Trust: A Twisted Wolf Tale (9 page)

I couldn’t help myself… I just had to feel her. Bringing my hand up, I feathered my fingers over her cheek before cupping her face, still allowing her to keep her own pace. God, the look of her pleasuring me like this was nothing short of mesmerizing. So much so, that I had to be careful or I’d climax way too soon.

With one of her hands, she matched the rhythm of her mouth and increased her pace, sucking at the head just enough to make me cry out.

“Christ, Karoline,” I said with a gasp, enjoying the sight of myself disappearing beyond her rosy lips… inch by insatiable inch.

My body began to tremble, the grip I had on her suddenly tightening behind her neck as my release edged closer and closer to brimming over. I didn’t have to tell her to stop though. She could clearly tell I was beginning to lose control. With a delicate ease, she pulled my shaft from her mouth, a slick sheen coating where she’d once been.

She didn’t waste any time and began to trail kisses up my stomach, over my chest, until she stood in front of me and took my mouth with hers. I grabbed her face, cupping both cheeks so there was no way she’d be able to get free.

Pulling away, I looked into her eyes, my thumb brushing lightly at her swollen lips. I wanted so badly to tell her how much she meant to me, but suddenly felt as if now wasn’t the right time. If I told her how I felt while she was in this form, she might take it wrong. She’d probably think I could only love her for her appearance and not her soul. I knew I needed to wait—allow her to take her true form before I poured my heart out to her—give her a reason to believe me.

Swallowing my words, I kissed her again, picking her up in one swift move and laying her back down on the bed. Just before I was about to enter her, I stilled, suddenly realizing her and I never had the conversation of protection. Could she get pregnant?

Again, as if she could read my mind, she placed her hand on my cheek and said, “Don’t worry about that. I, um…” She stopped, hesitation filling the void. Biting her lip, she looked at me with pleading in her eyes. “I can explain it all to you later if you’d like, but for now, just trust me?”

“I’ll always trust you,” I whispered, lowering my head to give her a reassuring kiss.

She smiled softly. “Thank you.” Returning my kiss, she huffed an exasperated sigh and added, “Now, please, make love to me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, watching her face as I placed myself at her entrance.

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, her smile faltering slightly. She was asking for me, acted like she wanted me, but this sudden hesitation had me worried. I was nothing without honor, and it would be a less than honorable thing to allow my dick to do all the thinking.

“You’re okay with this?” I asked, making sure I wasn’t just reading too much into her body language and she’d put me at ease.

“Of course. I want you, Beau,” she answered, a semi-fake smile plastered across her face. “It’s just…” Yeah, see, I knew there was something up. “I was cursed long before I ever got this far with anyone. So, just, be gentle,” she pleaded.

Wow. It wasn’t what I’d expected at all. She said she used men, acted like their hearts were nothing but toys to play with. So, I’d just assumed she’d been sexually active.

“You okay?” she asked, concern and slight embarrassment filling her voice.

“More than okay,” I said, a genuine smile on my face. “You just took me a bit off guard.”

“I’m sorry—”

“No, don’t be. I just don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t,” she assured me, pulling my face to hers and absorbing my lips with a scorching hot kiss. Convincing as ever, her lips sure as hell knew how to melt my worries away, and I took my time pressing into her.

I watched her features contort and then relax as I slowly entered her. Brushing her hair from her face, I searched her eyes for any discomfort. Instead, I saw nothing but pleasure and need staring back at me.

“Ahh, yes,” she whispered, a breath hissing through her teeth. “More…”

With a measured pace, I started to thrust in and out, making sure to take it easy. She deserved to be loved properly, reverently. Our eyes never left each other as I picked up speed, the feel of her around me bringing me higher and higher with each move I made.

Karoline bit her lip, muffling her moans and heightening my senses as I watched her slowly lose control. Her legs wrapped around my waist, her hips moving in rhythm with mine, meeting me thrust for thrust.

Bracing myself with my elbows on the bed near her head, my muscles tightened with each drive in every attempt to control my rising climax. I was in no hurry. Each smooth movement was slow, precise, and wickedly arousing.

After earning several whimpers of pleasure from her, I lifted my body and gripped her hips, raising her ass off the bed to gain better access. I was hoping this new position wouldn’t hurt her. It was my experience that it’d hit just the right spot to make her itch with pure ecstasy.

Bringing one of her legs to rest on my shoulder had her crying out a twisted version of my name as I increased my force. I could only hope she’d tell me if it hurt, but by the look on her face, she was thoroughly enjoying this new position.

Making love to her was harsh, yet gentle. Powerful, yet tantalizing. Intoxicating, yet sobering. Each thrust was such a delicious torment.

“Ahh,” she cried out, closing her eyes with pleasure, her voice sure to cause an orgasm to threaten, immersing me into the depths of her prowess. She was obviously testing and proving that I could be weakened by her ability to undo me.

“Look at me, Karoline,” I demanded, feeling a bit more in control with every hit.

Opening her eyes, she looked into my soul—a woman so full of animalistic hunger, I thought for sure she was going to devour me in one clean bite.

Then she did something I hadn’t expected.

Snaking her arm down her chest and over her belly, she descended further until she reached her slick, wet lips below. As soon as her touch reached her clit, she moaned—the sound of her pleasuring herself with the slightest brush of her finger made the room spin. She sure knew how to drive me crazy and get off in the process.

After toying with herself for a few minutes, my thrusts never letting up and moving in time with her hand, Karoline brought her fingers up to my mouth—an obvious invitation to lick them like a lollipop.

Responding to her request, I bowed my head and licked her soft fingers, circling my tongue around each one to the tips, nipping at the pads with my teeth in the process. She tasted so sweet, with the evidence of her arousal coating her skin. A hiss sounded through her teeth as I took two of her fingers and submerged them in my mouth, sucking and licking them in a suggestive fashion, savoring her flavor.

She seemed to really enjoy my actions just as much as I was enjoying my view of her breasts bouncing with my relentless rhythm. She could sense where my mind had gone, because at that precise moment, she grabbed her chest and began to pinch each nipple between her long fingers. I felt her channel tighten as I thumbed her clit and continued to thrust into her, the sensation nearly mind numbing. Such an intoxicating mixture of sensations, I was sure I’d break into little bits any second.

Feeling the inescapable build of my orgasm, I couldn’t help but fill the air around us with vicious, deep grunts—a stark contrast to her light, mewling sounds.

All it took was one look down where I continually disappeared inside her, and I was done for. Time didn’t exist as I flew into an all-consuming orgasm. It was as if a thousand fireworks were lit inside me, sparking to life and burning relentlessly for a never-ending stretch of time.

During my mind-altering release, I kept my eyes trained on Karoline, which caused a whole new barrage of feelings to release inside me. She belonged to me. I had never felt possessive over anyone before, but through all this, I was certain of one thing—this woman was irrevocably and completely mine, which made it extremely easy to continue staring into her soul as I twitched through the last of my orgasm.

Karoline smiled through a long sigh, clearly content with how amazing we were together in bed. Little did she know how completely undone I was over her. Most men would be scared with these feelings, yet I knew what an honor it was. I felt potent and euphoric—I just needed to find the right time to tell her.

Still inside her, I leaned over and laid a reverent kiss on her lips. Clutching my neck for dear life, she leaned up and deepened the kiss, bombarding my mouth with her lips and tongue before collapsing back on the bed.

Whether it was just a result of my tattered emotional state, or if I truly felt these powerful feelings, I didn’t care. I felt the three words bubbling up inside me, and I came devastatingly close to saying them out loud.

A pair of hazel eyes stared back at me with what could only be described as adoration. She gifted me with a smile that definitely melted my heart. Ruining this moment by professing my love when she didn’t feel the same would be a shame. So, I kept my mouth shut.

Rolling over and flopping on the bed beside her, I caused several feathers to puff up in my wake just as she cuddled into my arms. With her head rested comfortably on my chest, I wrapped one arm around her and picked up a feather with the other.

“What’s this all about?” I asked, twirling the soft, white piece of down in between my fingers.

“Ahh…” She hesitated as if trying to find words. “It’s a bit embarrassing.”

“What could be embarrassing about feathers?” I questioned. Now my curiosity was really piqued.

“Well, the full moon transformation is quite painful. The pillows sort of got in my way,” she explained, looking up at me and brushing a few stray feathers out of my hair. “I’m sorry you have feathers all over you,” she said with a smile.

“And I’m sorry you have to go through so much pain because of this curse,” I admitted, only I couldn’t seem to force a smile at the thought she had to suffer.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ve gotten used to it over the years. I usually go into the room across the hall though so I don’t ever have the chance to destroy my books. That’s why it looks the way it does.” Her explanation made sense, but it still didn’t make me feel better about her predicament. I wish there was some way I could help her lift the curse so she wouldn’t have to endure the pain anymore.

Instead, I just hugged her close, a gesture that hopefully told her I’d always be there for her.

My body hitting the floor—hard—had me jolting awake, my heart pounding like a drum. Shaking my head, I tried to clear my vision to see what the hell was going on.

“No!” Karoline screamed, holding her hands out in front of her as she shook fiercely. “No, no, no!”

We’d both fallen asleep after making love, our bodies covered in nothing but a few random pillow feathers. Naked or not, I jumped up and made my way to her to see what was the matter.

“Stop!” she yelled, holding her trembling hand in front of me. “Don’t come any closer. I don’t want to hurt you.” Her voice sounded frightened—terrified even. I couldn’t seem to comprehend what was happening.

“Karoline. What’s wrong?”

“I’ll slice you up if you’re anywhere near me while I change,” she whimpered, her body seeming to contort in an inhuman fashion. “Please, Beau. Go away!”

Even though I was scared out of my mind, I knew one thing was for certain—I wasn’t leaving her side.

Running to her, I grabbed her quaking shoulders and held her close. “I’m not leaving you. I know you won’t hurt me,” I whispered into her ear, my voice barely audible over her agonizing screams.

“I can’t help it,” she yelled, another growl—almost a howl—leaving her chest. “You have to go!”

“I’ll never leave you to deal with this on your own,” I demanded. My mind was made up. I would hold her until she changed, and continue to hold her afterward too.

I needed her to know my love went way further than the depth of her skin.

With her body shaking violently, I held her tight, cradling her head in one hand and her waist in another. Blood began to seep from her scalp as her hair fell out, patches of fur growing rapidly in its place. Her spine trembled beneath my hand as I continued to hold her, a light pelt seeming to grow under my very eyes.

Suddenly, and without warning, a sharp, stabbing pain started at the top of my back, just below my shoulder blades. My screams began matching hers as we stood there, both of us writhing in a never-ending pain that seeped into our souls.

The pain began radiating down my back, the stinging like fire burning my skin in even patterns. It was all I could do not to collapse on the floor and cry for Mommy, but I knew I had to stay strong for my Karoline.

As sudden as her pain started, it seemed to abruptly stop, her lack of screaming a dead weight in the air as my back continued to burn.

After a loud grunt, I hissed air through my teeth, squinting my eyes shut to keep the tears from falling.

“Oh, God, Beau! Why didn’t you just go away like I told you?” Karoline asked as she backed away, her hands—now paws—by her mouth in utter shock.

Wincing, I reached for her with one hand and said, “I told you, I’ll never leave you.”

“You’re such a stupid, stubborn man. I could’ve killed you!” she screamed before her voice softened and she approached me. “C’mon. Let’s take a look at what I did to you.”

Walking into her bathroom, I could still feel the fire running deep in my back and wondered what the hell was happening to me.

“Oh, God,” she said, gasping for air. I could see her reflection in the mirror as she examined my back, her now wolf-like face contorting with serious discomfort of the emotional kind. “I don’t know how we’re going to explain this to a doctor.”

“Explain what?” I said, coughing when I couldn’t seem to get enough air and then wishing I hadn’t moved so much. The pain was nearly unbearable.

With her hands, she carefully turned me around so I could see a portion of my back in the mirror. Eight neat claw marks, four on each side, ran the length of my back, blood dripping from the wounds as red as the roses she loved so dearly. They weren’t overly deep, but they weren’t shallow enough to ignore.

“I’m so sorry. I told you to keep your distance while I was transforming,” she said, tears obviously about to fall from those beautiful, golden eyes.

“I’d do it again in a heartbeat if it meant you didn’t have to suffer alone,” I said with honesty, another cough and wince coming from me followed by even more pain.

“Which is why I said you’re a stupid and stubborn man,” she responded, wiping a tear away with the back of her fur-covered hand.

Before I could ask her what we should do next—because obviously a doctor was out of the question—she grabbed several towels from a linen closet and began to wet them, placing them on my back to hopefully soak up the blood and clean my wounds.

The coolness of the towels seemed to ease the pain, and I was able to fully watch her without much complaint.

“I’m sorry I didn’t listen,” I said as she removed a bloodstained towel from my back and replaced it with a clean one. “I just couldn’t stand to see you endure that kind of pain alone again.”

“I shouldn’t have had to,” she said, never looking at me as she spoke.

“What do you mean?”

Sitting on the counter in front of me, she hung her head in silence for a few moments, more tears falling from her eyes.

“True love,” she whispered, shaking her head and scoffing. “What a crock.”

“I’m not following,” I said, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look up at me. The wolf in her probably wanted to bite my finger off for trying, but the Karoline I knew would never intentionally hurt me, especially over such an innocent gesture.

“I was supposed to take love’s true form when I found someone who could truly love me in return. I just… I thought…”

“Karoline,” I whispered, gathering her face in my hands to make a point that I wasn’t afraid of her. “I do love you.”

“Honest?”

“Truly.”

“Then why do I look like this again?” she said, anger filling her once sad state as she held her hands out to show me the vicious claws that had ripped my back to shreds.

I stood, silent. I didn’t have an answer for her.

“Maybe it’s only because you loved the human me,” she guessed, only she had no clue how wrong she was. “Maybe you should just go. Go see a doctor. You don’t have to come back. I’ll let you free of your agreement.”

“No, I’m not going anywhere,” I said. She was out of her ever-loving mind if she thought I was going to cop out that easy. “Karoline, I started loving you way before last night and—”

“Stop, please,” she requested. “I don’t think my heart can take it. You’re free to go, so just go and leave me in peace.”

“I already told you, I’m not leaving you,” I said, my voice a near shout. I was bound and determined to get my point across, and she damned well had better listen. “Screw the agreement. I. Am. Not. Leaving. End of discussion.”

“Why would you even consider staying with a monster like me? Look what I did to you, Beau!”

“I’ll heal,” I said flippantly. I was actually rather annoyed with how easily she could push me away after everything we’d been through together.

“Not easily, you won’t. And I don’t have the proper medical supplies to take care of you.” She stood, pacing the bathroom floor like she was contemplating something. “If you really loved me, even a fraction of how I feel for you, then I wouldn’t look like this right now,” she explained, with her arms held out like it helped make her point.

“I’m not sure why it matters what you look like, Karoline. I still feel the same since the first night we slept together in that bed,” I said, pointing to the bathroom door as if gesturing to her bedroom.

“But it must not be true love,” she insisted, running a clawed hand through her hair. “Otherwise—”

“Karoline, stop!” I shouted, feeling a surge of anger rise up within me. The pain was likely causing my short temper, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. “I
do
love you! I don’t understand why that’s so hard for you to believe.”

“Because I still look like this!” She swung her arms up, showing off her naked, furry form. “I’m still a beast! And the damn witch said that when I found true love, I would be freed of this curse!”

“Then she must have lied,” I retorted. “Otherwise it would have worked, because I fucking love you. I’ve loved you since the moment I realized who you truly are underneath the animalistic mask.”

“Yeah, so the human me, right?” she spat.

“No!” I growled, clenching my fists. The throbbing in my back was spurring me on, and I couldn’t cap my building frustration. “The
real
you. I didn’t fall in love with either of your faces—I fell in love with who you are on the inside. The sweet, caring Karoline. The Karoline who wrote that manuscript, who has a library that could make even Stephen King jealous, who would rather I leave her than chance hurting me… the Karoline I first kissed. I’m in love with
you
, not your looks. Why can’t you just
understand
?”

She didn’t say anything to that. Instead, she just stared at me in stunned silence, processing my words. My frustration having been abated, I took a calming breath and waited for her reply. I was certain I had finally made my point, making her realize that I truly was in love with her.

“Beau…”

I held my breath to hear what she had to say, but before she could get the words out, a loud, banging noise echoing down the hall had our heads snapping to attention.

We both jumped at the sound, a wince rupturing through my body as the pain in my back amped up at the movement.

“What the hell was that?” I grunted, wiping sweat from my brow. The towel Karoline had pressed against my wounds helped stifle the blood loss, but I was still beginning to feel a little woozy.

“Someone’s banging on the front door,” she said, her eyes wide and her ears twitching as she listened to the pounding increase in intensity. I imagined the sound must be amplified for her. “Who could possibly be all the way out here?”

“Didn’t you say you had people deliver things to you before? A private company or whatever?” I inquired.

“They aren’t scheduled to come any time soon,” she said, shaking her head. “Stay here. I’ll go see—”

The sound of the front door being smashed apart echoed throughout the house, cutting off her words.