by Godiva Glenn
She dropped her bag and vaulted over the back of the sofa, landing beside him. “Bed.”
“Sky…”
She crawled onto his lap and rubbed her knuckles over the scruff on his jawline. “We’re about to be without the luxury of a mattress for days,” she groaned. “Maybe over a week. Let’s make use of it before we go.”
“There’s no time. You’ll want a shower after, and you’re not going out with wet hair.”
“I won’t need a shower.” She tilted her head down slightly and looked at him through her lashes. “There are other places you can finish.”
He didn’t need to ask what she meant. She licked her lips then kissed him slow and sensual. His body perked up. There was no point in fighting her when she made such a valid point.
He stood and lifted her into his arms in one smooth motion. Her delighted squeal was music to his ears as he carried her. His wolf rubbed along his skin, a deep trembling hum of energy. He couldn’t wait to be out in the wild again with Sky by his side, but this was a worthy detour.
Once in the room, he dropped her on the bed. She didn’t waste any time, immediately removing her clothes and throwing each piece in his direction. He caught her shirt and inhaled her sweet fragrance before tossing it aside.
He shoved his pants down, freeing his erection and climbing on the bed over her. The look in her eyes almost did him in. When had a female ever stared him down with such bare admiration? Hers wasn’t the mischievous gaze of lust he’d gotten countless times before. This was something new and magnificent, and it fueled his soul. He no longer felt the tug to hurry this moment.
He settled between her legs without entering her, instead resting against her soft body. Though he’d seen her naked before and touched her, fucked her, this time he could take the time to appreciate her.
And now that he was in this position, giving her the attention he’d previously seen no reason to, he saw something he didn’t understand. Thin white lines of varying lengths stood out over her pale skin. His fingertips traced the scars along her ribs.
“What are these?”
She rubbed her hand across the area he focused on. “Training mistakes, mostly.”
“Someone hurt you.”
“I mostly hurt myself. This patch is falling glass. This—” She pointed out a long mark leading from the side of her stomach to her hip. “Mistimed a dodge.”
“You mean someone stabbed you.”
“It was more of a slice.”
The nonchalance in her tone infuriated him as much as it impressed him. “If you were lupine, the entire pack would be vying for your affections.”
She laughed, and the amusement held within it was like wind through a chime. “Sure.”
He reverently pressed his lips to the scattered scars below her left breast then trailed up with gentle kisses until he caught her nipple between his teeth.
“Fuck,” she hissed, drawing out the word. “How do you make biting feel so good?”
He arched a brow and released the bud he’d been nibbling on. “It’s a gift. Biting. Scratching. Making you scream.”
“Incorrigible,” she muttered.
“I also do spanking, but that has nothing to do with my wolf,” he teased.
“Mmm. Not sure spanking would work for me.”
“Really? What about choking?”
She snickered. “Do you mean your hand on my throat or—”
“I meant on my dick, but if you want me to choke you the first way…”
She bit her lip and rolled her eyes. It occurred to him how incredibly at ease she was and how quickly they’d fallen into this new stage of things, whatever it was. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d comfortably joked and flirted this way, and it must have shown on his face because Sky placed her hand on his cheek. Her thumb brushed his skin.
“What are the odds that tomorrow we’ll wake up and this was all a crazy dream?” she asked.
It certainly seemed wild, but that wasn’t his concern. “I’m not creative enough to have dreamt up a woman like you or a situation like this.”
His answer seemed to satisfy her, and she furrowed her fingertips through his hair. “Just in case, don’t keep me waiting.”
He rose on his arms and licked a path up her neck before nibbling her ear. Every inch of her was unbearably soft and welcoming. His hard length slid along her slick entrance as he moved his hips. He’d never had sex when it wasn’t to feed his feral urges, so he’d never considered what it would be like to look into a woman’s eyes and experience the realization that she was looking back.
In that way, this was a first. He smiled and watched her eyes roll back as he pressed against her and sank into her welcoming heat. Her lashes fluttered and lips parted. A soft sound escaped her throat. Every second a magical memory he tucked aside.
Her knees squeezed at his sides then her legs lifted and held him. She crossed her ankles around his back, and she entwined her arms under his and held onto him as he thrust deeper. His head dipped and he rested his forehead against hers. The room became a blur.
The night before, she’d said kissing him threw a blanket over the rest of the world. Those words had barely registered to him before but now he understood. It didn’t matter that she had been sent to capture him. It didn’t matter that her background was a messy swathe and there was blood on her hands.
All that mattered was that they’d found each other in the midst of the chaos that should have kept them apart. It would have been easy to remain enemies, but they were each too stubborn. They sought the best in the worst situation, otherwise, he’d still be caged, and she’d still believe that she was doing her job for the greater good.
He didn’t even care that she was human—or at least appeared to be. His original pack, and the Sarka pack more so, saw humans as lesser beings. He’d held a small prejudice, but now that was gone. Even if Sky somehow was all human, it didn’t matter to him.
But just as he thought that, her scent changed into that decadent, mysterious blend. His wolf howled and ran in circles, thrumming power through his veins and heightening his senses.
Her breathing became a cluster of delicate noises. Sinking down against her, he wrapped his arms around and beneath her body, holding her tight. Each inch of his skin pressing against hers felt on fire, and he was happy to be consumed.
Sky shuddered and squeezed her thighs against him. He hadn’t realized she was on the edge of pleasure but now it hit him in wave after wave as her inner walls clenched around him. She whimpered and clawed at his back as he plunged into her shaking depth, nearly thrown into his own climax through her movements.
She clung to him and he held his breath, trying not to spill into her tight grip.
“I…” He couldn’t even speak.
Her legs released him, and he slid out, cursing a storm beneath his breath because he was so damn close it hurt.
She sat up and nearly fell against him. Her soft lips enveloped his cock and he shivered. He bundled her wild hair from her face as she sank onto his length and coated every inch with her warm mouth. If he could speak, he would’ve revisited the choking comment from earlier, but he was too far gone.
Her tongue tracing the ridged seam along the underneath of his flared tip and he clenched his eyes. It didn’t take much, but she worked magic and coaxed him to spill on her tongue. His head fell back as his cock throbbed and emptied. He regained his senses just in time to open his eyes and see her swipe up the last of his thick white cum and swallow.
He collapsed over her, kissing her mouth and not caring about the sharp taste on her lips. If tomorrow he woke and this had been a dream, it was the best dream any man had ever lucked into experiencing.
NINE
They hadn’t meant to fall asleep. Kalle’s wolf woke him, and unease trickled through his bones as he nudged Sky until her eyes fluttered open. They weren’t alone. He just knew it. He pressed a finger to his lips and the sleepiness vanished from her brown gaze, becomin
g keen awareness.
Moving without sound, he checked the hallway before peeking into each room. Cage room clear.
Bathroom, clear.
Kitchen, also clear.
Sky had pulled on a shirt and baggy pants and joined him in peeking around the corner into the living room. Her hands rested on his sides with a familiarity he didn’t realized they’d made their way to. The action distracted him and made him want to turn around and hold her.
“We need to run,” she whispered against his back.
Nodding, he pointed to her bag, which was where she’d left it behind the sofa. Everything they needed. At least it was already gathered. “Grab your things. Let me check outside and we’ll go.”
Squinting through a tiny slat in the window, he searched the scope of land visible to the front of the cabin. The sun was still high and bright, which made him optimistic. Though it meant anyone watching would see him, he’d see them too. But so far, nothing appeared out of place or suspicious.
“Kalle,” Sky hissed.
“I’ll be right back.”
He slipped out and kept his back to the building as he skirted around, seeking out any movement in the trees around him. Nothing stood out. Not a sound. Not a scent.
By the time he’d circled the cabin, his heart had stopped speeding, but he was still cautious. He climbed back up the porch and flinched as a step squeaked beneath his foot. He turned, expecting to be surprised from behind, but nothing. The trees gently waved long branches in the breeze, oblivious to his concern.
The door to the cabin opened but before he could chide Sky for her impatience, the black barrel of a gun rose and took aim between his eyes.
He froze. This was no tranquilizer gun. That he recognized immediately. “Hey,” he said softly. “No need for that.”
“Should’ve run when you had the chance,” the man holding the gun said with a soft tsk. He clicked his tongue and backed up, holding the door open while keeping the weapon trained on Kalle. “Come on. Get inside. Don’t do anything stupid.”
With a low snarl he couldn’t help, Kalle followed his instructions. As he crossed the threshold, he took a deep breath. He could smell the gun, but not the man. He was tall with angry eyes and greasy dark hair. Not a whiff of pomade or even deodorant crossed to Kalle’s nostrils. The man standing before him couldn’t exist. It made no sense.
Kalle stood to the side and glared forward. Another man was in the room, standing behind Sky and holding her by the arm, and not gently by the pinched look on her face. The collar dangled in her hand and the bracelet was back on her wrist, but Kalle didn’t for a moment believe it was by her choice. No way Sky flipped on him. If she had, the asshole at her back wouldn’t have a death-grip on her bicep.
“Cliff that’s not necessary,” Sky pleaded with the man pointing the gun at Kalle.
“You don’t get a say in the matter,” the man holding her bristled, giving her a shake.
Kalle appraised the stranger holding Sky. He had a clean-cut look, complete with a smart-ass smirk and entitled air about him that guaranteed that even if they’d met under different circumstances, they wouldn’t have gotten along. On top of that, his blue eyes kept glancing down toward Sky in a suspicious way that indicated he was checking her out. First chance he got, Kalle planned on gouging that motherfucker blind. No one looked at his female like that.
“He’s not a good specimen,” Sky insisted.
Cliff chuckled. “Of course, you’d say that now.”
“Surely there’s a better way to handle this,” Kalle said. He glanced to his right. “You know I could knock that gun out of your hand there, Cliff. You wouldn’t have time to pull the trigger.”
“You going to put our gal Sky in danger?” blue eyes asked. He raised his previously hidden hand and waved a gun in the air then returned it out of sight, presumably aimed at Sky’s back. “Judging by your freedom, I’d say you’ve grown fond of her.”
Though Kalle hadn’t felt on top of the situation to begin with, the realization that Sky could die if he made one wrong move made his stomach churn. She’d said it first. That they should leave early. He’d agreed. Yet in the end, they’d fucked up. No. I fucked up.
He now recalled the sleepy expression on Sky’s face after they’d had sex. She’d complimented him on his skills and joked about him knocking her out before curling up on his lap. She’d looked so sweet, he let her rest, even though they needed to get going. He’d stroked her hair and fallen asleep.
And thanks to his lax priorities, they were both at gunpoint.
Sky took a hesitant step forward. “I don’t want to,” she whispered. “We don’t have to do this. Kalle won’t hurt anybody.”
Blue eyes leaned down, pressing his lips to her ear as he spoke. It was unnecessary for him to breathe on her, much less be touching her delicate flesh as he muttered whatever threat he was saying. The sight of him that close to her made Kalle’s blood boil and he couldn’t make out the words over the roar of his racing pulse. His wolf howled and the sound echoed through his brain until he felt the bite of claws against his palms from his fists transitioning without thought.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Cliff warned.
Blue eyes shoved Sky forward, and as she tripped toward Kalle, aimed the gun at the back of her head. “Collar him.”
“I don’t…” Her voice trembled. She looked at Kalle with more fear and pain than he could stand to see. “I don’t want to do this.”
“It’s okay,” Kalle said.
“Fix your eyes,” Cliff threatened. “If I see any more shifting, I’m shooting.”
Kalle stared at Sky, forcing everything else away. He filled his vision with only her and breathed evenly as his wolf retreated.
The metal shook in Sky’s grasp and her eyes closed as she lifted it to him. He dipped his head to make his neck easier to reach. At least he knew how the collar came off. At least the person in charge of it was still Sky.
After a deep breath, her eyes opened, flickering silver before the brown returned. She brushed her wrist along the band until it whirred and closed around his neck.
“It’s not over,” he promised, speaking low enough that only she could hear.
Her lips twitched as if she wanted to attempt a smile but couldn’t possibly. “Forgive me?”
“Of course.”
“Touching,” Blue eyes murmured walking up. He lifted the back of his shirt and tucked the gun away. “Now back to the plan.” He yanked Sky to him by the hand then tapped the bracelet.
Kalle barely heard the electronic hum before sharp surges ran through his body, sending him to his knees with the constant shock current. He heard Sky scream, but nothing else. Her pleading voice stretched out into a gentle echo as his vision blacked out.
TEN
Sterile. White. Professional.
Kalle had seen a handful of movies and television clips during his lifetime. In his original pack, human films were contraband. Regardless, they fascinated him. A few times, the movies had depicted human laboratories. They were always the same. Bright and clean.
The Wardens’ lab wasn’t like the movies and the scientific hype he’d expected. The green paint on the walls was cracked and peeling. Each piece of equipment, from microscopes to their computers, had a layer of grime he could see and practically taste.
He couldn’t fathom how they managed to be advanced terrorists, operating out of a dingy basement. The only clean surface was a large table in the center of the room. Stainless steel, he guessed, but the scent of rust lingered in the air.
Maybe the pipes in the walls. Maybe the screws on other bits of furniture. But his eyes stared at that table. Polished and perfect. Immaculate.
Every time they strapped him onto it, he was shocked by how cold it was. Like ice injected into his veins. It didn’t even seem possible for it to be a frozen island in the middle of this shitty lukewarm room.
And when he’d wake up back in his cell, he’d see that the table had bee
n cleaned again. Their cleaning solution had a fake citrus stench, like oranges and lemons had hate-fucked in a pool of germicide.
The tick of the clock on a far wall made him stand. When the short hand edged towards ten, there was a low squeak. And shortly after that, his captors would come in for work.
For the last twelve days, he’d existed in what was best described as a glass closet. One cell of three along this wall but his was the only occupied one. It was cramped and only had a bucket on the floor to keep him company, but since it was on the end he had an entire wall of unobstructed view. Chains around his wrists and ankles allowed him movement most of the time, like now.
He stared at the currently closed and locked opening near the larger entrance to his cage. A circle cut about the size of two fists, it was where he had to stick his hand out when they wanted a small blood draw. It also wasn’t waterproof, so it amused him to greet his captors by dousing it with urine on some mornings.
It was a small victory that they had to clean up. Otherwise, it seeped into the chamber that was supposed to be an airlock of sorts.
They wanted an animal. He was just giving them what they wanted.
He pushed down his gray sweatpants and took aim, doing his best to splash the imperfect round seal. His stomach cramped, reminding him that he barely had the energy to flex his abs. They were definitely going to pay for feeding him so little that he couldn’t take a piss without being in pain. At least he got water, though it came from their filthy tap.
The door on the far-left side of the room creaked open and two men entered. They each set down their things before approaching his cell.
“Fucking Christ. Again?”
This from a man with thick glasses and a receding hairline of silver curls. He had a gentle face when he wasn’t lecturing as if in the outside world he was a kind grandfather who told folksy stories and enjoyed sitting on his porch with his dog.
Kalle grinned widely at him. The two men who spent each day with him had never bothered to introduce themselves, not that he cared. He didn’t care what they called each other. He only knew they would pay for what they were doing to him.
