by Godiva Glenn
A silver glow rimmed the deep brown of her gaze. “Even if I’m something else? Something with no name?”
“You have a name, Sky, and it’s a beautiful one. Since I’ve been with you, my wolf has been at ease. My heart can be wrong, but my wolf can’t. What I feel for you is the greatest gift I’ve ever found.”
She lifted her face and rubbed her nose against his. Her tongue swiped his lower lip in a sensual sweep. “Then what did you mean you wanted to claim me? Haven’t you already? I mean, we’ve already been together.”
“Not as lupine. Though, you aren’t lupine so I suppose it could count.” He grinned, recalling their wild night which seemed to have been forever ago. “On the other hand, if you’re part lupine, maybe you deserve a true mating. I’m sure you could survive it.”
“Survive it?” Her brow arched. “Someone’s feeling cocky.”
“Cocky is the perfect word.” His body stirred, blood flowing to stiffen beneath where she sat on his lap. “Do you remember my lupine form?”
Her cheeks reddened. “I do. It was surprising. I’d expected a monster, but you were magnificent.”
“That’s how we mate. The males, at least. The females keep their human form during.”
“Kinky,” she teased. “I can see the appeal, but still, what is there to survive?”
“Maybe survive is the wrong word. Endure, I suppose? There’s some biting and scratching involved. A bit too dangerous for humans. Plus, the uh… actual sex can be rough.”
She wiggled against him, rubbing her bottom against his erection. “I like rough. I’ve never tried biting and scratching but a guy like you makes me want to try it.”
“Yeah? And did you happen to check out the full package that night?”
Her gaze lowered a bit. “Your package, you mean? I was a bit busy, what with the escaping for our lives part.”
“Maybe we should take it slow. The last thing I want is to hurt you.”
“You sound ridiculous. And it’s not the first time I’ve heard a guy brag about his junk.” Her brows furrowed with an annoyed look. “It’s a dick. I think I’ll manage.”
He grinned. “This isn’t me bragging. I’m serious. But fine, I’m not going to argue in favor of not mating.”
“If by some strange twist of fate your dick kills me, I’ll forgive you,” she said rolling her eyes. “But most likely, it won’t. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”
“That’s confirmation enough for me.” He gripped her waist, intending to flip her. “Normally we do it outside, but we’re in the middle of the city—”
“Not tonight,” she said with a laugh. “And if we’re supposed to do it outside, we’ll do it outside.”
“But…” He bit his lips and bounced his hips up beneath her.
“I didn’t say we weren’t going to have sex.” She flattened a palm to his chest and pushed him down. He relented and lay back. “Tonight I want to be in charge, though. My blood is demanding it.”
He gazed up at her as she yanked her shirt and bra off. “That’s good, too.”
The enticing jiggle of her bare breasts pulled a fog over his brain. He’d now seen Sky naked a few times, but each time reminded him just how magnificent she was. The confidence behind her sexuality intoxicated him.
Her hands roamed his chest as her lust-filled gaze devoured him. He’d slept in only a pair of shorts, and he was happy to have relatively no barrier between their bodies. Heat coursed through him, ignited by her every touch. The second she’d mentioned sex he’d gotten hard, and now he was pushing the brink of aroused to the point of pain. He was dying to be inside her.
She leaned down to kiss him, and he grasped the back of her head, tangling his fingers in the soft hair of her nape as he pulled her closer. Their kiss was sweet yet hungry and left him aching. He could chronicle their turbulent relationship according to how she kissed him, and each moment was better than the last.
He gripped the thin cotton underwear she wore but her hands flew over his and she hissed.
“No ripping. I only have so many pairs,” she said with a laugh.
“We’ll buy you more. They aren’t expensive.” He gave a teasing tug.
“If I give in tonight, I get the feeling I’ll be buying new underwear on a weekly basis. We need rules.”
He groaned and released the fabric, seconds away from manifesting his claws to slice them into shreds. “Fine.”
She lifted her lower body and glanced down at him. “Feel free to rip off your own.”
“It’s not the same.”
He shimmied out of his shorts and boxers while she watched. The second his clothing hit the floor, she lowered her body against his and gave him another kiss. When she pulled back, her eyes were fully silver.
Caressing her cheek, he studied the strange metallic hue. His keen vision allowed him to see that the color wasn’t solid but variegated with stripes and subtle swirls of shades.
“Amazing,” he breathed.
He couldn’t tell if she realized what he referenced, but her face lit up with delight that completed the beautiful picture of her. She didn’t control the transformation of her eyes, clearly. They always revealed when her emotions were hitting a peak. He’d seen them when she was furious and trying to kill him, and it was wonderful to see them when she was overcome with need for him.
His solid length strained against her weight, and when it pulsed, her eyes rolled back, and she purred.
“You feel different tonight,” she whispered, her voice throaty. “How do you stand it? To have sensations firing off so vividly like this all the time? It’s overwhelming.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
She reached between their bodies and gripped his cock tight. Sucking in a breath, he closed his eyes and lifted his hips, sliding his erection against her palm. His movement was met with another pleased sound from her lips before she guided his tip up and brushed it against the damp cloth still hiding her from him.
“Shouldn’t you…” His words trailed off and he caressed his fingertips against her thighs.
She tugged the barrier aside and swept the head of his cock against her wet folds. “I know what I’m doing.”
“You mean torturing me? Haven’t I had enough?”
Her eyes glittered with amusement. In no hurry whatsoever, she lowered herself onto him, inch by delicious inch. It felt magnificent, and time seemed to stretch forever until she’d sunk down completely. Fully buried, a shudder ran down his spine. He knew what she meant about being overwhelmed. But whereas she referred to heightened senses, he was overcome with something less tangible.
This was the first time they were making love. And no matter how dirty and messy it became, the gentle moniker fit the situation. They’d revealed their hearts, and nothing would be the same again. Everything would be better.
Sky rocked against him, and he held on for dear life as she moved in ways that lit his every nerve ending. She rose and fell, writhed and circled, and did it all with a blissful, open-mouthed expression. Her palms pressed his chest for leverage, and her breasts squeezed between her outstretched arms.
He reached up and cupped the gently swaying mounds. Her soft moan let him know she enjoyed it, and he immediately needed more of her enticing sounds. One of his hands traveled down her torso, seeking to incite more pleasure. The moment his thumb brushed her clit, she trembled.
While she continued to ride, he teased and circled her sensitive bud. The look of concentration that formed on her face made him wonder if she was trying to compete with him, trying to outlast him. That would never happen. Even though it felt like forever since they’d last touched, he’d already decided that he would last all night, even if he had to cheat.
His strokes sped until Sky’s brows bunched and her head fell forward. Incoherent whispers slipped between her high-pitched moans followed by her body quaking and squeezing him. He grit his teeth as her climax rushed through her and she paused above him. His own hand continued to
dance lightly over her until she reached between her legs and held him still.
A smile crept over her lips in slow motion and she opened her eyes. Before she could say a word, he gripped her thighs and pistoned up into her still trembling core.
“Give me another.” He stared up at her.
Surprise crossed her face, lifting her previously relaxed features. “Your eyes.”
“I know.” He felt his wolf emerging, but it was a controlled change. One necessary to keep going when his human form was ready to burst—literally. Through golden eyes and sharpened vision, he studied the fine sheen of sweat along her skin. She sparkled. “You can handle it.”
“I can,” she said somewhat quizzically.
He held her tighter and she recovered enough from her previous release to move with him and match his upward thrusts. He welcomed his wolf forward, a little at a time. The relationship between his two sides had found a new balance with Sky in his life, and if he didn’t need to hold back, he didn’t want to. They wouldn’t mate properly tonight, fine, but she could have a sneak peek.
The fingertips that dug into her soft skin became claws, drawing a sharp gasp from Sky. That wasn’t the only change but the other took her a moment to realize. A tremble ran through her, but the room was too warm for it to be a chill. No, she was adjusting.
She bit her bottom lip for a moment then turned a look mixed between confusion and shock to him. “Are you… is it… what I think?”
He simply grinned and continued to pound into her increasingly tight walls as his cock swelled within her. With the amount of control he had over his shift, he could transform any body part at will. A slight change, a large change, or in this case, a partial change to an already large appendage. It was difficult to hold back, really, with the way she got his blood flowing.
A number of quips came to mind, but he didn’t think making a size joke would fit the moment. But she’d brought it on. Other men had bragged, she’d said. He didn’t want her to think of other men. From here on out, he wanted her only thinking of him and what he gave her. He didn’t need to boast when the evidence was currently driving her wild.
She arched her back and cried out. He was hitting her in all the right places, and it was satisfying to witness her lose control again, this time with more fervor. When she hit her peak, he gave in to his own building pleasure, groaning as he came with her.
He emptied deep inside her clutching walls and saw spots as she squeezed him dry. She collapsed forward, her breasts heaving against his chest as she regained her breath. She pressed kisses to his chest and neck, and he wrapped his arms around her, wanting to embrace her for all of eternity. His wolf faded and he returned to human form completely within the span of a few deep breaths.
They were a sweaty mess, but he had no complaints. There was a path ahead of them, confusing, troublesome, and arduous, but he wasn’t concerned. Being with Sky so intimately had solidified his belief that she was the perfect mate for him. Even if it was looking like them against the world, he looked forward to every minute.
Sky’s breath tickled his skin and he brushed through her tangled hair, still amazed at how silky and fine it was against his calloused fingertips. After a moment of relaxing, he nudged at her.
“Are you awake?” he asked.
“Awake, yes. Fully functional? No.”
He pulled her up so that they were face to face and kissed her. Their tongues danced gently, the most delicate action of the night. He rolled them over, remaining inside Sky and thrusting gently as he landed on top. He could keep going and wanted to, but it was no fun if she fell asleep. Her heavy lids conflicted with her words.
“Let’s get you cleaned up.” He kissed her nose and slid free despite her hands pawing at his arms as he rose.
She curled up on her side with a content sigh and nodded.
While he fetched a warm towel to clean her, his earlier concerns came roaring back. They hadn’t used protection, not that such a thing ever worked with lupine anyhow. But instead of fearing what that could mean, he found himself in a state of blissful wonder.
Surely, having a child with Sky, hybrid or not, was something worth cherishing. He had to assume she felt the same.
SEVENTEEN
“They need to be taken out,” Sky said while pressing the palms of her hands against her eyes. She sounded tired, and her husky voice made Kalle proud.
They hadn’t slept much the night before.
Unfortunately, now that they’d exhausted one craving, Sky was focusing on another. At the moment, it was bringing down the Wardens. Every agent. Every building. She wanted to wipe them out of existence.
He stared up at the ceiling. She was pressed against his side, their legs tangled. It wasn’t the sort of pillow-talk he wanted, but the sooner they planned their next move, the sooner they could leave the city and the hotel scene behind.
“You know I agree in theory, but you can’t kill an idea. Even if you did somehow dismantle the organization, nothing stops those displaced persons from starting it up again.”
“There has to be away.”
“I’m not trying to ruin your dream of a better tomorrow.” He scratched at his stubbled chin. “This simply isn’t a two-person job.”
She rose up on an elbow, drawing his attention to her serious expression. “What about the packs?”
“What of them?”
“We rally them. Tell them what’s going on. Then we’ll have numbers.”
He almost laughed at her naivety. “All that would do is get humans killed. Look, just because most packs aren’t anti-human, that doesn’t mean you can tell them about the Wardens and expect civility.”
“But—”
“If you tell them that humans are capturing, torturing, and experimenting on lupine, there’s a high chance it’ll backfire. That information, if in the minds of the wrong pack, could start an outright war.”
She slumped over, her forehead pressing to his bare chest. After a moment, she lifted her face. “But what about the other bunkers? I didn’t know we were holding specimens, but now that I do know, I suspect there are trapped lupine and vampires across the country.”
“Then…” He sighed. He wanted to help, but the entire endeavor seemed too vast. On the one hand, she was right. Having packs help them would give them numbers and strength. But he stood by his reluctance. If the Sarka pack knew about this—if they knew what Sky was, even—they’d see it as a reason for open bloodshed.
Lupine always lived on the defensive. Wolves were still hunted in some areas of the States, meaning occasionally, a lupine went down just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
That led to them relying primarily on their human forms, and while that was the norm across packs, that didn’t mean it didn’t come with a level of resentment. It would be nice if they could live as wolves or exist in their lupine form without trouble, yet humans would always make that impossible.
“I don’t think you understand what it’s like to be forced to the outskirts of society. We do well in the wild, sure, but that doesn’t mean we always thrive in the shadows and fringes. It doesn’t mean we’re always happy,” he explained.
“Maybe working together is the start.”
“Lupine and humans do work together. Not like this, but in a more confined capacity. And that’s not all.” He brushed his hands through her hair and traced the curve of her face, finally cupping her cheek. “You aren’t human. I don’t know how other lupine will react to that. It’s rather unsettling to realize that a hybrid exists. Many packs believe in blood purity. You’re an affront to that. You wouldn’t be welcomed.”
Her eyes searched his. “You mean they’d attack me if they knew.”
Attack was an understatement. She was strong and fast, but she wouldn’t survive against a shifted lupine. “It wouldn’t be safe.”
“We can’t ignore the Wardens.”
“I didn’t say we would.”
“Then?”
Running and hiding wasn’t his plan of action. He’d technically gotten his revenge for his time at the Warden’s mercy. Now he was thinking of Sky, though.
“Can they make another hybrid?” he asked.
She shook her head and sat up. “That’s the only upside to me leaving, I guess. The skinwalker genes were like the glue of the experiment. The lupine and vamp parts wouldn’t meld with human DNA without it. And it’s all gone.”
“Then either they get you back, or they go back to the drawing board.” He watched her slide from the bed and stretch. “Are you sure the other agents knew what you were?”
Hands atop her head, she shrugged. “I keep going back and forth on it. Roman knew, definitely. I thought everyone had to know, but the more I think about it, the less likely that seems. Secrets are hard to keep if everyone knows.”
He clenched his jaw. The only idea he had wasn’t the best by any stretch. If they couldn’t ignore the problem, but couldn’t run in and attack it either, they had to play it smart. Smart meant allies. He knew of a pack that could be amenable to such a thing.
Just a bit of footing with the lupine community would be more than nothing.
“We should head out,” he said.
“Where to?”
“We need to track down some former pack-mates of mine. They’re calling themselves the Eclipse pack these days.”
EIGHTEEN
It only took a few days of driving to reach a spot where Kalle was sure he could track the Eclipse pack from. He remembered his run-in with them, and it was clear the direction they were headed. It was a matter of retracing his steps. Even though time had passed, he’d be able to catch the scent with enough determination.
Sky pulled her arms through the straps of the new backpack she’d picked up in town and shut the car door behind her. It had been her idea to abandon the vehicle, which had been stolen in the first place.
