Winter Craving (5 page)

The sound of the
bacon popping in the frying pan drew them apart. Cyrus moved it to the back of
the stove where it wasn’t as hot. He took another pan out of the cupboard and
placed it on top the woodstove.

Cyrus turned his
gaze on her. “I’d better watch it or I’ll burn our breakfast. How would you
like your eggs? Scrambled, sunny side up or over easy?”

“Over easy.
Burning the food wouldn’t be good since I’m kind of hungry.” As if to prove her
words true, her stomach loudly growled. Shyla put her hand over it and laughed.
“That came close to sounding like the growls you make in bed.”

He stilled. “I
thought you hadn’t noticed.”

“Oh, I did, but
I liked it. I found them to be a turn-on. If I were able to purr, I’d be doing
that right along with your growls.”

Cyrus relaxed
and chuckled. “A wolf and a cat. What a good combination.”

“You did sound
like a wolf. And speaking of that particular kind of animal, did you use the
wolves who visited earlier to help look for me last night?”

“No. Why?”

“Nancy said you
took one of the shirts I’d worn and hadn’t washed, and that you were going to
use it so your hunting dogs had my scent to find me.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“I haven’t heard
any dogs on the property. Just the wolves. You don’t have any hunting dogs, do
you? If you did, you’d have been worried about them being outside in the
storm.”

Cyrus quickly
grabbed an egg out of the carton that sat on the counter, then cracked it into
the frying pan. Shyla waited for him to answer, but as he reached for a second
egg, she surmised he wasn’t going to say anything else on the subject.

“Cyrus,” she
said to let him know she wasn’t going to let it drop so easily.

He blew out a
breath. “Aren’t you the observant one?”

“Well?”

He cracked the
other egg into the pan. “Okay. Fine. I don’t have hunting dogs. Why I needed a
piece of your clothing, I’m not ready to discuss that yet. More like you aren’t
ready.”

“You’re sure of
that?”

Cyrus glanced at
her, his face serious. “Very. Can you let it drop now? I promise you’ll find
out the reason soon. I just want you to get to know me better first.”

Shyla met his
gaze and slowly nodded. “All right. I’ll let it go.”

She took a step
back, then turned and went to the table. She sat and watched Cyrus finish
cooking the food. After he filled two plates and joined her, Shyla’s thoughts
drifted to what his possible explanation could be as to why he’d needed her
shirt. She couldn’t come up with one. Well, not one that didn’t exist outside
make-believe. Such as, his being able to shift into a hunting dog and using her
scent to find her on his own.

Chapter Five

Bundled up in
her winter outerwear, Shyla waited for Cyrus to take his snowmobile out of the
shed where he kept it and his crossover parked. The loud engine started up,
then the machine can roaring out into the yard.

He shut it off
and smiled. “I have to hook up the sled before we leave.”

“Do you want
some help?”

“Nope. You can
stay there. It won’t take me long.”

Cyrus went to
the side of the building and pulled down a handmade wooden sled that stood on end
against a wall. He dragged it toward the snowmobile as if it weighed nothing.
True to his word, it only took a matter of seconds for him to hook it up to the
machine. He also loaded some items into it that he took out of the shed.

Once they’d
climbed on the snowmobile, Cyrus started the engine. Shyla held on to his waist
as he drove out of the yard and into some of the bush that surrounded the cabin
on three sides. The wind blew into her face as they cruised through a cleared
path inside the trees. She took a deep breath. Even though she’d had a close
call the night before out there, she still loved being in this environment. She
couldn’t see herself ever going back to Chicago.

It was some
minutes before Cyrus brought the snowmobile to a stop and shut off the engine.
“We have to go on foot to reach the first trap,” he said as he climbed off the
machine.

Shyla followed
suit. “All right. Is it going to be very far? The snow has to be deep.”

“No. It might be
a little harder going than usual, but we should be able to manage.”

Cyrus walked to
the sled and took out a wooden box that had a long, thick strap attached to it.
He shrugged it on over his shoulder and across his chest. With a motion of his
hand for her to follow, he turned and headed into the thicker part of the
trees.

As predicted it
was hard going, and she sunk almost up to her knees in places. Shyla struggled
to keep up behind Cyrus, who seemed to have no trouble at all walking. He
finally stopped at a thick branch of a tree that sloped toward the ground. He
brushed off the snow, revealing a trap.

Cyrus shook his
head. “Nothing.” He reached into the box and took out a chunk of meat and tied
it to a piece of wire attached to the trap. He then set it, pushing down on
either side to open the jaws. “This is a jump trap. I’m sure you’ve seen this
kind before. The animal steps on the metal disc in the middle, which causes the
jaws to snap shut. I’m using it to get martens or fishers.”

Shyla nodded.
She already knew martens and fishers, members of the weasel family, were some
of the animals trapped in the area. So were beaver and bobcat. She silently
watched as Cyrus put a bit of snow on the trap to conceal it.

They went back
to the snowmobile and Cyrus drove to his next trap. It too was empty. He
repeated the same process as he had with the first one. They continued down his
trapline, stopping at each one. At the sixth, he had her help bait it. Shyla
had to take off her waterproof mitts to do it, using her bare hands. She
cleaned them in the snow before covering them once more. That hadn’t been so
bad. She could handle doing the baiting no problem.

The next trap
had been triggered and had caught something. Cyrus pried open the jaws and
released the long-bodied, almost black furry creature.

“This is a
marten,” he said. “Hopefully there’ll be a few more of these farther down the
line. And a beaver would be nice. I have a body grip trap set up in some water
close to where they have a den.”

After Cyrus
reset the trap, they headed back to the snowmobile. He put the marten into the
sled. As Shyla climbed onto the machine behind him, she picked up that scent of
his that made her insides turn to jelly, and her pussy ache to be filled. She
had a feeling he’d always have this effect on her. She’d spent the night in his
arms and she craved more of his touch.

*

Cyrus bit back a
groan as he started the snowmobile. The smell of Shyla’s arousal washed over
him. He knew it was mostly his fault that she’d come to be in that state.
Having her riding behind him, holding on to his waist and her front plastered
to his back, it turned him on. And of course that caused his scent to increase
and have an effect on her. He had no control over it, and it’d continue to
influence her until he claimed her as his mate.

He pushed his
need away. He had to finish tending to his trapline. It was his only source of
income for the entire year, and he couldn’t afford to neglect it. There would
be plenty of time to get his mate into bed once the work was finished.

Cyrus kept
telling himself that, but his hard cock was a constant reminder of what he’d do
to Shyla once they were back at the cabin. A low growl rumbled out of him as
her scent surrounded him once he brought the snowmobile to a stop at the next
trap. He got off it, thankful his snow pants hid his erection.

Shyla came to
stand in front of him. Her cheeks were flushed, either from the cold wind and
the ride or with arousal, he didn’t know. It was the look in her eyes, desire
simmering in their depths, which had some of his control slipping.

He wrapped his
arms around her, carried her to the nearest tree and put her back against it.
With a growl laced with need, Cyrus brought his mouth down to hers. He kissed
her, pushing his tongue inside. Shyla sucked on it and moaned, the vibration
sending a jolt of arousal through him. If not for the fact it was winter and it
was damn cold out, he would have had no problem stripping her and making love
to her right there. She was his mate and he had the right to protect and
provide for her. No matter how much his cock ached, he wouldn’t take the risk
of her getting sick because he couldn’t wait to be inside her once again.

They were both
breathing hard as Cyrus released Shyla’s lips. Their breaths billowed around
them. He rested his forehead against hers. “I couldn’t help myself.”

“I’m not
complaining. I think if you hadn’t kissed me then I would have jumped you.”

He groaned.
“That isn’t helping me. You tempt me to forget the rest of the work and take
you back to the cabin so I can make love to you.”

Shyla ran her
mitt-covered hand down his back to his ass and gave him a squeeze. “How many
traps do you have left to check?”

“Six more land
traps and the one water.”

“Then let’s
hurry and finish. I’m a little impatient to have you inside me.”

Cyrus couldn’t
hold back a quiet growl. “Yup, that just made it worse.” He stepped out of
Shyla’s embrace. “We’d better get a move on or all my good intentions will
disappear and I’ll take you right here in the snow and cold.”

Shyla looked
around. “If there was a little more of a sheltered area to keep out the wind,
I’d be all for it.”

He shook his
head. “Stop being an enabler.”

“I’m just
saying.”

She had no idea
how close she was to pushing him over the line and have him acting on his
thoughts. Especially since he knew where there was a rocky overhang that’d be
perfect for outdoor fooling around.

Cyrus took
another step back. “We’re going to finish looking after the trapline, then we
can do whatever we want.”

“Oh, I already
know what I want to do. Especially
to
you.”

“You did it
again. Let’s hope I can concentrate on more than my hard dick or I’ll end up
taking a finger off in one of my traps.”

The rest of
their stops flew by in a blur. Cyrus went through the motions of unburying the
traps and resetting them. By the time he’d finished with the last one, he was
practically panting for Shyla. Never before had he’d ached so badly for a
woman. The scent of her arousal kept his body ready and primed. Once they
reached the cabin, he had no idea if he’d be able to hold back from dragging
her to the floor and sinking deep inside her as soon as they cleared the
doorway.

On the trip
home, he drove the snowmobile a little faster than he should have. After they
arrived in the yard, Cyrus went as quickly as he could to put the machine in
the shed, the sled away and store the few martens and beaver he’d caught until
he had the time to skin them.

Once they were
inside the cabin, they both hurriedly took off their winter gear. Cyrus tossed
his snow pants away, not carrying where they landed, before he dragged Shyla
into his arms. He kissed her with all his pent-up hunger until he had her
clinging to him.

As he trailed
his lips down the side of her throat, she said huskily, “I just remembered. Didn’t
you want to stop in to see your parents?”

“They can wait.
Getting you into my bed again is more important at the moment.”

She moaned as he
nipped her. “Mmm, don’t stop. Okay, but I really need a shower.”

“Far be it for
me to deprive you of that.”

Cyrus picked
Shyla up. As he reclaimed her lips, he walked across the room to the bathroom. Inside,
he slowly released her so she slid down his body. He stepped away only long
enough to turn on the shower. Once it was at the right temperature, he returned
to her and pulled her shirt off over her head.

They tugged at
each other’s clothes as they removed them one by one until they were both
naked. Cyrus guided Shyla into the shower and closed the curtain. He positioned
her under the warm spray before he grabbed the bottle of shampoo that sat on
the edge of the tub in the corner.

He washed her
hair, sinking his fingers deep and massaging her scalp. She closed her eyes and
groaned. The sound made his cock jerk in anticipation.
Down, boy
, he
silently said to it. Cyrus was going to take his time with Shyla. He intended
to clean every inch of her.

After he
conditioned her hair, he reached for the bar of soap. He rubbed it between his
hands to build up lather, then returned it to the dish. Cyrus started at
Shyla’s neck before he ran his palms along the tops of her shoulders. He looked
at her and found her gaze locked on to him, her eyes slumberous-looking and the
pupils dilated with her arousal. God, he wanted her.

He stroked his
soapy hands down her chest to her breasts. He cupped each one, and then plucked
her nipples between his thumb and index finger. She sucked in a sharp breath.
The taut peaks beckoned him to suck on them, but he wasn’t done washing her
yet. He picked up the soap once more and rubbed it between his palms.

Cyrus washed
Shyla’s sides, then her stomach. He found out she was very ticklish there when
he poked her and swirled a finger inside her bellybutton. She laughed and tried
to jump out of reach. He held her hips to keep her in place before he continued
his downward journey.

He ran his
fingers along the mound of her sex, and she audibly sucked in a breath. Cyrus bypassed
her pussy and soaped her leg. He went down on his knees and lifted her foot to
thoroughly clean it. He was almost kicked in the face as he ran his fingertips
along her instep. Another spot he’d have to remember that was ticklish on his
mate.

After he’d
washed Shyla’s other leg and foot, Cyrus worked his way up to the place on her
body that beckoned him. He soaped up his hands once more before he slid them up
the inside of her thighs. She spread her legs a little farther to give him
better access as he brushed his hand against her pussy.

With his soapy
fingers, he caressed her folds, making sure not to miss anything. Shyla let out
a whimpered moan. Once he was satisfied with the job he’d done, Cyrus pushed
her farther under the stream of water to rinse her off.

Cyrus remained
on his knees and inched Shyla closer. After he had her clear of the water, he
leaned in, spread her pussy and took a long lick. He growled at the taste of
her. She was pure heaven. He licked and sucked, jabbing his stiffened tongue
into the slick opening to her body. Her needy cries soon had him stroking two
fingers in and out of her as he latched on to her clit.

He would have
worked Shyla into an orgasm, but she said, “Enough, Cyrus. When I come I want
you inside me, but I want my turn to wash you as you did me.”

That had him
pulling his fingers out of her pussy and rising to his feet. “I don’t know how
much of it I’ll be able to stand, but I want your hands and mouth on me.”

Shyla worked the
bar of soap between her hands, creating lather, then set to work. Cyrus forced
himself to stay still and allow her to do whatever she wanted to him. A groan
mixed with a growl pushed out of him once she reached his cock. It stuck out
straight from his body, straining toward her. She wrapped her fingers around
him and pumped up and down. As she did so, she dropped her other hand to his
balls and washed them. It left him panting.

It wasn’t until
she went onto her knees in front of him and wrapped her lips around the head of
his cock did he have to push back his urge to come. As Shyla opened her mouth
and took more of him inside, sucking hard, he no longer could remain still. He
rocked his hips, thrusting in shallow strokes. Her head bobbed as she took him
in and out.

She fisted what
she couldn’t take. It wasn’t until she swirled her tongue around the head of
his shaft, hitting a sensitive spot just under it, that Cyrus almost lost the
hold he had over himself. He fought to keep his point of no return from rising
to the surface.

At his limit, he
gently pulled away and tugged her to her feet. The need to claim her as his
surged through him. His gums burned as his eyeteeth shifted to that of a
wolf’s.

Cyrus turned
Shyla so she faced the back wall of the shower and placed her hands flat on the
tiled surface. He held on to her hips and positioned her so she was slightly
bent forward. He growled as he shifted closer so the tip of his erection
brushed against her pussy from behind. She pushed back, and the head slipped
inside her.