The Wolf's Call (Two-Natured London) (10 page)

Not since her childhood, when
her father’s mere voice could make her freeze in dread, had Charlotte been as
frightened of a person as she was by Lord Foley. He was every bit as beautiful
as Jamie had promised, but inhumanely so. His face reminded her of a hawk. It
was intelligent, alert, and utterly cruel. Even with deliberate physical flaws,
the perfection of his features and body was almost otherworldly, the essence of
him so extraordinary that she would have known him for a vampire even though
she had never met one before.

Having
been around shifters the whole day, she was able to detect in Foley the energy
that separated the two-natured people from humans, but there was nothing of the
shifters’ wild warmth in him. Even though he was perfectly nice to them,
offering a mesmerising smile that befuddled her brain, the feel of his energy
was cold. She knew vampires were just as alive as everyone else, but she could
understand why people would believe them to be undead.

That
didn’t mean Foley wouldn’t have been vibrant. On the contrary, he emanated such
ancient power that even she was able to feel it. She knew she was in the
presence of someone who had no trouble organising the world to his liking with
a cold ruthlessness that didn’t take outsiders into consideration. That was what
frightened her. She had never felt so insignificant, and what was worse, she
had no strength to fight the feeling either. All she could do was sit petrified
on a Regency sofa, holding Rafe’s hand tightly.

Rafe
was edgy as well, but not because of their host. He had been taken up by a
possessive rage, all because she had admired Gabriel. Was that what Matt had
meant by Rafe staking a claim on her? She couldn’t afford to be annoyed by his
proprietary behaviour though, for the fear of what might happen if he tried to
challenge Foley too. So she set out to calm him by running her thumb slowly up
and down his strong, wiry wrist. It seemed to work too, because his breathing
eased and his muscles relaxed.

“What
can I do for you?” Foley asked once they had all settled down with some tea, as
if this was an ordinary society visit. Not that Charly was able to drink; she
didn’t even dare to lift the cup, her hands were shaking too badly. Jamie
didn’t have such problems and he explained the matter in a calm fashion whilst
sipping his tea from the dainty china cup.

“Someone
sold you a piece of my property?” The air seemed to grow heavy with Foley’s
anger. It felt as if he was sucking it towards him, making it hard for Charly
to breathe.

“Yes,”
Jamie answered, unaffected by the tensing atmosphere. The vampire warlord might
be more powerful and much scarier, but Jamie was here as an equal. “And we’d
like to buy it from you, properly this time.”

Foley
cocked a brow, stretching the scar, which added to his cruel look. “And will
you deal with the perpetrators too?”

Jamie
shrugged, as if it was just the same to him. “We understand that they are
humans. We can deal with them, unless you absolutely want the honour yourself?”

Charly
was new to this world, but she understood that the matter was about who had the
greater right to punish the humans. She knew that she should be appalled that
they were taking matters into their own hands, that she should at least demand
that legal action be taken, but their way seemed perfectly fine to her. Those
people had attacked Rafe, twice, and they should pay for it.

Jamie
and Foley spent a moment listing their grievances, and the vampire acknowledged
that Jamie’s clan had the stronger claim. But he wouldn’t simply agree to sell
the land. “We’ll see about that,” he said curtly, but at least the angry
atmosphere had eased. “I’ll need to think about it.” And just like that, the
audience was over.

Jamie
and Rafe got up, not pushing the issue, but Charly felt disappointed. Why
couldn’t they just settle the sale right now? Foley seemed to sense her
impatience and he smiled. “We’re old, Miss Thornton. We can take our time with
this. The land will be there long after the humans are gone.”

They
took formal leaves that didn’t seem at all out of place in the grand manor.
When it was her turn, Foley took her hand and she could almost feel the energy
of him grazing her skin. It was all she could do not to snatch her hand away.
“Please visit us again, Miss Thornton. It’s seldom that such a beautiful
she-wolf graces my home.”

Charly
recoiled physically, her hand dropping from his after all. “I’m not a shifter.
I’m human.” Surely he was able to see that.

He
regarded her with a great intensity that made her want to squirm. “Are you
now?”

Wasn’t
she?

Of
course she was. Foley just had such power in his voice that she was ready to
believe him. Even so, her bones turned to liquid as the unsettling idea began
to sink in. Rafe’s heavy hand landed on her shoulder, pulling her towards him,
offering her much needed support./p>

“She’s
very dominant, but that doesn’t make her a shifter.”

Foley
ignored Rafe’s denial and dealt her the worst blow of her adult life. “I
scanned you when you entered this room. I can assure you that you’re a wolf.
Someone has simply blocked your second nature with magic.”

He
noticed her stunned expression and cocked his brow slightly, as if he hadn’t
just turned her world upside down. “I take it you didn’t know about this?”

Charly
wanted to shake her head, both in answer to him and in denial of his words, but
the blood rushed from her face and the floor disappeared under her feet. Rafe
caught her before she fell and helped her back to the sofa where he pressed her
head gently between her knees. His hand rested on her shoulder again, offering
comfort, but she could feel it shaking a bit. Was it in anger or in excitement?
After all, if this was true, he wouldn’t have to deal with wanting a human
anymore.

“Who
would do something this awful to you?” His angry growl was almost
incomprehensible.

Charly
knew the answer with a clarity that penetrated even her shock. “My parents, of
course.”

The
hand holding her tightened in response. “If you’re a shifter, it would explain
the rages you used to have.” She didn’t have the energy to ask what he meant;
fortunately, he continued. “Shifter children often become uncontrollable if
they don’t have a strong alpha presence.”

“My
father is pretty strong,” she said feebly.

“But
you didn’t recognise him as your leader.”

Rafe’s
words were said in calm confidence, but Charly had to wonder if a small girl
could have made a character judgement that was self-evident to her as a
grownup. “Of course you could,” Rafe assured her when she voiced her thought.
“I told you, we’re very much creatures of instinct. It wasn’t an intellectual
judgement, but emotional.”

All
she knew was that she had been a wilful and difficult child, much more
troublesome than her brother. Her parents had dragged her from one therapist to
another until one of them had been able to help her. She couldn’t remember what
he had done, but after only one session she had calmed down. She had still been
strong-willed, but at least the uncontrollable rages had subsided.

“Do
you think they knew?”

“Most
likely,” Jamie’s voice said somewhere above her. “It’s not that rare for humans
to have shifter children, but not all of them can accept it, though they
usually bring the child to a clan to be brought up with their own kind. Better
parents follow their child there too.”

Her
parents were so bigoted that they wouldn’t even let her go to a mixed school.
The shame of having a shifter child would have been unbearable to them.

“Can
the block be removed?” Rafe asked, sounding both angry and hopeful.

“Absolutely,”
Foley answered with arrogant certainty. “But does she want it?”

“Why
wouldn’t she?” the wolves asked almost in unison, but Charly was with Foley on
this. Yes, it would make life with Rafe possible, but she would lose her
identity as human. It was an enormous change and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Foley
listed the reasons for them, the wolves unwilling to entertain a possibility
someone wouldn’t want to be a shifter. “She’s believed herself human for over
thirty years, and so might not adjust to being a two-natured. Her body might
not adjust to shifting at such an old age, and her wolf might not react well
either when it’s released after being held captive for so long. She might not
be able to shift back to human.”

Rafe
began to massage her shoulders lightly, easing their tension and helping the
dizziness to subside. “You know I will help you with this,” he pleaded with her
and although she believed him, she still had to shake her head.

“I
have to think about it,” she said. She felt his hand halt for a moment, making
her heart stop. But then, as if wanting to prove her he wouldn’t abandon her
with this, he resumed the steady kneading.

“I can
help you make the decision,” Foley said, kneeling before her. If his sore leg
bothered him, he didn’t let it show. She lifted her head to face him, but since
Rafe’s hand was still resting on her back, she didn’t straighten up. “I can
release your aura. You won’t be able to shift, but it will allow you to study
your second nature. Then, if you want to, you can return at any full moon when
the Might is strong enough for greater magic and I’ll remove the block.” He
scrutinised her. “Would you like me to do that?”

She
didn’t know what the aura meant, but she didn’t hesitate. “Do it.”

He
placed long-fingered, cool hands on both sides of her face and looked her
straight in the eyes. His black irises began to bleed out until no white was
showing, and she stared at them, mesmerised, feeling like she was drowning in
them. The pressure of magic increased around her, squeezing her body and making
her fear it would crush her bones. Just when she thought she wouldn’t be able
to endure it anymore, the magic suddenly invaded her and she screamed in agony.
Foley’s magic searched inside her until it found what it was looking for and
she felt something give under its pressure. There was no pain, only an
overwhelming rush of sensations. That was the last thing she felt before
blackness swallowed her.

Raphael held the limp body of
his woman in his arms, struggling with the need to attack Foley. Only his need
to protect Charly prevented him from abandoning all reason. That, and Jamie’s
heavy hand on his shoulder, holding him fast. Shrugging off his brother’s
restraint, he pulled Charly onto his lap and wrapped his arms protectively
around her, using her scent to calm him. When Foley tried to come closer, he growled.

Alexander
was unfazed by his mood, even though a shifter protecting his mate was a
formidable adversary for him, even in human form. “The aura should appear when
she wakes up. It’s the sudden onslaught of Might that caused her to pass out.”
Then he shook his head almost admiringly. “It’s an ingenious piece of magic
that blocks her second nature. It uses up all her natural Might reservoirs to
keep it going so that the stronger she becomes, the stronger the block gets. I
wonder who would be able to do such magic….” Frowning to himself, he abruptly
turned around and headed out of the parlour, leaving Rafe and Jamie to deal
with the unconscious woman by themselves.

It was
small work to carry Charly outside where Gabe was waiting for them by his car.
Soon enough they were back at Jamie’s car and Rafe settled into the backseat
with his precious charge. He could detect a faint scent of wolf in her now and
it threatened to drive both man and wolf mad.

Back
home, Rafe left Jamie to explain the turn of events to clan members who
gathered around the moment they stepped out of the car. He headed indoors and
carried Charly to his bedroom where he laid her carefully down on his large
bed. She hadn’t stirred once the whole time and he was beginning to worry.

What
if Foley was right? What if this was too much for her body to take? In addition
to their naturally greater strength, shifters’ bodies were put through a lot
from an early age to ensure that once it was time for the cubs to shift for the
first time, their bodies could take the strain. Charly’s body was, for all
intentions, human. What if she died when she tried to shift for the first time?

His
entire being went cold. He could not lose her before they had even begun
anything. He sat abruptly down on the bed, his legs no longer holding him,
struggling with himself and with his wolf, staring at his beautiful woman as
she slept. In the end, the decision wasn’t difficult. He wouldn’t force her to
break the magic blocking her wolf. If they only had a few years together
because she remained human, so be it. It was better than no time together at
all, he understood that now.

After
what seemed like an agonising eternity, she began to stir and he leaned closer
to brush wisps of hair off her face. She opened her eyes and blinked a couple
of times before they came to focus. Recognising him, she smiled, and his heart
stopped beating for a moment before resuming a faster pace. Gods, but she was
beautiful.

“Did I
fall asleep?” she asked drowsily, stretching her hands languidly above her
head. He wanted to tell her everything, the decision he had made, but she
looked so adorably sexy that he simply had to kiss her. Her lips felt soft from
sleep, and she answered eagerly, and their kiss soon got serious.

“Something
like that,” he answered when he finally came up for breath. There was no sign
of her aura yet, but he didn’t let that trouble him. He had wanted her from the
beginning and he couldn’t wait any longer to have her. “How are you feeling?”

She
gave it some thought and then she smiled. “I feel great.”

“Good.”
It was the only warning he gave before kissing her again, with serious intent
this time. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her up, pressing her close.
She put her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, all drowsiness gone
from her actions. Arousal shot so fast from her delicious mouth to his, and
down through him, he almost lost himself to the sensation. But this time they
didn’t have to fear interruption.

Breaking
the kiss, he moved his mouth down her jawline to her slender throat, kissing it
softly, firmly, arousing her in turn. With a sigh, she leaned her head
sideways, giving him free access to do whatever he willed with that most
vulnerable spot of her body. His wolf revelled in her unconsciously submissive gesture,
but the man was in charge and he resisted the urge to sink his teeth into the
fast-beating pulse at the base of her throat to mark her as his own. There
would be time for that later.

She
lifted her arms up and he pulled her sweater over her head, tossing it on the
floor. The bra underneath was black lace, against which the white swell of her
breasts stood in beautiful contrast. Unable to resist the temptation this time,
he grazed the soft mounds with his teeth, and when she shivered in anticipation,
he bit them lightly, first one and then the other.

She
reached behind her to open the clasp and pulled the bra off, releasing her
breasts for his proper admiration. He cupped them with his hands, marvelling at
their fullness and weight on his palms, but she wouldn’t let him hold them for
long. Instead, she took his sweater by its waist and began to pull it up.
“Off,” she said impatiently when the garment got stuck in his belt buckle, and
with a throaty laugh he pulled the sweater over his head for her.

She
drew in a sharp breath at the sight of his bare chest. He wanted to keep
touching her, but he let her run light fingers over his chest and the hair
there, exploring his pectorals. His nipples hardened when she brushed over them
and his tight abdominals stood out in sharp relief in his effort to control
himself.

A
satisfied smile spread on her lips as she studied his torso and he concentrated
on watching her delight as her fingers wandered ever lower. They reached the
waistline of his jeans, already stretching with his erection. She hesitated
only briefly before pressing her hand firmly on him and it was his turn to
inhale sharply.

She
would have opened his trousers, but he halted her. “You first, baby.” He
pressed her back onto the bed, and although she made a little mewl in protest,
she followed his urging easily enough. For a woman who claimed never to lose
control, she was perfectly pliable, even eager to follow his lead.

He
opened her jeans with slightly shaky fingers and pulled them off. He wanted to
peel off the black lace panties too, but already the scent of her arousal was
pushing him to conclusion too fast. He let them be and leaned over her instead.
Cupping one breast with his large hand, he took the already taut nipple into
his mouth and sucked deeply, causing her to arch towards his mouth with a moan.
He kept sucking her breasts, first one and then the other, until her breathing
grew ragged.

He was
having trouble controlling his own breathing now. Her hands had resumed their
wandering up and down his torso, occasionally grazing over his taut cock, still
confined by his jeans. When she began to fumble them open, he let her, groaning
in pleasure when his erection sprang free.

She
made a small, delighted sound, and wrapped her fingers around him tightly,
making his brain short-circuit. “Baby, if you want me to finish this properly,
you’ll have to let go.” He found it difficult to breathe, his pleasure so
intense, as she stroked him firmly.

A slow
smile spread on her face, but she released him, contenting herself with looking
at him as he shook off his jeans. Her admiring expression was enough to make
him grow even bigger and he knew he didn’t have much time left.

He
pulled off her panties and then glided his hands back up along her beautiful
legs, marvelling at their silky feel. She parted them for him and he brushed
lightly over her curls, making her shiver. He cupped her properly and began to
gently massage the soft folds between her legs with his fingers. Slowly, but
with ever increasing pressure, he stroked her, wanting to bring her to the
edge. Only when he sensed that she was near did he stop long enough to pull on
a condom he’d hastily dug out from the drawer of his nightstand. Even that
short delay threatened to bring him to his ruin.

Moving
over her, he settled between her legs and placed his cock at her entrance. She
pulled him closer, wrapping her long legs around him. He kissed her, enjoying
the ability to take her mouth even as he sank deep into her with one slow
thrust.

She
felt so good, like a tight glove around his hardness, and he was immediately
lost to anything but pleasure. He wanted to take her fast and hard, but managed
to slow down and keep a steady rhythm for long enough to feel her orgasm build
again. Then he let all restraint go. He wrapped his arms around her waist to
hold her tight, thrusting into her with abandon. Release flooded from him
almost immediately, the satisfaction so powerful it nearly blinded him. Charly
arched against him with a deep, satisfied moan, convulsing around him as
pleasure shook her.

Utterly
spent, he collapsed on her, unable to hold himself up anymore, but she didn’t
seem to mind his weight. She just wrapped her arms around him and held tight.
They breathed heavily for a long time until he felt steady enough to roll off
her on his side. He turned to smile at her and saw her smile the happy smile of
a sated woman.

And
then her wolf surfaced.