CHAPTER NINE
“You are going to be careful, aren’t you?”
Jenny smiled. “We’ll be fine,” she replied, reassuringly. “Don’t worry. You just stay here and rest up. That arm of yours needs to heal so that you can shift again.”
Beth nodded, trying to smile. Nerves clawed at her throat, making her shift anxiously from foot to foot. Jenny, Ross, and Ash were just about to leave to head up to the town of Greyhaven to see what they could find out. It was only thirty miles away, so wouldn’t take them long to get there, but Beth knew it would take a couple of days for them to scout out the place. Her house, like any good shifter’s home, was a little outside of town, away from the rest of the residents. She just hoped that Stephen hadn’t had the chance to move the other female shifters yet, but in her heart, Beth knew that was probably the first thing he’d done once he’d escaped from the East River pack.
“OK,” Ross said, walking over to Jenny. “Let’s go. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can be back.”
Beth nodded, watching Ross slip an arm around Jenny’s waist and walking toward the front door. She lifted a hand to wave as they climbed into the truck with Ash already at the wheel. Within minutes, the truck had pulled away, the sound of the engine slowly dying away.
“Are you OK?”
Shivering slightly, Beth smiled up at Connor a little self-consciously. “I’m fine.”
“You don’t need to worry about them,” he replied, reading her mind. “They know what they’re doing. They’ll be back by the end of the week. In the meantime, we’ve got plenty of work to keep us going here!”
Beth laughed, letting him tug her away from the door and back into the living room where Sarah was watching television with Thomas. They'd spent the day clearing the garbage patch, and while it was a good first step, she'd needed to spend a long time in the shower afterward, getting the cobwebs out of her hair. Her clothes had gone straight in the laundry basket since they were covered with grime, and thankfully Sarah and Jenny had managed to find her almost a full wardrobe of fresh clothes. "What will we be doing tomorrow?"
Connor grimaced. “Cleaning.”
Sarah grinned at them both, distracted from the television for a moment. “Thomas is going to come up with a plan for the place tonight, and I’ll order supplies in the morning.”
“We’re going to do it all ourselves?” Beth asked, surprised. “I don’t know much about restoring a house!”
“There’s not much to it,” Connor replied, walking to the refrigerator and pulling out a cold beer. “You’ll be plastering before you know it.” He gave her a quick smile, and heat burst from her core. Did he know just how much of an effect he had on her?
“We still need to be careful, though,” Thomas grunted, never taking his eyes off the screen. “I can lock this place up tonight if you like, Connor.”
Connor shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, Thomas. I can do it.”
"I'll go with you if you like," Beth replied, glad to spend any time she could with him.
“Great.” Opening the door, he let her walk out first before following her.
***
“We have to check the outside first,” he mumbled, opening the front door. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to, Beth. If you’d prefer to be inside . . .”
Beth didn’t want to admit that she was already feeling anxious, knowing that she would prefer to stay inside. Fear coiled in her belly, but she refused to acknowledge it. “Outside is fine,” she replied calmly. “As long as you’re with me.”
His hand caught hers by way of a response, their fingers lacing as they began to walk together out in the cool night air.
“It’s so beautiful tonight,” Beth commented, forcing herself to breathe slowly as she looked up at the stars. There’s nothing wrong, Beth, she reminded herself. Connor is here with you. You’re just checking the windows, and then you’ll be right back inside.
Connor squeezed her hand gently. “Yes, it is,” he murmured, glancing down at her. His dark eyes caught the moonlight, lit with a soft glow. Her wolf let out a long, slow growl as something shifted inside her.
“Your wolf wants out, huh?” Connor asked, as they walked around the house. “It won’t be too much longer. Another week or so, and we can check it. It wasn’t a full break, so it won’t take as long to heal.”
“I’ve always healed up pretty fast,” Beth replied, as Connor checked the coal chute was locked up tight. “But, yes, my wolf is definitely getting frustrated!”
His low chuckle met her ears, making her smile. “I can understand that.”
Slowly, they made their way around the back of the house, through the back yard where the garbage patch was, and then back toward the front door. Beth walked lazily, now feeling quite content and not scared in the slightest. Connor was always the same tower of strength, helping her to bolster her own courage simply by being there beside her.
Deep shadows met them as they continued walking.
“Just one more window to check here,” Connor muttered, jiggling the lock. “Looks good to me.”
“Good,” Beth smiled, needing to get out of the shadows. “Then can we head back inside?”
"You're not afraid of the dark, are you?" he asked, a teasing note in his voice. "You're a shifter, Beth. We like the dark!"
She shivered as he dropped her hand, leaning her against the wall of the house. Heat flared in her eyes as she felt his hands settled on her hips as a heady mix of excitement and desire flared through her.
“I just thought we should head back in,” she managed to say, her voice sounding hoarse as she felt his breath flicker over her cheek. “After all, you’re keeping me safe,” she finished, managing to inject some mischief into her voice.
“Minx,” he growled, his hands sliding toward the small of her back as he tugged her closer. “I’ve been waiting to do this all day.”
Beth shuddered as his lips brushed down her cheek, along the curve of her jaw before finally settling on her lips.
“Your lips are cold,” he murmured against her mouth, as he dug his fingers into her hair. He wasn’t kissing her now, just waiting. Waiting for her to do something, to say something.
She didn’t know how to answer, unable to make out any of his features in the darkness. Beth stood on her tiptoes and slid her hands up his shoulders and around to frame his face in her hands. She felt the roughness of his skin under her fingers and slowly drew his mouth back to hers.
He groaned, and her body burst into flame. His fingers were fumbling at the buttons on her shirt as her own hands found their way under his T-shirt, desperate to have her hands on his skin.
He did not disappoint.
He was warm and strong, the solid expanse of muscle begging to be explored. His tongue invaded her mouth as he tugged hard at the last few buttons, making them come away entirely before he began to run his hands all over her, keeping her pressed against the wall.
Her breath was coming in shallow gasps as he began to trail his mouth down her neck, pressing tiny kisses to her skin. Her whole body was on fire, but she shivered with each touch, now tangling her fingers in his hair.
Was this really going to happen? Right now? Here?
She tensed involuntarily as he trailed his lips over her heated skin, down toward her breasts.
“Sorry,” he muttered, immediately stepping back. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Beth let out a long breath, her hands reaching out for him in the dark. “Connor,” she murmured, her breath still coming in short pants. “Don’t. I didn’t want you to stop.”
“But it’s too fast,” he replied, finding her hand in the darkness. “After everything you’ve been through . . .”
“Don’t you think I should be the judge of that?” she asked, her desire growing as she ran her hands back up his arm, managing to twine them around his neck. “I’m not going to say that this isn’t quick, but I can’t help how I feel about you, Connor. I can’t explain it, but I need this. I need you.”
For a few seconds, there was just silence. The air crackled around them as he weighed her words, his indecision making her tremble.
With a growl, he slammed his mouth back onto hers, grasping her arms and pushing her back against the wall. His kiss was fierce and hungry, as he pressed the full length of his body against her.
Beth was almost dizzy with the rush of sensations burning through her. She'd been honest when she'd told him she needed him. It had built so quickly that it almost tore her apart, but her need for him, for this connection, refused to go away. Instead, it grew and grew, promising pleasure once it was satisfied.
Connor slowly let go of her arms, running his hands around her back to finish removing the rest of her clothing, leaving her upper body completely naked. With a grunt, he pulled his T-shirt off before kissing her again, letting his hands trail down her shoulders and over her breasts.
Beth let out a gasp, his fingers burning a trail down her body. Connor ground against her for a moment, rotating his hips and making her fully aware of just how much he wanted her. A slight moan escaped her mouth, and she sensed him grin at the sound. She could hear his own breath coming quickly, matching her own. Boldly, she reached for him in the darkness, finding the buttons of his jeans and hearing his swift intake of breath as she attempted to undo them.
He stepped back, bending his head to reach her nipples as he managed to loosen his jeans. Every touch just added to the fire burning inside her, to the pulsing need in her core. With shaking hands, Beth pulled at her own trousers, desperate to have his skin against hers.
His mouth encircled her breast, sucking and nipping gently and making her cry out with pleasure. His hands grasped her hips before lowering himself, he touched her core with his tongue.
Beth almost came apart with that one touch. She jerked and cried out, but he held her steady, refusing to back away. Her hips began to move automatically, grinding against his mouth until stars sparked in her vision.
“Connor,” she breathed, desperate for him. “Connor, please!”
He was back beside her in a moment, making her whimper with the loss of his mouth.
“Ready?” he whispered, his voice shaking as he pressed his lips to hers for a brief kiss. Then he was there, pressing into her in one swift motion, making her gasp aloud.
Beth felt him shiver as she clung to him, her muscles tensing around him. He growled softly, his tongue lapping at the curve of her neck as he dragged his mouth upward. Her body burned with pleasure.
Slowly, Connor began to move, thrusting gently at first before lengthening his strokes. His hands grasped her hips, before moving lower and pushing her up against the wall. Dizzy with desire, she wrapped her arms around his neck, lost in the sensations he was building in her. She could feel his body tensing as he held her tightly, groaning loudly as his strokes grew faster, pushing deeper into her body.
Beth heard herself moaning, unable to stop herself. Connor buried his face into her neck, his teeth nipping at her skin as he let out a long growl. Her breath was coming in small pants, her body tensing as she grew close to the edge. With a loud moan, she came apart, her body pulsing around him as rivers of pure pleasure shot through her veins.
Something hot, something warm bit into her neck, her body exploding all over again. Connor pushed hard into her, pressing her against the wall as his head shot back, groaning as warmth shot into her body. Beth let out a long, slow sigh of pleasure as he eventually relaxed, carefully sliding out of her and dropping her gently so that she stood on the ground.
Her legs felt weak, and she kept her arms around his neck, not quite willing to let him go. She heard him let out a long breath, his lips finding hers again for a brief, tender kiss.
“I suppose we’d better go inside,” he murmured, still not stepping back. “Are—are you OK, Beth?”
She smiled in the darkness, wishing she could see his face. “Of course, I am,” she whispered, hating that they had to end this moment so soon. “Thank you for caring, Connor.”