A Wolf’s Deception (Novella)

by Sherilee Gray

  ‘Whatever you say. Just watch yourself around that female.’ She stood and kissed him on the cheek.

  ‘I’m off to bed. You know where the blankets are.’

  Gabe didn’t go to bed. He checked the perimeter of Kate’s house, her sheds. If they’d been followed, the Harlow pack would attack under the cover of darkness. He wouldn’t leave Kate alone out here, not until he was sure that big bastard after Tressa and Sawyer was nowhere in her vicinity. She’d had enough shit of her own to deal with without borrowing more.

  As the sun began to crest the hills bordering Kate’s small farm, he lay down on the couch and let his eyelids drift closed. He hadn’t scented anyone else in the area and he had a lot of driving to do today.

  Of course now he was back in the house, all he could smell was Tressa. His beast instantly got restless and his dick got hard. He remembered how her scent intensified when he’d strip her down to play with her, tease her, make her writhe under his mouth, his hands.

  The first time he’d taken her, pushed inside her tight, slick heat.

  Fuck. He reached down, squeezed his aching dick to relieve the pressure.

  Tressa’s short nails dug into his back as he slid his fingers deeper inside her tight little pussy. Fuck, so wet and hot.

  ‘I’m ready,’ she panted.

  ‘You’re so tight, baby. I don’t want to hurt you.’ Though, if he didn’t fuck her soon his balls would explode, or worse, he’d come in his pants and screw up the whole thing.

  She arched her back, tight peaked nipples straining. He bent down and sucked an aching bud into his mouth. She thrust her hips up and came around his fingers, her tight passage squeezing around his fingers.

  ‘Now…oh God. Now, Gabe.’

  He captured her kiss-swollen mouth with his.

  ‘Just once more, Tress. I want you so desperate for me that I won’t hurt you.’

  She growled. ‘I’m desperate now. Please, I want you inside me.’

  Fuck waiting. Hands shaking, he fumbled with the front of his jeans, finally freeing his hard cock. Her hands slipped down the front, gripping his aching length and he nearly came in her hands then and there.

  He gripped her wrists and lifted them above her head.

  ‘If you don’t stop touching me, this’ll be all over before we get started,’ he rasped against the side of her throat. ‘Open wide for me, baby, wrap your legs around my hips.’

  She did as he asked, so hot, so eager to please him. He kissed her, rested his forehead against hers and released one of her hands.

  ‘Guide me in.’

  Tentative fingers went back to his cock and he gritted his teeth as she led him to where he wanted to be so bad.

  ‘Like that?’

  ‘Yes…fuck, yes,’ he groaned when the head of his cock touched her hot, slick flesh.

  ‘You ready, Tress?’

  ‘Yes,’ she whispered.

  He pushed forward, slow and steady, close to biting his own lip off so he wouldn’t come before he got all the way inside her.

  She wriggled beneath him. ‘Just do it.’

  ‘Shit.’ He couldn’t hold back and slammed forward.

  Gabe’s eyes shot open and he moaned. His jeans were undone and his dick was in his hand. The bastard throbbed against his palm. He was too far gone to stop and flung an arm out, tagging the shirt he’d pulled off earlier then finished himself off with sharp, brutal tugs, shooting his load all over his favourite fucking t-shirt.

  Chest heaving, he threw an arm over his eyes.

  He had to stop this. Thinking about her…fucking jerking off while thinking about her. It was messed up.

  ‘Shit.’ Cleaning up, he got back on the couch and finally managed to shut his mind down enough to sleep.

  He was woken a short time later with a finger in the eye. A sticky little finger, lifting his eyelid, followed by a whole lot of giggling. He took the little hand in his and lowered it before the kid did permanent damage. Sawyer was looking down at him with bright blue, innocent eyes, a grin on his face.

  ‘Wake up, wake up, wake up,’ he chanted over and over.

  ‘Where’s your mama?’ He couldn’t help but smile. He was a cute little guy.

  Golden skin and dark hair like his mother. The big, round, pale blue eyes weren’t his mother’s though. No, Tressa’s eyes were almost black.

  ‘Mama’s sleeping. I’m hungry, Gabe.’

  Sawyer wrapped his fingers tightly around one of Gabe’s and tried to drag him off the couch.

  Gabe knew when he was beat and stood, taking the boy with him, making him giggle and carried him to the kitchen.

  ‘Alright. Let’s go have breakfast.’

  Sawyer was sitting on the bench in front of Gabe when Tressa came running into the kitchen, white as a sheet.

  ‘There you are! God, for a minute I thought…’ She shook her head. ‘You can’t wander off like that, Sawyer. Do you understand? You need to wake me.’

  He nodded his head, soft curls bouncing.

  ‘I woke Gabe. Kate made us eggs.’ Then he shoved in another mouthful and chewed.

  ‘Okay, but next time you wake me, yes?’

  He nodded again then shoved in the next spoonful.

  ‘I’m sorry he woke you. He doesn’t usually wander off like that, especially when we’re somewhere unfamiliar.’

  She frowned, her gaze travelling from Sawyer to him then she swallowed, hard. ‘You can go. I’ll tidy up here if you like.’

  She wore a pair of bright pink boxers and a white tank top that stretched across her full breasts, fuller than he remembered. She wore nothing underneath and he could see her nipples clear through the thin fabric, the way they peaked when his gaze slid over her chest. Jesus, she was still as tempting to him as ever. Maybe more so.

  ‘Gabe?’ Her voice sounded strained, unsure.

  ‘Ah no, I’m good here. Grab yourself some breakfast. Kate made plenty.’

  ‘Okay, thanks.’

  He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she dished up a heaping plate of food, obviously starving after eating only a couple of protein bars. When she sat down and started eating, a sense of satisfaction moved through him, something he’d tried to force aside. To forget.

  He’d known it all those years ago, even though he’d tried to deny it. He’d had to in order to survive the pain of losing her. But Tressa was his mate and was meant to be his. He felt it all the way down to the marrow of his bones. It was different for hybrids like him and Kate, the pull wasn’t always as strong, not at the beginning anyway.

  And now she was back, how would he pretend otherwise? How would he ignore it? How would he stand it, knowing she was so close and still he could never have her? He’d suffer like most other hybrids. The call to their mates usually only had one outcome—loneliness and rejection.

  Shit, he knew first hand. He’d been living it the last four years. She’d made her feelings clear when she walked away. His life would consist of random encounters with faceless females. Always searching, but knowing there would be nothing out there for him, that due to his DNA he’d missed the boat. Hybrids didn’t get their happily ever after, they ended up like him and Kate—alone.

  He lived only a few miles from Black Hills land. What happened when Tressa eventually found someone else? A wolf. Not some fucked-up hybrid.

  In the wild, it would have been impossible for a wolf and a lion to mate and bear offspring. But shifters, they managed to produce any messed up combination of breeds, spitting out deformed freaks like him without effort. Unwanted by either pack or pride, he’d been ignored by his father and cast out by his mother, dumped at one of the many hybrid camps to fend for himself.

  ‘This looks great.’ She smiled up at him and it fucking hurt. So much so, he sucked in a breath to relieve the piercing ache in the centre of his chest.

  Sawyer had finished his breakfast and Gabe put him in the seat by his mother.

  ‘I’ll be outside if you need me. We’ll leave in abou
t twenty minutes.’

  Sawyer climbed off his chair and ran over to him, forcing his small hand in his.

  ‘No, honey. Gabe’s too busy to watch you. You can help me pack.’

  The kid stuck out his bottom lip and shook his head. ‘I wanna go outside with Gabe.’

  Tressa stood, revealing all that golden skin and killer curves.

  ‘It’s fine. He can come with me while you shower and get ready.’

  She frowned like she had when she first found them in the kitchen. Looking from her son then to him, biting that plump lower lip and making his dick swell. He had to get the hell away from her, especially looking like that.

  ‘Jesus, I’m not going to run off with him, Tress.’

  His words came out rough, harsh with the need thrumming through his tightly wound body.

  Her gaze flickered, dimmed. ‘Sorry, of course. Thank you. I’ll be quick.’

  She smiled at her son, an unguarded expression that showed the deepest untainted, unselfish kind of love, a kind of love he could only wish for in his wildest dreams.

  ‘Be a good boy for Gabe, and don’t go running off, okay?’

  He did his usual head bob, the one that made those soft curls bounce. ‘Yup. I’m a good boy.’

  She laughed, a musical sound, sweet and clear, a sound he hadn’t heard in four long years, a sound he never thought he’d hear again. Shit. Memories flooded him, Tressa running though the long grass, her dark hair streaming behind her, the sound of her laughter floating back to him on the wind. Taking her down in that long grass, kissing her, making love to her. Teeth, tongue, lips, hands clinging to each other as if nothing could ever tear them apart.

  I love you, Tressa.

  I love you too, Gabe. Forever.

  She’d lied to his face.

  ‘That’s right, baby. You’re my good boy.’ She kissed the top of his head and left the kitchen.

  He watched her walk away, his feet rooted to the spot, the memory so vivid, like it was yesterday, like everything he thought was his, had been ripped away all over again.

  ‘I can’t be with you, Gabe. This was never permanent. It was only a bit of fun. You must have realised that.’

  ‘You don’t mean that, Tress. Fuck, I love you. You told me you loved me too.’

  ‘They’re just words.’ She pulled her hand from his, stepped away, and it damn near killed him. ‘You’re a hybrid. I can’t mate a hybrid.’

  The wound was as fresh and raw as if she’d just spoken those harsh words then turned her back on him.

  Sawyer tugged on his hand. ‘Can we go outside now?’

  He cleared his throat and made himself smile at the kid, which wasn’t hard. ‘Yeah, let’s go.’

  Sawyer ran around in the wild flowers dotting the field outside the house, giggling and chatting to himself. Gabe wondered if he was old enough to shift yet. Wolf cubs tended to develop that ability fairly early. Usually around two. Unlike cats who were a little later, four or five. He’d taken after his cat side and was four when he gained the ability to shift fully.

  When Sawyer ran up to him, he knelt down.

  ‘You can shift if you want, Sawyer. I doubt your mother would mind.’

  When they were young like that the need to shift was stronger. It was important for their mental and physical development. Sawyer blinked up at him, eyes wide.

  ‘You can go wolf, kiddo. Run around, chase some rabbits.’

  ‘I can’t do that yet.’ Then he ran off again, giggling and chatting to himself.

  Tressa came out and joined them a few minutes later. Her hair was still damp, and she smelled amazing. The jeans she wore hugged those long legs and rounded hips, her red fitted t-shirt clung to her full breasts, tight enough he could make out her nipples. They used to be on the smallish side, a perfect handful. Jesus, they were more than that now. Having a cub had softened her, given her more curves. She’d never been sexier.

  The beast started pacing, restless, pissed off. Her scent was driving him crazy, and right then he wanted to taste her skin, suck it, bite it, mark it.

  Stop.

  Don’t go there.

  She looked up at him, shading her eyes from the morning sun.

  ‘He’s not giving you too much trouble?’

  The sun made all that glossy dark hair shine and his fingers itched to reach out and touch.

  ‘Nah. He’s a good kid.’

  Her smile slipped, replaced by a sadness that made his beast snarl.

  ‘Yeah, he is. I’m glad I got him away from Harlow before… before the place could get its claws into him, change him.’

  ‘What went down with your…’ he cleared his throat. ‘…with Dan?’ Nope, still couldn’t say it. ‘Did Sawyer see him hurt you?’ His words came out rough, low, more growl than anything.

  ‘Is that why he can’t shift yet?’

  She paled. ‘I tried to shield him from it. I tried…I…’

  ‘Shit, Tressa, I know you did.’

  ‘He’s just a late bloomer, that’s all. It’ll happen when it’s meant to.’

  Her distress was real, and strong enough he decided not to push. Not yet, anyway.

  ‘Sure.’ He waved Sawyer over. ‘Grab your bags. We’ll load up.’

  Chapter 5

  The car Gabe loaded the bags into was not the one they arrived in. It was long and sleek and beautiful. Shiny black with a lot of chrome, the interior pristine, the seats a soft, supple leather. A Chevy Nova. Her dream car. She’d always wanted one, had put a poster of one on her wall when she was fourteen, it was probably still there now.

  Kate stood a little to the side watching her so intently, she felt like a sideshow freak. Gabe walked over and pulled the other female into his arms. Tressa didn’t want to watch, she really didn’t, but as hard as she tried, she couldn’t look away. A morbid curiosity that was causing her more pain than she wanted to acknowledge. ‘I’ll be back in a couple weeks to pick up the SUV.’

  ‘I’ll keep it locked up tight for you.’ She rested her head on his chest, her arms tight around his waist and squeezed. Gabe bent down and kissed the top of her head, and a wave of nausea moved through Tressa so fast she had to cling to the front of the car. Kate looked up at him. ‘Be careful, yeah?’

  He tapped the tip of her nose. ‘Always.’

  Kate snorted at that and shook her head. They were so familiar with each other, so comfortable. God, she envied that closeness. Besides Sawyer, she’d gone without a loving embrace, an affectionate touch for four years. She’d lived in fear most of the time, without a soul she could trust or confide in, and it had taken its toll. She’d been strong for Sawyer—she’d had to be—but now with her defences crumbling, she wanted someone to lean on. As much as she wanted that person to be Gabe, she didn’t have the right to ask that of him.

  He’d tell her to get lost if she did.

  She didn’t know how much longer she could be strong and hold it together. She felt like a ticking time bomb and any minute she’d shatter into a million pieces.

  Opening the back door, she put Sawyer into his seat. She couldn’t watch them anymore. When she fell to pieces, she didn’t want an audience.

  ‘Right, let’s hit the road.’ Gabe felt his pockets.

  ‘Shit, my phone’s inside. Won’t be a minute.’ He jogged back to the house.

  Tressa fussed around Sawyer. The last thing she wanted to do was make small talk with Kate. The woman who now had what was oncehers.

  ‘We’re just friends you know,’ Kate said all of a sudden, watching her closely for a reaction. Tressa knew she’d given her one.

  Tressa straightened. ‘You don’t need to—’

  ‘You nearly destroyed him when you threw him away.’ Kate crossed her arms. ‘If you have any feelings for him left at all, you’ll let him go. Let him find someone who will love him for what and who he is. He had enough rejection before he ever laid eyes on you. What you did…that was the icing on an already shitty cake. He doesn’t need more.�
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  Kate had every right to be pissed at her, she was calling it as she saw it and Tressa was in no position to set her straight.

  ‘Hurting him is the last thing I want. I promise you that.’

  Gabe came out of the house and strode across the lawn, long legs, heavy thighs, wide shoulders. And those hands—big, rough beautiful hands. How many nights had she lay awake remembering how they’d felt on her sensitive skin? Too many.

  But with Kate watching her every move, she dragged her eyes away.

  ‘All good?’ he said as he stopped beside her.

  ‘Yep, ready to go.’

  They said their last goodbyes to Kate, then left.

  Neither one spoke for a long time after that. Tressa closed her eyes to block Gabe out—like that would work—still shaken from her conversation with Kate. Jesus, how would she ever make it up to him? How could he ever forgive her for what she did, what she took from him? But most of all, how could she find the courage to tell him?

  After a while, when she’d calmed down, she sat up straighter in her seat, turning to check on Sawyer. He was sound asleep, sucking his thumb. He was so beautiful with his dark curls and rosy cheeks. When he looked up at her with those pale blue eyes, she saw his father. They were so alike. When Sawyer smiled a certain way her heart would ache.

  ‘Still asleep?’ Gabe asked, his voice low and rough.

  God, she felt it, deep in her belly.

  ‘Yeah, he’s a good sleeper. He’ll sleep for another hour easily.’

  ‘Good. The more ground we cover the better.’

  ‘This is a beautiful car. Kate doesn’t mind you borrowing it?’ She glanced over at him. And God, he looked good behind the wheel.

  His lips thinned a little. ‘Nope, it’s my car. I left it there a while ago. Just hadn’t got around to picking it up.’

  ‘It’s gorgeous.’ She ran her hands over the soft leather upholstery. ‘I used to want one of these. Even had a poster of one on my bedroom wall.’

  He shifted in his seat. ‘I remember.’

  She needed to steer the conversation away from their past and on to neutral territory.

  ‘Whoever restored it did a great job.’

  He didn’t answer and she looked over at him again. His jaw was doing that clenching thing again and he wouldn’t look at her. ‘You did this?’