I’D LIKE TO SAY I CAME TO MY SENSES AFTER HALF-CLIMBING HIS BODY and locking lips until oxygen deprivation was a real threat, but it was Zach who drew back far enough to let our eyes meet.
“How do you feel?”
I took inventory. “Headache. Sore muscles. Shaky.”
“Up to talking?”
I nodded and my head didn’t throb in protest, so I took that as a sign of progress.
Jack and Will had left, probably while Zach and I were busy. Zach sat on the couch with me in his lap, running his hands over me as if reassuring himself that I was all in one piece. “Tell me what happened.”
I told him about the werepanther attack, but hesitated before mentioning the Leshii. Would I sound crazy? No crazier than a werepanther bent on kidnapping, I decided, and plunged ahead. “Then a guy dressed like some kind of hunter who called himself the lord of the forest said I was lost and brought me back here. That’s it.”
“That’s it,” Zach echoed, his tone flat. “The Leshii hasn’t been seen since your father died and Ray split the pack. Now he shows up for you, and all you say is ‘that’s it’?”
I shrugged. “I kind of expected you to tell me I was hallucinating. Who is he?”
“A friend and ally. The lord of the forest, like he told you. We’re his pack. Or at least we were. When he disappeared, we thought he might be allied with the rogue wolves. Maybe he was just waiting for you.”
“Maybe he’s just been busy,” I said. “Forest lord doesn’t sound like the kind of job with a lot of downtime. What about the panther? Did you find him?”
“No. We found the spot where he hit the ground, signs of struggle, but his footprints went on to the edge of the woods. Then we lost his trail.”
I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding as I exhaled relief. I wasn’t a killer. “He came by himself?”
“Yes.” Zach smoothed his hands along my ribs and settled them at my waist. “You make very tempting bait, apparently.”
“Do I tempt you?” I wanted to think of something besides danger. Not that flirting with Zach was all that safe.
Zach slid a hand down my hip and thigh. “I’m beyond tempted. I want to tear this dress apart, but I don’t think now is the time. You’ve had a traumatic experience and you’re exhausted.”
“So you’re going to be noble.”
“Yes.”
“Will you sleep with me tonight anyway?” I tried not to sound needy, but I felt safe with him and I didn’t want to be alone.
“If you hadn’t asked, I was going to insist.” He smiled at me, but it didn’t reach his eyes. They still showed a shadow of concern. “I want you where I can see you and feel you.”
“It’s a big bed,” I said. “You might lose me.”
“I’m an excellent tracker.” Zach shifted me forward until my feet touched the floor. “Can you walk?”
“I’d better, or I’ll be stiff tomorrow.” I eased my weight onto my feet and stood. We made our way to the bedroom together. He removed his jacket and tie. I remembered deciding I didn’t need a bra with this dress and dithered about it for a minute.
“Problem?” Zach asked, noticing my lack of progress.
“There’s not much under this dress,” I said. “And I don’t have pajamas here.”
I didn’t have a lot of things here, now that I thought about it. I’d have to get my stuff from my apartment. Along with Bert and Ernie. I’d left Michelle a voice mail asking her to feed them for me, but I’d retrieve them after the full moon.
“Not a problem from where I stand.” He gave me a heated look.
Well, okay then. I reached back to unzip the dress, slithered out of it, and tried not to blush at the thought of Zach’s eyes resting on the breasts I’d just bared. I didn’t look at him, pretending the task of peeling off my hose took heavy concentration. That left me wearing nothing but silk tap pants. The flimsy fabric didn’t make much of a barrier. Feeling exposed, I practically dove under the covers and pulled them up to my chin.
Zach was down to underwear by that point. I looked. My eyes widened in appreciation.
The bed dipped as he joined me. He scooted to the center of the mattress and wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer. “Come here.”
“I’m pretty much naked,” I blurted.
“I know.” He reached down to tease the ruffle of fabric that more or less covered my ass. “These are nice.”
His hand slid under the loose tap pants, squeezing, stroking. This was getting interesting. He ran a fingertip along the lower curve of my ass, tracing a path to my inner thighs. I held my breath as he teased me.
“Thought you said you were being noble tonight,” I said, my voice gone thick.
“I am.”
Damn
. Second night in a row I was sleeping with a sexy man, and we were just going to sleep. Since they were two different men, though, that was probably for the best. I wasn’t sure my brain could handle the reality of two lovers.
“You’re getting tense again.”
“David,” I said, figuring I might as well open that can of worms. “I slept with him last night.”
Zach’s hand stilled. “Meaning?”
“Meaning I feel a little weird climbing under the covers with you now. Not that I want you to leave. Don’t leave.” Sudden panic made me turn over and clutch at him.
“I’m not going anywhere.” Zach bent his head to me and kissed the curve of my cheek before settling his lips on mine in a slow, deep exploration that left me breathless and wordless. His hand traveled down my body in a slow line, giving me plenty of time to guess his destination and signal him to stop. But I didn’t. I let his hand settle over my sex with only a thin layer of silk keeping him from touching naked flesh. Telltale moisture dampened the silk and Zach made a low sound of triumph. “You want me.”
“I want you both.” I swallowed and fought the urge to rock into his hand. It felt so good to have him cupping my sex. I wanted more. “That confuses me.”
“You’re awakening.” Zach’s hand moved, a gentle slide, up and down, petting me, urging me to part my legs and give him more access. “You’re seeking a mate. You want to find what you’re looking for.”
“And I can only do this by being sexual with all of you,” I said, disbelief plain in my voice.
“Yes.” He kissed me again, hard and fierce. “I’d love to keep you all to myself. But you wouldn’t thank me for it tomorrow.”
His hand moved in a soft circle, pressing into my flesh, massaging my clit, and I decided that this, at least, was easy. I shifted my legs apart and shivered at the savage sound of satisfaction he made. He moved his hand up to my belly, found the waistband of the silk pants, and pulled them down. My breath caught as his fingertips traced the outline of my labia with no barrier between us. Nothing to prevent him from pushing inside . . .
I clutched at him and he moved to half-cover me with his body. His hand stroked and explored as his mouth claimed mine again. Deep, hot, wet kisses that made my head spin and my heart race. Knowledgeable, sure, enticing caresses between my legs until my hips were moving in a silent plea for more. Heat spiraled through my body. I shuddered with the force of the need he aroused. If he didn’t do something to satisfy it, my body was going to break apart.
But he did, opening me and sliding two fingers into my sheath, penetrating me with his hand while his tongue drove in and out of my mouth in an erotic echo. He found my clit with his thumb and stroked it as he pressed deeper inside me, fingertips finding a spot that made me arch up under him and groan out loud.
He built a rhythm that I caught and rode. His fingers teased me, took me. His kisses seduced me. The press of his body into mine made me ache with rising need, and all the while he fed my body’s hunger until it reached a point of no return.
I spasmed in pleasure, waves of it breaking over me, making the muscles of my sex grip around Zach’s fingers as I rocked into his hand in an attempt to gain more pressure where I needed it. The ripples went on and on, and his hand coaxed more response from me until I thought I’d break if he didn’t stop. And I did, finally, heart stopping, grinding myself against his hand as the force of the final orgasm broke me.
I drifted in a daze as his kiss ended and he withdrew his hand. I made a soft sound of protest at the loss.
“No more,” Zach said in a harsh voice. “I won’t take you the first time when you’re feeling like this, reacting to stress and crashed from adrenaline.”
“No, you’ll just do it while I’m reacting to estrus and turning into a monster,” I said. “Thanks for waiting to fuck me in front of an audience while I can’t say no.” Helpless waves of frustration washed through me, drowning out desire, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
“Chandra.” He rested his forehead on mine. “It’s not like that. You can say no. It’s all your choice. And is that what you think we are, monsters?”
I sighed. “No, I just want you to want me. Not to preserve the pack’s power structure. Not to demonstrate a point to the pack when we have sex in front of them. If we do it now, it’s just about us.”
“I want you. Right now. I don’t want to wait.” Zach rocked his body into mine, the hard ridge of his cock pressing into me with only the fabric of his Jockeys separating us. “But are you forgetting the knot? You’re not up to it tonight, and I won’t do that to you if you can’t handle it.”
Oh. I had forgotten. “I didn’t think of that,” I admitted. “You’re right; now is not a good time.”
I was pleasantly tired from manual stimulation, unpleasantly spent from the night’s exertions, and the combination left me boneless and tired. If I was going to indulge my lust for Zach, I wanted the whole experience. Not a quick screw before we rolled over and went to sleep.
Especially since it might only be once or twice, then never again.
“I should still do something for you,” I said, touching the waistband of his underwear.
“If you want to do something for me, go to sleep so you’ll be up to finishing this tomorrow.”
There was a thought guaranteed to keep me up all night.
A DEEP FEELING OF WELL-BEING WAS THE FIRST THING I NOTICED WHEN I woke up the next morning. A sense of pleasurable expectation hummed through my body, and I felt utterly relaxed and at peace.
The empty space beside me was the second thing I noticed. No Zach. I pouted when my exploring hand found nothing but cool sheets where Zach had been. I listened but didn’t hear him moving around the suite. That dimmed a little of my happiness in the new day. I wanted a good morning kiss.
Don’t be greedy
, I told myself. I’d gotten plenty last night. Almost more than I could handle.
I stretched and rolled over, enjoying the slide of the sheets and faint scent of Zach they still held. Sun streamed in through the windows, which meant I’d probably overslept. My muscles stood the stretch test without protesting, so I rolled to the edge of the bed and sat up, letting the covers fall away. Cool air on my naked body felt surprisingly good, waking me up all over.
I stood, sinking my toes deep into the sheepskin rug beside the bed.
Mmm
. I closed my eyes to fully enjoy the sensation. There were some advantages to my new digs. Like the soaking tub. I padded off to the bathroom, noticing how smooth polished wood floor gave way to cool tile under my bare feet.
The tub was easy to figure out. I adjusted the water temperature and let it fill while I looked for some kind of bath oil. The cabinet held a bottle of rose oil, and I poured a small amount into the tub. A little perfume went a long ways.
While the tub filled, I turned in front of the mirror. I looked better than I expected this morning. No sign of a bruise on the side of my face. Good color. In fact, I looked kind of flushed. Lips redder and fuller than usual. Well, I’d given them a workout last night, and I was probably still floating from the afterglow.
That led to a bemused curiosity. If Zach could give me orgasms that good with his hands and mouth, what would the real deal be like? My inner muscles clenched at the thought, as if a nerve ran from my heated imagination straight to my sex.
I grinned at my reflection, noting the swell of my breasts, the peaked nipples from the cool air, the light flush on my skin. “You look like you finally got some,” I said. “And liked it.”
Well, I had. But before I went looking for more, I should clean up. Wash away the evidence of my late-night adventure and make myself smell like something more attractive than day-old sweat.
I stepped into the tub and sank up to my chin in fragrant, silky water. I used my foot to shut off the tap, rising up a little in the process, and that made rivulets of water run down my body, leaving a light sheen of rose oil on my breasts.
“Huh.” I’d never really noticed the effect of bath oil on bare skin, other than the way it softened and moisturized. I touched the curve of my breast with a curious hand, feeling the lubrication that made my palm glide over my nipple. Sort of like massage oil. Reducing friction.
I blinked when I realized I was feeling myself up and stopped, ducking under the water again to focus on getting clean. But the slide of water and the light scent of rose distracted me, making me roll and stretch in the tub.
Like a dog rolling in something.
I froze. “What is wrong with you this morning?” I whispered it out loud, but I was already afraid I knew the answer.
Flushed skin that felt even more sensitive than usual. Body visibly aroused. And despite last night’s drama, possible future werepanther incursions had been the furthest thing from my mind. Instead, I’d been wondering where Zach went and thinking lustful thoughts.
“Heat” wasn’t just a word anymore. Now it was a fever, a feeling of ripeness and readiness, a physical shift that told me nature’s on-switch was tripped but good.
As I washed, my hands lingered everywhere they touched. Gliding over calves and thighs, smoothing the curves of my hips, running up my rib cage to explore the swells of my breasts. I cupped a hand over my sex and flashed on Zach’s hand there. The way his fingers had worked in and out of me, pressed deep inside me, his thumb stroking my clit. I almost came on the spot, just from the muscle memory.
“Holy crap.” My whisper seemed to echo in the tiny room. My sex throbbed from remembered pleasure, ached for more.
This had to stop.
I climbed out of the tub as fast as my languorous limbs would allow and grabbed a towel. My usual brisk rubbing made me wince and stop almost as fast as I started. Toweling made my skin feel raw. So I wrapped it around me instead, blotting water with careful pats. The towel still scraped against my skin even though I knew it was thick and plush and shouldn’t have irritated me at all.
Fine. I could air-dry the rest of the way. I rehung the towel and drained the bath, trying to be neat, but every sensation distracted me and made me clumsy. Frustrated with myself, I padded back into the bedroom and retrieved yesterday’s clothes. I pulled the fleece over my head, skipping the bra, and still had to fight the urge to claw it back off as soon as it settled against my skin.
This was bad.
The silk tap pants would look ridiculous with the sporty fleece pullover, but I figured they were softer and looser than the regular panties I’d worn when I left for the library yesterday. So I put them back on, and tried to ignore the way the silk rubbed against the seam of my sex. Of course, walking made that impossible, so by the time I’d reached the hallway door I wanted to scream, rip them off, and finger myself to relief.
But I needed to do something else instead. What? Oh, yeah. Find David, Zach, somebody. Get help.
I made my way out into the hall and halted in confusion. What was faster, get downstairs to the main living area or try doors on this floor? Was anybody up here?
No. The wolf inside me was impatient and disappointed to sense this floor empty. Instinct pulled me to the stairs. Help lay that way.
I made it almost all the way down before I had to stop and sit, breath coming in pants, the slide of silk between my legs a sensual torture.
A sound below made my heart hitch.
Look up here,
I wanted to yell, but couldn’t seem to coordinate my lips and voice. But Jack’s red head appeared anyway. “Chandra?”
I waved a hand at him and tried not to wince as the inside of my shirt rasped over my nipples.
“Need a hand?” He came up the stairs and halted about a foot away from me. “Oh. I see. Ahead of schedule, are we?”
I licked my lips. Relief that help was here restored my speech. “Dunno. Am I?”
“A bit.” He smiled at me, but his eyes darkened to a midnight shade of blue. Reacting to my state? “You may be in for a long day. It ends with the moonrise.”
That long? “Hell.”
“We’ll do our best to make it heaven.” He gave me a teasing wink and held his hand out to me. I took it, and let him help me back up.
“Clothes hurt,” I muttered. “Makes it hard to walk.”
“I could carry you.” Jack made the offer and waited for me to vote yes or no. I debated for a minute. I might do something embarrassingly wanton if he picked me up. On the other hand, I might have to get naked to walk any farther on my own. And I wanted to keep some sort of barrier to hide behind as long as possible.
“Carry me, please.” My voice sounded throaty, like I was inviting Jack to do something more intimate. Maybe I was. Maybe I wasn’t ready to encounter wolves en masse after all. “Wait.”
“When you’re ready.” Jack’s voice was steady, soothing.
“Can you keep me up here?” I stared at him, a helpless plea written on my face. “Keep me from the rest until it’s over?”
He looked shocked. “No. First of all, I can’t satisfy you by myself. You’d suffer. Second, you have to let all the pack touch you. It’s how you’ll know your mate. And if you reject any of us by refusing our touch, you aren’t just rejecting a potential mate. You’re rejecting a packmate.”
“Rejecting?”
Jack nodded, looking almost stern. It made me wonder if the playful clown was a mask he wore. “Which of us do you want kicked out because you wouldn’t accept us?”
My mouth opened and closed, as I remembered all of them kissing my hand, dancing with me, welcoming me. Going after the intruder who’d taken me. David breaking into my apartment when he thought I was in trouble. Zach taking a knife for me. The way they worked together, a unit. Making space for me as if I belonged, too. “Nobody.”
“Then accept us.”
I fought the urge to cry. “How?”
“However you want.” Jack stroked the side of my face and I turned into that touch, pressing a kiss into the palm of his hand before I realized what I was doing.
He felt good, right. Pack. I liked his touch and wanted to reciprocate. Maybe it would all be that easy. I closed my eyes and nodded. “Okay.”
“That’s my girl.” Jack lifted me with careful hands until he held me cradled against his chest.
I let out a short laugh. “Yours and everybody else’s.”
He pressed a swift kiss on my surprised lips. “That works both ways, Princess. We’re all yours.”
While he carried me the rest of the way down, I wound my arms around his neck and nuzzled the spot below his ear. I wanted to lick it but pushed the impulse down. I didn’t want him to trip and fall.
“That tickles.” Jack’s voice sounded soft and pleased, an invitation to continue.
“Mmm.” I waited until he reached level ground before I ran the tip of my tongue along the outside edge of his ear, tracing the shape. “Does this?”
“Yeah.” His arms tightened around me. “In a very good way.”
I nipped at his earlobe and felt almost ridiculously pleased when he checked his forward motion to recapture his balance.
“Hold that thought,” Jack muttered, and strode off again at a faster pace. He carried me past the kitchen and dining room, turning to bring me into what looked like a library. Built-in bookshelves lined the walls on two sides. The other two held windows and a fireplace respectively, opposite each other. In the center of the room I saw another plush sheepskin rug like the pair in my bedroom, an assortment of deep chairs with ottomans, and a backless fainting couch. Cushions piled in front of the fireplace made an inviting nest.
So many places to sit, lie, drape myself over . . . I blinked as the sexual possibilities the furniture presented marched through my fevered brain.
“Here?” I croaked.
“Here.” Jack let me slide down his body until my feet touched the floor, keeping his arms around me so that I stood in a close embrace. He put one hand to the small of my back and slid the other down to cup the curve of my ass, urging me closer. I went without resistance, liking the feel of him pressed against me. “Big enough for all of us. Neutral ground, nobody’s bedroom. Accommodating furniture.”
“Ah.” I rubbed my breasts against his chest, filled with excited anticipation at the thought of how accommodating the furniture might prove. He squeezed my butt in response and bent his head to steal another kiss. I parted my lips and he wasted no time accepting the invitation I offered, tasting the inner recesses of my mouth with his probing tongue.
He ended the kiss with obvious reluctance. “I need to call the others.”
“Oh. Right.” I took a few deep breaths, hoping they’d steady me. Instead they just seemed to inflate my breasts and push my nipples harder into Jack’s lean, muscled chest. Which made me rub against him to maximize the sensation. “Sorry. Distracted,” I muttered. “It’s like the nymphomaniac version of ADD.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’m not complaining.” He ran his hand just under the loose silk of my tap pants, teasing the bare curve of my butt. “But we can’t get started without waiting for the rest.”
“Because that wouldn’t be fair,” I gritted out, annoyed that I’d have to let go of him when I needed to be touched.
“Not very.” Jack grinned at me and turned me loose. “Now I’m going to keep my hands to myself and let you find a place to sit or lay, however you feel comfortable.”
“Like I can get comfortable right now.” I gave him a disgruntled look.
“I’ll be quick.” He sped out of the room to prove it.
I tugged at the confining, scratching fleece pullover. I wanted to swear. Instead, I made my way to the fainting couch and fell onto it face-first in a loose-limbed sprawl.
Multiple footsteps sounded outside the hall, then inside the room, and I breathed into the upholstery, torn between relief and dismay as my suitors arrived.
Eleven men. One female werewolf in heat. Time to celebrate my first full moon after turning twenty-one.
Happy birthday to me.