Bleacke Spirit

by Lesli Richardson

  The wolf was sin, the man was Heaven, and she didn’t know how both could coexist inside his body at the same time, but he made it work.

  His velvety tongue slowly explored every inch of her and drove her half crazy with need. Teasing, languid, playful swipes mixed with tender nips, and all of it with her name softly buzzing in his mind. This she could hear through their mate bond.

  Always her name.

  Always the love he had for her.

  Always.

  He kept his promise, though. By the time he finished wringing every last ounce of pleasure out of her, she wasn’t feeling the slightest bit irritated at him. He climbed back onto the bed and pulled his shirt off over his head, tossing it to the floor.

  When he reached for his belt, she sat up and playfully shoved his hands away. There were few things sexier to her than the sound of the groan he always made when he was hard and she traced her nails up and down the shape of his erection through his denim jeans.

  His worn leather belt easily gave way, and she looked up into his gaze while she thumbed the button open. She slowly dragged the zipper down, leaning in to mouth the shape of his cock through the fabric of his briefs.

  His turn to try to stay quiet. He cupped the back of her neck with one hand while frantic, mindless need pulsed through their mate bond. No words save her name, and raw, unfettered desire filling him.

  Slowly, she hooked her fingers in the waistband of his briefs and pulled them down, freeing his cock.

  His fingers tightened against the nape of her neck, but he didn’t force her. He never forced her, although he would pound her into the mattress when she begged for a hard fucking.

  And she loved begging for it, feeling the unrestrained power and tension in him as he caged her body with his and drove his cock into her.

  Right now, she wanted to taste him. He sucked in another sharp breath when she wrapped her lips around the head and licked him.

  “I need you, love,” he whispered. “I need you now.” He climbed off the bed, shoved his jeans and briefs off, and crawled back up the bed, over her.

  This was the love she’d always dreamed about one day having, the passion, the primal, deep hunger that always filled her when she looked into his eyes and felt her emotions matched there.

  The wolf wanted to devour her, the man wanted to worship her, and all she wanted to do was be consumed by both.

  Malyah slipped out of her bra and reached for him. The fire in his soul generated heat that washed off him and chased all shadows and worries from her mind.

  In this moment, nothing existed but them and this.

  Then he paused. “You want me to go ask Ken if he has any condoms? Just in case? I heard them return a few minutes ago.”

  She shook her head. “I’m on the pill.”

  One eyebrow slid skyward. “So was Nami.”

  “If you got something that determined to make it through, I’d bet even a condom wouldn’t stop it. Besides, I just had my period. It’s not the right time of the month I could get pregnant, anyway. Is it?” she added.

  “I don’t think so. But I wished to ask.”

  He braced one arm on the mattress, next to her head, while he notched his cock between her thighs with the other. She was already arching, rocking, hooking her legs around his, her arms around him and hands skimming down the hard planes of muscle along his back and feeling them bunch and flex as he filled her.

  This was her man, her rock, the perfection she’d never understood until he was in her arms.

  How much her life had changed in just a few weeks.

  By the time he’d completely buried his cock inside her, he’d slanted his lips over hers to swallow her moans. Locked together like this, his body perfectly hitting every sweet spot on hers, all she could do was moan to him through their mate bond.

  “More…please, more.”

  The sexy, low grumble vibrated through his chest and into hers as he thrust, harder, every deep, rocking stroke driving her toward one last, sweet climax. And when he gasped and moaned with her, her nails dug in to his shoulders as she tried to ride every last second of that perfection with him.

  He rolled to his side, bringing her with him, his arms around her and cradling her against him. Back to her man, the wolf now sated and leaving a lazy, playful puppy in her arms.

  “Love you, baby,” he whispered.

  She closed her eyes, inhaled, felt sated and sleepy and realized this was Heaven. “Love you, too.”

  And tonight, she didn’t even care if Duncan and Badger could hear them.

  Chapter Eight

  Ken managed to get out to the SUV under his own power.

  Mostly.

  At least he’d convinced Dewi not to try to carry him.

  Now he had time during the ride home to contemplate the evening’s events. “I thought you told me wolves could tell when it was safe to have sex.”

  Nami had calmed down by the time they left, but Ken suspected she and Beck would be having a talk once they were alone.

  “They can, if they’re payin’ attention,” Badger wearily said. “Silly sod trusted modern medicine instead of his wolf instincts, I suppose. Not that I can blame ‘im,” he added. “Beck has good reason to be distracted of late. Newly mated, an’ all.”

  “We are going to need to be careful,” Duncan quietly said. “We need to make sure Segura doesn’t come back. A man like that doesn’t retreat without regrouping. For his pride, if nothing else. He’ll still want Joaquin, which means mates will be especially vulnerable, as will babies. We have to protect them all. He’ll try to use them to get to Joaquin.”

  “I know,” Dewi said. She sounded as tired as Badger did. “So what was the call about, Badger?”

  “Eh?”

  “The phone call. What was so top-secret you couldn’t say anything?”

  “Oh. That.” He snorted. “Almost forgot, wi’ all the excitement.”

  Ken glanced back when the old shifter didn’t continue. Badger was sitting behind Dewi, and he stared out the window.

  “Well?” Dewi asked.

  “I don’t have a lot of answers for ye,” Badger finally said. “It was from an old friend I haven’t seen in a few years. Trevor Clarke. That name should ring a bell for ye.”

  It didn’t ring shit for Ken.

  “He’s an Alpha in the UK, right?” Dewi asked.

  “Aye, that’s him. Not just an Alpha, he’s Pack Alpha. Not a Prime, though. Not many Primes left in that area. What ones are left are mostly older, too old—or too smart—to want to be bothered runnin’ things. His is the oldest wolf pack in that region.”

  “So what’d he want?”

  “He’s on his way here. He couldn’t talk about all of it. Some nasty business.”

  “Here? To the US?”

  “Here to Florida. They’ll arrive in Tampa late tomorrow. I told him to call me once they’re in, and I’ll give him directions.”

  “‘They’?”

  “He didn’t clarify. I got the impression he was short on time and in mixed company.”

  “What’s going on?” Dewi asked.

  “He needs a…favor.”

  Ken sensed Dewi’s growing frustration with the man’s lack of details. “What kind of favor? We’re sort of stretched thin right now with this latest development. Beck’s going to be distracted.”

  “There’s been some sort of attack. Two of his adult children were killed, and he needs a place to hide someone.”

  “Wait.” She had to stop for a light and adjusted the rearview mirror to see Badger. “You offered sanctuary without asking me first?”

  “For starters, he asked me. Begged. I didn’t ‘offer.’ I’ve known him longer than I’ve known Duncan. I canna in good conscience say no. If I have to, I’ll take them out to Idaho meself. I’ll take responsibility.”

  Dewi groaned. “We can’t go splitting up like that right now. Especially not with Nami pregnant.”

  “I’ll deal wi’ it, Dewi,” he
said. “I’ll tell Peyton meself, if I have to.”

  “Good, because I have a feeling when he finds out Beck’s going to be a dad, Peyton and Trent will start bugging me and Ken about pups.”

  Ken could feel how much that thought…irritated her.

  “Gee, thanks, Dewi,” Ken muttered.

  She reached over and patted him on the thigh. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” She snorted. “What else can happen?” she grumbled.

  “Do you really want to tempt the Goddess like that, Dewi?” Duncan asked from the backseat.

  “You’re right. No, I don’t.”

  Joaquin and Malyah were already home and, apparently, in their room, based on the noises they were hearing. Ken finally convinced Dewi to let Duncan help him up the stairs, because that was a little easier on his ego.

  Once Ken and Dewi were alone in their bedroom, he sank onto their bed. His ankle was hurting like a motherfucker, but like hell would he admit that to her.

  Besides, there was something else he wanted to deal with.

  “Do we need to talk?” he asked.

  She’d pulled her jeans off, but still wore her shirt. “About what?”

  “About tonight. About what happened. About why the idea of a baby for us seems to irritate you.”

  That pulled her up short. She turned. “I never said that.”

  “It was obvious in the car.”

  “I just… I wasn’t thinking about it like that.” She walked over and sat next to him. “I’m the Head Enforcer. I have a lot of responsibility, especially with the expanded pack council duties. I have a lot to do right now, and it means I don’t have the luxury of getting pregnant and saying fuck it.”

  She gently took his hands in hers. “I love you. I want to have pups with you. Right now isn’t the best time. I think we both know that. I’m sorry that came out wrong before. Except I have to think of what’s best for the pack.”

  “When do you get to think of what’s best for Dewi?”

  * * * *

  Dewi couldn’t look him in his sweet brown eyes right now. At twenty-seven, he was only two years older than her, but she’d been the Head Enforcer since she was twelve.

  She honestly couldn’t tell him how many people she’d killed over the years. It wasn’t something she wanted to think about.

  Ken had a gentle, sweet spirit, which was one of the things she desperately loved about him. He reminded her there was a world out there full of love. He kept her tethered to life, to laughter.

  Because of him, she’d learned how to start embracing and loving life, instead of stubbornly settling for merely trying to survive and endure it.

  “Right now,” she finally said, “what’s best for Dewi is trying to keep the people I love safe. I almost lost you and Nami. You, I’ve almost lost twice now. I just got Duncan back. I’ve lost enough people in my life. I want to be a family. I want to be an aunt.”

  She cupped his cheek. “I want you to teach me how to relax.” She offered him a smile. “We haven’t even been together a whole year yet. We have Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up. Our first holidays together. Do you know what we did here last Christmas?”

  “No.”

  She laughed. “The three of us went out for an early dinner, then Beck and I trained while Badger watched a Doctor Who marathon. Festive, huh?”

  “I sat on the couch, in my underwear, watched A Christmas Story five times, and ate stuffing right from a bowl,” he admitted.

  “See?” She tipped her head so she could touch her forehead to his. “It’s time for us to make new traditions together. All of us. We’ve got Bebe to spoil rotten now. By this time next year, we’ll have another baby to spoil. You’re right—I don’t know how to relax or how to put myself first. I couldn’t afford to before. I had to keep too many balls in the air at one time.”

  “So what do you want to do?” he asked. “Do you want me to start using condoms, just in case? Or will you go on the pill?”

  She kissed him, tracing his lips with her tongue. “No. I can tell when it’s not safe. Besides, I’m a full shifter. The pill wouldn’t work the same way on me.”

  She started to stand, but he caught her hand and pulled her back down to him. “Is it safe right now?”

  She nuzzled noses with him. “It’s safe, but I don’t want to hurt your ankle.”

  “How about I let you be on top tonight and do all the work, then?”

  At least the tension in him had eased a lot. Me and my stupid mouth. She was going to have to get used to being gentler with him. She was used to being a no-bullshit kind of person with Badger and Beck. She hadn’t needed tact before.

  Not before this beautiful man stumbled into her life.

  Who was she kidding? She couldn’t resist him, or the playful smile quirking his lips now.

  Dewi stood and peeled her shirt off. “How about I help you get out of those clothes?”

  His smile widened. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Ken had come a long way from their early days together. His confidence had skyrocketed, and he’d finally taken it to heart when she told him he wouldn’t break her if he got a little feisty with her in bed.

  That she liked it when he got feisty.

  She was still more worried about her hurting him than him hurting her, but at least he’d finally seemed to move past that with her. After getting him naked, she checked his ankle one more time before he scooted up the bed and got comfy.

  Kneeling next to him, she leaned in and licked his cock, which immediately finished hardening him all the way.

  That relieved her, because it told her yeah, he likely wasn’t in too much pain if he could enjoy that.

  “That’s it, baby,” he said. “Play with me.” He pulled another pillow under his head to prop him up a little more so he could watch her.

  She smiled. “Gladly.” His cock throbbed in her hand as she went down on him, teasing him, taking her time and savoring every noise he made. When his hand settled on the back of her head, his fingers threading through and fisting her hair, she softly growled her agreement and encouragement to him.

  Her own clit was already throbbing. It wouldn’t take her much to get off now. It still surprised her that, despite what she thought she’d known about sex and pleasure before meeting Ken, she’d had the best sex of her life with him. Even the early, fumbling, hesitant times where he seemed not to know what to do with his hands, and she patiently taught him.

  It was even better because of those times.

  Because of the invisible, perfect bond between them drawing them together.

  Dewi teased him until she couldn’t stand it any longer. Carefully, she swung a leg over him and slowly settled on his cock, sighing with contentment to feel him filling her.

  His hands gripped her hips. “Ride me, baby,” he hoarsely ordered.

  Bracing her hands on his chest, she slowly rocked on him, drawing it out, teasing him. Like this, his self-consciousness always fled and he became lost in the moment, in the passion.

  In them.

  Like this, she could coax him out of his shell, get him to focus on feeling instead of thinking, on giving in to passion and his urges without worrying about his brain putting on the brakes.

  She leaned in and kissed him, sucking on his lower lip before sitting up again to take another languid stroke. His hands slid around to her ass, cupping her cheeks.

  “I love you so much,” she whispered. “You know that, right?”

  “I love you, too, baby.”

  How close she’d come to losing him. Twice. And if she had…

  She cut off that line of thought.

  That was the flip side to the argument of waiting, wasn’t it? That had she lost him in Idaho, she’d likely never have pups. Look at Badger, and her grandfather. They’d never mated again after losing theirs.

  Maybe waiting wasn’t the best idea.

  Maybe waiting was denying herself, and Ken, another level of happiness.

&nb
sp; Ken gripped her hips again, stilling her movements. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “No, what are you hiding from me?”

  She laid her hands over his. “I realized maybe I’m not looking at all sides of this.”

  “Of what?”

  “Kids. Maybe we shouldn’t wait. I don’t know.”

  He skimmed his hands up her sides and coaxed her into leaning forward again, where he thoroughly kissed her. One hand cupped the back of her head, and his other arm slipped around her waist.

  “Nothing needs to be settled tonight, Dewi.”

  “Maybe we don’t have all the time in the world.”

  “I don’t want you rushing this decision out of fear any more than I want you to delay it out of fear.”

  “But you want children.”

  “I want you to be happy. I want us to be happy. Having children won’t make me happy if it makes you unhappy in the process. This needs to be something that happens because we both want it.”

  “Or it’s an accident,” she muttered. “Like Beck and Nami.”

  “I thought you could tell?”

  “Sorry. I was just being sarcastic.”

  He nuzzled her nose with his. “Why don’t, for tonight, we just have fun? We’re safe, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  The fist in her hair tightened, sending a jolt of need straight to her clit. He tipped her head to the side and kissed his way down her jaw, to her ear. “Then let’s have fun, baby,” he rumbled.

  He kissed a hot trail lower, to the top of her shoulder…

  Where he bit her, hard, holding her flesh firmly clamped between his teeth.

  The orgasm slammed into her, shocking her with its intensity. She cried out, already moving, rocking, riding him.

  “That’s it, mate,” he thought to her. “Show me how good it feels.”

  He held her in place as she fucked him, his hips thrusting up to meet her at the bottom of every stroke and driving his cock deep inside her.

  This. No one had ever made it into the depths of her soul before.