Nic (7 page)

Nic pulled his mouth away from hers and nibbled on her earlobe. She hooked her ankles around him and canted her hips. He slipped further into her. Nic shuddered. The ache in his jaw returned with a vengeance and his lips automatically strayed to her delicate neck.

Her erratic pulse jumped beneath his lips. She was so soft, so sweet...so perfect. He licked the spot where her neck and shoulder met. The taste of her intensified and changed.

Nic’s incisors lengthened. The urge to bite her was so strong that it burned through his soul.

Do it!
an insidious voice whispered.

Nic jerked his head away.

His wolf snarled.

What was wrong with his beast? It shouldn’t be doing that. It shouldn’t
want
to do that. He couldn’t believe how easy it had been to let his wolf take control and to forget that she was human.

The woman writhed beneath him. His lips found her pebbled nipples through her dress and he sucked hard. Nic wanted to bare her for his greedy eyes to feast upon, taste what his senses detected, but there wasn’t time. It was far too dangerous with his control so tenuous.

His hands latched on to her full hips and he picked up speed. The first ripple struck. She sobbed and her body clamped down on him. The urgency inside of Nic grew. He couldn’t seem to get deep enough or move fast enough to satiate his beast. Then, the unthinkable happened...

Nic began to
swell
.

At first he was too stunned to react, convinced he was mistaken. Once the shock wore off, panic struck. Nic tried to pull out, but he it was too late. His body had already locked with hers. He couldn’t budge more than an inch in either direction.

“No!” he shouted, as the first of his orgasms struck, blinding him with passion.

Somewhere in the distance, Nic heard his wolf bark with laughter.

* * * * *

He was everywhere.

Mindy had no idea she could be so
full
and so hungry at the same time. His body blanketed hers, blocking out the stars. What they were doing was insane. She was insane, but Mindy couldn’t bring herself to feel an ounce of regret. She couldn’t manage anything beyond the searing pleasure he was giving her.

He surged forward, burying himself deep, and expanded inside her. The tremors that started a moment ago increased. The delicious shudders turned into quakes as her body erupted.

His hands latched on to her hips and he ground himself into her.

Mindy’s back bowed off the truck bed as something exploded inside of her. She couldn’t see, couldn’t hear anything but the blood roaring in her ears.

He grunted and doubled his efforts. He wasn’t thrusting as deeply as before, but he continued to ride her body like the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels.

He drove Mindy headfirst into another shattering release. As she tumbled over the edge into oblivion, she heard him bellow.

The sound morphed into something primal, almost animalistic. It made her ears ring, but Mindy didn’t care. She was pretty sure she’d just died and gone to heaven.

* * * * *

Nic wasn’t sure what just happened. One minute he’d been so lost inside her that the world had disappeared and the next his wolf had taken over. How long had they been lying here locked together?

No, not locked together. Not anymore. He could move again. What was he going to do? How could he explain that this should never have happened—had never happened before—when he didn’t understand himself?

Nic expected to see contempt and accusation. At the very least confusion over what had occurred, since it wasn’t every day a human experienced such a thing. But none of those emotions were visible. Instead, acceptance greeted him.

How could she feel that way after what he’d just done to her? Her selflessness only added to his sense of guilt. Nic took a moment to study her.

Her swollen lips, sleepy brown eyes, and mussed blonde hair made her look like a woman who’d been well loved. The sight of her stole the breath from his lungs.

She couldn’t be the one. She just couldn’t be. It wasn’t possible.

He needed to think. Needed to get away from her to clear his head. Nic didn’t trust himself. Didn’t trust his wolf. He wasn’t convinced any of this was real.

The woman stirred beneath him.

Nic took a choppy breath and pushed himself up. “You okay?” he asked, hoping his voice sounded steady.

Color flooded her face, matching her wrinkled red dress. She nodded. “That was amazing.”

More like life altering
, he thought, but didn’t say so.

The sound of gravel crunching and music pounding came rushing at him. He remembered where they were and why they were here. They were still alone, but wouldn’t be for long. Shame warred with embarrassment, but neither could contend with the confusion running rampant through him.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, and slipped out of her.

Nic helped the woman up so she could straighten her clothes. While she did that, he removed the condom and pulled his jeans up. He shoved the used latex into his pocket.

The woman buried her face in her hands. “I can’t believe we did that here of all places. Anyone could’ve wandered by.”

Nic wanted to reassure her that that wouldn’t have happened, but he couldn’t. The second he’d entered her, he’d been gone. Her body had transported him to another world. A world that felt dangerously like home. A world he didn’t dare trust. He ran a shaky hand through his hair.

“I-” The word tangled in his throat.

“You don’t have to apologize. You don’t have to say anything. We’re both adults. I’m just as guilty of poor judgment here as you are,” she said.

She took a step and wobbled. Nic instinctively reached out to steady her, and the heat that had engulfed them reignited. He dropped his hand and asked for her keys. She handed them to him.

Nic walked her back to her car and opened the door. Out of habit, he climbed in and started the engine for her. The car sputtered to life, then immediately made a pinging noise.

He frowned. “How long has it been doing that?” Nic asked.

“A while,” she said, unable to meet his gaze. “I’ll get it taken care of.”

He opened his mouth to offer to fix it for her, but closed it when he saw her mottled face. Nic climbed out and waited for her to slip behind the wheel.

There was no sense dragging the awkward moment out. It was obvious what this was. Anything else was a fluke of the moon. So why did he find himself lingering next to her door, reluctant to see her leave?

The wind shifted, carrying with it an all-too- familiar scent. Nic stiffened and slowly scanned the woods. He didn’t spot the two pups, but they were there. Somewhere. How long had they been there? Had they been watching the whole time?

No! He shook his head. He would’ve known.

Something vicious snarled inside him and raised its furry head. It didn’t want other Weres anywhere near her. Nic refused to look too closely at why.

“Drive safely,” he said, and stepped back so she could leave.

* * * * *

Mindy was startled by his sudden change in demeanor. She could’ve sworn he’d been about to ask for her number or say something more. Why had he changed his mind? Did it matter? Her confidence seeped away as the wildness she’d experienced a moment ago deserted her.

“Um—thanks,” she stuttered.

For a split second, his blue eyes glowed as he stared at her, but in a blink the light was gone.

“You don’t have to thank me,” he said, sounding tired.

“I guess this is goodbye.” Her tone reeked of desperation.
Go! Now! Before you embarrass yourself even more.

Mindy threw her car into gear and backed up. She needed to get out of here. Get away from Sticks. Get away from him.

He stood rooted in place as she drove away. The second she could no longer see him, something inside of her cracked and tears welled in her eyes. She stopped and banged her forehead on the steering wheel.

“Stupid. Stupid. Stupid,” she muttered, then continued on.

Mindy replayed the events of the evening the whole drive home. She was sure the man had enjoyed himself as much as she had. Maybe more so. She rolled her eyes. Of course he’d enjoyed himself. He was guy who was getting laid. Except...it had felt like more than just sex to her.

She was aware that women and men viewed these things differently, but no matter how many times she examined what they’d done, she couldn’t easily dismiss the connection she’d felt with...with...

Mindy sighed. Oh God, she didn’t even know his name. Shame kicked her in the gut, leaving her winded. How could she have forgotten to ask something so important? She thought about turning around.

She glanced in her rearview mirror. The road behind her was dark and empty. It matched the hollowness in her chest. It was too late to go back now. He’d be long gone.

All this time, she’d envied Izzy’s and Celina’s wild streaks because she’d had to suppress her own. Mindy had finally let her wild side out, only to discover it wasn’t what it was cracked up to be.

Sure, she’d enjoyed every minute with her mystery man and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. But Celina and Izzy had left something out of their adventurous tales. Something vital.

They’d forgot to mention how quickly the momentary highs would be replaced by crushing lows. The sharp edges of which only added to her sense of loneliness.

* * * * *

Nic arrived home to an empty house. The silence screamed volumes as he dropped his keys into a bowl next to the door and stripped off his clothes.

His chest ached. Nic rubbed the spot over his heart, but the pain remained. Didn’t seem possible, but he was even lonelier than before.

The woman’s sweet scent covered his body, making his heart race and his nerves tighten. He could still feel her velvet muscles gripping him and taste her honey on his tongue. He stared at the hard evidence protruding between his legs. He could deny it, but here was physical proof that he wanted her again.

Nic walked into the bathroom and turned the shower on, determined to wash her scent away—
wash her away
. He stared at the steady stream and watched it swirl down the drain. One quick scrub and she’d be gone.

For some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to step under the water. Having her scent on him made it seem like he wasn’t so alone.

“You don’t even know her name,” he snapped, overwhelmed by the sense of loss.

Nic shut the water off and walked to the sink. Clutching the sides of the porcelain, he stared at himself in the mirror. Blue phosphorescent eyes stared back at him accusingly and dried blood covered his face.

“You’re wrong,” he grumbled to his wolf.

His lip curled, exposing long canines.

“You’ve been wrong before and you’re wrong this time! It’s just the full moon.” The words had barely left his throat, when Nic’s head snapped back.

Fur rippled over his face and a snout appeared. His skin itched and stretched. Nic growled and shook his head, fighting off the need to complete the shift.

“You aren’t in control. I am!” The garbled words ended in a snarl.

It took a couple of minutes for the fur and snout to slowly recede. By the time it was completely gone, the cut on his cheek had sealed and only a thin white line remained. That too would disappear in another day or so.

Nic washed his face and brushed his teeth, then went to bed. His skin smelled of her. The heady aroma was both ecstasy and sheer torture, but he needed it to get through the night.

* * * * *

Celina turned the television off when Slade stalked into the apartment. Every time she saw him, he made her breath catch and her heart skip a beat.

With his dark hair, tanned skin, and ridiculously long lashes, he bordered on beautiful. The sharp edge of his cheekbones and square thrust of his jaw kept the distinction at bay.

She glanced at the time. After midnight—again. “Where have you been?”

Slade looked at her, but there was no heat in his amber eyes. “Out.”

“I made you dinner.” She pointed to the cling-film- covered plate on the table. “It’s probably cold by now.”

The muscles of his broad shoulders rolled as he shrugged. “I already ate,” he said, but sniffed the food anyway.

Celina rose from the couch and wrapped her arms around his trim waist. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said, then tried to shake her off.

But Celina wasn’t having it. She tightened her grip and clung to him. “You can tell me anything,” she said.

Slade growled. “I said it’s nothing.”

Celina instantly released him. She could feel him pulling away emotionally and had no idea how to stop it. When she’d first brought him home from the clinic a week and a half ago, Slade had been grateful.

He’d wanted to know all about Breakbend and the culture. He’d watched tons of television and spent hours on the internet. It made her think he’d never seen it before, which wasn’t possible unless he’d been living under a rock.

She’d helped him with everything she could given her limited resources. Afterward, Slade had been grateful. Grateful enough to sleep with her. He’d even hinted at them having a future together. The thought that that future might be slipping away terrified her.

Izzy’s cryptic warning echoed in her head. Celina pushed it aside. Her best friend may be psychic, but she didn’t know everything. If she’d ever experienced the passion inside a Were, she wouldn’t be so quick to avoid them or so quick to judge.

“What can you tell me about the Moonlight Kin in the area?” Slade asked.

Celina blinked in surprise. “Not much. I’m sure you know more than I do, since you’re one of them.”

Slade glanced at her. “I’m not part of
this
group.”

“Oh,” she said. “I just thought...”

Impatience simmered in his amber gaze.

“What do you need to know?” An inkling of unease trickled down her spine. If he wasn’t part of the Moonlight Kin, that meant he was trespassing on their territory. Wolves were extremely territorial. If the Kin detected Slade, he would be in danger.