by KM Lowe
"I don't understand where this feeling has come from. I mean, we've been together every day since we were babies. Now I feel like I could rip your clothes off. "
His cheeky smile tells me he knows exactly what I mean. "I get it. Wolves have a higher sex drive. We feel and experience more than humans. Now that your wolf is getting ready to reach maturity, it's making you see me more clearly. It's like the rose tinted glasses have come off and you're seeing me for the first time. Your wolf has noticed its soulmate, even if you haven't quite got there."
"Does a soulmate mean you would never be with anyone else?"
"Never. A wolf's bonding is stronger than any other. The moment the mating ritual is complete, nothing and no one will come between true soulmates. No other man or woman would turn your eye."
My hand rests on his chest and I grasp his shirt in between my fingers. The material is in my way and I want it gone. I unbutton a few buttons and let my warm hands rub up against his bare skin. Markus takes in a deep breath and it encourages me to carry on.
"Let's take this to my room. I love my dad, but I don't fancy him walking in on us."
He moves me off the wall and, although I want to tell him I can walk, I relish the feel of my body wrapped around him. The moment we reach his room, the door closes, and I lie down in the middle of his bed while he lies beside me on his side.
"I want to say I don't know what I'm doing, but my body feels like it has been taken over," I admit shyly.
"Just do what you feel comfortable with. This doesn't have to go any further than a quick fumble in the sheets, or kissing. I will wait until you're ready. That is a promise I can make and keep. No other woman will ever come close to you."
His words reach deep within my heart and soul and I push him onto his back and straddle his hips. His hard on rubs at my moist core through his jeans and I need to feel him. I need a release.
His hands reach under my jumper and up to my pert breasts. The air leaves my lungs as I gasp at his touch. "Oh, God."
Instead of unbuttoning the rest of his shirt, I pull it open, making the buttons go flying. He sits up with me still in place and I push the material down his arms. My mind and body aren’t connected at this moment, because I know we shouldn't cross this line, but my body needs him. I need him.
His thumbs caress my pussy through the material of my leggings and I feel like I’m going to erupt. His body is like a temple.
He pulls my jumper over my head, leaving me in just my black lace bra. His arms wrap around my back and loosen the clip, letting the skimpy material fall down my arms. His mouth wraps around one of my nipples as his hand massages my other breast, making me push my chest further into his face.
"You're beautiful, baby."
"I need you, Markus."
"You've got me. Tell me what you need."
"You."
This time he pushes me to my back and slips my leggings and panties down my legs. I feel shy and start to sit up, but Markus's body is back over me in seconds, pinning me to the bed. "Never feel uncomfortable around me, baby. You. Are. Beautiful." He sits back on his heels, loosens his jeans, and pushes them down his legs.
Holy. Cow. He’s huge. Where’s that supposed to fit?
"Relax. I won't hurt you."
I believe him, but I also know your first time is supposed to hurt like a bitch. His finger enters my soft folds, making me push against him, forgetting my last thought already. The fire that has been building all day in the pit of my stomach is about to erupt when his thumb circles my clit softly. I clench down around his fingers and ride the wave of euphoria. I'm still coming down from the high when I feel his large dick nudge at my entrance. His lips come down on mine and now I know the meaning of ‘kiss me stupid,’ because he did just that until I couldn't even say my own name.
"Tell me to stop, doll, and I will."
"No! I don't want you to stop."
"Good. I didn't want to stop. We'll take it slowly. Tell me if it's too much."
For someone who hasn't slept with anyone before, he's acting like a pro. His body fits perfectly with mine and he slides into me inch by inch and stops to let me breathe. The pain is intense as he fills me, but no sooner am I thinking that, I feel that fire building again. Am I supposed to feel like this?
I shift underneath him to give him the go-ahead to move. I need to feel that friction between us. "Oh God, Markus!"
"That's it. Feel everything, baby." His words are like a detonator because I explode around his dick, making him speed up slightly until his shuddering body pumps his load inside me.
Our breaths are coming out in pants. Our bodies are sweaty. Our racing hearts are beating as one. "That was..."
"Amazing." I finish his sentence.
"Yes, it was. You were amazing."
"I don't think I can stand up because my legs feel like jelly." I chuckle.
He withdraws from me and kisses the tip of my nose. "Stay there and I'll be right back."
I feel body conscious as I lie naked on his bed. I’m not used to being cared for or touched in such a way. Crazy, I know, especially after what we just did. If anyone asked me this morning what I'd be doing today, I would never have thought I would be losing my virginity.
I open my eyes and fold my arms over my chest as Markus enters the room with a washcloth in his hand. He places the warm cloth over my centre and cleans me thoroughly. I'm not sure if that’s supposed to turn me on, but I feel like I could go again already. Just as the thought enters my head, Markus throws the cloth over to his washing basket and kisses every inch of my leg, up to my thigh. His tongue skims across my clit and the intake of air makes me moan out loud until his mouth moves over my tummy. He takes a breast into his mouth, and moves up to my lips. By now, I feel like I need him inside me again. Is it too soon?
"No, it isn't too soon, but you'll be sore."
“How...?” I sit up on my elbows slightly, making me a mere inch or so away from his face. "How did you know I was thinking that?"
"I'm not sure. I think I might have read your mind."
"That's not funny. Stop messing and tell me the truth."
"I am. Think something else."
Really? He wants me to think about something else. I'm not doing it. He can guess away but it isn’t happening. My mind is mine. My thoughts are mine. He shouldn’t be able to rummage in my head without my say so.
"I see you're still stubborn. Did you think you would trick me by not thinking of anything?"
"What the fuck, Markus? How are you doing that?"
"I'm not sure. When we seal the bond and mate, we can communicate like that, like I did last night, but I don't understand how I'm reading your mind. We can ask my dad when he comes home."
"Okay." I lie back on the bed and he moves off to the side of me, taking my naked body into his arms. He pulls a soft fur throw blanket from the bottom of his bed and wraps me securely in it. Just having the feel of his naked body touching mine lulls me into feeling safe and secure.
My eyes are tired, and I close them just for a few moments, but his beating heart soothes me into a sleepy state. Maybe I can catch up on my sleep now.
Chapter 7
Lisa
I don’t want to get out of Markus' bed, but we've slept together for several hours. The sound of his phone ringing wakes us up. I'm glad it did, because it’s Jasper telling Markus he’s on his way home with pizza. I don’t want Jasper walking in on Markus and me. That would be the final blow for me, because I would never be able to look him in the eye again.
"Are you okay?" asks Markus as I walk back into his room after getting freshened up. My hair no longer looks like a bird’s nest, my panda eyes are no longer black, but my skin is still a perfect shade of red. Hopefully no one notices what Markus and I have been up to.
"I'm good. You?"
"I'm perfect. Stay for dinner. I'll drop you at home after."
"Sure." I’m not ready to leave Markus yet, and if that means I have to eat dinner here
then so be it.
"Come on. Let's face the music." His hand outstretches to mine, and I take it gladly. I’m beginning to relish any contact with Markus, and I’m done pretending. Now, I just need to find out when my wolf is going to make an appearance, if it ever does.
"Hey, guys. How was your day?" asks Jasper the moment we walk into the kitchen.
"Good, yeah," says Markus sheepishly.
"Good..." Jasper stills when he turns to face us from the kitchen counter. I look at Markus and back to Jasper to see if he knows what’s going on. "What's going on with you two?"
"What? What do you mean?" asks Markus, with an air of concern in his tone.
"You haven't bonded, have you?"
"No, of course not. Why?"
"Your scent has changed."
I shift uneasily on my feet, breaking the contact I had with Markus to sit down at the breakfast bar.
"I can read Lisa's mind. Why is that?"
Poor Jasper looks exhausted. He’s been working all day to come home to this nightmare.
"Erm. I'm not sure. Lisa, you could hear Markus last night when he was a wolf, correct?" Jasper takes a few steps towards us and runs his hand through his already messy hair.
"Yes."
"I'll mention it tomorrow at my council meeting. In the meantime, if anything changes let me know. I need to ask this, even though I know the answer..." His hand strokes the stubble on his chin and I feel dirty because I know what he’s going to ask. "Have you slept together?"
"No," I state quickly.
"Yes."
I shoot a look at Markus, and I want to kill him for telling the truth. Why couldn't he say no like I did?
"I can't lie to my dad, babe. I'm sorry."
"You don't have to lie to me. Neither of you do. I can't help you if you don't talk to me. I know what it's like to find your soulmate. I did nothing to protect mine, but I'll be dammed if I stand back and let you two mess your lives up. Follow your heart. Come and eat the pizza before it gets cold."
Jasper walks into the dining room and I jump off the stool, bypassing Markus as quickly as possible. "What did you mean you did nothing to protect your soulmate?" I ask.
Jasper’s shoulders square and he sits down at the table. "Your mother was my soulmate. I knew it and did nothing to save her. By the time I got back to camp, our Alpha had knocked her up. There was nothing I could do, but I planned to get her out of there when you were born.”
"What do you mean ‘back to camp?’ Where were you?"
"I got sent out in the field. We were having issues with rogues on our land. We got a lead on where the rogues were camping, and I was one of the wolves sent to sort it out. Our Alpha knew I was strong enough to deal with it. When I got back, everything had changed. I couldn't see your mother. I worked hard for the bastard, just so he would trust me to be around her, but she was six months pregnant by the time I got to be on guard duty. She wasn't allowed out of the cabin, and no one was allowed in. Seeing her with her swollen belly, carrying her child, my heart broke into a thousand pieces that it wasn't mine. My head was a mess to say the least, and I don’t know how I pulled myself together, but something clicked inside of me. I had to do something worthwhile. "
His eyes close and I feel his pain. I sit down on the chair beside him and take his hand in mine. His eyes open, but all I can see is heartache. I've just opened an old wound and now it has to scab over again. Will it ever fully heal?
"I'm sorry, Jasper."
"No, don't be. You're a good kid, Lisa. You'll make a wonderful wife and mother one day, and your mum would be so proud of you."
"Will you ever have another soulmate?"
His eyes speak volumes, but the subtle shake of his head makes my own tears leak down my face. It’s heart-breaking. How could one man cause so much death and destruction? I hope to God I never have to see my biological father, because I will kill him with my own two hands. He's taken so much from me and my friends over the years, and I won't settle until my mother gets justice.
Chapter 8
Markus
I just left my final class of the day and I head to the car park to meet Lisa. It's quiet around the campus. Anyone would think it was a Friday instead of a Tuesday. My phone rings in my pocket and I stop to answer it.
Dad. "Hey."
"Where are you, Markus? Is Lisa with you?"
"I'm just heading to my car. No, she isn't with me, but I can see her. Why? What's going on?" The hairs on the back of my neck rise, and my senses jump into high alert. I look around the car park, but everything looks normal, or as normal as can be for a college.
"Okay. Get home. Now. Bring Lisa with you."
"What's going on?"
"For once, Markus, just do as you're told."
The line goes dead and I pick up speed to get to my car, where Lisa is waiting for me. I kiss her cheek and throw my bag in the back seat. "Dad just called. He wants to see us."
"Is this to do with his meeting today?"
I can only think about his harsh tone. He has never raised his voice at me. Never. Something isn’t right.
"Not sure. It doesn't sound good, whatever it is."
I shut her door when she's safely inside and make my way to the driver’s seat. My senses are still on high alert and I have no idea why. It could be over something stupid for all I know. "How was your day?" I ask Lisa, trying to keep my mind occupied with small talk.
"Boring. You?"
"Same old."
"Will you slow down! You're going to get us bloody killed!"
"Sorry."
I'm not sorry. I'm angry that Jasper couldn't give me a little bit of information. He knows I was on edge this morning before he left; now I'm losing my mind. Something isn't right; my wolf and I both know it. He wants Lisa with me so it's something to do with her.
I pull into the side of my house and jump out of the car. I grab my bag and go around to the passenger’s side, but Lisa hasn't budged from the seat. I open her door and bend down onto my knees.
"What's going on, babe?"
"Really? You've probably just got speeding tickets with the way you drove us here. You've barely spoken to me. You jumped out of there like your arse was on fire, and now you want to ask me what's going on? I don't know, Markus. What the hell is going on?"
I place my hand over hers and take a deep breath in. "I'm sorry. My head is all over the place. Let's go and see what's going on. I'm in the dark like you."
It's killing me not knowing what Jasper wants us for. It's urgent, I know that much. We make our way into the house and Lisa drops her bag at the door like she always does. We go to the living room and Jasper is pacing up and down. A man sits on the couch. I have no idea who he is. My protective streak kicks in and I step in front of Lisa.
"Really, Markus? Get out of my way," Lisa snaps at my back.
I look over my shoulder at her and I can see she isn’t amused at my protective streak, but I’m not moving until I knew who this is. I know she hasn’t seen this side of me before, but it’s who I am.
"It's okay, Markus. This is Julian, the leader of the council. He stopped by to help me explain everything to Lisa. She's safe here, Markus. I promise."
I step out of the way and Lisa punches my arm. "What happened to me being a wolf? I'm more than capable of sticking up for myself, wolf or not. The cave man routine isn’t needed.”
I roll my eyes and smile at her feisty behaviour. She’s my little firecracker. I’m glad to see that side of her making an appearance, even as we stand surrounded by uncertainty.
"I can see that you'll be an extraordinary wolf, my dear. Please, come and have a seat," says Julian.
"I'm not sitting anywhere until you tell me what's going on. I’m sick of being in the dark.”
Julian stretches his legs out in front of him and smiles like a Cheshire cat. I don’t like the way he looks at Lisa, but if Jasper trusts him then I have no choice but to trust him too.
"Lisa, we've had intelligence c
ome to us from a reliable source that you're not safe. Your father has found out about Jasper and Markus being here. We've also figured out where his camp is, but he's being protected by a witch. We're not sure if the witch is working of her own accord, or whether she's being held captive. That's why we haven't found him before now."
I take a step beside Lisa. "What a coincidence that the same week Lisa finds out about her background, about wolves, her father comes out of the woodwork. The only people that know this is me and Jasper. How would he find out?"
"We believe it is just a coincidence. Now, the plan I am formulating in my mind isn't a plan Jasper is happy with. If you hear me out and Lisa doesn't want to do it, we'll turn to plan B."
"Just get on with it," Lisa says sharply.
"I say we lure him out. I have a camp up in the highlands, away from humans, and I want you to go to it. We get word to him that you're visiting this pack to find out what pack life is like. It's too good an opportunity to miss. He will think you're outnumbered, but we all know that Jasper and Markus are more than capable. By God, I believe when your wolf reaches her full potential, you'll be a force to be reckoned with."
Finally, that's one thing I agree with. I know Lisa in her human form, and I know her wolf will be just as feisty, if not more so.
"Why is he after me now? I'm eighteen in a couple of weeks’ time. What interest does he have in me?"
"I don't think he has been interested in you, but now you're connecting with Jasper and Markus, he wants your power."
"What power?” She scoffs. “I didn't even know wolves existed until Sunday."
"You’re both kin to Alphas. Markus has a distant connection to me. I am his great uncle."
"What?" I step forward again as his words register in my mind.
I can't believe I’m hearing this. I was told all of my family was killed, and the existing pack was taken over.
"It's true, Markus.” Jasper sighs and speaks up for the first time. “Your mother was Julian's niece. That is why your mother was captured to produce a son. When I found you, and took over the pack, you were to go and live with your uncle. He couldn't look after a child with his job, so I took you in. I fell in love with you anyway. I got to know you when I was taking over the pack. It was like we were meant to find one another."
