by Mia Bishop
“You already said you like it in St. Louis more than you like it here. Can’t someone else take your place?” She was being selfish and she knew it but she couldn’t refrain from holding out hope for something more between them. “I’m sorry, Luc. I know I shouldn’t ask that.”
He waved his hand. “Don’t apologize. If I could leave them, I would.” He darted from the bathroom and came back with a bowl of hot water from the wood stove and a rag. Dipping the rag in the water, he started to clean her wounds. He met her gaze and leaned in, letting his lips graze hers. “I’m a better person when I am with you.”
Her hiss of pain from him cleaning her wounds turned to an uncomfortable giggle. “My injuries really hurt and that was extremely clichéd.”
He smiled. “I know. Doesn’t make it any less true though.” He lifted her chin up and dabbed at a spot of blood on her neck. “You look like you went twelve rounds with a bulldozer.”
She gave a nonchalant shrug. “Not a bulldozer—a rabid wolf who was hell-bent on killing me.”
“Ah, but what a fierce little killer you turned out to be.” He nipped at her bottom lip and pulled her closer to him. “And you’re naked already. You know, I think it is in my job description to keep you warm.”
“I am feeling a little cold.” She squealed as he picked her up and carried her out of the bathroom. He headed for the bedroom but panic filled her. Memories of Ulric in there, hovering over her, flooded her mind. “No, please. Not in there.”
Luc frowned—he must have picked up on her panic—but he nodded. “Okay, not in there.” He changed directions and headed for the living room. The warmth from the fire instantly took the chill off. He set her down on the couch and ran around the house, gathering up blankets and pillows. She curled up and watched as he made a bed on the floor. She couldn’t help but notice the care he’d taken—pillows lined the bottom, so many blankets she’d lost count and then a fur skin. There was no doubt that no matter what, he’d always take care of her if he could. She was so lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed him undressing or slipping beneath the fur skin. He cleared his throat. “You maybe want to join me?”
She blushed and slid off the couch onto the soft bedding he’d made for them. She shivered as her bare skin brushed against his. Every inch of her body was already aching for him. She loved how she could respond to him in the littlest of ways. He was already running his hand down her side. She rolled onto her side and reached out, running her fingers through his hair. “This is the last of our time together, isn’t it?”
Luc looked away for a moment and then turned his attention back to her. “I wish it didn’t have to be.”
“But it is what is best for your pack, right?” She inched closer to him and kissed his cheek. “I really want to be selfish and say to hell with everyone but I know that neither of us can turn our backs on our lives.”
He rubbed his nose against hers. “If this is our last night together, how do you want to spend tonight?”
“I want… I want to be yours.”
“You are mine.” His mouth captured hers. He thrust his tongue past her lips and claimed her mouth. She gave in to him, melting against him as his mouth crushed hers. She didn’t dare break the kiss. Every second of his lips pressing against hers, his tongue stroking hers, made her feel as if this night could go on forever and for the life of her she didn’t want it to end. He rolled her onto her back, coming up between her legs and nudging them apart.
Her back arched as soon as his massive cock brushed against her sex. He bit out a growl as his hand slipped under her back, arching her back more. His other hand gripped his cock and cleaved her slick seam with the tip. Rowan whimpered and raked her nails down his back. The way he shivered and snarled told her he enjoyed the pain and she couldn’t fight the smile that played on her lips. He swirled the tip over her clit, causing her to snap her teeth and nip at his lightly whiskered jaw. He shifted his hips and thrust, filling her completely in one swift movement. She sank her nails into his shoulder and cried out. The way he filled her felt complete. No one could make her feel like this. She knew it beyond the shadow of a doubt.
His hips slowly pistoned. Every time his heavy balls would slap against her ass, they sent a shiver through her entire body. Her eyelids were heavy with lust as he locked his gaze with her. His hand covered her breast. With every thrust, her breasts heaved and begged for attention. He pinched her nipples, tugging and playing with one until it puckered before moving to the other one. She could feel every muscle in his rock-hard body coil and flex. She was panting and mewing with need. He thrust faster. She gasped as she felt his cock swell inside her. She threw her head back and cried out as he pounded faster and harder. Her legs drew up, wrapping around his waist. She bucked her hips to take as much of him as possible as her body quivered and her pussy pulsed around his wide shaft.
From the grunts and his unrelenting pounding, he wasn’t done with her just because she came for him and if this was their last night together, she wasn’t nearly done with him either. “More, please.” She leaned up and nipped at his earlobe. His body stiffened as he growled.
He gripped her hips, raising them up as he pulled out of her moist heat. Her breath caught and she watched him, wondering what he would do next. The head of his shaft rested at her opening. Without warning, he slammed into her. Again he pulled out inch by agonizing inch, making her whimper and beg with her soft moans. A mischievous smile curled on his lips. Rowan wiggled her hips, trying to coax him into pounding into her aching cunt but the more she tried to urge him on, the longer he made her suffer, letting his dick pulsate against her pussy but denying her the pleasure of being fucked. “Please, Luc.”
“Please what?”
“Fuck me.”
His eyes darkened, his fingertips dug into the soft flesh of her hips as he slammed his cock deep inside her, filling her completely and pounding like an animal. “Oh God!” Every whimper and scream just elicited more thrusts from him. She panted and ran her nails down his biceps. He filled her so deeply she swore she could feel him hitting her stomach. Never had she had someone like him, someone so strong and powerful and to be honest, so large. Her tight walls stretched as he fucked her. The sounds of their naked bodies slapping together filled the room.
Her hips rocked. She could feel her need for release building again. Just as she was sure Luc was going to come with her, he stopped and pulled back. “Luc, what’s wrong?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. You said you wanted to be mine. I want that too.” He cupped her cheek in his rough hand and leaned down. “For as long as I live I will never give my heart to another. You have it. You are mine.”
She smiled so big her cheeks hurt. “I like the sound of that.”
His eyes darkened as he licked his lips. She could hear her heart drumming in her ears. Something about the look in his eye told her he was having an urge he couldn’t control and God help her she didn’t want him to control it. His voice was low and raspy, “Rowan, there’s something I need…”
“Anything.” She didn’t even have to know what it was. She knew she’d give him anything he asked for, especially if they had to end things in the morning. “Please, do it.”
His green eyes bled to amber and took on the eyes of his beast. She bit her lip but kept her eyes focused on him. He was still Luc, still the human she knew. Only his eyes were different. The look currently holding her gaze was that of a predator. She was obviously his prey and that thought excited her more than any. Before she could clear her thoughts, Luc had her rolled over onto her stomach. She sucked in a deep breath as he lifted her hips. The cold lick of air against her ass sent a shiver down her spine. His hand was between her legs, his thick fingers sliding through her slick heat. The friction was intoxicating. She was already panting and rocking her hips against his fingers.
His free hand ran up her back to tangle in her hair. He wrapped the strands around his hand and tugged her head back as he lowered his head to k
iss her between her shoulder blades. He growled the word “Mine” as his cock pushed through her soft folds. She gasped and held her breath. Somehow he felt even bigger when he took her from behind. Her tight cunt stretched to accommodate him and she had to bite at the pillow to keep from screaming. His hand that had been stroking her before he filled her was now massaging her firm ass. His fingers that were still coated in her cream ran over the seam of her ass, causing her eyes to widen as her pussy throbbed.
His thrusting started slow, working to stretch her velvety sheath to take in all of his girth. She fisted her hands in the blankets and pushed back as his thrusts got harder and faster. Soon he was pounding into her pulsing cunt. His heavy balls slapped against her swollen clit as his hands worked their magic. One hand was tangled and pulling on her hair, the other one playing with her ass. She was on pleasure overload. Her climax was building like lava ready to explode from a volcano. Her core tightened, Luc grunted in response as his open hand came down with a sting on her ass cheek. She screamed the words “Yes!” over and over. Her hips pressed back to feel him fuck her harder. Her pussy quivered and then she felt it, sharp fangs piercing the back of her neck. “Oh God, yes!” She slapped at the blankets, her cunt clenched and milked his thick cock, begging him to fill her. Tears stung her eyes as the heat and pleasure washed over in tidal waves of ecstasy.
She could feel Luc’s dick swell. He buried himself to the hilt in her and as he bit her until blood flowed, his cock exploded. Thick, hot ropes of his seed filled her quivering pussy. He thrust, burying himself deep as his cum continued to flow. When she could feel his release slowing was when she felt him start to thrust again. She moaned at the feel of their combined juices dripping from her cunt and down her thigh.
His cock slowly receded as she collapsed on their makeshift bed, soon followed by his sweaty body lying down beside her. She wiggled herself against him. The feel of him pressed against her ass and his chest pressed against her back and heaving in the rhythm of her panting made her smile. This was heaven, paradise, whatever you wanted to call it. It was the first and only place that had felt right in her entire life.
The sadness she’d been trying to ignore crept back in. This was home for her. She knew it and yet she would have to leave it behind. As if he knew her thoughts, she felt him stroke her hair and whisper, “Enjoy tonight, Red. Don’t think about tomorrow.”
She nodded and then reached back to feel her neck. “Did you bite me?”
His lips lightly pressed against the mark, she could feel him smiling against her skin. “I did.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that you are the only one who will ever have my heart.”
She smiled big and laced her fingers with his, drawing his hand up to kiss his knuckles. “I liked it.”
“Me too.”
She laughed and found herself relaxing as the sound of his heart beating lulled her to sleep.
Chapter Ten
Rowan muttered softly as her eyes fluttered open. Something warm and hard was pressed against her. A smile curled on her lips. She knew Luc was still there with her as soon as she heard his light breathing near her ear. When she started to move, he squeezed her tight, refusing to let her wiggle even an inch. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I was just going to roll over and see if you were awake yet.”
“Can we pretend that I’m not and just lay here for a little bit longer?”
She nodded and cuddled up against him. “I’d like that. I’m not in any rush to say goodbye.” She didn’t want to have to think about leaving. Ever since her parents had died, she hadn’t felt anything real, anything deep, for another human being until Luc came into her life. Being with Luc felt like being home again, feeling loved and wanted. What she wouldn’t give to be selfish. To tell him that his pack could go to hell, she was going to stay and fight for him. She wished right now that she was that sort of person, but she just couldn’t do it. She kept going back to what he’d said—his pack needed him to repair the damage his insane father had wrought upon them. She thought about the younger children of the pack who would grow up better under Luc’s caring eyes, and what would happen to them if she took Luc away from them. She even thought about staying. She didn’t have much of a life in St. Louis, so why not leave it all behind? She knew the answer before she even posed the question to herself, she couldn’t stay here because if she did, Luc would always be there to protect her and that would take his time away from the pack. Not to mention the fact that the pack probably hated her for killing one of their own.
She sighed and rolled over to bury her face in his chest in an effort to stop the tears gathering in her eyes. All of this was so hard. Her heart hurt with every beat but in the end, it was for the best. She’d have to suck it up, rub some dirt on it as they say, and move on. Luc rubbed her back. “What’s got you so tense?”
“Just lost in thought.”
“About?”
“What we have to do.”
He didn’t say a word. She figured he was probably going over the same exact options that were racing through her head. There was a scratching at the door and Luc stiffened. Rowan looked up at him wide eyed and whispered, “Who is it?”
The tension in his shoulders eased. “It’s Colin, one of my closest friends.”
“Your spy?”
“Yeah, that too.” He slipped out of the fur blanket and tugged on his pants. “You stay here. I’ll just be a minute.”
She nodded and cuddled back up alone under the warm blankets. Even with the door shut, she could hear their conversation. She tried to tell herself not to eavesdrop but curiosity won out over manners.
Luc’s voice sounded cautious at first. “Colin, what’s going on?”
“Nothing bad, really. I just wanted to check in and see if you needed any help escorting her back to the Arch.”
Rowan frowned. Apparently the wolves were in a hurry to see her leave. Luc took a moment before he answered. “Nah, I think I can manage.”
Colin groaned. She could hear it all the way inside the house. “I meant no disrespect. I just thought you might need some company on the trip back. I know you don’t want to do this.”
“You’re right. I don’t. But I can handle it. How’s the pack doing?”
“They are good. Some are in mourning but some of them are at ease with what happened.” There was a moment of silence and she couldn’t help but wonder what was going on silently between them. Colin spoke up again. “None of them liked watching what happened. Even if he was insane, he was still our leader but we do recognize that it was a fair fight. The girl did what she had to do and she won. That won the pack’s respect.”
“Good.” The door handle started to turn and she tucked the covers back around her. Luc stepped inside and growled. “Keep the pack safe and I’ll return by nightfall.”
As soon as he’d closed the door, she could hear him gathering their stuff. She sat up and braced herself on her elbows. “Is it time to leave already?”
“I wish it weren’t but it’s a long walk.”
“It took us two days to get here, isn’t it going to take us that long to get back?”
He shook his head. “There’s a shortcut back to the Arch. We couldn’t use it before because Ulric had banned it from being used.”
She cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips. “What kind of a shortcut?”
He grinned. “Oh, you’ll like it. It’s the magical kind of shortcut.”
He was right. A grin stretched over her face. She threw the blankets off and hopped to her feet. “Let’s get going then.”
“In such a hurry to leave me now?”
Despite his playful tone, his words stung. She stopped where she was and looked over at him. “I don’t want to leave.”
“I know, Rowan, I was only joking. It was a bad joke, sorry.”
She wrinkled up her nose. “I don’t think I like you calling me by my name now. I’ve gotten use
d to Red.”
His brows shot up. “You like being called Red now?”
“Only by you.”
“Well then, Red, let’s head out. Even with Ulric gone, the forest is dangerous at night.”
She ran off to the bathroom to gather up her clothes and dress. She splashed some cold water from the pot he’d left there last night and looked at herself in the mirror. By tonight, she would be snuggled up under her blankets in her soft bed surrounded by everything that was familiar to her. Her apartment, her clothes, her phone but none of it sounded comforting anymore. She gripped the edge of the counter and looked herself in the eyes. “Suck it up. You can’t be selfish.” She nodded her head and gave herself one more stern look before exiting the bathroom.
Luc stood at the door, looking delicious as usual. The grin on his face widened the moment she entered the room. Such a simple act shouldn’t affect her the way it did, but her entire body warmed when she saw it and that made it even harder to steady her resolve. His hand gripped the handle and swung the door open. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be, I guess.”
When they stepped outside, he took her hand in his, lacing their fingers and giving her hand a squeeze as he led her toward a different path than the one they’d entered the clearing from. The trees on this path were dark and their trunks twisted in different directions. They had no leaves, no moss, no indication they were living trees at all. She wanted to ask him questions but if she was leaving this world forever, then she’d rather not know any more about it. As it was, it would take her a lifetime to forget all the fantastic and frightening things she’d seen here.
They walked for what felt like hours in silence. Every once in a while, she’d feel Luc squeeze her hand. She guessed it was his way of letting her know everything was going to be all right but she didn’t feel like it was. When the path widened, his pace quickened. “Almost there, Red.”
“Where exactly is it we are going?”
He stopped and pointed toward a shimmering light in the distance. “There.”
