The Wolf Who Played With Fire: New Adult Paranormal Romance (Cry Wolf) (10 page)

The Pack was crazy. They couldn’t do this to us. Chad hadn’t mentioned any of this. Why hadn’t Ethan told me sooner? I couldn’t lose Ethan to the wolves, not like this. My fears were coming to pass. I’d hoped I wouldn’t lose him to the Pack, but now I might be doing just that and for an entirely different reason.

“H-how long have you known?” The words didn’t even sound like my own voice had spoken them.

“Not long. I found out last night.” He knelt at my side again. “I didn’t want to tell you before I had a chance to talk to Chad and fight this. No matter what, I won’t let them split us apart.”

I nodded, but I wasn’t confident that he could make much of a difference when it came to fighting the will of the Pack. Their Alpha’s authority wasn’t something to be questioned, or at least that’s what I’d read in the werewolf book. I only hoped Ethan didn’t try too hard and end up getting himself hurt or killed. I’d rather have him alive and with a girl werewolf than dead.

“We could run away if I’m not able to work things out with them. They can’t have infinite reach.”

He tilted my chin up so I’d look at him.

“They don’t need infinite reach. Other Packs out there will have their own ways of doing things. You never know how bad they’ll be. At least Chad seems interested in helping you, while the Pack thought about killing you. If that’s how this group is, how will another group be?” I leaned back on the couch. Part of me wanted to throw a blanket over my face and disappear, but hiding wasn’t the answer to this.

“It’s going to be okay. We’re going to work through it. I’ll figure out how I can get them to pay attention to what I need. Chad said if I help them with a missing person, I could leverage some influence with the Alpha. He might be more interested then in my desires than dictating to me.” Ethan brushed his lips over mine, but the kiss spoke his frustration more than simply showing passion. He ran his hand over my side, from my shoulder all the way down to my hip.

I wanted to curl into his warmth and wrap myself in him. He was safe and if I had to, I would reassert my own power to the Pack. They might not like me, but I had enough belief in our relationship that I wouldn’t let the werewolves stomp all over me. They didn’t know I was closer to a novice than most witches.

Besides, I’d charred their former second in command and almost killed their Alpha, even though that last part had been a complete and utter accident.

“I know we will.” I trailed my hands over his torso.

He dropped my shoes beside the couch and bent closer, pulling me into his arms, once again taking the utmost care not to hurt my swollen ankle. He lifted me into his arms, then hastily kicked off his shoes before walking upstairs with me.

When we finally got to my bedroom, he laid me in the center of the bed before crawling on too. I was ready for his love and happy he’d told me the truth about the werewolves wanting him with a female wolf, even if it cut me to the core.

Honesty was something we could work with. If I didn’t know what was going on, then it felt like he was withdrawing to protect a dark secret.

I moved a little under his firm body. My foot brushed against his leg and pain radiated out from my ankle. I grimaced before I could hold it in.

“Are you okay, babe?” He glanced down the length of my body. “Here, let me make sure you’re comfortable before we even think about going forward with this.”

Ethan never failed to surprise me. He took such wonderful care of me while I was hurt that it made me want to do whatever I could to be there for him too. How could I have ever questioned him?

I wanted to bathe him in love and lust until neither of us could walk straight. “I’m okay. Just brushed my foot against your leg on accident. I should’ve been more careful.”

He grabbed one of the pillows and carried it to the end of the bed, where he very gently propped my foot up. “This should help a bit. At least you’ll be able to relax a little more and your foot would be in the best position to heal.” He trailed his palm over my shin, then he slid it up to my thighs. The path his hand traveled left behind fire and pleasure, and I wanted to close my eyes and sink into the wonderful feelings caressing me.

“You’re right. This feels so much better.” I grinned at him, unable to help myself. “You’re very good.”

He winked and slid onto the bed next to me, propping his head on his palm. “If you need more proof on how good I am, let me know.” He leaned in and gave me a lingering kiss. “I wouldn’t want to pressure you into anything you’re not comfortable with.” His words were the only sign that he was willing to stop right here. Everything else made him look like a predator ready to pounce its prey.

The worst thing was instinctively I knew this must be his beast coming to the surface, yet I still wanted him inside of me. I didn’t care about the fact werewolves scared me, or that he was slowly becoming one. Right now, he was Ethan and that was all that mattered.

“I don’t feel pressured into anything. Don’t push me away. I know you can smell how much I want you.” I caressed his cheek with my fingertips, closing the distance between us again.

His soft lips brushed mine, slowly at first. The press of his tongue demanded access to my mouth. I opened for him, letting him taste me and claim me as I wanted him to do with my body, which for the moment was slow but steady. We both enjoyed sex harder and wilder, but that wouldn’t go down well with my ankle like this.

He caressed his hand over my body and along my curves before he slid to the button on my skirt. Pulling away from the kiss, he unfastened it. I didn’t mind because I wanted both of us to be naked. “Let me get this off you. Lift your hips if you can, baby. I’ll do the rest.”

I arched into the air as much as I could, and he slipped the skirt off. Biting my lower lip, I enjoyed this shared moment. Even though Ethan was becoming a werewolf, he was still the man I loved. He loved me and accepted me, and that was a lot more than Greg had offered.

“Is everything okay, Mia?” he asked, worry sliding into his voice. “I’m not hurting you, am I?” He stopped what he was doing, but I kept my hips up, wanting him get the skirt off. He hooked his thumb into my dainty panties, taking them away as well.

“I’m not hurting. It’s fine.” I smiled, but from the look in his eyes, he knew there was something wrong. But I refused to tell him I’d just thought of how shitty my ex had been while making love to him. That really wouldn’t sit right, not with him or with me.

Seconds ticked by and I wondered if he’d take my avoidance and drop it. And he did.

When he looked back up my body, the agitation had faded from his eyes and he looked wilder and hungrier than before. He nibbled on my leg near my knee, then moved the pillow my foot was propped on so my legs were spread.

I bit my lower lip, wanting to feel his mouth on me. With Ethan in charge, I’d be able to lay back and relish in the delicious torment he drew out of my body when he caressed me with his tongue without worrying about my ankle, even if I’d rather be straddling him.

He nibbled along the inside of my thigh as he carefully crawled between my legs. He lifted my shirt, exposing my stomach and smooth satin bra. His fingertips brushed over the material.

I moaned, enjoying the fact Ethan so clearly savored my body and what he wanted to do to me. He was like a man with a mission, and his mission was my pleasure. Whatever he did was so I’d reach bliss. The fact he dominated and sometimes got wilder and rougher just made these moments much more fun and intense. Of course, I liked being in charge sometimes, but I loved submitting to Ethan’s will while we were in the bedroom.

He slid his lips over my thigh toward my folds, and I spread my uninjured leg wider wanting all he had to offer, both his tongue and his solid erection.

He traced his tongue over my lips before slipping between them. With the hand that wasn’t playing with my breasts, he nudged a finger against my entrance. He probed my core, allowing time for me to adjust before thrusting his digit in and out faster.

I groaned, tilting my head back and staring up at the ceiling. My life was more complete than it had ever been, yet so many things battled me for the small victories I’d won. But I needed to take each day as it came instead of beating myself up for past missteps. Doing that would help no one.

I slid my hands through his short hair, focusing on the sweet sensations tugging between my legs as he circled his tongue over my clit, caressing it in delightful strokes as pleasure buzzed through me.

Arching my back, I placed my hand over his. “Ethan,” I moaned. The t-shirt and bra had to come off. I wanted the press of our nude bodies together. His touch electrified and soothed all at the same time.

He slid his gaze up the length of my body, and he had a relaxed if not slightly feral look in his eyes. The look drew more wetness between my legs and I spread them ever farther. He added another finger to the mix, and I gasped. Pleasure intensified within me.

I wanted so much more, but this was really what I’d needed. With everything going on recently, reconnecting with Ethan was more important than I’d realized. We’d come this far. Nolan, Jessa, all the werewolf stuff; those things would resolve themselves.

He thrust his fingers in deeper and faster, bringing me ever closer to the edge. I bit my lower lip. “Oh goodness, Ethan... You’re amazing.”

Ethan chuckled. The husky rumbling sound reverberated through my body and sent shivers chasing up my spine. He did this on purpose. He had to know how much all of this turned me on. That was the reason he was so confident and sexy, right?

“I want you inside me. Please.” He wasn’t even naked, but I just couldn’t imagine not having him in me.

He winked. “Patience, my love.”

My body burned. If he didn’t do something, I would be flying into the arms of a climax before he even took his shirt off. Or maybe that was the point.

He removed his fingers from me, and my body felt empty without him. I glanced down, but I didn’t have much chance because his tongue slid lower delving inside my core and searing me with desire.

I gripped his short hair, wishing for a moment it were a little longer. “Oh, oh, my goodness. Don’t stop.” Lust toyed with me. Climax grew ever closer, remaining just out of reach but not by much.

He thrust his tongue within me, licking with nearly ravishing strokes of his tongue like a starving man.

The orgasm hit me like a ton of bricks and I cried out. My body shattered as waves of pleasure crashed over me again and again.

Ethan continued teasing me until I was pretty sure I would have nothing left for him. I panted and blinked up at the ceiling, feeling drained and boneless.

What had I ever done to get such a wonderful guy in my life? Oh, that’s right. I’d made a love potion that screwed with my karma, but ultimately I’d won over the man of my dreams.

Pulling back, he grinned at me. “Now that I’ve got you how I want you.” He hopped off the bed with such agility that I’d have thought he was some kind of feline shifter. It unnerved me a little, but I brushed it off. He was a soldier, so he was more athletic than most. It only made sense that he was acquiescing to his supernatural abilities like that.

He slid a condom from the pack in my bedside nightstand before he unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants. He did it slowly and kept his gaze on me, letting me know exactly how erotically charged he was. I wanted him so much, much more than I’d ever imagined even during my terribly horny teenage years.

My desire for him was one of the reasons why I hadn’t really dated much. My parents had thought I was some sweet good girl who was holding off for the right guy and doing as they told me. They hadn’t really wanted me to date until I was at least eighteen, but I’d known better. I had a few boyfriends, but nothing that had been too serious.

In college, on the other hand, when I pretty well knew any chance of Ethan ever acknowledging my existence was next to nil had been a whole ‘nother story. I may have gone wild but I wasn’t too bad. Some of my college friends had been
a lot
worse.

After my grandmother passed away, I’d withdrawn from socializing, so those friends were long gone. Most of them had moved away where there were better jobs and better pay. More opportunities.

Not me.

I’d still hoped to catch Ethan’s eye, but when he’d been deployed, my heart had hurt. I’d worried I might never see him again. Watching the news to see what was going on in the Middle East hadn’t soothed my fears, but he’d sent the occasional email to Nolan and made the rare phone call. When that happened, my brother made sure to give my family updates about Ethan’s well-being, so I’d known he was okay.

Ethan dropped his jeans to the floor. He wasn’t wearing any underwear, and I loved knowing he was so excited that we were about to be intimate. He tugged his shirt off, causing his sculpted muscles to flex.

Small beads of sweat formed on my skin. He rolled the condom on his thick, long cock, and I marveled at the sight. I couldn’t help it. I enjoyed being with him, and he knew what he was doing, which made the bouts of romance that much sweeter. He somehow always manipulated my body into doing exactly as he pleased.

He crawled onto the bed and nudged my legs further apart. He helped me up enough to pull my shirt over my head and unhook my bra. The feel of our bodies, skin on skin, was delightful. He pressed me down on the bed and I ran my hands over his chest, kissing him on the lips.