Wolf Hills (29 page)

“There are other kinds of nymphs?”

“A few. But we can talk about that later. What does the human part of you require, my love?” Oh, she liked the sound of that. His love. Part of her wanted to bask in that for a little while, but he dipped to open a door and jostled her.

It was the door to his bedroom. He carried her over that threshold too and walked right up to a massive, wood framed bed.

“I want a wedding. One I can invite my friends to, like normal people.” He placed her on her feet, only inches away from the edge of the mattress.

“Might I point out that most of your friends are vampires?”

“Details, details,” she teased as he began to undress her and she returned the favor.

He removed her weapons first, placing them on the nightstand alongside his own. He then made short work of his shirt and hers, throwing them to the floor somewhere behind him. She’d have to pick up after him later, but for the moment, all she wanted to do was feel his bare skin against hers.

He reached around her to release the clasp of her bra, dragging out the motions, making the act an embrace in itself. She rested her head on his deeply muscled shoulder while he unhooked the bra one tiny hook at a time. When all were free, he held her for a long, timeless moment, rubbing circles on the skin of her back, rocking her slightly within the circle of his arms.

When he finally stepped back, he took the straps of the bra with him, revealing her breasts to his gaze. His hands rose to cup her, fingering her nipples with his large, work-roughened hands. The dark tan of his skin made a tempting contrast with the parts of her body that never saw the tanning rays of the sun. He stood, less than a foot away from her, his hands laying claim to her bounty as his gaze met hers.

“You’re mine, Sally. For the rest of our lives.”

The moment was charged with a delicious electric tension. He seemed to be waiting for her reply, though she’d already told him she loved him in front of his Pack. What more validation could he want?

“For the rest of our lives,” she repeated. “So don’t you get any ideas about chasing any other tails but mine,” she teased. Which brought up another question in her mind.

Jason’s hands moved from her breasts upward, to cup her face. “Sweetheart, wolves mate for life. There will never be anyone but you ever again.”

“Good. Because I have a gun and I’m not shy about using it.” She tried to deflect the tension with humor, but failed. “Do you mind that I can’t become a wolf?” There. It was out in the open. Her biggest concern now that she’d committed to him.

It worried her. Would he grow tired of always having to run alone? Would he see her as too weak or too human to be his equal? She knew his sex drive was urging him on now—as was hers—but what about later, when their passion cooled to a more manageable level?

He lowered his head to stare deep into her eyes.

“Get this straight. I love you. No matter what form you come in. I love
you
. Nothing can ever change that. The only thing we can’t do is mate while furry and frankly, I lost my taste for that kind of pastime soon after puberty.”

“Really?” She was intrigued by how being a werewolf really worked. She hadn’t thought about them having sex in that form.

“Mating in our fur is all about the animal.” He pulled away and began working on her jeans. He talked while he continued to undress her. “It’s about dominance and control. It’s not something I ever really enjoyed, to be honest.” He shrugged as he helped her step out of her boots. His fingers went to her waistband and he tugged down on the jeans and panties at the same time, pausing only when he revealed her neat curls.

He let the fabric fall the rest of the way and she kicked out of it while he sat on his haunches in front of her, his gaze fixed between her thighs. Gently, he pushed downward on her hips until she sat on the edge of the bed. He spread her thighs and made a place for himself between, petting her curls as he continued the conversation.

“Some men like the primal rush, from what I understand, but I prefer the nuances of making love in human form. For instance, in wolf form, I couldn’t do this…” He pushed one finger deep inside her, using his other hand to spread her wide for his inspection. “Beautiful,” he murmured, sliding his finger in the slick juices her body produced for him. He watched with rapt attention as he added a second finger, stretching her, preparing her, though in truth she was already primed and ready for anything.

“Jason,” she panted his name as his fingers began a steady rhythm within her. She clutched his shoulders for dear life.

He gave her a small climax before retreating to remove his jeans. She licked her lips as his hard cock bobbed in front of her. She wanted to taste him but he moved out of reach.

“Later, sweetheart. I’m too close to the edge right now and I want nothing more than to be inside you.” His voice was ragged as he moved around the edge of the bed, encouraging her without words to slide into the middle of the huge expanse.

If it meant having him sooner, she was all for it. Sally scooted backward, hoping he would follow. His gaze was centered on her pussy as she spread eagerly for him. It didn’t take long for him to join her, climbing over her in the most primitive, exciting way.

“Don’t wait, Jason. I want you now,” she whispered in his ear, rising up to nip his earlobe. Her instinctive action seemed to drive him over the edge.

Jason found his place between her thighs and slid home in one long, forceful stroke. Her body welcomed him and she felt complete as she hadn’t since the last time they’d been together. No other man had ever made her feel this way. No other man had ever claimed her so totally—body, heart and soul. It was all his. All for him.

She let go of his earlobe and licked the place she’d bitten. “I love you, Jason.”

Her whisper seemed to ignite him. His hips began to move in a primal rhythm, thrusting and retreating, pushing her up the bed with his force. She dug in her heels and matched him as best she could. Her body strained, her passion rising with his as he powered into her. They were a matched set, each reaching for something only the other could provide.

When the crisis came, it came upon them both at the same time. She screamed his name as he went rigid inside her, his head thrown back as his muscles strained. The pleasure blinded her and she knew he felt the same. On some basic level, her newly discovered magic reached out and intertwined with his.

She would never be the same again.

Jason breathed hard as he collapsed half on top of her. He’d tried to roll away, but neither of them had much strength left after the cataclysm that had rocked them both.

“What was that?” he asked, wonder in his voice along with a bit of concern.

“I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. I sort of expanded my abilities a little when I had to help Leonora. Putting her into that tree opened something up within my mind. At least, that’s how it felt. I can’t really describe it.”

“You put her in the tree?” Jason found the strength to roll away until he was facing her, one hand propped under his head so he could meet her gaze.

“Yeah. What did you think?”

“I figured she did it somehow, with her last little bit of energy.”

“No, she was too far gone. It was all I could do to get her into the tree. She showed me how. She spoke into my mind.” Sally squinted, searching for the right words to describe what had happened. It was so out of the realm of her prior experience, it was hard to come up with accurate descriptions.

“Telepathy,” Jason nodded as if it were commonplace. They’d have to have a long talk about what was considered normal in this altered world of his. She definitely had a lot to learn.

“I guess,” she continued. “Dmitri gave her a few drops of his blood to help counteract the poison and she stopped fading, thank goodness. She had enough strength to show me what to do and I followed her instructions and my own instincts. She connected me with the forest in a way that I’d never experienced before.” Her voice trailed off as she recalled the wonder of those moments. They’d been fraught with fear for Leonora and a myriad of other strong emotions, but they had also been magnificently magical.

“Dmitri gave her his blood?” Jason seemed more interested in that than her experience, which drew her back to the moment and made her look at him.

“Yeah. Is that a big deal?”

“A very big deal. Vampire blood is potently magical and can heal mortal wounds. But ingesting it forms a bond. Considering how long they live, most bloodletters don’t form those bonds easily or often.”

“Leonora agreed to reciprocate once she was better,” Sally offered.

“Curiouser and curiouser. I’m not sure what nymph blood would do to a bloodletter.” Jason looked pensive. “It could probably kill a young one, but someone of Dmitri’s age and power…” He paused for a moment. “I guess he can probably handle it. It might give him a boost in magic too. Quite a bit for Leonora to trust him with.”

“They talked about that, I think, and moving their friendship to a new level of trust. Something like that.”

“Interesting.” Jason rolled over onto his back.

“You know, with everything that happened, I never did find out who shot Leonora.”

“A guy named Alvin Sanders. At least that’s what his driver’s license said.”

“That’s the man who bought the house where Jimmy was kept. Dmitri had Carly watching his bank account for possible
Venifucus
ties.” Sally’s mind spun as she sorted through the various tendrils of information.

“Looks like we found them. He won’t be a problem anymore.” Jason’s voice was very definite.

“I saw Dmitri kill Sullivan. How can you hide something like that from the police?”

“Simple. We don’t.” He sighed. “Much as I dislike it, we’ll have to blame their deaths on the bear they killed and present it to the local cops as
fait accompli
. That way, the cops won’t go on a bear hunt in our woods. The killer has already been dealt with and we have a convenient explanation for two mauling deaths.”

“Won’t the coroner look more closely? Any good forensic specialist should be able to tell the wounds weren’t made by a bear.”

“You’d be surprised. But, if anyone starts asking questions, Dmitri has spent a lot of time building relationships with certain key people in the area. So have we. We just don’t mix with humans as much as the bloodletters do. But if we need help, we have enough friends in high places to make this work.”

“I’ll take your word on that. If we want Leonora back anytime soon, I have to find her other grandchildren. Leonora claims they all have magic and that together, we can bring her back. I promised her I’d try.”

“We’ll do more than try. We’ll make it happen, sweetheart. Leonora’s my friend too.” He rolled toward her and pulled her back into his arms. She hugged him, loving the fact that she was free to do so and would be for the rest of their lives.

“I never thought I’d have someone of my own. Someone who loved me and that I loved in return.” Her words were full of the wonder she felt.

“I dreamed of it, but never really expected it to happen. I’ve looked for you for a long time, sweetheart.” Jason kissed her, reigniting the fire that had been banked in her blood, then pulled back to place little kisses all over her face and neck, working his way downward. “I never expected you to be so magical.”

“I didn’t either,” she agreed breathlessly. Then a thought occurred to her. “Does it bother you?”

Jason’s head rose and his gaze met hers. “Never. You’re perfect just the way you are and whatever you become as you learn more about your heritage, I will love you for the rest of my days.”

“Oh, Jason.” Tears sparkled in her eyes as the love within her welled up and overflowed.

He rolled with her so that she ended up on top of him. Her legs spread for balance and her mood changed in an instant as she discovered his renewed interest.

“Really, Jason?” One eyebrow rose in teasing question. “So soon?”

His smile warmed her from within. “There are many advantages to being a werewolf.”

“I think I’m going to enjoy learning all about it.” She didn’t resist as his hands cupped her shoulders and guided her downward.

Her breasts were in perfect line with his mouth and he took full advantage. He started out gentle, licking and nibbling, but as his caresses grew progressively more demanding, her body began to sing above his, demanding more. He knew just how to touch, just how to tantalize, just how to drive her wild.

“Jason,” she gasped as one of his hands found its way between their bodies to touch between her thighs. Just a light touch—at first. Like he’d done above, he gradually increased the contact. What started as light petting of her curls grew into the slick slide of his fingers deep inside her until she couldn’t stop squirming above him. She needed him again. Now.

His name became a litany as he teased her into a state of acute sensitivity and need. For him…and him alone.

“Are you ready for me, sweetheart?” His tone said he already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it just the same.

She didn’t mind. At this point, she’d do just about anything he asked. As long as he’d give her what she wanted. What she needed.