“I’d rather you rode me.” He rocked her over his cock and watched her need fill her face. “If you ride me right now, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
She rolled her hips twice, and he pulled her leg up so that he could slide into her. She rocked forward in a slow canting-like move until he couldn’t take it any longer. Rolling her to her back again, he held her hip while he fucked her.
“You said I could ride you.” He moved his hand down her ass to her tight hole. “What are you going to—?” She cried out when his finger entered her.
“Come for me like this and I’ll let you ride me as hard as you want.” She nodded and he moved his finger in and out of her as he did his cock. She was panting hard and holding onto him when he rolled to his back. “Come on me, Jacklyn. I want to watch you take your pleasure.”
She moved over him, never letting his cock go. When her thighs were on either side of him, she dug her fingers into his chest and bucked over him. Luke held onto her hips, not to slow her but to keep himself from taking over. He could see the enjoyment on her face, and it made him want to give her whatever she wanted.
Sitting up when she leaned back, he took first one breast then the other into his mouth, just nibbling on the tips until she held him to her. When the ride seemed to be out of sync, he rolled her over again and pounded deep. Jacklyn cried out when he bit down on her shoulder again, and he felt her tighten around him in a hard climax. Luke came with her, filling her body with his seed even as she bit into him again. Christ, he didn’t know who was more aggressive right now, but he was certainly loving it. This time he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to move for a long time. Sleep took him like a storm moving over the grass in the summer.
Luke woke when he heard a door shut. He sat up, thinking that someone was attacking him, and Jacklyn froze in mid-step coming from the bathroom. Luke lay back down, relieved. She didn’t sit on the bed but moved to the chair. He pulled the pillows behind his head and shoulders and sat up.
“You could come back to bed.” She shook her head and he noticed that she had on one of his shirts. “When we leave here, I’ll have Slone lend you something to wear. She’s little like you are.”
“And Slone would be…?” He wanted to laugh, but she looked like a jealous bitch, a she-bitch, and he thought it was not the time to test the old saying that mates couldn’t hurt each other.
“She’s my sister-in-law. She’s married to my older brother.” She nodded and sat back in the chair. “Come here.”
“No. If I get back into that bed, we’ll never talk. And as much as I’d like to fuck you again, I don’t think that’s going to get me the answers I need. So you know, I don’t ever do this. Have sex with perfect strangers.”
“You think I’m perfect?” She rolled her eyes. “I was glad that you decided to break your habit with me. If you come here, I’ll show you just how glad I am.”
“Quit stalling. Tell me, and if you think that beating around the bush is going to win you favor, it’s not. I’m sated for now. And that’s not to say I’m going to have sex with you again, but right now, you have a better chance of not pissing me off overly much than you would have had before.” He nodded. “Start with why am I here.”
“As I said, you were dying, and in order to save you, it was better if we could do it in private. I had to…what do you know about paranormals?” She eyed him hard, and he watched her face. “You know a few.”
“I know one. At least I think I know one. He said that he’s not, but I swear I saw him change into something to save my stupid ass.” She stood up and started to pace, and Luke started to tell her she was distracting him when she walked in front of the window. The sun shining through his shirt gave him a perfect view of her lovely body. “Are you listening to me? Or is your mind on sex again?”
“Sex.” She huffed, and he grinned. “You asked. But what is he? I mean, is he a shifter or a vampire?”
“There are vampires too?” He nodded, and she sat again. “A wolf. He changed into a wolf, though he denied it. One night when I was working late he came outside when I was…when someone was trying to rape me. He changed and the man ran away. And one other time there was…this is going to sound really stupid, but I swear a large tiger was chasing me through the building. It took me over an hour to lose her.”
“She let you go. She could have found you whenever she wanted by your scent. I’ll show you sometime when we play out in the woods.” He watched her as she absorbed this. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“You said when we play. And don’t…I’m not ready for you to explain that yet, but what would you be when we go out to play?” He wanted to get up and hold her. He could see she was beginning to put the pieces together but she wanted to do it on her own.
“I’m a wolf too. And I’m assuming that the other wolf you know is Max.” She nodded and started to walk around the room. She picked up two small decorative things and put them back before she stood in front of the window again. Luke talked quietly to give her time to think. “I’m the second son of six men. All of us are werewolves. My father—you’ll meet him later—is also a wolf. As is my sister-in-law, Slone.”
“And so am I.” He told her yes even though she’d not asked. “This was done because I was dying and it was the only way to save me. I’m assuming that you did this to me and that Allen had some part in it.”
“It was and he did.” She still stared out the window, and he felt his heart hurt for her. “You’re only alive because I was able to convert you quickly. When you changed, your body healed completely, including your lungs and the few burns you had.”
“Can you change me back?” He told her no. “Then what am I supposed to do now? I mean, I have a life as a person. I’m not saying this like I’m ungrateful or anything, but I have no desire to be a werewolf for the rest of my life.”
“You can still have the same life, Jacklyn. You’re not anything less than you were before, but more of everything. And you can stay here with me.” She shook her head. “Jacklyn, I didn’t just save your life, but I saved you for me. You’re my—”
“It’s just Jack. Not Jacklyn, just Jack. And don’t say it.” He snapped his mouth closed. He was frustrated with her and with himself. He needed to tell her what she was doing there. “I want you to make arrangements for me to get back to my place. I’m well aware that it’s gone, but I need to start my life like this.”
“You’re my mate.” She shook her head. “The moment you and I had sex, the second you bit me when you came, we bonded and mated. You and I are a couple. We will stay together until we die. I’m your other half the same as you are to me. We’re a couple.”
“No. I’m not your anything. It was great sex. The best I’ve ever had and more than likely will ever have, but I’m not spending my life with you as a wolf. I don’t know how I’m going to get this fixed, but I am.” He stood up and she backed away. “Bullying me won’t change my mind. And you need to cover up. I don’t know where I am, but I’m going to see about staying somewhere that’s not your room.”
“Good luck with that.” He left her standing there and went into the bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror, then slammed his fist into his reflection. Turning on the shower, he stepped into the cold water and let it run over him until he was chilled to the bone. His body now matched the condition of his heart. Frozen.
Chapter 5
Jack had no idea where she was, of course, but had a feeling that below her, down the big staircase, was going to be a way out. But what she didn’t expect—and once she thought of it she should have—was to find several people standing in the first room she entered. They stopped talking the moment she walked in, and she knew they were talking about her.
“I pissed off Luke. I don’t really care, but if this is his house, he might be inclined to toss you all out.” A beautiful woman came forward and handed her a pair of pants. After thanking her, she pulled them on. Jack had no idea why she felt comfortable with these people, but she did. “Where can I find a place to stay? I think you all might know my brother, Allen.”
“We do. He’s staying here for a few more days too. If you need him, I can find him for you.” She shook her head at the older man. “Up to you, of course, but I know that he’s been worried. I’m Cash Emerson by the way. This is my son and alpha, Hunter. His wife, Slone. This is Jarrett and Graham, my other sons. You’d be Jack Wagner.”
“I would be. And Christ, you guys are huge, aren’t you?” Cash laughed and she decided that she kind of liked him, despite who his son was. “I really need to have a place I can think. Here? I don’t think I’m going to get to do that the way I want. I need quiet and space.”
“And what is it you have to think about?” She looked at Slone, who sat down at the large table. “Please have a seat. I’m tired a lot lately, and sitting is so much friendlier.”
“No offense, lady, but I don’t really want to get too friendly.” The big man, Hunter, she thought his name was, laughed. “You know a good joke? Because I gotta tell you, I could use one about now.”
“You’ve been very friendly with Luke. In fact, you’ve bonded and mated with him.” He grinned when she felt her face heat up. “Allen said you like it straight. I’m assuming that you still like your information that way.”
“That guy, Luke? He said that too. Something about biting during sex.” Hunter nodded and Jack felt the need to sit down. “I have no idea what that really means, but I’m assuming that it’s not going to get me out of here any time soon. And I don’t want to offend any of you, but I’m fucking on edge right now.”
“No, it’s not going to get you out of here. Where you go, I do. I’ve tried to explain that to you twice now.” She turned to see Luke standing there. Christ, he’d been gorgeous naked; with a suit and tie on, he looked like she could have him for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a few snacks in between. When he looked at her, she had a feeling he knew just what she was thinking and lifted her chin. He laughed as he reached for a glass in the cabinet over the sink.
“I think there’s been a mistake here.” Jack tore her eyes from Luke to look at Cash to speak to him. “I know this was done to me to save me, but I’d really like to see about getting me changed back. Not that I’m ungrateful or anything, but I don’t want a lifestyle that includes changing into a big dog every month.”
“We’re not really dogs. Canines, yes, but not dogs. We’re wolves. And so are you.” Luke leaned against the counter and he sipped the tea as he continued. “I told you before, you’re not going to be able to get back to just being human. You’re my mate, as I’ve said, and we’re bonded. We’re going to have to talk about this sooner or later, Jack. You’re a wolf. You’re my mate and we’re together.”
“Fuck off. And in case you didn’t get it, I don’t have a place for you or me to go. Not that I want you with me, but you have to know that some people aren’t cut out to be…what the fuck. I’m not going to explain myself to you again. I told you, I need a place to stay, and you are so not going to go—”
She was up and in his arms almost before she could finish the next word. When he turned and pressed her against the counter he’d been leaning against, she felt his cock thicken and stretch. Moaning, she held onto him as he rocked into her several more times before he stepped back. Her body was screaming for him to take her and then she remembered they were not alone. Before she could think, Jack slapped him hard across the face. And when she drew back to slap him again, he grabbed her hand and held it.
“Once was quite enough to make your point.” He let her go but didn’t move back. And even though there were several inches between them, she had a feeling he could close that distance in a heartbeat. “I have to go to work today. And I need to get you something to wear.”
“I don’t want your charity.” Her face heated again when someone behind him cleared their throat. “I really hate you right now. You’re nothing but a bully and a prick. You could be a good deal nicer to me. I’ve been through a lot.”
“So you have. But you didn’t think so when I was fucking you.” She stared at him as he turned and left her standing there. If she usually had a quick comeback—and she always prided herself on having one—this time she was speechless. Tears filled her eyes and she looked blurrily at the people around the room before excusing herself and leaving. Going out the same door that Luke had, she saw him pulling away. Not that she wanted to talk to him, but she was somewhat…hurt, she thought, that he’d just leave her when she was pissed.
Moving to the tree line, she realized that she should have borrowed a pair of shoes, but was too pissed to go and ask for a pair. There was a dusting of snow on the ground and she had no jacket either. But she wasn’t cold. On the contrary, she was quite warm. Moving deeper into the trees, she let the tears fall. Jack hated whiners and despised it more when she was the one doing it. Finding the open water behind the big house, she sat on the cool bank and looked out over the water.
A wolf. She was a wolf. Thinking about that depressed her, so she thought about what she was giving up to be one. That didn’t help her mood at all. Just as she was contemplating jumping into the water and letting it take her away, she heard something snap beside her. She looked up at Slone as she sat down.
“I nearly drowned in this water a long time ago. While I don’t recommend you diving in, I have been where you are right now.” Jack had a feeling that she wasn’t just talking about the side of the fast moving river. “It’s a bit overwhelming, huh?”
“A bit.” She stared out at the water and the occasional tree that went floating down as well. “I lost everything. I don’t know about my job, which if I really think about it, it really wasn’t much of one anyway. But my car is gone, my clothing, computer, my piece of shit television. I even lost what little things from my childhood that I managed to save over the years. And now? Now I’m not even the same person I was before. Oh, let’s not forget that I’m mated, whatever the hell that means, to a man that I don’t care for but love having sex with. Did I miss anything?”
“No, I think you about covered it. You’re not, you know. Not the same person, but an improved one. Not the same but better in a great many ways.” Slone leaned back, and Jack noticed that she, too, was barefooted. “You’re going to notice a lot of things that are going to give you a better quality of life. You’ll heal much quicker than before. Smell things you never gave a thought about before this. You’ll also find a person within yourself that you never knew was there. The stronger version of yourself. But I’m thinking now you might have found her a long time ago.”
“I’m not someone men or women want as friends. So I’ve been very good at shoving them away so I don’t let myself be hurt. Or hurt them.” Jack leaned back too but lay on her back. “My brother? Someone said he gave the permission needed to change me into this. Do you know why he was contacted at all?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t. I would assume that somewhere along the line you gave them something that would have made them search for him. You needed to be converted or you would be dead now. What he did was save you.” Jack didn’t say anything, and Slone seemed to be content to not speak either.
“I know about you. Not a great deal, but I know about you. When I’d get post cards from Allen, he’d mention you. I know that I don’t talk to him, but I still look out for him. I did some research.” Slone didn’t speak, and Jack turned to look at her. “I really like the way you took care of that other mayor. The way you’ve helped the people in this town, especially my brother. Thank you for that.”
“I didn’t help your brother. He did whatever it is he’s done all on his own. Luke likes him and that alone is enough for the rest of us to like him.” Jack nodded and turned to look at the sky again as Slone continued. “I know about you too. It’s within my powers to search you as well.”
“Whatever you found out, it’s more than likely true. I didn’t, however, leave my brother in jail to rot, as he accused me of some time ago. I simply knew that if I didn’t stop when I did, he’d be dead and me with him.” Slone said something low, but Jack wanted to explain herself before she kicked her to the curb. “He was going down the wrong path and at the fast rate he was going, he’d have been hitting the bottom within days, not years. I had to distance myself from him or slip in with him. Plus, there was our father. He’s a piece of shit and I hope I never see him again.”
“Allen said that he’s not a nice man and that your mother died when he was young.” Jack snorted but didn’t say anything. “Allen did what he had to do. He told us all that you’d hate him for it, but he had to repay you in some way for what you did for him.”
“For what?” Slone said she had no idea. “I left him in a cell with several other criminals. My father, he called me for nearly a month to come and give Allen money to get him straightened out, but I didn’t. I’m so broke now that the thought of trying to purchase anything I might need is terrifying. Getting my car here is a daunting idea, and other than sleeping in my car when or even if I ever get it here, it’s doubtful that I’d make it through one night without someone killing me in it. My life is really fucked up right now.”
“You have a home with Luke.” She shook her head, and Slone laughed. “Your boss called here. He found out from someone that you’d been hurt. You’ve been fired. I’m sorry.”
“Figures.” Jack felt so depressed that the river was looking better and better all the time. “I hated that job anyway. I love what I can do, but the guy I worked for was an idiot and a fool. He would take on clients without getting any idea what they wanted. One of them wanted us to use mentally handicapped people in an ad to show how easy their twist-off lids of soup worked. They wanted me to use the phrase ‘even a retard could do it.’”
“Oh my goodness.” Jack felt her temper rise when she thought of those people. “And what did your boss say about their ad campaign? Plenty, I hope.”
“Yeah, he had plenty to say, all right. Most of which was directed at me for not doing what the client wanted. Can you imagine the feedback the firm would have gotten? Christ, people would have been picketing us for months.” Jack sat up as a large island of trees floated by them. Near it, swimming right beside it, was a man in a wet suit. Before she could ask about it, Slone laughed.
“That would be Graham. He’s another of Luke’s brothers. He graduates from college in a few months and he is doing some extra work on the river.”
They watched as he slid from the water to the other shore, and Jack thought about how much better Luke looked. Then she flushed.
“Luke is a good man,” Slone said softly.
“I’m sure he is. But I don’t want him any more than I want to be a wolf.” She turned to her then. “There is no way I can get changed back, is there? I’m going to be part animal for the rest of my life.”
“No, I’m afraid not.” Slone didn’t continue for some time and for some reason Jack enjoyed it. She was never one to prattle on and on about nothing, and sitting here next to this woman, she found that she liked her, just a little.
“I have some money in the bank. Not a great deal, but enough that it will give me a start somewhere so long as it was really cheap and had furniture and a really low to zero deposit on the thing. Then I’d have enough left over to buy some underwear and a nice big bottle of shampoo and soap and stuff.” Slone didn’t answer so Jack continued. “As for my job, it’s probably just as well he fired me. Sooner or later he would have anyway. I didn’t play well with him wanting to fuck me every time he was near me. And his wife was a real bitch about me not sucking off—not up to, but off—her husband. What kind of people are they? I used to wonder. Now? Well, I suppose it matters very little anymore.”
“Wolves are very possessive. And so you know, Luke will kill him if he tries anything like that again. I’m not sure Luke won’t want to even now. Like I said, very possessive.” Jack turned to Slone and asked her why he’d care. “You’re his mate. And as you have very little experience with us, then I’ll tell you now that wolves, especially when it comes to their mates, are very protective too. They will kill if necessary to keep you from harm.”
“I don’t want, nor do I need, his help. I’ve been doing just fine on my own.” Jack felt her temper rise. “And the first time he goes all macho shit on me, I’ll show him just how much I can take care of myself.”
Slone laughed, and Jack turned to her. She thought it sounded like music. Not bells, as she’d heard it described in books she sometimes read, but more like small cymbals, the kind that people wore on their fingers. Before she could tell her anything more, a large wolf came out of the woods and stared at them both.
“Is he going to eat me?” Slone stood up and laughed. As she moved away, she said over her shoulder that it was Luke, and if she wanted him to, he’d probably be thrilled. Jack turned back to the big dark wolf and stared at him. “I thought you had to go to work.”
You’ve made it difficult to get anything done, so I came here to run
. She was surprised to have him speak to her in her mind, but he continued before she could ask him how he did that.
Why don’t you shift for me and we’ll run? Then when you’re deep enough in the woods, I’ll take you to the ground and fuck you and your animal.