But the call came again, closer now and angry. A whimper from the wolf in front of them told them he was being chastised. He turned, and they saw the undergrowth move, rustling as something charged through it. Then before them was another wolf, so much bigger, so much stronger and they knew if he attacked they would not survive.
But he didn’t attack, at least not them. Instead, he snarled and then snapped at the smaller wolf, his teeth sinking into his fur, eliciting a yelp. The bigger wolf pinned him to the ground, and then got up. With one backwards glance at Nadine and Kurt, he walked out of the clearing, the smaller wolf following him, tail between his legs.
Stunned, Nadine watched the two wolves disappear into the forest, the dark surrounding them until they had melted into the trees completely, leaving her wondering if it was all a dream. When her eyes shifted to Kurt, she knew it wasn't. She also knew he would want explanations, but did she really want to tell him the truth about herself?
"I can't believe I've actually found you," he said, and moved closer to her. She stood still, wanting to run, but also to fall into his arms. The mate bond was strong, pulling her to him, but she couldn't give into it. That wouldn't be fair to either of them.
"Hello, Kurt. How are you?"
"So much better now I've found you. I ... I can't believe you're real." He reached out and touched her arm, as though she might be a phantom in the night. "I've been thinking of you, picturing you in my head for months."
And then he asked her the question she had been dreading. "Why did you leave me in the hospital?"
She hesitated. Hadn't she been over the question so many times, rehearsed her answer over and over in her head? "Because you were better. You didn't need me anymore."
"Need you? I will always need you. Don't try to tell me you don't feel the connection between us too. I can see it in your face, feel it when I touch your skin." His fingers stroked her arm, sending shock waves through her body. He was right and she could no longer deny it. Not to herself, or to him. The tortured tone of his voice told her he needed to know the truth—that, far from sparing him, she had added to his metal turmoil, and it had to stop.
Yet it terrified her to have to open up to another person and admit her failings as a shifter, that she couldn't access the other part of herself. Or she could lie: tell him that she didn't have two sides. No. He was her mate. They were bonded; whether consummated or not, she couldn't break that trust. There would be no more lies between them.
Chapter Nine – Kurt
She was here in front of him. After the months of longing, the months of not knowing who she was or where she was, his saviour, his mate, was here in front of him. So why didn't she look pleased to see him? Of course—she knew what he was, what he had done, and was ashamed a man such as he was her true mate. That a woman who was so good, could belong to a man who was so bad.
"I'm sorry. You owe me nothing. I understand your reasons for staying hidden from me," he admitted.
"You do?" she asked, surprised.
"Of course. After what I did, you wouldn't want me as your mate. No one would." He turned his face from her. "I just want to make sure you are safe. Can I escort you home? Nothing more."
"Wait, Kurt. It's not because of you." She reached out for him and placed her hand on his arm to stop him turning from her and retreating into himself. "It's me. I am not what you think."
"I don't care what you are." He looked at her, his eyes catching hers in the moonlight. "It doesn't matter."
"Even if I'm an imposter?" she asked.
"I don't understand, how can you be an imposter? You treated me, I remember your voice, I remember through all the drugs they gave me to numb the pain that you were the one who could reach inside and bring me back out. Without you I would not have been able to leave the body of my wolf and come back to being me." He stroked her cheek and then pulled her into his arms. "I can't believe you are an imposter, not when everything about you tells me you are the one for me. The only one. Am I wrong?"
"No," she said breathlessly, and then he kissed her.
His mate tasted so sweet, her lips on his soft, welcoming. If she had secrets, they could work through them together. There was nothing she could be, nothing she could have done, that would strip away his feelings for her. He pressed for entrance and she opened her mouth for him to slide his tongue inside, her tongue entwining with his. His hand slid down to her bottom and he stroked the rounded flesh. Shockwaves coursed through her body, and she trembled against him.
Breaking away, he said, "Let's get you home."
He wanted her, to be inside her, but he could feel her sagging against him. She was exhausted, and it was his duty, now he had found her, to protect her. That meant getting her home, somewhere safe and checking her over. With his hands and mouth. He mentally shook that thought off. No, not tonight. She had been through enough; he had to give her time to calm down and to get over her fright.
When his thoughts returned to the wolf who had attacked her, he had a sudden overwhelming need to track him down and rip his throat out. However, when she leaned her head on his shoulder and sobbed against him, he understood that his thoughts of revenge would have to wait. There were other things that were much more important. And she was in his arms right now.
Chapter Ten – Nadine
All her strength had gone, zapped in the instant he kissed her. She could no longer fight her need to be with him; his lips had broken through her resolve. Nadine wanted to cling to him and never let go. He was her constant, at this moment, just as she had once been Kurt’s when his wolf ruled his mind and body. The world seemed to swim; the chase through the woods had scared her more than she realised and now her knees threatened to buckle under her. Kurt bent down and picked her up in his arms, cradling her against his chest, and carried her to safety.
All around them the forest had gone back to its quiet ways, the occasional rustle of a small creature the only sound. Nadine knew he was listening out for the slightest sign that a wolf might be near. But there was nothing. Directing him through the forest, he took her home, their surroundings becoming more familiar as they walked, his breathing growing heavier when the terrain altered and they began the steep climb up to where her cabin nestled in the trees. She would have walked, but she knew she would probably collapse on the ground if he put her down. And she liked the way her head rested on his chest, enabling her to listen to his strong heartbeat.
By the time they reached her cabin, she was almost asleep as fatigue covered her. Was she really so weak that she needed a man to rescue her, right at this moment: yes, she was. She needed him as much as he had needed her all those months ago when he was stuck in his wolf form. In amongst her roving thoughts, she also came to the conclusion that she was glad he had found her. Because the months of ignoring the pull of him had been almost too much; she didn't know how long she could have gone on with the pretence. It was the very reason she had gone to the gallery. Subconsciously, she had wanted to be found.
Damn that meddling animal of hers.
"Is this where you live?" He stood, holding her close to his chest, still under the cover of the trees.
"Yes. Do you see anyone?" she asked, pulling herself back to reality.
"No. But I think it would be better if I left you here and went to have a good look around. I don’t want you to be in danger."
"I think we should stay together." She wriggled out of his arms and stood leaning on him for a moment. Why did it seem the most natural thing in the world to be here with him? Even though they were in possible danger.
He looked at her and then nodded. "I don't want you to leave my sight. Not now I've found you, so yes, we'll go together." His hand closed around hers and they walked along the fringe of trees that skirted her house, all the time watching for movement. When there was none, they made their way to the back of the house, staying out of sight as much as possible.
Relieved when there seemed to be no one around, Nadine took out her key and unloc
ked the door. He slipped inside first, not switching on the light, and she followed. Nadine carefully closed the door and then they stood in silence. She listened to the sounds of her house, trying to tell if anything sounded wrong or out of place.
"I don’t think there is anyone here," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
"We'll work our way through each room. No lights. OK?"
She nodded, hoping he could see her in the dark room. They moved around the kitchen, past her dining table and then into her small sitting room. Everything seemed the same, from the ticking of the clock to the smell of the flowers in the vase on the coffee table. Going back into the hallway, Kurt began to climb the stairs, her stairs, which led to her bedroom. She swallowed her panic. Having Kurt in her room had been her fantasy for so many restless nights. This wasn't exactly how she had expected that fantasy to play out. Creeping upstairs, afraid of what might be hidden in her closet or under her bed was a childhood nightmare, not an adult reality. This had to be the most bizarre evening of her entire life.
Kurt went from room to room, checking every place a wolf could hide. Only when he was certain there was no one in the house did he release her hand. The light from the moon, shining through the window as it made its way across the sky, showed her his face. The same question was in his expression as was circling around and around in her head. What happens now?
"Thank you, Kurt," she said. "I think perhaps I owe you an explanation."
"You don't owe me anything, other than your name. I would really like to know the name of the woman who brought me back to life."
"Nadine. My name is Nadine Dury."
The whites of his teeth showed when he grinned. "I think I would have traded my soul these last few months to know your name. It's nice to finally meet you at last, Nadine Dury."
"I’m sorry." She hesitated, not ready to tell him the whole truth, but needing to give him something. "I honestly thought you would be better off without me in your life. You were so confused when you changed back. I worried the added stress of having me as your mate might be too much."
"I thought I was mad, that I had dreamed you up. I have painted your face so many times," he said, reaching up and stroking her pale skin. "The flaming red of your hair, the tone of your skin, pale as the moon. And your eyes, the green of mountain meadows. I thought you a figment of my imagination, a coping mechanism when everything seemed so dark, so dull."
"I am real, Kurt. If I hurt you it was unintentional. I only wanted to make things easier for you." She went to him and stood on tiptoes to kiss his lips. Her body forgot its fatigue, all she needed was for him to forgive her, and to accept her, and everything would be right again. The attack by those other wolves would be nothing but a memory, pushed aside by the reality of finally being with her true mate. Would he be able to look past her betrayal; could he still want the women who turned her back on him and ran away?
When he gathered her into his arms, she knew the answer, and that she should never have doubted it. Neither of them could fight what was between them.
He moved her towards the bed, laying her down and then lying next to her, his lips on hers, his hands roving over her body, touching every part of her. Any minute now, she expected him to ask her to pinch him so he could know he was awake and she was real. She hated herself for making him think he was crazy when, as his mate, she should have supported him. Right then, she made herself a promise: every day of their lives he would always be able to count on her from now on.
Slipping her hands under his sweater, she pulled it up over his head, and then worked to undo the buttons of his shirt. His mouth became fiercer on hers, questioning her, needing assurances, which she gave him, her hands caressing his skin while she slipped his shirt off his shoulders. Parting from her, he shrugged it off, giving her a chance to press her lips to his skin, tasting the salty tang of him, running her tongue over his nipples and hearing him groan with desire.
Then the quiet, calm man disappeared. Something changed in him and he removed her clothes so fast she thought he would tear them. Caught up in his heated desire, she didn't care if he ripped them to shreds; she wanted him and loved the way his eager hands caressed her body, slipping behind her back to unclasp her bra. When he captured her breasts in his hands, squeezing them together and licking her nipples, she thought she would explode for him. It was so good. His mouth was not that of an unsure artist, but of a man, a strong, capable man who was in control of her pleasure.
Sucking and licking her breasts until she writhed under him, he drove her arousal to new heights, the heat pooling between her thighs begging to be quenched by his touch. Nadine tried to concentrate, but coherent thought was difficult when sensations she had never experienced before coursed through her body. Yet somehow, she slipped her hand down between them and worked on the zipper of his pants, while her mouth let out little sighs and whimpers of ecstasy. Damn, he was good, and her breasts were soon tender from his hands, her nipples sore from the torture his mouth had unleashed.
Then she claimed her prize, her hand wrapping around his cock and squeezing it. He growled, deep and guttural, his hips shifting up to enable her to stroke his cock from root to tip, paying attention to the smooth skin over the head, his sticky pre-come a sign of how excited he was to be in bed with his mate at last. When it became too much, he stopped her, his hands grabbing hers and placing them above her head. Then he moved down her body, kissing and licking her soft, round curves, his fingers working on the button of her jeans and then dragging them down over her generous hips, stripping the last of her clothes from her body.
When he eased her thighs apart, she closed her eyes, letting her brain take in every soft touch, every butterfly kiss as he worked his way between her thighs and up towards her heated core. Then his lips touched her clit, so very gently as if it was a breath of air, his finger pushing inside her wet sex at the same moment. Opening for him, trusting him, she let him explore her with his hands and mouth. Soft sighs escaping her lips as he sucked her clit, his tongue rolling over the sensitive bud, before plunging deep inside her. He was so good, her pleasure the centre of both of their needs as he dragged her first orgasm from her willing body.
When she came, it was a sudden explosion that shook her world. How long she had put off being with him, how many countless hours of pleasure at his hands had been denied, all for the false sense of keeping him safe? Now, at last, those hours of frustration were gone, replaced by something so sublime she wanted to cry tears of joy.
Chapter Eleven – Kurt
The taste of her overpowered his senses, she was so sweet, and so his. At last, after thinking he would never see her, never hold her in his arms, he was between her thighs licking her sweet juices as she came. Wanting to prolong her pleasure, he sucked and licked her clit until she cried out. Kurt wanted her to learn she could never live without him, not now that he had found her. She would never run from him, because she was his, mind, body, and soul.
Needing to be inside her, to claim her completely, he moved to cover her body with his. Guiding himself forward, he pressed his fingers inside her and then thrust forward to breach her outer lips. She cried out, but not with pain, with encouragement, her fingers digging into his back when he thrust forward again and she whispered, "Yes, please, Kurt. Please."
The culmination of their time apart had led to this very moment. A moment of utter bliss, when he pressed himself forward, deep inside her. She cried out, her voice high, tinged with pain when he broke her. He grunted his satisfaction, overwhelmed by the fact she had saved herself for her mate. For him.
Thrusting harder, he took her, his hips moving to draw out of her before returning to impale her. Forcefully, he commanded her body, making her whimper with need, her voice growing higher as her orgasm approached. Needing to taste her skin on his tongue once more, he claimed her breasts, his tongue rolling roughly over the sensitive buds until she came. Her sex gripping his cock as it went into spasms of ecstasy. Kurt held on for as
long as he could, his body craving the release, but his wolf agreed they had to make her come long and hard, so she would never forget who was the man for her. The one who was her true mate and would always strive to satisfy her every need.
Yet the sweetness of her taste, the sensation of being inside her, of knowing he had at least satisfied her at the basest of levels, was too much. He ground into her, short jerks until he came, his seed spurting deep inside her. Nadine cried out, her nails sharp in his back as she lost control. When he was completely spent, he lay by her side and drew her into his arms, feeling like a man. Once more, Nadine, his mate, had saved him from a bleak, dark future.
Chapter Twelve – Nadine
He had awoken something inside of her. The creature, her constant if eternally hidden companion, seemed different, closer to her consciousness than ever before. It watched from the corners of her mind, just beyond her reach. Part of her wanted to try to reach inside and touch it, just as she taught her patients to reach inside and touch the other part of themselves. Then Kurt kissed her shoulder and the creature backed away.
"This is not how I expected this evening to end," he said, pulling her closer and kissing her shoulder. "I expected to be at home, with my mom making me a cup of hot cocoa."
She turned in his arms and faced him, stroking his cheek and then kissing his lips. "I'm so happy you moved out of the hospital. How is your family now? I know your mom visited you while you were in hospital, although for a while she wasn’t allowed to see you. But she told me your sister wanted nothing more to do with you."
He sighed. "I didn't blame her. I behaved like a terrible jerk. But she came round. Part of it was because she met her mate and he encouraged her to see me. He's a good man."
"So are you, Kurt. One mistake doesn’t make you bad for the rest of your life."
Awakened Dragon: Bear Creek Book 18 Page 21
