Wolf's Desire (13 page)

With her body s
pent, her limbs went limp under him.

He slid out of her slowly, then fell next to her panting for breath. Not even a full minute passed by before he pulled her body against his side. She entwined her leg with his and rested her face on his chest.

They remained like that for what seemed like an eternity, and dusk turned into twilight. The room became dark except for the corner of the room where a single dimly-lit lamp shining brightly sat on the end table.

“He’s beautiful,” she whi
spered, tracing the scars on his chest.

“Who is?”

“The wolf who calls me mate.”

Her eyelids became heavy and she succumbed to a peaceful sleep.

“Tell me about your scars.” Keira rested her back against the tub and sunk down lower into the tea tree oil and lavender infused bath.

Aiden sat on the tub and smoothed the sponge across her shoulders. The towel wrapped around his waist had parted open. He was still very much aroused, she could tell. Despite her advances and requests for more of last night, he’d denied her. Every part of her throbbed in pain. The area between her legs hurt the most.

They thought the pain would have worn off after having breakfast, but the sensation still lingered. He’d made a bath for her hoping it would help.

“I’m wolf, Keira. I’ve been in many fights. The scars don’t really go away.”

“What do you fight about?”

“Many things.”
He fisted the sponge, squeezing the water out over her chest. “I wasn’t always a part of the Caedmon Pack. Before I joined our council, I was basically an outcast. A wolf without a pack. Both Blake and I were born into the Arnou Pack.”

“Arnou? Is this a different kind of wolf?”

“No. One and same, but Caedmon and Arnou are rival wolf packs. Remember me telling you that there was a human branch of Caedmon?”

“Right.” She nodded. “
Other
. But they cannot shift. They just possess condensed powers.”

“Centuries ago, both Caedmon and Other were one tribe until what we mark as the Great Fallout. Our leader at the time was William Caedmon II, and he was the first one to ever be challenged for the right to lead. That challenge came from
his twin brother, Rodolphus Arnou Caedmon. Our Elders say it was the bloodiest duel in our history.”

“Who won the challenge?” The bath water was getting cold, but she was content on uncovering this mystery.

“The fight ended in a stalemate. Both wolves were in their prime, and neither could deliver an effective death blow. It was too late to bring the tribe together again, for both Caedmon and Arnou had followers. There was no peace. Friends became enemies and many lives were lost on both sides. To end it all, a war was waged.”

“Wolf shifters had a war?”

“A war was warranted for this unusual circumstances.”

“Who won?” she asked.

“William Caedmon’s followers won the war, but they lost their leader in the process. Arnou was injured on the battle field and succumbed to his injuries weeks later.”

“The book, shield, and dagger—”

“Yes. They belonged to William. Why they were removed and by whom is still a mystery. I presume they have been hidden all this time.”

“After William died, his youngest son stepped up in his place. He was very bitter, and never got over the death of his father and two siblings as a result of the war. He enacted a law that disbanded all
Other
from the tribe for advising his father to agree to the war. The tribe became a wolf pack. And it didn’t take long for Arnou’s only son to gather his followers and build a pack of his own. That was centuries ago, but history has a way of repeating itself.”

“Devin must be your current leader,” she said. “You speak so highly of him. Who leads the Arnou Pack?”

He frowned. “Tristan Arnou.”

“
You identify with Caedmon now?”

“
Completely. I was born into that Pack, but I never lost sight of who I truly was.” He paused and grabbed a long thick towel and held it out to her. He helped her out of the chilly water, wrapping her in the towel.

“
Did you just get up and leave Arnou? What led you and Blake to become outcasts?”

“Blake and I were always different. We caused many problems because we questioned everything.” Aiden laughed. “
We were to be inducted into a group…Arnou’s Elite. Hand-picked to guard the leader, eliminate threats, and clean up after his messes. Even as teenagers, it didn’t take us long to figure out that Tristan had a master plan that we wanted no part in.”

“How did you get out?”

“We refused the belt.” He opened the bathroom door and the steam immediately flowed out into the bedroom. “Let’s get you some clothes.”

“What is the belt?” she asked, taking his hand but not making any moves to get dressed.

“We accept the belt if we pledge to do Arnou’s bidding for life.”

“You became a bodyguard instead?”

“Blake’s father raised us as brothers when my mother married a human and left the Arnou Pack. I don’t know who my real father is. My mother told me he was dead. My uncle had served as an Elite himself, so it was only natural that Blake and I were among the chosen. When I left Arnou, the choice to protect and ensure safety was the most reasonable one.”

He began to lead her from the bathroom.

“Wait.” She brushed her fingers against his chest. “You never told me how you got the scars.”

“You already know the answer,” he said.

“No, I don’t.” She shook her head. “Tell me what happened.”

“There are only two
ways out of the Elite. Retire or die.”

So he’d almost died in the process of leaving.

“I’m sorry.” She stroked his face, and he pressed his cheek into her palm.

“This is life, Keira. For several years after we fled the Arnou Pack, Tristan sent numerous Elites in an attempt to eliminate us.
This is how I received the bulk of my scars. When the bodies kept piling up, he stopped sending them.”

Keira released a sigh, but the information still overwhelmed her. He’d warned her about pressing for answers, but she didn’t listen.

“Are you thinking twice about that option? You can be anywhere else in the world right now and hundreds of miles away from danger.”

“The only place I want to be is in your arms. I feel safe with you.” She slipped her fingers around the back of his neck and pulled his lips down against hers.

Aiden returned her kiss, and they remained that way for what seemed like forever. Within each other’s arms, sharing a passionate kiss that sealed their fate.

Before long, she was pressing into him and backing him up against the bathroom wall. His erection prodded against her belly, recalling how he’d spent hours within her. She wanted that again.

“Gods, Keira. I can smell your heat,” he whispered into her neck.

“You felt so good last night. I need you again.” She lifted her chin to accept the kisses he rained against her neck.
“Why do I feel like this? I’m not always this way.”

“
My seed will have that effect on you. You will crave intimacy almost daily, if not several times a day. It is the wolf’s way to ensure procreation. It works both ways. I desire you now more than before. Nothing will ever live up to the expectations or take the place of a mate.”

“Why won’t you give me what I want then?”

“Because what you want will hurt you,” he said, bringing her fingers to his mouth and kissing them one by one. “Trust me. I want to, but you need time to heal.”

Keira
released her towel, and let it fall to the floor on purpose. “It hurts now.”

“It’s like a caffeine addiction. The craving will pass. I won’
t take you again until you’ve healed.”

She pouted.
“I’m healed.”

He squinted his eyes, tugged her into his hard chest, and dru
g his tongue along her jugular, nipping her lightly.

She gasped.

“Don’t lie to me, Keira. I can detect a fib and I know you’re still sore.”

She pressed herself against his groin. “I want you to fuck me.”

His body trembled against her. “I will fuck you. I promise.”

“Now.”

He moaned, brushing his palm against her face. “What have I created?”

Keira smiled. “A really hot and bothered mate.” She walked her fingers down his chest to his abdomen and didn’t stop there. She grabbed his towel and snatched it away. Aiden was already and had been semi-erect since he woke this morning.
“You started this fire, Aiden.”

He lifted her and sat her on the bathroom counter. Moving to stand between her legs, he suckled at her nipples.
He teased them until they were taut cylinders, then moved down slowly until his lips were on her pussy. He bent to taste her, lifting one feet to rest on his shoulder and the other to prop up against the wall.

He lashed her clit, bu
ilding up to a quick, unwavering tempo. She rocked her hips into him anticipating the orgasm hovering inside her. His name rolled off her tongue, filling the small bathroom like a harmony.

Aiden brought her to climax
, not just once, but three times. On the third round, he grabbed his dick and stroked himself to orgasm while devouring her.

When he was done with her, he carried her to the bed, laid
out a pair of jeans and shirt from her suitcase, told her to get dress, and exited the room, leaving her panting in hunger.

Not even a few seconds had passed when the front door of the ranch opened and closed. Blak
e had returned as she heard the men conversing in the den.

Keira
picked up the clothes on the bed next to her and frowned. Healing had better come quickly. She craved more of what he’d given last night. She wanted to experience that moment again where they were one mind, one body, and one soul.

“Where are all the good bars around here?” Blake asked, kicking his feet up on the foot rest
and throwing down the rest of his beer.

“This is not the city. We have bars, but not the kind you’re thinking?
” Aiden stood, and propped up against the banister on his back porch. “I thought you planned to rest up last night and move out at sun-up.”

A short gust of wind blew across his face as he lifted the lid on the grill and picked up the thongs on the stand. He turned over the veggies tray and tray lined with the trout Blake had caught out of the lake on the way back here.

“Sleeping on your hammock seemed like a good idea until I realized you had plans with Keira for the night. You could have warned me.”

“I hadn’t planned that.” Well, that was only half the truth. Even though he’d known Keira was his mate the moment he laid eyes on her, he wanted to give her some space after what she’d just gone through. Evidently, she and his wolf had other plans. Now that the animal in him had confirmation, the urge to claim her grew stronger. And now that he’d had sex with her, she would never be entirely satisfied unless he completed the bond.

Blake got up, grabbed a bowl of sliced jalapenos from the center of the picnic table and popped a few in his mouth. “I had to leave the premises. One would have thought the two of you hadn’t fucked in centuries all the carrying on you did. When was the last time you got laid before last night?”

He punched Blake in the side. Hard.
“None of your business.”

“Ow, man.” Blake punched him back harder. “I’
m serious. She’s not like us. She’s human.”

“I know that.” That was precisely
the reason why he hadn’t bitten her last night, but he wanted to.

“Well d
on’t you think you need to take it easy on her?”

“I have.”
He growled.

Blake looked at him skeptically. “I heard what you did to her.”

“I couldn’t help it,” he said. “She’s my mate.”

“Ahh…”
Blake turned and lifted an eyebrow in surprise. “She wasn’t marked yesterday. Has that changed?”

“N
o.” Aiden gulped down his beer and slammed the bottle on the table. “She’s not ready for that yet, and there’s too much going on.”

“Does she know what you are?”

Aiden nodded. “As of last night, she does.”

“Don’t let her get away, bro.”

“Take your own advice.”

“It might be too late for me.”
Blake was silent for a moment as he rubbed his chin, something he did while in deep thought. “But I live and I learn…”

“What did you find out?”

Blake had offered to visit the Ellis estate and report back on what he discovered.

“Jonathan was there. He and his men were moving stuff out of the house.”

“He’s looking for it then.”