Grayslake: Never Kiss a Wolf (Kindle Worlds Novella) (5 page)

G
reer stood
on the balcony of his room at the B&B watching the sun rise over the lake. The peace and tranquility of an early morning in the country was lost on him.

He'd spent the entire night out here, pacing most of that time. He replayed the scenario in Lily's apartment on an endless loop trying to find something that would settle the wolf.

He'd also had to fight the urge to hunt down John Hale and kill him. His choice of the word breeder burned something deep and dark into his psyche and he feared it would never go away until he found a way to kill the man.

Lily on the other hand. She drove him crazy in an entirely different way. His mate was both incredibly complicated and simple at the same time. Despite the duty her family ingrained in her at a young age, she still held an almost childlike hope for the future.

Something he was happy to give her as soon as she started talking to him again. The minute they hit their room, she retreated into one of the bedrooms and refused to come back out. Said she needed to be alone to think.

The only thing that kept him from tearing through the door and getting to her was her scent. He frequently opened his senses and breathed deep, both to revel in her closeness and to assure himself she did not run away.

He checked the clock on his phone and decided he'd give her until breakfast was delivered and then ready or not he was going in. Cooling his heels was not his specialty and enough was enough.

As he sat there contemplating what he would say to her, he heard the shower turn on. His whole body jolted to life as images of his curvy, black haired beauty standing naked under a spray of water assaulted his brain.

Unable to sit still he stood and walked into her room. With the scent of his mate strong, he approached the bathroom door and waited. It was important not to push her too hard at this point, but it took all of his control to stay on this side of the door.

He wanted her.

Not in forty-eight hours. Not later. Right fucking now.

As he contemplated pushing her, the water turned off and a few tense moments later she opened the door with nothing but a thick, white towel wrapped around her lush curves and another atop her head.

"Greer!" she gasped, clasping the edges of the towel barely contained by a hasty knot. "You scared me half to death. What are you doing in here?"

"Wanted to see you."

Her head jerked up at the guttural tone of his voice, her eyes wide with surprise.

"I was coming out to talk to you."

"Tired of waiting," he growled, the rumble coming from deep in his chest. "Need you."

She shook her head as if her denial could dissuade him. "No. This isn't right. I can't accept the claiming." Her chest heaved as her breathing grew erratic.

The words were not the ones he wanted to hear, but the mismatched body language told him she was full of shit.

"Doesn't matter anymore, babe. I'm all in whether you like it or not."

For a few seconds her eyes darkened to black and he knew his words had hit their mark. Then she closed her eyes and shook it off.

"You think you can order me to do whatever you want?"

He shrugged. He wasn't thinking with the brain in his head anymore. Nope. A different part of his body was mid revolt at this point.

"That makes you no better than them," she hissed.

Her words had the effect of ice water on his senses, staggering him back. Time to regroup and change tactics.

"I don't want to order you to do anything. Not yet anyway. Although eventually I will have you remove that towel." He sighed, breathing deep as the faintest hint of her arousal flared. "Nothing has changed for me between last night and this morning. If you've imagined that I am making some grand sacrifice to save you, then you'd be mistaken. This is as much about me as it is you. You're my mate and I have accepted that. Now it's your turn."

She scrunched up her nose. "Accepted? Sounds like something you
have
to do, not something you want to do."

"Don't play semantics with me, babe. Accepted. Want. Need. All the same to me."

"I want to argue that we just met, but that's not going to get me anywhere, is it?"

"Nope." He hesitated. "Well, maybe flat on your back. There is more than one way for us to get to know each other."

Her arousal thickened as did her fear. "I get that, I really do," she said. "The need to mate and reproduce is strong in all of us. Unfortunately, you've decided to claim the wrong woman for the job."

The sadness in her voice brought him up short. His attempt at seduction had suddenly gone south. "What does that mean?" he asked.

She tightened her hand on her towel and looked down at the floor. "It means I won't make promises I can't keep. You've seen my anxiety and the resulting panic attacks. I'm afraid it's something I've dealt with for a very long time. I try to hide it and I certainly did not let on to the Itan here in Grayslake that it was a thing. Although Mia pretty much figured it out and has been helping me when she can. She's smart and sneaky like that."

"That doesn't surprise me. But I don't understand the problem. Did you think I didn't notice that you panicked around me multiple times? That's not going to change my mind now."

She shook her head. "You may think you know what you're getting into, but it's complicated. Not to mention probably hereditary."

He still didn't understand the problem.

"Oh my God, Greer. Don't look at me like that. This is a real thing. I grew up knowing I was different and before I was taken from my parent's home my mother taught me how I could prevent pregnancy. We didn't grown up with modern medicine and hospitals so we took more precautions. She said it was too risky for me to pass this on and I agreed. I'm supposed to be giving life to my clan and instead I was preventing it."

"Lily." He reached for her and she scooted out of range.

"Eventually it caught up with me and I got pregnant despite all my efforts. I was thrilled and scared all at the same time. Except over time I began to grow attached and doubted my ability to hand over my child to another woman. I wanted to keep my baby. That's when I started making plans to leave."

This time when he reached for her she allowed him to pull her into his arms. He brushed his fingers across her cheeks and wiped her tears away.

He was almost afraid to ask, but he had to know the rest of the story as much as she had to tell him. "What happened?"

"I lost the baby. One minute I was pregnant and the next it was over. That loss cut me so deep I vowed then I would never go through it again. So I left and spent the next six months in bear form angry at the world. It feels like a miracle that I came back from that. I thank Mia for that. She found me first when I entered Grayslake territory."

Tears were falling freely now and her body shook with grief. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her as tight as he could without taking away her breath. He hated to break it to her, but there was no way he'd let her go now. If he had to move to Grayslake or Alaska to be with her then he would. She needed him.

God, it was no wonder she suffered from anxiety. The burden her clan had put on her shoulders was more than any one person should have to take on. Not that his own clan was immune to fertility issues. They had them too and some of his kin had gone to even more extreme measures to try and ensure the survival of their species.

When her tears subsided, he pulled back and tucked his finger under her chin until she looked up at him. He could easily get lost in those wide, dark eyes that looked at him with uncertainty.

"This changes nothing for me. I'm more determined than every to make you mine. It breaks my heart to see you suffer for even a second, but it also makes me certain that I'm falling even deeper."

She laugh/choked. "Are you crazy? Didn't you hear what I said?"

"Every word."

"I don't plan to have cubs. Nor do I see myself changing my mind about that and I can't force that decision on you."

"Okay," he said.

"Okay? What the hell does that mean? Children are everything to our people." An irritated flash sparked in her eyes and he was happy to see that nothing kept the feisty down for long.

"It means if you don't want cubs, then we don't have cubs. I can live with that. What I can't live with is being without you, so you might as well start getting that through your head. I told you there was nothing you could say to change my mind and I meant it."

"You say that now. Tomorrow you could change your mind. And the next day after that you could hate me for it."

"God, you're stubborn. I'm in this hook, line and sinker. If you open your eyes you'll see you are too."

She started to protest and he covered her mouth with his hand. "If you start to tell me we don't know each other blah blah blah, I'm going to have to do something drastic. Don't you believe in love at first sight?"

S
he wanted to believe
. Like him, she'd been affected since the moment he looked at her with those ridiculous emerald eyes. Those things were panty magnets. Every time he gave her
the look
, it made her want to give him her panties.

Every. Friggin. Time.

Now he was counteracting every argument she came up with for why they couldn't be mates. Frankly, she was running out of excuses.

"Maybe," she said. "Do you?"

He smiled and she got the feeling she'd just lost the war.

"I hadn't thought much about it until now. Life is harsh and finding a mate hasn't been a top priority. Then you walked in and it's all I've thought about. You made me believe."

Oh wow. Her stomach fluttered at what he had to say. The man certainly had a way with words.

"What about my family? They're bound to cause more trouble."

"Wait until you meet some of mine. It might be a toss up between which ones are worse. But seriously, we'll take it one step at a time. John Hale can kiss my ass. And if the Itan here thinks for a second you are going for retraining or any other nonsense he's got another think coming. You can go home with me. I think you'll like Tennessee."

"You drive a hard bargain, Derek Joseph Greer."

A gorgeous grin crossed his face a moment before he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. At first the kiss was soft and luxurious, but it didn't take long for him to cup the back of her neck and apply more pressure, taking her to the deep, dark well of untapped need.

Her bear stirred to life, eager for more from its mate. Not that her human half objected in any way, shape or form. A deep throaty growl rumbled up Greer's throat and she eagerly absorbed the sound. Knowing that he wanted her on such a primal level made her body tingle in all the right places.

The steady heat of Greer's body against her as well as his hands and mouth, made her realize just how much of an anchor he provided. She couldn't let go of him if she tried. In fact, he commanded her with nothing more than a hot and strong mouth. Every traitorous desire she'd had in the last twenty-four hours burst free and robbed her of reason.

There was also the matter of the hard ridge of his erection she felt through the towel not helping either. Or maybe that's exactly what that feeling did. Nearly ready to surrender to his will under the earth shattering kiss, Greer suddenly pulled back and gulped for air.

"Lily Hale. Will you be my mate?"

She groaned. "You just had to kiss me again before you said that didn't you?"

His half smile, half leer appeared again. "Hasn't anyone ever told you to never kiss a wolf? It leads you down a long, dark path of no return."

Lily wanted to come back with a quip, but her body still betrayed her from the kiss, leaving her unable to form words. Except for a final few.

"Yes, Derek Joseph Greer. I will be your mate."

He only looked at her, his green eyes now tinged with yellow from the wolf. "Lily." He hesitated until a shiver worked down her spine and she knew what he was about to say.

"Drop the towel."

His command vibrated across her skin, sending another shiver along her entire body. She liked that he went straight for what he wanted instead of making her think or talk about it. No waffling. No hesitation.

She released the grip on her towel and let it fall to the ground, keeping her eyes on his the entire time. He reached forward and grasped the second towel she had wrapped around her hair.

He worked his fingers through the dark strands until it fanned across her shoulders and tickled her bare breasts.

He leaned forward and breathed deep. "I love your hair. Watching it brush against your dusky nipples makes me hard."

Lily sucked in air. His bold words fed her need and left her utterly at his mercy. Not that she had much time to think before he captured her lips and eased her mouth open with his tongue.

Her world tilted and she brought her hands up to grab his shoulders to keep from falling down. He deepened the kiss and she grabbed the edge of his shirt to get to his bare skin.

A growl sounded in his throat as he stood back, jerked the shirt over his head and sent it sailing across the room. Then he stepped to her again. "Mine," he muttered before resuming the kiss he started.

That one word sent a flutter of sensation streaking through her blood system and warming her to her core. He tightened his hold until they were pressed skin to skin from hips to shoulders with each new touch stripping away her worries and inhibitions.

Finding a mate had not been on her radar at all. She assumed all shifter males would want more than she had to offer. Until she dumped plates of food on one of the most beautiful specimens of a man she'd ever met. Now she couldn't get enough. She ached for more.

When the kiss ended she tried to find her breath. Not that he gave her time to recover before pulling her onto the bed.

"Damn, it feels like I've been waiting for this forever," he growled.

She laughed. "It's barely been two days."

He ignored her sassy response, his focus now on her body laid out before him. Greer's hands grabbed her ankles and spread her, exposing her fully to his gaze.

She bit her lip and tried not to feel self conscious about her size. Fortunately, he seemed to like everything he saw and that settled her quite a bit.

It also didn't hurt that he removed the rest of his clothes either and she was too busy drooling to worry about anything else. When he slid back on the bed with her and pressed his bare and warm body to hers, all other doubts or concerns faded away.

Feeling him naked next to her, she couldn't imagine why she hesitated for even a second about him being a wolf hybrid. She'd hit the mating jackpot and her wolf had a body to die for.

She didn't know where to put her hands first. The ridges of his abs fascinated her, the perfectly shaped butt made her want to bite him and the hefty cock rising between his legs made her want to forgo everything else and feel him stroke inside her.

Her inner muscles clenched at that idea. Her mate on the other hand seemed determined to kiss every inch of her. He alternated between her mouth, neck and shoulders until her body practically vibrated with pleasure.

Lily inhaled the warm, spicy scent of her mate, taking it inside and memorizing every nuance of it. The bear chuffed with pleasure in her head and she smiled. Everything was so different when her human half and her animal half were in complete and total agreement.

With his lips still working her shoulders, he grasped one leg and positioned his body in the cradle of her vee. With no need for waiting, he slid fully inside her.

"Oh hell," he groaned. "So perfect."

Lily agreed on a gasp, her eyes rolling back in her head.

"So damned hot."

She wanted to respond and say something epic, but her brain had melted the moment he entered her. Not that he gave her time to recover anyway before he began to move, penetrating her with hard, deep thrusts.

Her nails scored his back as she met him each time. Together they created a firestorm that no longer had anything to do with slow, gentle or quiet.

He moved faster and faster, their bodies growing slick from the frenzied need. For the first time in her life, Lily understood pleasure unlike anything before. The touch of a true mate was so much more potent.

Greer's muscles flexed underneath her hands as she grappled to hang on. Coherent thought was fading fast as bliss rose hot and heady inside her. Each stroke ignited a fresh wave of pleasure that threatened to push her over the edge until finally she teetered moments away from an abyss she couldn't explain if she tried.

Her mouth sought his for a rough, gasping kiss in between her joy filled cries. Her body pulsed and flew apart as her mates elongated teeth slid into her flesh at the curve of her neck and shoulder.

Lily opened her mouth and screamed as the heady scent of her blood filled the room. Greer thrust one last time and froze, his harsh grunt echoing against her cries as he came.

The room spun and Lily laughed with wonder at the incredible sensation of fully letting go. Greer's teeth slid free, allowing him to collapse at her side. As they caught their breath, a giggle rose from her throat.

Greer turned his head. "What's so funny?"

"I feel giddy." She rolled to face him and planted her face in his neck. "I thought the freedom I wanted had to do with living alone with no one to answer to, but I think I was wrong."

"There you go again being absolutely adorable when I was just lying here debating how long it would take me to recover so we could do that again."

She giggled once more. "Can I be on top next time?"

Greer groaned. "Fuck yeah. I'll play with these while you ride me." He grasped her nipples and tugged them until she gasped.

Lily opened her eyes and reveled in the sensation of her mate's touch and the fact that her world had turned upside down yet again. Only this time in the best possible way.