by Kim Faulks
I could command water.
But I was nothing compared to her.
I reached for her shirt and released the buttons, taking my time. My knuckle grazed her stomach, so soft and warm. One slow slide of my hand revealed her breast. My lips were dry, my mouth wet…so wet. I could already feel her against my lips and in my mouth, rolling around along my tongue.
She arched her back, sliding her shirt from one shoulder to another until she lay bare-chested. Her scars were thick and raised—valleys upon valleys of mottled pink and white flesh. I pressed my lips to her raised flesh, tracing every valley and every line over her shoulder.
“Goddess above, you’re beautiful.”
The flinch in her eyes gave her away.
There were no words that could do her justice. No words I could summon, at least. I leaned forward, walking my hands along the outside of her body, and then lowered my mouth to her nipple. The warmth of her body melted into mine. I slid my tongue along silken flesh and lapped at her peak before drawing her deeper into my mouth. I knew this woman somehow, knew her with every cell of my body, and yet this moment was the beginning.
I lifted my head, her body slipped free from my lips. Those knowing eyes waited for me, urging me to catch up—to get it.
I know you, she whispered without making a sound.
I’ve been waiting for you.
I leaned in, swallowed by her amber gaze. The raised flesh of her cheek felt cool against my lips. I trailed my mouth softly, watching, waiting for a reaction. She let me take what I wanted. I found her mouth, taking more than I could give and I was lost to the feel of her, pressing her into the mattress, casting the comforter and the sheets aside.
Her hands felt like feathers along my skin, her nails, like claws against my back. She was wild and free, untamable and unfathomable. She could never belong, not to any pack, not to anyone—she was the ultimate Alpha. The one others bowed to, not one who bowed. She wasn’t our greatest threat. She was our greatest ally.
And she wanted to be with me.
I left her mouth, taking my time to reach the soft sweep of her chin, and then dip along her throat. She offered herself, not just as a woman, but as a wolf.
I trust you.
Exposed veins, soft skin, so soft I could rip and tear. I rained kisses along her flesh and licked the hollow of her throat. I dropped my hands to the waistband of her jeans, one small metal clasp and a zipper was all that stood between us.
I lifted my head. She blazed with desire, with need, a yearning I felt in my soul. She slid her hand to my face. Her fingers trailed my cheek, mapping the same line I’d kissed on hers seconds ago. “I love you, Victor. I always have and always will.”
Love. That alien word scorched my soul like a high voltage wire. I burned. Goddess, I burned. “I love you, too. Don’t ask me how, but when I’m with you I feel alive. I feel more alive than I have for a century.”
Her lips curled—the smile so sweet and yet she gave nothing away. This enigma of a woman gave me everything except the answers. Those I needed to figure out on my own.
We no longer needed a pack, not when we had this…not when we had each other. I fumbled and trembled, sliding her jeans over her hips, taking my time to slip my tongue though the valley of her breasts.
My saliva still glistened on her skin, mapping the cooling trail my mouth had left behind. I followed the path once more, and then tracked a new line from one soft peak to the other. The sharp hiss of her breath filled my ears. Her chest throbbed under my lips. I traced her bones. I could feel her heart, speeding, racing with the rush.
I traced her ribs and licked the soft concave of her belly, dropping lower, and hooked my fingers into the elastic of her panties. Inch by inch she revealed herself to me from her lean, milky thighs to the glistening curls between them.
She clamped her legs together. I stilled, moving to my own waistband. The slide of my zipper followed the button. I was too fast, too eager. The cool air licked my skin. I wanted her gaze. I wanted her focus. The bed rose as I slid one foot to the floor and followed with the other. She was so stiff, unmoving, as though she was barely there.
Fear crowded her gaze, moving in like a silent predator to steal her away from me. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been with someone like this. I keep imagining something different for you, maybe a room filled with wild flowers and thick fur rugs, but I just wanted to tell you that.”
I scraped my fingers through my hair; my flat voice dragged the hint of a smile.
Just keep talking; just keep saying anything.
“You run in your sleep, did you know that?”
A spark shot into those darkening eyes as she shook her head. “I do not.”
I nodded, shaking the long blond strands back into my view. “Yeah, you do, and you grunt, kind of like a hog. But a cute hog. Kinda like…” I forced a honking sound, a little louder and with more gusto than the sweet grunts I’d listened to the night before.
Odessa shot up, bracing herself against the pillow and demanded. “Take that back. I do not grunt.”
I bit the insides of my cheek to stop the smile. But no matter how hard I tried, the smirk stretched the corners of my mouth, dragging the flesh from my teeth. “Okay, maybe not grunt. But snort. Yeah, you definitely snort.”
“Ohh!” Her hand fluttered in the air. Her eyes stretched so wide I could see the whites. The corners of her lips curled—a stark contrast to the terror in her gaze.
Laughter bubbled and gurgled, spilling from my mouth as her smile took hold.
I steadied myself for the blow, welcomed it with open arms as she shot forward and slapped my arm playfully.
“You beast.”
I caught her hand and dragged her forward. The sadness was gone. Her fear and the past had no hold over her. Not while I was here—never while I was here.
She was my woman, my wolf. I’d not share her with anyone. I dropped my head, finding her lips. The kiss was fierce, hungry. I stole her breath, stole her thoughts, deepening until her hand fluttered to my arm and her whimpers filled my mouth.
My touch was soft, gentle, sliding over the outside of her breasts, and then moving in to brush her nipple. She hardened, then shuddered, unfolding with a sweep of my thumb. I rolled her nipple between my fingers, and slid my tongue into her mouth.
Desire surged and in a rush, I was swept away. I never fought, never struggled, just gave myself to the torrent. I arched my back, curling over her, and slid one hand along her thigh. I broke the kiss, pulling away long enough to hold her gaze. I’d fight that demon, fight the darkness. Fight everyone and everything. “Look at me.”
Her eyes widened, her breath hitched. I left her breast, sliding to the small of her back. I cradled her against me and knelt on the bed. My cock throbbed between her thighs, aching for the slick. I was ready, more than ready. Her heat was what I searched for and as she wrapped her legs around my waist, I found it.
Gently, ever so gently. She stared into my eyes, never once breaking the connection as I breached her walls. “Look at me.”
Her mouth parted as her body opened up. I gripped her thighs, lifting her, then letting her weight slide lower, letting me in—letting me all the way inside.
The hitch of her breath was a sharp sound. I stilled, searching for the darkness as she whispered, “Do. Not. Stop.”
That was all the encouragement I needed. I rocked my hips, meeting her body at the peak, slow thrusts turned into something else. Fire stole her gaze, sending sparks of orange into black pupils. Her legs clamped around me, tightening like a vise until I could do nothing but grip her hips and rut.
Momentum took us. I trapped her against the mattress, digging in, spearing my body inside. I couldn’t get enough of her—there wasn’t enough. I clenched my ass, driving each blow home, until my balls tightened. Her head flew back into the pillows. She stilled, not breathing, not looking at me.
I couldn’t stop, thrusting one last time before I spilled. Her body ti
ghtened. Panic mingled with ecstasy. “Odessa. Odessa. Baby, what’s wrong.”
She never answered, just lay there still as the dead. I dropped beside her, pulling her against me, reaching for her face. “Did I hurt you? Did I do something wrong? Talk to me. Please, just talk to me.”
“You didn’t hurt me.”
Her tiny voice made something crack inside. I skimmed her face with my fingers, then cupped her chin and dragged her face toward me.
Tears shone in her eyes, turning amber to glass. The glistening drops hovered at the edges, and then spilled down her cheek. I smoothed away the trail, catching the drop with my thumb and murmured. “Then why are you crying?”
She tried to pull away. I clamped tight, holding her as gently as I could.
“Because it was beautiful.”
Her lip trembled. I felt the shudder race through her. I dropped my hand from her chin, rolling onto my side to grasp her shoulders. Remnants of last night came back to me as she curled her body, lifting her head for me to slide my arm under.
“It was beautiful and I… I…”
“You what?
Her ear was crushed against my arm as she lifted her head to look at me. “I enjoyed it.”
My body ticked like a cooling engine. I tried to gather my thoughts, tried to understand. “That’s good. That’s real good. I wanted you to enjoy it. I needed you to enjoy it.”
Her tears fell from her temples to slide down my arm. I pulled her closer, mashing her against my body. “Jesus, I thought I hurt you. I thought…you…didn’t like it. I thought you didn’t like me touching you like that.”
Her chin butted my jaw as she shook her head. “No. I liked it…I liked it a lot. I want to do that again. Not right now, but I want…more.”
I clenched my jaw, and then tried to relax. “Next time I’ll take it slower. You have no idea what you do to me. I feel out of fucking control when I’m around you. I’d make love to you all day and night if I could. I’d make love to you for as long as it takes to show you how breathtaking you are to me.”
She squirmed at the words, but I caught the smile—it was just a hint of one, but it was enough.
“You think I’m a breathtaking weredevil?”
I lifted my hand and brushed her hair from her shoulders, catching a glimpse of the thick burn scars that covered the base of her neck. “I think you’re the most breathtaking weredevil I’ve ever seen. But then again I’ve only seen one, so I’m not very experienced in the matter. But I know with every pulse of this body, and every facet of my soul that you’re the weredevil for me. That you’ll always and forever be the woman for me.”
My voice trailed off into silence. Inside I was thundering, pulsing with the spoken words. Were they too much? Would I scare her away? Jesus…maybe I shouldn’t have said…
“You’ve always been the dragon for me. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve dreamed of you. Your blue eyes…and water…so much water. I’m glad we’re finally on the same page. I want to lie here with you all night. But I need to get up. I have an initiation to get to.”
I mentally flinched as Maddy’s warning rang like a bell.
What’s the plan with that lone wolf, Odessa?
Tonight. No one will notice—not until it’s too late.
“I thought we’d lie here, spend the night talking to each other. I feel like I barely know you and I know you have questions you want to ask me.”
I stared as she pushed herself up onto one elbow. “There’s no rush. We have all the time in the world. This is important to me, Victor. This is my pack, my home. I want to finally belong. I thought you understood that?”
“I do. Believe me I do. It’s just…”
Her brows narrowed as doubt crept in. Tell her, a voice screamed inside my head. Tell her everything. I opened my mouth. All her hopes and dreams collided in her gaze. She’d never belonged to any pack, or to anyone, and this was her chance—was I really going to mess this up?
“You’re still healing and if we do this, you need to stay by my side, okay?”
Her grin stretched wide. “I’m not that fragile. I keep telling you that, but if that’s what it takes to keep you from looking at me with that panic-stricken gaze, then that’s what I’ll do. Now we best get cleaned up. I don’t want everyone thinking we…”
A smirk stole my lips. “I think it’s a bit late for that.”
Her head whipped up. The look of horror filled her. “No. Don’t say that. They don’t.”
My slow nod stilled the words. “They know. Everyone knows. We were the ones who apparently needed to catch up.”
Her pink skin glowed, turning shades of red. “Goddess above.”
I couldn’t stop the laughter. “You still want to go now?”
I stared up into the night sky and wished for morning as the bonfire crackled and hissed. Drums resounded inside my head. Tension coiled like a dangerous serpent inside with each hard beat.
Abrial and Marcus stood between two mammoth pines where our courtyard met the mountain. The snap of fire and bones was the only sound heard over the hush of the pack. No one spoke, no one moved. The wolves were frozen, staring at the myth—the Bloodletter—as he shook free the confines of the man and became the dragon.
Bone crunched, skin split as horns punched through my brother’s forehead. His thick body grew; shining red scales replaced pink flesh. I followed the line of his back as it bent and bowed. Talons speared from vertebrae, driving through flesh to glisten with blood. The Bloodletter was a gruesome, magnificent sight. So alive, so powerful, and it only made me envious.
I turned inward and sent a flare, searching for life.
Dragon, you there?
Silence filled me. The kind of deathly silence that fills you with fear. I hadn’t needed him for so long. The mortal world hadn’t needed us—they moved on—just like the mother earth had moved on. I hadn’t needed my dragon. I’d barricaded myself into this mortal form, forgetting my purpose was to keep the innocent safe while he howled in pain. Give me life, Victor! Give me life!
Day after day, year after year, until one day, I realized his tormented cries had ended.
How long must you hate me?
The low growl ended my plea. It seemed the Tormentor could hate me forever.
The Bloodletter rose to his full height, scales rippling, growing, swallowing the night to scrape the trees. He arched his back and stretched his wings. Wind whipped my hair, scattering bowls, cups, and anything not nailed down.
The new wolves bowed before them as Abrial's words still lingered in my ears—spoken like a true Alpha.
We shall carve a new path. We shall stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, and we shall welcome all here. Every lost and wandering soul—women and children shall be our lambs to protect, and along with the dragons we will become a force to be reckoned with.
My own lost soul waited, bowed at the knee along with the others. She turned her head. Her brown eyes glistened with excitement. The new Alpha’s calling power lingered in the air, growing softly with each hour that slipped past. The current raised the hairs on my arms and stole my breath.
I scanned the crowd. Michael watched me from the other side of the crowd. He moved to scratch the shadow on his chin and nodded. I mirrored the gesture and raised my own hand to rub my cheek. Hard prickles scratched my fingers. I hadn’t noticed the beginning of a beard until now. I hadn’t noticed a lot of things.
My Virgo brother dropped his gaze to Odessa. She stared at Marcus and Abrial, and then slowly closed her eyes as the tempo of the drums filled my head with the echo.
My wolf swayed and opened her palms, accepting the power, accepting the sound. Panic gripped me. She couldn’t shift like the others, couldn’t let her shadowed wolf roam free. Odessa knew this—deep down she knew this—and yet she wanted so desperately to belong.
A look of confusion filled Michael’s eyes, the fine edge of sorrow cut like a blade. Lucas stepped between those lingering at the
edges to stand beside him, one scan of the pack and he found me. Movement behind them dragged my gaze—Goulding hovered in the shadows, and then raised his phone.
My gut tightened. To let a human not only watch, but record, was flirting with danger. But Marcus was the Alpha here—that was plain to see.
I’d always been so close to him, always been the one person who was the sounding board between my hot-head Taurus brother and the rest of us. But I couldn’t, not anymore—not when Marcus was wrong. I’d never felt the rift as I did standing there with my family on one side of the sea of wolves and me on the other.
A chill stole my thoughts, gripping me tight in an icy embrace. I turned my head. Silver eyes glinted back at me. Abrial’s voice was guttural, filling me with the rush of fear. “Feel my power, let me command you.”
Her energy coursed over the wolves. I could feel it, touching, commanding every shifter. Men and women dropped to the ground, shuddering, convulsing. Their shift was fast, dragged along by the power of their new commander and the dragon at her side.
Cloth tore, howls and whimpers pierced my skull in a sea of born-again beasts. Odessa waited while wolves shifted and climbed slowly to their feet. She sat waiting, opening herself, but the Alpha’s power never touched her—not even a whisper—a void lingered over the lone wolf. Odessa sat alone—shunned by the Alpha, and the pack.
A tear slid down her face, glistening in the orange hue of the fire. The blow was brutal, ramming between my ribs to bruise my heart. I shifted my gaze toward the new Alpha. One slight turn of her head and she caught my gaze. Her lips curled from her teeth, white fangs glistened. Power and anger rippled through the air.
“You are mine,” Abrial commanded, scanning the rest of the wolves. “Those who have shifted belong to me—I call you kin—I call you family.”
The glint of black dragged my focus to the side as Rowen climbed to her feet, unshifted. Her green eyes sparkled with excitement. Something brushed my arm. I turned my head toward the rush. Odessa was a blur moving through the wolves, heading for the house.
