Chapter Eight
When Byron opened his eyes, a veil of disorientation clouded his vision. A warm body snuggled closer to his, and his breath froze. Then memories of his night with Lana flooded his mind and drained away any lingering signs of panic. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her tighter to him, marveling at how well her soft flesh molded against his.
Usually he’d wouldn’t have lingered in bed long enough to enjoy the aftermath of sex. As soon as the woman dozed off, he’d be out the door. Staying longer risked forming an attachment, something that would become a pipe dream as soon the full moon rolled around. But for the first time in his life, he wanted something more, but only with Lana.
Now the question remained, when should he tell her about his monthly problem?
Her expression when she traced his scars still haunted him. He’d almost told her everything then. As it was, she knew more about his scars than most people. Had she already put the pieces together? Would her acceptance still apply when he informed her of the lingering aftereffects from this mauling? The gentle way she’d kissed his marred flesh sparked something inside him and pulled at his heart to the point it ached. For once, he felt more like a man and less like a monster, and his feelings for her changed from lust to something stronger.
Her face appeared so peaceful under the wild tangle of her dark hair. He brushed it back and watched her sleep. The same emotions from last night overwhelmed him, and he allowed them free rein rather than cursing them. He had always joked that Eddie’s description of a true-mate was nothing more than a fairy tale, but now that he’d met Lana, he considered the possibility that maybe the old man had known more than he’d let on. Did he dare disrupt things when they seemed so perfect?
A smile played on her lips, and she murmured his name.
A possessive streak blindsided him, and the wolf inside bared his teeth. She was his and his alone. After today, he refused to share her with anyone. Drool gathered under his tongue like someone had just served up a hot porterhouse steak. He needed to mark her, to claim her as his own. Then there wouldn’t be an issue of whether or not she accepted that he was a werewolf. She’d be one, too.
Disgust churned in his stomach, and he bolted from the bed. He needed to get away from her before he acted on this instinct. His mind abhorred the idea of forcing her to become like him, even though his bestial nature argued it was the next logical step.
Bring your mate into the pack. Finish the mating process. Make her yours for the rest of your lives.
He ran his fingers through his hair and tried to crush those thoughts in his mind.
“Byron, are you okay?” Lana sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
Her scent, now stronger than ever, called to the wolf within. Bite her. Ravage her. Do it now before she disappears.
He tore his eyes away from her and stared out the window. “Yeah, just waking up.”
“Not a morning-after person, huh?”
The bitterness in her voice chilled him to the bone, and he pounced on her before she crawled out of bed. His lips sought hers, seeking their warmth and reassurance the way his lungs sought air. When had he become so dependent on her?
She resisted at first by digging her nails into his shoulders and trying to push him off. But he refused to budge and kept placing gentle kisses around the rim of her mouth until she yielded to him. Her body relaxed and molded to his. The sweetness of her mouth contrasted with the heat between her legs, but they both beckoned him like a cheery house on a cold winter’s night. This was his home. This was where he belonged. And the beast inside seemed sated for the moment.
He forced himself to end the kiss before things got out of hand. “Sorry for earlier. I haven’t had much practice in situations like this.”
“Neither have I.” Her fingers twisted the hair at the nape of his neck and tried to pull him back to her lips. Her legs shifted so his erect cock brushed against her folds, already slick and inviting.
As much as he longed to feel her tight walls around him again, he knew he had to stop this dangerous game before his bestial nature grabbed hold of him and he bit her hard enough to turn her. “Careful,” he warned, cupping both her cheeks. “I don’t have any more condoms.”
Those six little words worked like magic. Her demeanor cooled and she released him. Lana might take chances with some things, but not with STDs and unwanted pregnancies, it seemed.
Not that it mattered much to him. Being a werewolf protected him against diseases, and the only way he could impregnate her was if she became like him.
Her lower lip jutted out in a slight pout. “Then I guess the fun’s over.”
“For now, anyways.” Once I get a better hold of myself, I plan on making love to you all night long.
The muscles in his neck tensed as the implication of that phrase hit him. “Making love” instead of “fuck”. Now he knew he was in over his head.
“Worried about something?”
Yeah. Terrified over losing my heart and head and realizing this so-called mating myth might actually be true—the good, the bad and the ugly of it. Even though she still had the free will to reject him, he didn’t. And if she did spurn him…
He shuddered at the consequences. She now held his life and his sanity in her hands. But how could he tell her that without exposing his weakness?
He could have sworn he saw lightning flash in their steely grey depths as she watched him try and come up with a suitable answer to her question. She shoved him aside, yanked the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around her naked body. “Never mind. I’ll just find my clothes and be on my way.”
“Lana, please, don’t leave this way.” He tried to grab her shoulders to stop her, but she avoided him with the fluid grace of a ninja.
She threw the rest of the covers aside and snatched her underwear off the bed. “I should have known the only man who would be interested in me would have issues.”
“Shit, it’s not what you think.”
“No?” She stood so her face was inches from his but their bodies never touched. “Then why do you look like you’re about to have a panic attack? Is this the first time you’ve been caught by a woman before you snuck out or something? What kind of scumbag are you?”
His gut tightened, and his anger helped break the paralyzing bonds of fear. “It’s not what you think.”
She threw the hand clutching her lace panties up in the air and let an exasperated sigh escape from her lips. As soon as she gathered the rest of her clothes, the bathroom door slammed shut with her on the other side, dividing them.
A stream of curses erupted as he grabbed a pillow and hurled it across the room. He usually abhorred violence, but at that moment, the idea of smashing something tempted him more than he cared to admit. She’d gotten under his skin, become part of him, and she was running away before knowing half the story.
He took a deep breath and let it cleanse some of his frustration from his mind. Pull yourself together, Byron, or you’ll lose her forever.
He rapped his knuckles on the bathroom door. “Lana, please open the door and give me a second to explain.”
The door cracked open. “The clock’s ticking.”
The bright lights of the vanity caught the glittering drops of moisture in the corners of her eyes, and guilt sat on his shoulders like a barbell with too much weight on it. “Dammit, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
Her hand swiped her eyes. “Who said I was crying?”
So this was the woman some unseen hand had chosen for him. Strong, beautiful, infuriatingly stubborn, but capable of turning him into mush. Instead of grabbing him by the nuts, she had him by the heartstrings. “If I appeared worried, it’s only because I’ve never felt this way about someone before. It hit me with the force of a tidal wave, and I’m still trying to get my feet back under me before I get carried out to sea. I’ve tried to get you out of my mind, but every time I see you, the pull becomes more intense.”
The door opened wider. Her lips parted and her face softened. Maybe she did understand what he was going through. Maybe she had experienced the same thing. “So you’re scared of getting hurt?”
“A little. I mean, you kill vampires for a living. What chance does a guy like me have against you?” She smiled in sync with him and even chuckled at his joke. “But in truth, I’m more worried about hurting you.”
She leaned against the doorjamb so that her naked body struck an unconsciously sultry pose—one that had all the blood rushing from his head to his cock. “I’m not as fragile as you think, Byron.”
He closed the space between them and inhaled her scent. His heart raced. “Would you be angry with me if I handled you with care anyway?”
“Maybe. I might be more upset if you held back on me at certain times.” She pressed her lips against his in a gentle kiss. “But thank you for trying to look out for me.”
She’d forgiven him. A combination of relief and desire coursed through his veins. He stumbled forward to kiss her again but ran into a closing door.
“Do you mind if I take a shower before I go?”
Her question served as a splash of icy water to his face. Whatever magic the moment before had conjured up vanished. “Um, sure, go ahead.”
The sound of running water filled the silence from the other side.
What the fuck just happened? Hot one second, cold the next.
Byron flopped on the bed and bathed in the harmonious smells of their lovemaking instead of trying to figure her out. Last night had almost seemed too easy. He’d known exactly how to touch her, how to kiss her, how to stroke her until she cried his name out in ecstasy. Today brought a whole different set of challenges that left him hard, frustrated and eager for more. He’d had blue balls before, but she caused her own level of physical ache.
Just tell her and get it over with. Why torment yourself any longer than you have to?
He leapt from the bed. The bathroom door remained unlocked, much to his surprise. Steam coated the mirrors and fogged the air. On the other side of the glass door, Lana’s soap-covered body called to him like a siren’s song.
His mouth went dry. It took several seconds before his hoarse voice managed to croak, “Care if I join you?”
She stuck her head out the door. “What took you so long?”
His cock stiffened when he realized she’d been inviting him in the whole time. The beast inside urged him forward, despite the small set of warning bells that went off in his head. He could control himself, couldn’t he?
The warm water pelted his skin but did little to lessen his pounding pulse. He wrapped his arms around her waist so his erection pressed into her full buttocks and bent his head down to press his lips against her shoulder. The slight taste of soap lingered on her skin.
Lana gasped at his touch and then melted against him. Her hands gripped his hips while she wiggled her ass.
Now it was his turn to suck the air in through his teeth. What kind of game of seduction were they playing? He slipped his fingers into her folds and rubbed her clit.
She moaned and released him, now needing her hands to support her body as she pressed them against the tile.
He watched in a trance as her body writhed in pleasure. Her moans, pants and cries grew louder every time he increased his pressure or varied the tempo of his touch. With one arm around her waist to keep her on her feet, he adjusted his other hand so he could explore the depths of her pussy with two fingers while his thumb still stimulated her swollen nub. He closed his eyes and imagined how wonderful it would feel to have his cock replace his fingers.
“Byron, I’m gonna come, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to—” Her words halted as a strangled cry ripped from her throat and the walls of her sex clamped around his fingers in rhythmic waves. She slumped forward, lost in her orgasm.
He stopped and held her close to him, enjoying her soft curves and the heat of her body. Making her come helped ease some of his pent-up lust. Once her body stopped trembling, he turned her around and kissed her forehead. “Enjoy that?”
“Do you even need me to answer that ridiculous question?”
He laughed softly. Her sarcasm was growing on him, as was everything else about her.
“What about you?”
Her fingers wrapped around his shaft, and he bit back a moan. His own needs surged forward, and the wolf inside growled. He wanted her so badly, it took every ounce of self-control not to ram into her right then and there. “No more condoms, remember?”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t finish what I started last night.”
Before he could protest, she sank to her knees. Her lips enveloped his head, and it was his turn to use the tile wall for support. Dear God, the things this woman could do with her tongue. It coiled around the length of his shaft as she took him deeper and deeper, all the way to the back of her throat. She sucked her cheeks in, increasing her suction, and began to bob her head back and forth with her tongue continuing its tantalizing dance.
Her hand cupped his balls as she practiced her artful fellatio, such a soothing contrast to the way she occasionally grazed her teeth along his cock. Tension mounted deep within him, and he grew unsatisfied with her teasing. He began to thrust his hips forward, taking over the speed and depth of her strokes.
He expected her to pull away, spittin’ mad for him seizing control, but instead her throat relaxed, taking him in even deeper. Her moans vibrated along his shaft and added a new dimension to the act. His balls tightened. Her hot mouth felt like heaven.
Lana lifted her eyes and met his. Amusement glowed from them. She knew he was sitting on the precipice of an orgasm and she increased the flicks of her tongue.
That’s when the wolf inside seized control of him. Unsatisfied with simply fucking her mouth, no matter how great it felt, it demanded more. It wanted to mate with her without any barriers.
He reached down and pulled her up by her hair. The man inside watched helplessly as he smothered her shocked gasp with his mouth and kissed her until she whimpered. His hands grabbed her ass and lifted her up to the right height so he could plunge his cock into her swollen, wet cunt.
If the need hadn’t been so urgent, he would have drawn things out, relishing each stroke. But the wolf refused to budge an inch. He thrust into her over and over again with such force, he almost cracked the tiles.
Lana rolled her head back and clung to him with her legs wrapped tight around his waist. Instead of screaming and begging him to stop, she tilted his head toward the tight pink buds of her nipples. He took one breast into this mouth, teasing the taut peak with his tongue until her breath hitched. Her frantic whispers for him to continue urged him on.
He could fuck her all day long like this—rough, primitive and mind-blowingly powerful. Her mouth formed a perfect O, and her body stiffened. The walls of her pussy clenched, and he followed her over the edge, coming at the same time she did. The tightening and release of her inner muscles milked the come out him, drawing out his orgasm longer than he imagined possible.
Time stood still. His consciousness welded with hers like an out-of-body experience. They became joined in more than just the physical sense. Their pulses pounded as one, and their souls seemed to open themselves up like a book. He saw glimpses of pain and loneliness in her past, fear for the future, but most importantly, a light brighter than the sun. It surrounded him, engulfing him with her love. And he knew she felt the same from him.
He should have been terrified, knowing how exposed he became to her at that moment. Instead, he felt freer than he had in years. They were now mated, bonded for life to each other, and there was no turning back.
The light retreated, and the cold water of the shower prickled his skin. Her legs still cinched his waist, and her breasts bobbed up and down with each ragged breath. Despite him losing control, she remained unbitten.
He kissed her plump lips, tasting the sweetness of her mouth. “Sorry,” he whispered.
“Don’t be.” She grinned and kissed him back, her fingers threading through his wet hair.
His legs wobbled like Jell-O. How could he still want more from her when he could barely muster the strength to stand?
She unwrapped her long legs and cradled his face in her hands. Her mouth opened like she wanted to say something, but she hesitated and chewed on her bottom lip instead.
He understood how she felt. After that intense encounter, words seemed a little flimsy. Only one more step remained to complete the mating process, but he was willing to wait for that. First he needed to tell her what he was before he asked her to change. The thought chilled him to the bone and brought him back to his sobering reality.
“Let’s get out of the shower before we turn into popsicles.”
She nodded and cuddled next to him. Her taut nipples brushed against his chest, and he resisted the urge to pull them into his mouth and bathe them with his tongue. Would he ever be able to think straight when she was near him?
He turned off the water, draped a towel over her shoulders and led her back to bed. Perhaps he wouldn’t make love to her again, but he could at least hold her in his arms until she stopped shivering. There would be plenty more nights for them to spend together.