Wolfman was about to knock on Avery’s window when it was flung open and sensual, yet firm hands dragged him into a bone crushing embrace.
“Thank goodness you’re okay,” she murmured against his ear.
“Mmmm, yes,” he crooned as his lithe lioness gave him a full body huge.
Her curves plastered against him almost made him forget the pain. Almost. He had called in sick to work and spent all day with his mother fussing over him. He had been too tired to fight her smothering tendencies. Even his wolf hadn’t been trying to get away from her suffocating presence. He had slept for hours, recharging and dreaming of this moment when his beautiful goddess would take him in her arms and…
“Ouch!”
Avery smacked him.
He pulled back slightly and gave her a mournful look. Okay, now every inch of him officially ached.
“What was that for?” he asked as his wolf whined like a pup.
Avery trained scary golden eyes on him and dang it, that really did make him forget the pain. With her beast pushing to the fore, her eyes shining and her teeth sharpening, she looked glorious. So many males were content with docile females , with sweet little shifters. But none of them could compare to the golden temptress before him. Is there any animal on earth as stunning or breathtaking as a female lion? Is there any female on earth as stunning and breathtaking as his Avery? No, he didn’t think there could be on either counts.
There was something almost ethereal about her. For some shifters it was hard to connect the human to the beast they turned into, but with Avery, there was never any doubt what she could be. She was the exquisite predator that she was whether she was human or beast, and she liked comic books! She had a pronounced nerdy side that in no way detracted from the dangerously sexy woman she was.
She was… saying words that he currently wasn’t listening to.
“Uh, what?”
Her lovely eyes narrowed. “What on earth were you doing there last night? I told you to sit tight and let me handle it.”
“I was trying to help,” he said slightly sheepishly.
Avery pursed her pink lips and folded her arms, unintentionally pushing out her rounded breasts. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and two perfect peaks just begging to be sucked pushed against the fabric of her thin vest.
With one swipe of a claw… His beast virtually leered. Yes, the pain was now totally forgotten. It may come back to haunt him tomorrow, but for now, he felt like he could run ten marathons. Well, maybe not, but he could certainly take his female to bed.
“Ahem.”
He snapped his eyes back up to her face. Right, sadly they hadn’t reached the bed part of their interaction yet.
“How did you end up there?” she asked insistently.
“I went back to Gretchen’s house,” he admitted, feeling more than a little like he’d just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Given the expression on her face, the cookie jar had a mousetrap in it. “I followed Alfie and…”
He winced as he remembered the blows from the elephant. Remind him not to get in the way of an elephant again. We could have taken him groused his wolf sullenly. Ummm, probably not, but he wasn’t going to argue about it.
“Well, he caught me and then I was in that pit and you…”
“I know the rest,” she interrupted tersely. “He could have killed you on the spot. Winston!”
“Shhh, don’t use my real name.”
He had enemies… nowhere, probably. But, while Avery tried to protect him, he doubted her SEA roommate would let him walk away without slapping the cuffs on him.
“The only one who can hear is my sister and she already knows.”
“It’s true, I do!” called a voice from somewhere in the living room area.
He moved past Avery and pushed her bedroom door shut.
“Don’t worry,” called the voice, “I’m going to put my noise canceling headphones on.”
Avery stifled a smile. “She won’t say a word and Wayne’s not here. So, I don’t think this is necessary.”
She stepped towards him and pulled off his makeshift mask. His Wolfman costume was in shreds – ripped apart from when he shifted. He wasn’t sure he had the sewing skills to fix it. So, he had tried to cobble together a temporary costume. Though, he wasn’t sure why he bothered. He could have just knocked on Avery’s door as Winston. He wasn’t about to try any crimefighting that evening; he wasn’t sure he was up to it. Though, he was certain he could rally a little energy for Avery…
At first he couldn’t believe a woman like this would want him. His wolf snarled. But why wouldn’t she? He was brave and tried to be a good man, and she, dare he hope it, loved him just as he was. Hadn’t his mom always told him he was a special little guy – maybe she was telling the truth.
He realized Avery was staring at him.
“You keep zoning out, did you go to the hospital today like I told you to?”
No, he hadn’t. Not necessarily because he didn’t think it was a good idea, but because his mom would never have let him. She hated hospitals and was convinced that people only went there to die. She didn’t see that some went there to not die. He hadn’t brought up a hospital because he couldn’t be bothered to start an argument he would never win.
“No,” he admitted and Avery let out a growl.
“You may have hit your head. You could have a concussion or anything.”
She edged closer and took his head in her hands so she could inspect it. Winston sighed and wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands on her ass. She didn’t object, merely clucked her tongue over the lumps on his head. He did hit his head – quite a few times – but he would heal.
Winston pressed a little closer and rested his chin on her shoulder. Her soft, tanned skin felt nice and smooth.
“I was trying to prove to you what a hero I can be,” he muttered, soaking up her scent.
Her fingers stopped their quest to catalogue all his head bumps. “Why?”
“To prove that, you know… To show you…”
His mouth went dry. He looked to his wolf for encouragement, but the beast was marveling at how lovely Avery’s shoulder would look with a set of wolf-shaped bite marks in it.
“No, I don’t know,” she whispered peevishly. But as annoyed as she was, she stroked her hands down his back as gentle as a butterfly’s kiss. “You’re already my hero – you have nothing to prove.” Her hands stopped and she let out a small snarl. “Is this about me?”
“Hmmm, what?”
He tried to wriggle a little to get her start moving her hands again but she didn’t. She was still as a statue in his arms.
“My whole life men have been put off by the fact that I’m stronger than them – are you just like them too?”
A note of hurt entered her tone and she started trying to pull away from him, but Winston clung to her. How could anyone not love her exactly as she was? Why would any male want her to be less than what she was? It horrified him that they would even dare suggest that she should be anything other than the Amazon she was. Why would anyone want less than perfection?
His beast thoroughly agreed with those points so he voiced them to Avery, lest she think her dangerous thoughts for even a second more.
“I’m not perfect,” she whispered.
Though, he could feel her cheeks tugging her lips into a smile.
“You are to me. I love how strong you are. I love… I just love you.”
Avery leaned back so she could see his face. Mild surprise laced her features. At least she wasn’t either revolted or amused by him.
“I followed Alfie because I just didn’t want you to think I’m useless. I mean I do this every night, but you do this every day and…”
“Winston,” she murmured. “I didn’t fall for you because I thought you were an invincible crime fighter. I had a crush on Wolfman, but I love the comic book guy underneath because to me, you’re perfect.”
“I didn’t mean to put myself in danger, but…” His beast groaned at him. “What did you say.”
Avery smiled almost shyly. She wasn’t shy by nature – certainly not about sex – but apparently, this did make her shy and it made him love her a little more.
“I love you.”
“You mean it?” he breathed as his wolf yowled in happiness.
She nodded. “Definitely. It may be corny, but, we were made for each other.” Her face blossomed into a blinding smile. “But, no more putting yourself in danger,” she added, still smiling, “or I really will be angry, and trust me, there are a lot worse things than being trapped in a pit with a nigh-on unstoppable killing machine.”
“I’ll bear it in mind,” he chuckled before his lips found hers.
It felt like an age since he had kissed her, and kissing her strangely felt like he was coming home. It was sweet kiss, soft but passionate. There wasn’t the urgency of their first time together. He still felt like he needed her more than he needed air, but there was no rush. No, now they had forever to do this over and over, and he wouldn’t take a second of it for granted.
“You sure you’re up to this?” murmured Avery against his lips.
Though, it came out more as ‘yashur yurup tish.’ She was clearly concerned about his wellbeing, though reluctant to break away from the kiss.
“Helyesh,” he mumbled back.
Avery’s claws deftly shredded his clothes; the fragments fluttered around his body. He barely even noticed. He’d probably be borrowing more of her roommate’s clothes he thought wryly. Though, that was quickly banished as Avery stepped back for a brief moment and shed her vest and shorts. Then, all thoughts fled him. Well, except for one.
Carefully, possibly fearful for his tenderized flesh, she tugged him down to her bed, pulling him over her. He settled between her thighs and Avery let out a contented moan.
His wolf virtually purred at the scent of her overwhelming arousal. Winston pushed a finger through her folds, finding the slick evidence of his desire on his fingers. This was for him – it was all because of him. It was awe inspiring.
Avery let out a soft snarl, arching her back. “Need you,” she breathed.
Winston grinned, unable to stop himself. She needed him. His goddess needed him.
He replaced his finger with his manhood, and slid inside her with a satisfied groan. Her heat enveloped him, welcoming and caressing him. He started a slow rhythm, moving in and out of her with infinite care, enjoying the feel of her silken walls around him, enjoying the way her body clutched at him, almost strangled him in her refusal to let him go.
He wasn’t going anywhere. Never. He was hers now. She wasn’t getting rid of him, even if she wanted to, but given her impatient cries and moans, that was the last thing on her mind.
Winston took her slowly as long as he could, relishing the tightness of her body around his, but he knew he couldn’t let it last for too long. His gorgeous lioness was too anxious to find her pleasure, and given the snarl she leveled at him, he guessed she had waited as long as she could.
Winston kissed her neck as his hardness rocked back and forth. This was where he would place his mark, where he would bite her during sex to bond her to him forever. Not tonight but soon, he thought with excitement. She would bear his marks forever, showing everyone she was his and his alone. The thought pushed him to take her harder, and faster.
She was his – his mate. Mine. His wolf roared.
Avery hissed in pleasure as he buried his steely member inside her over and over. His injuries of the previous night were completely forgotten as he drove himself inside her almost feverishly, his flesh pounding into hers as she met him stroke for stroke.
Her eyes glittered gold. “Mine,” she growled. Her inner muscles clamped around him as her release tore through her body.
His beast howled for his mate and Winston roared as he thrust inside her, falling over the edge to his own ecstasy.
“Yours,” he panted as his exhausted body collapsed into her warm embrace. “Always yours.”
Rawr.