by Trina M. Lee
It happened so fast. The next thing I knew, Kale's hands were on me, squeezing my breasts with wanton need. He rubbed my nipples into firm points, evoking a moan from me. I wasn't sure I'd be able to hold myself up much longer.
The unmistakable feeling of his erection pressed against my behind had me grinding my ass into him. Kale's energy felt hungry, needful in so many ways. I couldn't help but respond. The high-strung energy practically oozed from him, and I drew it into me hungrily. It filled me somewhere deeper than the physical, stirring my power to life like gasoline on flames.
Our two differing powers danced together, never joining but embracing nonetheless.
Kale's centuries old energy was like the finest aged wine. When his fangs came to rest against my vein again, I welcomed the sting. I ached for his bite.
“I can't stop.” Kale sighed somberly.
He had a desperate inner loneliness dating back far longer than I'd been alive. I couldn't fix it, but I could be a source of comfort. That's what we sought from one another: comfort. Maybe it would never heal the wounds we both carried, but it would give us what we needed for one night.
“Don't.” I looked down my body, taking in the sight of his hands on me. The rush was thrilling. “Don't stop. Just … bite me.”
His agonized groan told me more than any words could have. His touch grew aggressive and the wolf in me loved it. A steady throb started between my legs. I was ready for him to spill my blood. I wanted it.
Kale didn't have to be told twice. My encouragement was all he needed to unleash the true vampire that dwelled inside him. After how much time he spent holding back, I could only imagine how good it felt to let loose.
I gave a small cry when his fangs easily broke through the surface of my skin, deep into my flesh. The combination of pleasure and pain was dizzying. My knees buckled, and I slumped against Kale who held my weight effortlessly.
The sensation of Kale's teeth buried inside me was more potent and far more intimate than if it had been the hard on he pressed against my rear. The blood rushed from the wounds, and he drank it in along with my heady power. His energy was hot and strong with desire and something more, total abandon.
My breath came fast, and I nearly gasped for air. My heart thundered in my ears as he sucked the living nectar from me. It was both pain and pleasure. I moaned, extremely aroused by the demand in his bite. Kale had been waiting for this moment, but had he really known it would come? I never would have assumed so myself.
Blood spilled down my neck and chest, warm and beautifully scarlet. I needed more of him. It wasn't enough. Kale's tongue played along the punctures, encouraging the blood to keep flowing. His fingers continued their loving tribute to my nipples while kneading the creamy expanse of my breasts. I couldn't hold back anymore. I needed all of him.
Kale's soft moan in my ear drove me over the edge. Before I realized what I was doing, I was hiking my skirt up, inviting him to take me in every way. Releasing my hold on his dark locks, I reached down to free him from the confines of his pants.
Then, we heard the front door open. The sound of Jez chatting away on her cell phone was all it took to break the spell. Kale released me immediately, and I all but leaped away from him.
Oh, this was just great. Of all places for this to have happened, this had to be among the worst. I was consumed with guilt. I had to force myself to meet Kale's eyes.
My blood coated his teeth and lips. He licked it away with a few swipes of his tongue. The moment had been shattered, yet I still longed to kiss him as I once had, to taste the blood in his mouth.
We stood there staring at one another, listening as Jez went about flipping on lights in the hall and kitchen. Our cars were outside. She knew we were here. It was only a matter of moments until she made her way further into the building and discovered us standing here like guilty children in the cookie jar.
I tugged my corset back into place with a hot blush coloring my cheeks, but I couldn’t hide the fresh and very obvious vampire bite on my neck. Jez wouldn’t believe any lie in the world on this one. I'd be a moron to try.
“Lex?” She called, the sound of her footsteps growing closer. “What's up? I didn't expect anyone to be here.”
She rounded the corner to my office and stopped dead. As she surveyed the mess, taking in the holes in the wall and finally the two of us, her green eyes grew wide. I could only imagine how we looked from her point of view.
“Why not?” I asked. “Were you planning to have a party or something?” I spoke too quickly in my attempt to strike up normal conversation. I ignored the way her lips curled in a slight smile. Of course, she would find this amusing.
“Looks like the party started without me.” She laughed, looking back and forth between Kale and me. Rubbing her arms, she shivered slightly in response to the power we'd called. “I just stopped in to grab the jacket I left in my office. I'd ask what you two are doing here, but I think I'll just walk away now.”
Giving me a pointed look that clearly stated she expected details later, she smirked and sauntered off down the hall. Could this possibly get any more uncomfortable?
I was torn between several impulses and urges. I simply couldn't give in to most of them. Not now. The strongest urge I had was to flee the situation entirely. That wouldn't be fair to Kale, but what was I supposed to do?
I was sure we wore matching expressions of shame and wonder. My hand drifted to my bleeding neck. It came away stained with fresh blood though the flow had significantly decreased. I stared at my bloody fingers, fumbling for the right words.
Kale beat me to it. He shook his head, horror evident in his eyes. “I'm sorry, Alexa. I want to feel bad. I know I should feel bad, but I don't. The only thing I regret is Jez' shitty timing.”
I had to give him a point for honesty. It was more than I could say for myself.
However, that crappy timing had saved us from taking a dumb decision into the realms of downright stupid. So why did I feel as disappointed as he sounded?
“No more apologies.” I reached for the Kleenex on my desk and dabbed at my wound, anything to tear my gaze from his. “I have to go. I just … need to think. This has been a hell of a night.”
He nodded, watching silently as I gathered myself. Neither of us attempted another word. I couldn't just walk away and leave him standing there. I wasn't that heartless. In a bold move, I stepped up close to him and threw my arms around his neck. He hesitated for a moment before hugging me tightly.
“You know I adore you, right?” I needed him to know that. Kale was so delicate, so emotionally fragile. I feared becoming another abuser of his heart and soul.
“Of course,” he replied, lifting a hand to stroke the loose tendrils of hair back from my face. “You're a gem, Alexa. Now get out of here before I decide that I don't care whether we're alone or not.”
Chapter Twelve
I didn't think as I drove home. In fact, I did my best to avoid it altogether. Turning the stereo up loud, I let the heavy sound of Avenged Sevenfold soothe me as I cruised down the highway. I was wired. Between Arys and Kale, my night had been downright fucked up.
The bite on my neck ached, every throb accompanied by a jolt of pleasure to my groin. I was sexually frustrated but partially relieved that Jez had arrived when she did.
I'd been ready to let Kale bend me over my desk and bang my brains out. There was something so screwed up about that.
Shaz' car was parked outside when I got home and the wolf within was delighted.
Who better to bang my brains out than my mate? The one man I knew I could trust. Of course, going inside and having to admit that Arys was the scum that Shaz insisted he was didn't appeal to me.
“Hey, babe!” I called out as I entered. The sound of video games coming from the living room greeted me. I couldn't count how many times I'd had to listen to the various video games on the market. Boys!
Shaz was just as I expected, intent on the TV, his hands busy on the game contro
ller.
I rolled my eyes. In the mood I was in, I had half a mind to tear the thing out of his hands, but I could just imagine the whining he'd do when I destroyed his score.
“What's up, Lex? Where have you been all night?” There was one thing that could always destroy a werewolf's concentration and that was the scent of blood. The moment he caught scent of my wound, his game was forgotten.
Turning it off, he came to me with curiosity on his face, like he wasn't sure if he should be concerned. I reached for him, needing to feel his warmth and to breathe the comforting scent of wolf. I craved him, realizing how badly I missed him and how quickly those vampires stripped away the side of me that was all wolf. It was what I had been for so long. The thought of losing it, of being consumed by the vampire inside, it horrified me.
“What's going on, Alexa?” Shaz was deadly serious, the lighthearted glimmer absent from his jade eyes. “You've been bit. And, you smell like Kale.”
I kissed him with an aggressiveness that welled up from within.
The animal hunger for him was all wolf. I didn't know what to say about Kale. I was ashamed, and I didn't want to relive the events of the night by telling him right now. I just wanted to taste the Were blood that raged through his veins and feel his weight above me as he claimed my body.
There was no resistance as he kissed me back. His lips moved on mine, persistent and commanding. He tasted like heaven, that combination of wolf and pine that I loved so much. He kissed me like he couldn't get enough. When he pulled back, I was breathless.
“Now,” he said, holding me tight and peering deep into my eyes. “Start talking.”
My mind raced but nothing coherent formed. What could I say? “Arys has been with Harley the past two nights. I saw them tonight. At The Wicked Kiss. They were … tag teaming on some girl.” Why I chose to say that, I don't know. I felt stupid the moment the words left my mouth.
Shaz studied me, his eyes on the bite I wore. “So this was payback?” He gestured to the wound but didn't touch it. He sniffed lightly, smelling my blood. I knew he was thinking about tasting it himself though it was unlikely he'd admit it.
“No. It was just an irrational reaction. It hurt so bad to see that. I can't get the image out of my head. It's no excuse though. I know.”
“Whatever you get from Arys, you know you can't replace that with Kale. And, Lord knows that Kale has enough problems. You can't be what he needs, Lex.”
I hadn't expected Shaz' reaction. He wasn't pissed off or judgmental, just matter of fact. Still, I hated hearing it. Everything was so fresh. It all stemmed from that moment that the door had opened and I saw them. I was overcome with the urge to rage my pain. I stifled it by kissing him again, tearing at my clothing as I did so.
“Please,” I murmured against his lips as I unlaced my corset. “I need you to touch me, to fill me. I've got this ache, Shaz. Help me ease it.”
“Don't be crazy. These vampires are making you lose your mind. It makes me want to take you away from it all where there is nothing but you and me. All wolf.” He groaned when I tossed the corset onto the couch and slid out of my skirt. “You smell like prey, but you feel like a predator.”
“I am a predator. I'm also a woman that's been betrayed by someone I was stupid enough to trust. And, the only person who can bring me true comfort is you.”
Shaz' hands on my wrists stopped me before I could remove my thong panties.
“Then stop trying to find it in these goddamn vampires. It's not good for you. I'm afraid it's going to destroy you, and this, what we have, won't mean anything anymore.”
“Never!” I shook my head vehemently, shoving his hands away so that I could abandon the thong. “What we have is the only thing that keeps me who I am. Sometimes I wish … that I never had this kind of power. That I was nothing more than any other werewolf. That you and I could just be, without all of this interfering.”
“You can't live that way, Lex. Regret steals time from you. It gives nothing back. I love you and that means all of you. Even if I don't always understand it.” Shaz peeled his shirt off, revealing hard abs and a smooth chest that taunted my desire. “The influence of vampires like Arys and even Kale, it scares me when I see what it does to you. But, don't think for a minute that I would change anything about who you are.”
The sweetness of Shaz brought tears to my eyes. Maybe we could just run away and leave all this behind. Was that so unrealistic? Neither of us had any reason to stay. Yet, even as I thought it, I knew Arys would never let me go. If I skipped town, that vampire would be hot on my trail. I could tell myself he wouldn't care, but that wouldn't make it true.
Standing naked before Shaz, I could easily forget about everything else, so I did. I let it fall away and reached for him. Running my hands over his bare chest, I closed my eyes and breathed in his musky, manly scent. The urge to shift forms and run was expected and welcome. I didn't do it though. No, I wanted to savor him in this form, perfect as he was.
Shaz captured one of my hands in his, bringing it to his lips. He kissed my fingertips gently before sucking my pinky into his mouth. The moist warmth felt good, the promise of more to come.
With my free hand, I worked his jeans off, eager to get to what lie beneath. He was already hard, anticipation readying him for me. I would have gone for his erection like a hungry beast, but he stopped me. Grasping both of my wrists, he guided me over to the couch.
“There's no need to rush. We have all the time in the world. Let me love you like only I can.”
I looked at him carefully, hoping I didn't appear confused. It just astonished me when he treated me like something precious, to be loved and protected. It was nothing like the bloodlust and carnal desire I'd grown to expect. Shaz brought me back to a state of being that reminded me that things weren't always about blood and sex. Life and love meant something, too; they meant more.
“I love you like I love nothing else on this earth.” My words came naturally. It was true.
A bashful smile tugged at his lips, warming my heart. He reached to pull the pins from my hair, watching it fall in a mass of blonde tangles. Dropping the pins on the coffee table, he buried his hands in my hair and peered deep into my eyes. There was no further need of words. The emotion conveyed in his touch was more than enough.
His kiss was soft, the barest brush of his lips on mine. The tip of his tongue flicked out to trace my upper lip before delving between my lips, into my mouth. It was breath taking. Shaz kissed me with absolute love. Our tongues entwined, dancing together with a natural ease.
In an achingly slow motion, his hands slid from my hair and down my arms. Every nerve ending came alive beneath his touch, tickling me ever so slightly. I gave a girlish giggle, the kind that I hate. It was different when Shaz elicited such a sound from me.
He continued his loving touch all along my body, caressing all of me except for my most intimate places. It was relaxing, and I sank into the heady sensations. I rarely felt this relaxed and even rarer that it had nothing to do with vampire power.
As Shaz touched me, he continued to kiss me with a slow burning passion that began to grow fierce. I filled my hands with his amazing platinum hair, picturing his gorgeous white wolf fur. No matter what I had with Arys, he could never run by my side beneath the silver light of the moon. Only Shaz could do that. What we had was beyond special, touching my soul so that I wanted to shed tears of joy.
I threw my whole heart and soul into our kiss. If I conveyed even half of the emotion that no words could possibly say, it would be enough. Arys had hurt me with his recent absence and his filthy actions, but I could deal. If ever Shaz were to do such a thing, it would destroy me. Knowing that told me so much more about myself than I'd ever wanted to know.
The thought had me feeling desperate, needing to cling to him. I shoved the thoughts from my head and hugged him to me. All that mattered then was that I felt his hot flesh pressed to mine.
When his lips trailed down my neck, he
paused near the vampire bite. Sniffing it lightly, he delicately licked the edge of the wound before moving past it. Sucking at my skin, Shaz made a wolfy sound that spoke directly to my wolf.
I needed to lose myself in him. When he pulled me down atop him on the couch, the thrill that filled me was electrifying. Touching him calmed the storm that had been raging inside me.
He sat on the couch so that I knelt over him. It put us perfectly face to face. There was an unmistakable desire in his eyes. It made me feel renewed, as if everything else ceased to matter but that very moment.
His hands glided along my body, from my hair to my hips. I could feel his erection beneath me, and I wiggled just a little. A soft sigh escaped him, and he blinked those heavenly green eyes at me, causing my heart to pound a little harder.
The urge to taste the salt on his skin and to breathe deeply of his scent was strong.
He captured my lips with his before my instinct could guide me to his neck. I concentrated on the taste of his kiss. The sweetness of Shaz was like the taste of innocence wrapped in a dark blanket of lupine fire. That fire threatened to devour me, and I was a willing victim.
He nibbled my lips and tongue with fangs. The sharp points didn't hurt. Rather, they stirred my passion like hot embers. I breathed him in eagerly, accepting his playful tongue into my mouth.
The sensation of his flesh pressed to mine was something I wanted to savor and to hold on to always. When we were apart, it was too easy to forget what it felt like in this moment. I wanted to be there always, if only that could be so.
Impatience gripped me. I grabbed Shaz’ hands and drew them up my body to my breasts. When his skilled fingers danced over my nipples, I arched my back and moaned softly.
With a groan, Shaz leaned in to suck a taut nipple into his mouth. The swirl of his tongue along the sensitive peak sent a wave of heat straight to my already damp sex. His actions were driven by more than sexual want. There was unmistakable emotion behind every touch. Love was something I didn't allow myself enough of. I drank it in like a forgotten flower tasting the rain again as if for the first time.
