by M L Briers
“Why did you do that?” He growled out long and hard.
“You were going to bite me!” She snapped back. She didn’t want to take a step back from him and show him any kind of weakness and yet she wanted nothing more at the same time.
“It’s not a bite; it’s just a small prick of my fangs…”
“You can keep your prick to yourself.” She tossed back at him and watched as he drew himself up to his full height and fisted his hands at his sides. Those black eyes were still locked onto hers.
“I can assure you that won’t be happening.” He said it with such conviction that her heart slammed into her ribs and her stomach flipped over within her. It was a promise of things to come and she couldn’t stop her eyes from snapping down to the hard bulge in his jeans, but the growl that rolled between them made her snap her eyes back up again.
“And I can assure you that if you take another step towards me tonight…” He didn’t give her a chance to even finish her warning. He came straight at her like a bat out of hell and her eyes snapped wide as his arms locked about her body and he tossed her back up and over his shoulder. A moments shock gave way to a groan of frustration from her lips as she realised that she was looking at his backside once again. “Oh for the love of…” She ground out.
The sound of a wooden door being booted open echoed through the cabin and her mind, and when it rebounded off something with another loud thud she groaned again. She had a sneaking feeling that she knew where this was heading, and yet when he gave a hearty growl and tossed her free from the security of him and through the air, she had to wonder if the outside grass wouldn’t be rushing up to meet her backside. The soft mattress caused her to bounce numerous times as she fought off the double whammy of shock and the fact that her body was all flaying arms and legs, as she dragged herself up to her knees upon the bed.
“Y-o-u!” She glared at him from under a tumble of curls that had fallen over her eyes. She reached up and tossed them back as one side of his mouth came up in a lopsided smile of satisfaction.
“M-e…” He growled back as he leant in over the footrest with two large hands fisting the thick rolled wooden frame, and his eyes were on fire with amusement.
“I should…” She bit out, but he got there before her.
“Don’t trouble yourself. I’m sleeping on the sofa, and the only way out is to go by me.” He informed her as he turned on his heels and stomped back across the room, wrenching the door closed behind him with another thud that echoed through her heart.
For one long moment she was held in place by the tension that gripped every single muscle in her body. With one giant breath in and one hard pushed back out to cleanse her aura, she allowed her body to collapse on top of the covers. Her heart was still racing as she stared up into the darkness of the room.
Bloody misogynistic, Neanderthal. As bad as a damn vampire- wanting to snack and run… well, I shouldn’t have expected any different, and I didn’t… The man’s a pig… wolf… animal… But I gave him a piece of my mind… I think?
Damn, all I can remember is the feel of his arms around my body. The feel of his tongue on my skin… Oh, the feel of his lips, and the sucking… Her body flushed with fire again and she cursed herself for even thinking on it.
Idiot. It’s just a little prick, my arse… His fangs might be but I felt that hard length against me and that’s definitely not little.
Bite me, indeed. Let him sink those fangs into someone else’s arse… Wait- What? He never said arse… He wanted to mark me. Why did my mind conjure up the image of those fangs nipping my…? Damn it. Bloody mating pull.
“I hear we have a rogue problem.” Caleb’s smooth tones enveloped Wendy’s senses and made every hair on her body pay attention to the fact that her mate was in her bedroom and that was somewhere that he hadn’t ventured before. Wrapped in a towel and still dripping wet from the shower that she’d just taken, she rolled her eyes to the ceiling and asked the spirits for patience to deal with the vampire tonight.
“And you came all the way here, because?” Wendy asked with her back firmly too him. That didn’t stop his eyes from wandering over her body. The towel that she wore was strangely alluring to him, but only because it was draped around a body that he had imagined on so many occasions.
“I was in the neighbourhood.” Caleb offered with a small grin that she could hear in his voice.
“Are you stalking me again?” She tossed a look at him over one bare shoulder and he had to bite down on the need to have her. Right there and then his mind and body fought a battle that he was slowly losing. He’d tasted her blood on his tongue and she was his, and he needed her, mind, body and soul more than she could ever have known.
“I have to leave…” He bit out as he turned towards her bedroom door and started towards it.
“Something I said.” Wendy chuckled, but when he turned back towards her and she saw the strain etched onto his face she knew what it was. “I’m…” She started but he nodded curtly.
“I’ll be around in case the rogue comes by.” He offered the best comforting smile that he could. He had to draw his hands into fists at his sides to hold himself back.
“Wait, Caleb…” She called as he quickly turned and made to leave. She couldn’t bear to see him like this. It was her doing, giving him her blood when one of the other witches would have sufficed, and yet she needed to save him, and needed to do it quickly then, just like she needed to help him now if she could.
“Wendy…” Caleb was fast losing the will to hold back from taking her as his mate. He never should have entered her bedroom. He never should have stayed when he heard her in the shower…
“Would taking some of my blood help?” She asked quickly.
The palm of Caleb’s hand slammed against the door frame and he groaned at the thought of tasting her blood on his tongue once more. He turned his head towards her and his black eyes locked onto the pulse that was beating in her neck. He practically drooled at the thought of his fangs sinking into her soft skin once more.
“I don’t know…” He gave her the honest answer as he dragged his eyes up to hers. Wendy turned towards him.
“Then do it.” She offered and he bit down on the urge to race over and taste her once more. His top lip curled with the ache that raced through him, his other hand gripped the wood frame and he heard the wood protest his strength. Every sense within him was heightened to the point where he was certain he could actually hear her blood flowing through her veins.
“It’s not a theory that I want to test. I might not be able to stop myself from taking you as mine.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Wendy took a step towards him; it had been a nice way of putting it. She’d known when she made the offer that might be a possibility and she was prepared for it. Every day she told herself that she was one day closer to being his mate, just in case a moment like this happened. Every day she made a little more peace with it within herself. He’d already taken from her vein and she hadn’t felt anything even remotely like disgust at his actions.
His eyes flicked to the deep scars on the other side of her neck and he flinched at the thought of what had happened to her. That knowledge tore him up inside each time that he saw her. Being attacked by a vampire at such an early age was something that he couldn’t image her ever being able to come to terms with, but when she’d let him feed from her when he was dying it seemed that they’d taken a step in the right direction.
“I know.” She offered without any outwards signs of judgement against him or his nature. He closed his eyes and bit down on a curse that rolled through him. He heard her take a step towards him and his eyes snapped back open. “What is meant to be will be.” She informed him graciously and his heart went out to her.
“But you’re not ready for me…” He could see that a part of her was still holding back from him.
“Says?” She raised her eyebrows and questioned him with just a look.
“If you were
then we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” He informed her. Just being this close to her was clawing at his gut to make her his. “And don’t try your deflecting, psycho bull-babble on me. I invented it before you were born.” He teased and watched the smile break across her face like a glorious sunrise that lit her eyes and made him only want her more.
“You probably did.” She agreed playfully.
“I need to leave…” He went to move off but the feel of her soft hand over his against the frame held him in place.
“Take my blood.” It wasn’t an offer it was a request. The spirits had been silent of late over things to do with her mate and the pack, but she was sure this was how it was supposed to be. If they were meant to mate now then it would happen, if not her blood would sustain his needs for a while longer. She was ready for both situations.
“Damn it woman, stop offering me your blood.” He groaned; trying to get his feet to move, trying to tear himself away from her. He just couldn’t seem to take that first step. It was probably the sound of her strong heart beating away in her chest and the thought of the blood coursing through her veins…
“It’s rightfully yours, Caleb.” Wendy smiled at the thought. Caleb turned his eyes onto her and shook his head in disbelief.
“You are one strange woman, do you know that?” He teased even as his blood caught fire from wanting her so much.
“Then we make a good pair.” She shot back as she peeled his hand from the doorframe and he allowed her to step towards him, mesmerised by her. She put his hand at her back and run her hands up the solidity of his chest, and in that moment he couldn’t have peeled himself away from her if he’d tried, and boy did he not want to try. “Take my blood.” She assured him of her readiness and he groaned in desperation.
“I think that was one invite too many.” He warned her as his fangs pushed down from his gums and his eyes turned jet black as they locked onto hers. The smile never left her lips, but then he knew that she was well practiced in that art.
Wendy tipped her head to one side at the feel of his arm locking around her body and holding her in place against him. He groaned with need as his other hand fisted her hair and gently eased her head to one side to open her neck to his eyes. His vision locked onto the pulse that beat hard under her skin and he almost licked his lips with the anticipation of the taste of her.
He didn’t rush it. He could have struck hard and fast and feasted on her, and yet he dipped his head and slowly ran his tongue over her soft skin. He heard her catch her breath and that thrilled him even more.
“I don’t know if I can stop myself…” He warned her one last time just for his own peace of mind.
“Feed.” Wendy urged him on. It wouldn’t do either of them any good to linger on what might happen. This was happening, he was going to feed from her no matter what, he’d come too far not to.
The moment his fangs pierced her flesh and entered deep into the vein his body eased. The tension within him seemed dampened by the taste of her blood on his tongue and not heightened. That element of self control that he’d clung to so tightly over the years and had stopped his debauched side from breaking free was slowly coming back to him, and yet when he felt her body melt against his and heard the sweet moan of pleasure from her lips his self control slipped.
The sound of his name on her lips was almost too sweet to bear. Her fingers curled into his muscles and he could scent her arousal so clearly that it clawed at his libido. When her hands started to climb up to his shoulders and he felt her fingertips against his neck; skin on skin, he almost lost his mind with desire for her, but he held onto that fragment of humanity that was threatening to be tossed out the window just so he could feel his cock buried deep within her as he made her his.
Wendy felt the hard pull on her vein and somewhere in the back of her mind she welcomed it. Her body was alive with need for him and yet there was a part of her that still held back. She could feel the heady loss of blood that was weakening her body and resolve, and for one split second she raced to panic at the knowledge that he was taking too much of her life blood, but that panic was quashed as her mind accepted what he was doing to her body, and the trust that she placed in him. She slowly slipped towards sleep.
Caleb knew the moment that she’d had enough. He could feel just how weak she was in his arms as he held her against him. He released his fangs and sealed the wound with his tongue.
He heard her mutter something, but he couldn’t make out her words. He scooped her body up into his arms and carried her towards the bed. With infinite care he lowered her to the mattress and relieved her of the wet towel around her body.
He might have done the honourable thing by weakening her with his feeding so that by his nature he couldn’t claim her as his, but he wasn’t that much of a gentleman that his eyes didn’t take in her naked glory. He both regretted his actions in rendering her unconscious and patted himself on the back as he covered her with the duvet and leaned over her to place a gentle kiss upon her forehead. Lost in sleep she still managed a small sigh at the touch of his lips against her skin.
“Sleep now and I’ll watch over you.” He whispered against her ear. He wouldn’t leave her side until she had regained enough strength to be able to defend herself with magic should the need arise, and even then he wouldn’t be further away from her than a quick dash to her side. She was his to protect for now until the end of their days.
“Food.” The sound of Dexter’s hard tone as it boomed out into the room, along with the bedroom door being tossed back against something hard with a loud thud, jolted Samantha up in the bed as she struggled to remember exactly where she was and who it was that she was with. The instant it came flooding back to her she seethed at his meanness and relaxed in the knowledge that she was more than safe in his company at the same time. She groaned out into the half light of the room and tossed herself back onto the pillows to get her bearings.
There was a curse for him on the tip of her tongue but she didn’t verbalise it. But when he stalked towards the bed and yanked the blanket from over her body she re-evaluated that decision. Her body jerked upright again and she glared at him as his large frame blocked the light from the other room and held him in complete darkness as he stood expectantly at the side of the bed. She knew he needed no such light to see her perfectly clearly.
“Why don’t you shove it up…?” That was as far as she got with her suggestion as he loomed towards her.
“You need to eat.” Two large hands reached out at her through the darkness and it wasn’t until they were a breath from her body that she was aware of them. She instinctively slapped out at them, but his fingers curled around her upper arms and he was just about to lift her out of the bed when he felt the first sting of her magic like a whip lash against his fingers. “Damn it woman!” He growled out. His voice sounded more menacing in the darkness and with her sleep addled mind.
“Don’t you manhandle me.” She hissed back at him; taking the opportunity of his hands being snatched backwards to try to make it out of the bed on the opposite side before he tried to touch her again. Her dreams had been full of him and her body was at risk of succumbing to his touch if she allowed it to happen, and she damn well wasn’t going to allow it.
Her backside skirted the edge of the bed as she tossed her legs over the side and she was about to push up to her feet when one strong arm came about her waist and hauled her backwards across the bed. She let out a stunned yelp at the same time as he tossed her back against the mattress, and in a heartbeat his hard body covered hers and pressed her down into the softness beneath her back. She went to lash out at him with her right hand but he’d already made a move to capture both of her wrists and pin them above her head.
Trapped and with only one way out from under him, magic, she gulped in a deep steadying breath and glared up into the half shadowed face that was an inch from hers. She could feel his harsh breath against her face as he growled out in annoyance, but the most unmista
kable feeling of his hard length pressed against her mound was what really sobered her up to just where she found herself. With a sense of shame she felt the heady rush of excitement wash through her.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t just tie you to this damn bed until you become more…”
“Submissive?” She demanded and felt his growl roll through him before she heard it.
“Why the hell would I want a submissive woman?” He demanded.
“Isn’t that what you He-Man types like?” She snapped back and heard him pull in a hard breath before the sound of his deep laughter wrapped around her like a heavy blanket.
“You know nothing about Lycans…” He felt her relax slightly beneath him.
“Oh, enlighten me…” The sarcasm in her voice was undeniable.
“We like women with a spark of fire, passion…”
“Then why are you tossing me over your damn shoulder and trapping me on the damn bed…?” She countered.
“The first got you where I needed you to be. The second stops you from zapping me with your damned magic, witch.”
“You keep telling yourself that, puppy…” She bit out as she turned her head and looked away from him. It was the wrong thing to do as his breath fanned out against her neck and he leant in against her ear.
“If I wanted you submissive I could already have taken you.” Those words sparked a fire within her that she didn’t think would be dampened down so easily with his body against hers like that. “I want you to respond to me with desire, with passion, not submission.” He growled as his hair brushed against her cheek and sent another jolt of excitement through her body and straight to her sex.
“By your nature you are dominant…”
“I’m not saying I don’t want your absolute surrender, sweetheart. I do. When my cock’s pushing deep inside you I want you to need every last inch of it…” He heard her pull in a hard breath at his words, felt her body squirm against his at the very thought of him being inside her, and he rubbed his hard length against her mound and felt her hips push up slightly from the bed. “Just like that, baby. I want you to need me inside you until you can’t think straight.”
