The Wolf's Heart

by Jenna Leigh

  He loved being a werewolf, but sometimes, late at night, he felt lonesome. Lainie would stay with him for a while, but she’d find out what he was sooner or later. And he had the feeling that when she did find out the truth, she would run as fast as she could. Hell, any intelligent woman would, unless he trapped her here. He discarded that notion as soon as it came into his mind. He wouldn’t keep her against her wishes. He wanted her to stay with him of her own free will. That meant she had to love him.

  They reached the front of the house and he got out of the car first, scanning the front yard for signs of company before he turned to help her out. “Come on.”

  She looked at his hand for a few seconds before taking it. Heat flowed through him at the mere touch of her skin on his. “Where did you come from? And why were you naked?” She didn’t look him in the eye, just stood there clutching her backpack.

  “Well, it’s a long story.” He pressed his hand to the small of her back.

  Her muscles tensed, then quaked.

  He smiled as it came to him that half his battle was won.

  Lainie was sexually attracted to him, so logic stated love would soon follow. “I’m a good listener.” She gave him her best reporter smile. “Talk to me.”

  “Not tonight.” Her shoulders slumped at his reply. “I’m tired. Chasing idiotic women around in the dark takes it out of me.”

  “You didn’t chase me. You jumped on me after scaring the shit out of me.” She took a step then gasped when she put her weight on her foot. “Damn.”

  “Here, allow me.” Marcus swept her up in his arms and motioned for Mick to open the door before he walked inside the house and started for the stairs.

  “How romantic.”

  “Hmm, yes, I am a romantic.” He ignored her snort of derision. “Don’t you believe me?”

  “No. You’re a man. You’ve already had sex with me, why should you be romancing me now?”

  “Because I want to have sex with you again?” He grinned down at her.

  She seemed to think it over. “There is that.”

  He stopped on the landing and kissed her. She sighed and put her arms around his neck. Marcus walked into his room and slammed the door with his foot. He moved toward the bed but her next words stopped him dead in his tracks.

  “Where is your uncle?”

  “Shit.” With a groan of frustration, he laid her in the middle of the bed. “I’ll go see. You stay here and rest your foot.”

  “I can’t have sex while he’s in the house!” She struggled to get up.

  “He’s not in the house.”

  “How do you know that? Did you kick him out? Marcus!”

  “No. Shh.” Marcus walked out before she could protest again. A few minutes later, he walked back into the room. “He told Allen that he’d be gone for a while. Something about pizza and beer.”

  Lainie smiled. “He’s a good man, you know.”

  “I know.” But Marcus didn’t want to talk about David. He didn’t want to talk at all.

  Lainie had other ideas, but he figured he could distract her. He was wrong. “I want to know why you were naked.”

  “It’s an old Indian custom.” Even he winced at that lame excuse.

  Lainie didn’t buy it either. “Bullshit.”

  “Look, what I was doing is irrelevant! You were out on a deserted highway. You are the guilty party here, not me.” Marcus decided to take the offensive.

  Lainie stared at him mutinously. Her full lips were pursed in a pout that made him either want to spank her, or kiss her. Both of those were nice options. “Elaine, tell me what you thought you were doing running off that way.”

  “I don’t have to tell you jack shit.” Her chin was at that determined angle he remembered from their childhood days.

  “Yes, honey, you do.” He put his chin at an even higher angle.

  She still sat in the middle of the bed. He leaned down and grabbed her knees, jerking her to the edge. She started to squirm but he knelt down and grabbed her wrists. Her mouth was halfway to his hand, her teeth bared.

  “If you bite me, I will bite you back.” He watched to see if she bought his threat.

  Her gaze met his over the top of his knuckles. She paused for a minute, as if trying to gauge the seriousness of his words.

  He licked his lips, waiting. When she didn’t bite, he continued. “Spill it.”

  “Fine! I heard you talking, when you said something about Samuel; I thought he was coming here, so I left.” She stared at a spot over his shoulder, refusing to meet his gaze.

  “He can’t hurt you now, I’m here.” Marcus put his other hand on her neck, stroking the soft skin beneath her ear.

  “You were there the last time.” She finally met his eyes.

  “What are you talking about?” Marcus prodded, but she closed her mouth, refusing to say another word. “Lainie, I want to help, but you gotta talk to me.” He pulled her onto his lap. “Tell me.”

  “He um…” Her body trembled. “He came into my room. He wasn’t supposed to be home, but he came in one night.”

  “What did my father do?” His teeth itched and his skin tingled. Rage boiled through his veins. He’d just been a wolf, which was the only thing that stopped him from transforming now, right in front of her.

  “I was about fourteen. I woke up and at first I thought it was you standing over me. We’d watched a scary movie, and I thought you were being mean and trying to scare me.” She smiled. “You would do that.”

  “I would not.”

  “Marcus, you put on a damn hockey mask and chased me through the yard.” She never forgot anything.

  “I was fifteen when I did that!” He inhaled deeply, trying to calm down. “That’s not the point. What happened?”

  “I thought it was you, so I pretended to be asleep to see what you would do. And really, I was just waiting for my chance to scare the crap out of you,” she admitted.

  He chuckled, visualizing her waiting to jump up at him. Her next words killed any amusement he felt.

  “He sat on the edge of the bed and put his hand over my mouth. That’s when I knew it wasn’t you.” The shaking got worse. “He told me that I was his. He said—” She stopped talking for a second and took another deep breath. “He said that I’d never escape, and if I knew what was good for me, I’d just lie back and take it.” Tears gathered in her eyes, but she blinked them back.

  “What did you do? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “He started to take off his clothes. When he let me go, I ran.”

  “Where?”

  “To you.” Her laugh had a bitter sound to it. “You woke up and I told you I’d had a nightmare. So, you let me sleep on the other side of you, closest to the wall.”

  Undiluted rage washed over him as he recalled that night. She’d still been little Lainie—to him but not his father, apparently. “That’s just sick.”

  “I know! That’s why I didn’t ever want to come back when he was going to be there.”

  “I’m so sorry.” He cradled her head against his shoulder, rocking her back and forth. “Why didn’t you tell me then?”

  “What could you do? You were just a kid too.”

  “I was…” He paused. “Yeah, you’re right.”

  “You were there so I got through the night. When I woke up the next morning, he was nowhere around. I tried to convince myself it was a dream, but I knew.” She grimaced. “Then, you went all freakin’ postal that summer and I never came back again.”

  “Yeah, about that—”

  “It wasn’t the same thing.” Her skin flushed, starting at her neck and going straight up to her hairline.

  “How so?”

  “Marcus!” She sat up and glared at him. “I loved you. That’s how it was different.”

  “Lainie, I loved you too, but it didn’t make it right. You were just a little baby. I should have controlled myself.”

  “You did, in the end.” She caressed his jaw with her fingers.


  “But what if I hadn’t?” He bit his words off. “I didn’t want to.”

  “I didn’t really want you to either. The feelings that hit me were scary as hell. It felt like heat in my blood, and when you touched me, I went up in flames.” She licked her lips. “I have a confession to make.”

  “What’s that?” He lay back, pulling her with him. She wiggled around, tucking her head beneath his chin.

  Lainie chewed on her nail, wondering how she should go about telling this man she’d set out to seduce him all those years ago. He’d been the ultimate teenage fantasy, charming, handsome, sweet and gentle. At least, she’d thought so, until that day when he attempted to take her further than she’d wanted.

  “Lainie.” He slid his hands underneath her shirt stroking them up and down her spine. When he began to knead the muscles there, she melted against him with a sigh.

  “When I came to your house that summer, I’d decided that you were going to be my boyfriend.”

  “Did you now?” He sounded amused.

  “Yes, I did. Shut up.” She pinched him on the side. “The minute I saw you again, I wanted to—okay, I really didn’t know what I wanted, but that’s beside the point. I wanted something and I set out to get it. But you proved to be more of a challenge than the boys back home.”

  “What boys back home?” He didn’t sound too happy about that. She put her face against his chest to hide her grin.

  “The point is, they were always after me to go out with them, but I didn’t want to. I wanted something else, and when I saw you, I knew what it was.” She sat up and looked into his eyes to see his reaction to her next statement.

  “Before I came out to where you were that day, I prepared myself.” She smiled when he raised his brow at her. “Shaved my legs, put on my favorite dress, the one that showed off my tan and made my boobs look bigger.”

  Marcus’s hands strayed up the front of her shirt, cupping her breasts in his hands. “They’re big enough now.” He squeezed them, lifting them in his hands. His thumbs stroked her nipples to hardened points.

  Her eyes crossed. “Stop that, you’re distracting me.” She pushed his hands back down. She sat astride his hips, very aware of the bulge of his arousal pressing against her through their jeans. “I fixed you a glass of tea, so I’d have an excuse to come see you.”

  She paused as she remembered the feeling of anticipation. All she’d been expecting was maybe a kiss, one of those nice, soft ones like in all the movies. What she’d gotten was much more primal and ultimately terrifying. Her own reaction had been just as strong, so much so that she’d fled from him when all she’d really wanted was to pull him inside her and hold him there forever.

  “There you were, without your shirt.” She tickled his bare ribs with a grin. “Hot and sweaty and hot.”

  “You said that twice.”

  “Two different meanings though, keep up.” She kept her voice light and teasing. “At first, I didn’t even think you noticed me, but then once I sat down, I could tell you did.”

  “You bit off more than you could chew, Lainie.” Marcus frowned.

  “I know that now. But then, I didn’t. So, imagine my surprise when you just pounced on me. I felt like I was being…” She paused to find the right word. “Devoured.”

  “Eating you up did cross my mind.”

  She glared down at him. “You scared the crap out of me. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, so I ran. Pretty stupid, huh?” She lowered her head, ashamed for teasing him. But, she thought she knew what to do to make it up to him.

  He watched her for a long moment, taking in all the changes time had wrought and all the wonderful ways she was still the same. “No. You were sweet, innocent and silly, but then again, you were only sixteen. Looking back, it was a damn wonder we didn’t do anything before. Why in the hell did they allow you to come see me each year? I was a hormonal wreck, you know?” Besides being a damn werewolf, he added silently.

  “I begged to go. And whined, and made a nuisance of myself until Joanna threw up her hands and chucked me out at your house.” She grinned. “I loved you. You were my best friend in the whole world, my only friend really. You let me call you. You answered my letters. You were wonderful.”

  He shrugged, feeling uncomfortable. He’d done all those things because he believed in the philosophy that when you save someone’s life, they become your responsibility. Add to that the fact she practically treated him like a god during his early teens and you had a potent cocktail for his continued goodwill. She’d been a little pest, but she’d been his pest.

  He put his hands around her waist and tipped her forward so she lay on his chest again. Her breasts slid against him with each breath she took. He gritted his teeth at the sensation, but didn’t want to upset the uneasy peace that existed right now. She wasn’t asking questions so he didn’t have to scramble for plausible lies. He knew it was only a matter of time, but he was dreading the death of that look in her eyes.

  She’d said she loved him. But was she talking about the Lainie from the past, or the one from the present? He wished he knew, but was afraid that if he asked the question, the answer would break his heart.

  “Marcus, you said that you were out doing a secret Indian ritual.” She trailed her fingers up and down his chest, ruining his concentration. “Why did it involve you being naked again? I don’t think you ever said.”

  “I can’t tell you.” He closed his eyes with a groan. She circled his nipples with the tips of her fingers, lightly scratching her nails up and down his chest.

  “Why not?”

  “David won’t let me.” Marcus was happy to put the blame on someone else’s shoulders. He hissed and opened his eyes when she pinched both of his nipples. “Don’t start things you don’t want to finish, Lainie.”

  “Who says I won’t?” She raised one brow at him and smiled wickedly. “Maybe I’ll start it and finish it too.” She waited for a beat. “I’ll leave the naked jogging thing for now, but only because I have more important things on my mind.” She hopped off the bed and out of his reach before he could grab her. With a mysterious smile, she pulled her shirt off.

  Immediately, he sat up and started to come toward her. “No!” She put up her hand. “Stay back and watch me.”

  Marcus flopped back on the bed and put his hands behind his head. He crossed his legs at the ankles and tried to pretend he didn’t have a care in the world. In fact, he was about to explode, and all she’d taken off was her shirt. “What are you doing?” He swallowed hard to get the words out past the lump in his throat.

  “What does it look like?” She slid her jeans down over her hips, turning her back on him when she did so. Her ass was almost within reach of his hand. It took all he had not to grab her.

  The swishing sound of the denim brought him out of his daze with a snap. She threw them out of the way and turned back to face him. She took off her socks and flicked them out of the way with her toes.

  He smiled at the sight of them, long and thin, with the ability to pinch the shit out of you when you least expected it. That small, quirky memory helped him calm down slightly. Then he looked at her standing there in a white bra and panties. The creamy swells of her breasts overflowed the cups and the dark circles of her nipples showed through the lacy fabric. He wanted to know how they’d taste, if they’d be salty from her exertions, with the hint of sweetness beneath.

  He inhaled, breathing in the scent of the lotion she wore, a light, clean fragrance he couldn’t identify. Beneath he detected something that made his nostrils flair. Her arousal.

  She smelled hot, spicy and he knew she’d be wet for him. He could pull her down on the bed and take her from behind without even worrying about whether she was ready or not. He knew she was, more than ready. Marcus’s gaze crept downward, over her belly, the tiny ring in her navel making him smile.

  He looked at the apex of her thighs and licked his lips. “Lainie.”

 
She slid her hands up her belly, cupping her breasts, lifting them.

  He gave a low whine of need. “What the hell are you trying to do, drive me crazy?”

  Lainie undid her hair from the band holding it in place, allowing the long tresses to fall free. She raked them back from her face, tossing her head. She didn’t answer. Instead, with a flick of her wrist, she released the catch on the bra and peeled it from her breasts, one cup at a time.

  “Oh shit.” He caught the bra she tossed to him. He pressed it to his face, narrowing his eyes to thin slits.

  “Marcus, are you looking?” She sounded like a temptress, a siren, teasing him with what he knew he’d get, eventually. It was well worth the wait, he knew that.

  “I haven’t blinked yet,” he assured her, grinning and tossing the bra onto the bed. “Carry on, darlin’, I don’t know what you’ve got in that diabolical brain of yours, but I’m game.”

  “Game? This isn’t a game.” She smoothed her hands over her stomach, flicking the ring with her little finger. The charm on it made a tiny jingling sound. Then she moved back up again. She molded her hands to her breasts, cupping them, tweaking the hard rosy nipples between her thumb and forefingers.

  His already engorged shaft pulsed once; he ached to take her but didn’t want to miss whatever she had in store for him next. He wasn’t disappointed.

  Her head fell back and she sighed. “Mm.” She licked her lips and pulled her nipples a little harder.

  “Baby.” His voice was breathless and slightly higher in pitch. “I’ll be happy to do that for you…and that too!”

  Lainie’s hands had left her breasts and moved slowly down her abdomen. She paused at the top of her panties; he smiled and waited for her to take them off. Apparently, she had other plans. With a wicked smile, she slid one hand down the front of her underwear. Her eyes met his, never wavering when she began to circle the bud of her clit.