by Godiva Glenn
“You still haven’t said what makes lupine mating different from what we’ve done before. It has to be more than the obvious.”
He pulled her from the tree and walked her back until they stood on the soft dirt. With a finger under her chin, he lifted her face to the moonlit sky. “When we mate, we seek approval of the moon and the ancestors.”
“Ancestors…”
“I’ll explain another time.” He gazed up with her, taking in the scene and cherishing it. “What you need to understand is that in our world, male and female are equally strong. A male needs to work for his place at a female’s side.”
“I didn’t realize.”
“When we mate, I’ll have you at your most vulnerable state. Naked and at your back. Your neck bared to me. Your body open for my intentions.” He glanced down and met her eyes. “But you trust me, don’t you?”
The bright moon glowed in her mirror-like gaze. “I do.”
“I’ll become wild. I’ll need to draw your blood. Do you still trust me?”
She swallowed, and his attention flew to her delicate neck. She seemed to notice and touched herself there, fingers lingering on her own pulse. “I trust you.”
He spun her around and embraced her so that her back pressed his chest. Pushing aside her hair, he revealed her shoulder and nibbled it teasingly, sensually. “I hope you can see the beauty in this act.” His hands cupped her breasts, enjoying the weight of them and how perfectly they filled his rough hands. Once he shifted, he’d have to be careful how he touched her. He gave them a squeeze and pinched the tips, hardened by her arousal. “To the outside eye, what we do may seem beastly. Violent. Perverse.”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” she promised.
He kissed her jaw and caressed her sides as his wolf prowled forward. Mating was something he understood only through instinct. The how-to of it all was knowledge passed down, father to son, but even the first time he’d learned of it, his mind accepted the ritual as necessary.
His body knew what to do without his brain needing to analyze it, which was good sense every passing second made thinking harder. His blood was elsewhere, after all. He had to ignore how Sky’s round bottom was currently pressed to his erection or he’d lose his mind completely.
Taking a breath, he lifted his hands to her shoulders. He massaged them briefly then whispered, “Down on all fours. I can’t hold back another moment.”
His voice was harsh. The change had already begun, adding a bestial growl to each word that made her shiver. She did as asked and looked back and up at him while he welcomed his lupine form.
The magic in the air he’d felt before magnified once he stood on two paws. He couldn’t help himself and howled at the moon, aware that in the distance, the pack would give pause and hear him, and wonder what he’d gotten up to. Pride and love for the woman below him filled his heart, however, and that emotion needed release. A wolf’s howl was a song of the spirit. His spirit overflowed for Sky.
He knelt over her and their eyes locked. He could see a hazy reflection of himself in her awe-struck gaze. Folding carefully over her, he nuzzled her ear and directed her attention forward. Soon enough she’d be too wild with passion to see anything but stars.
She liked it rough. She’d mentioned enough times, and he clearly felt the same. Tonight, he’d show her what rough truly was. He could imagine the human interpretation of rough sex. Some spanking. Maybe bondage and choking. But that wasn’t lupine rough.
She wasn’t walking away from this with a smile. She’d be passed out and incapable of remembering her own name. Her legs would be jelly, her pussy bruised, her mind fucked, and her heart on fire for him and everything he alone could give her.
“Are you wet?” he asked with a low tone. He knew the answer, of course.
“Yes.”
“Say it. I want to hear you say it. Tell me how badly you want this.”
She licked her lips. “I’m dripping wet for you.”
“Good.” He pressed his nose into her hair and inhaled her sweet floral scent. For the first time, he identified the unique undertones that marked her. She smelled like summer. He loved it.
The wind danced through the trees around him, tickling his skin and urging him forward. He arched against her, his cock angled perfectly to penetrate her waiting heat. The tip of him slid into place and he forgot to savor the moment, he simply thrust forward, burying himself a few inches deep.
A guttural swear escaped Sky, but it was laced with pleasure. She’d insisted she could handle all of him, so he didn’t pause before moving again and sinking deeper in. No sane male lupine would talk a woman out of taking his shifted form, but he’d at least warned Sky.
If she were fully human, he assumed there would be more trouble. Her hybrid status had made him optimistic that mating would be easy—or easy enough. It seemed his hopes were on spot. She was tight but accepting, and judging by her whispered pleas for “more,” enjoying every inch of him.
The gentle desperation she conveyed left him wanting more. He plunged forward as she pushed back until he was fully buried, and the curve of her ass was pressed against him. He licked her ear and cheek. Her body shook as she giggled. She was still alive. As she’d predicted, he hadn’t killed her with his dick.
At least not yet.
He lifted his body from her back and settled into a steady pace that made her clutch the ground in vain. She bounced as he shoved in and out of her clenching tunnel. The sound of her panting breath signaled her imminent release. He gripped her hips, claws digging into her pale flesh and pounding hard into her depth until she came screaming.
He rode the waves of her climax along with her, eyes clenched shut as her walls constricted and spasmed around his thick length. His own pleasure continued to build, and as she came down, the base of his cock began to expand.
She dug through the dirt as if she could escape. He knew how sensitive her body became after an orgasm, but they couldn’t stop now. Her feeble struggling was her body’s instinct, anyhow. Sky would be pissed if he ended things too early.
He held her still easily and leaned down to hover over her. His furred cheek pressed her temple.
“Relax,” he whispered.
She nodded and whimpered.
“Trust me.”
He couldn’t see her smile but felt it. His long tongue flicked over the graceful slope where her shoulder and neck met before he bit down. The sharp taste of blood filled his mouth, and he was careful to remain steady and not worsen the bite. Sky flinched only a hair, but her arms shook and threatened to give way.
He held her up for a moment, until the shock passed. His hands returned to her thighs and dug in more fiercely than he had before, until the tips of his claws broke her skin. His hips pumped forward, restricted by their locked position but eager all the same. His knot was full and now that she was restrained, he emptied into her.
Whatever Sky felt in that moment, he couldn’t imagine. She swayed beneath him, and he barely managed to remain upright as his orgasm barreled down his spine and jolted him as surely as lightning. A howl tore from his throat, his face lifted triumphantly to the night sky.
And as his elation crested, pain struck his right arm. He glanced down in surprise to see that Sky had reached back and gripped him. Her now clawed hand coated in pale silver fur not much unlike his own had dug into his bicep and given him a worthy scratch.
The astonishment cooled his fevered lust enough that he released her hips. They slumped forward, still trapped together by his knot. He dipped down and licked her shoulder clean of lingering blood. She healed fast. There was no telling if her mating marks would remain in time.
“Fuck fuck fuck,” she breathed. “What was that?”
“Which part?” As his erecting abated somewhat, he allowed his form to shift back to human. He’d intended to remain lupine and have much more fun, but she’d marked him. The disappointment was short-lived, as he was fascinated by her hands, which were still delicate claws.
He wrapped his body around her and brushed his fingers through the fur that started at her elbow.
“I have… paws,” she stammered.
“You do.” Kissing behind her ear, he continued, “And they’re lovely.”
She stared forward at her hand, but the shape soon shrunk back to slender fingers. “That wasn’t lupine,” she whispered. “My claws aren’t lupine.”
He’d noticed the difference but was surprised she could tell. “No. The skinwalker, I suppose.”
“I could feel it. The change. The power.” She sat up, her once-again brown eyes wide and frantic. “I hurt you.”
He laughed as she traced around the long claw marks in his arm. “That’s your reaction? You didn’t hurt me. You gave me mating marks, just as I did to you.”
“But…”
“I’m proud to wear them,” he promised. “I hope they never heal.”
She frowned, appearing doubtful and confused. “You’ve healed through worse with no scar.”
“Mating marks—true mating marks—are blessed by the ancestors. They don’t disappear. They remain forever as evidence of the act. They are the few marks a lupine tends to carry.”
“But your scars…”
He rolled his shoulders, thinking of his back. “There’s more to that, but it’s a bit of a secret. Something only the alphas and elders know, typically.”
She rubbed her temples. “I’m dizzy now.”
“Probably because you’ve never shifted before.” He pulled her down and fixed himself over her body. “I can help you relax.”
“More sex? Not that I’m complaining.”
“Well, we’re mated now. Usually, that means the end of sex for the night, but you unintentionally called it quits early.”
“I did?”
He nodded. “Mating stops when the female’s wolf says so.” He dragged his fingertips down the middle of her chest and followed it with his eyes. “But that wasn’t your wolf, so I think we can keep going.”
“Will you shift again?”
“Do you want me to?”
Her eyes glittered. A silver glow circled her brown irises. “I do.”
TWENTY-ONE
The first rays of the sun seeping through the trees woke Kalle, but he didn’t move. Sky was curled against him, her back pressed to his chest as she gently snored and dozed on. A fine layer of red dust coated her pale skin. Dirt clung to her in sporadic patches as well, adding to her disheveled appearance as much as the leaves tangled in her red hair.
She was gorgeous. Perfect. His.
He watched her as the light crept closer to them, yet she didn’t stir. The night and its activities had exhausted her, just as he’d aimed. By the time he’d released her from his insatiable hunger for her pleasure, she’d clawed him three more times.
If his ego wasn’t a broad shell, he’d have admitted to the pain. She dug deep. Her wild side matched his own. The mysterious skinwalker was close to the front of his mind. How much of the supernatural being influenced Sky without her knowing?
Kalle and the rest of the lupine were often led by their wolves. What led her? In time, he hoped they’d figure it out. He intended on chasing the hint of her origins as they carried out their plan to pick away at the foundations of the Wardens.
Their goal was lofty. He didn’t believe they’d destroy an entire organization. But if they could be an everlasting thorn in the side of the bastards bent on war against the supernatural, that would be enough.
They’d do what they could.
Footsteps crunched through the dry brush and Kalle looked around to find Kyra approaching. The scent of coffee wafted to him, and he noticed the Styrofoam cups in her hands. A sheepish smile was on her face, silently asking permission to approach.
He gave her a nod as he shook Sky’s arm. She roused only partially, grumbling and scooting back as if she could get any closer to Kalle’s body. Plucking a small twig from the hair over her ear, he nuzzled her shoulder. “We’ve got company.”
She came to now and curled into a ball as she noticed Kyra. “Oh shit!”
“It’s okay.” Kalle sat up and wrapped their thin blanket around Sky’s body, unconcerned with his own exposed form. “You’re fine.”
“We’re…” Sky’s cheeks burned red. “Indisposed.”
Kyra laughed and walked forward. She plopped onto the ground in front of them and held out the lightly steaming cups. “Nudity is nothing to lupine. And besides, you should be proud to show your marks.”
Sky’s hand flew to her neck and she winced.
Kyra’s eyes slid to Kalle. “By the third howl, we all surmised what was going on out here. Your presence was supposed to be a secret, but now the gossip has begun.”
“Sorry.” He took one of the offered cups and pressed it into Sky’s stunned hands, manually folding her fingers around it. Then he took his own. “I couldn’t contain it.”
“It’s fine. We celebrated it. Pack or not, the males were proud of you.” Kyra’s head tilted and she smiled at Sky. “And some of the females were quite saddened by the loss.”
He scoffed. “They never wanted me.”
“I think you underestimate yourself. Many enjoy the strong, silent type.” She shrugged. “Or they want to be responsible for making them let loose.”
Sky sipped her coffee and stirred out of her shocked state. “Mating is just… casual talk I guess? As easy as discussing the weather?”
“It is,” both Kalle and Kyra confirmed at the same time.
“And the entire pack knows what we did… and celebrated?” she asked.
“Granted, there’s not much we won’t celebrate,” Kyra admitted. “Our pack is small. No new mated couples and not much going on, so we look forward to any excuse to get rowdy.”
Kalle kissed Sky’s temple. “Are you embarrassed? I’m sorry.”
“I’ll live. I’m just… There’s a lot I’m trying to sort through right now.” She focused on her cup and took another sip. “Wait. You’re here. Does that mean you have news?”
They both looked expectantly at Kyra.
Kyra looked back to the woods where she’d appeared from. “I do. Mikos was supposed to be right behind me, but it’s hard for him to get around as alpha. Everyone needs something.” She turned back to them. “I’m allowed to tell you that the council came to a unanimous agreement in favor of helping you.”
“But?” Kalle asked.
“But… they would like to talk to you both in person before anything actually moves forward.”
Sky met Kalle’s eyes. “That’s not a bad idea, right?”
Kalle wasn’t sure. “Will they come to us? And when? Sky needs to recover.”
“I’m fine,” Sky muttered.
Grinning, Kyra gave a quick nod. “We were hoping you’d stick around a bit longer. Pass the time and obtain full passage through the land.”
“You mean join the pack?” Kalle bristled.
“No. We can’t force you to join, nor would we aim to trick you in any way. Mikos doesn’t want to lead someone who refuses to follow.” Kyra tucked a stray brown curl of hair behind her ear. “But we want you to meet them. You want us to trust you, then we have to know you. Mikos and I can’t just order the pack to give you the time of day.”
“They already know me.”
Kyra arched a brow at him. “No, they don’t. All they know is a name, a face, and a handful of rumors. We have a few from your first pack, but not many, and even they don’t have the fondest memories of you.”
“You didn’t have friends?” Sky asked Kalle.
He grumbled. No, he never had friends. He had family and he had competition. That was another story to tell Sky, but not now in front of Kyra. “They don’t need to like me.”
“It’s no longer about bloodlines and legacies, Kalle. We all got a new beginning, and you’d benefit from accepting that. Obviously, you’ve changed, anyhow.” She lifted a hand and gestured. “Hell, you’re talking to me rig
ht now. Who would have seen that ever happening? Hmm? The grouchiest wolf in the Sarka pack talking to the eparatos.”
“Epa-what?” Sky asked.
Kalle rubbed her arm, aiming to explain that later too. Kyra had been labeled eparatos—cursed—for years. But now she’d found her wolf. He could tell just by her scent and the feel of her presence, even if he’d never seen her shift. “I was never the grouchiest. That was Viktor.”
“Close competition, certainly. My point stands. I know Kalle Lowe is more than a surly mystery. Do you gain anything by hiding that from a pack you seek help from?”
“Fine.” He looked past her. It wouldn’t be so bad to see what the Eclipse pack had become. Besides, he was curious to see familiar faces. His wolf missed the pack much more than he did. “How long will we be required to stay?”
“A week out here. That’s the already-in-place period for strangers to the pack.” She glanced at their belongings, which were piled against a tree. “We’ll help out with supplies. Tents, food, whatever you need.”
Sky squealed and they both looked at her. “Pack, Kalle. I finally get to meet a pack.”
He couldn’t explain her excitement to Kyra, but it tugged at his heart. The lupine part of her couldn’t contain her thrill, and that warmed him. The smile on her lips and delight in her eyes was worth milling about for a week.
“I suppose we have a deal.”
EPILOGUE
There was no rest for the wicked.
Nor for lupine hell-bent on destroying the Warden’s infrastructure, one base at a time, apparently.
Kalle stood tall with his hands folded and resting atop his head as he surveyed the land beneath the full moon. It neared its peak. He’d be called down soon. He didn’t want to be.
Running under the moon wasn’t the problem. He loved the freedom and rush of being wild and untethered by his human form and frustrations. But the last few wolf moons had been rough on him, and they would continue to be for longer still.
Sky came up behind him, hugging his bared back. He stood naked while awaiting the change, but of course, she was fully clothed. Her round stomach pressed against his back. A subtle curve, but a noticeable one. A beautiful one.
