CHAPTER EIGHT
Lounging in the rocker on the B&B’s porch later that day with a cold beer in hand, Zander gave Makenna a call and relayed the cougar’s situation. He was glad when she confirmed there would be room at the shelter for Andie if she needed it. He was just ending the call when a small van came toward the B&B. Instantly alert, he slowly rose to his feet. As the van pulled up outside the house, Zander noticed it was a delivery van.
Soon, a young male wearing a baseball cap came jogging up the steps and onto the porch with a bag in hand that carried the scents of spicy food. He froze at the sight of Zander, but then the front door opened and a smiling Yvonne stepped out, holding a wad of cash.
“Keep the change,” she told the human, who hurried away.
Zander followed Yvonne inside, down the hallway, and into the kitchen. Gwen, Marlon, and Bracken looked at the bag with covetous eyes as Yvonne placed it on the table at the center of the kitchen and pulled out several takeout boxes.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“Chinese,” said Marlon, sliding a pile of plates on the table. “Grab whatever you want.”
After they’d all plated some food and settled on the stools at the table, Zander turned to Gwen. “I spoke to Makenna. She said there’s room for Andie at the shelter.” Gwen nodded but didn’t appear relieved. “Not totally sold on the idea of the place, are you?”
She shrugged. “I just want to be sure she’s somewhere safe.”
Yvonne swallowed a chunk of curried chicken. “Aidan called me. Said he came by earlier and was chased away.” She gestured at Zander and Bracken with her fork, adding, “He’s concerned that you two aren’t what Gwen needs right now.”
Little bastard. “Is he?” Zander said evenly.
“What did you say?” Bracken asked her.
“I told him you’re exactly what Gwen needs and that he shouldn’t worry.” Yvonne looked at Gwen. “He wants me to convince you to resume therapy.”
Zander, Bracken, and Marlon all cursed.
Yvonne jerked back. “Am I missing something?”
Gwen didn’t answer, not wanting to bother Yvonne with it.
Marlon scooped more food onto his plate. “Gwen ended the sessions because he declared that he loved her.”
Yvonne gawked. “What?”
Gwen shot her foster brother a hard smile. “Thanks, Marlon.”
Yvonne dropped her fork. “Why didn’t you tell me, Gwen?”
“She was embarrassed,” said Marlon.
Gwen widened her eyes at him. “Seriously, Marlon, you can shut up now.”
Yvonne looked at her in disbelief. “Why would you be embarrassed?”
“Because she didn’t see it coming, and she’s totally weird,” Marlon explained.
Gwen threw a handful of white rice at him. “I’ll destroy your new shirt, I really will. Right now, I’m seeing red.”
“You are? What’s it like?”
She growled. “You are not color-blind.”
“And you can know this how?”
Yvonne rubbed at her arms. “You should have told me, Gwen. Aidan is the one who should be embarrassed, not you. You need to tell Julie.”
Gwen had seen this coming. “No. He really does seem to help her. She never spoke of her childhood until she started her sessions with Aidan. Now she talks about it all freely, and Chase says she rarely has nightmares these days.”
“She should still know,” Yvonne insisted.
Zander leaned slightly toward Gwen. “He might have done to her what he did to you.”
Gwen shook her head. “If he’d told Julie he loved her, she’d have freaked out and told Chase.”
“I don’t mean that.” Zander took a swig of his beer. “I mean he might be trying to make her dependent on him, like he tried with you.”
“I thought of that, which was why I asked her a few questions to get a feel for how he treated her. I never got the impression that he was anything but professional with her.” Or Gwen would definitely have told her. “If anything, he’s made her feel like she can lean on Chase and confide in him.”
“I’m still telling Julie,” Yvonne announced. “She needs to know.”
Gwen rubbed her temples. “She’ll be pissed at me.”
Marlon waved a dismissive hand. “Julie can’t be mad for more than ten minutes at a time.”
The back door opened, and Donnie strolled into the kitchen, no doubt lured by the smell of food. Without a word to anyone, he took a seat and dug in.
“Back to the matter of the shelter,” said Marlon. “Do you think Andie will actually agree to stay there?”
Gwen puffed out a breath. “I don’t know.”
Donnie’s brow furrowed. “What shelter?” After Bracken quickly explained, Donnie said, “Your kind is gonna need to build more of those shelters. Maybe underground. You’ll need them for the casualties.”
Yvonne blinked. “Casualties?”
“A war between humans and shifters will happen one day,” said Donnie. “Not out of prejudice, but out of fear. Humans have always feared what they don’t understand, but they didn’t feel too threatened by shifters when they thought there was only a handful of breeds. Each year, it becomes clear that more and more exist. They’re starting to worry they’re outnumbered and outmatched. The war will eventually happen, and we’re all being trained for it.”
“Trained?” Marlon echoed, doubtful.
Donnie’s lips thinned, a signal that a paranoid rant was coming on. “Have you not noticed how many video games are war-themed these days? It’s the government preparing kids for war. The kids play online with their friends, communicating using headsets—similar to what soldiers do in the field. The games are always graphic, getting the kids used to blood, guts, and gore. The games don’t just feature simple guns; no, there’s a whole array of guns available to the kids—the government is actually educating them on weaponry!”
Gwen spoke, “Donnie—”
He slapped a hand on the table. “I’m telling you, the powers that be are basically creating soldiers and assassins. And look how many of those war-themed games are focused on killing zombies. The government is training kids to kill monsters, and then they send the message that shifters are the monsters. It’s all propaganda. The kids are being brainwashed and—”
“Donnie.”
His expression cleared as he looked at Gwen, all anger gone. “Hmm?”
She sighed. “Are you all right?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “Fine.” He went back to his food.
Looking at Donnie in pure fascination, Bracken told him, “You made some good points.” The two males then went on to further discuss the matter.
Amused despite herself, Gwen inwardly rolled her eyes. Feeling the heat of Zander’s gaze, she looked to see him once more completely focused on her. His face was blank, but his eyes were alive with an almost electric intensity that gave her goose bumps. Heat rose to her cheeks, and her lower stomach fluttered and clenched as a sliver of need snaked through her. His mouth quirked, as if he’d sensed it.
Well, if he could sense her need, Bracken would soon sense it too—yeah, that would be too embarrassing. Done with her food, Gwen pushed to her feet. “I’m gonna take a shower and then head to bed. ’Night, everyone.”
Zander gave her a look that said he’d see her soon. She nodded, letting him know she was done running. Personally, she still found it baffling that he seemed so attracted to her, but she wasn’t going to fight it. A girl had to eat.
Upstairs, Gwen took a long, refreshing shower, trying to ignore the giddy flutters in her stomach. It wasn’t easy. She could honestly say that she’d never been giddy at the prospect of sex before. Enthusiastic, yeah, but not giddy.
Maybe it was because Zander was a shifter, and she knew she was about to experience something wholly new. Maybe it was because he wasn’t a virtual stranger to her—she didn’t know him, true, but she also didn’t have the emotional distance from him that she liked to keep between her and her partners. He’d been doing his best to eat up that distance, to get to know her. While part of her panicked at that, another part of her liked it . . . mostly because not many outside her foster family had ever cared to really know her.
Once she’d finished her shower, she stepped out of the stall and wrapped a lush towel around herself. After towel-drying her hair and dragging a brush through it, she walked into the bedroom. And stopped dead. Sitting on the edge of her bed, like he belonged there, was Zander.
Her stomach bottomed out. He looked . . . hungry. Ravenous, even. And so completely out of her league. Yet, he was here. For her. And as he stared at her like a predator measuring its prey, her mouth dried up and her nipples tightened.
She cleared her throat. “I locked that door.” Which meant he had lock-picking skills. She’d have to note that for future reference.
He slowly leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs. “Drop the towel.” It was a soft, rumbly command, and the sheer power and authority in it almost made her jump.
Gwen swallowed. Wow. He’d switched all his natural intensity on full blast, and the room suddenly seemed too small. Too hot.
“Drop the towel, Gwen,” he ordered, his tone low, deep, almost hypnotic; it also brooked no argument. There was a glint in his gaze that could only be described as dangerous. There was also the promise of something more there. The promise of a sense of satisfaction that she’d probably never experience from one of her own kind. All she had to do was drop the towel.
It would be hard to do that, since she sort of had a death grip on it. Why? Because she sensed now that taking this further would mean handing a good deal of control over to Zander. She wasn’t good with that. But wouldn’t it be nice to let go for a little while? Everything had been so tense lately, so serious; she wouldn’t mind a little escapism.
Her heart stuttered as he rose from the bed and slowly began to stalk toward her. He had this cool, dominant, forceful energy going on that made everything in her stand up and pay attention. Heat and intensity drummed at her skin as he came to stand before her.
His finger traced the edge of the towel, breezing over the swell of her breasts. “I want to know what’s under this towel. Show me, baby.”
Pushing all self-conscious thoughts aside, she loosened the towel. Approval glinted in his eyes. And when the towel dropped to the floor, those eyes raked over every inch of her, smoldering and glittering with a raw, powerful need that made her breathing deepen.
A growl seemed to vibrate in his chest. “Beautiful.”
Um, no, she wasn’t. Never would be.
He skimmed his nose along her jaw, breathing her in. “And mine to play with.” His eyes tracked his movements as he drew his fingers along her skin, tracing and shaping her, hands lingering on every curve just to tease her.
Honestly, Gwen wouldn’t have expected such a light, noninvasive touch to rev her engines. It was like her skin was supersensitive. She was hot. Edgy. Needed more. And when his hands slid down to lightly cup her ass, she arched into him. “Zander—”
His mouth landed on hers. He didn’t devour her like he had the night before. The kiss was soft. Sensual. Almost leisurely. But even as he sipped from her mouth, Gwen felt his need hammering at her. Somehow, he was keeping it in check. She didn’t want that. She was human, but she wasn’t made of porcelain.
Gwen caught his lip with her teeth, not biting but holding it captive. She slowly pulled back, letting his lip slide between her teeth. Hey, she liked to play too. A growl rumbled out of him, and his fingers bit into her ass. Then he was kissing her again. There was nothing sweet or gentle about it this time. Awesome. She sifted her fingers through his hair, raking his scalp with her nails, as she kissed him back. His hands seemed to be everywhere, driving her insane.
Releasing her mouth with a nip to her lower lip, Zander moved to stand behind her, admiring the sleek line of her back and her perfect ass. Like last night when he’d kissed her, his wolf had withdrawn, but he wasn’t growling any objections.
Pressing his front to her back, Zander roughly fisted her damp hair and snatched her head back. Her soft gasp shot to his cock, which was already full and heavy. He put his mouth to her ear. “Who’s my baby?”
Gwen swallowed. His hot breath on her ear gave her the chills.
“Who, Gwen?”
“Me.” She shivered at his low growl of approval.
“That’s right. And do you know what I want my baby to do?” He closed his hand possessively around her breast and thumbed her nipple. “I want her to come for me.”
Well, Gwen was sure it wouldn’t take much for that to happen. She’d always had a quick trigger, and she was already wet and aching.
He let her hair slide through his fingers and released her breast. “On the bed.” Zander watched as she walked to the bed and then smoothly slid onto the mattress. “That’s my girl.” Crossing to her, he leaned his upper body over her, planting his fists on either side of her head. “I told you I’d have you under me tonight.”
She licked her lower lip. “So you did.”
Zander noticed that she hadn’t spread her thighs. She wasn’t submitting just yet. Good. He liked a little defiance.
He found his eyes drawn to the bite on her neck, felt his cock throb at the mere sight of it. His eyes dropped farther, drinking in the sight of her breasts. “So pretty.”
Gwen sighed happily as he licked and sucked at her nipple, sending little electric jolts to her pussy. She slid her hands over the solid bulk of his shoulders, luxuriating in the attention he lavished on her breasts . . . until she felt the edge of his teeth. “No marking this time.”
He cupped one breast. “But I like biting down on this soft skin.”
“Then just don’t bite too hard.” She moaned as he sucked her nipple back into his mouth and then flicked it with his tongue. He pinched her other nipple, and she hissed at the double assault, digging her nails into his shoulders through his shirt.
“Harder.”
Knowing his skin was tougher than hers, she gave him what he wanted and dug her nails in harder. He thrust his cock against her folds, bumping her clit. Fuck, that was good. She didn’t mind the friction from the denim of his jeans. She did mind that his teeth grazed her nipple again. “Teeth,” she reprimanded.
Zander licked his way to the side of her breast. Pinning her gaze with his, he bit down hard. She jerked, hissing. He swirled his tongue over the mark to soothe it. “I told you that you’d be my toy.”
She might have balked a little at the word “toy,” but he’d said it softly and with . . . affection. A possessive affection. Instead of making her feel disrespected or degraded, the word gave her a thrill.
Straightening, Zander stepped back a little. “I want to see how wet you are. Show me.” She slowly opened her legs, and her scent flooded his lungs. “My baby has such a pretty pussy.” Pink and plump and slick. “I knew you would.”
Gwen swallowed at the hungry, possessive look on his face. He stared at her pussy like he wanted to own it. Like he wanted to ram his cock inside her and stay there. Awesome. Sounded good to her.
He tapped her thigh. “Wider.”
She arched an imperious brow at his order. “If you want me to spread them wider, you’ll have to work for it.”
Taking that as the challenge it was, Zander roughly thrust a finger inside her, gratified by her strangled moan. “You’re dripping wet.” Because of him. All that cream was for him. And though his wolf stayed back, he also released a self-satisfied growl.
Zander began to thrust his finger in and out of her. Fuck, she was so hot and tight, and he couldn’t wait to feel her stretching around his cock. But she wasn’t ready to take him yet.
He sank another finger inside her, gritting his teeth as her pussy fluttered. He fucked her with his fingers, loving the breathy little moans she made, loving the way she tilted her hips for him, giving him perfect access.
Her hands fisted the sheets, and her eyes—those big, blue, beguiling eyes—never left his. It was so fucking intimate. Should have made him uncomfortable. It didn’t. That wild look right there on her face—that was his. If he ever saw her look at another male like that, he’d kill him.
Hooking his fingers, Zander thrust harder. Faster. Her moans deepened, became little pleas for release. And when he pressed down on her clit with his thumb, she came. Her pussy and thighs clenched, and she let out a choked cry that almost had Zander coming in his jeans. “That’s my baby.”
He wasn’t sure if she even knew she’d spread her thighs wider for him, but he took advantage. Crouching, he pulled her toward him so that her ass was hanging over the edge of the bed. Just as he’d imagined himself doing a dozen times since he’d first seen them, he hooked her perfect legs over his shoulders. “Yeah, this is what I want.”
He slowly parted her folds with his thumbs, watching her glistening pussy quiver. Need roared inside him. Need for her. Need for her taste on his tongue.
With a growl, he fell forward and lapped at her pussy. Fuck, she tasted as good as she smelled. He sipped from her, drowned in her, all the while digging his fingers into the soft flesh of her ass. Every soft moan spurred him on and fed his own desperate need to come.
He lashed her clit with his tongue, felt her hips jerk. He sank his tongue inside her, drank from her, fluttered his tongue along her walls just to drive her insane. “You’re going to come for me again, Gwen. Hard.” He stabbed his tongue deep. Again. And again. And again. Until, finally, she gave him what he wanted.
Breathing hard, Gwen watched as Zander got to his feet and deftly shed his clothes, revealing a body that was all solid muscle, sleek skin, and buzzed with raw animal energy. She bet she could bounce a brick on those abs.
Her stomach twisted as she caught sight of his cock. So the rumors were true. Shifters were, in fact, well endowed. She had the feeling she was going to be sore tomorrow. And that was not a complaint.
She pointed at her dresser. “Condoms are in the top drawer.”
Leaning over her, he flicked her taut nipple with his tongue. “Shifters don’t carry STDs, and we can only impregnate the female we’re mated to.”
“Then we’re good to go.”
Straightening, Zander groaned as she curled her luscious legs around him—yet another fantasy he had. “That’s it, wrap them around me.” Angling her hips just right, he bumped her folds with the head of his cock. “I’ll go slow while I slide inside you.” He wanted to be sure he didn’t hurt her, and he also wanted her to feel every inch of him going in. “After that, I want to take you hard, Gwen. If you can’t handle that, tell me now.”
She gasped as he lodged the thick head of his cock in her opening. The pressure was amazing. “I can take it.”
Zander sank inside her. Slowly. Smoothly. Almost lazily. And, fuck, her hot pussy felt so good stretching around him. Even though she was deliciously tight, she was so slick he slid in easily. Still, he watched her face for signs of pain, but all he saw was a need for more.
Finally, balls-deep in her, he groaned. She felt like sheer fucking heaven. “You sure you can take it hard?” He damn well hoped so, because he wasn’t sure he had it in him to give her slow and gentle. Not right then. He could keep in mind the relative differences in their strength so he didn’t hurt her, but he couldn’t give her gentle.
“I wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t.”
Taking her at her word, he reared back and slammed home. Her pussy clamped down on him, squeezing and rippling. Fuck. Zander pounded in and out of her, yanking her to him each time he thrust forward, driving as deep as he could possibly go. “Swear to God, never had a pussy this tight.”
And she’d never had a cock buried so deep inside her. He was hitting all kinds of interesting nerve endings that Gwen hadn’t known she had until now. She’d never felt so full, so taken. Truly, no one had ever fucked her like this; no one had ever paid so much attention to her body or ever been so intent on making sure she got off.
She hadn’t actually been certain that she could come a third time, but the friction was building inside her. Building. Swelling. Inflating like a balloon until she couldn’t stand it. Feeling his cock throb and pulse only made it worse. Gwen reached down to finger her clit, knowing she’d go off like a rocket. She gasped when Zander softly slapped her hand away.
“Mine.”
Bristling, she clipped, “Um, no, it’s not.”
He stilled, eyes blazing. “What did you just say?” It was a menacing whisper.
She lifted her chin, refusing to be intimidated. “I said, no, it’s not.”
Zander leaned forward. “Whose cock is buried in you right now?”
She gritted her teeth. “Yours.”
“That’s right. Whose come will soon be filling this pussy?”
“Yours.”
“Correct again. So, who does this body belong to right now?”
Well, that was easy. “Me.” He pulled out. Just pulled out of her. Then she suddenly found herself on her stomach as a hand came down sharply on her ass. Twice. She glared at him over her shoulder. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Her curt tone was totally lost on him; he was too busy staring at her ass in fascination.
“Such a pretty shade of pink.”
“Your goddamn face will be a pretty shade of pink if you spank me a—” He did it again. Motherfucker. Gwen rolled onto her back and slapped at the offending hand. “If you think that because I’m human I’ll be intimidated into doing and saying whatever you want, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“Oh, we’ll both be coming.” He gave her his weight, hiked her legs high, and drove his cock deep in her pussy. A shocked gasp flew out of her. Eyes shooting a fire that made his cock throb, she cursed a blue streak. He caught her wrists and pinned them to the mattress, and her pussy spasmed around him. He smiled. “My baby likes being pinned down.”
Yeah, she did, but Gwen wasn’t going to admit that aloud. “Just fuck me, Devlin.”
Zander pounded into her, keeping her hands pinned in place. All the while, he kissed her—tasting, dominating, and swallowing her moans. Her pussy became hotter and tighter.
He shifted his angle, hitting her sweet spot. “Look at me when you come, Gwen.” He needed to see that moment when her eyes went blind and . . . yeah, there it was. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, her back arched, and that sweet little pussy contracted around him.
Zander’s own release tore through him, rushed through his blood—a blinding pleasure that went on and on as her pussy milked him dry. He collapsed on top of her, burying his face in her neck. He felt spent. Sated. At peace.
As he rolled onto his back and draped a limp Gwen over him, his wolf took a cautious step toward her. And another. And another. Pausing, the beast greedily took in her scent and then settled down, resting his chin on his legs. Again, he watched her, still slightly wary.
Progress, Zander thought with a smile.