A Stranger’s Touch (11 page)

“Yes.” She didn’t have to think about it. She didn’t regret her decision; she just had no idea what to expect. Sure, she’d read about mating rituals. According to her research, they’d developed differently throughout the world. Mating rituals in New York were different than those in L.A., which were both very far removed from those conducted in Canada. But the process wasn’t nearly as important as what each mating ritual represented—the binding of two shifters together into one. Forever.

“I will keep you safe,” he promised for the hundredth time. “Pretend we’re the only ones here.”

Just as he said that, she glanced out over the assembled shifters. Seeing all those pairs of yellow eyes staring at her caused her muscles to tense and her pulse to quicken in anticipation. When she looked at Donovan, pride glowed in his eyes.

She straightened her spine and smiled at him, pouring all her excitement into that act. She could tell he needed reassurance. He still wasn’t sure about this, but she wouldn’t give him a chance to change his mind.

The song ended, and in the moments of silence that followed, she could hear the whispered speculation passing through the crowd.
A human? What’s he doing with her? Has he lost his mind?

As soon as the music started up again, Roxi reached for Donovan. His body trembled beneath her touch. He gritted his teeth and a muscle pulsed in his jaw. She could see how much it cost him to hold back, when all he wanted to do was ravage her, right there in front of everyone.

The feral look in his eyes made her belly clench. Moisture pooled between her thighs, and she pressed her legs together to stem the need pulsing in her sex. It barely helped. She knew only one thing would.

Without speaking, she slid her fingers beneath Donovan’s shirt and pulled it up over his head. Then she dropped to her knees and rid him of his shoes, jeans and boxers, until he stood gloriously naked before her. The ripples beneath his skin intensified and her heartbeat quickened in response. He’d shift again soon. She should have been afraid, but excitement and anticipation filled her instead.

Donovan grabbed her arms and lifted her to her feet. In a few swift moves, he’d stripped her of her clothes and tossed them into a pile along with his own. She heard the indrawn breaths from the shifters who watched, but refused to look their way this time.

“It is just us,” she whispered to Donovan.

He stepped close to her and slid his hand down the curve of her back. “Just us,” he echoed.

“And your wolf.”

She felt Donovan’s harsh intake of breath all the way to her bones. “I’ll keep you—”

She pressed a finger to his lips, not wanting to hear any more about how she needed protecting. “I do not fear any part of you.” Wanting to prove it, she kissed a path down Donovan’s chest and chiseled abdomen before dropping to her knees once more.

Roxi could hear the crowd grow restless. No doubt they were used to less foreplay, more frantic rutting. She smiled, content to let them wait, and sank her mouth over Donovan’s hard cock.

The taste of him filled her, exquisitely musky. She ran her tongue along the underside, reveling in the feel of each vein, loving the dichotomy of his soft skin stretched over so much hard steel.

Donovan splayed a large palm at the back of her head and guided her movements, his hips thrusting forward as she welcomed him as deeply as she could. His cock was huge and she could barely fit half of it into her mouth, but that didn’t seem to matter to him. She swallowed around his cock head, relishing the salty taste of his pre-cum. When she dipped her fingertips down below to toy with his sac, Donovan growled and yanked her away.

“Enough!”

His abrupt cry stirred the shifters. They hooted and howled, their excitement palpable in the stuffy club air.

She lifted her head and licked her lips, slightly swollen from his cock. His eyes flashed yellow, causing every muscle in her body to tighten in anticipation.

Donovan crouched in a move so swift and fluid, she barely saw it happen. One moment he was looming over her and the next he was at eye level, pushing her down, turning her body so her ass pressed against his aroused cock. He fisted his hand in her hair and yanked her head back as he knelt behind her.

She eagerly met the hungry eyes of the crowd. Donovan had positioned her so she was perfectly placed to look out over the audience. She could close her eyes, but she didn’t want to miss a second of what was to come. When this night was over, she wanted to remember every moment so she could recall it again and again.

Donovan gripped her hip. She felt the tension in his muscles, the quivering in his lower belly, the pinch of fingers that elongated into claws. And she lost her breath when he drove into her in one hard thrust, filling her completely.

Roxi cried out. Her inner walls stretched to accommodate the intrusion and she pushed back against him, grinding, needing more. His right hand remained fisted in her hair, but the fingers of his left danced over her back in smooth, possessive motions, claws raking over her spine in featherlight caresses that caused goose bumps to break out over her skin.

She braced her weight on her outstretched hands and lifted her chin as she looked out over the crowd. The shifters’ feral, hungry gazes only added to her need. The way they responded—a flash of bare cock here, a stroke there—left her trembling.

Donovan kissed the back of her neck. The first contact of his mouth against her skin made her stiffen. Would he follow up a sweet kiss with another bite? She didn’t know, but he left her no time to speculate. Rather, he kept kissing her, along her shoulders, down her back, before returning up to the curve of her throat. He took one of her earlobes between his lips and sucked as he twisted his hips. His cock nudged a spot inside her that made her arch her back. He did it again, and again, this time bringing his hand down to tweak her clit at the same time.

The swift pummel of sensations overwhelmed her. She came hard, bucking against him as her body quivered and shook. He showed no mercy, pounding into her repeatedly, his thrusts harder now, faster.

His moans echoed in her ears, but it wasn’t long before they turned from sounds of pure pleasure into something unmistakably wild. His gruff growl caught her by surprise. When she turned her head, she found herself staring at a muzzle and sharp white teeth.

Roxi’s heart soared. Until that moment, she’d thought perhaps he’d choose to hold back. But he hadn’t. She wanted this, wanted all of him, and he was going to give himself to her.

“Take me,” she whispered, knowing he’d hear her even over the music and the excitement of the crowd.

And he did.

His cock swelled, growing larger still. Roxi panted, struggling to take all of him in his half-shifted state. Her heart thumped painfully as she realized just how much bigger he was in this form, in every way. He towered over her, his body heavy and strong, rippled with muscle. The fur gliding along her back felt both smooth and slightly damp with sweat.

Donovan twisted his hips, angling again for that spot that made her wild with need. He yanked on her hair, bringing her head up yet again. With that one move, he was making it clear she was his. Showing her off to the crowd as her breasts bounced with the force of his thrusts and her body quivered beneath him.

If she’d been one of his kind, she’d shift at this point. But she wasn’t, and all she could do was snarl at the audience, baring very human teeth in what she hoped was a fierce growl. To her surprise, they didn’t laugh at her. Some raised their eyebrows. Others simply pumped their cocks harder, as though her feeble attempt to show her savage side didn’t go unnoticed.

Donovan’s movements grew frenzied. His cock slammed home, driving Roxi’s body forward with each frantic thrust. Only his harsh grip on her hair and his claws digging into the skin of her hip held her anchored, kept her from tumbling headfirst off the stage as he pounded into her.

And still, she couldn’t get enough. She shoved back against him, impaling herself on his cock every time he plunged inside her. Sweat trickled down her temple and stung her eyes, yet she kept them open and gazed out over the audience, owning this moment, making it her own.

The first sharp sting of Donovan’s teeth sinking into her shoulder undid her. She struggled to hold on, but the delicious ache mingled with the throbbing in her cunt and she came again, her body shuddering at the intensity of sensations.

Donovan’s teeth scraped over her skin, marking her like he had before, yet even she could tell this was different. Under the watchful eyes of a hundred wolves, the bite was more than a mark. It was a symbol, a declaration and a promise, all rolled into one.

He threw his head back and howled, the sound echoing through the room and drowning out the music. The other shifters joined him, and the noise sank into her soul, flooding her from the inside. A moment later, Donovan’s cum did the same. He shuddered as he spilled himself, filling her channel with his hot seed.

Blood ran down her arm to drip onto the wooden stage, but she didn’t care. The pain was already fading, leaving behind a soul-deep elation. She watched the blood seep into the existing stains, which she hadn’t noticed until now. The stage was filled with tokens of other matings that had taken place here, and now her blood would be imprinted along with theirs. A permanent reminder that a wolf shifter had chosen
her
, a mere human, for his mate.

Donovan’s cock slid out of her channel but she wasn’t done with him yet. With a fierce growl of her own, Roxi turned around and tackled him to the floor. He fell onto his back and she straddled him, rubbing her pussy against his still-hard cock. She wanted him to know she was a match for him in every way. She’d braved this mating ritual and she’d survive the next, in front of his pack. She had no doubt it would be a whole lot more demanding than this showing had been, but she also knew she could handle it.

Donovan arched his back. With a shudder, he transformed back into his human shape and gripped her hips, letting her slide his cock between the folds of her sex. The tip nudged her clit and she tensed, on the edge of another explosive orgasm.

“Come for me, mate,” Donovan demanded, pinching the tender nub between his thumb and forefinger. “Come hard.”

She stilled. The waves of release undulated inside her like a tumultuous storm she couldn’t hold back. Then they exploded, shattering her from the inside. Roxi grabbed Donovan’s shoulders and screamed as her body spasmed and her cunt wept, drenching his shaft in a mixture of their juices.

When it was all over, she collapsed against him. He caught her in his arms and held her tight. The audience went wild, howling their pleasure as the scent of spilled seed and raw sex clogged Roxi’s nostrils.

It took a monumental effort for Roxi to lift her head, but she managed. “Did I make you proud?” She wanted to know.
Needed
to know.

“You…” Donovan brushed his lips against her throat in a kiss so tender, it tore something inside her. “Were spectacular.”

“I know.” She grinned, loving the way he looked at her now, with so much admiration and love. The spotlight over the stage turned off, bathing them in darkness. She nudged his hip with hers. “Again?”

His hoarse chuckle sent a delicious shiver down her spine. “I love you, mate.”

She kissed him then, slowly, savoring the taste of him on her tongue. “And I love you,” she said when they finally parted. “But do not think to change the subject. Have I worn out the big, bad wolf shifter?”

He made a noise of indignation low in his throat and grabbed her waist, then tumbled her over to pin her to the floor. His cock pressed against her still-quivering sex. “Never,” he promised, and proceeded to show her he meant it.

Chapter Nine

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Startled, Roxi pressed a hand to her heart to prevent it from breaking out of her chest. She turned around slowly and narrowed her eyes at her roommate. “Leann, you scared the life out of me.”

“And just how scared do you think
I’d
be if I woke up to find you gone and all your stuff missing?”

Roxi cast a guilty glance at the suitcases resting against the wall in the front hallway. “I left a note.”

“A note? After a year of living together, that’s all you think we’re worth?”

Shame crept up the back of Roxi’s neck and she lowered her gaze to the floor. “I am sorry, I really am. I just thought…” She took a deep breath, releasing it on a sigh. “I wanted to avoid an argument.”

“You didn’t think we’d be happy for you?” Gabbi stepped out of her bedroom. Even though it was just a little past 5:00 a.m., she was fully dressed, with her red hair tied up in a neat braid and a touch of gloss on her lips.

“Honestly, I was not sure.” Roxi shrugged. She met Leann’s gaze and wrestled with the regret and confusion welling inside her. “I would have called.”

“I know you think you’re doing the right thing by leaving with him.” Leann held up a hand to stifle Roxi’s protest before she even opened her mouth. “And we’re not going to stop you.”

Roxi’s brow furrowed. “No?”

“Nope.” Gabbi grinned as she reached for her coat. “We’re coming with you.”

A stab of apprehension settled in Roxi’s stomach. “Oh no. No, no, no. You are not serious.”

Leann nodded, her expression as solemn as Roxi had ever seen. “We heard you call Brad and quit your job. And then we also heard you call your mom and tell her all about your crazy plan to travel with Donovan to Canada.” She shook her head. “I still can’t believe the woman agreed to let you go.”

“She had no choice,” Roxi pointed out. Gryta hadn’t even tried to talk her out of it. Roxi thought at least part of the reason was her mother’s guilt over having set Roxi up with an international criminal. Whatever the cause, she was grateful to avoid another argument about coming home.

“After you went to bed, we spent most of the night talking about what we wanted to do.” Leann’s lips tightened. “It was a no-brainer, really.”

“You do not trust me.” Roxi tried to stifle the pang of hurt. “I knew it.”

“We trust you plenty.” Gabbi hauled out a suitcase from her bedroom. “But we also care about you. If you’re going to Canada with a man you’ve only known for a month, a man who’s admitted to you that he’ll be putting you in danger, well…” She wrinkled her nose. “Then we’re coming along.”

Roxi leaned against the wall. “Can I talk you out of this?”

“No way.” Leann grabbed a stylish hat from the rack in the corner of the hallway and thrust it on her head. “I don’t have another modeling gig lined up for a month, and Gabbi’s told her prof she has a family matter to attend to.”

“I’ll continue writing my paper while I’m away,” Gabbi said. “I’ve never been to Canada. Should be interesting, anthropologically speaking.”

Roxi groaned, already imagining the cultural clash that would ensue the moment Gabbi realized the truth about Donovan’s clan. There would be no end of research material for Gabbi to explore, which could prove a complete disaster for everyone involved.

A gentle knock on the door startled Roxi. Oh God. That had to be Donovan. How was she going to tell him her headstrong roommates were coming with them to meet his pack?

She pulled the door open slowly, and her heart caught at the sight of him. He looked stunning, dressed in black jeans and a gray sweater. His jacket was open, as usual, and a few fresh flakes of snow clung to his hair.

He brushed his lips over hers and then froze as his gaze landed on the women standing behind her. “What’s going on?”

“They are—”

“We’re coming with you.” Leann stepped up beside Roxi, daring Donovan to disagree.

His eyes widened and he shook his head. “You can’t be serious.”

“That is what I told them. They assured me they are.” Roxi grimaced and braced herself for Donovan’s explosive refusal.

He stared from one woman to the other then his gaze landed on Roxi. His expression softened, and he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. “It would help you if they came. You’ll be among strangers, and you’ll need your friends.”

“Great. It’s settled then.” Leann clapped her hands together and wheeled out her suitcase. “Let’s go.”

Roxi fell into Donovan’s arms and held him tight while her roommates walked on ahead, chattering in hushed but excited voices about the trip. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“Don’t thank me yet.” He placed a soft kiss to the top of her head. “You have no idea what you’re walking into.”

She’d strolled into The Wolf’s Den unattended. She’d managed to make it through a wolf-mating ritual in front of a wild crowd. And she’d shown Donovan she was worthy of being his mate. How much more did she have to prove?

A shiver of apprehension ran down her spine. Despite everything she’d gone through to be with Donovan, she knew her trials were far from over.

But she also knew that as long as he watched over her, she was always in good hands.