Chapter Sixteen – Nadine

“That’s what Joel said?” she asked. They were walking up into the mountains along an old bear trail. Hand in hand, enjoying being in each other’s company.

“Pretty much. We should learn to be more bear.” He threw his hands out dramatically and spoke in a deep voice.

“Maybe you should try roaring, instead of howling.” She burst out laughing at the look of horror on his face.

“I am so glad you find it amusing,” he said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her fiercely, wanting to claim her. Maybe Joel was right, and sex was activity that would make him relax more.

“I can already see the animal in you.” She pulled back, brushing his shoulder-length hair back from his face. “I think you are all wolf, Kurt.”

“I know a nice place up in the mountains. There is a deep mountain pool, very secluded, just right for some rest and relaxation.”

“Sounds tempting.” She kissed his lips again, feeling a tremor of desire starting at the base of her spine and threading its way upwards. “I think that you should show me.”

He took her hand and they continued up the trail, the trees clearing to give them a view over the land below. “There’s Wolf Valley,” he said. “It looks so quiet there, so peaceful. I hope it will be again. I always thought it would be where I raised my children. Our children.”

“It just needs someone to take control. An alpha.”

He put his arm around her and held her close. “Not me. I have no desire to be anything than a husband and father.”

“And an artist.”

“Come on, I want to go skinny-dipping with you.” He dragged her faster up the side of the mountain, the sun warm on their backs. Sure footed, he took her through trees and across a meadow before leading her down over large rocks. As they drew closer, she could hear the sound of running water and then she caught a glimpse of the falls. A curtain of water falling off the side of the mountain, it dropped into a large pool, the spray creating a mist, making it appear ethereal.

“It’s stunning.”

Loosing her hand, he ran forward, pulling his sweater over his head, and then his T-shirt. She did the same, although she did glance around first just to check there was no one around. But when the last of his clothes lay abandoned on the bank, and he jumped into the pool, she let go of her inhibitions and followed him.

It was so cold it took her breath away. Screaming with shock, she swam towards him, the exercise making her body warm up, but her skin was ice cold.

“Refreshing, isn’t it?” he asked.

Nadine splashed him in the face, making him gasp. “Very,” she said, laughing and then swimming away from him.

He swam after her and she dived under the water, swimming swiftly away from him. Then she doubled back and surfaced just in front of him, her hair swept back from her face. He reached out and touched it, threading it through his fingers.

“I always thought it would burn me, the fire of your hair.”

Treading water, she let him stroke her face, and then his hand moved lower, grazing her breasts. His fingers tweaked her nipple, which was hard and taut from the cold of the water. Moving closer to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. His hand went to rub between her thighs, and her arousal grew, warming her body until the chill of the water didn’t even register with her brain.

“Come with me,” he said, taking her back to the bank and helping her out. Then he gathered up their clothes and led her towards the waterfall. “There is a small cave behind here. We can relax a little bit more.”

“Relax?” She slid her hand over his chest, and looked down to see his cock, erect despite the cold water.

“I think you know what I mean, Nadine.”

“I hope so,” she said.

True enough, there was a small cave, although the sound of the water hitting the pool was so loud, they couldn’t hear themselves talk. But who needed to talk?

Kurt laid his clothes out for her to sit on, and then came to her. His mouth found hers, lips hot and hungry for a taste of his mate. He ignited a fire deep within her. In the last day, he had awoken so many parts of her, and she was sure her creature stirred in agreement. In fact, it wanted to take control.

Pushing him down onto his back, she straddled him, taking hold of his hands and placing them above his head. With one hand, she held them there, knowing he could easily free himself from her if he wanted to, but he was playing along with her fantasy. The other hand wrapped around his cock, stroking it, teasing it until his hips lifted off the floor and he groaned in appreciation.

Finding courage from somewhere, she raised herself up, guiding herself down onto him, trying to relax as the tip of his cock slipped inside her sex. Slowly she lowered herself down, taking him inch by inch until she thought he would tear her in two. He was so big, and so deep inside her, but her sex yielded to him, her tight muscles gripping him.

A deep guttural sound came from him, his eyes flashing with hunger for more, and she gave it to him. Circling her hips, she allowed greater friction between their bodies. It felt wonderful, his cock rubbing against the inner walls of her sex. Finding a rhythm, she experimented with lifting herself up and then sliding back down. Oh, did that feel good.

Closing her eyes, she released his hands, sitting upright to ride out her arousal, chasing her elusive orgasm. Kurt sat up, holding her close, and then claimed her breasts with his mouth. Her hips bucked when his teeth grazed her nipple, and her pace quickened, her voice rising high, only to be lost to the thundering waterfall.

Faster, harder, she needed him to be inside her and all around her. Skin against skin, her nerve endings on fire to his every touch until she came. Her orgasm crashed into her just as the thundering water crashed into the pool below. Kurt held her still, and jerked into her, his seed spurting inside her as he cried out her name.

When they were spent, he gathered her to him and she kissed him fiercely. When she finally let him go, she placed her lips close to his ear so that he could hear her words. “How relaxed are you now?”

“Very?” His hands roamed her body and his mouth kissed her skin, until the light began to disappear from the sky.

“It’s late. We should go.”

He looked out, through the veil of water. “I hadn’t realised it had got so late.”

“It’s a long walk home.” Nadine experienced a sudden apprehension about walking down the mountain in the dark. “We should hurry.”

“Hey,” he said, kissing her. “I will keep you safe.”

“I know. But that wolf yesterday, it scared me. And I would rather get home.” She saw the way his face dropped and knew she had made him feel incapable of protecting her. “And I am starving.”

“Back to your house for food and more relaxing?”

“That sounds like a good plan.” She kissed him and then moved away from him and began to dress. He did the same, and within ten minutes, they were slipping along the narrow ledge and out into the open air.

The sky above them was darkening to an inky blue, and when they reached the clearing, they could see the sun setting in the distance. It was beautiful and to be here with her mate and experience it with him was an amazing experience, yet still the thought of getting home was foremost in her head. The dark scared her.

“We didn’t exactly get much done in the way of practice for you to relearn to control your wolf,” she said when they began to move again.

“No rush. No pressure.”

“Be like a bear,” she said laughing.

“Yes. I want to enjoy what we have for a couple of days, and then we can get into the hard stuff.”

“As long as we aren’t just putting it off.”

He put his arm around her and said, “No, not at all. You have already taught me to face my fears, and I want to help you too.”

“I don’t know if that’s possible,” she replied honestly.

“Are you ready to share what happened? You know, not being able to change?” he asked quietly.

“There isn’t much to tell. My mom and dad taught me what to do, how to prepare. But as puberty came … and then went … it became obvious nothing was going to happen. I know that is unusual, normally your other side is dying to burst out. But not with me.”

“Did anything happen? To put you off?”

“I don’t think so. At least not that I remember.” She fell silent, thinking back over her childhood. Being brought up in a small commune where they were open about everything animal, she had been surrounded by others who could easily change. “All of my friends began to change and I was excited. Especially since my parents weren’t sure what I would be.”

“What are your parents?” he asked.

“My dad was a bear; my mom was a red fox. Hence the hair.” Nadine held a strand of her hair up. “She was so sure that was what I was going to be.”

“What if you are a bear! Damn, that would be weird, both me and my sister ending up with a bear as a mate.”

“My parents used to argue over it. First, it would start off in a friendly way, but then it would get nasty and they would insult each other. I can’t tell you how mad my mom used to get with me at not being able to change. I was a disappointment to her. It was as if she thought I was doing it on purpose. You know, like I didn’t want to change.”

“Maybe you didn’t?” Kurt said. They were nearing the end of the trail now, and they had to cut across though the woodland to her house. It was as they were descending off the path that he stopped and stiffened. She knew immediately he had sensed something. They were not alone.