Fuck.
He threw Eileen onto her back and climbed on top of her, taking a nipple into his mouth. She was so beautiful, dark and seductive. He slid his tongue across her pebbled skin as he carefully entered her with just the tip of his dick. She felt amazing, and her hips rocked beneath him, begging for more. Cain slowly slid into her, inch by inch, as she pulled at his hips, urging him forward. But he took his time, dragging them both toward madness.
Cain’s teasing made him blind with need, and he finally drove himself into her. She was his. Cain ground against her clit, pushing Eileen toward her climax. She desperately grabbed his forearms, moaning and raising her hips to meet him.
“Come. Now,” he growled.
She rocked against him, digging her nails into his skin and crying out when she came with hard spasms around him. She held onto his biceps, continuing to writhe beneath him as her pussy tightened around his dick. Cain fucked her through her orgasm. He liked this power. She would stop coming only when he let her. Eileen erupted again, dragging him down with her. He came with a roar, his cum filling her, making a mess of her cunt. He would fucking destroy her for others; she would never want another man again. He drove into her again and again until he was empty and sated.
CHAPTER SIX
EILEEN
Eileen rolled over, blissful and well rested after her nap curled against Cain. The sun was low in the sky. She had spent the entire afternoon with the wolf. She played with his hair and watched him sleep. Last night, he’d been her prime suspect for the violence around town, but sometime during her interview, she had decided she could trust him. Somewhere in her subconscious, she must have known he was innocent. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have slept with him, right?
It was just an instinct. Even before the interview, when she first saw Cain walking toward her, she’d only felt excitement. There was no real reason why she suddenly was no longer scared of him. The fact that he was a wolf explained his size. And maybe he was just less intimidating in the light of day without a group of massive guys surrounding him.
Cain was like no one else she’d ever been with. His constant orders both irritated and aroused her. Eileen was sure she shouldn’t like being treated that way, but she did. She’d enjoyed being told what to do for a few hours. It was exhausting to have a home that was falling apart, sisters who didn’t take on any responsibilities, and a job that consisted of managing too many tasks at once. She spent most of her days drowning because of her own neurotic control issues—it felt really fucking good to let go.
Cain was clearly a natural alpha, and she wondered why he didn’t have a pack. She’d never heard of a wolf living alone. Eileen couldn’t imagine a wolf would be happy without the security and camaraderie of a pack; it just went against their base instincts. Though most people would say the same thing about a witch without a coven, but Eileen had her sisters.
What if Cain’s separation hadn’t been voluntary? Could this be a punishment? What kind of crime could he have committed to earn this sentence? Her mind went off the deep end thinking about all of the heinous acts it would take to get a wolf excommunicated. But he played pool with another pack regularly. He couldn’t have done anything that crazy.
Cain stirred next to her and rested a palm on top of her hand that was still twisting and untwisting strands of his hair around her finger. “I’m going to go bald if you keep that up.”
“Sorry,” she dropped his hair and immediately began playing with a piece of her own.
Cain rolled out of bed. “Coffee.” He padded across the apartment, not even bothering to slip his underwear back on. Not that Eileen was complaining. She slid down on her pillow and tried to inconspicuously watch him move around the kitchen filling the coffee pot and meticulously measuring and grinding the beans. Fuck, he was nice to look at. She watched him pour the coffee and noticed that his forearm was webbed with veins straining against the skin. She exhaled a little too loudly and panicked when Cain looked up at her. “How do you take your coffee?”
Relieved, she answered, “Half and half, please.” Cain shook his head slightly. “Milk?” she asked. He turned around and retrieved a half gallon from the fridge and added some to her cup.
He came back to bed, set her coffee on a nightstand, and helped her rearrange the pillows behind her. She pulled the covers over her chest and sat cross-legged as she sipped. She kept sneaking glances out of the corner of her eye, not quite sure what to do next.
Cain broke the silence. “Why were you scared last night?”
“Damn, that’s some pillow talk.”
“But you weren’t scared this afternoon.”
Eileen shrugged. “You and your friends are intimidating. You were unfamiliar, large, and there have been some scary things going on around town so I’m just a little more on edge than usual.”
Cain canted his head, “What are you talking about? What could possibly be going on in Wildwood? Some high school kid stealing lawn gnomes?”
“I know, right? Though that did happen. It was very serious; the town council got involved.” She laughed at the absurdity of it. “People are being assaulted, three attacks, bad enough to be hospitalized.”
Cain raised his eyebrows. “When did this start?”
“The first one was two weeks ago when your pack first started showing up at the bar.”
“They aren’t my pack.”
“Why? Why don’t you have a pack? That’s almost unheard of, especially a lone wolf still friendly with others.” Eileen watched him, hoping he wouldn’t be upset by the probing question.
“We were all part of the New Haven pack, but business and politics fucked everything up, so we split. Heath, the blond in leather at the bar.” He paused and Eileen nodded. She knew who he was talking about. “He and I fought for Alpha of the new pack and I lost. So I left.”
“You didn’t get what you wanted so you left your family?” She asked, stunned. “And you were able to walk away from not one, but two packs without any punishments or repercussions?”
“First of all, wolves don’t kill wolves anymore; civilization, evolution, all that. Secondly, I am an alpha, I am done being anything but the Alpha.
Pompous ass. “You’d rather be alone than submit to an Alpha and have a community? Also, what is an alpha without a pack?”
He let out a low growl. “I’m not going to defend myself.” A heavy silence filled the space between them.
“I’m mostly curious because it goes against everything I’ve learned about your kind.”
“You don’t exactly fit neatly into a witch’s box. You could have used magic last night to discern if I was a real threat. Your coven could put an end to the attacks around town. You haven’t smelled like magic, so I know you haven’t practiced any in the last two days. Most witches use magic like it’s a third hand and you clearly don’t.”
“Touché,” Eileen said curtly.
“Nope. Your turn. Answer some hard questions.”
She sighed. “That’s just not how we practice magic. What you’re talking about is mostly black magic. That kind of witchcraft doesn’t come from the goddess. We keep our magic to rituals.”
“So why hasn’t your coven intervened with the attacks around town?”
“I haven’t been part of a coven for almost a decade. But it’s hard to say, probably because the consequences might not be worth it. The Three-Fold Law can be a real bitch.”
“Three-Fold Law?”
“Everything you do, good and bad, especially with magic, comes back into your life three times what you put out. When I was in high school, I used a spell to get a B+ on a test I didn’t study for. The next three exams I took were literally in gibberish, and I failed them all. It’s a really stupid example, but imagine using a spell to hurt someone. By the way, I tried that same spell on a kid sitting next to me and got exactly no good karma in return. Bullshit. But the goddess is a fickle queen.” Eileen laughed.
A shrill ringing from her purse interrupted her
giggles. “Shit, I’m late!” She rushed out of bed, still naked, and bent over her bag trying to find her phone before it when to voicemail. When she stood up and turned around, Cain was looking at her with a warm smile on his face. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who appreciated a good bare ass. “I have to go. I’m supposed to meet my sisters at The Brew.”
“I’m coming with you.”
Eileen contemplated challenging him but decided she wasn’t ready to leave him yet either. They dressed and headed toward the apartment door. “Your notebook,” Cain said and pointed to the counter. She had completely forgotten that she had come here for an interview. What a day.
Cain opened the door and pointed down the stairs. “Go.” She slid by him, confused by his sudden change in demeanor.
At the front door, she turned toward Main Street and heard Cain bark, “Wait,” as he locked up The Winchester. She hadn’t even gone that far without him. He strode over to her and put an arm around her. “Left side,” he said and physically moved her across the sidewalk. She stared at him, speechless. She couldn’t figure out how Cain could slip from an easy conversationalist to a monosyllabic, demanding asshole.
Cain opened The Brew’s door for Eileen. “You first,” he said as he guided her inside with a firm hand on the small of her back. She froze and stared at the pool tables. Cara and Grace were there playing against two wolves from Cain’s non-pack, and five spares were lined up along the wall watching intently. Cain pressed her forward. “Join them.”
Eileen looked over her shoulder and glared at him. “Stop,” she said, hoping he would notice how obnoxious it was to be spoken to in one-word commands. Instead, he let out a low growl and waited for her to move. She stalked over to her sisters and didn’t bother to see if Cain followed her. “How did this happen?” She asked, sweeping a hand toward the men and the pool table.
Cara shrugged nonchalantly. “I challenged them, and Grace and I haven’t lost yet.”
“We’ve been kicking some serious ass; two teams have already been sent to the end of the line with their tails between their legs.” Grace giddily grinned at the men leaned up against the wall.
“How did you figure out they were wolves?” Eileen asked.
“It came up in conversation. They thought we would be impressed because they could tell we were witches.” Cara rolled her eyes. “But it makes sense, a mass of humongous men who are always together? Wolfpack.”
“They’re cheating.” Cain joined the group and handed Eileen a cup of coffee.
“Oh please. Just because we’re two little women beating your big bad friends, we must be cheating?” Cara glared at him and crossed her arms.
Grace threw a hand on her hip. “Excuse me? Who are you?”
“This is Cain,” Eileen answered. “He was my interview this afternoon. He’s the wolf opening a new bar in town. Cain, my sisters Grace and Cara.”
“Nice to meet you,” Cain said as his eyes moved over Grace and looked at Heath. “She’s cheating.”
“We know,” Heath said. His teammate nodded his head in agreement.
“Okay, so, first of all.” Grace turned around to face her opponents, acting as if she was the one who’d been wronged. “How do you even know? Secondly, why didn’t you say anything?”
“Magic smells.” One of the men from the wall stepped forward. “And Heath said to do nothing.”
“What the fuck, Grace?” Cara snapped. “Did you sneak into the bathroom and burn some sage?”
“Maybe,” Cara said sheepishly. “But we were having fun, right, Heath?”
The Alpha smiled and gave her the smallest nod, indicating that she should continue playing. Grace took her shot and managed to sink the eight ball out of order. Mystical karma.
“Well, Cara, our winning streak is over. Maybe now is a good time to switch up teams?”
Cara looked at her phone. “I should leave. I have plans with Brianna.”
The wolf from the wall moved forward again. “I’ll play on Grace’s team.” He looked toward Heath and waited for his approval before moving toward the table. He was smaller than the other men, but not by much. He had a neat appearance with short, softly curly hair and a clean-shaven face. Eileen hadn’t noticed how different he was from the rest of the men until she stopped to take him in.
“Sure, Neil,” said Heath.
“We’ll play,” Cain said, handing Eileen a pool cue.
“Oh, yes, I would love to play, thanks for asking,” she responded flippantly. “First, let me grab a drink before we start.”
“You have a coffee.”
“Yes, thank you. But I usually drink lattes.”
She started to move to the bar when Cain grabbed her hip. “Stay here. I’ll get it.”
Eileen leaned against the table and looked over at Grace. She was deep in conversation with Neil, who was completely mesmerized by her. Eileen glanced over her shoulder and saw Heath glaring at the pair.
Cain returned, handed her a latte, and walked away saying, “I’ll break.”
It was going to be a long night.
CHAPTER SEVEN
EILEEN
The whole evening went exactly as Eileen expected. Grace buzzed around making friends with each and every wolf, clearly enjoying spending time with new people. Every man looked at her like she was the only person in the room, and Grace rewarded them with feather light touches and saccharine giggles. She was truly an extrovert in her element. Meanwhile, Heath ate up every bit of attention she gave him and brooded silently when she moved on to the next wolf.
Cain had loosened up and joined the conversations, chatting and smiling like a normal fucking person, but continued to boss Eileen around. At midnight, she’d had enough.
“I’m going to head home. Grace, do you have someone to walk home with?”
“Yes,” Heath answered for Grace. These wolves were going to be the death of her.
“Stay,” Cain whispered into her ear, grazing her skin with his lips. Her pulse quickened. Damn it.
“No, I’m tired. I’m going home,” she said, brushing him off.
“I will walk you.” Cain moved in front of her.
“I don’t want you to.”
He looked genuinely confused. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t appreciate the way you’ve been treating me. I’ll call you.”
“No. I’ll walk you home. You can talk then.” His voice softened. “Please.”
Eileen was so frustrated. All night she’d anticipated every little touch from Cain. Physically, they’d settled into a comfortable and exciting place. He would brush past her sliding a finger under her shirt, tracing along the waist of her skirt. Eileen had, more than once, hugged him from behind and run a hand up his abs or across his hip bones, eliciting a barely audible growl. The small flirtations were so new and breathtaking that the whole night could have been a slow dance back to Cain’s bed. Instead, he would pull her in with an easy smile and a gentle touch, then shove her away with a jarring command.
Except, maybe his head wasn’t completely up his ass. “Okay, you may come.” She turned without waiting for his response and walked out of the bar.
Cain caught up with her in two steps. “Talk.”
Eileen stopped and scowled at him. “That. Right there. I am not a fucking dog; you cannot speak to me in one-word commands. You can’t give me commands, period. And it’s no surprise that you don’t have a pack of your own if this is how you treat others.”
“I’m an alpha. It’s my nature to take charge.”
Well if that wasn’t the most over-simplified excuse for being asshole, she didn’t know what was. Maybe that kind of logic worked among a wolf pack, but it definitely didn’t work for Eileen. “You can take charge however you want to, I’m just not going to be there when you do it. If you can’t speak to me in complete sentences, with question marks at the end, I’m out.”
“You didn’t have an issue in my apartment. I think you actually liked giving up some contr
ol. And you certainly liked it when we fucked.”
“Okay, yes,” she said as she turned and started walking again, “If we have sex again, you may let your dominance shine. That was hot. In real life, you can’t. It’s demeaning.”
“I thrive when I’m dominant. You’re so tightly wound, I thought you would enjoy having someone take care of you. I thought we fit together nicely.”
“How is treating me like a dog taking care of me? That makes no sense.”
“No, I’m sorry I made you feel that way.” He actually seemed to fumble over his words. Maybe the alpha had a heart and wasn’t as rigid as he present himself. “What I mean is, wouldn’t it be nice to not have to worry about anything? Sit in the passenger seat and let someone else drive? There’s a reason why CEOs pay someone to handcuff them to their desks and step on their balls. Everyone needs a break. I love being an alpha. I think you might be one out of necessity.”
“There’s more than one way to dominate, Cain, and you’re going to chase everyone away if you treat them the way you’ve treated me. In a pack, the alpha earns submission from his wolves. You just assumed you could have my obedience.
“You want control of my orgasm? You can have that. But it stops at the bedroom door. I don’t care if you want a fucking glass of water, make sure there’s a noun and a verb and a ‘please.’”
“Agreed,” he said, slipping his hand into Eileen’s. “Please, give me a second chance.”
That simple act of intimacy offered safety and comfort. She immediately softened hearing that little whisper of vulnerability. She could put up with some of his alpha bullshit if she knew that this Cain lay beneath it all.
They turned down Cain’s street. Without even realizing it, Eileen had decided to go home with him. She’d taken his hand without a second thought. She could honestly see having the type of relationship he described. Maybe it would be nice to have someone else take the lead. But she wouldn’t give that to him so easily. He could have whatever he wanted in the bedroom, but before she would submit everywhere else, he would have to earn her trust first.
SOMETHING WICKED Page 4
