Untamed Wolf (18 page)

He snarled, and his head shook violently. She slowed, but a thunderous crack reverberated through the snow and the wind. The world seemed to do a sideways slide. Glancing down, she saw the split in the ice a second before it gave way.

H
is heart stuttered
in his chest. The answering wolf song flooded him with equal measures of hope and relief. Following her call, he’d paused only to answer her when she asked. Arriving at the clearing a split second after she did, it took him a moment to identify the problem with the dip in the center…it wasn’t a dip. It was a stream, frozen over with the dangerous surface covered by a layer of snow.

The gorgeous little black and white wolf hesitated, and two realities struck him at once. She was as thrilled to see him as he was her, and she was going to run for him.
No.
He shook his head violently, snarling at her to stay put. But the headstrong little wolf dashed forward and off the security of solid ground for the ice.

His legs were in motion before the thought completed. The ice cracked under even her slender weight. It wasn’t solid, just a thin veneer beneath snow. She vanished into the water before him. Neither he nor his wolf slowed. The water beneath ran, and she would be sucked under. He hit the ice ahead of her fully, slamming through it. The force put him in her path and he turned to her, swimming hard. She bumped him and he grabbed the strap entangled around her and with all his strength flung her back onto the snow.

One glimpse of her landing was all he got before the combination of his throw and the current pushed under the ice. He didn’t fight it, the cold water sucked at his strength, but he held his breath. The first thin patch he saw, he thrust upward, slamming into it with his shoulder and head. Ears ringing, he sucked in a breath as he broke the surface and managed to get his front legs on the icy edge.

A strained whine urged him to fight. Then Chrystal was there, crawling on the ice. No way could she lift him out. She did not have the strength for his denser body mass. He snarled at her to get back, but she crawled closer halting only when the ice began to split. Kicking his back legs, he lunged past the split in the ice.

Hell, it worked, the opening was wider, but she was nearer. When she eased forward, she stretched toward him and he saw the strap. Her gaze collided with his, and he read the fear in her eyes—more, he read the determination. She wouldn’t give up on him, so he had to get out of the damn water before she ended up in the frozen stream with him.

Galvanized, he scrabbled with his claws on the ice, fighting and finding purchase. The burn against his shoulders was nothing compared to the frozen state of his back legs. He couldn’t even tell if they were kicking. Then Chrystal’s teeth grazed his head and he got ahold of the strap on her shoulder.

Come on, baby…
Sinking her teeth into his ruff, she dug her back legs in and hauled. He fought to go forward, using her strength as a balance and lever. Between them he got his back legs out. Unwilling to endanger her any further. He nuzzled her face then nudged her ahead of him. They crawled off the ice and she didn’t stop until she was in the snow. He lay on his side for a minute to catch his breath.

She licked his face repeatedly, and he cracked an eye open to glare at her. He’d been right all along; she needed a damn keeper.

Good thing he knew the perfect person for the job.

A
n hour later
, Dylan led her to the door of the cabin. She wiggled despite the ice on her fur. Every extremity hurt, but he didn’t care. He’d found her. She was safe, and soon she’d be his. Tail wagging, she pulled the rope to release the latch, then they were inside. The cabin wasn’t toasty, but it was definitely warmer than outside. Mama glared at them from her nest, reproach in her eyes. What had been left of one of the grocery bags lay shredded across the room.

She hurtled past him, pup in her mouth, and he let her go before shouldering the door closed. Chrystal limped over to the cold hearth and sank all the way down. Letting her rest, he released his wolf and rushed back to himself. Her head lifted as he rose, but he pointed a finger at her. “Stay put. Let me get the fire started and the blankets out, then you can try to shift.”

Ears flicked forward, she snorted. Contrary to his orders, she began her shift. Growling, he hurried to get fresh wood lit. Fortunately, he always left the hearth ready to go when leaving the cabin. The power was still on, so he turned up the heat while he was at it and then headed into the kitchen. Stove started, he loaded in two trays of lasagna, then padded to the living room to find Chrystal on her hands and knees, shaking like a leaf.

“Stubborn little pain in my ass,” he groused, jerking a blanket free from the stack and swooping down to wrap her up in it. Her bag lay discarded and disheveled to the side. The moment he had his arms around her, she buried her face to his chest and the unease inside of him evaporated. Fisting her damp hair, he urged her head back and whispered. “Pretty girl, I adore you. In fact, I’m pretty damn sure I love you. Don’t
ever
scare me like that again. Got it?”

Her beautiful walnut colored eyes blinked once, and her lips parted in an silent ‘o.’ Giving her a heartbeat or two to absorb the information, he closed his mouth over hers in a slow kiss. The contact soothed his soul. Her fleeting moment of hesitation ceased as she wrapped her arms around his neck. All the horrible tension of the last few weeks dissolved like putty under her touch.

A scrap of her teeth against his lower lip reminded him of the first time she nipped him. Drawing away a fraction, she met his gaze then lapped at the injury. They had a crap ton to talk about, but he didn’t give a damn about any of it at the moment. Picking her up, he carried her toward the bathroom and got the shower started.

“I missed you.” Her confession grounded him, and he cupped her chin.

Pressing another kiss to her lips, he whispered. “I
found
you.”

“You are the best tracker.”

“Keep stroking my ego, baby.” He winked, then she slid hand around the length of his erection. “Ego, not cock, not that I’m complaining.”

Her laughter buoyed him, as did her squeal when he carried her into the shower. The hot water would warm them both faster. Caressing every inch of her with hot soapy hands, he checked her for injuries. A handful of bruises marred her otherwise perfect skin. Her arms were a little tauter than her last visit and she’d broken every fingernail. When she repeated the same inspection to him, he wasn’t prepared for her mouth on him or how swiftly she drove him toward orgasm.

Only when he realized how serious her intent did he ease her away from his cock. Her mewl of complaint earned a chuckle, and he kissed her nose. Gliding a finger along her labia, he sighed at how wet she was. “When I come, pretty girl, it’s going to be right here.”

Playful eyes, half-languid with desire, gazed at him and he caught her as she locked her legs around his hips. Sinking into her was like going home. They didn’t need any words, just long tongue twining kisses and deeper thrusts. Only after she came apart in his arms did he let his pleasure take him. Burying his face against her throat, he fought the urge to bite down and take what was his.

No, not yet,
his wolf agreed.
Not yet.
First she had to understand, first she had to agree…no one else gave her options. No matter how much it punished him, he would not take any other choices from her.

“I think we need to start over at the beginning,” she murmured against his ear. “We got all dirty again.”

“Give me a moment and you can take me in your mouth again if you want…” He sure as hell planned on going down on her again.

“Oh,” she said, driving him mad with her soft laugh. “I want.”

They didn’t leave the shower until the water was cold. Then he only carried her over to the fire, made up a pallet and spent his time relearning every inch of her body. It was completely dark before he roused enough to go in search of food. They both needed to eat.

“I’m sorry you had to come looking for me,” she said, after they’d both demolished their first bowls of lasagna and were well into the seconds. “I thought I’d surprise you.”

Rubbing her leg with his foot, he smiled. “You always surprise me. I went all the way to Three Rivers to get you and you were gone.”

“You did?” Surprise kindled in her expression, then turned to worry. “Luciana’s probably pretty mad at me.”

“Not at all.” He didn’t want her to ache for even a moment. “Not after I told her I was coming for my mate.”

Shock rippled through her scent, and a hint of joy. No worry or disappointment tainted the moment. Surprised was good. Pleased would be better. He had plenty of patience to get from one to the next. “Mate?”

“Mmm-hmm. I’m apparently good at tracking everything except what my heart really wanted until I almost lost her.” He met her gaze. “Before we go to deeply down that particular rabbit hole, what do you know about mating?”

A pink flush suffused her cheeks. “It’s like getting married?”

Patience
. His wolf snarled at him, and he ignored the animal’s agitation. Better to go slow, not the caveman bite, claim,
fait accompli
his wolf wanted—though admittedly the idea had merit. Once she was his, no one would get in the way.
No one
. “Close. Mates can get married, but not all who marry are mates. Mating is when our wolves accept each other, when you find the person your soul belongs with, the one wolf who you would give up everything for, because they are the reason you take another breath. They’re you’re best friend, your lover, your companion…and its forever. It doesn’t dwindle or die.”

“Oh.”

He let the words sink in, then reached for her hand. Sliding his fingers between hers, he pressed their palms together. “Still with me?”

The corners of her mouth curved. “Yes…If we mate, does that mean you’re mine? Forever?”

“One hundred and ten percent, all yours. Bad habits and all.”

When she rolled her eyes, his heart lightened further. “You have no bad habits. You’re terribly perfect.”

“No bad habits?” He leaned in and bit her lower lip, then licked away the sting. “I’m very possessive, pretty girl. I like to know you’re taken care of, and I go out of my way to make sure everything is done. I won’t let you put yourself in danger, not even for a pretty picture. If you want to explore, I expect you to invite me along, and if I determine it’s too damn dangerous for you to climb out on a peak to get a shot, I’ll climb up and get it myself. I expect you to put yourself first, to tell me when you need something or want it. I also demand that you give me a hard time…”

“Do you?” Her eyebrows rose as she tested the scrape he’d left on her lip with her tongue. “Very bossy.”

“Extremely.”

“Why do I have the feeling you’re going to do all of that even if I say no to mating?”

Ignoring the lurch in his soul at the idea she would reject him, he addressed her question as honestly as he could manage. “Because I love you. Take me or not, I’ll never abandon you, Chrystal. I won’t let anyone take you away unless you want to go.” The thought tasted bitter. “You have to want to be with me, but even if you don’t—even if you decide you want to be somewhere else altogether…I’ll make it happen however you want it.” The idea flayed at his flesh, and his wolf stiffened. The wolf did not agree, but in this the man would rule. “Can you trust me, pretty girl?”

After setting aside her bowl, she crawled into his lap and wrapped her arms around him. “I do trust you. I’m just not a very good wolf, so I’m worried you’ll wake up one day and realize you got a dud.”

Gliding a hand over her hip, he stroked her skin. “You’re not a dud. You’re inexperienced, sheltered, and perfectly you. You don’t see things the way we do, you’re open and curious and full of ideas. Life with you will never be boring.”
Not even close.
“I’m a Hunter. I have to run my rounds, and do work for the pack. We’ll be on the go a lot, but I promise to show you every pretty thing I’ve ever seen.” His heart pounded frantically even as his wolf seemed to hold his breath. What the hell else could he offer her to sweeten the pot?

“Dylan?” She tilted her head. “You’re scared.” Wonder underscored the word.

“I want to be what you need,” he said, choosing his words carefully. The raw desire to have her worried him on some levels. She held his heart in her hands, and he wanted it nowhere else, but he didn’t want to use emotional blackmail or tricks to keep her. “I think, too many times in your life, decisions have been taken away from you or you’ve had opportunities presented as the only option. If you choose me, I want you to know everything…including what you are, what it would mean if we mate…I want you to be sure. I want you to make the choice right for you.”

Maybe he should stop rambling. Seduction he could handle. Fights he could handle. Begging wasn’t beyond him, though he’d never been in the position to even consider it before. God, he loved her. And she—no fear soured her scent, if anything, contentment and curiosity sweetened her natural perfume. “Hey,” he said, her last words dawning. “You read my scent.”

Pleasure lit her smile. “I’ve been practicing. I’m still not good at it. I’ve been practicing shifting, too.”

“And jailbreaks.”

Her blush gave her a dewy glow. Caressing her cheek, he exulted in having her there. The cabin was their place…and his parents suddenly made sense to him. The insight startled him and he had to laugh. They liked being away from the pack not because they were drifting…but because they had everything they needed in each other. Yeah, he could see losing himself in Chrystal the same way.

Not even fighting it.

“I didn’t know what was going on, but they all seemed so different after I went back and I missed you so much…Dylan, I do love you.” She added the last as almost an afterthought. “I love you so much. I don’t know about all the
other
stuff you were saying I needed to know. But the loving part? You’ve had my heart since you saved me from that cat.”

Peace draped him, and his wolf settled into a crouch. She loved them. They could handle everything else. “The cat?” He mock scowled. “What about the waterfall? Or the ice tree? Or going in the freezing water to get Mama?”