by Beverly Rae
“I do. I really do.”
Following the path of her hands skimming down his chest with her kisses, she murmured against the hollow of his neck. “Then do it.”
He tensed, breaking their kiss and, although he tried to hide it, she saw the wince he made. She broke away from him. “Oh, hell, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I got so horny that I forgot about everything else except wanting you.” She gingerly placed her hands on his chest.
“You’re horny and I can’t do anything about it. Aw, hell, now I’m going to die for sure.”
Alex laughed, then put on a sexy expression. “Hey, I have an idea. Maybe you can’t do much, but I can.” Taking his hand, she led him into the house and up the stairs to the bedroom she’d slept in.
Standing by the bed, she patted the comforter, welcoming him to sit. “You lie back, enjoy and let me handle everything.”
He licked his lips and glanced toward his private parts. “Handle away, sugar.” Alex walked enticingly to the end of the bed and he grinned at her, the expectation in his face lighting his features. “Take it off, Alex. I want to see your smokin’ body while you do whatever it is you’re going to do.”
She tugged her T-shirt out of her jeans and smiled coquettishly. “Like you don’t know what I’m about to do.” Swaying to unheard music, she continued to move her shirt over her stomach, gliding it over her breasts, taking her time with each movement.
“Damn, girl, but you are hot.”
“Yeah? How hot?” She whipped the shirt over her head and tossed it at him. Taking her breasts, she rubbed her thumbs over her nipples, peaking them.
“Blazing hot.” He raised his gaze from her breasts to her face. “Hot enough to be my mate.”
She froze. “Mate?” She crossed her arms over her breasts, suddenly feeling vulnerable. “Oh, no. I forgot about that. About her.”
“Hey, don’t cover up. What’s wrong? You forgot about who?”
“Your mate, of course.”
Dirk’s jaw dropped and he gaped at her. “My what?”
“Your mate. Sheila.” Why did he look so confused? “You remember Sheila, don’t you? The she-werewolf that bit you? Come on. You know what I’m talking about. She bit you, thus saving your life and making you her mate.” Repeating what she said wasn’t helping but she couldn’t find the right words to make him understand.
“I remember Sheila, all right. And I know she bit me.” Dirk placed his hand on the teeth marks already healing on his shoulder. “But she’s not my mate. No way.”
Alex dropped her arms, exposing herself, but she was too excited to care. “Sheila’s not your mate?”
“I don’t know what else I can say, Alex. She’s not my mate.” He leaned back, his eyes growing bigger. “Oh, I get it now. You thought her biting me made us mates.”
“Well, yeah. I mean, that’s what I’ve always heard.” She moved to sit next to him and he took her hand. Her heart beat wildly, but she kept the hope she felt from her face.
“And you’re an expert on werewolves and their mating customs, right?” He grinned at her, at once making her feel better and mocking her.
“Isn’t that how it works?”
“It can. But that kind of bite is a different kind of bite. Sheila bit me to give me some of her energy, not to make me her mate.” He narrowed his eyes, searching her. “Do you understand?”
“I think so.” Alex relaxed next to him, relief flooding through her body. “If I had any more tears in me, I’d cry.”
He slipped an arm around her. “Why would you cry?”
She brought her head up to stare into his amazing blue eyes. “For once, I’d cry out of happiness. Because you not mated to Sheila means that maybe, just maybe, I haven’t lost you, too.”
“Ain’t no maybe about it, sugar. I’m all yours.” His gaze bored into her. “If you’ll have me, that is. And more than as a lover and friend. As a mate.”
Alex bit her lip and squeezed his hand, bringing his gaze to hers. “I’d like that. But with you being a werewolf and me being a werecat… You know it won’t be easy.”
“I know. But I don’t care, Alex. As long as you’re beside me, I don’t care what the rest of them think.” His brow furrowed as a cloud passed over his features. “Of course, if you don’t want to go down that road, I’ll understand. I won’t like it, but I’ll accept your decision.”
Alex let a soft smile play on her lips. “We’ll need to talk it through to figure out how to handle everything.” She lowered her gaze to the bulge under the sheet. “But let’s talk after.”
His sexy grin returned. “Agreed. After.”
She helped him undress, taking care not to hurt him. Swallowing her nervousness, she struggled to keep the slice of ache in her stomach from showing on her face. Although she’d seen most of his wounds, had dressed them, the amount of bandages covering his body still rattled her. Bruises covered what few areas weren’t covered in bandages.
“Oh, Dirk.” She closed her eyes, then opened them and hoped he’d see the plea for forgiveness in them. “My brother did this to you and I couldn’t stop it soon enough. I am so sorry.”
“No, Alex, it’s not your fault. And it looks worse than it feels. Besides, let’s not talk about what happened. The time for all that is later. Right now I don’t want to think about anything except you.”
Slipping onto the bed, she kissed the bruises on his legs and traveled toward the hard pole looming ahead. “Let me help heal your wounds.” Until he healed, she’d be the one to show him how much she loved him. They had time enough for the other way round.
“Anything you say, Nurse Kitty.”
For once she didn’t laugh. She was too focused on taking care not to press against his injuries. Gently, she took his shaft and laid the tip of his mushroomed cap against her cheek. “Who knew someone so tough could have such a soft spot. And I’m not talking about your heart.”
“Ooh, pretty lady, you are one big tease.”
“Am I? Or am I merely enjoying the moment of anticipation?” He moaned and spread his legs farther apart. Squeezing him with care, she wrapped her hand around his cock and curved the palm of her other hand to cup his balls. He moaned and lifted his head to watch.
“Alex, if you don’t put me inside your mouth soon, I’m going to go crazy.”
“Man, you werewolves don’t have much control, do you?”
“I’ll show you who has control.”
He reached for her, but she batted his hands away. “Cut it out or I’ll have to stop.”
“No, for the love of shifters everywhere, don’t stop.”
Sliding her hand down, she massaged him from tip to base. His huge shaft, curved for a woman’s pleasure, twitched in response.
“Easy, boy.” A crashing roll of desire shot through her, wetting her pussy. Cautioning herself to go slowly, she flicked her tongue over his oozing cap and struggled not to deep-throat him. “I love you, Dirk. Every inch of you. From the very first moment I saw you, I wanted to have you.”
His agonized moan thrilled her. Not only did it make her feel powerful, she delighted in the pleasure she gave him. With a sigh, she circled her tongue around the weeping tip, then slowly inched him inside her mouth. A multitude of flavors touched her tongue and she sucked, bringing them to the back of her throat.
“Ummm.” He tasted like the forest wind. Like the hot sun on the back of her neck. If she could have him for the rest of her life, she’d never tire of his taste.
He took her hair in his hands, holding her to him. She moved up and down, sliding her tongue along his shaft, then back again. She lapped him up, released him and started over. Dirk groaned and let go of her hair to grip the sheet. His cock grew impossibly larger, longer. His life’s essence pulsated in her palm, warming, wetting her skin.
“Get on top of me.”
She refused, letting her “no” flow warm air over his dick. No way would she risk hurting him. Instead, she bounced his balls between her fingers
and renewed her attack on his shaft. At first he protested, but his complaints soon turned to appreciative moans that made her even wetter, hotter. His shaft was a hot brand against her palm, a brand she wanted to burn into her skin. Inhaling, she took in his raw masculine scent and committed it to memory. This was her mate. No matter what anyone said about the two of them, he was the one for her.
She fingered her pulsing nub, rubbing harder and harder until the engorged nub throbbed mercilessly. Continuing to work her finger, she matched one hand’s movement with the other, massaging herself as she pumped him. She blew on him and he jerked, giving her the gratification of knowing she thrilled him. Licking his tip, she lazily slid her tongue down his rod, slurping in the slick mix of his pre-come and her saliva.
“You’re driving me crazy, Alex.”
She chuckled, using her breath to flush warm air over him and loving the way his shaft answered. “I seriously doubt that.” His growl sent shivers of lust through her.
“Please get on top before I explode in your hand.”
She closed her eyes, the image of him shooting hot milk sending her over the edge. She came, her body’s river flushing over her fingers. Trembling with the cascading climax, she dived back onto him, relentless in her determination to bring him to the brink.
“Holy shit, woman.”
Yes, she was his woman and he was her man. Sucking, she bobbed up and down, working him with her hand and her mouth. Her tongue lashed at him, pressing against the rise of the veins, licking every taste from him.
“Oooh, I’m going to come. Damn, Alex, get on top.”
She ignored his request again and readied for his climax. He groaned, tensed and then let out a savage cry, gripping her hair harder, holding her in place. Enjoying his possession of her, she took him in. His body shook, quaking under her command until at last he let out a long sigh and relaxed.
“I wish you’d done as I asked.”
She slid over his leg to crawl into the curve of his arm. Resting a hand to ride with the fall and rise of his chest, she played with his nipples. “Are you telling me you didn’t enjoy what I did?”
He laughed and kissed her forehead. “Hardly. But I wanted to do so much more to you.”
“Don’t worry. Once you’re healed and back to your studly self, I’ll let you make it up to me.”
“Hey, is everything all right in there?”
Alex grabbed the sheet and tugged it over their bodies. She hoped Bob wouldn’t open the door. “Uh-oh. We must’ve gotten too loud.”
“Yeah, Bob, we’re good.” Dirk wiggled his eyebrows at her and whispered, “Damn good in fact.”
“Oh, okay. Good to know. I heard someone yell and… Oh, uh, never mind. Sorry to have disturbed you.”
“No problem, Bob. We’ll see you in bit.”
Alex snuggled against Dirk. “I can’t tell you how great Bob’s been.”
“Yeah, he’s a good friend to the pack. To most werecreatures.” Dirk fingered a strand of her hair. “Speaking of the pack, what are we going to do about us?”
Suddenly, the fantasy spell she’d been under broke loose. “Boy, who knew later would come so soon? But you’re right. We need to talk and now’s as good a time as any.” She twined her fingers with his, needing to feel his skin against hers. “Have you ever heard of a werecat and a werewolf mating before?”
“No. I’ve heard of them having sex of course. But actually mating? Can’t say I have.”
She sighed, hating to think about the problems that their union presented. “My pride will never accept you as my mate.” There. She’d said it.
“I figured as much. And I don’t know what my pack will do. Oh, sure, they’ve accepted humans before but that was because they became pack soon enough. Unfortunately, I can’t change you into a werewolf.”
“And I can’t change you into a werecat.”
They lay together for a while, each deep in thought, until Alex broached another problem. “Even if our people could learn to accept us, we still have the problem of children. Is it possible for us to have children? Would you want children?” Dirk stroked her hair and she relaxed a little with the comforting touch.
“Yeah, I think I’d like to have a child or two. But we definitely can’t do it in our animal forms. That’d be like a dog mating with a housecat. Still, I don’t know about the other way round. Maybe if you stayed in your human form after conceiving? I’m sorry, but I don’t have a clue.”
She lifted onto her elbow to study him. “Then what are we going to do?”
Chapter Nine
“Alex, stop fussing over me. I’m fine.” Dirk repositioned the backpack over his shoulder. “I’ll be damned if I’ll let you carry the load.”
She rolled her eyes but allowed him to have his way. “Fine, Mr. Macho Wolfie, take it. I always wanted a pack mule, but I guess you’ll have to do.” They’d left the pride two hours earlier, hefting the backpack filled with the provisions her friends had given her, and were making good progress. Returning Conner’s and Bryer’s bodies to her people had reopened the wounds their deaths had left her, but she’d wanted to see them home and laid to rest. After a week of scornful glances, muttered remarks and even blatant rudeness, she’d accepted what she’d known all along: Dirk would never be fully welcomed to live with her people. To Dirk’s credit, he’d handled it all with his usual brand of humor, but she’d seen the relief on his face the moment they’d left.
His scowl turned into his sexy grin. “Good. I’m glad you understand your place, woman.”
“Uh-oh. Do not tell me you dared to use that term.”
He sidestepped her jab at his arm. “Hey, you didn’t mind it when I called you that during sex.”
She picked up the pace and took the lead. “That’s different.”
“Right. Different. Not.”
Alex had gone half a mile before he finally called out to her, telling her to hold up. She pivoted to face him, checking him for any signs of fatigue although he’d recuperated from his injuries and had no lingering problems. “Yeah. Why are we stopping?”
“Because, my sweet little pussy—” his grin grew bigger, “—do you know where you’re going?”
She blinked at him, suddenly aware of her mistake. Not thinking, she’d started in the direction that led to his pack. “Oh. I, uh…”
He ran his hand behind her neck to pull her in for a quick kiss. “I thought we decided that the city was the only place we could go. Are you changing your mind about living with the humans? Because you know my pack isn’t going to welcome you—hell, me—with open arms.”
She shook her head and couldn’t meet his eyes. She’d gladly given up her family, her people for him, but it still hurt to think they wouldn’t have a home with either of their kind. “Not at all. I guess I thought that maybe…” She eyed him. “Are you still certain of your choice?”
“Definitely. I happen to like humans.” In a flash, his cockiness was gone. “Besides, I would go anywhere, live anywhere with you. You’re my life, my family now, Alex.”
The knot in her throat was filled with the emotion she saw in his eyes. Damn, but he was great with words. Great at sex, too. “What do you think the pack will say when they find out? Because you know they’ll find out eventually.”
“I think Cannon knew my decision back at Bob’s when I ignored his command to stay in bed.” He slipped the burden to the ground and rolled his shoulders. “But I don’t care what they’ll say. If I know the Cannon brothers, they’ll come around. In time and especially if we have kids.”
“We don’t know that we can have kids, remember?” She ignored the twinge in her abdomen at the mention of children. Why keep bringing up the subject when there was no way for them to have children?
“Sure, I remember. But we don’t know if we can have kids as humans, do we? I’ve been thinking. I know a doctor in the city who might be able to help us answer that question. In the meantime…”
A flare of heat replaced the tw
inge. “In the meantime, what?”
He lifted her off her feet, gently taking her to the ground. “In the meantime, we can sure as hell practice making one.”
Her clothes were off seconds after his lay strewn on the ground around them. He kissed her neck, then skimmed his way along the slope of her shoulder to the valley between her breasts. She tunneled her fingers through his hair and moved his tongue over her aching nipples. “Tease them, Dirk. Make them hard.”
He complied, sucking then nipping them. She squirmed, already feeling the warmth of her wetness moistening the cleft between her legs. Pushing her breasts together, she held him, enjoying the way his moans tickled her skin.
He lifted his gaze, showering her with unspoken love, then thrust his tongue into her mouth. She cupped his neck, capturing him, and sighed, reveling in his touch. Sucking, he rolled his tongue around hers, causing a shudder of delight to course through her. He was the one she’d waited for. From the moment their eyes met, her body had known, giving her brain and heart time to catch up.
Their bodies moved together, melting together under the hot sun. He pressed his leg between hers, opening her wider, and she happily responded. Using his leg, he rubbed against her, spreading her juices. She pushed back and rocked, needing more. Sighing, she ran her hands down his hard back, his flexing muscles moving her hands up and down.
She looked skyward, squinted against the bright light and longed for a shooting star to make a wish on, hoping to stay as they were at that moment forever. Too soon, they would have to find their way in the human world. Conner and Bryer were gone, but she still had friends, people she cared about in the pride. Could she face never seeing them again? Would she make friends among the humans?
Fear of what lay ahead churned at her gut, but she refused to let it take hold. Somehow with Dirk’s help, she’d make a new home in the city. If they could survive everything they’d been through, then they could handle whatever came next. Skating her fingers down his arms, she concentrated on thrusting her hips against his groin. His kisses blazed a trail down her skin and into the hollow of her neck. She tilted her head, showing her throat, and he answered with a low rumble against her skin. The sound, so wild, pulled at the animal within her. She clutched him, suddenly afraid of losing him.
