by V. Vaughn
“As long as she wants.”
Mom looks at me. “Trixie? What’s your plan?”
Oh boy. A plan? “I can’t deny that I want to be with Parker. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. But I don’t think I know him well enough to go get married tomorrow.”
Parker reaches over and takes my hand. “I thought we’d try this the usual way. Dates, engagement, and then marriage.”
I flip our hands up and thread my fingers through his and gaze into his eyes as he smiles at me. “I like that plan.”
A knife clashes against a plate as my mother cuts her shrimp. She lifts a bite to her mouth as she says, “I can live with that.”
As if a random storm cloud blew over, the tension is suddenly gone. Parker digs into his dinner as relief relaxes my shoulders. I reach my foot over to nudge his leg in a thank-you, because he handled that beautifully.
Parker continues to be the perfect guest by answering my mother’s questions about his life in the NFL and promising to give her insight into the players for any upcoming books. He even graciously takes one of her romance novels she offers and promises to read it. If that’s not dedication to me, then I don’t know what is.
He seals the deal when he rolls up his sleeves and insists she finish her wine while he cleans with my assistance. The cabinet in the china hutch clicks shut as I put the last wine glass away. Parker places his hand at the small of my back and asks, “Ms. Quinn, would you mind if I took Trixie out for ice cream? We could bring something back to you.”
“I don’t mind at all. And if you bring me mint chocolate chip, you can call me Caroline.”
Parker grins. “Will do.”
I get a sweater from my room, and when I return to the living room, Mom says, “I don’t expect to eat that ice cream tonight. Don’t forget to lock up when you get in.”
I kiss her on the cheek and whisper, “Thanks.”
Once we’re outside, Parker takes my hand. “I think she likes me.”
“Me too. Thanks for being so charming.”
The metal of Parker’s truck is cold on my back as I lean against it and tug on his shirt. He pulls me against his body and leans down close. “It was easy. I like your mom.” He brushes his lips over mine. “And I love you.”
Oh my God! Our kiss is becoming familiar, and when he releases me I know it’s true. “I love you too.”
11
My seat belt clicks into place, and I say, “I want to see you as a wolf. Will you shift for me?”
The engine roars to life when Parker turns the key. His smile is sly when he says, “I’ll have to get naked first. Think you can handle that?”
I offer a coy smile of my own. “I can try.”
“Okay. Let’s get the ice cream for your mom and then go to my place.”
A tiny shiver runs through me as I imagine what I’m about to witness. I’m not sure if it’s for naked Parker or his wolf, but my insides tremble at both visions. I squirm a little in my seat, wishing I could relieve some of my sexual wanting.
I say, “Tell me about mating season.”
We bounce over potholes as we approach the small takeout ice cream shop on the way to Silver Lake. “It happens every spring and is an extremely fertile time for females. Chances are good if we have sex you’ll get pregnant.”
“Oh. I’m not sure if I’m ready for that.”
“Me either.” He places his hand on my thigh. “But you’ve got to be dying of need. I’m rather impressed by your self-control. I’m told most women can’t function around their mate if they’re not sexually satisfied.”
Considering I’m ready to rip his clothes off, I’m pretty impressed with me too. I put my hand over his. For someone that was used to having women fall all over him, he’s being awfully sweet about this. But I don’t want to wait to have sex with him, although I’m too shy to say anything. I sigh.
“What’s the matter?”
“Controlling my urges with you isn’t that easy.”
Parker’s hand moves up my leg a little higher. “There’s a lot I can do about that.”
“There is?”
He chuckles as he pulls into the ice cream shop parking lot. “Seems I might be showing you more than my wolf tonight.”
The bright lights shine in the window, making his eyes glow, and I smile at him. “I can’t wait.”
* * *
The truck wheels crunch over gravel as we head down a dirt drive to Parker’s house. Most of the Winter Valley Pack lives on Silver Lake, and it explains why kids are told to never come here at night. Just like my mate, the house is big. As we walk through the doorway, I realize it’s higher than usual and guess the house was custom built for him. I’m sure of it when we get to the kitchen and notice the counter is about mid-chest for me.
“I feel tiny in this house.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that. When I had it built, I wasn’t sure I’d find my true mate.” Frosty air blasts out of the freezer as he puts my mom’s ice cream in it. When the door shuts, he grabs my hand and pulls me with him into a large living room. “Lucky for you, I have more money than sense, and we can redo things to suit your tastes.”
Parker bends down to find a remote on a coffee table, and a small whoosh sounds as a gas fireplace lights up. He says, “Have a seat and enjoy the show.”
I lower myself to a plush suede couch and get sucked into the cushions. I watch as he unbuttons his shirt slowly and lick my lips when the most cut torso I’ve ever seen appears. I grab the garment from the air as he tosses it to me and says, “I’m not getting much encouragement.”
I grin at him as I reach in my pocket and pull out a dollar bill. “Perhaps this will help?” I wave my money in the air.
He smiles as he saunters toward me, and I gulp when he steps in front of me, placing his washboard stomach by my face. His intoxicating scent makes me woozy with lust. Judging by his bulge, he’s turned on too. He asks, “Help me with my pants?”
The metal of his belt buckle is warm with his body heat and clashes when I undo it. I trace the light line of hair that is below his navel, and his belly trembles at my touch. I continue on to slide my hand beneath the waistband to unfasten his pants. I gasp when unzipping him reveals he’s commando.
I’ve never seen a penis so readily displayed, and I stroke it with a finger. “Wow.”
Parker takes my hand and wraps it around his erection. He helps me grip tightly and shows me how he wants me to pump him. He sighs. “Your touch is amazing.”
A drop of liquid forms on the top of his mushroom-like head, and I wonder what it would taste like. I have never given anyone a blowjob, nor have I wanted to until now. Parker stops me and steps back. “We’re getting distracted. I’m supposed to be showing you my wolf.”
I place my hand on my heaving chest. “Right. So sorry.”
He lifts my chin with a finger, and his cock is so close to my mouth, I could easily lean forward an inch or two to swipe my tongue over him. I gaze up into those emerald-green eyes as he says, “We have the rest of our lives to try everything that you can imagine, baby girl.”
He steps backward, and odd noises come from his body as I watch the transformation. The floor shakes when he thuds down to all fours, and I discover I’m holding my breath as a large black wolf appears.
When he approaches, adrenaline surges through me, and I’m back in the woods the night I was bitten. My heart is pounding its way out of my chest, and I can’t get away fast enough. I scramble over the back of the couch and curl up in a ball as if I can hide.
The wolf’s nails click as he slowly comes toward me, and I take long, deep breaths to calm myself. Parker lowers himself to sit before me, and I gaze into the eyes that remind me of his human form.
My hand shakes as I extend it. I wait for his reaction, and when Parker continues to be still, I manage to touch him. His fur is soft when I lay my hand on his back, and he lets out a sigh of contentment. I continue to pet him. He’s not going to hurt me. “Yo
u’re incredible.”
My mate presses against my hand, and I stroke him. I dig my fingers in and let the sensation travel up my arm, as if he’s sending a secret message to my dormant beast within. Something inside me wants to get closer, and I suspect it’s my wolf trying to escape. I close my eyes and lower my head over his as both my hands move over his coat.
A low noise rumbles in the back of my throat, and it resembles a growl. A swirling dizziness makes my head swim, and the thud I heard earlier sounds again. “What the—” My nails scratch at the hardwood floor as I attempt to gain purchase. When I open my eyes, I’m staring at Parker’s wolf chest. I glance down. “Oh shit!” I’m a wolf.
12
I backpedal and thump down on my butt. I have white furry arms... legs... feet... or whatever the hell they are. Scraps of fabric are on the floor, and I realize it’s my dress. Oh, God. I just shifted!
“Trixie.” The urge to run is great, but a large hand lands on my head, and Parker repeats my name. “Trixie. It’s okay. Breathe.”
He drops to his knees and holds my face... snout. I gaze into his green eyes, and he says, “You’re so beautiful.” I lean into his hand as it moves down my body, and he says, “I should have known you’d be a white wolf. It’s like being a natural blond. And that makes you rare. Treasured.”
While being a wolf isn’t as bad as I expected, I want to return to my human form, but I don’t know how. My heart rate quickens, and I think my tongue hangs out as I pant for air. I shake the vision of being a dog out of my head.
Parker says, “Shhh, stay calm. You’re safe here.” But I can’t stop freaking out and begin to fear I’ll never change back. I squirm to get away, and he asks, “Would you like to be human again?” I nod my head.
“Okay. Here’s what you do. I want you to close your eyes and circle in place. Imagine your skin swallowing your fur.”
I get up, and the dizziness returns as I twirl around as if I’m a dog chasing its tail before I return to my natural state. I glance down at my body. Oh, God. Now I’m naked. And the nude man staring at me steals my every thought, because I’m overwhelmed with the urge to taste him. I reach out to grab the sides of his face and kiss him. My nipples are solid nubs screaming for friction, and I press them against the hard planes of Parker’s chest as I grab his butt and dig my fingers into the flesh. My tongue pillages his mouth, but it’s not enough.
We’re both on our knees, and I shove him back to a sitting position. He grunts in surprise, and I straddle his lap. His hard, thick length is at my sensitive slit, and I slide over him to envelop him within my folds.
He grips my arms and pushes me from his mouth. “Stop. This is going to lead to trouble, baby.”
I whimper as I grind into his lap. “Parker, you don’t understand. I’ll die if I don’t have you. Please.” I get what they meant about heat now, because my words weren’t dramatic. I’d rather kill myself than be denied my mate’s cock stretching me and satiating my primal demand. I reach down and guide him to my entrance. His grip is tight on my hips, and he’s making an effort to block my attack. I don’t let him. I spear myself with his dick and cry out at the pain as he tears into me.
But the stinging doesn’t stop me; a force I can’t control begs for more. My release is a necessity, and I’m frantic as I ride him. Parker’s voice is low as he says, “That’s it, baby girl, take it from me. Make it count.” His mouth is nipping at my neck, and my orgasm is so close.
I throw my head back, and a voice that barely registers as mine begs, “Bite me.”
Teeth sink into my chest as I scream, and my channel grips onto the life force of my mate. I can’t stop the flexing as I come down. Parker’s tongue laps at my wound, but the pain is faint compared to my inner heat that aches for more. I’m near tears as I whimper, “Parker.”
He whispers, “I know. Hold on.”
He rolls me off and onto my hands and knees. I lower my weight to my forearms and expose myself to him. I pant out, “Hurry. I mi—” Parker thrusts into me, and my words are replaced with my moan of pleasure.
“God, that ass.” His pumping becomes chaotic as he jams into me with force. I’m climbing to my apex and begin to quake. My orgasm shatters through me, making my knees weak, and I’m about to collapse when Parker’s growl reverberates through me. “Mine.”
Hot seed explodes inside me, and the warmth is like the soothing water of a bath when you lower your aching muscles into it. I sigh in pleasure, because that’s what I needed to satiate my wolf.
We fall to the floor in a heap together, and my eyes flutter closed in exhaustion. I don’t bother opening them when Parker lifts me up in his arms. I’m lowered into something that resembles what I imagine is a cloud, and I doze off.
* * *
The aroma of bacon makes me smile, and I stretch in the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in. Wait. Oh, no. I sit up and gaze around the room. I have to pee, and I pray there’s a bathroom up here. A door that gives way to a glimpse of aqua makes me sneak out of bed, and I start to tiptoe to it. The carpet under my feet is so plush that I walk instead, because the sound is completely muffled. Soreness between my legs makes me wince, and heat rises to my face as I recall last night. Last night!
Once I’m done, I race to the room in search of my bag, or clothes, or— Footsteps sound on the stairs, and I scramble to get back in the bed and pull the covers over my head. I want to die. Last night I attacked the man on his way up the stairs, and my mother must be going crazy wondering where I am.
Parker enters the room and chuckles. He sits on the bed, and it bounces. “I know you’re in there. Trust me when I say you’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about. What you did was the sexiest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
I pull the covers down to my nose. “Really?”
He yanks them down to my neck. “Really.” Parker kisses me.
And damn my body, because it responds, and I’m trembling when he’s done. There was something I needed to ask. My brain is clouded with lust, but I focus. Right. “Hold on. My mother.”
“Knows you’re here. I told her you shifted accidentally last night, and that I thought you should stay with me to be safe.”
I nod. Knowing my mother, she’s probably figured out what else happened. I pull the covers over my head again and groan.
Cool air chills my feet, and Parker says, “I guess I’ll have to get to you from this end.”
I squeal when he starts to lick his way up my legs, because his tongue sets my body on fire. I whip the covers off, and they land on the floor with a whoosh. All modesty flies out the window as I spread my legs and let him show me something else.
13
“Has bacon always tasted this good?” I speak over the food in my mouth.
“It has for me. Shifting must have awakened your wolf senses.” Parker sips coffee, and the sound of his swallow makes me gulp. More than my tastebuds are awake.
“I’m going to get huge again if all food is this delicious.”
Parker traces a finger down my chest and under the sweatshirt I borrowed. “That’ll give me more to hold. Do you have any idea how much I love your curves?” He tweaks my nipple, and my eyes fall shut. “You’re insatiable, aren’t you?”
I nod, and my fork clatters on my plate when I drop it so I can reach for his cock. It’s rock hard, so I stand and gaze down at him. “I’ll make this quick.” I straddle his lap and take what I need.
When we’re done, I climb off him and return to my breakfast. Parker chuckles, and it makes a flush rise to my cheeks. “What? It’s your fault. You bit me.”
“Yes, I did. But are you prepared for the fact you’re most likely pregnant now?”
I shrug. “I haven’t been prepared for anything that’s happened in the last few days, but it hasn’t seemed to stop me, has it?”
“You’re not what I expected. I thought you were a shy, sheltered girl, but you’ve proven me wrong.”
I was.
Park
er grins at me as if he can read my thoughts. I say, “I thought you were a pompous jerk with anger management issues.”
“I was.”
I stare at him in shock. “Did you just say that in my head?”
“Yes.” My mate is still smiling, and his lips didn’t move. “We can communicate with each other telepathically now that we’re mated.”
I groan, imagining the things I might have said.
“Don’t worry, you didn’t share anything I didn’t want to hear.”
I cover my face with my hands and peek through my fingers. “There’s no hiding from you, is there?”
“Nope. But that’s the beauty of our relationship as true mates.” He reaches over and takes my hand. He lifts it up and threads his fingers through mine to grip tightly. “We’re a team now.”
I gaze at the man across from me. The person that is mine for the rest of my life, and no matter what I do or say, he’s going to love me anyway. I recall how I’ve always considered being bitten a curse. But now I realize I’ve been blessed. “How did I get so lucky?”
“It’s not luck. It’s our destiny. You’ve been chosen for me, because I need your strengths.”
“And I must need yours.”
Parker grins and glances down at his lap. “Yup. I believe you do.”
I grin. “Stop. While I certainly need you for sex, I think there’s more. I can’t explain it, but you make me feel whole.” It occurs to me that for the first time in my life, I want a man around. I grew up believing they weren’t necessary. I think I’m discovering that while that may be true, Parker is adding a dimension to my world that didn’t exist.
“Do you think it’s okay for me to go home?”
Parker’s face clouds over with concern. “Sure. I can take you now if you want.”
I stand and carry my plate to the kitchen. I stop when I get there and make a show of scanning the room. “How long do you think it would take to lower the counters and cabinets for me?”
