ceiling. Gently he smoothed a hand down his thigh where she’d clutched him during the second round. He smiled at the slight abrasions there. If he didn’t know better he could have sworn her nails morphed into claws. Didn’t matter. He felt good. Better than he had in…well, in forever he guessed. Levering back up, he got dressed.
Breakfast was great. Rain might have started out grumpy but Harmony soon had her smiling. The smile only widened when a car pulled up in front of the cabin. Gareth was on his feet standing in front of the girl before she’d taken two steps. The chair he’d been in hit the floor a full two seconds afterward.
“Jeez, G, it’s just Keme. He’s here to take me to school.” Rain rolled her eyes as she went past him to open the door. She waved at the young man just emerging from the older-model sedan. Keme waved back then came to a dead stop, his mouth dropping open in surprise to see Gareth standing behind her.
“Keme, come on in. I’ll get my backpack.” Rain whirled around and practically ran down the hallway.
“Keme.” He nodded at the younger man then stepped back to allow him into the house.
“Good morning Ms. Johnson, Gareth.” He cleared his throat, obviously at a loss, and Gareth fought the grin that threatened to cross his face. In the entire time he’d been here, been in charge of the younger shifters, none of them had ever found out much about his private life. Especially not the females he spent any time with. No doubt this morning would be gossip fodder for the younger set, but god help any one of them who badmouthed Harmony or Rain.
“I’m ready. Bye, Mom, love you.” Giving her mother a brief hug, Rain turned to him and he saw her hesitation. A slight tug had the girl in his arms, where he hugged her tight. He’d obviously surprised her, so he let her go with a nod.
“Um, bye G-man.” With another wave at her mom Rain grabbed Keme’s sleeve to drag him outside. He and Harmony moved to the doorway where both clearly heard Rain’s next remarks. “So, Keme, are you a white wolf, the same as Gareth?”
For the second time that morning, Keme looked thunderstruck. He glanced back at the adults. He shook his head before they got into the car. Gareth could see the two talking as Keme turned it around and headed for the main road.
He turned back to Harmony but before he could try to convince her to go back to bed his phone chirped from his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw a text message from Olivia.
“Shit. I’ve got to go to the lodge. Olivia said there’s water all over the floor in one of the bathrooms. I don’t want to leave you here alone. Do you want to come with me or…”
“No, you don’t need to babysit me. Uncle Pete said he’d come by, remember? And he’ll send extra patrols this way. I’ll stay inside with the doors locked. If I hear anything out of the ordinary I’ll jump out the window and hide in the woods.” She stepped closer, putting her arms around him. Her sweet smile made him want to stay.
“You’ll be able to find me, right? You’ll sniff me out, hunt me down?” Harmony rubbed her cheek along his chest, scenting him as if they were mated in the way of the Pack. Gareth was surprised by how much he liked that idea.
Her sweet honeysuckle scent reached him, heightened by arousal. He looked into her beautiful brown eyes then pulled her closer. “There’s nowhere you can go around here where I wouldn’t be able to find you. I’ll carry your scent with me all day today but I want more. More of you, more of us. I want to come back here tonight, if that’s okay with you.”
He saw the answer in her face, so he didn’t wait for her nod. Pulling her even closer, he kissed her. Giving her everything he was, everything he wanted in that kiss and she gave back as good as she got.
Just as he lifted her off her feet, intent on taking her back to her bedroom, his phone chirped again. With a groan he pulled her lower body tight to his and lifted his head. “I can’t wait to be inside you again but I guess I’ll have to.”
She laughed softly and ran her hand through his hair. “Go take care of the water, I’ll see you tonight.”
Gareth sighed as he put her down. Moving quickly into the bedroom he grabbed his shoes and jacket. He waited on the porch until he heard the lock click then headed for his truck. The sooner he got to the lodge and took care of the leak, the sooner he could get back to Harmony. Since she worked from home maybe he could convince her to take a long lunch break and spend it with him in her bed.
Now that he was in the truck, however, his thoughts somehow turned back to Rion and what he’d said about their mother. Was it true? Could she really be sick or was that just some ploy to get him away from the first place he’d become comfortable since leaving New Orleans? Either way he had no intention of going anywhere with Rion. It had hurt to see him, to look into that face that was the mirror of his own and see it whole and undamaged.
With a heavy sigh he parked behind the main building of the lodge and hefted his toolbox out of the back. With any luck it would be a simple fix.
Three hours later he was still cursing under his breath when he smelled his Alpha’s distinct scent. Looking over his shoulder, he acknowledged Micah with a nod then turned his attention back to the stubborn pipes, the third ones he’d had to replace, after making the thirty-minute trip into town, twice, for additional supplies.
“Gareth, Olivia has lunch ready. Are you at a stopping point?”
“Yeah, this is—” he gave the pipe another twist, grinning as the drip completely stopped. “Done. But, Micah, do you mind if I skip lunch? I’d rather head back to make sure Harmony is okay.”
“Pete contacted me a few minutes ago. He and Willow along with some other members of their family are there with her. They will stay until five when Willow has to return home. You have time for lunch.”
Hearing the unvoiced command, he sighed and nodded. There went his idea for taking Harmony back to bed. “I’ll wash up and be down in a few minutes.”
“Thank you.” Micah turned to leave then stopped in his tracks. “Do you hear that?”
“What?” He turned toward his Alpha, senses immediately on the alert. Micah’s tone didn’t indicate trouble but there was a note in his voice that put Gareth slightly on edge. He moved closer to Micah, tilting his head and nodded. “Pretty powerful engine. Wonder what it’s in?”
Together they moved out of the downstairs bathroom and out toward the front door. The low-slung bright-red sports car came to a stop at a respectful distance as Micah stepped onto the porch. A wide grin split his features as the car door swung open and a man not quite as tall as Micah but whose height would top Gareth’s stepped out. Raising one hand, the man gave a high-pitched yell then stripped quicker than Gareth had ever seen anyone shed clothes, shifted just as fast and hauled ass for the woods.
With a laugh Micah stripped off his own clothes and threw himself forward, shifting almost in midair as he gave chase. Stopping just at the edge of the clearing, he glanced back and gave a toss of his head. Come on!
The command sounded loud in his head and with a grin of his own, he yanked off his own clothes and gave chase.
The two powerful males ran pell-mell through the woods, chasing the first one. They lost sight of him at a fork in the trail. One trail led to the lake, the other to the shed that housed the snowmobiles. Micah took one and he took the other. They’d find him, no doubt.
Gareth! This way! He reversed course and ran through the woods, following his Alpha’s scent and the sound of his voice. He burst into a clearing in time to watch the other male execute what amounted to a flip in the air as he leapt over Micah and landed
hard on his feet behind him. With another high-pitched yip he nipped at Micah’s tail and turned to run, barreling right into Gareth.
The two of them rolled together, fur and muscle colliding until they came to a stop, helped along by a pine tree. He fought to catch his breath then lost it again when Micah joined the pile under the tree by leaping on top of both of them.
Ha! Got you! The amusement and affection in Micah’s voice were both clear and the gray wolf between them shifted, tossing long black hair out of his face. Hazel eyes lit first on Gareth then on Micah. Throwing his arms around the Alpha, the other shifter scrubbed his hands through the fur around Micah’s neck.
He laughed at Micah’s growl and shoved at him until the three of them were untangled. Gareth and Micah shifted at the same time and unconcerned with their nudity, embraced him with real affection. Pack members never did the half-assed “man-hug”.
Micah’s younger brother Kajika clapped him on the back. “Brother, you’re getting slow and fat. Married life agrees with you.”
“Slow? I caught you did I not?” Micah arched an eyebrow at his sibling.
“No, he did.” Kaj laughed again, pulling Gareth into a headlock.
One mild punch to the solar plexus had Kaj stepping back. Gareth shook his head as the brothers started talking at the same time, heading back toward the lodge. Kaj was, as always, full of stories, questions and laughter.
Olivia stood on the porch, holding his and Micah’s jeans. She shook her head and tossed the clothing toward them. Kaj had stopped by his car to grab his own jeans and the three men dressed as Olivia stood there tapping her foot, arms crossed over her chest.
“Olivia, my wife, my mate, this is Kajika He Who Roams. The only one of my siblings who was not at our wedding.” Micah shot Kaj a look as he said this but Kaj shook his head.
