Eventually, Cassidy said, “We’re just coming to the outskirts of the city of Juneau.”
Edensaw’s imaginings of what Juneau would be like weren’t even close to what it truly was. The wide-open spaces were filled in with what Cassidy called houses and other structures he had no names for. And there were so many of them. The people he saw were as varied as the structures around them.
Cassidy slowed the car when she approached a tall building with many windows. She turned off the road and drove through a squared entrance that appeared to be made entirely out of smooth, white stone. Other cars were there as well, parked with no one inside them. Light was provided by tube-like strips that were above them. His mate brought the car to a stop once she positioned it between two yellow lines on the ground.
Cassidy turned off the car and smiled at all of them. “All right, we’re here. This is where I live.”
Edensaw looked around, not sure what to say. The tent was nicer than this wide open stone place. “This is your home? It does not look as if it would keep you warm in winter. And what of the people who own these other cars? Do they live in this large stone room with you?”
His mate laughed. “I don’t live
right
here. This is the parking garage where I keep my car when I’m not using it. We have to go into the apartment building to get to my place. Let’s get everything out of the back and I’ll show you.”
Cassidy loaded them down with the items from the campsite, then motioned for them to follow her. She led them to a large standing rectangle that was set into the stone wall. It was made out of what looked like metal, a substance Cassidy had explained when Edensaw had asked about the tent poles.
“I’ll unlock the door, then hold it open for you all to go through,” Cassidy said as she inserted something she held into the round object on the door and turned it. She pulled it open before standing to the side for them to walk by her.
The door closed by itself once Cassidy stepped away from it. She walked past them and stopped at what Edensaw thought was another door. It was, but not like the first one. It glided open once Cassidy pushed something on the wall beside it. What it revealed was another small room with no windows.
His mate walked into it, turned to face them and put her hand on the edge of the open door. “We can all fit in here. This is an elevator and it will take us up to the floor where my apartment is.”
Edensaw walked inside with his wolf brothers. Cassidy let go of the door and it glided shut behind them. They turned to face it as Cassidy had done. She pushed something else on the wall that lit up. The whole room lurched, and Edensaw felt it move, giving him a weird feeling in his stomach.
The elevator came to a stop, giving his belly another jolt, and the door opened once more. They were no longer in the parking garage, nor were they outside. Cassidy walked out, then placed her hand on the edge of the door. Edensaw stepped across to the new place they’d come to. His wolf brothers followed him.
Cassidy took the lead once more. After a short walk down the passageway she came to halt in front of another door. Same as in the parking garage, she put something she held into a similar round object and turned it before she opened it.
“Welcome to my home,” Cassidy said as she walked through the entrance.
Edensaw stepped through with the others a few paces behind him. This was very different from the tent. It was more solid, looked as if it would withstand any kind of weather. Sunlight filtered in through a row of windows at the opposite end of the room.
“Just set everything down here,” Cassidy directed. “I’ll take care of putting it away later.”
They did as she said. Ketah was the first one to walk farther into the room. He headed straight for the windows. Whatever he saw had him jumping back in exclamation. Curious as to what would have caused this kind of reaction in his wolf brother who was the most daring of them all, Edensaw went over to join him.
It didn’t take Edensaw long to figure out what had spooked Ketah. The view through the windows was astonishing. They were no longer on the ground, but were way, way above it. He’d never been so high. The others soon joined them. The look on their faces said they felt the same way he did.
Cassidy chuckled. “I take it you guys like the view.”
Edensaw turned to look at her. “We are very high up.”
“We’re on the tenth floor. The building has twelve in total so there are people who are living even higher up.”
He turned back to the view. It looked as if he and his wolf brothers would have a lot of adjusting to do. Their knowledge as hunters wasn’t exactly going to be of much use in this strange, new world.
Chapter Five
Cassidy spent the rest of the day helping the men acclimate to their new environment. She’d had to explain what everything was inside the apartment, right down to the carpet and what the walls were made of. Teaching the men how to use the toilet had been a bit of an uncomfortable chore, but they managed to pick it up quick enough that she hadn’t had to teach them twice. And showing them the television had been an experience. They at first had thought the people on the screen were actually inside the TV, and when she changed the channel, she’d killed them to replace them with others. Teaching the wolf brothers all about modern life, it showed Cassidy how much she took those things for granted, how much easier it made day-to-day living.
She now sat on the couch, watching TV. The men were taking turns in the shower, something all of them so far appeared to love. They took longer ones than she did. Cassidy was thankful she didn’t have to pay for water since it was included in her rent.
Edensaw stepped out of the bathroom. A waft of steam billowed around him, spilling into the short hallway. He wore only his underwear, which made more sense than being naked. She’d had to explain how most people didn’t go around stripping in front of others. They really hadn’t understood what the big deal was about.
Edensaw came into the living room and nodded at Wachei, who got off the floor where he sat and headed for the bathroom for his turn in the shower. Edensaw lowered himself to the couch cushion beside Cassidy. His long hair was still damp, but he had combed it with the spare comb she’d given the men to use.
She looked at his chest and saw there were a few beads of water on it. A quick flash of her leaning in and licking the moisture away flitted through her mind before she pushed it aside. Even though Edensaw and she had fooled around a bit at the campsite, Cassidy had decided she’d better slow things down a bit. The men were like babies in some way, having to be taught everything about the world they’d awakened to. And then there was what they were and what Edensaw wanted from her. She was very attracted to him and wanted nothing more than to have him as hers, but she still knew very little about what it meant to be his mate. He was immortal. She was not. He was a werewolf. And, well, she was not.
Cassidy had thought of taking the wolf brothers to the local Tlingit tribe, but she wasn’t sure that was a great idea yet. She couldn’t very well introduce them as ice age Tlingit hunters who’d slept in an ice cave for ten thousand years. They’d think she was crazy as anyone else would who hadn’t been there when she’d found the men.
For now, it looked as if she’d have full responsibility for them, which meant they’d be living in cramped quarters until she figured out what to do with the men. Even though she made not bad money at her job as a graphic artist working from home, having to feed six extra people was going to put a strain on her finances. But she wasn’t about to turn them out.
Once the showers were done and it grew late, Cassidy felt eyes watching her. She turned her head to find Edensaw staring at her with a look that made her pussy clench. He seemed to eat her up with his gaze. Her heart beat faster and her nipples grew taut. She licked her suddenly dry lips. His gaze dropped to her mouth and seemed to heat up even more.
“I think it’s time we found our sleep,” Edensaw said in a husky voice. He also spoke loud enough for the others to hear.
Cassidy nodded. Going to bed wasn’t a bad idea. She needed to get away from Edensaw’s sultry looks. “All right. Since there is only the one bedroom, and bed, you guys are going to have to sleep out here on the floor. One of you can have the couch, but I’ll let you decide that amongst yourselves.”
She stood, then walked over to the windows and pulled the curtains closed. They were thick and dark enough to block out some of the late-night sunshine. That completed, she turned off the television before heading to her bedroom. Once inside she turned to shut the door and just about jumped out of her skin when she saw Edensaw was directly behind her.
Cassidy held a hand to her chest. “You scared the crap out of me. I didn’t hear you come up behind me like that.”
He grinned. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Was there something you wanted?”
Edensaw ran a heated gaze up and down her body, which had her pussy clenching with need again. “Yes, very much.”
“And that would be?”
In way of an answer, he crowded her farther into the room and shut the door. He reached for her but Cassidy stepped back. Edensaw looked at her with confusion on his face.
“Is something wrong, Cassidy? I thought you wouldn’t mind if I shared your bed with you.”
Oh, she didn’t mind. That was part of the problem. “I don’t know if that would be a good idea.”
“Why?”
“I don’t think we should rush things. You’re still adjusting to my world, and I still have to adjust to what you are. Throwing sex into the mix might not be a great idea right now.”
“You still aren’t comfortable with my wolf side,” Edensaw said it as a statement.
Cassidy shook her head. “I’m not.”
“Then we’ll have to make it so you are.”
Before Cassidy could say anything more, Edensaw shifted to his dire wolf form. The panic she’d felt the first time she’d seen the men change to their furry side threatened to rise inside her. She fought to keep it down.
It’s all right, Cassidy. I’m nothing to fear
, Edensaw said in her mind.
Come and touch me. Get used to me being in this form.
He jumped up onto her bed and lay down. Swallowing, Cassidy sat on the mattress next to Edensaw. She turned to face him and crossed her legs. She ran her gaze over him. He really was a beautiful wolf.
He ducked his head and licked her hand.
Touch me, Cassidy.
She reached out and placed her hand on the top of his lupine head. Edensaw shifted closer until his side rested against her legs. Cassidy ran her hand along each of his ears before she stroked down his neck to his back. His black fur was soft to the touch. Edensaw’s tail thumped on the bed as he wagged it.
She continued to pet him, sinking her fingers into his thick fur. After a while, she forgot he was a werewolf. It was as if she were petting a real wolf, which she was. She was also touching an animal that had become extinct thousands of years ago. When shifted, the wolf brothers were the last of the dire wolves.
Edensaw stretched out even more, laying his head in her lap. She continued her downward stroking to his tail and ran it through her loose grip. Cassidy soon lost herself to petting him, liking the closeness this brought her. The longer she ran her fingers through his fur the less she felt as if she had anything to fear from him.
The wolf’s body shimmered and blurred, then Edensaw the man sat before her. He cupped her face in his hands and took her lips in a kiss that was sweet and gentle. He ended it by lifting his head but didn’t release her. He stared into her eyes.
“I want you as I have not wanted another, Cassidy. Just having you touch me in my wolf form has my mating urge digging its claws deeper into me. My body aches for yours. Though I would never force you to do something you aren’t ready for, I need to have you in my arms as I sleep. I would like nothing more than to give you pleasure as I did last night, and have you do the same for me. Right now, I’ll ask for nothing more.”
Cassidy’s willpower weakened. She’d never had a man stare at her with such longing. That look alone was enough to bring her to full arousal. She remembered how good it had felt to have Edensaw hold her and stroke her body the night before. She craved his hands on her. And now that they were alone in her bedroom, the others unable to see what they did, she didn’t think she could deny Edensaw. She’d only be denying herself at the same time.
She nodded. “Okay, you can stay.”
Edensaw kissed her again, but this time it was demanding and carnal. His tongue pushed into her mouth and dueled with hers. A low wolf’s growl rumbled out of him as he put his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. He fell backward onto the bed, his lips not leaving hers.
Cassidy arranged herself so she straddled his hips, her pussy against his hard cock, her breasts pressed to his wide chest. She ground herself along his shaft, causing wetness to pool deep inside her body. Edensaw tugged up the bottom of her shirt. She broke their kiss and sat up straight on him. Cassidy pulled her top over her head and tossed it to the floor. With his heated gaze watching her every move, she reached around to her back and undid the hooks on her bra. That too she threw to floor once she freed herself of it.
Edensaw exerted gentle pressure on her back until she leaned over him with her hands on either side of his head, supporting her weight. He cupped a breast and brushed his lips across it. Cassidy sucked in a sharp breath as a surge of desire shot through her straight to her pussy. He did it again before he opened his mouth and sucked her nipple into it. She ground against his cock, wishing there were no clothes between them. Edensaw rocked his hips up into her. It increased the delicious pressure enough to have her moaning.
He switched to her other breast to pay it the same attention as he had the other. Cassidy wanted more, but she remembered how Edensaw had given her pleasure and had taken nothing for himself the first time he’d had her in his arms. Tonight would be different. They couldn’t make love fully, but she would make sure he reached completion.
Once he released her breast, Cassidy shifted to Edensaw’s side and tugged down his underwear. She didn’t stop until she had them down his legs and off. With a toss, they landed on the floor. Turning back to what she’d revealed, she bit her bottom lip. His cock was fully engorged. He was thick and long, and would fill her pussy full. She looked up to see his eyes glowed.
Cassidy ran her gaze from his face and down the length of his muscular body. Back at his shaft, she reached out and ran the tip of her finger along it. It jumped at her touch. She licked her lips in anticipation of what she was going to do to him.
With her fingers wrapped around his cock, she pumped her hand up and down. Edensaw made a sound that was more a wolf’s growl than a moan. He thrust his shaft harder into her grip, matching her strokes. When a bead of pre-cum appeared on the very tip, Cassidy gathered it up and worked it along his shaft, using it as a natural lubricant.
Shifting once again, she straddled his thighs. Cassidy continued to pump him until he whispered her name. Taking mercy on him, she gripped him at the base of his cock, then swirled her tongue around the flared head. Edensaw said something on a gasp she didn’t understand. She parted her lips and sucked him inside.
In and out she took his cock, sucking on him. What she couldn’t manage, she stroked with her fist. Edensaw thrust his hips, his hands clutching the sheets at his side. His shaft grew harder and his breathing became labored.
Cassidy would have continued to pleasure him this way until he came, but Edensaw wasn’t having that. He gently pulled out of her grasp, then rolled her to her back. He made quick work of freeing her of her pants since she’d donned a pair of yoga pants after her shower. Her panties didn’t last much longer either. Once she was as naked as he, Edensaw ran his large hands over her body. He dipped his head to suck on a nipple, then continued downward.
Edensaw settled between her legs, using his shoulders to spread them wider. He kissed his way up one of her inner thighs and then the other. Cassidy panted, unable to stop from lifting her hips in offering each time he came close to her pussy.
“Edensaw, please,” she said on a groan. She had no trouble begging for what she wanted.
He growled before he dragged his tongue along her wet opening. Cassidy let out a whimpered moan. Edensaw licked her and sucked on her clit. The tension inside her body coiled tighter as he lapped at her. He pushed two fingers into her pussy and stroked them in and out, heightening the pleasure she felt, pushing her desire ever higher.
“Come for me,” he said in a husky voice. “I want to taste you as you do.”
“So close,” she gasped.
He pumped his fingers faster and sucked on her clit. Edensaw stroked her in just the right spot to have her tumbling into climax. Cassidy strained against the digits inside her, her pussy clutching them as wave after wave of pleasure surged through her. Once it was over she went limp but quickly gathered her wits about her as Edensaw rose between her legs and put her hand around his hard cock.
She wrapped her other one around the back of his neck and brought his lips down to meet hers. He growled and moaned into her mouth as she stroked his shaft. He pushed into each downward motion. Pre-cum leaked onto her hand and his cock grew harder. Cassidy pumped her fist faster. Just as Edensaw reached orgasm, he released her lips and threw back his head and howled. His cum pulsed onto her belly. After it was over, he remained hard.
She looked down at him. “You didn’t go soft.”
“Another gift the turn gave us,” he said in a husky voice. “I can remain erect for hours at a time, and come more than once before that happens. But for now, this single time was enough.”
Edensaw settled on the bed next to Cassidy. She reached for some tissue on the nightstand closest to her and cleaned herself up before she went into his open arms. With her head cradled on his chest, she heard his heart beat at a rapid pace under her ear. She relaxed against him and let sleep slowly pull her under.