Rescue in the Smokies (Durham Wolves) (12 page)

Were all redheads so fiery? Or was that a stereotype and he’d gotten lucky?

The stress of the last few hours melted away as he gazed at his mate.

They hadn’t come face to face with McKinney, but they had run to the edge of the national forest, chasing him out of their territory. Too bad the bastard was quicker than them. They’d have ripped him limb for limb given the opportunity.

Never in ten years had he had the balls to come so close to their cabin. Sergius swallowed hard. The vamp wanted something and wasn’t about to give up easily. Sergius nuzzled Juliana’s neck. The fucking vampire couldn’t have her.
Ever
. Serg would do everything in his power to ensure that fact.

Exhausted himself from the long day and the long run, Sergius closed his eyes and let sleep take him.

Goddamn animals. Who in the hell do they think they are?

Keeton paced a hole in the ground, literally.

With his strength, he could punch a tree trunk and damage it beyond repair. And he had. Several.

He needed to feed too. That bear he’d had earlier would have been enough under normal circumstances to last him for days. In fact, he’d done that purposefully to keep himself from killing the redhead. He wanted her like he’d never wanted anything in his life. He could taste her essence on the tip of his tongue. She was
his
. He had plans that didn’t include those bastard werewolves.

His mouth watered thinking of tasting her sweet alabaster skin. He was sure he could keep himself from killing her. Just a taste now and then to lure her, keep her in enough of a stupor to not realize she was under his influence.

Humans didn’t live forever, but as long as you gave them just a nip occasionally, you’d kill several birds with one stone. They’d take in enough vampire serum to keep them slightly delirious and pliable, always willing, ready and able. Second, the serum’s qualities would prolong their lives considerably, slowing down the aging process. And third, and perhaps most important, the host got the pleasure of tasting the sweetest nectar in the world day in and day out.

His woman was currently hiding out in the home of those damn animals. And no stinking shapeshifter was going to ruin her for him.

He just had to figure out how to lure her into his arms and the rest would be history. All he needed was patience. They couldn’t watch her every second of every day forever. No, soon they’d fuck up…and then the prize would be his.

Chapter Thirteen

Something heavy and hot pressed Juliana into the bed. She wiggled to free herself from the obstruction while her mind struggled to remember where she was and why she was so encumbered.

It was so dark. She could barely breathe under the firm arm pinning her across the chest. Soft hairs tickled her nose.
Arm
?

Her eyes flew open as realization dawned. She was with a man. She never slept with a man. A moment of terror made her almost scream before she managed to push the covers away from her face and caught a glimpse of her surroundings.

Sergius
. Jesus. She must have been dead to the world to forget
that
man. And no doubt, considering how tired she’d been. She had a vague recollection of him carrying her to bed from the couch. After that, nothing.

Obviously he’d tucked himself in right alongside her and now was attempting to suffocate her with his body heat. Geez, the man’s core temperature was not ninety-eight point six, that was for sure.

Right…he wasn’t exactly human. Who knew how many degrees the wolf body maintained?

Her eyes adjusted to the dim light coming in the window. The moon was low in the sky. What time was it?

Ugh. “Serg… Get…off…me.” His arm weighed a ton. It was a wonder she’d managed to stay alive under it without a crushing chest injury.

Ya think you might be exaggerating a smidge?

“Mmm.” He pulled her closer instead of releasing her.

“Serg.”

“Yeah?”

“Your arm.” Shit, his leg was over both of hers too. She was well and totally pinned. She squirmed fruitlessly against him for a minute, trying to rouse him. Well, apparently not “fruitlessly” because her hip grazed over the “fruit” of her efforts and he was definitely “roused”. At least one part of him was. Even if his brain hadn’t fully caught up.

With a final shove, she wiggled free and scrambled toward the other side of the bed for cooler sheets. Damn, that man was hot.

Serg, however, flung himself into a sitting position the moment she broke contact, sending her into giggles at the image of him bolting forward as though he were hinged like a zombie.

“What? What happened? You okay?”

“Fine. You were suffocating me.”

“Your skin is so cool and smooth, it felt wonderful against mine.”

“Yeah, well, yours is way too hot. Felt like I was in a sauna.”

He took a few shallow breaths, seemed to stare her in the eyes even through the darkness. “Come here.” One hand reached out for her. His voice was husky, deep. Sexy.

When she leaned back a few inches instead of forward, a stream of moonlight hit his face, enlightening her to his serious expression. His chest heaved for breath as though he’d been exercising instead of sleeping.

His full lips were sensual, especially when he drew one side of his mouth up in a half smile, but as she watched, the tip of his tongue licked across his bottom lip and then traveled around to lick the top one.

The sudden need to taste those lips made her belly tighten. She clenched the sheets on both sides of her to keep from flinging herself into his arms.

Sure, earlier today she’d practically begged him to make love to her. Embarrassing to think back on. But that was before.

Before they’d reentered civilization. Before she’d had a good meal and something to drink. Before she’d found out a madman was after her. Before…she’d seen Serg shift into a werewolf.

So why did her heart beat rapidly in her chest? Her hands itched to wander around that wide expanse of chest. Her pussy ached to have that enormous cock she’d seen earlier stuffing her to the hilt.

Lord, you’ve lost your marbles, girl
.

Serg smiled as though he knew what she was thinking. He leaned forward the few inches necessary for contact, wrapped his huge hand around her upper arm, and dragged her body toward his.

She lay on the bed, shaking beneath his gaze as though she were cold, when moments ago she’d been burning up. The quiver in her body wasn’t from a chill this time. It was the product of her lust.

Her tongue reached out of its own accord to lick her lips as she stared at his and thought about how talented she knew he could be with that tongue. He’d used it yesterday to swirl around and around her nipples, driving her to the edge of sanity.

Sergius leaned the last few inches and placed a sweet kiss on her lips. “I want you so bad, baby.” God, his words alone ratcheted up her arousal. Blood surged through her veins. He leaned closer, angling his head and pressing against her mouth with more determination. His tongue was everywhere, inside and outside. He devoured her, and she was lost in the sensation.

Her body melted against the mattress, all doubts skittering away.

He hovered over her. When she felt the heat pooling in her belly, she flung her arms out and grabbed Serg by the biceps. He didn’t come any closer though, no matter how much she silently pleaded with him to let his weight rest on her. She craved the feeling of his skin next to hers.

Instead, he pulled back, nipped around her lips a few times and then gazed into her eyes, into her soul. “We have to talk.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”

“Not this time.” His gaze roamed her face. He reached with one finger and brushed hair out of her eyes, tucked it behind her ears, barely grazing over her skin.

“Wolves mate for life, Juliana.” He said her name like a caress. “I need you to understand the implications of us making love.”

She nibbled on her bottom lip, felt her brow scrunch up. How big a deal could it be? It was just sex. She really wanted him to shut up, get naked and take her over that precipice she remembered from yesterday. No one had ever affected her like he did. She wanted to do it again.
Now
.

“We call it a claiming. When we meet the right woman, we know, instantly. Our bodies react chemically. Everything about you calls to me. Your scent, your body, your mind…” He glanced away and took a deep breath before turning back.

She let him continue. He needed to get this out, whatever it was. She felt like she understood on a visceral level. After all, wasn’t she reacting rather violently to him also?

“What I’m trying to say is…this isn’t just sex for me, Juliana. When I take you, it’s for good. I won’t let you go. You won’t want me to. Your body will need mine as much as I need you after we mate. Perhaps more so.”

If he wanted her half as bad as she wanted him right now, it’d be enough to sustain them for a lifetime. But she needed to clear her head. Think. Was he saying this was a commitment for him? Just having intercourse with her was enough to make a lifetime promise?

Could she do that?

Could she not?

Of course, that was ridiculous. Then again, everything that had happened for the past day and a half was impossible. Still, there was no way she could commit to a man she barely knew, especially one that turned into a wolf.

“I swear to you, Juliana, to love and adore you for the rest of our lives. It’s a process that grows over time until a mated pair can’t even imagine life without the other. However, I won’t take you without you understanding the implications, the intensity of the pledge I’m making to you. There’s no going back. No regrets.”

Juliana eased out from under him. His arms held him rigid above her, and she scooted back until she was sitting, leaning against the headboard.

“So, you’re saying we can’t just have sex right now and move on? You don’t do one-night stands? Are you a virgin?” The thought almost made her gasp. This did not seem like a man who had no experience.

“No, I’m not a virgin. Yes, I’ve had one-night stands, but not with the woman I knew was my mate for life. You are that woman. All bets are off. This is different.”

She froze. Different? This was most assuredly different. Even in the limited relationships she’d had, she’d never felt anything near what she felt right now, and he wasn’t even touching her. The man made her squirm. Her sex wept. Her heart pounded. Her palms sweated.

His intensity, the look in his eyes—grave, serious, kind, loving… All those qualities combined to melt her resolve. She wanted him. So bad. More than she’d ever wanted anything before in her life. But she was human. Did humans have that sort of reaction?

“Why do I feel so drawn to you? I’m not even a…”

“Shapeshifter. It just happens that way. Even though you’re human, your body knows deep inside that you belong to me. Our pheromones call to each other. Just like animals have for centuries in the wild. Humans don’t heed that call. Their ability to reason supersedes anything so carnal. Nevertheless it’s there in your soul, an innate draw to mate with the right being.”

His words sucked her in, drew her to want to touch him. Run her hands over him. It seemed so reasonable. She knew if she so much as stroked a knuckle over his cheek it was all over.

Do it
. With shaking fingers, she ran the tips along his jaw, his brow, his chin. And then she wrapped her palm around his head and whispered, “Okay.”

Sergius released a long breath and tugged her back down until she was flat beneath him. Her shirt rode up, became trapped under her. It felt suddenly too tight, confining.

“Way too many clothes here. I want to feel you against me,” she mumbled. She crossed her arms over her chest and jerked her tank top over her head.

She lay under him in just her shorts and panties.

Nerves skittered across her skin, pebbling it with goose bumps. Following his gaze, she glanced down at her breasts. Her nipples stood at attention, but they were small. It registered that he hadn’t seen her before, as much as he’d explored her in the cave. It had been too dark.

“Don’t look at yourself like that.” He took her chin in his hand. “You’re so perfect.” With a finger, he wiped her brow, brushed the frown off her face with a touch.

“I’m so small.” She bit her lip, gazed at him in wonder.
What does he see in me
?

“I saw you naked yesterday. Did I seem unimpressed then? Why are you so embarrassed today?”

“It was pitch dark. You
felt
me. That’s not the same. I feel more exposed now.”

A quick grin flashed to her gaze. “I see perfectly in the dark. I’m a wolf.”

She moaned and turned her head to the side.
God
.

“Just right. So gorgeous.” Holding himself aloft with one hand, he trailed the huge, work-roughened fingers of his other hand down her neck and circled her breasts. So light a grazing, she could barely feel him. A spiral pattern ensued around first one breast and then the other, never reaching the center—the nipples that ached to be flicked, pinched, nibbled, sucked. God, anything. If he would just touch her…more.

“I’ve never seen a more spectacular sight. Your skin is so smooth, flawless. Look at yourself. Look at the contrast between your pale, perfect chest against my darker, rough hand. Look, baby. Look what you do to me.”

Juliana tipped her gaze down from his face to his hands, worshipping her body. He was shaking, his fingers dancing over her skin, barely touching her because of the shiver in them. Sure enough, even the contrast of their skin tones was arousing. Or maybe it was his poetic version.

“I could stare at you all day.”

“Please don’t. I need you inside me.” She arched into his touch, grasped the sheet beneath her with both fists.

He smiled, but kept his gaze locked on her chest as though it were the most wonderful piece of art he’d ever seen.

A fresh wave of heat sent dampness to the space between her legs. Could she come from this light tickling to her chest?