NocC 023 - The Ancients 05 - Bonnie Vanak - Incubus Wolf - Harlequin 2012-09 (4 page)

Desire clenched her body, making her hot and tight. Alex fisted
her hands, her breathing heavy, her heart thudding heavily in her chest. It was
an extremely private moment, yet, she found herself caught up in the sheer
sensuality of their lovemaking, Alex felt no embarrassment. It seemed totally
natural. Carla’s clear submissiveness did not appear humiliating, but oddly
freeing.

When the couple collapsed together, shivering on the ground,
she turned to Dominic. Expecting him to look aroused and wanting, she was
stunned to see him regard her with a tender look.

Then he slid off the armchair and nodded, walking away. Jeans
riding low on his lean hips, Dominic had a graceful swagger. Watching him sent
all the blood rushing to her groin.

She buried her head into her palms, disturbed by the wash of
sexual need.

Chapter 5

Bracing his hands on the windowsill, Dominic stared out
at the meadow. After witnessing Michael and Carla making love, Alex had walked
away, muttering she needed time alone to think. He’d let her go, needing time
himself to think. Belaramos was out there, watching, waiting. Wanting his blood,
and his head probably. Ever since the wizard arrived six months ago, he’d gunned
for Dominic and anyone close to him.

Safeguards and strict rules protected the pack’s more
vulnerable females. He had one more female to protect, although Alexandra would
balk at the thought. A crooked grin touched his mouth. The woman intending to
capture him was an enigma. Intensely private and wary, she reminded him of a
beautiful, wild wolf whose pack had abandoned her. Pitiful, in a way. So
alone.

Except Alexandra would hate pity. She’d stick a dagger between
the ribs of anyone who tried.

Dominic rubbed the back of neck. Such a feisty, fierce warrior.
Such a mystery.

The smile dropped. Such hidden pain. What had happened to
her?

This obsession with the world’s best bounty hunter proved
dangerous. It caused him to forget his ultimate responsibility to his pack. Made
him think about nothing except her wet, red kissable mouth, soft and pliant
against his.

The fire burning in her green eyes and her indomitable spirit
raging with passion tempted his jaded self. Blood surged through his veins, hot
and thick, as his wicked imagination envisioned Alexandra on her knees before
him, that delicious mouth sliding over his erect cock.

He would have her naked beneath him, those lovely, firm thighs
spread wide, her sex glistening pink and ready.

Sex was life to him, gave him strength, but he controlled
everything. Except with Alexandra. He knew he trod on dangerous ground and could
lose everything important when it came to her. His pack. His freedom.

Dominic knew the pack wanted him to settle, to have a mate
who’d be meek, calm and submissive. Alexandra was far from meek and submissive.
Could she fit into his world? She’d never learn to follow orders and would
always have that independent streak he cherished.

First he must open her eyes to the bare truth. He thought of
all the mirrors in his secret room, the mirrored hallway, mirrors she would not
want to look into. If she were strong enough, her belief in herself would cement
her to him.

If not… Alex would run and he’d lose her as he’d lost others. A
quiet pain twisted his heart at the thought.

The delicate scent of Alex, gardenia and ice, laced through the
air. Dominic drew it deep into his lungs. His incubus blood fired, ready for sex
with the fiery bounty hunter.

She occupied his thoughts as he headed for his study. The
thought of her lying in his bed, her wide green eyes heavy-lidded with desire,
her scent flooding his nostrils, made him wild. He found himself alive for the
first time in years.

Ice splintered his heart as he glanced out the large picture
window.

Alexandra was on the pathway leading through the meadow.

He caught up with her just by the fence.

“Where are you going?” Dominic struggled to keep his voice
even, keep the raging fear at bay. If Belaramos got a shot at her again…

“I have to test this ankle out.”

“Don’t stray off the path. It’s neutral territory and lined
with magick that will protect you against the wizard.” His protective instincts
flared. “I’m coming with you.”

Defiance snapped in her clear green eyes. “Stop telling me what
to do. You’re not my master.”

“We can change that,” he said silkily, taking her hand.

The electrical charge crackled between them. Dominic’s pulse
beat fast. Desire smoked her green gaze, then she looked at him fiercely, as if
denying the attraction.

“Stop doing that to me.”

“Doing what?”

“That sexual thing. Whispering those things inside my head to
mess with me.”

“I’m not inside your head, Alexandra.”

Her perfect, full mouth fell open. He steeled against the
temptation to kiss her senseless. First, to earn her trust.

Open to me, little warrior. Trust me. Only
then will you find your true heart’s desire.

But deep inside, he wondered if she ever could.

*

Alex drew the crisp, clean air deep into her lungs. So
different from the smog of the cities where she mostly hunted. Alaska’s deep
purple shadows, the blue skies and wildness pulled at her.

And the sexuality of Dominic’s pack threatened her identity. He
was like the state; untamed and raw, vast and overwhelming.

All these years she’d carefully cultivated a mask, and in one
day, it was torn off by a wizard’s promise of beauty. Now it was threatened by
an incubus wolf’s promise of pleasure.

Following the trail paralleling the fence, she shoved her hands
into the pockets of the thick jacket, ignoring the man walking beside her. She
had four days to turn him over.

And each moment, the task seemed more difficult. When she’d
taken him into her bed that first time, not only had she seen his fierce
sexuality, but also his humor and tenderness.

In the years since, Dominic had grown more powerful, yet his
sense of humor and self-deprecating wit remained the same. Demon prison hadn’t
embittered him. Rather, it seemed to sharpen him to a razor-fine edge.

All these years, she thought he’d left her to face her
stepfather’s cruel torture. If he told the truth, Dominic had returned to save
her. But he’d been too late.

Alex scanned the meadow, wishing she’d never taken this
assignment. Wishing she’d never seen Dominic Farrell again. She’d forgotten how
enticing his scent was, how deliciously sexy the incubus wolf could be….

She stepped off the pathway.

A crack split the air, and the rock just to her left exploded
in a shower of granite. Dominic shoved her to the ground. “Stay down!”

Alex lifted her head. On his elbows, Dominic crawled, face
fierce with concentration. He took cover behind a tall tree and then
shifted.

The wolf bounded from behind the cover and zigged and zagged,
presenting a tough target to shoot. Alex’s heart raced. She removed the pistol
from the back of her jeans and scanned the horizon.

There, in the distance. A small figure, raising a rifle to his
shoulder.

Alex followed the wolf’s trail as bullets continued to ring
out. Right toward her. The bastard was trying to kill her.

She took cover behind a thick pine, cupped her pistol and
fired. Never had she missed her target. Not in the ten years since she’d started
working as a bounty hunter.

The shooter dropped the rifle. Before her astonished gaze, the
man’s body contorted, twisting and elongating. His face became triangular.

The man had morphed into a snake the size of a small truck. A
forked tongue licked out of its mouth. It raised its head and hissed, showing
two long fangs the size of butcher knives. And then it turned toward the wolf,
jaws yawning open as if to swallow it whole. The wolf snarled and attacked its
throat, but the python shook it off and then hovered over the wolf.

Jaws yawning open, it was ready to swallow the wolf whole.

Not on my watch.

Alex loaded her pistol with her special magick bullets that
could take down a legion of vampires charging at full speed. She shot the snake
between the eyes. Fired, until the magazine was spent.

The snake shrunk into the size of a man, and then morphed back
into human form. Then he opened his eyes.

Holy crap, he was still alive?

Dominic shifted back. Naked, his expression fierce, he took the
man’s neck and twisted hard.

There was a sickening crack, then stillness.

Dominic clothed himself by magick. Icy coldness crept over her
as she stared at the dead man. Wheeler from the bar.

“What the hell is he?” she gasped.

Dominic said nothing. With a low growl, he swung her up into
his arms and raced back.

Carrying her as if she weighed nothing, he wasn’t even panting
as they reached the path’s safety. Very gently, he set her on her feet. His
expression was steely.

“What were you doing out there?” he demanded.

“Saving myself.” She leaned against the fence, shivering. “I
don’t like getting shot.”

White bracketed his mouth as he gripped her shoulders. “Do you
know what could have happened to you?”

The anger in his voice took her aback. No one ever cared what
happened to her. “I can take care of myself.” Alex shook her head. “I don’t
understand. Those were all head shots with special bullets. Why didn’t he die?
What happened to him?”

Dominic’s fingers loosened on her shoulders. He slid his hands
up to cup her face, his gaze blue steel. Despite the cold, his palms were warm
on her icy skin. “Wheeler was trying to lure me out, shooting at you to get to
me. Belaramos must have cursed him.”

Alex felt like she stepped off a cliff and was spiraling
downward. Nothing in her well-ordered universe of catch the prey, bring it in
and collect the bounty made sense anymore.

“Why? Because he was a loud-mouthed ass?”

His mouth twitched. “Always the humor, my Alexandra. Belaramos
wants my blood and was using Wheeler.”

Cold anger tightened his face as he dropped his hands. “Wheeler
was trying to swallow me whole so he could bring me back to his master, who
probably promised to lift the curse once he did so. But the wizard would have
killed him anyway.”

Bile rose in her throat. “Because to get you out, Belaramos
would have to cut you out of the snake.”

Alex swallowed hard, pushing past her rising gorge. “Some camp
you run here, wolf. Public sex, wizards who turn humans into pythons, the
crazies keep on coming. Any other fun tricks I should know about?”

He clasped her palm and brought it to his mouth. Dominic
brushed her knuckles with a lingering kiss. “Brave Alexandra. Facing such
powerful magick with nothing but bullets. Your courage makes me… very hot.”

She shivered under the sensual caress. “It’s dangerous around
here. Come with me back to prison where it’s safe. No snakes, just surly
demons.”

He threw back his head and laughed, a deep-throated sound that
coaxed her into a reluctant smile. “Alexandra Kostra, you’re dangerous.” He
turned and ran a finger down her cheek, making her shiver. Then he cupped her
face with his large, warm palms. “I could fall for you each time I look into
your lovely eyes. Such shadows there. I want to chase them away.”

This unexpected tenderness disarmed her. Alex tried to wrench
away, but he held her fast. His prisoner now. Not going anywhere.

“Let me go,” she whispered.

Vehemently, he shook his head. “Not until you see what you came
to see, Alexandra. What I see. When your eyes are opened, I will let you
go.”

Pressure eased as his fingers fell open. Alex ran for the
lodge, deeply confused.

Every moment she spent in his company drew her closer to a
dangerous edge. Alex did not want to leap.

Because once she did, she’d lie at the bottom, shattered and
broken once more, and he would not pick up the pieces.

But only walk away, as he’d done before.

Chapter 6

At dinnertime, Alex only wanted to avoid Dominic. But
she couldn’t hide from his scent. It was stamped into her brain.

Hunger growled in her stomach. She needed her strength. So she
went downstairs to the big dining room. The pack of forty wolves greeted her
warmly enough, although a few of the males gave her hard, assessing looks. They
all seemed normal. No horns, no leering grins. No one was dressed in leather and
chains, as rumors had hinted. Self-conscious, Alex kept her gaze lowered.

Gradually she looked around. Each pack member was not perfect.
With her full, rosebud mouth and dimples, Carla was lovely, but seemed frail and
vulnerable. Various others at the table had marks on them, as if they’d tussled
with attackers and won, but at a great cost.

She did not join in their conversation, but listened. No one
treated her like either a bounty hunter come to haul their leader off to prison,
or like his captive.

Alex began to enjoy herself. Dominic’s gaze burned into hers
the entire time. It was filled with heat. She found herself staring at the
strong curve of his chin, the lush outline of his mouth.

That mouth had been on hers, licking and stroking…

Dropping her gaze, feeling heat warm her cheeks, she
concentrated on dinner.

After dinner, she asked Dominic for use of a computer. He
escorted her to his study, an enormous room, with heavy wood furniture and
natural lighting coming through the tall windows.

.”Aren’t you afraid I’ll email and ask for help?” she
challenged.

“Not you, Alexandra. You’re too proud to ask.”

She puzzled over his words as he left. Alex logged into the
system and the Society’s database and began a search for Belaramos.

The cursor winked at her as she stared at the screen. The
wizard was elderly and frail but possessed great power. Known for his gentle
protection of wild creatures, he’d lodged a complaint with the Society about
someone hunting wolves on his land.

Gentle and frail?

Not that dark, cruelly handsome man who’d laid a trap for her.
Her ankle gave a twinge of pain. And this wizard was desperate for Dominic’s
blood. And surely, it wasn’t only because Belaramos wanted a little action
between the sheets.

Alex leaned back in the comfortable leather chair. It made no
sense. Protecting the wildlife? And now he caged them for show?

Maybe the wilderness had seeped into Belaramos’s brain cells,
scrambling them into jelly.

Michael, Dominic’s second in command, had led the pack in
Dominic’s absence. He’d been in charge when Belaramos moved next door.

Alex shut down the computer and went into the kitchen to search
for Michael.

Dominic stood before the stainless steel sink, hands braced on
either side, as he stared out the window. Next to him were the remains of a
half-eaten cherry pie. He turned and saw her. Something flickered in his
gaze.

“Still hungry?” he asked softly.

“I’m looking for Michael.”

“He’s busy with dessert.” Dominic’s glance slid to the dining
room. A woman moaned loudly.

Carla. A flush lit Alex’s cheeks.

The sound of flesh slapping against flesh. Michael was driving
hard and fast into Carla, his grunts peppering her excited moans.

“Perhaps you’d like some. Dessert.”

Dipping a finger elegantly into the pie, he brought it to the
open cavern of his mouth. Dominic licked his lips. Alex’s body clenched hard as
he held her gaze, the blue of his eyes searing her with heat. Then he smeared
the cherry onto his wet mouth.

“Taste me,” he whispered.

Desire pooled, hot and fierce, in her belly as she licked sweet
filling off his mouth. He remained silent and still as she deepened the kiss,
sweeping her tongue into his mouth. Then he crushed her against him, and she
relished his strength. Alex rubbed against him, a mewling sound torn from her
throat. Gods, she was so hot, so hungry.… She squeezed his taut ass, then slid
her hands up his back, relishing the feel of all those muscles beneath her
exploring fingers.

Dominic drew away, his expression masked. Flustered, she rubbed
her mouth. What the hell just happened? Who exactly took it to the next
level?

“You’re very tempting. I want to take you here, right now, but
for what I have in mind, we’d need privacy.” His gaze gleamed. “And the
handcuffs. No, we’ll save them for later.”

Her heart skipped a beat at that smoldering look. “I’ve a
better idea. Let’s get the handcuffs and I’ll take you with me back to prison.
All the privacy in the world.”

“Spend a night in my bed. Then, if you beg me, I’ll consider,”
he murmured.

“I don’t beg,” she said through clenched teeth. “Ever. Not to
anyone.”

Not even when the pain set in and the runes had seared into her
sensitive skin. “Beg for forgiveness, for my mercy,” her stepfather mocked. Alex
hadn’t. Not even when the pain was so intense she’d passed out.

Dominic followed her into the living room. Taking up all the
space in the room. Her gaze landed on the wide sofa and he gave a wicked
smile.

Alex shook her head.

“I agree. A bedroom is much better.”

Cupping her chin between his fingers, he rubbed his stubbled
cheek against hers in a gesture that spoke more of tenderness than passion. It
had been so long since anyone showed such intimacy.

“You’re so lovely, my sweet Alexandra.”

Alex trembled, all her prickly defenses crashing down like a
house of cards. If he’d backed her up against the wall and kissed her hard, she
could resist him. But not this sweet embrace that tumbled down all her
defenses.

She closed her eyes, awaiting his kiss. He brushed his lips
against her cheek, and it felt as gentle and refreshing as spring raindrops.

Dominic took her hand and led her upstairs.

At the door of his bedroom, he glanced at her. “Don’t be
afraid,” he said gently, and it was a stinging reminder of their first time
together.

“I’m not afraid.” Not of this.

Inside his bedroom, he turned on all the lights and locked the
door. Every nerve pulsed with awareness of the man before her. The hank of dark
hair hanging over his brow, the firmness of his wet mouth. He leaned against the
door, watching her, eyes bluer than lasers.

Need spiraled through her. It was as delicious and hot as the
first time she’d met him, the arrogant, charming incubus wolf whose touch
promised ecstasy. Alex felt caught in a web of her own body’s needs.

She craved closeness with the man standing quietly, watching
for her to make the first move. She shouldn’t touch him, but she wanted to. The
tiny bristles shadowing his jaw, the hard curve of his shoulder, the hollowed
cheeks and the soft, firm lips.

For ten long years, she’d held herself back from growing close
to anyone. She wanted this man, and wanted him badly.

You have a job to do.

And what about my needs?
she
thought.

Fused with passion and heat, and pent-up yearning, Alex kissed
him. She’d been cold before, but now delicious warmth raced through her
veins.

He drew back, expression solemn, but fire smoldered in his
caressing gaze. “Will you allow me to touch you?”

“Yes.” A whisper, laced with hope.

A slight nod. “Then you show me what you wish of me.”

Alex stepped back and tugged at his shirt, impatient to see
him. Dominic gave an amused grin and shed his clothing. Naked, he stood before
her.

Breath caught in her throat. He was a magnificent male. A
triangle of dark hair covered the sculpted muscles on his chest. His body was
hard, layered with thick muscle. From a nest of dark hair at his groin, his
thick penis jutted upward, its tip purple.

Unfamiliar pride filled her. Dominic wanted her just as much as
she wanted him.

“Undress for me,” he said softly.

When she removed her shirt, a wide grin split his face. It made
him playful and boyish and younger. Alex felt her heart lurch painfully, for
this was the same man who’d first made love to her.

“Pink,” he murmured, studying the silk camisole she wore
beneath the plain shirt. “Very sexy. Shining and slick, the color of arousal in
a woman’s…”

Alex slapped a hand over his mouth and felt him lick her palm
as he laughed.

Then heat flared in his gaze. “Finish, Alexandra. I wish to see
what other surprises await me.”

When she did, the cool air slid over her skin. Fearful, Alex
glanced down. Her skin was still flawless.

Dominic slid a hand over her waist, beneath her right breast.
Then he teased the tight nipple, slowly circling it with his thumb.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured.

Slowly, he kissed her, lips trailing heat over her shivering
skin. Dominic dropped to his knees, feathering kisses over her belly, his palms
warm as he slid them over her bottom. Slowly he explored, his fingers teasing as
one trailed between her legs. Alex threw back her head, moaning, bracing her
hands on his broad shoulders.

Dominic slid a finger back and forth between her cleft, then
deftly slid inside her. The sensation was startling and intense. His touch was
light and expert, all the while thoughts slid into her mind with the intimate
caress below.

Whispers of how lovely she was, how enticing, how very much he
wanted to touch her all over, fuck her hard until she screamed…

Alex squeezed his shoulders, feeling the gathering tension.

Spread your legs for me.

When she did, he cupped her bottom and then put his mouth on
her. Each rough slide of his tongue between her legs stroked fire. Faster and
faster. And then, very lightly, he bit.

Alex screamed his name, feeling moisture gush from her.

Dominic looked up. Their gazes met, his intense and fierce.
Trembling, she stood back as he stood, wiping his mouth with the back of one
hand.

“Grip the dresser and look into the mirror.”

She did as he asked. Dominic positioned himself behind her,
gripping her hips. She felt the head of his penis nudge her wet, soft opening.
Then he surged forward. She felt the fullness of him slowly fill her, stretch
her almost unbearably.

“Look in the mirror,” he commanded. “See yourself, Alexandra.
See how lovely you are.”

Alex glanced up. She saw a woman flushed with sexual arousal,
her kiss-swollen lips parted. Her breasts gently swayed, their tips taut and
darkened.

Dominic slowly pushed into her, filling her completely. She
felt stretched to the limit. Then he remained still, letting her feel every inch
of his length. She moaned, fingers curling on the slick cherrywood. He began to
thrust, deep and even.

“Look at yourself,” he commanded, his voice thick and deep.

Mesmerized she could only obey, staring into the mirror, seeing
the flush of passion tint her flawless cheeks, her wet mouth trembling. He
played with her clit, teasing with his fingers as he thrust deep inside her.
Alex threw her head back, her back arched as their flesh slapped together. The
dresser shook wildly.

Growling, Dominic bent over her, the crisp hairs of his chest
rough against her sweating back. “Oh, that’s good, that’s so good, sweetheart.
Now Alexandra, come with me.”

Clenching hard around him, she climaxed on a scream. Dominic
shuddered against her, pumping deep inside.

For a minute, they stood. He was still deep inside her. Alex
glanced up at the mirror, saw blue fire in his gaze, the cords in his neck
stretched taut. Then he slowly pulled free, backing her up until they fell onto
the bed together.

Alex panted, feeling her lungs bellow, her heart race. So this
was what it should be like. What it felt like to have sex in blazing light,
instead of insisting on the cover of darkness.

Wrapping herself around his muscled body, she felt the sweat on
their bodies begin to cool. Beneath her ear, his heart beat steady and strong.
As if this hadn’t exerted him, hadn’t left him wrung out and spent…

She expected him to look smug with masculine satisfaction, but
his gaze was thoughtful. Alex traced the line of his firm jaw with a finger.
Tousled and silky, his black hair looked tempting to touch. She hooked her
fingers through it, loving the silk sliding across her skin.

Dominic looked at her solemnly, as if expecting her to speak.
Alex twirled the little hairs on his chest and tugged. He was masculine beauty,
from the thick muscles in his shoulders to the rounded firmness of his ass, to
the flawless perfection of his skin….

Sitting up, she patted her cheeks. Flawless, as she was not. It
was all a ruse that would fade, she realized in dismay.

The cold, hard shell descended on her once more. Alex cleared
her throat. “Deal is a deal, wolf. We’ve made love, and now you leave with
me.”

“Sex, Alexandra. That was not making love.”

“There’s a difference with you?”

“I could feel it,” he whispered, and for a moment, his gaze
looked haunted.

Hurt spiraled through her. She couldn’t make love. Not ever
again. Because it meant giving her heart and that precious organ must be guarded
at all costs.

The pink silk camisole lay crumbled at the bed’s edge. Alex
picked it up, rubbing it between her fingers. So pretty and delicate and lacy.
Feminine.

Not like her. At all.

She had a job to do. And the sooner she did it, the faster she
could get on with her life.

She was running out of time.