Coyote's Kiss (21 page)

Panting, she stopped and listened.

She had no idea what her face would have looked like right then but she was smiling. The aroma of her quarry was close and she could even pick up the faint crackle from a fire.

She followed the trail up the beach farther back away from the water. The sand beneath her paws was soft and helped her move in silence. She was coming up from the south, down-wind, knowing the element of surprise was on her side. He had his back to her as he crouched over the fire poking at it with a stick.

Piper hunkered down and waited.

There was no chance that she would ever hurt this man. Jace Anderson was her mate. The word floated around in her mind and it was her wolf side that liked that word.

As a human she loved Jace as her partner. As a wolf she ached to claim him, for everyone else in the world to know that he belonged to her.

For several months she’d struggled to keep the animal instinct from doing just that. To claim Jace, she would have to bite him, and that scared her. She had no idea what consequences would come from her sinking her teeth into his flesh.

She would not let Jace be changed the way she’d been.

He straightened and tossed the stick in his hand away. Piper admired his strong, broad back. She loved to run her hands and tongue over his bulging muscles. Squirming, she bit down on her tongue to hold in the sound of her need that wanted to escape.

Piper was impatient for the man to turn toward her so that she could see his face. Considering her options, she came up with an idea. She thumped her tail against the log to her side in three quick beats before she froze again.

He turned, his gaze roaming around the fallen logs and darkness. She didn’t have long before he would spot her. The muscles in her legs bunched as she prepared herself. Just as he rotated to face her fully, she pounced.

In a well-practiced move, she leaped at his chest, knocking him back. His arms closed around her as the fell to the ground. She let out a rumble as he buried his hands in her fur and held her tight. She loomed over him, running her long, rough tongue over his cheek.

“Okay,” he said with a laugh and pushed her head to the side. “You got me.”

Pleased, she climbed off him so he could sit up. Settling next to him, she rested her chin on his leg.

“How was your run, baby?”

Jace liked to talk to her, even if she couldn’t respond back. She pawed his hand, wanting to feel it back on her.

“All right, I get it,” he said petting her side again.

Piper wiggled around until she was comfortably laid out listening to Jace’s voice.

“I got an email from Mitch today. He downloaded several files that he wanted me to take a look at.”

Mitch Ryan was Jace’s best friend whom he’d known since their Special Forces days. So far Piper hadn’t met the man, but she had the feeling that soon she would no longer be able to put off the introduction. Not that she didn’t want to meet him…exactly. She just knew she wasn’t what anyone would expect or want for their best friend. Fully aware of her shortcomings that didn’t even include the fact she turned into a freaking wolf, she was lucky to have Jace.

Jace loved her. Sometimes Piper still waited for him to catch on that she wasn’t good enough to him. She was certain when his best friend was there that Mitch would point it out to Jace as well.

Time was running out and she knew it. Jace had contacted Mitch, the best hacker he knew, in hope of Mitch being able to help in their investigation on her shifter origin. There weren’t many avenues they could search without drawing attention to themselves. Jace believed one hundred percent that Mitch would never betray them. Jace had saved Mitch’s life not once, but twice.

Her secret would have to be revealed to a stranger for the first time, if Mitch hadn’t already figured it out by what Jace had requested from him. She sure hoped that Jace knew what he was doing. As much as she wanted to find out about what she was, she still feared what would happen if the wrong person found her.

In the years she’d been on the run, she had met very few people like herself. The ones she had met had either wanted nothing to do with her or hadn’t given her the chance to talk to them before disappearing. It was upsetting that she’d had the chance at getting real information from someone who knew what she was going through and had ended up disappointed every time.

Jace strongly believed that the more they could find out about her
gift,
the better chance they had at protecting themselves. Piper hadn’t been so sure but over the last couple of months, Jace had talked her into looking more into it. She knew he was doing it because he loved her.

She went along with his plan for the same reason.

“I haven’t had the chance to look at them yet but I thought we could do it tonight before bed,” Jace continued talking, unaware of the reflection she was doing in her mind.

Each week when she transformed, she and Jace stuck to this unique ritual. She would head out right after dark and spend hours letting her wolf roam free. After that she would track down Jace and spend a good amount of time with him in her shifter form. Having her as a wolf with him was helping them both. Piper no longer feared that she would somehow hurt her mate, and Jace knew that no matter which Piper he was with, he was safe.

“Mitch also wants to come down. He can be here first thing in the morning.”

She jerked her attention back to Jace. She hadn’t met any of Jace’s close friends yet. The few co-workers that she and Jace interacted with daily were the only people that Piper was comfortable around.

She growled, showing her displeasure. Sometimes being right sucked. They were going to have to meet.

“I know.” He patted her side. “He’s my best friend. I’ve told you how much I trust him. If he sent those files and feels the need to come down, I’m sure there is a good reason.”

She pushed away from Jace and stood before stretching her legs out in front of her. She wanted to shift so she was able to talk to Jace.

Presumably understanding what she wanted, Jace gained his feet and stepped back. “Go ahead.”

Piper hated this part.

In movies and fiction books the transformation back and forth between human and animal was shown to be effortless. That was very untrue for her.

It hurt to shift.

It also took several long minutes to complete the change.

She crouched low and closed her eyes tightly. Her shifting started with a tingle at the base of her spine. As her skin started to stretch, she cried out in pain. The sounds of her bones popping and reshaping were loud in the quiet night. After that, Piper never really knew what took place. It seemed like she zoned out from the hurt until she was on her hands and knees, gasping for breath.

“Shh.” Jace gathered her into his arms. “It’s over, baby. Calm down.”

Piper clung to him as she trembled in exhaustion. God, she hated what she had to go through anytime she wanted to shift into her wolf.

Jace whispered softly to her, which helped Piper get control of herself. She pushed her bangs off her sweaty face and peered up at him.

“Hi.” He smiled.

He was so handsome. Sometimes Piper would just stare at him, amazed that this wonderful man wanted her. “Hi.”

He chuckled and stood, helping her to her feet. “How do you feel now?”

“I’m fine,” she assured him. Her legs were still a little shaky, but she had more important things on her mind. “Did you really invite your…your friend here?”

Jace sighed before cupping her cheek. “He’s not going to hurt you.”

“But he knows…what I am?”

“I think he might suspect,” Jace admitted. “He knows what I’m looking for but I never told him it was because of you. He does know that I didn’t start looking into werewolves until after we moved in together.”

“How could he even believe? It’s not like this is normal conversation. What if he wants to see me? Or he could be bringing someone to take me away.”

“No,” Jace said before lightly kissing her. When he drew back, his gaze was soft. “I’d never let anyone hurt you. We saw some strange…things when we were overseas. Stuff that we couldn’t explain. That was the reason I contacted Mitch. I knew he was already looking into some of our weird experiences.”

Piper relaxed into his hold. She didn’t like the thought that someone she didn’t know might have guessed what she was. Even if Jace trusted this guy, it didn’t mean that she would. While Jace spent time with his friend, she would have to do some of her own digging around. If this friend of Jace’s tried to hurt either one of them, he would find out just how protective she could be.

“Fine,” she said letting the subject drop.

“Good,” he replied before he ran his hands down her side. Jace lowered his mouth to her shoulder and peppered kisses over her flesh. “Because I can think of so many other things to talk about when you’re naked and at my mercy.”

She grinned. “Oh yeah?”

Jace lifted her easily off her feet and strolled back closer to the fire. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she nipped at his jaw. She hadn’t seen the blanket and was surprised when he laid her down on top of it. He always thought of everything.

As Jace settled between her legs Piper ran her hands over his chest. The tattoo over his heart was dark and a complicated series of intertwined lines. She loved to run her tongue over the ink and did so as Jace’s fingers trailed down her neck.

She knew his body now. What he liked, how to arouse, and what was too much.

Jace tugged on her hair, lifting her face. She moved her mouth against his as they shared a deep, passionate kiss. She shivered as he ran his fingers lower down her body before tracing his fingertips against her wet folds.

Piper spread her legs farther apart before lifting her hips slightly.

Jace’s erection pressed against her thigh. Naked, she wanted him naked.

Distracting her, Jace slipped one long finger inside. All thought of getting his pants off left as he plunged his digit in and out. Her nails scored his back as she bucked up, trying to get more sensation. “Please.”

His breath coasted against her ear. “What?” he teased. “Tell me.”

Oh, she loved it when he went dominant on her. Of course, Jace knew that. “More. I need more.”

“Beg,” he demanded.

Piper had no problem complying with that. She pleaded for him to take her as she snapped her hips.

“I love the sound of you begging.”

She was so relieved when he pulled his hand away and started to unsnap his jeans that she almost sobbed. The ache between her legs was like a fire coursing through her body.

Unable to keep her hands to herself, she petted his broad chest. He shuddered as her fingertips brushed his nipples.

Jace finished pushing down his pants before he caught both her wrists and moved them over her head. As she bit her lip, excitement throbbed down her spine.

“Stay where I put you.”

She nodded.

He released his hold before traveling down her body, kissing and nipping at her sensitive flesh. Gasping, she bucked at the sting.

“Stay.”

Her breath caught at his tone. Holy hell, she was so turned on. “Jace!”

She felt his smile against her stomach but that was the only response she got. He was going to make her wait until she was desperate for him.

Digging the heels of her feet into the blanket, Piper tried her best to follow Jace’s order. The submissive part of her wanted to please her lover. Pushing her own needs down was a struggle.

“Oh God.”

She jumped and whimpered when his lips brushed over her clit. “Please, Jace. Please.”

He spread her thighs farther apart while he licked her once. Just a taste.

Piper did sob then.

“All right, honey, it’s okay,” Jace said before he sat up and positioned himself at her entrance.

Moonlight glinted off the small bead of moisture at the tip of his cock. He was just as aroused as she was. Not done torturing her quite yet, he pumped himself several times while she watched.

She’d been able to hold her wolf back so far but her control began to snap. Very seldom did she have to worry about the animal inside breaking loose but the ache in her gums warned that her teeth wanted to lengthen. She craved to bite and claim her mate.

Luckily Jace seemed to know when she reached her limit and slowly started to enter her. His cock stretched her as Jace filled her. The connection strengthened the bond between the two of them. Piper could feel the link joining them pulse in her heart.

Crying out, she clung to Jace as he withdrew gradually before plunging deep.

Mate.

The word bounced around in her head as Jace started to thrust rapidly. Piper had to clamp her teeth together to resist the overwhelming urge to sink her canines into Jace’s shoulder.

Her lover was braced above her, sweat dripping down his forehead as he snapped his hips, taking her harder with each drive. Back bowed, she shuddered in pleasure. She wanted to let go. Needed to be taken and claimed.

It was getting harder and harder to stop herself from marking Jace.

“Let go,” Jace told her. “Give it all to me.”

He didn’t know what he was asking. Couldn’t understand that she was unable to comply with his request. She didn’t want to turn into the monster that took her choices from her.

She wouldn’t do that to Jace.

“You belong to me,” Jace snarled while still pushing into her with powerful pushes. “Mine.”

Bliss swamped her. A scream ripped from her throat as she finally lost all restraint. Her teeth dropped, cutting her lip. She had no control over the partial shift.

“Yes!” Jace called, losing his own battle in self-control.

Piper fell over the edge of climax hanging on to Jace to anchor herself. Jace’s shout mixed with hers as they both reached satisfaction.

His heavy weight collapsed on top of her. She pressed her fingers into his strong back before stroking his muscles. He lifted his head and grinned.

Relief she hadn’t bitten him mixed deep inside her with a touch of disappointment. She didn’t know how long she could fight the need to mate with Jace.