Caged Heat (Black Meadow Pack) (8 page)

She had no idea what that meant, but she knew no one else smelled as good as he did. Energized and horny, she rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Fuck waiting.

His gaze roamed over her face. He was so tall. She had tilt her head back to look up at him. Well over six feet, he made her feel tiny. She raked her nails into his hair, and she pulled him down to her. Their lips met, and fireworks went off in her blood. She rubbed her body over his. Whimpers worked the back of her throat.

He hauled her up by her waist and lifted her up in the air, seating her on the island. Her bare ass rubbed on the cool surface of the counter. The T-shirt came off with a quick rip and tear. With her eyes still shut, she let his scent drift into her nose and burrow deep into her heart. The musky, wild animal scent called to an area inside her, a wild, untamed side she never knew existed. He fluttered kisses over her chest and sucked a nipple into his mouth. Molten lava spread through her. She wandered her hands over his muscled chest. She slid a hand down his body, dipped into his boxers, and wrapped it around his cock. He was hard, hot, and smooth. She pumped his length in a slow glide. He growled, and she smiled. She brushed the pad of her thumb over his nipple and pinched the tight little bud.

He sucked on one of her breasts, then the other, and back until she was ready to beg for him to fuck her.

“If I don’t have you soon I may lose the little bit of sanity I have left. I need you.” His sexy rumble turned up the heat inside her.

“Then have me. I’m all yours.”

His growl only added to the desperation riding her. He tore off his boxers in the time it took her to let out a soft moan. When he pulled her to the edge of the counter, she thought she’d fall, but he slid her over his cock and slipped inside her in one smooth glide. She twined her legs and arms around his waist and neck. She ended up wrapped tightly around him. Arousal surrounded them like a thick blanket. She smashed her lips to his and moaned into the eager union. He turned, and her back hit the smooth surface of the fridge. He fucked her mouth with his tongue, mimicking the movements he made with his cock. The fridge moved with each of his thrusts. The contents of the fridge crashed into each other, making large breaking noises.

Heat spread inside her. He squeezed her ass. The combination of actions made her pussy flutter in seconds. His fast, pummeling drives pushed her to dig her nails into his shoulders. She wrenched her lips from his and moaned louder. Electricity buzzed in her veins, building up the need for more.

“Oh god. Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes.” Tight pressure rippled inside her body. Muscles she’d never used before became stiff as she closed the distance to ecstasy. She snapped. A scream lodged in her throat as she came. Pleasure flared bright, overflowing and rushing through her.

He continued to thrust in and out of her. His nibbles on her jaw and shoulder pushed her orgasm to go on and on. It was moments later that he shuddered. He snarled a curse into her neck and made her body vibrate with the force of his release. Semen shot into her channel and bathed her womb with his cum.

They both panted. He curled a hand around her face and kissed her with so much tenderness her eyes filled with tears.
Dios.
She was turning into an emotional ninny.

If she believed in fate she’d say he was the man for her. But she knew her hormones were probably a little crazy and that’s why she wanted him more than any other man in her life. Shit, the way she was feeling, she was ready to go at it again, and he had just pulled out of her. She’d never been this desperate. It was incredible and scary.

* * *

They finally sat down to eat and talk. She cut up her food and asked him a question she’d always had. “What does it feel like?”

“What?” He took a bite of steak.

She worried her question might sound intrusive, but she asked it anyway. “To be able to turn into a wolf.”

He shrugged. “It’s always been a part of me, so it’s normal. I’m not sure what I can tell you.”

“Come on, you must have more to say than that. All my life you’ve been the guys everyone knew not to get into a fight with.”

He chuckled. “Believe me we still get into fights with humans and Other alike.”

“Other?”

Their conversation flowed smoothly through dinner. “Other super naturals like shifters, demons, witches, warlocks…Other.”

“Yeah, Ginny always mentioned Others, but she never spoke much about different shifter types. Is it painful to shift into a werewolf?”

He chewed and frowned as if trying to figure it out. “Not really. Well not for born shifters. We are used to shifting from youth, so it’s never anything painful. The first time it feels more like an exciting new way to look at the world. Your senses are expanded, you have more strength, and you can fight.”

“Is it true that your natural instinct is to kill when shifted into your animal?” With so many of her family members against shifters, she’d always wondered if what they’d said was true.

He glanced up from the plate. “Our first instinct is to protect. If that means we need to kill someone who is hurting or trying to hurt a defenseless person or a loved one then that’s what happens. We have gotten into fights with humans before, and they don’t always end up -dead.”

She nodded, pleased with his answer, and sipped her iced tea. “I’m kind of jealous of you guys. All of you have these badass animals inside, and I am just a human.”

Riel laughed as if she were being silly. “You’re not just human, you’re special. What you don’t seem to understand is that my wolf is yours to command. Your protection is priority for him and me.”

She wrinkled her nose in confusion. “I’m not sure what that means.”

He gave her another one of those hot looks that melted her from the inside and made her forget everything. “It means no one is more important to me than you. I’d give up anything to keep you safe and happy.”

That was different. “Happy in the sack?”

“I’d give you all the orgasms in the world to ensure you’re sexually fulfilled. But that’s not what I meant. I would slay dragons for you.”

She swallowed the knot in her throat. As much as she wanted to tell him the same, she knew it was way too soon.

After they ate, Sam decided to head home for a shower. Riel made her promise to return when she was done.

She neared the backdoor and noticed a package sitting on the step. She pursed her lips and stopped a few yards from the door. She’d been at Riel’s house for hours. Curling her hands into fists, she took a couple of slow steps toward the box. Not expecting anything in the mail made her wary. She took another step and heard ringing inside the box. She turned away from the box just as an explosion rocked the backdoor. A car taking off sounded in the distance.

Propelled by the driving wind of the blast, she landed a few yards away with the backyard awning on top of her. Dizzy and in pain, she tried to move, but the heavy metal pinned her to the ground. Flames ate the plastic sides of the metal awning and crawled toward her. She was going to kill the asshole that did it. She was ready to scream bloody murder over the flames traveling in her direction. A loud growl stopped her in place.

Stunned, she glanced to her left. Riel rushed toward her. He grabbed the metal and flung it off her with the flick of a wrist. Troy joined him a moment later.

Troy used a fire extinguisher to fight the flames eating the backdoor of her house. She groaned and winced with each slight move. The ponytail she’d donned after leaving Riel’s house hung in a mess to her side. Riel picked her up in his arms and carried her across his yard to lay her on a lounger.

“Are you OK? Tell me what hurts.” His gaze roamed her face and body.

She moved her arms and legs, searching for injuries. “My shoulder hurts like hell and so does my thigh, but other than that I’m fine I think.”

“Your face is bleeding.” He touched her chin with the tip of a finger. “Stay here. I’m going to help Troy, and then I’ll check out your shoulder.”

The fire tried to spread over the back of her house. Troy used an extinguisher to fight the bright heat. A few moments later Riel joined him with his water hose. The water quickly drowned out the flames, and the charred door fell off the hinges. She fixed her hair and sighed in happiness that they’d been able to stop the fire from spreading into the house. Both men turned back toward her. Riel headed into his house while Troy sat in a chair near her.

Troy’s frown was fierce. “Someone is trying to hurt you, Sam.”

The words turned her blood to ice. Could one of her relatives really stoop that low? She almost snorted. What kind of stupid question was that?
Claro
. Of course they would. If they killed her, they’d be able to split the money amongst themselves, no need to worry about Sam. It made sense to try to get her out of the way.

Riel marched back outside with a first aid kit. He sat down next to her and pulled out gauze and alcohol pads. While he cleaned her chin, she wondered about Juan Junior. He hated her enough to shoot her, of that she had no doubt. She just hadn’t thought he’d go this far.

“Sam, we need to know more about your relatives,” Troy said, while Riel swiped the alcohol pad over her shoulder.

The bruise hurt, but she was too shocked that someone had actually tried to kill her to feel much of the pain.

Riel shook his head. “First I need to take her to the clinic. I need to make sure she doesn’t have any other injuries.”

“But I feel fine.”

He scowled.

“OK, other than my shoulder, I don’t feel like anything’s broken.”

He cupped her jaw. “I’m not taking any chances. You could have internal bleeding. You can agree or disagree, but we’re going.” His tone left no room for argument.

“I’ll come with you guys. I’ll drive, and you both sit in the back,” Troy headed to the navy SUV.

Riel picked her up and carried her to the vehicle. Once they reached the clinic, the pack doctor sat her on a bed. After introducing herself as Raven, she looked Sam over. The doctor was young.

“We’re going to do a CT scan, an MRI, and we’re going to take some blood just to be sure all is as it should be OK, Samira?” Raven smiled and patted her hand.

“That’s fine. Thanks, and please, call me Sam.”

“Don’t worry, Sam. Nothing we do will add to your discomfort.”

Raven was short, like Sam. Knowing shifters tended to be taller, Sam asked the question burning at her tongue. “Are you a shifter too?”

The doctor placed a stethoscope to Sam’s chest, and listened. “No. I’m just a human girl.”

Raven also had the most amazing amethyst-colored eyes. If they were contacts, they looked great on the doctor.

“Me too.”

“Let’s get you some tests now, OK?”

She nodded and allowed them to do the multitude of tests without argument. She wanted to pacify him and let him see she was fine. Why that was important, she didn’t know. All she knew was that he’d been so considerate with her, she wanted him to stop worrying over the minor injuries she’d suffered.

The doctor gave her strong painkillers for the bruises on her body. Unfortunately, her shoulder hadn’t been the only area hurt in the explosion. Raven had discovered other, bigger, bruises.

They left after a few hours with Troy acting as chauffeur again. The heavy painkillers had started to take effect. She lay on Riel’s lap. She was relaxed to the point where she wanted to just lay in his arms forever.

She snuggled into his arms and sniffed his neck. “You smell good,” she murmured softly.

“I do?” He sounded shocked.

She flicked her tongue over his throat. “Mmm-hmm. Delicious. Like nature, earth, and something else that’s driving me crazy. It makes me want to strip you down and eat you.”

Chapter Five

Riel’s heart pounded hard while Sam slept in his arms. She’d fallen asleep just seconds after telling him how good he smelled. It made him wonder at her shifter status again. Wolf-shifters had a very keen sense of smell. When in heat their mate scented better than anyone else to them. He’d called Sophia while Sam had been getting her scan and asked her to check out Sam’s blood. She’d promised to call Raven to get a sample so she could look into Sam’s DNA. Something about the way she acted screamed shifter, but she didn’t have the scent of an animal. It confused the hell out of him.

When he placed her on his bed, her brow furrowed, and she moaned in pain. Anger surged through him. It was clear someone was after his mate. What he didn’t know was why. Too many things had been going on at the same time. Not to mention, he needed to speak to her about their bond. The animal inside him recognized her as his. Nothing would change that, and he needed to figure out a way to make her understand. His gut clenched. For someone to get to Sam, they would have to go through him first.

* * *

“All right. I’ll let him know,” Troy shut off the phone just as Riel walked into his kitchen.

“What’s going on?”

“That was Chase. He said to let you know he can send others to help if you feel you need backup here. I told him to hold off for now. He also said Sophia has the blood sample and will get back to you as soon as she can figure out anything of importance. But it may take a few days because she’s exhausted and needs tons of sleep.”

Riel sighed and sat down by his kitchen table. “I know. Did you question the teens in the area today?”

Troy nodded, grabbed his soda can, and sat in a chair across from Riel. “Yeah. I got around to the families in the vicinity, but none of them was in the area at the time of the bombing.”

Riel scratched his beard stubble. What was really bothering him was Sam’s reaction to smelling him. She’d acted just as a female of his kind when in heat earlier. Her sweet scent still invaded his senses. There was just something different about it. It was faint, but she still had the wild look when he’d been inside her, as if a small, untamed part of her wanted out of an invisible cage. “I need you to do me another favor.”