Wolf Fever (Alpha Project - Book 1) (8 page)

“This place is amazing.”

He chuckled. “You sound more impressed by my house than me.”

She jerked her head his way in disbelief. The house was great, but he was… well, she was still trying to figure out what he was.

He winked. “I might get jealous.”

The large room seemed to shrink in on her. A mantle of heat covered her cheeks. “Can you show me to your guest room?”

She followed behind him until they reached an open door. He flicked the lights to a pale gold room. Sheer panels covered the windows. A bedspread in a deeper shade of burnt gold covered the large sleigh bed.

“I hired a decorator to redo the place when my parents died. My mom’s sisters wanted most of the family heirlooms, and so I just kept a few pieces and bought everything new. I didn’t have a woman I slept with do this.”

Her gaze clashed with his. She wondered if he’d read her mind. The thought that some woman had done his place nagged her.

She widened her eyes. “How did you know I was wondering?”

Arousal gathered in her core as he closed the distance between them. His gaze roamed her face, kissed her lips, and traveled back up to meet her eyes.

“I could see the wheels turning in your beautiful face.” He drove his hand into her hair and snapped the band holding her ponytail in place.

She licked her lips, raised her hands to his biceps, and caressed his muscled arms. “I need a shower.”

He fisted her long hair and tugged her head back. She whimpered. Arousal washed over her like a dip in a hot tub. Turning her face into his touch, she displayed her neck for him. Something about the move made her feel at his command.

Passion intensified. It turned her pussy slick with need. He licked a trail from her shoulder up to her ear. She shuddered and moaned.

“I’ll bring you something to wear.” His warm breath stroked her ear. Her lungs constricted when he trailed soft kisses down to her lips.

She panted. Frozen in place for moments before she realized he wasn’t even in the room with her. How in the world did he do that? She couldn’t think. Her brain had turned to a quivering mass of arousal.

Her wolf whined, wanting to get him naked. “Yeah, join the crowd, sister.”

She stripped off her clothes and rushed to the bathroom. If she didn’t figure out how to tame that animal, she’d end up getting arrested for public indecency.

The entire time she showered, she tried to stop the muscles tightening on her. Cool water slid over her heated skin in pinprick caresses. It didn’t help. She lost control. Dropped on all four. Hair matted to her face when her head fell forward. The sound of cracking filled the enclosed space. Not again. Her chest burned. Fur coated her skin again. She shut her eyes.

“
No no no!”
She whimpered past her locked throat muscles.

She mentally ordered the animal back. To stop trying to take control. There was too much to think about. It was not the time for her to be in a different body.

Panting with exertion over her push back at the change trying to take hold, she jerked her eyes open and studied her legs. The fur covering her limbs receded. Her curvy legs and thighs returned. Her muscles stopped burning after a few moments. She sat there, letting water drip over her. She was having a hard time controlling the beast and no telling what she’d do if it got out.

Chapter Six

Ryder debated with himself. It was either go back into her room and take her, or get his ass up to his bathroom and take a cold shower. He sighed and made his way to his bedroom.

She was so beautiful with her caramel skin and delicious pouty lips. The image of her golden eyes, filled with so much vulnerability and confusion, twisted his stomach in knots. He wanted to reassure her that everything would be fine, but he had no idea who was out there experimenting with lab created shifters.

He scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck. She was so aggressive. Strong. Much stronger than most shifters he knew. Clearly she needed to be taught how to control her animal, teach the dominant wild side that she was in charge.

Soft buzzing in his pocket grabbed his attention. He pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen. Theo.

“What’s going on?” He sat on the edge of his bed, looking around his darkened bedroom.

“It’s James.” Theo’s voice was somber. “His family hasn’t heard from him in days.”

Ryder’s anxiety spiked. “When was the last time they spoke to him?”

“It seems over a week. He was running with Quinn in the north side of the Tenam Forest.”

“Have we sent anyone out there to look for them yet?” He fisted a hand, wishing he knew what Quinn had been thinking when he took off for the run.

“Already on it. I’ve got two of the enforcer’s combing the side that links with the business side of town.” Theo stopped talking to him to give instructions for others to questions any friends James had.

Ryder was running out of ideas. “I’m going to pay Jessa a visit in the morning. Maybe she’s thought of something else that could help us find them. Heck, maybe he’s called her.”

Theo sighed. “Give me a call and tell me if there are any other places we should be checking.”

He ended the call and opened a chest of drawers. After grabbing a pair of boxers and a T-shirt, he made his way back to her bedroom. He stopped by her door. Inhaled. A strained groan slipped past his lips. He dropped his head forward, hitting the door with his forehead. Her scent was intoxicating. And he couldn’t even say it was the soap. Everything in his bathrooms was unscented. What he smelled was a combination of her arousal, her wild wolf, and musky woman. His cock jerked in readiness.

Fuck
!

He visualized licking his way down her body, starting with her sexy mouth. He wanted to suck on her tight, little nipples again. An electric shiver raced down his spine. He licked his lips. Gripping his cock over the uncomfortable jeans, he visualized caressing her full hips while rubbing his face in her pussy, licking her into orgasm.

But he knew Raine hadn’t been born a shifter. She had no idea that his fate was already in her hands. Not only was it his wolf that wanted hers, but the woman intrigued him. She was handling something that would have made a grown man freak out with such strength. He was more than impressed. Her aggression turned him on, but the softer side he saw was what really caught his attention. He wanted to hold her. Protect her.

He was about to lift a fist to knock on the door when he heard her speak. That voice of hers could tempt a saint into sinning. Husky. Low. Pure decadence. Luckily, he was no saint.

“Mandy? No, I’m fine.”

Thanks to his enhanced hearing, he also heard her friend at the other end of the line.

“What did you do, Raine?” Mandy sounded frantic. “Where are you?”

“I went to look for…” He heard her low inhale. Followed by an almost inaudible whimper. “I went to look for Ryder.”

“Are you insane?” Even from a distance, Mandy’s squeak hurt his eardrum. He winced and took a step back.

“I told you I need him.” Raine’s voice was soft by steely.

“Why? What could he possibly do for you? They’re dangerous, Raine. You don’t know what you’re getting into.”

She sighed. He could almost hear her exhaustion dragging her down. “I-I know what I’m doing. Don’t worry so much. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Wait! Are you okay?” Mandy’s worry reduced some of his tension. She was concerned for her friend. Wanted her safe.

“I’m fine. Really, don’t worry. Bye.”

He stood there. Waiting. Knowing she was aware he was outside the door.

A heartbeat later, she padded to the door and opened it. Her brown hair hung in half-dried clumps. She wore a white bathrobe he knew she’d found in his guestroom.

She licked her lips. Inhaled loud. Desire sparkled in her eyes. “Do you want to come in?”

That was the best question he’d ever been asked. But he knew she was allowing her need to guide her actions. He had to fight the wolf that wanted to pick her up and take her then and there.

Time to get away from her before she ended up with her back against the wall. He shoved the clothes into her hands. “I-I think this should work to help you sleep.”

The dominant wolf howled inside, angry that he wasn’t fucking her, or at the very least stripping off the bathrobe.

“Have a good night.”

Calling himself all kinds of fool, he turned on his heel—which was the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life—and wanted to kick his own ass. He was going to end up with blue balls because of his stupid need to give her time. Fucking hell. His cock was going to suffer all night. But he didn’t want to push her when she’d been unsure about coming home with him. She was a new shifter for crying out loud. She hadn’t even done her first shift yet. If he took her, and goddamn it all to hell he wanted to, he’d just add to the confusion he saw in her features. The confusion he saw when need wasn’t clouding her brain.

That last glance into her eyes, and the passion he’d seen there, was going to be what helped him give his body some manual stimulation later on. Though later meant the minute he got to his bedroom and he could remove the annoying jeans to relieve himself.

He growled, tore off the T-shirt and jeans and headed for his shower. He was wound so tight, his wolf howled with the need to run. Raine. An image of her naked body riding him followed him into the shower. He soaped his hands and began washing himself. Sliding his soapy fingers down to his cock and balls, he hissed and grasped the aching length. Water rained down his head. The cool drops slid over his body in tempting caresses. He jerked into his grip. Harsh groans rushed past his lips with each hard thrust into his fist. The sound of soft steps stopped him mid stroke. He inhaled, clenched his jaw, and reined in the urge to rip open the glass door.

He watched and waited. Her scent drew closer, until he knew she stood right outside the glass shower door. After what felt like an eternity, it slid open. Raine, naked, and beautiful stepped in.

“Don’t look at me that way,” he groaned.

She blinked her eyes wide. “How?”

Her husky voice increased his need to take her. He growled. “It was hard enough to stay away from you downstairs.”

Indecision flitted through her eyes, but was soon replaced by determination. “I don’t want to think so hard.” She took a step toward him. “I can’t seem to get you out of my mind.”

“Raine. You’ve never been driven by the mating instinct before. You’ll adjust.”

Her gaze slithered down his body to the hand holding his cock. She licked her bottom lip and glanced up at him through lowered lashes. “I don’t know anything about mating instincts, or why I want to devour you whenever you’re near. All I know is that I want you.” She closed the distance between them, traced his jaw with one hand, and cupped his balls with the other. “Now.”

Air pounded hard in his chest with a savage calling for him to take her. Desire broke his control. He hauled her into his arms and kissed her. Her nails dug into his shoulders, adding a bite of pain that called to his wolf. He squeezed his way down her body and flipped her around to face the wall. She moaned, bent, and placed her hands flat on the slick tile. He licked up her spine until he reached the back of her shoulder, and thrust into her tight body.

Hard.

Fast.

Wild.

He was beyond control. Beyond slow caresses. The need to possess was too high. Her scent too powerful. The wolf didn’t want to back down. She was his. He fisted her hair and tugged her head to the side, displaying her neck. He pulled out and plunged back into her roughly. Over and over, the sound of skin slapping turned into the music of their mating.

She gasped. Stance wide, she propelled back into each of his thrust. Almost as if she also couldn’t get enough of him.

He grazed her shoulder with his teeth. More. Her whimpers for more drove the beast to the edge. Her pussy fluttered over his cock, turning his lust into a blazing inferno. His drives were harsh, untamed. A savagery had taken over him. One he had no power or control over. Each of his moves was driven solely by the need to have her, to come inside her, and mark her as his. His woman. His mate.

“
Yesss.
”

Those moans. They pushed him further out of the realm of reality and into the animal side. He gripped her hip hard. Pummeled her with his cock. Every drive in to her sleek, hot sex was like a new perfect moment. He grunted and licked her shoulder. The smooth, golden skin was perfect for him to bite.

Her soft cries of encouragement ratcheted up his enjoyment until all he wanted was to hear more of them. The urge to bite her grew even stronger. With each thrust into her hot channel, he lost a little more of his hold on the animal.

He grazed his teeth over her shoulder bend. A slice of lucidity broke through the mating haze. No! “Fuck!”

It was getting harder to remember why he shouldn’t bite her. She was his. So what that she needed time to adjust. He could still claim her. Take her. Own her body, mind, and soul. But his stupid need to hear her ask him to bite her was stronger than his wolf’s will.

“More, more, more.” Her moans increased in volume the harder he fucked her.

He slid the hand on her hips between her thighs and rubbed her swollen little clit.

“Oh!” She groaned and shook. Her body convulsed. Her pussy gripped his cock tight as she came.

He ground his cock harder into her, loving the feel of her tight pussy. Tension broke in his spine. Molten bliss shot down his body. He stiffened and jerked, filling her with his cum. Air panted out of his lungs. He pulled out of her and turned her in his arms. Her passion-dazed smile made him want to howl.

She kissed his jaw, winding her arms around his neck. Their heart beat in collective racing gallops. He kissed her wet forehead. The wolf wasn’t satisfied, wouldn’t be satisfied, until she had his mark. At least the animal wasn’t fighting him.

Raine had never felt so desired. So wanted. Heck, she’d never felt so damn sexy. None of her previous boyfriends, men she’d painstakingly background checked and considered her perfect match, had ever made her feel so sensual and incredible. She’d been so careful to only date men she had multiple things in common with. It was laughable. Here she was, thirty-three years old, having led a life filled with sexual and emotional disappointments, until now.