WOLF (Wolf River Book 1)

by Alaska Angelini

  “This is what I want for us, every night and every day. This makes me happy.” Alex’s tongue pushed into my mouth and I moaned as his fingers dug into my back. I broke away, sucking in air at the blaze he’d created down my side. The scratches didn’t break the skin, but they held enough bite to ignite the masochist I’d spent the last few years trying to forget. And somehow I knew he picked up on my reaction to the pain. Just like he must have done when we were together before. He could smell the lust and no doubt it was intensifying to epic proportions by his actions.

  “Do you see how perfect we are for each other? I know what you need, baby. Me, no one else.”

  Yes. Just him. He was right. I knew that. Something within told me it was true. Something … more than instinct. My mind started racing while I tried to figure out whether or not he’d pull away from me again. Would he now that I knew what he was? That his problems weren’t PTSD, but his wolf?

  “Alright. Enough with your mind. Your energy is all over the place. No wonder you can’t sleep.” Alex lifted, trailing his fingers between my cleavage as he worked his way down. “Don’t worry. After I finish, you’ll be lucky to move, more or less, think.”

  He gripped behind my knees, spreading my legs wide. As he began to lower, I took in everything—his expression, how focused he was on my pussy, the way he licked his lips as he neared what he wanted. The hunger behind what I saw made me impatient to have him.

  Breath brushed against one of my inner thighs, and then moved to the next. He took his time, making me wait for contact. With each second that ticked by, I could feel myself getting wetter. Just as thoughts pushed into my head, a nip had me crying out. It came more from shock, than pain, but it worked.

  “And you were doing so well.”

  Scruff from his cheek had me closing my lids and basking in the sensation. Not thinking, but feeling. Combined with the tingling from where his teeth had scraped, Alex quickly became my sole focus. The light swirl of his tongue over the tender area increased the awareness of where he’d bitten. When he glided lower, I gripped to the comforter, waiting to see what he’d do next. Another nip was followed by him rubbing his lips back and forth over the top of my slit. My head lifted and I couldn’t stop myself from rocking against him. My clit pulsed repeatedly, and I nearly screamed when finally teased me with the tip of his tongue.

  “Yes,” I whispered. “More.”

  Alex’s thumb positioned at the top of my folds and he applied pressure, pulling back as he flicked back and forth over the sensitive nub. When I reached for his head to pull him in, he grabbed my wrist, trapping it underneath my ass.

  “You’re begging, already?” He ran his tongue over my entrance, moaning as he went up to suck over my clit. “Answer me,” he said, going back to add more suction.

  I fought to form words, too busy trying to will oxygen to come. “Yes, I’m begging. Keep going. Oh, God, please keep going.”

  A chuckle left him as he rubbed the roughness of his cheek back over my inner thigh.

  “No, no,” I pleaded. “Go back.”

  “To what, your pussy? Or maybe you want my tongue teasing that tight little ass.”

  “Wait … what?”

  I could barely register the vivid picture in my mind before I was being flipped over and pulled up to my knees. My hands scrambled to lift my chest, but his palm was already pushing the top of my body back to the bed.

  “Relax, baby. You’ll like this.”

  I didn’t have a chance to debate his statement. Alex’s tongue flattened over my pussy and moved up, circling around my back entrance. Tightly, I gripped to the blankets, bracing myself for the unknown. Thoughts, insecurities, they bombarded me in a title wave of overwhelming uncertainties. Alex’s hand spanking my ass drew me to the warmth he’d ignited. I could feel where his hand had connected and instead of wanting to escape the pleasure he was evoking, I felt myself swaying back into him. My actions had him gripping into my flesh and moving his tongue into me deeper.

  “That’s it. Feel.” He dipped back to my pussy, long enough to suck along the outside, before he came up to tease my ass again. Over and over, he took turns. My whole body was vibrating from our moans. When he slid his finger into my channel, I almost had an orgasm on the spot. If it wasn’t for the spanking, I wouldn’t have been able to hold off.

  “On my cock this time, baby.”

  “Right now?” I picked up my head and looked back. Alex was already on his knees behind me, positioning himself.

  “Back down.” Nails scratched the length of my back and ignited a need like none other. “Ooh, you like that. A lot. Fuck, if you only knew how delicious you smell right now.”

  His cock inched inside of me and his hands came up. Nails dragged down both sides, multiplying the ecstasy. I gasped through the sensations, trying to ignore how I didn’t feel as though I was keeping my thoughts to myself anymore. I almost felt like I was splitting into two—sharing my insight into what was going on with someone else. For a second, I was scared by the confusion, but it didn’t last.

  “Nope.” Fingers twisted around my hair, tugging for me to get on all fours. When the pressure of his other hand pushed on the small of my back and I arched, he surged forward. My orgasm was automatic. There was no stopping it or controlling when it happened. “Fuck baby, that’s it.” His cock withdrew and he took his time going slow and deep as the spasms shook me.

  My cries pierced the room and the moment I came down, he began rubbing over my clit all over again. The constant stimulation had me building while he tortured me with his leisurely pace. Tighter, he held to my hair, using his other hand to trail his fingers up and down my back. The dominance gave me a view into his wolf. I knew that’s who he was in moments like this. It was the one who took the lead. The one who made the rules and expected them to be followed. He was showing authority, yet he was still caressing me gently. There was deep care in the action. Love.

  “I want to see your face. I have to see…” He turned me to my back, lifting one of my legs to fit over his shoulder. His cock drove in deep as he hovered above. He kept the slow pace, teasing my nipples as he took in my expressions. The intensity he held sent off a power of its own. It came at first as a flicker of awareness, until it grew into an invisible blanket that cloaked over my skin. Where I should have been uncomfortable, I wasn’t. I wanted to pull it around me tighter. To have him so in tune with me that there was no separation between us.

  My hand reached toward his chest and Alex lowered, sucking and biting at the tip of my finger. Still, he watched. And still, I relished in the physical force of his passion. Of his need of me.

  “You’re getting close.” He lowered my leg, pushing deep as he settled his weight over me. Our lips met and I wrapped around him, holding tight as I urged him faster.

  “Come with me,” I begged. “Come in me.”

  A growl tore from Alex and he dove down sucking and biting against my neck. His hands were pushing under my back, gripping and raking down my skin as he thrust with pounding force. I was his. Gone from bliss thanks to the beast he harbored inside. And in the moment, I was more than okay with that.

  Chapter 24

  Alex

  Giggling brought a bigger smile to my face as I watched Erin and my mother carry a conversation from across the kitchen. They were both working on getting dinner ready and their actions were so in sync that they were flawless together. They never went into an uneasy silence. It was as if they’d know each other forever.

  My dad was looking too, smiling just as big while we sat, content to just watch them. There were moments we’d slip into a topic, but happiness came from the women we adored. And I did adore Erin. Two weeks she’d lived in my home and although the first few days were rocky, the morning after she came back to my bed, we had picked up like nothing had ever driven a space between us to begin with. I knew she had gone through a lot with the attack and learning the truth. It was a scary fact to face, but now… Life couldn’t have been
any more perfect.

  “So you really grow these here on your land?” Erin picked up a carrot, placing it on the cutting board as she began to chop away.

  “Oh yeah, we have a greenhouse in the back. It’s so much more convenient than driving to the grocery store half an hour away, and better for you too. It’s really the best option if you’re putting down roots in a remote location. Alex,” she paused, “Alexander, I should say, does the hunting for meat and between the two of us, we rarely have to make trips for food. We have everything we need here.”

  Erin grabbed another carrot and I could see from her expression that she was thinking. “Is it hard to start a garden?”

  “Not at all. Not when you got Alex. He knows everything there is about gardening. Isn’t that right, honey?”

  My mother and Erin glanced back at me and I gave a nod. “I do, but first we need a greenhouse. Not much will survive the winters without some sort of protection from the elements and animals.”

  “Oh.” Erin’s brow drew in and her smile fell as she turned back to the cutting board.

  “I actually have been thinking of starting one for a while. We’ll take a trip in the morning and grab some lumber, what do you say?”

  My pulse jumped as her face lit up and she flashed me an amazing smile. “I’d love that. It sounds fun. So you’ll teach me, then?”

  “Of course.”

  Hell, I’d carry the wood all the way home on my back if she continued to look at me like that.

  “There we go.” My mom beamed. “Now you and Alex can have your own garden.” Her voice wavered at the end. It was enough to draw both mine and Erin’s attention. My mom paused, shifting as she began cutting the onion. “I mean… How long do you plan on staying? Will it be long enough for you to see your hard work come to fruition?”

  Erin and I looked at each other and she quickly turned back to the carrots. “I’ll be staying until I solve this case. However long that may be.”

  “At Alex’s?”

  She glanced up, then, but only briefly. There was no emotion on her face as she scooped the carrots she had together and placed them in the bowl. “We’ve actually been talking about that, too.” She paused. “Mrs. Castle had a rental house become available just this morning.”

  My stomach dropped. I didn’t know she’d gotten a call. It must have been when I was outside chopping more firewood.

  Erin, grabbed a potato. “I turned down her offer. I think I’ll stay as long as he doesn’t mind me being there.”

  My mother smiled, looking over her shoulder at me. “Good. I think you’re safer that way. Not saying you can’t take care of yourself, it’s just these woods … well, you know. My Alex will watch over you and make sure nothing happens.”

  “That’s right.” I stood and walked over to them. I was dying to wrap my arms around Erin and kiss her for her decision, but I didn’t think she would feel comfortable. And there was no way in hell I was going to mess this up.

  I took a carrot from the bowl, popping the piece into my mouth as I leaned against the counter closest to Erin. The expression she wore as she glanced at me was genuine. She had been so happy lately that it didn’t take me long at all to decipher when she was in a good mood or when she was pretending.

  An engine humming in the distance had me turning to pull back the blinds. Multiple headlights left me confused. “Are you expecting company?”

  “Company?” My mom, repeated. “Well, no. Not that—” She stopped abruptly, cursing under her breath. “I did mention earlier to your Aunt Jessa that you were coming over for dinner with Erin. She got pretty excited and brought up having a potluck at some point, but I thought she meant for another day.”

  “Aunt Jessa?” I nearly groaned. It had been so long since the last time I’d seen that side of my mom’s family. Or my cousins, Justin and Randy. It had to have been a good year before my accident. They were the same age as me, so that put them in their mid-thirties now. Surely they had families of their own.

  Just the thought that they didn’t, combined with the big, fancy truck that was leading the way, had me moving in closer to Erin.

  “You okay?”

  My dad’s voice brought my head up. I blinked past the boiling jealousy that had blossomed. “Yes. I was just trying to remember how long it been since I last saw them. How are they? Did Randy or Justin every get married? Have families?”

  “Justin married,” my mom, cut in. “Randy … he dates, but I don’t think he’s found anyone serious to settle down with.”

  Great. Just what I needed. Hopefully he wasn’t coming, or if he was, he’d somehow miraculously turned out uglier than the last time I’d seen him. Back then there wasn’t a girl who didn’t swoon in his presence.

  “Aunt Jessa, is that your sister?” Erin’s voice distracted me and I watched while my mother listed the members of the family. Before she could finish, a knock sounded at the door. My dad raised one of his eyebrows at me and headed for the sound. Were he and Uncle Clayton still on bad terms? Shit, too much time had gone by. I felt lost.

  The wooden door opened and I cringed at my aunt’s high pitched voice. “Alexander!” She rushed forward, and I forced a smile as she came up and threw her arms around me. “Look at you. My goodness, you sure did grow up. Clayton!”

  She spun around and weight crashed into me before I could brace myself. Uncle Clayton was built like a bear. He was heavier, but it was all muscle. Or had been, last I recalled. Not really anymore.

  “Good to see you, boy. How you been?”

  “Great. Good. I…” My voice faded out as I caught sight of Randy and a blonde woman coming forward. His eyes were trained on Erin and I tried to calm my wolf as it stirred. The blonde, in turn, had her eyes all over me. “Randy, that can’t be you,” I said, changing the subject.

  Blue eyes turned my way and his dark hair was cut shorter than mine. Where my beard was coming in, his face was cleanly shaven. He still looked like the pretty boy I remembered.

  “Alex,” he said, nodding. “How you been?”

  Fear and something altogether unknown perfumed the room. I smiled at the fact that I made him uneasy, but the victory didn’t last as I caught Erin almost glaring at the blonde. It was so out of her character that my jealousy over Randy faded, quickly. “I’m doing great. Better than ever. Let me introduce you all to Erin. Erin, this is my aunt and uncle. And that’s Randy,” I said, gesturing.

  Erin smiled, shaking hands with them. When she got to Randy and the blonde, she gave him a wave and stopped on the woman.

  “Oh, this is Mimi,” Randy said, hugging her to him, awkwardly. Erin reached out her hand and the blonde smiled, glancing between her and then stopping on me as they shook.

  “Ow!” Her gaze jerked back to Erin.

  “I’m sorry,” Erin rushed out. “Sometimes I don’t know my own strength. Hazards of the trade, I’m afraid.”

  Confusion flashed on Mimi’s face.

  “She’s an investigator,” I offered. “And she was a detective and cop for a while.”

  Erin shrugged and smiled sweetly, immediately taking up residence with my mother next to the stove. Although I was a little surprised at her behavior, I couldn’t help but feel elated over what I had picked up. And scents never lied. The whole time I had been worried over Randy, but there was no need. Erin’s jealousy over the blonde clearly indicated where she stood concerning him… and me.

  I led my aunt and uncle back toward the island while Randy and Mimi followed. Erin kept taking peeks in our direction. Each time she looked over, I was sure to meet her gaze as assurance that she had nothing to worry about. A smile soon surfaced back on her face, but I could sense something was still bothering her. She wasn’t acting like her usual confident self.

  “I hear you’re logging some of your land. You own a good amount if I remember hearing correctly. How much do you have now?” My uncle took up lead in the conversation while I sat down next to my dad.

  “Close to eighty acr
es.”

  “Eighty? Wow, nice. You do any hunting on your land?”

  Silence. I knew everyone associated hunting with my accident, which led to the suspicions, but I brushed it off like it wasn’t a big deal.

  “Sometimes, although I haven’t been in a few months. You thinking of doing some?”

  He shrugged, glancing over to Randy. “We did some duck hunting last week up north. We don’t do much here around Wolf River.”

  “Probably a good thing,” I said, grabbing my glass of tea. “Although, if you do decide to hit the bow and want to do some good deer hunting, you might want to check out Marathon. I was up there last year. Good hunting that way.”

  “Marathon. I’ve heard some good things about that place. I was thinking Waupaca, but I might check into both.”

  “Waupaca is good, too. You’ll likely get something if you go to either one.”

  My uncle grinned, almost relieved that I wasn’t uncomfortable. But I was. I didn’t hunt there like they did. Not even close. And I didn’t go last year, more like four years ago. That was a close call. One I didn’t care to repeat. People weren’t as scarce as they were here. Especially after dark.

  “Do I smell roast, here, too?” I pointed to the pot they’d placed on the island and threw a charming smile to my aunt, who beamed.

  “Sure do. Your momma mentioned making one tonight and I thought I’d bring over my own recipe. I also went ahead and brought over a little something special for you.”

  My head cocked to the side as my smile grew. “You didn’t.” I grabbed the small plastic container, pulling off the lid, and my Aunt Jessa laughed.

  “You used to love my fudge. I thought I’d surprise you with your own batch.”

  I grabbed a piece, moaning as it melted on my tongue. “Seriously.” I swallowed, grabbing another piece. “This is the best ever. Erin,” I said, waving her over. “You have to try this.”

  The expression she held made it appear she was having a good time, but I knew what I was looking at. It was fake. Staged for their benefit, just like my behavior. Something was definitely going on in that mind of hers. The distracting thoughts were constant since she’d come to stay with me and it triggered my suspicions even more, but I couldn’t be for sure.