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Wolf's Kiss Ch. 01

By: TemptedAngel



Shayna stood outside Rampage watching as the line gradually shortened. She'd been waiting for her cousin for almost thirty minutes and she was getting more than a little irritated. Her twenty-fifth birthday was two days ago and her cousin, Monica, invited her up to New York City for the weekend to celebrate. She arrived in the city later than planned because her boss called her in to handle a "minor" problem, so she checked into her hotel and arranged to meet Monica at the nightclub.

"What the hell is taking so long?" she muttered to herself. She was pulling her cell phone out of her little clutch when she saw an SUV limo pull up right in front of the club's door. Since she was standing off to the side among a few other people, she watched unabashedly to see who would get out of the limo – a celebrity perhaps?

When there was no activity for a few moments, Shayna lost interest in the limo's prospective occupant and began a blistering text message to her cousin. "Where the fuck are you, bitch? Some birthday weekend!!" Shayna grinned knowing Monica wouldn't take the insult seriously but would get the hint to hurry up.

Just as Shayna pressed the send button on her phone, she saw a flurry of activity from the corner of her eye. Two valets jogged to the rear door of the limo. One valet opened the door and the other extended his arm to assist a woman passenger. At first, all Shayna could see were the woman's slender fingers and long red nails gripping the valet as she stepped down from the SUV. Once out of the vehicle and standing on the sidewalk, Shayna saw that the woman was tall, blonde, and very beautiful. Her hair flowed in loose ringlets past her shoulders, her lips were a perfect red pout, and she wore a body-hugging dress that exactly matched her lip color.

The valet then leant his arm to another woman stepping from the limo, an equally stunning brunette. Her hair was a sleek shoulder-skimming bob that swayed provocatively when she moved her head. She wore a canary yellow mini-dress that was loose in cut but still skimmed her curves showing off her figure. Both women wore heavy jewelry and Shayna had no doubt that it was real. The women didn't move to stand at the end of the line of people waiting to get into the club. Instead, the valet escorted them directly to the door where the bouncer stood. The ladies both smiled warmly at the bouncer and he ushered them inside.

Shayna's attention returned to the limo when she saw one more person stepping down, this time a man – and what a man. She couldn't help the little gasp that escaped her lips when out came the sexiest man she had ever seen. The backdrop of the white SUV starkly defined his features. He was well over six feet tall with a smooth milk chocolate complexion, almond-shaped eyes, and a neatly trimmed mustache and goatee framing his generous lips. He wore a dark suit that must have been tailor-made for him. But as expensive as his suit obviously was, it seemed barely able to contain the powerful-looking body under it. As he began to move, the muscles in his arms and legs seemed ready to burst through his clothes.

Shayna mentally shook herself when she realized her jaw had gone slack as she took in the raw masculinity of the man before her. Then she froze as she realized he'd paused on his way into the nightclub. She looked back up to his face and he appeared to be staring in her direction. Shayna quickly looked around her and saw that she was standing apart from anyone else milling about the sidewalk. When her gaze was drawn back to the man, their eyes locked for a moment before he began a slow perusal of her body. She could feel him taking in her soft brown eyes, perky nose, and softly rounded mouth. Heat suffused her warm brown skin as his eyes traveled the length of her exposed neck and chest to the tops of her full breasts as they strained against the bustier bodice of her little black dress. She held her breath as his eyes dipped to her small waist and the full skirt of her dress that stopped mid-thigh, on to her shapely legs and her black stiletto mules.

His eyes slowly retraced their path and once again locked with hers. There she saw what she could only describe as a predatory gleam and she shuddered a little at the smirk that played about his lips. Her free hand nervously fluttered up to the back of her neck to smooth away an imaginary stray hair as her hair was pulled into a tight bun atop her head. He looked as if he was going to approach her when suddenly she heard someone calling her name. Shayna's hand dropped and she spun on her heel to see her cousin rushing up to her with two other women in tow. Monica greeted her with a warm hug and began chattering excitedly and introduced her to her friends, Lynn and Ashley. Shayna turned again to look toward the club's entrance and saw that he was gone. An unexpected feeling of loss overcame her and she tried to shake it off as being foolish.

As she and her group began to make their way to the end of the line, the bouncer called out to them. "Excuse me, ladies," he said. Shayna turned her head and saw that he was speaking to them. He beckoned them and said, "This way, please. Compliments of Mr. Montrose." When they drew near the bouncer, Monica asked, "Who's Mr. Montrose?" "One of the owners," was all he said before ushering them into the club. "Enjoy your evening." The bouncer closed the door behind them and they all followed Monica inside.

The club had two levels that Shayna could see. The first level consisted mainly of a large dance floor – which was crowded with people gyrating to a thumping club beat – and the bar, which took up the entire back wall. There were small booths lining the walls surrounding the dance floor and they were all occupied.

Shayna's group moved to the back stairs, up to the second level and lucked up on an empty booth on the right side wall. The booths on this level were slightly larger and accommodated all four ladies comfortably. The booths ran along the right and left sides of the club with the middle of the floor opened to look down at the dance floor. The men's and ladies' rooms were toward the front on the right and left sides respectively and the back wall was covered with long blue velvet drapes and cordoned off with velvet ropes. The ladies assumed that must be the VIP area.

A waitress came by and took their drink orders and informed them that there was also a kitchen that dished up delicious appetizers. They ordered a sampler tray with their drinks and Shayna hoped the nibbles would keep her from getting too tipsy. Shayna sat back in her seat and felt herself begin to relax. The music was infectious and she soon began to bounce in her seat to the beat. She scooted Monica out of the booth so she could go down to the dance floor.

Just as Shayna was about to step down the first step, a warm, large hand grabbed her wrist. Startled, she turned and looked up into the eyes of the man she saw get out of the limo. The first thing she noticed was that his eyes were a strange blue-gray color that reminded her of storm clouds. The second thing she noticed was that an electric current seemed to pass from him into her where he was holding her wrist. The current shot up her spine and flowed out to her nipples and down to her very core. She'd never felt anything like it and stood transfixed, staring into his eyes. He moved first and, taking her by the hand, led her downstairs to the dance floor. She felt as if she were in a daze, watching through a fog as he effortlessly moved through the crowd to the middle of the floor. There he turned to face her and, with his hands at her waist, pulled her close to his body. She felt drawn to his heat as she moved closer to him.

Not knowing what else to do, Shayna put her arms loosely around his neck and hung on as he swayed them to the music. Somewhere in the dimness of her brain, she randomly thought that it was good she had on such high heels because he was so tall. He pulled her even closer and she felt his erection press into her belly. Almost immediately Shayna felt and answering rush of liquid heat flow between her thighs. Any chance at coherent thought escaped her at that point. She instinctively pressed closer to him and laid her head on his chest. His arms tightened around her and he lifted her slightly off her feet to press his rock hard cock closer to her mound. Shayna was no longer sure if they were moving or not, nor did she care. She flexed her hips forward a little and raised her head from his chest. At the same time his head swooped down to hers and he caught her mouth in a blistering kiss. His lips were gentle against hers at first, but when she parted her lips to draw a breath, he took full advantage. His tongue snaked into her mouth and danced against hers, coaxing her out to play. Shayna lifted her tongue to his and he deepened the kiss, alternately caressing and sucking her tongue, driving her insane with the sensations. She rotated her hips against his and he growled low in his throat.

Suddenly, he broke the kiss and grabbed her by the hand once again. He moved with a sense of purpose through the crowd and back up the stairs, not once stopping or turning around to face her. Instead of going in the direction of her table and her companions, he turned at the landing toward the VIP section. The bouncer there opened the velvet rope at his approach and pulled back the curtain for them to enter. Because he was pulling her along with such urgency, Shayna barely had time to take in the dimly lit room with several private booths. A few heads turned their way but Shayna didn't have time to register their faces. He continued to pull her through the VIP room, down a narrow hallway to a security door. He quickly punched in a code, opened the door and pulled her inside. As soon as the door closed, he was kissing her again and carrying her to a chaise.

He gently laid her on the chaise and quickly shrugged off his jacket. Then he reclined next to her and took her lips again in a mind-numbing kiss. She felt his hand at the back of her dress, caressing her through the fabric. Before she realized his intent, he pulled her zipper down and peeled the bodice from her breasts. Shayna stilled, coming to her senses. She pulled her head back, breaking the kiss, and was about to tell him to stop when he plumped one breast in his hand and closed his lips around the bud. Shayna's intended protest died before she could find her voice. The feeling of him licking and sucking her nipple, drawing her into his hot mouth, stole her sanity as nothing ever had before. He lifted himself away from her so he could play with her other plump breast as he continued to suckle her. While his mouth worked its magic on one breast, his fingers pinched and rolled the other nipple. Then he switched breasts, laving and sucking one as he manipulated and toyed with the other.

All the while, Shayna was lost to the feelings she was experiencing. She couldn't help moaning, conveying her pleasure as each pull of his mouth on her nipples seemed to shoot directly to her pussy, soaking her panties more and more. Somewhere deep inside her mind she knew she should stop him but every touch was stealing her will. She felt him lever himself above her and, while still suckling one breast, slide her dress down her body. He left her breast and continued pulling her dress down until he had completely removed it, pulling her mules off as well in the process. He stared appreciatively at her luscious little body for a moment, and then moved back up her body to pull her black lace panties down. Shayna gasped and immediately moved to grab her panties before he slid them over her hips but he gently brushed her hands aside and planted soft, teasing kisses on her belly. As he pulled her panties down he saw the evidence of her arousal and deeply inhaled her aroma. He growled again and quickly pulled her panties off her feet and dropped them behind the chaise.

Hooking his hands behind her knees, he lifted her legs and lowered his face between her thighs. He teased her inner thighs with little licks and nips before parting her lips with his fingers. After breathing in her scent once more, he treated her to one long lick of her slit. Shayna yelped, her hips bucked at the contact and almost toppled him from the chaise. From that point she was truly undone. He licked her again, swirling his tongue from the base of her pussy up to her clit. Then he began to mercilessly assault her clit, licking and sucking her lips, until she thought she could take no more. But he continued on, teasing her with long licks and rapidly vibrating the tip of his tongue against her clit. Shayna felt an incredible pressure building in her body, radiating from her core. She took shallow breaths as she felt the heat flow from her belly, up her chest, all the way to the top of her head. She held her breath as the pressure built and built until finally her body exploded on a tidal wave of pleasure so intense she screamed.

As she slowly drifted back down from the clouds, Shayna was dimly aware of him standing up and taking off his shirt. He unbuckled his belt and turned his back to her as he let his pants drop to the floor. Her eyes were almost completely closed as she felt herself drifting off to sleep. She awakened a little when he lifted her in his strong arms and carried her to a bed she hadn't realized was in the suite. He laid her in the middle of the bed and came down beside her. Shayna relaxed again when he gently nuzzled her neck and caressed her thighs. Her arms came up around his neck and her thighs went slack in an unwitting invitation. He moved between her legs, still nuzzling her neck, and bent her knees. Shayna felt something hot and hard probing her pussy and came awake instantly. Before she could say anything, he pushed forward into her entrance and moaned.

"Damn you feel so good. You're so tight," he said against her lips. It was the first time she'd heard his voice. It was deep and sexy, just like the rest of him. Shayna was nervous in spite of the smooth, melodious sound of his voice. He felt so huge inside her but when he began to withdraw, she thought it wasn't as uncomfortable as she imagined it would be.

"I think we should..." Shayna began but was stopped dead as he pushed forward again more forcefully, barely noticing the barrier he'd just torn through. Shayna was so shocked by the pain that she froze. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't speak. Her eyes watered and tears rolled down her cheeks. He was confused by her stillness at first, then the snugness of her pussy slowly reminded him of the slight resistance he'd felt when he pushed into her. He leaned back and looked at her face. Her expression and her tears confirmed what he had begun to suspect. He immediately looked contrite and dropped his forehead to hers.

"I'm so sorry," he said softly. "I didn't realize you were a virgin." He flexed his hips a little then slowly pulled out of her body. Shayna didn't realize she'd been holding her breath until she let it out with a whoosh. He moved down her body, licking and kissing her along the way, until he faced her pussy. He gently parted her lips and examined her. She felt a bit embarrassed by his scrutiny and lifted herself on her elbows to see what he was doing. He ran one long finger up the length of her slit then touched his tongue to her opening. She was mortified when she saw her blood and cum on his tongue and fell back onto the pillows. Shayna gasped when he looked up at her and his eyes seemed to flash molten gold for the briefest moment before he returned to his task. He lapped her hole again, pushing his nose against her clit. Before long, Shayna's embarrassment and his changing eyes were forgotten and she was squirming with desire again. He continued to lick her pussy then slid his tongue up to torture her clit.

Shayna felt the pressure begin to build in her loins and tried to brace herself for the explosion. Suddenly, he stopped his torturous teasing and slid back up her body. He flexed his hips and just as the head of his prick entered her wet, hungry pussy, he murmured in her ear, "The pain should be over now." With that he thrust into her as far as he could go. The feeling was pure bliss and they both moaned their pleasure. He set a slow pace leisurely thrusting in and out of her reveling in the tight, hot wetness of her pussy. She instinctively wrapped her arms and legs around him, loving the sweet friction of him as he rocked inside her.

They were both lost in the feeling when she felt herself begin to tighten around him. He responded by increasing his pace, thrusting into her with increased urgency. Shayna felt the flush creeping up her body as her pussy hungrily clenched around his dick. He felt his balls tighten as he neared his climax. His thrusts became wilder and harder and he drove into her to the hilt until, with a deep growl, his seed shot through his cock into her body. For another brief instant, Shayna thought she saw his eyes change color again as he looked down upon her in his moment of release. But his final thrust brought him to rest on a hidden spot inside her that Shayna didn't know existed. Her pussy clamped down on his dick as spasm after spasm rocked her body and he continued to growl low in his throat at the delicious pressure of her milking his cock.

As her body began to relax and she could focus through the sexual haze, Shayna realized that the man she'd given her virtue to was a complete stranger. She lay still beneath him, body still locked to his, as he gently placed random kisses on her face and lips. She knew she should feel ashamed of herself but somehow she couldn't. It seemed so natural that she be where she was, intimately entwined with him. There was something about him that made him feel so familiar, made her feel so connected to him. But the fact remained that he was indeed still a stranger. Shayna cleared her throat, partly to get his attention and partly to find her voice. When he lifted his head, she looked him straight in the eye.

"Just so you know, I don't do this kind of thing often," she said. He just smiled at her, showing his perfect pearly whites, and said "My guess is that you've never done this kind of thing at all before now." Shayna had the grace to blush. Her innocence did come blaring to the forefront just a little while ago. Still, she looked him in the eye again and said, "I don't even know your name or anything else about you, for that matter. By the way, I'm Shayna." "I heard your friends calling your name outside the club. It's nice to meet you, Shayna," he said as he flexed his hips into her causing her to sigh involuntarily. "My name is Jean-Jacques Montrose. But everyone calls me Jake."

Some handshake. The deep rumble of his voice, along with the solid length of him still encased in her, were making her hot all over again. Jake's nostrils flared as he seemed to sense her arousal and he took her mouth in a voracious kiss. She felt him stir inside her then, as he began a slow build up, sliding in and out of her pussy with ease. He quickened his pace when Shayna lifted her hips to meet his thrusts. She's a quick study, he thought. Her natural passion inflamed him even more and he had them cresting the wave again a few minutes later.

Shayna and Jake were both sweating and panting, fully satisfied for the moment. Shayna took the opportunity to push herself up from the pillows intending to get off the bed. But Jake had other plans as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back down beside him. "Where do you think you're going?" he growled. He tried to sound intimidating but Shayna wasn't impressed. She looked at his face, studying his features. He was even more devastatingly handsome up close than he'd been at a distance. The shape and color of his eyes were mesmerizing. He had a straight nose and high cheekbones that accentuated his strong jaw and full lips - infinitely kissable lips. Shayna smiled and kissed him full on the mouth. His lips felt so good. Then she leaned back and studied the rest of his body. She was right about his build. He was broad-shouldered and well muscled. There didn't appear to be one ounce of fat on his body. He looked too perfect to be true. And here she was laying next to him in all her naked glory.


Wolf's Kiss Ch. 01



Jake just lay there watching her look him over. He wondered what she was thinking. He wasn't vain but he knew he was in excellent shape. He just hoped she liked what she saw. He certainly liked what he had laying beside him. When he was on his way into the club earlier, her scent caught him first. The soft fragrance of her perfume was pleasant enough but it was the earthier essence of her that drew him in. When he saw who the scent was emanating from, he immediately felt the beast in him stir. She was petite – in height at least, no more than five-four maybe with small hands and feet. That was where the petiteness ended. She was generously rounded in all the right places: lush breasts, full hips, and amazing thighs. Shayna definitely had a beautiful body and a face to match. Her brown eyes were deep and inviting, her nose a cute little button and her mouth was shaped almost like a heart, definitely made for kissing. And other things he would enjoy teaching her. The thought made his loins tighten up again.

Just then, Shayna hopped from the bed, jumping out of reach when Jake tried to pull her back down. "This has been...words fail me," she said. "But I have to go. My cousin must be worried sick by now. How long have we been in here?" Jake picked up his watch from the bedside table. "A couple of hours or so," he said casually. Shayna's eyes bulged. "Oh my God!" she shrieked. Then she started running around gathering her dress and shoes. "Where are my panties? I can't find my panties!" she said franticly.

Jake smiled to himself. He remembered dropping them behind the chaise earlier. Something in him wanted to have her scent on hand so he remained silent. He watched as she shimmied into her dress and stepped into those sexy shoes. What is a virgin doing dressing like that, he thought with a sudden feeling of possessiveness. Then he watched as her hands flew up to her hair and she groaned. During their wild lovemaking her hair had come unbound from that ridiculous bun. Now it was a soft mass of dark waves skimming her shoulder blades. Jake thought she looked even prettier that way. Shayna was looking around the room for something. Then she stomped her foot in irritation. "Damn!" she said. "I left my purse at the table with Monica." She spotted the adjoining bathroom and went in to check her reflection in the mirror.

Jake got out of bed and padded into the bathroom behind her. She was trying to put her hair back up and was frustrated because she couldn't do it properly. Jake wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his cheek against hers. They both stilled looking at their reflection. Jake marveled at how well they seemed to fit together while Shayna could only stare at his beauty. Then she mentally shook herself and assessed her situation.

Jake ran a hand through her hair and said, "Leave it down. It's beautiful this way." Shayna smiled at the compliment. "Thank you, Jean-Jacques," she said. Then she turned around in his arms and planted a soft kiss on his lips. "But I really have to go. I'm just visiting for the weekend and I don't want my cousin to worry." Jake's eyes widened at that revelation. "You're visiting from out of town? How far...where do you live?" he asked. "I live in D.C.," Shayna answered. Jake frowned and looked away from her. He turned back to her and said, "I was hoping to spend more time with you, a lot more." He studied her face as if he was searching for something. Shayna was tickled pink but she tried to keep a straight face. She finally gave up and smiled broadly. "Well," she said, "I'll be here until Monday. Maybe we can hang out while I'm here. And besides, it's an even smaller world these days. I'm sure we can keep in touch somehow."

Her words appeased Jake a little but he wasn't really satisfied with the idea of a long distance relationship. He'd only just met her but he was already thinking of the possibility of a more permanent arrangement. He was holding out for "the one" and there was something about Shayna that made him think she was it. He could feel her sincerity but needed more time to get to know her to make sure she was for real – and for him. He'd have to come up with something soon, but for now he'd go along with what she said.

"Let me get dressed and I'll walk you back to your cousin and make sure everything is okay. In the meantime, why don't you write down your cell phone number and the address where you're staying? I'll arrange something for tomorrow night and you can invite your friends along," he said. While Jake dressed, Shayna wrote down her information on a notepad by his bed. Then she went back into the bathroom to freshen up and make sure she was presentable. From the corner of her eye she saw Jake lounging in the doorway of the bathroom watching her. A chill went up her spine and she wasn't sure why.

Jake walked into the bathroom and hugged her to him, giving her a lingering kiss. He could sense her unease and he wanted to reassure her somehow. Just moments ago, it had taken all of his control to resist the urge to make her belong to him forever but he didn't want to scare her off. He reluctantly pulled away then he led her from the suite through the now crowded VIP lounge and into the main area. Her cousin and friends were sitting at their table having a drunken blast. Several guys were standing around them vying for attention. When the ladies saw Shayna walking toward them with Jake following closely behind her, they sent up hoots and shouts and someone said something about Shayna getting her birthday freak on. Shayna blushed and before she slid into the booth, Jake surreptitiously squeezed her ass and whispered in her ear a promise to see her later.



Wolf's Kiss Ch. 02



The next day dawned bright and warm as the sun kissed everything it touched with its golden glow. However Shayna, usually an early riser, didn't watch the sunrise that day. Instead, she lay face down on her hotel bed where she stayed until well past noon.

When she finally awoke, she fell on the floor tangled in the bedding and barely stumbled into the bathroom in time to pee. After she relieved herself, she washed her hands and brushed her teeth to get the foul taste of stale alcohol out of her mouth. Praying the throbbing in her head would soon stop, Shayna carefully made her way back to the bed and gingerly rested her head on the pillow.

"Why did I drink so much," she mumbled to herself. Just as the question was coming out of her mouth images of the answer filtered through the fog in her brain. And that answer was a tall, dark Adonis who had the strangest effect on her. She moaned in despair when she thought of how brazenly she had given herself to him. And the things he did to her, oh man! Shayna was shocked to find she was becoming aroused at the memories.

Frowning, she burrowed under the covers as she remembered the rest of the night's events. After Jake left her at her table, she ordered a virgin daiquiri intending to stay sober and think clearly about what had just happened. But the waitress must have misunderstood her because the drink she brought to Shayna was loaded with alcohol. The icy fruitiness of the drink cooled her dry mouth and she drank most of it before the sting of the alcohol hit the back of her throat. She ate a few appetizers hoping to counter the alcohol but before long, Monica pressed another fruity drink in her hand. "What is this?" Shayna asked.

"Jolly Rancher," was Monica's answer before she turned her attention back to the young blond guy leaning over her shoulder.

Shayna's memory started to get fuzzy after the second drink. She could remember dancing by the booth to a couple of club mixes that she liked and at some point she and Lynn stumbled to the ladies room, laughing at who-knew-what the whole time.

The biggest blur was how she got back to the hotel. She vaguely remembered walking barefoot through the hotel lobby but that was it. As she tried to recall the details, her cell phone rang from somewhere nearby but she couldn't find it. The ringing stopped and started again a minute later. She finally found the phone in her clutch under the bed. The caller ID displayed a local number that she didn't recognize and she immediately got butterflies in her stomach.

'What if...nah,' she stopped her train of thought and decided to let the call go to voicemail.

Shayna got off the bed and went back into the bathroom hoping that a hot shower would help her feel better. She washed her face at the sink then grabbed her puff and shower gel from the travel bag. Once she set the water temperature to her liking, she stepped into the shower and soaped her body from head to toe.

An image of Jake licking her nipples jumped into her mind from nowhere and she paused as the remembered sensation washed over her. A tremor went through her and she tried to shake the image, but it wouldn't let go. The scene continued to play in her head as he licked his way down her body to her mound.

Shayna closed her eyes as she remembered his strong fingers gently parting her lower lips and his tongue exploring her pussy. She swayed under the spray and knew that the wetness between her legs wasn't just water. She touched herself there tentatively and was amazed at how slick she had become. Without thinking, Shayna propped her leg on the side of the tub for easier access and began rubbing her clit in slow tight circles. The new sensitivity she felt there was so overwhelming that she came in a matter of moments.

Shame washed over her unexpectedly and she stepped back a little to let the water wash away her juices. The realization hit her again that she had sex with a total stranger...in the back of a club at that. 'What came over me?' she thought. She'd held out because she wanted her first time to be special, to be with the man she loved. Never in a million years would she have predicted she'd fuck a stranger, in a nightclub, virgin or otherwise. And she hadn't even been drinking at that point in the evening. She was stone cold sober. Go figure.

A silent part of her subconscious stepped up, balking at the feelings of guilt and shame. She thought about it as she washed and conditioned her hair. From the moment she laid eyes on Jake there had been something pulling her to him. She'd been enthralled by his gorgeousness but it was more than that. Something about him called to her and she responded in the most unimaginable way. Never before had she felt so drawn to a man - that much was obvious. But there was something elemental about her attraction to him and she couldn't explain to herself why that was.

Now, in addition to feeling cheap and sluttish, she felt uneasy about her attraction to Jake.

Rinsing her hair, Shayna stood under the torrent of water and let it flow all over her body. 'If only it could be so easy to wash away what happened last night and start over,' she thought. Getting a grip on reality, she turned off the water and stepped out of the bathtub. Grabbing a towel, she quickly dried herself off and wrapped the towel around her body. She wrapped another towel around her head and walked back into the room.

Instead of wasting time moping around her hotel room, she decided to call her cousin and make plans for the day. Starting with lunch and maybe some retail therapy. Her cell phone rang at that moment and Shayna picked it up from the bed. It was the same unknown number as before. When it stopped ringing, she checked her missed calls log and saw the number repeated several times since early that morning. Monica had also called her about an hour before she awoke.

Butterflies rose in her stomach again and she had no doubt at that point that Jake was the unfamiliar phone number. Shayna called her voicemail and found she had three new messages. The first message was from Jake saying he just wanted to wish her a good morning and that he couldn't wait to see her again. He asked her to call him and gave the same number that appeared on her caller ID. The silky sound of his deep voice gave her goose bumps.

The next message was from Monica telling her to call her as soon as she got her "hung-over ass" up. Shayna couldn't help smiling at that one. She could always count on her cousin to be crass where she was concerned.

Her smile froze then dropped altogether as the last message played. It was Jake again and he sounded quite irritated as he basically demanded she call him as soon as possible.

Anticipation and fear warred within her at his tone. Not sure what to do, she called Monica. "It's about time you got your ass out of bed. What's going on, you have company or something?" she asked.

Shayna was mortified at the suggestion. "No!" she shrieked indignantly. "Why would you ask me that?"

Monica huffed. "Girl, please! Do you really think I didn't notice that big hunk of man on your ass last night? Or that you came back to the table with your hair down and your makeup gone? Or that..."

"Okay, okay, I get it," Shayna said on a defeated sigh. "I guess there's no denying it."

Monica gasped, "Ohmygod! You did it? You had sex with him? I thought you were still a virgin!"

Shame hit Shayna all over again. "Yeah, well, Monnie," she said. "Until last night I was." Shayna tried to hold back a sob but lost the battle. Before long she was flat out bawling like a baby.

Monica was quiet on the other end of the line for a few moments then she said, "Shay, calm down sweetie. It'll be okay. It's not the end of the world. Just calm down and tell me what happened."

As her sobs wound down, Shayna gave Monica the rundown of her encounter with Jake, minus a few of the more intimate and embarrassing details. "He's already called me several times today and left a couple of messages for me to call him back," she told her cousin.

"Okay," Monica replied. "That's actually a good thing. Maybe he really likes you. Have you talked to him yet?" she asked.

Shayna replied, "No I haven't. I feel like such a slut. I don't know what to say to him."

Monica exhaled on a long-suffering sigh. "Where would you be without me I wonder? Shay, just call him. Start with 'hello' and see where it goes from there. You'll never know where his head is if you don't talk to him. If you need moral support you can wait till I get there to hold your hand."

Shayna grimaced. "I know I'm being a wuss but that doesn't mean you have to be a bitch, Monica. This is new territory for me. How soon can you get here?"

Monica laughed, hard. "Look, chicken, I had to stop by my office to handle a problem but I should be out of here in an hour or so. We can have a late lunch or something and hang out downtown. I'm sure we can get into trouble somewhere."

Shayna hung up the phone and sat on the bed for a moment pondering her situation. She knew she should go ahead and call Jake but she would call him before Monica arrived. Monica was more than just her cousin, she was also her best friend and confidante. But Shayna figured this was something she had to handle on her own.

Keeping her hair wrapped in the towel, she quickly put on some scented lotion and dressed in shorts and a tank top. She was standing in the bathroom combing her damp hair when someone knocked on the door. She sucked in her breath when she looked through the peephole and saw Jake standing in the hallway.

Something down the hall had caught his attention because his head was turned. Studying his profile for a moment Shayna noticed his eyes were narrowed and his jaw was clenched. He did not look happy. Suddenly his attention returned to her door and he took a step forward. The anger on Jake's face was evident and he knocked hard on the door.

Shayna's nerves shattered at the sharp sound and she hesitantly opened the door. She had no idea of the picture she made standing there wide-eyed with her curly hair flowing around her. She looked like a fresh-faced teenager from the neck up but the way her tank top and shorts clung to her body showed she was all woman. And the effect she had on Jake was instantaneous. He strode through the doorway scooping her up and kicking the door shut in the process.

In moments they were across the room and Jake pulled the chair from the desk and sat down with Shayna astride his lap. When she looked up at him, he gripped the back of her head and firmly planted his warm lips on hers.

Frustrated as he was, his touch was demanding at first. Shayna parted her lips to breathe and Jake immediately snaked his tongue inside her mouth. She hesitated briefly then relented as his tongue lifted hers in a sensuous caress. She moaned when his hands dropped to her waist to slide up her ribcage and stop just under her breasts.

Jake pressed his advantage when Shayna literally melted into his kiss. Bunching her shirt in his hands, he lifted it over her head and tossed it aside. He brought his hands back to her ribcage and slid his thumbs under her bra to caress the bottom swell of her breasts. Shayna writhed against his erection and gasped in anticipation but he did nothing more than softly stroke the area below her aching nipples.

When Shayna realized Jake wasn't going any further, she opened her eyes and looked at him with confusion. Jake stared at her for what seemed like forever before he finally spoke. "Why haven't you answered any of my calls?" he asked.

Though he appeared calm and spoke in a soft tone, Shayna intuitively knew not to be fooled. She knew something else lurked beneath his calm demeanor; she just had no idea what. Feeling nervous and exposed all of a sudden, she stammered, "I, I just woke up a little while ago. I was going to call you after...after I dried my hair."

Jake studied her for a moment before he visibly relaxed. He rested his forehead against hers and admitted, "I missed you. I haven't been able to get you off my mind since last night."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah, really. I'm sorry if I scared you just now but I was worried when you weren't answering my calls," he said. "And you can probably tell that I'm not exactly the sit-around-and-wait kind of man." His warm hands moved to her back to release the clasp of her bra.

Shayna felt herself melting against him again and fought to maintain some clarity. "What were you worried about?" she asked as he bent his head to worry her puckered nipple. She quickly forgot what they were talking about as Jake suckled the hardened nub into his mouth. Shayna ground herself against his cock and dimly noted how wet she had become.

Jake inhaled her aroma and stood up, carrying her to the bed. "I was worried that you didn't want to see me again. I see that I was worried for nothing," he said.

When he reached the bed he stripped off the covers and laid Shayna in the middle still holding her to him. He removed her legs from around his waist and quickly stripped her of her shorts and panties. Her mound was slick with her juice and he couldn't resist her alluring scent.

In a flash he removed his clothes and joined her on the bed. He tried to keep a slow pace because he was also worried about overwhelming her since he had taken her virginity less than a day ago.

Unlike Shayna, Jake didn't question the strength of her pull on him but he knew he had to control himself for her sake. He had always understood and accepted the basics of nature without having to overanalyze everything. But he was aware that most people usually didn't understand their own animal nature and constantly fought against it. And it was clear that Shayna was having conflicting feelings as she lay very still with her eyes closed.

With a gentleness that surprised even him, Jake set about wooing Shayna the way he'd started the previous night, by awakening her body. "Open your eyes for me," he said. The seduction of his deep voice was more than she could resist and she slowly opened her eyes. What she saw took her breath away.

Jake's face hovered mere inches above her own, his warm breath fanning her cheek as he lowered his mouth to hers. As she looked into his eyes, she felt more than saw the intensity of his desire for her and it made her tremble with her own need. His warm full lips grazed hers ever so lightly as he trailed his hand along her thigh, over her hip, to her stomach. He lulled her by drawing lazy circles around her navel as his tongue traced the outline of her lips and parted them with the slightest pressure.

While their tongues tasted each other, Jake's hand roamed to her breasts to toy with each nipple in turn, then slid down to her mound, cupping her briefly before parting her thighs. She immediately bent one knee and Jake dipped his fingers into her slippery folds zeroing in on her clit. Shayna's hips bucked at the contact and she moaned as his finger rhythmically stroked her nub.

Jake continued his exploration, sliding further down and inserting his middle finger into her cunt. He rolled his finger around inside her then slowly pulled it out only to insert two fingers this time. He rolled his fingers in her and again pulled them out. Shayna's passion went into overdrive when he slid three fingers into her cunt and she greedily sucked at his tongue and rolled her hips against his hand.

Struggling to control his own response, Jake broke their kiss and bent his head to lick her nipples. Shayna plumped one breast in her hand and Jake greedily sucked the nipple and aureole into his mouth. Arrows of pleasure shot straight to her core in response to the suction sending her over the edge. As Jake continued to suck her breast Shayna's pussy clenched on his fingers in a mind-blowing climax.

When her body began to relax, Jake eased his sucking to a gentle licking and slowly removed his fingers from her dripping cunt. He kissed her lips then brought his hand to his mouth and, while looking into her eyes, licked her juice from his fingers. Shayna watched in fascination and felt her loins begin to stir again. Jake licked the last of her essence from his hand and Shayna pulled him to her for a hungry kiss.

Easing himself above her, Jake lifted Shayna's legs to his shoulders and lined up his hard cock at her entrance. Holding her by her hips, he slid home in one long smooth stroke, filling her completely. He groaned at the exquisite pressure of her tight pussy squeezing his dick. He heard her ragged intake of breath and looked into her eyes.

Taking her in this position allowed him to fit most of his dick inside her and he could tell it was too much too soon. Easing out a little at a time until just his head was inside, he slowly pushed back in until he could go no further. He eased out again and repeated the process several times.

The moment her panting changed to sighing, he lowered her legs to his waist and leaned in closer. Shayna wrapped her arms and legs around him and lifted her hips to his. The pressure against her clit caused her pussy to clench on his dick and the sensation drove Jake wild.

Hooking his arms under her shoulders and locking his lips to hers, Jake began to pound furiously into Shayna's cunt. She was hot, tight, and slick and combined with her muscles milking him, it was too much on his control. Shayna could only hold on tight as Jake fucked her with an urgency that left her breathless. His hips relentlessly drove into her over and over and she was in heaven. The pain of him crashing into her cervix was rewarded with the unmatched ecstasy of him gliding against that magic spot deep inside her.

As she felt the flush coming over her, she flexed her hips forward to meet his thrusts head on. Soon afterward she was screaming in his mouth and he slowed to a stop, resting against her spot. Jake growled as her pussy squeezed him, drawing him deeper inside. After a lengthy orgasm, Shayna relaxed around him and he began pounding into her again until he was on the verge of coming. As he thrust one last time, Jake threw his head back and stilled, fully encased in Shayna's tight pussy as he came, howling in release. Shayna screamed again as another orgasm overtook her and she bit down hard on Jake's shoulder.

Jake instinctively responded and started to shift but he caught himself just as he felt his fangs against his tongue. He would have gladly bitten her as well but there would be consequences if he did. Instead, he held Shayna to him so she wouldn't see his face until he could control himself enough to stay in his human form. It was definitely too soon for her to find out. And when she did, she'd have some tough decisions to make. Until then, he wanted them to spend as much time together as possible for her to get comfortable with him. Then maybe she'd be ready and willing to accept the truth.

When he returned to normal so to speak, he became aware of Shayna licking and sucking the spot where she'd bitten him. The tension had left her body but her arms and legs were still wrapped around him. Easing away from her he looked down at her and she gave him a dreamy smile. She seemed totally content and Jake wished they could stay locked like that forever. But he had plans for the day and he hoped she would go along with them.

Before Jake could move away, Shayna pulled his head to hers and kissed his lips. She tentatively licked the seam of his lips and, with a little more pressure, he opened his mouth to her. Her exploration was hesitant at first, softly exploring his teeth and tongue. Then she grew bolder as she pressed her mouth more firmly against his and sucked at his tongue. His dick, which hadn't gone soft, seemed to swell inside her and she rolled her hips against him. Not breaking the kiss, Jake began to leisurely slide in and out, building the pressure in her loins.




Wolf's Kiss Ch. 02



Lifting his torso away from her, Jake once again kneeled before her and raised her legs to his shoulders. He maintained a slow pace and watched as she reached up to grab her breasts. Her passion inflamed him and he leaned down to lick her nipples as he continued to glide in and out of her hot pussy. Their moaning and panting increased, both nearing completion.

Jake lowered her legs and, holding on to her hips, drove them over the edge. He withdrew from her cunt and collapsed on his back beside her. As he pulled her on top of him, Shayna curled against his broad chest and rested her head above his heart. The rapid beating gradually slowed to a steady rhythm and she would have dozed off if her cell phone hadn't broken the spell at that moment.

Raising her head, she reached for her phone on the nightstand and froze when she recognized Monica's number. 'Uh oh,' she thought. She had forgotten that she and Monica were supposed to spend the day together. Jake lay silently watching her worried expression and wondered what was going on.

Not one to speculate, he took the direct approach. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Shayna looked up at him and said, "It's my cousin. We're supposed to be hanging out this afternoon," she replied. "We're having lunch and going shopping."

A look of disappointment briefly flashed across his face. Then he asked, "Why don't we all have lunch together before you go shopping?"

Shayna thought about it for a moment. "Okay," she replied. "I'm sure Monnie won't mind a little extra company."

'Besides,' she thought, 'that gives me a chance to get Monnie's impression of him.' Shayna smiled and kissed his chin before hopping off the bed.

Taking her phone with her into the bathroom, Shayna closed the door and dialed Monica's number. Monica answered and immediately demanded to know why she didn't answer when she called a minute ago. Shayna blushed when her cousin said, "He's there, isn't he? Were y'all fucking when I called?"

Shayna laughed hesitantly and said, "Well no. We had just finished actually."

She was relieved when Monica burst into laughter. "You are such a tramp all of a sudden! How was it?"

Feeling a little bolder, Shayna answered, "Absolutely fantastic! Not that it's any of your business!"

"Fine," Monica said. "Does this mean that you and I aren't hanging out together today?"

"Not necessarily," Shayna responded. "Jake wants to join us for lunch. Is that okay with you?"

Even across the room lounging on the bed Jake could hear every word they said without really trying. He listened with amused interest at the conversation between the two cousins. They obviously kept no secrets from each other and were comfortable enough to speak their minds.

It made him feel good to know that Shayna was so open. That was how he preferred to be so he foresaw no communication problems in their relationship. Jake didn't feel presumptuous in thinking of them as having a relationship already. As far as he was concerned, it was a foregone conclusion. He just had to bring Shayna up to speed. That might take some time but he was prepared to be patient.

Jake smiled when he heard Monica agree to have lunch with them and say that she would be at the hotel in half an hour. Springing from the bed, he found his cell phone in his jeans and placed a quick call.

Hearing the shower running, Jake walked to the bathroom just as Shayna stepped into the tub. After a few moments, he slipped in behind her, startling her when he wrapped his arms around her waist. He leaned down and gently kissed her cheek as he hugged her to him. Shayna couldn't explain the feeling that came over her then. She felt loved and protected in his embrace but part of her knew that it was too soon to be feeling like that. Instead of questioning the feeling, she simply let it wash over her and it felt really good.

Reality suddenly set in and she remembered that Monica was on her way. Turning in Jake's arms, she was surprised to see a look of such tenderness in his eyes, those usually stormy eyes of his. He kissed her forehead and pulled her closer to him. They stood that way awhile until Shayna again remembered her cousin and leaned back a little. "My cousin agreed to having lunch with us so she'll be here soon. We should probably hurry up and get dressed," Shayna said.

Jake gave her a kiss before quickly soaping her body with her body wash and his hands. It took all of their control to not give in to passion and prolong their shower, especially when she soaped his body in return. He reveled in the feel of her small, soft hands caressing his body and wanted nothing more than to plunge his still-hard cock into her. Jake vowed to himself that they would repeat the experience when they had more time to really enjoy it. He'd settle for sharing her with her cousin for this afternoon, but he'd make sure he had her to himself later...



Wolf's Kiss Ch. 03



Hello all. Let me first say 'thank you' for all the wonderful feedback on the first two chapters of the story. I really appreciate everyone who took the time to read, rate and comment on Shayna's story so far. Also, I must apologize for not updating sooner. Work, my hubby, and our three kids have a way of sucking up my time. Luckily I've found a way to carve out time for myself and I promise to update much more regularly. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Angel



Shayna tried to stay focused on her task as she soaped Jake's body. It wasn't just that this was another new experience for her, the fact was Jake was huge. All over. His chest, his arms, jeez, even his neck was thick and bulging with muscles. She found that she wasn't really lathering him with the soap as much as she was tactilely exploring his body. Jake's skin was smooth as satin but underneath his flesh seemed rock hard.

As her hands worked their way down his chest to his stomach, Jake's sudden intake of breath broke her concentration. Inadvertently, her eyes preceded her hands and she glanced further down. Shayna froze and gasped at the sight of his swollen cock bobbing just below her hands. "Whoa!" she whispered as a quick mental calculation of at least nine inches registered in her brain. And...was she seeing things? He actually seemed to be growing even larger.

Shayna looked up wide-eyed at Jake and suddenly he felt uncomfortable. He wasn't sure if it was shock or fear he saw in her expression but he knew he didn't like it. He gently cupped her face in his hands and tipped her head up. Searching her eyes, he asked, "What is it? What's wrong?"

As she stood there staring at him, she asked herself the same question. 'What is wrong with me?' she thought. 'We've already had sex several times, why should I be scared now?' Still, seeing how large he really was took her by surprise. Closing her eyes, Shayna tried to mentally cast off her trepidation yet her heart was pounding and a new tension crept up her spine and settled in the back of her neck. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes again, this time schooling her face into an expressionless mask.

"I don't know. It's nothing," she said. She couldn't quite meet his eyes and she felt ashamed of herself. Seeing him in the flesh wasn't the only thing bothering her, it was the whole situation. Shayna took a step back from him and turned to face the spray. Random scenes from the past twenty-four hours began swirling through her mind and she swayed a little, dazed by the onslaught of her memories. Jake immediately wrapped a steadying arm around her shoulders and reached around her to turn off the shower. With one arm still around her, he pulled back the shower curtain, then scooped her up and stepped out of the tub.

Shayna squealed at the unexpectedness of literally being swept off her feet and felt her heart flutter. Although her head was trying to tell her 'no', everything else in her screamed 'yes' as Jake carried her into the room. Her arms snaked around his neck of their own volition as he sat in the armchair and picked up her discarded towel in one motion. She didn't think he would drop her, she just couldn't resist touching him. Again she tried to make her mind let go and just enjoy the feeling of being with him but her conscience kept nagging her.

Jake could feel the tension in Shayna's body despite her denial that anything was wrong. She sat stiffly in his lap and her arms slid from their hold around his neck. He didn't like the vibes he felt from her and he really didn't like the answering anxiety rising within his gut. Tipping her head up as he'd done in the shower, he asked her, "Shayna, what's on your mind?" As Jake lifted her chin, Shayna's eyes slowly traveled up his too-handsome face and stopped at the bridge of his nose. He noted with some annoyance that she wouldn't look him in the eye. Abruptly shifting his leg, Shayna fell backward only to be caught in the crook of his arm. Alarmed by his sudden movement, her startled gaze collided with his angry stare. In a voice that sent a chill up her spine, he said through gritted teeth, "Tell me now!" In his anger, Jake's eyes turned bright gold having the effect of both scaring and mesmerizing Shayna. The feeling remained even when Jake tore his gaze away and looked toward the door at the sound of someone approaching the room, a sound Shayna couldn't hear.

A moment later there was a brisk knock on the door and Shayna automatically turned her head in that direction as well. "Monica," she gasped and tried to get off Jake's lap. He looked down at her holding her in place and she felt trapped again, not by his arms but by his golden gaze. He blinked rapidly and before her eyes, his eyes returned to their usual bluish gray. She then realized that she hadn't imagined what she saw the previous night and without thinking, she blurted, "How do you do that?" He seemed caught off guard by her question and looked away. At that moment their cell phones began ringing simultaneously.

Although they were both relieved by the interruptions, Jake was determined to get Shayna alone again and get an answer to his question. He felt his connection to her growing stronger and needed to know what barriers stood between them so he could destroy them all. For her part, Shayna just wanted to let the matters drop, all of them. She needed to get back to the safety of her normal life and figure out what the hell had gotten into her. In less than a day, her life was taking a new turn and she wasn't convinced it was for the better. Not to mention the fact that she knew next to nothing about the man she had become so intimate with other than he seemed to be unlike anyone she had ever encountered before. She had to put some distance between them.

Jake and Shayna stood up and retrieved their cell phones. Monica was on Shayna's line demanding to know why she wasn't answering the door. She tried to eavesdrop on Jake's conversation but couldn't hear above Monica making crude comments in her ear. She finally told her cousin to shut up and wait for her in the hotel lobby. When Shayna snapped her phone shut, she turned to see that Jake had already ended his phone call and was getting dressed. She gathered her discarded clothes and went into the bathroom to dress in private. She knew it was ridiculous to do so but couldn't help feeling the need for her own space. Rational thought escaped her when she was in his presence and that was a huge problem for her.

Once dressed, she made quick work of her hair by taming it into a single braid that hung below her shoulders and secured the end with a black elastic band. Back in her room, she fished a pair of espadrilles out of her suitcase and placed her necessities in a small purse while Jake lounged on the bed watching and waiting. The fact that he was following every move she made was unnerving and it took all of her concentration to finish getting ready. Once she was done, she looked over her shoulder in his general direction and said, "I'm ready to go now," and walked to the door.

Jake was becoming more and more annoyed with the coolness of her demeanor. She was treating him like a stranger, a stranger who now knew every inch of her luscious little body. A wicked thought occurred to him and he was on his feet in an instant. As Shayna reached for the doorknob, she was startled when Jake turned her around and lifted her off her feet. He held her against the door, his big body covering hers, and plunged his tongue into her mouth. The delicious pressure of his full, warm lips had her melting into him instantly. Jake eased the pressure a little to lick and nibble her bottom lip before spearing his tongue into the warm cave of her mouth again. Their tongues danced and dueled as Jake held Shayna immobile against the door, his hips grinding into her pelvis. Shayna moaned her frustration and Jake broke their kiss, setting her back on her feet.

He moved so fast that Shayna wasn't sure what was happening. When her brain caught up to the present, Jake was kneeling before her sliding her shorts and panties down her legs. Pulling one leg free of her clothing, he propped her foot on his thigh and buried his face in her mound. Marveling at how quickly she was ready for him, he greedily sucked her nectar from her plump outer lips, then deftly twirled his tongue from her soaking wet opening up to tease her clit out of hiding. The low, guttural sounds coming from Jake as he sucked on her clit as well as the roughness of his moustache and goatee on her sensitive parts sent Shayna over the edge. She held on to his head and screamed as her orgasm rocked her body, shattering her into a million pieces.

Coming down from cloud nine, Shayna rested her head against the door and closed her eyes as Jake continued to lick and suck her pussy, taking in every drop of her sweetness. She stirred as he readjusted her clothing and refastened her shorts. Sliding back up her body, he stopped at her ear and whispered, "We're not done," then turned and walked into the bathroom. Jake's wicked promise sent delicious shivers through her body and Shayna tried to regain her composure as she listened to the sound of water running. The realization that Jake was washing her juice from his face made her feel extremely shy and embarrassed for some reason. And when he came out of the bathroom, she quickly opened the door to the room and stepped into the hallway.

Face still flushed from her recent orgasm, Shayna reveled briefly in the rush of cool air she felt upon opening the door, but her relief was short-lived. A few doors down the passage, two middle-aged men dressed in sharp-looking business suits were engaged in conversation. As Shayna left her room, their attention shifted to her and they both smirked knowingly. They'd obviously heard Shayna's loud moans and screams as Jake pleasured her and her embarrassment turned to mortification. She was tempted to run back into her room but Jake stepped into the hall behind her. Closing the door, he placed a possessive hand at the small of her back and propelled her down the hall. The two men smiled and nodded at Jake as they passed then returned to their conversation.

While they waited for the elevator, Shayna nervously fidgeted with the strap of her purse. She wore the purse diagonally across her torso and the strap nestled between her ample breasts making them stand out even more. Suddenly aware of Jake watching her like a hawk, Shayna forced her hands to be still. Sliding the hand on her back around her waist to pull her closer, he said softly, "Shayna." She heard him but didn't respond, looking straight ahead at the elevator doors willing them to open. "Shay," he said a little more forcefully. Reluctantly, Shayna lifted her head and met his intense gaze. "Talk to me, Shay. What's bothering you?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said. Then she amended her statement. "Nothing I can really express right now." Just then the elevator arrived bearing several people. Jake tried to tighten his hold and keep her on the landing but Shayna determinedly stepped forward onto the elevator. Not having much choice Jake followed but looked none to pleased about it. Shayna ignored him as best she could and watched the numbers illuminate overhead as they passed each floor to the lobby. She was hoping to stall Jake for as long as she could but didn't think she'd be so lucky.

She and Jake exited the elevator and her eyes immediately scanned the lobby looking for her cousin. She spotted Monica standing by a window in an alcove chatting with a very good-looking man. As she walked toward her, she marveled for the millionth time how very much Monica resembled their fathers. A softer, prettier version of the Gavin brothers, Monica was the exact opposite of Shayna in every way from her tall, slender figure, pale complexion, deep blue eyes and regal nose. She wasn't as buxom as Shayna but she was softly rounded in all the right places. The only feature they shared - also inherited from their fathers - was their dark, curly hair. The cousins were both quick-witted but Shayna was shy and reserved whereas Monica was more engaging and out-spoken.

Turning her attention to Monica's companion, Shayna had the distinct impression at first glance that he looked familiar but she didn't know why. He was tall, brown-skinned with a clean-shaven face and close-cropped hair. His generous lips were pulled back in a wide smile but she couldn't really see his eyes. They seemed riveted to one another and neither of them acknowledged Shayna and Jake's approach until they were right next to them. Monica was laughing at something the man said but her laughter died down only a little as she became aware of her cousin's presence. "Hey, sweetie," she said. "Glad you finally made it down here. I was beginning to worry about you."

'Oh, God,' Shayna thought. 'I'm just gonna be embarrassed and blushing all damn day!'

Aloud Shayna said dryly, "Liar! And hello to you too." Nodding to the man leaning against the window, Shayna said a polite, "Hello." Turning back to Monica, she said, "Mon, I'd like you to meet Jake Montrose. Jake, this is my cousin Monica Gavin." Jake and Monica shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

Monica turned to the man she'd been chatting with and noted with some regret his chiseled good looks. He was tall and broad-shouldered with full lips (yummy!), high cheekbones (to die for!), and mesmerizing eyes (so sexy!). His irises were black as midnight and several times Monica found herself almost melting into them. She almost sighed as he gazed back at her with an amused expression on his handsome face.

"Well, I have to go I'm afraid. It was nice talking with you," Monica said. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name," she prompted.

"Sebastian," Jake said. Shayna and Monica looked at Jake questioningly. "This is Sebastian Montrose, my brother." Jake let that sink in for a moment. "And he's joining us for lunch," he informed them.

"Well, Sebastian, it's nice to meet you," Monica said smiling coyly. "And I'm glad to know we can continue our crazy conversation." Sebastian just laughed and winked at her. Did Monica actually blush?

Shayna looked from Jake to his brother and stepped forward to shake Sebastian's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Sebastian. I was wondering why you looked familiar and now I know. You two look a lot alike," she said. Sebastian took Shayna's proffered hand and surprised her by pulling her into a bear hug. Jake was behind her in an instant removing her from his brother's embrace. Sebastian's arms fell away instantly and he chuckled and pinned Jake with a knowing look. Jake glared at him and tucked Shayna into his side.

Jake could barely control his anger and was on the verge of kicking his brother's ass. However, Shayna's struggle against his tight grip on her waist brought him back to his senses. Immediately, he loosened his hold but didn't let her go. She sucked in a deep breath and glared up at him, then elbowed him in his stomach. The jab actually tickled him but sent a sharp pain up her arm.

"Ouch!" she complained, rubbing her elbow. She eyed Jake as if it was his fault and everyone laughed.

Since the mood had lightened a bit and they all were practically starving, they agreed to leave for lunch. Once outside the hotel, Sebastian handed a ticket to the valet and a few minutes later, he pulled up in a shiny black Mercedes SUV. After generously tipping the valet, he escorted Monica to the front passenger seat. Jake opened the rear door for Shayna and slid in behind her. Monica suggested they go to a Thai restaurant near a shopping district and everyone concurred.

During the drive, Sebastian and Monica kept them entertained with their lively conversation. Somehow the topic landed on football and they debated who had the best quarterback, defense, and a whole lot of other stuff Shayna knew nothing about. They occasionally drew Jake into the debate but Shayna stayed out of it. She did, however, notice the easy chemistry between her cousin and Jake's brother and wondered if it could lead to anything. That made her think about her obvious but questionable chemistry with Jake and she wasn't ready to deal with that yet.

They arrived at the restaurant and were promptly seated at a table near the front window. Since the lunch rush was over and it was too early for dinner, the restaurant was virtually empty. The atmosphere was relaxing and they continued their lively banter during lunch. When Jake asked about her life in D.C., Shayna didn't hesitate to talk about her work as a physical therapist at a veterans' hospital. She also told him about her volunteer work at a children's hospice in her spare time. The more Jake learned about her the more captivated he seemed, something that didn't go unnoticed by Monica or Sebastian.

On the other hand, when Shayna asked Jake about himself, he appeared hesitant to say much. She did learn that other than the nightclub, he and Sebastian were partners in real estate and other business ventures. He admitted that they came from a large family with several sisters and brothers. In fact, he, Sebastian and one other sister were triplets.

"Do multiples run in your family?" Monica asked.

The brothers gave each other a brief, wry look before Jake answered, "Yes, they do."

"Wow," Shayna said, raising her eyebrows. "My father and Monnie's father are identical twins."

This time Jake's brows rose in interest. "Really? Are there any other twins in your family?" he asked.

"None that I know of," Shayna answered. "Actually," she continued, "the first multiple birth that anyone remembers was when our great-grandmother had triplets, one boy and two girls. One daughter didn't survive but the other daughter grew up, got married, and gave birth to our fathers. She also has a daughter a couple of years younger than our dads."

"So neither of you has any twin siblings?" Sebastian asked.

Monica shook her head. "Shay is an only child and I just have an older brother. That's pretty much it," she shrugged.

Their waiter appeared at that moment and asked if they'd like dessert. Everyone declined so he left to draft the bill. Hunger satisfied, Shayna leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. Her eyes flew back open in surprise when Jake's rather large hand covered hers on the table. It was the first time he'd touched her since they left the hotel and butterflies swirled in her stomach at the contact. She looked up at him but his face was turned slightly away from her.

"When are you going back to D.C.?" he asked.

Shayna studied his profile for a moment and wondered why he looked so serious. Then she answered, "Tomorrow."

He turned to fully face her. "What are your plans for tonight?" he asked.

Shayna didn't know where his questions were leading her so she answered cautiously. "Well, Monica and I are going shopping then we're having dinner with our family later." She glanced at Monica but her cousin was engrossed in conversation with Sebastian. She turned back to Jake to find his eyes boring into her. A chill went up her spine as she remembered something from earlier that afternoon. She tried to look away but somehow couldn't.

"Stay with me tonight."

Shayna wasn't sure she heard right. Jake's lips barely moved and she felt trapped by his gaze. She was vaguely aware of his thumb tracing circles on the back of her hand where it lay nestled in his on the table. Long moments passed before the sound of laughter penetrated the haze around them. Coming back to her senses, Shayna blinked rapidly several times and lowered her eyes to their joined hands.

"Jake, your phone is ringing, man! Snap out of it!" Sebastian said loudly.

Jake gently removed his hand from hers and pulled his phone from its holster on his hip. Shayna looked around and saw that several more patrons had been seated near them, many of them laughing and talking animatedly. Noticing the empty seat at their table, Shayna asked Sebastian, "Where's Monica?"




Wolf's Kiss Ch. 03



Gesturing toward a far corner of the room, he said simply, "Ladies' Room."

Barely glancing at Jake, who was listening to his caller, she excused herself from the table and went to the restroom on shaky legs. Once there, she spotted Monica standing in front of a long vanity with a long wall mirror checking her reflection.

"You could have told me you were going to the restroom," Shayna said accusingly.

Monica stopped fussing with her hair and grinned at Shayna. "You and Jake seemed to be having a moment and I didn't want to be rude."

"Humph!" Shayna snorted, then checked her own reflection. She almost didn't recognize herself. Her face seemed softer, rounder than usual, her eyes were bright and glossy, and her lips were fuller.

As if reading her thoughts, Monica commented, "You do look a little different, even softer than usual. It suits you though." She gave Shayna a head-to-toe once over. "Must be all that fantastic sex you've been having," she chuckled.

Shayna blushed and turned away from her reflection. "Oh shut up, Monnie. Get your mind out of the gutter." Then a little imp on her shoulder made her say, "You and Sebastian seem to be getting quite chummy."

Monica didn't deny it. "Yeah it does look that way, doesn't it? He's sexy as hell and he's fun to talk to but I don't know. There's something strange about them. Something different that I can't seem to put my finger on."

Shayna leaned against the vanity. "You think so too? I thought it was just my overactive imagination. Do you think they could be dangerous?"

Monica considered that for a moment. "I don't think you or I have anything to fear. But by the way Jake is with you, he'd probably murder any man who came too close to you. What did you do to that man to get him so wrapped up so fast?"

"I have no idea," Shayna answered. "I honestly don't understand it myself. But I have to admit, I feel like I'm falling for him. And that's scaring the shit out of me!"

Monica gave Shayna a reassuring hug. "Just be careful, little cousin. I don't think you really have anything to fear. Just take your time getting to know him before you get in too deep," she advised.

After a last check in the mirror, the cousins headed back to their table. Jake and Sebastian stood at their approach and asked if they were ready to leave. As they headed to the car, Jake told them something came up that he and Sebastian had to handle but they'd drop them off anywhere they wanted to go.

"We'll be fine from here," Monica said. "There are some boutiques nearby that we can walk to. Thanks for lunch guys." She turned to Sebastian and held out her hand, "It was nice meeting you, Sebastian."

Shayna watched with amused interest as Sebastian pulled Monica in for a hug and whispered something in her ear that had her grinning like a schoolgirl. She felt Jake tug on her arm and she turned her attention to him. Pulling her close, he pressed his lips to hers in a leisurely kiss. In spite of her misgivings, her arms slid around his neck and he deepened the kiss, slowly exploring her mouth with his tongue. When she became aware of his hands caressing her ass, she eased away from his mouth and gave him a stern look. His innocent expression made her smile and shake her head.

Leaning down for a quick peck, Jake said, "I'll call you as soon as we've dealt with the problem. Have you made your decision yet?"

"Decision?" Shayna asked frowning. "Decision about what?"

"About staying with me tonight," he replied warily. "And I'll take you to the airport tomorrow," he added as further enticement.

Guessing that he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer yet not really wanting to commit, Shayna said, "I'll call you after dinner." Taking that as a 'yes', Jake grinned broadly, flashing his perfect teeth. After another quick kiss, he and Sebastian got into their SUV and drove off.

Monica hooked her arm through Shayna's and said brightly, "Okay, little cousin. My credit card is primed and ready. Let's go do some damage!"

********************

Jake and Sebastian drove away from the restaurant in silence. Jake was thinking of Shayna and how she was quickly turning his life upside down. He'd known her less than a day but he already knew there was no turning back. He wanted her with him always and he was determined to make it so. Sure there were a few major obstacles but he was confident they could be overcome. He would have to deal with his parents and the elders but he didn't think it would be difficult to persuade them. And once they met Shayna they would fall in love with her too.

But that brought him to the biggest obstacle he faced: Shayna herself. He could feel her trying to withdraw from him and he had to take action. He knew they were moving too fast for her liking and it would be easy to slow things down a little. She needed time to get used to being with him but he was inclined to keep the pressure on by using her body against her. It was incredible how she responded so wantonly to him and it filled him with pride that he was her first. And he was determined to be the only lover she ever had. That was it, he would take advantage of every opportunity to fuck her senseless. And tonight he would show her no mercy.

However, sex wasn't really the problem. That just solved his physical need to possess Shayna. It was also possible that what she'd witnessed was scaring her yet he was afraid that telling her the truth so soon would push her away for good. But he may not have a choice. She'd seen a hint of his nature more than once and had questioned him about it. If she asked him again he wouldn't lie to her so he just had to find a way to keep that particular topic off the table. It had taken a huge amount of self-control to keep from claiming her the previous night when he'd first tasted her virgin blood. And today, her passionate response as they made love, and not to mention how angry she made him had his emotions all over the place. He couldn't remember ever coming so close to losing control so much in such a short time span.

Sebastian let out a long-suffering sigh. "Okay," he said. "You've been brooding over Shayna long enough. Now tell me what's up? What's the deal with her?"

"I want her," Jake stated simply. "But I think I may have come on too strong. Now I'm not sure what to do about it." He thought about it for a moment. "I guess I have to slow it down a little, but not too much. And she's starting to ask questions."

"Like what?" Sebastian asked.

"I almost lost control a couple of times and she saw the change in my eyes," Jake answered. "She asked me how I did it."

Sebastian's brows rose. "So what did you say?"

"Nothing. Thankfully we were interrupted. But I'm sure she's not going to let it drop." Jake groaned. "I have to figure out a way to put her off until the time is right."

"So you're going to ask the Council to allow her to become one of us? Is that what you're planning?" Sebastian asked.

Jake understood his concern. It was rare that the Council allowed such a thing to happen. They were notoriously strict about turning humans. After he won his parents and the pack Elders over, he would plead his case to the Council. He would have to convince them that Shayna was meant to be his lifemate. Then he would have to convince her. In answer to his brother's question, he said, "Yeah. That's the plan."

Sebastian could see that his brother was serious. Jake wouldn't enter into something like this lightly and everyone who knew him would know this was for real. He just hoped Shayna appreciated all the trouble he was preparing to go through for her. Sebastian nodded at Jake. "Just let me know if I can be of any help, brother." Another thought occurred to him just then. "What are you going to do about Claire?"

Jake looked at him curiously. "Why do you ask?"

Sebastian shook his head. "Please don't tell me you can't see she has plans for you. She's been trying to reel you in forever."

Claire, his latest fling, was in fact beginning to show her true colors. From the start he'd made it clear that he wasn't looking for a mate. She readily agreed and seemed satisfied by whatever time he spent with her. That suddenly changed last night when the brunette demanded to know where he'd gone when he disappeared with Shayna. Some things he kept private and Claire didn't know about his suite behind the VIP lounge. His immediate and forceful response to her demands was for her to "mind her damned business." But Shayna's scent was all over him and that infuriated Claire. He dumped her in his limo and told the driver to take her home, but not before reminding her that theirs was a casual arrangement - an arrangement that was now over. Of course she didn't heed his warning and somehow followed him to Shayna's hotel that afternoon. He'd been so distracted by thoughts of Shayna that he didn't catch Claire's scent until he was almost at Shayna's door.

When he relayed the incident to his brother, Sebastian doubled over in laughter and bumped his head on the dashboard. Unfazed, he kept laughing until they pulled up at their destination a short while later. Reluctantly, he sobered as he recalled why they were visiting their parents' brownstone. Any other time he wouldn't dread seeing his father, but today's visit wasn't a social call. His call to Jake while they were at lunch brought disturbing news and now they had to figure out what to do next.



Wolf's Kiss Ch. 04



Sorry this took so long. Unexpected computer glitches slowed me down, but now here we are. I hope you enjoy and think it was worth the wait.

Thanks, Angel



Shayna sat at her desk staring at several files. She wasn't actually looking at the files - her mind was a few hundred miles away. Ever since meeting him a few days ago, Jake dominated her thoughts. Putting two states between them didn't help at all. Sighing heavily, she propped her elbows on the desk and rested her forehead in her hands. There was no use denying it – she missed him and regretted leaving New York without saying goodbye. She also felt guilty for refusing to answer her cell phone when he'd called. She'd spoken to him briefly after their lunch date when he called to tell her he wouldn't be able to see her that night. Apparently there was some urgent situation that needed his attention but he promised to spend the next day with her before she left the city. However, when her phone began to ring that evening while she was at her aunt and uncle's home for dinner, Shayna decided not to answer. Instead she tried to focus on spending time with her family since she hadn't seen them in a long time, especially her dad.

Adding to her torment was her regret about becoming lovers with a man she really didn't know. Sure she was immediately attracted to him the moment she saw him but that was no excuse. She shook her head at the memories of their sexy display on the dance floor and the way he'd dragged her up to his suite. Hell, he was inside her before she even knew his name! She'd never done anything so impulsive in her life and had no clue what had gotten into her that night. Or the next day when he came to her hotel room. But damn, the things he did, the way he made her feel...it was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. And she had a feeling that if her first time had been with any of her previous loser boyfriends that it would not have been nearly as mind-shatteringly awesome. But that was beside the point, it shouldn't have happened. That's exactly what was on her mind all day yesterday as well when he repeatedly called her and she ignored him. She couldn't imagine why he was being so persistent. There was no way he could take her seriously after she'd made it so easy for him to get her in bed. So she'd hurried back to her hotel bright and early yesterday morning, packed her suitcases, and left for the airport.

Jake's calls had started before she left her relatives' home so Shayna wasted no time saying her goodbyes. Monica was surprised that Shayna was leaving so soon and tried to corner her on the front porch. But she read the anxious look on her cousin's face and let her off the hook. Shayna promised to call her later, gave her a big hug and left. She didn't breath a sigh of relief until she landed at BWI airport and almost ran to baggage claim. In her haste, she collided with someone and almost fell on her backside. Regaining her balance, she apologized profusely to the person and saw that she'd bumped into a tall, dark-haired woman with a deep tan. Shayna had a vague feeling that she knew the woman from somewhere but couldn't place her. The woman looked at her with a slightly puzzled expression then composed herself. Glancing down, she looked back at Shayna with deep blue eyes and gestured toward the floor. Shayna looked down and realized that she'd dropped her purse and some of its contents. Quickly picking up her belongings, she stood back up and was about to thank her but the woman was gone. Looking around, she didn't see her anywhere, so she shrugged her shoulders and continued on her way.

Bringing herself back to the present, Shayna tried to figure out where she'd seen that woman in the airport before. Not coming up with anything, she guessed maybe she'd crossed paths with her in a hospital or doctor's office or something. Anyway, here she was at work when she was supposed to be on vacation all week. Although she didn't have any concrete plans for her vacation, she'd thought about visiting some friends in Hampton and spending a few days in Virginia Beach. There was also the possibility of hanging out in Miami. Her father, a freelance photographer, was going to be at a photo shoot later that week and that would be a great opportunity to spend some time with him. But she had nothing to do today so she decided to come to work for a few hours to tie up some loose ends. Her supervisor, Jim Halloran, was surprised to see Shayna pop up in his office that morning and admonished her in his usual fatherly way. She was supposed to be enjoying her vacation doing "whatever it was young people did these days" instead of worrying about paperwork. Shayna smiled and promised not to stay too long.

Looking at the clock, she realized that she'd been sitting at her desk for almost three hours already and she hadn't gotten much done. Her thoughts returned to Jake and a now familiar ache started to grow in her core. She tried to fight it telling herself that all they shared was mutual lust and nothing more. He hadn't called at all today which meant he probably realized as well that they really couldn't go any further. Not for the first time that day, Shayna sighed and shook her head to clear her thoughts. Glancing at the pile of files in front of her, she resolved to put him out of her mind for now and get to work.

********************

Jake walked into his office and quietly closed the door. He loosened his tie and tossed his jacket onto a chair as he strode across the room. The management meeting had been brutal. It wasn't the agenda that gave him problems, it was his inability to focus and he was supposed to be leading the discussions. Now that it was over, he had time to deal with the matter foremost on his mind. Sitting in his chair and simultaneously adjusting his keyboard, he was just about to begin typing but paused when a light knock sounded at the door. Before he could respond, Sebastian walked in and closed the door.

"What do you want?" Jake asked quietly.

Sebastian smirked. He knew that his brother was seething beneath his calm façade. And he knew why – a pretty little minx named Shayna had gotten under his skin in the worst way. Too bad she'd disappeared before he could stake his claim. He almost felt sorry for her once Jake finally got his hands on her. There was nothing like a good chase for their kind and things could get pretty rough. He just hoped she survived.

To Jake he said, "I wanted to fill you in on what I found out about St. Simon."

Jake slid his keyboard back under his desk and gave his brother his full attention. He was struggling to contain his beast but he knew this was important. When they met with their father two days ago, they found out that Gerard St. Simon had contacted him with a request for permission to cross Montrose Territory with a small group of men. Under normal circumstances the reason for such a request would be disclosed and the request would be granted. It was common for members of packs to visit one another by way of pack territories rather than human roads for expedience and safety. Formal requests to cross other lands were made out of respect to maintain peaceful relations.

But St. Simon's request raised questions for two reasons. First, St. Simon is a beta in his pack, his father is the alpha and it is the alpha who usually makes the request. Second, St. Simon declined to tell where he was going and why. He said that he did not wish to involve the Montrose Pack in the "situation" which could only mean that he wasn't planning a friendly visit to another pack. This concerned Claude Montrose because any negative result of St. Simon's actions would automatically involve his pack if he allowed him permission to cross his territory. Regardless of whether or not he knew what was going on, the Council would act swiftly and decisively against anyone who initiated or aided in a pack conflict. The existence of their kind had to be protected on all fronts and these days it was becoming more and more challenging to remain hidden. As betas and generals to their father, Jake and Sebastian were under orders to find out what was going on and to come up with some solutions.

"I spent all day yesterday doing some digging," Sebastian began. Sinking into one of the comfortable chairs on the other side of Jake's desk, he too loosened his tie. "I talked to a lot of my contacts in several packs, including the St. Simon's. Understandably, they were the least forthcoming about the details but I think I managed to piece it together."

Jake sat back in his chair. It seemed he was in for a history lesson. "Cut to the chase, Seb. I have work to do and so do you," he drawled.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. Noting the impatience hidden beneath Jake's calm tone, he knew his next statement would have him pressing for more information. "It's about a woman," Sebastian said simply. He was satisfied to see Jake's eyes widen in surprise.

When Sebastian said nothing more, Jake let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay, Seb, let's hear it."

Given a stage, Sebastian dramatically cleared his throat. "A little over a century ago, there was a woman in the St. Simon pack that Gerard wanted to claim as his mate. He had the hots for her but apparently she had other plans. Gerard pressured her to mate with him but she resisted for quite a while until she finally relented. But a few days before the mating ceremony was to take place, she vanished without a trace. It was generally believed that she went into the river to commit suicide and her body was carried to a watery grave somewhere. No one has seen her until recently. Some members of the St. Simon pack who have integrated in human society have reported seeing her in various places along the east coast and in parts of Montana and Saskatchewan."

"Which would put her in Deep Creek Pack territory," Jake surmised. "So Gerard thinks she is alive and well being protected by them."

"Yes. Gerard has also requested permission to cross Mantuk Pack territory as well, which directly neighbors Deep Creek," Sebastian added. "And as far as I know, Deep Creek hasn't heard anything from St. Simon about meeting with them."

Jake thought for a moment. "That means he's probably taking a small party to spy on them to see if this woman is indeed in hiding there before he makes his next move."

"That's what I would do, although I'm not sure how he plans to hide his presence," Sebastian agreed. "I haven't told Dad any of this yet. He'll want possible next steps. What do you think?" he asked.

"I think the only thing we can do is meet personally with Gerard and tell him we need to know what's going on. If he confirms your information is correct, we can suggest a less intrusive means of finding out if she's alive and where she's hiding. He may not like our methods since they are a bit unconventional, but they work. We'll also need his assurances that he doesn't intend to start a war if we find her living with another pack."

Sebastian nodded in agreement. "That sounds reasonable. And if she is alive, the matter can be mediated by the Council to resolve the issue peacefully." He looked over at Jake as another thought occurred to him. "Do you think we should involve the Council from the start? They could order Deep Creek to answer to an inquiry."

Jake shook his head in the negative. "Actually they can't. Deep Creek hasn't had a representative on the Council for quite awhile, so Council laws don't bind them. We can use a tracker to locate her if St. Simon still has any of her old belongings. Her scent should still be prominent on any clothing she left behind."

Picking up Jake's train of thought, Sebastian added, "If she is found in Deep Creek territory, we can offer her temporary protection and mediation by the Council as a means to avoid a conflict. As a member of the Council, the St. Simons would have to agree to their terms and resolution."

"I think we have a winner," Jake said. "Let me know what Dad says when you tell him all of this."

"What do you mean?" Sebastian demanded. "We both have to report to him tomorrow night!"

Jake slid his keyboard from under the desk. "You can do the honors. I have other matters requiring my attention."

Sebastian's ire flared briefly then died down. He knew his brother's predicament wasn't an easy one to handle. In fact, it mirrored Gerard St. Simon's in a way. Jake wanted Shayna but she'd fled. All he could think about was getting her back, but she was human and there was no acceptable recourse if she refused him. Looking at Jake with genuine concern, he said, "Good luck, brother."

Jake smiled wryly and nodded. "Thanks."

When Sebastian left his office, he turned his attention to his computer screen. He typed a few words into the search engine and within five minutes he was bolting from his chair armed with all the information he needed. He startled his assistant when he burst through his door into the outer office. "Maggie, take messages for me and postpone any appointments I have for the rest of the week. I have to take care of something and it may take some time. Call me if anything urgent comes up that you can't pass on to Sebastian or handle yourself." And then he was gone.

********************

Well into the afternoon, Shayna finally put away the last patient file. Though her intentions were good, it took much longer to complete the charts than she'd initially anticipated. Knowing why it took her so long didn't ease her mind. Instead it drifted again, as it had a thousand times today, to Jake. After repeatedly calling her all day yesterday he hadn't called once today. Maybe he'd realized she didn't want to talk to him and gave up trying. Or maybe he decided she wasn't worth the effort and turned to someone else. It wouldn't surprise her to find out that a man with such magnificent looks and a body to match had a lot of women waiting for a chance to jump in his bed.

Suddenly, Shayna felt inexplicably sad and lonely. Although she had been reluctant to speak to Jake, at least she felt that she had an option to do so. Now that he'd stopped calling she felt like she was missing something. Of course she could call him, but what if he in turn ignored her calls? It would serve her right, she reasoned with herself, if he gave her a taste of her own medicine. If he did answer his phone, she didn't know what to say or if anything would come of it. Then again, maybe she wouldn't call him. Maybe she should just leave things as they were and get on with her life. Shayna couldn't decide but she knew one thing for sure; whether or not she ever spoke to him or saw him again, she would never be the same. Now she had to figure out if she really wanted to be with him and how far she was willing to go to make it happen.

First things first, she had to refuel. 'Can't put myself out on a limb on an empty stomach,' she thought to herself. Leaving behind the cool, sterile hospital, Shayna stepped out into the warm sunshine. On the way to her car, her brain seemed to begin to thaw. Her main concern so far had been that she'd acted so out of character and let her guard down so easily. Yet in retrospect, it was more than that. Ever since that first moment of awareness, there was something pulling her to him. Somehow, in the short time that she'd known him, Jake had affected her in a way she never thought possible. It was weird, but she felt like she'd known him all her life even though she knew next to nothing about him. Still, there was only one way to find out what could happen, so she made her decision and resolved to follow it through.

Shayna decided to drive to Old Town to eat lunch and poke around the antique shops to kill some time. She ate at a small café on the main thoroughfare then headed to antique row. She loved history and usually enjoyed engaging the shop owners when she came across a particularly interesting treasure. But today, she kept to herself and leisurely explored shops she'd come to know quite well. In one shop there was a display of handmade quilts and she purchased one that had a breathtaking celestial design depicting the signs of the zodiac. There was a lovely sunset in one corner of the quilt and a sunrise in the opposite corner. Shayna couldn't resist buying it although it was pretty expensive.

However, her most intriguing find was in the jewelry display of another of her favorite shops. She'd been idly browsing the displays for about half an hour and was about to leave when she saw a flash of yellow out of the corner of her eye. Moving closer to the jewelry counter, Shayna gasped when she saw that the flash of yellow was actually a large stone set in a beautiful silver ring. The band was decorated with a carved woven ivy design and looked very old. As Shayna looked into the stone, an almost forgotten memory came to mind. The image of Jake between her legs feasting on her innocence then looking up at her with eyes that same color held her frozen for a moment. Warmth flooded her entire body at the memory and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Are you okay, young lady?"

Shayna nearly jumped out of her skin. She'd completely forgotten for a moment where she was and new warmth flooded her face as she blushed. Slowly opening her eyes she saw the middle-aged proprietress of the antique shop looking at her with mild concern. Nodding her head vigorously, Shayna answered, "Yes, ma'am. I'm fine." Then quickly changing the subject, she pointed to the display. "What can you tell me about that ring?"

The woman smiled at Shayna's choice. Moving behind the jewelry case, she slid open the glass door and took the ring off its black velvet perch. "I found this ring in an estate sale in Florida a few months ago. The home belonged to an elderly woman who'd been widowed for about twenty years. Her family was moving her to an assisted living facility and decided to sell what they didn't want to keep. Her husband made this ring before they actually got married more than sixty years ago. The stone is amber, which is really petrified tree sap, and the band is white gold."

Shayna looked more closely at the ring. "That design is really unique. Is it inlayed with yellow gold?"

"Yes, it's 14 karat gold. It's really beautiful. I don't think the woman's son considered the sentimental value of a lot of her stuff. I think he just wanted to get rid of everything quickly and sell the house. She had a lot of nice old things but I was on vacation and hadn't planned to buy anything really." The shop owner smiled wistfully and chuckled. "I would have kept the ring myself but then I want to keep everything I find. My husband says there would be no point having a store if we had nothing to sell."

Shayna laughed and said, "Well thank your husband for me. I'm glad you didn't keep it because I want it."

The woman sighed resolutely, still smiling. "Fine, fine, take his side. But seriously, I know you'll enjoy wearing this ring. You'll probably get a lot of attention too, it's exquisite." She placed the ring in a ring box and a paper bag and rang Shayna's purchase.

Shayna left the store and made her way to her car. Instead of putting the shopping bags in the trunk, she sat them next to her on the passenger seat. She started the car but couldn't resist opening the ring box and gazing at the amber stone. She still wondered about his eyes and why they changed color so drastically. Shaking her head, she put the ring away and started her journey home.

During the entire drive Shayna thought about her weekend in New York. She replayed in her mind every moment she spent with Jake from the first time she saw him stepping out of his limo, to the way he ravished her in his suite and in her hotel room, to their last scorching kiss outside the restaurant. Her body tingled as she relived every touch, every kiss, and she knew she was ruined. She had to call him. She had to put herself out there for him; she just hoped it wasn't too late.




Wolf's Kiss Ch. 04



Pulling into the parking lot of her apartment complex, she was relieved to find a spot near the entrance to her building. Hopping out of the car with her bags, Shayna headed inside. Seeing her hands full with her purse and bags, the attendant buzzed her in and she thanked him as she passed his desk to the elevator. She usually took the stairs to her fourth floor apartment but she waited for the elevator instead, realizing that she was just prolonging the inevitable. While she waited, she removed the ring from its box and slipped it on the ring finger of her right hand but it was too big. 'Just like Jake,' she thought suddenly and blushed. Instead, she tried it on her middle finger and it fit much better.

When the elevator arrived, Shayna was glad that it was empty. She paced the small space like a caged animal and the short ride seemed to take forever. Her heart started to pound in her chest and she felt sweaty and claustrophobic. By the time she reached her floor she was seriously reconsidering her decision to call him. Shayna burst out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened and almost ran down the hallway. She turned the corner at the intersection to the hallway leading to her apartment and stopped dead in her tracks. Halfway down, leaning against the wall beside her door, was the object of her anxiety. Shayna stared at him in shock thinking she must be daydreaming. But he was really there, in the flesh, staring back at her. Her initial instinct was to run and hide but something held her there.

Leaning against the wall, Jake knew he looked deceptively casual but he was ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Her scent washed over him as soon as he heard the elevator arrive and it took a massive amount of self-control to remain in this position. And although he knew she was coming, he still wasn't prepared for the vision before him. She was dressed in a plain blouse and khakis but she looked almost wild; her eyes were widened in surprise, her mouth parted as she panted, her curly hair swirled around her in disarray. She looked amazing. He had to have her...now.

Shayna stood very still not knowing what to do. Her mind was racing as fast as her heartbeat but all she could do was look at Jake. Still trying to convince herself that he was really here at her home, she slowly took in his appearance. He was wearing a loose fitting t-shirt and jeans but they did nothing to hide his impressive physique. The shirt seemed to mold itself around his muscular chest and the jeans encased his strong thighs as well as the growing bulge in his crotch. Shayna felt her body responding of its own accord to his blatant masculinity – her breasts seemed to swell and her nipples were hardening inside her bra. Not to mention her insides seemed to be liquefying and leaking through the juncture of her thighs. She hoped and prayed he didn't see the effect he was having on her. She looked up and guessed by the thin set of his generous mouth that he was a bit tense but couldn't read anything else in his expression.

'Is it anger or arousal that has him wound so tightly?' she wondered. Avoiding his eyes, she glanced further up and saw that he'd shaved his head. His hair was close-cut when she met him but now he was completely bald. He shifted his body slightly and she found herself looking him in the eye.

In spite of the tension evident in his posture, Shayna felt the heat in his gaze and automatically moved toward him. Her heart was hammering in her chest and when she reached him, she raised a hand to touch his face but pulled it back at the last moment. Jake swiftly caught her hand and placed it on his chest. He could hear the fierce beating of her heart and wanted her to feel that his was pounding as well. She raised startled eyes to his and suddenly the tension left his face. He was still angry with her, very angry, but something about the way she looked at him was affecting him. That and the warm, musky scent of her arousal had his beast ready to take over, to pound her until he was satisfied she wouldn't leave him again.

Having made up his mind, Jake stood to his full height and nodded toward the door. He didn't trust his voice to speak, he would probably just growl at her and scare her half to death. He let go of her hand so she could unlock the door but not before noticing the amber ring on her middle finger. He made a mental note to ask her about it later. Right now he needed to release some of his tension and there was only one thing he wanted.

As soon as they entered her apartment, Shayna kicked off her shoes out of habit. Jake locked the door then scooped her up and strode into the living room. Caught off guard, Shayna shrieked when he picked her up. She automatically dropped her purse and shopping bag and wrapped her arms around his neck for support. Quickly taking in the apartment's layout, he carried Shayna into her bedroom and stood her on the floor. She tried to move away from him but he grabbed her by her waist and raised her blouse over her head. Shayna gasped at how fast he moved and before she knew it, he had unhooked her bra and removed that as well.

Shayna was aware by now that she was soaking wet and it would take a blind person to not be aware of the now huge bulge in Jake's jeans. However, if she had her way, he was going to have to wait because she didn't want to give in to him just yet. Shayna took a step back from Jake and he in turn took a step forward. She took another careful step back then another when he continued to advance toward her. Her inner alarm went off when Jake's eyes narrowed and a low growl rumbled in his chest. He was already excited and she was just fanning the flames by trying to escape.

The backs of her legs came up against the foot of the bed and Jake pressed his advantage. Pushing her down on the bed, he lay next to her, sliding his arm under her shoulders to hold her close. Shayna moaned as his free hand began toying with her breasts, moving from one to the other plumping them and pinching her nipples. The heat from his hand made her melt even more and when he was satisfied that her nipples were hard enough, he lowered his mouth to one and suckled strongly. Arrows of fire shot straight to her core as his mouth worked its magic on her breast. Just when she thought she could take no more, he switched breasts and began his exquisite torture all over again.

Jake couldn't get enough of Shayna's luscious little body. As much as he wanted to sink himself up to the hilt in her warm pussy, he couldn't resist the feel of her plump nipples in his mouth. Her soft moans and whimpers were music to his ears but he wanted to take her almost to the edge. Still licking and sucking her nipples, he slowly eased his hand down her ribcage and across her smooth belly to the waistband of her pants. His movements were deliberately slow to heighten her awareness and anticipation. He didn't know how much longer he could hold out but he wanted her as aroused as possible before his control slipped.

Shayna sucked in a sharp breath when Jake unbuttoned her khakis. She expected him to plunder her flesh right away and was dismayed when he took his time easing down her zipper. She continued panting as he suckled her breast and lightly traced random patterns across her stomach. Her body was on fire for him and all she could do was whimper to communicate her need.

Jake lifted his head for a brief moment and smiled wickedly at her as she squirmed in his arms. Suddenly it dawned on Shayna that he was toying with her. When he bent his head to her nipple again, she closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip. She tried to mentally block the sensations running through her body but it was just too much. He held her captive as he licked and sucked her nipples and gently nipped the fleshy undersides of her breasts. His hand gradually slid down her abdomen to cup her mound through her pants, yet the heat he generated felt as if he touched her bare flesh. She involuntarily ground herself against his hand and in a flash he was on his knees before her. Wasting no time Jake slid her pants and undies down her legs and tossed them on the floor. He parted her knees and gazed down at her soaking wet cunt. Shayna shyly tried to move away but Jake's sudden growl of displeasure halted her movements.

Jake pushed her further up the bed onto the pillows then bent her knees back, raising her legs into the air. As he lowered his face to her pussy, he rested her feet on his shoulders and proceeded to lick her juice from her plump lips. Then he licked her slit from her opening to her clit taking in every drop of her sweetness. But he needed her to be very wet so he continued to lick and nibble her clit until her nectar flowed freely again. When her shallow panting signaled her impending orgasm, Jake eased the pressure of his lips and tongue. Shayna instinctively grabbed his head with both hands to hold him in place causing him to smile at her newfound boldness. Immensely pleased as he was, he was on a mission and gently removed her hands from his head. He stood and quickly removed his clothes aware of her watching him through a fog of frustrated passion.

Once undressed, Jake slowly moved onto the bed and knelt once more in front of her still out-stretched legs. Sitting back on his haunches, he reached out on hand to explore her pussy. He gently squeezed her lips, pinching her swollen nub between them, and then released them to rub her clit with the pad of his thumb. Shayna whined in frustration and Jake's control almost snapped when she lifted her hips off the bed to increase the pressure of his caress. Holding himself together by a thread, he slid his fingers down to her opening and slipped two of them inside her dripping canal. He leaned forward and held Shayna's hips still against the bed while he slowly thrust his fingers in and out of her pussy and pressed his thumb against her clit.

When her breathing became rapid panting again, he removed his fingers from her body and slowly licked them clean. He closed his eyes as he savored her flavor and felt the restlessness of his beast. But when he heard her softly moan, "Jake, please," he lost it. Raising her hips in the air, Jake plunged his huge cock into her to the hilt. He threw his head back and shouted in triumph just as Shayna screamed in pain. Feeling as if he'd split her in two Shayna was afraid to move or breathe. Jake realized he was hurting her and eased a few inches of his massive manhood out of her before slowly sliding back in. He'd held back for the most part during their previous encounters but now he wanted her to begin getting used to his full size without causing her any more excruciating pain.

Continuing to leisurely thrust in and out of her, Jake noticed Shayna's breathing was gradually returning to normal. He began to relax and allowed himself to enjoy the friction of his hardness against her satiny softness. She was so tight but her wetness enabled him to glide in and out with ease. Since he was still on his haunches with her bottom resting in his lap, his hands were free to caress her body. One hand played with her breasts while his other hand zeroed in on her clit. His cock pulsed within her and he knew he was close to his release but he wanted Shayna to come first. He continued his slow pace, pushing himself all the way inside her until he felt her muscles begin to contract around him. Her passion was on the rise again and she was nearing release. Lowering her hips to the bed, he followed her down and flexed his hips forward.

"Sweet Jesus," Shayna moaned in ecstasy when Jake ground his hips into hers creating the sweetest pressure against her clit. Not wanting the feeling to end, she rolled her hips against his and sucked in a sharp breath at the impossible intensity of the sensations in her core. Shayna wrapped her arms and legs around Jake's big body as he continued grinding into her, his body shaking with the effort to maintain his self-control. Then he stopped moving altogether, his hips flexed into hers as his huge cock rested on that magic spot deep inside her. In moments Shayna was exploding around him, her muscles squeezing his hard length, flooding him with her sticky juice.

Jake's control snapped and he gathered Shayna close as he drove into her relentlessly, carelessly pounding her flesh until he too exploded in a torrent of hot semen filling her womb. Even after he stopped thrusting his rod throbbed and pulsed inside her and her pussy continued contracting around him, milking his cock for all he had to give her. He finally collapsed against her, breathing heavily, with his arms still wrapped protectively around her. Not wanting his weight to crush her, he turned them onto their sides and draped her leg over his, their bodies still joined together.

They lay like that for several minutes, each of them catching their breath and thinking private thoughts. It had occurred to Jake that he was supposed to be angry with Shayna but he couldn't raise his ire at the moment if he tried. He was too relaxed, too sated, and too happy to be holding her in his arms. Although she had run from him and ignored him for almost two days, he took it as a good sign that they were now lying entwined like this. But just in case he was wrong, he still planned to spend the next few days with her fucking her into submission. On some level he knew it was fighting dirty to use her own body's desire for him against her, but he couldn't help the wicked thoughts his plan conjured. Looking down at her cuddling into him, he felt something else stir in his gut and knew it wasn't just lust driving him to claim her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Jake wasn't afraid, he just knew it was going to be a tough battle winning everyone over...especially Shayna.



Wolf's Kiss Ch. 05



Shayna lay against Jake's chest as she slowly drifted back down from the clouds. She became aware of him stroking the back of her leg when her brain function returned to normal and she tried to roll away from him. Needless to say, he held her in place quite easily so she lay still.

"Jake, we really need to talk," she finally said after a few more moments of silence.

Inwardly groaning, Jake released his hold on her and watched her scoot away from him. He knew they needed to discuss their relationship, but he couldn't resist acting on their mutual attraction to each other. He had actually hoped to use it to his advantage but now realized it wasn't a good idea. And chasing her to D.C. just seemed like a stalker move now that he thought about that too. He hoped she would give him a chance to explain himself before she kicked him out of her apartment, or maybe even her life.

Shayna got up and grabbed her bathrobe from its hook behind the bedroom door. She didn't turn around to face him until she'd tied the belt securely around her waist. Taking a deep breath and running a nervous hand through her hair, she turned around and almost got weak-kneed at the sight of him lying on her bed. Apparently Jake was in no way modest, as he lay there naked on top of the rumpled sheets watching her. She almost asked him to cover himself before she realized she was being wimpy again. Mentally chastising herself for being a wuss, she reminded herself that she was a grown woman and needed to behave as such.

Walking to the oversized armchair by her bed, Shayna sat down and leaned forward with her arms resting on her thighs. She avoided looking Jake in the eyes as she searched her mind for the right words to say, but she came up empty-handed. So, she decided the best thing to do was to be as direct as she normally was -- at least she was until she met him.

"First," she began, finally making eye contact. "I must apologize for yesterday. I know I took the cowardly way out by leaving New York and not answering your calls. I'm really sorry about that."

She looked and sounded sincere in her apology, but Jake couldn't hide his feelings. "Why did you leave?" he asked, sounding more hurt than he probably intended. "Why wouldn't you talk to me?"

Shayna looked away and thought for a moment before answering. "Honestly, I was scared. I still am really."

"Of me?" he asked warily. His heart began to pound heavily in his chest for fear that she somehow suspected what he was and was afraid of him.

Jake seemed extremely tense for some reason and Shayna wondered why. Shaking her head, she answered, "No, not really. It's just that I've never acted so impulsively in my life. I mean, I'm the last person anyone would ever expect to become intimate with a complete stranger. I still don't know what came over me then." Looking at him with uncertainty, she said, "Or now."

Jake's gut twisted as Shayna averted her eyes and sat back in the chair. When he moved to sit on the side of the bed closer to her, she crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap but kept her face turned slightly away from him. He ached to pull her onto his lap to comfort her but he knew that wasn't what she needed at the moment. She needed assurances, peace of mind.

"I apologize for coming on so strong. I have a tendency to act first when it comes to my instincts," he told her. "And from the first moment I saw you, I knew I had to have you."

Shayna looked at him wryly, then turned away again.

"I'm serious, Shayna. Maybe I'm not explaining myself clearly. It isn't just physical, it's deeper than that. Much deeper." He wanted to say more but this wasn't the right time. He wanted to explain that what he felt was the lure of his mate, that she was his mate. But he wasn't ready to tell her that and she wasn't ready to learn the truth. Thinking quickly, he tried a different approach.

"Shayna, I understand that you feel you're being irrational, that everything is moving too fast."

"This is all new to me, Jake. The things you do, the way you make me feel...it's not just that it all happened too soon. Being with you makes me feel that I'm walking on thin ice, like I could fall through at any moment and completely lose myself." Shayna's lips curled in a rueful smile. "I have to admit, the idea is kind of exciting. But at the same time, that's not how I live my life and that scares me."

Jake could sympathize with her dilemma, he really could, but he couldn't let her slip away from him. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked, his voice barely audible. If she said yes, he would be crushed but he wasn't going to give up. If she said no, he would do everything he could to make sure she never regretted her choice.

"I don't know, Jake," was her answer. "I have a feeling that I'm way out of my league with you."

Jake weighed his next question carefully. "If you put aside your uncertainty for a moment and thought about the time we've spent together so far, do you have any regrets?"

Shayna leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes while she thought about it. Goosebumps prickled her skin as she remembered how she felt when she first saw him when he stepped out of the limousine, how they moved together on the dance floor, the way he made her feel the first time he made love to her, and even how easily they talked at lunch once she let her guard down. And this evening, how they came together without saying a word to each other, it all felt so natural. It felt like it was supposed to happen. Only afterward, when she tried to rationalize everything, did she have issues.

Bravely looking Jake in the eyes again, Shayna shook her head. "No," she said. "I don't have any regrets."

Jake exhaled before he realized he'd been holding his breath. Moving slowly, he leaned forward and took one of her hands in his. The simple contact seemed to soothe both of them and Shayna had to admit that his touch made her feel so good on so many levels. Although she wasn't one hundred percent sure of herself and their (dare she call it a relationship?), she didn't necessarily want it to end any time soon.

Jake didn't want it to end either, so he offered Shayna a compromise, something to appease them both without getting in the way of progress. "We were really getting to know each other at lunch the other day. Why don't we slow things down a little and take time to get used to each other?"

"Okay," she readily agreed, smiling shyly.

Jake gave in to the urge to pull her onto his lap. Shayna went willingly and lifted her face to his as he leaned in for a kiss. He traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, and then slipped inside to ravish her mouth. Shayna twined her arms around his neck and kissed him back, letting her passion spill out of her. But when Jake parted her robe and gently cupped her breast, she covered his hand with hers and stilled his caress.

"Jake, we're slowing down, remember?" she asked breathlessly.

Jake groaned. "Ugh! Right. Slowing down," he grumbled. It sounded like a good idea when he said it a minute ago, now he wanted to kick himself.

Shayna chuckled. "We're slowing down, not stopping altogether. Besides, I need to stay sharp when I'm around you."

Jake took his time releasing her breast, gently stroking her nipple with the pad of his thumb. Shayna's lips parted as she slowly inhaled and he knew it wouldn't take long to raise the intensity of her arousal. But he'd given his word, so he steeled his resolve and planted a soft kiss on her parted lips while he closed her robe. When he lifted his head, Shayna took a deep breath.

"Thank you," she sighed.

"For what?" he asked, running his fingers through her soft, curly hair.

"For not ravishing me again," she replied. "I swear I don't know how you do what you do to me."

Jake smiled, flashing his perfect teeth. "I worked my mojo on you. I had to get you under my spell."

Shayna rolled her eyes and slid off his lap. Heading toward the door, she asked over her shoulder, "Are you hungry? I'm starving!"

Watching her move with such feminine grace, he felt himself harden again. The frumpiness of the bathrobe couldn't even hide her curves and she seemed so unaware of her effect on him. If he gave in to his animalistic nature, he would make her belong to him right here, right now. 'Patience,' he thought to himself. 'We have to be patient. She'll join us when the time is right.'

********************

"Gerard, I've just received word of another sighting of Marisa."

Gerard turned away from the window of his office and pinned his pale blue eyes on Alexandre, his closest friend and confidante.

"Who saw her? Where?" he asked. He tried to take the urgency out of his tone but too many people have been spotting Marisa lately. It couldn't be a coincidence.

"Tomas. He had just arrived at BWI airport yesterday on some business for your father. He believes he saw her there with a young human woman," Alex said.

"Was he positive it was Marisa? Did he detect her scent?" Gerard had to be sure if he was to follow up on this information. Nothing else had panned out so far and he didn't want to waste time and money on another dead end. But Tomas was one of the betas charged with Marisa's education back then and he would know her if he saw her.

Alex looked wary. "Well, he was a bit of a distance away and it was very brief. He said they made eye contact and he was sure she recognized him as well. There was some kind of commotion and she slipped away before he could approach her."

"And her scent? He didn't pick it up?" Gerard asked. This was sounding like the usual story. Someone from his pack thought they saw her but didn't detect her scent. He was becoming convinced that he was chasing a ghost. It just seemed odd that so many otherwise reliable sources could all be wrong.

Alexandre interrupted his thoughts. "No, he didn't get her distinct scent but he did follow the young woman she seemed to be watching. Here's her name and address." Alex handed him a piece of paper, then cleared his throat. "There's one other thing that made human stand out. Tomas said that he did detect a wolf scent, a male wolf. It was all over the young woman."

Gerard's interest was piqued and he quirked a brow. He looked at the name on the paper. "Gavin." Handing the paper back to Alex, he said, "Check her out for me. I guess it won't hurt to do a little digging. Maybe there's a connection after all."

Alex nodded and left the room as Gerard turned his attention back to the window. Alex knew his friend was appearing calmer than he felt and he wished they could put this behind them once and for all. But he also knew that was easier said than done. If there were any chance that Marisa was alive, Gerard would not rest until he found her. Or found her remains. All these years and he hadn't stopped secretly grieving for the one who was to be his mate.

To his credit, Gerard hadn't let his longing cripple him. As beta, and second only to his father, he not only had plenty of responsibilities to keep him occupied, he also didn't lack for female companionship. There were scores of women over the years who had hoped she would be the one to stir his beast, before and since Marisa.

Alex left Gerard's house and walked the short distance to his own. There were several people about, children playing and laughing, enjoying the beautiful summer day. He absently waved to those he passed on his way to his home. Quickly mounting the short flight of stairs, he entered his house and went directly to his study. After placing a quick call to Tomas, he poured himself a glass of scotch and settled down on his sofa.

This Marisa business was definitely taking a toll on Gerard and on him by extension. He worried for his best friend for more reasons than the obvious. Of course he wanted Gerard to find closure in Marisa's death but he was afraid that was not to be so. Her death always seemed fishy to him, no pun intended. It was believed that she had committed suicide by drowning herself in the river bordering the west side of their land, but her body was never recovered. It's true she was distraught over having to leave her old life behind but she didn't seem to be so unstable that she would end her own life.

Alex took another sip of his scotch as the events that led to Marisa's arrival into their world replayed in his mind. A rogue shifter was on the prowl, leaving a trail of destruction across several territories and in some human towns. He hadn't attacked any humans that they knew of, just farm animals and wild game. Guillaume St. Simon sent a small patrol of his betas to scour their land for any sign of the rogue with orders to capture him alive if they encountered him. What they encountered on the fourth day of their search was the body of a woman, badly injured and seemingly near death in one of the densely wooded areas of the territory. Two of the betas quickly took her to the main compound and their alpha ordered the medics to do all they could to save her. He and Gerard were off the territory at the time dealing with a business matter and did not know of the woman's arrival in their compound.

When they came back two weeks later, it was to Guillaume charging the betas with the task of helping Marisa transition into her new life. Although she'd been badly mauled, her scars were fading fast and it was clear that she survived because the rogue had infected her at some point during the attack. The rogue had since been caught and was locked in a secure cell inside the infirmary but was resisting Guillaume's attempts to force him to shift into his human form.

As they neared the infirmary to meet the mysterious young woman, Gerard became agitated. Alex could pick out the distinct new scent of the woman but it did not stir him nearly as much as it did his friend. Gerard's pace quickened and low growls were emitting from his throat. Even his red hair seemed to blaze to life as he rushed up the stairs to the medical building. Rushing through the lobby area, they didn't need anyone to point out her room. Gerard was in such a state that it was easy for him to follow her scent and he was in her room in a flash.

Stopping just inside the doorway, Gerard stood transfixed as he took in the vision Marisa made. She was sitting up in bed, several pillows propping her up, with a book in her lap. She was wearing a modest white cotton nightgown and her long, curly dark hair fanned out around her against the pillows. She'd obviously fallen asleep while reading and it was equally obvious that his best friend had found his mate. When Gerard became aware of Alex standing at his back, he whirled around, fangs bared, ready to attack. Luckily Alex had the presence of mind to immediately move several feet away from him.

The commotion awakened Marisa and Gerard immediately backed down when he heard her stirring. When she opened her eyes, it was to see Gerard standing at the foot of her bed with such a look on his face that Alex was hard pressed not to start laughing. His best friend, the alpha's son and heir, had been reduced to a heaping pile of mush! Gerard stood there looking at her with such longing, like he was about to beg her to accept him. And Marisa for her part simply stared at him wide-eyed for she had no idea who he was or why he was giving her puppy-dog eyes.

Knowing Gerard would likely try to rip his head off if he entered the room, Alex went in search of the female medic to make the introductions. When they returned, Gerard and Marisa were still in the same positions looking at each other. The medic cleared her throat before entering the room to get their attention. She quickly introduced them to each other, making sure to emphasize to Marisa that Gerard was the alpha's son. With her duty done, the medic left the room and Gerard cautiously made his way to her side. He gently lifted her hand in his and brought it to his lips for a light kiss then lowered it back to the bed.

Alex cleared his throat and Gerard flashed him an angry glare. Holding up his hands in a non-threatening gesture, Alex said, "I'm going home to clean up and rest. Come get me when you're ready to give Guillaume our report." Then he left the two of them alone to get to know each other.

And that's how it was for a while. Gerard visited Marisa every day and almost lost it any time an unattached male came too close to her. His father had to intervene on several occasions and ordered him to control himself because she simply wasn't ready to deal with mating yet. She had her own problems and didn't need to add a hot-blooded male to her list of troubles. It was heartbreaking to see her mourn her old life while trying to accept her new reality. She was leaving behind her family and friends because a veritable monster had torn her away from them.

It took some time, but Marisa eventually seemed to start coming to grips with the change she was undergoing and understood why she couldn't live among humans any more. After being with the St. Simons for a few weeks, she'd progressed enough to be integrated with the rest of the pack. By then, all the unattached males knew Gerard's intentions toward her so they wisely kept their distance. He became her self-appointed mentor and protector and, against his father's advice, he began courting her. Marisa was reluctant at first but Gerard could definitely turn on the charm when he needed to win over someone. And when she finally let down her guard, he asked her to be his mate. She agreed.

Maybe she was lonely or maybe she didn't fully understand what it meant to their kind to be mates, but she definitely wasn't ready for such a commitment. Gerard immediately went before the elders and told them they wished to be mated. The elders gave their consent and blessing and preparations for the mating ceremony got under way. Marisa was obviously overwhelmed by the planning and the volume of arrangements to be made. And she seemed horrified when the elders explained to her what was to happen during the ceremony. There was so much to take in and such a short time to get ready. Gerard insisted that the ceremony take place in one week, as he was impatient to make her belong to him.

Alex pondered for a moment. Now that he thought about it, he shouldn't have been surprised that things turned out the way they did. There was so much going on, Marisa had a hard time keeping up. She was trying to move forward with her new life but she was still grieving for her old one too. It must have gotten to be too much. That's the only explanation he could come up with for her throwing herself into the river.

********************

Jake leaned back into the soft cushions of the sofa and stretched his long legs in front of him. Shayna had prepared a fantastic lunch and he'd eaten more than he probably should have. Now he was relaxed and content to channel surf while she loaded the dishwasher.

He was extremely pleased that Shayna was becoming more at ease with him since their conversation the previous night. He kept his word and refrained from initiating sex but he couldn't resist touching her every chance he got. He would pull her close to him while they lounged in bed or on the sofa, he stroked her hand as it rested on the table while they ate, he would walk up behind her and wrap his arms around her while she brushed her teeth or while she was cooking.

It took tremendous effort not to throw her down and sink himself into her body but he did enjoy stealing those little touches. And he knew she enjoyed them as well, especially when he idly caressed her breasts or rubbed the juncture of her thighs through her panties. She would gasp in surprise at first but the smell of her arousal would soon fill his nostrils. He kept telling himself to be patient, the time wasn't right, but deep down he was really afraid she would reject him once she learned the truth. 




Wolf's Kiss Ch. 05



'Maybe I should go ahead and tell her,' he thought to himself for the umpteenth time that day. 'Just get it over with now and deal with whatever happens.'

Just then, Shayna came into view as she walked into the small dining area to wipe the table and straighten the chairs. She looked over at him and flashed him a smile that almost stopped his heart. Without thinking, he went to her and scooped her up in his arms. Her head rolled to the side as she laughed delightedly and Jake softly nuzzled her neck. An appreciative growl rumbled in his chest as he inhaled her sweet, feminine scent and his loins responded immediately.

Carrying her to the sofa, Jake sat down and leaned back into the pillows. Shayna's only option was to straddle his strong thighs but she didn't lower herself onto his lap. She was aware that the only garments separating them were his boxer briefs and her lacy panties and tank top. If she sat down, she'd be sitting directly on his erection bobbing between her legs. It didn't help that she could feel the moisture flowing from her sex in response to his desire and would be embarrassed if she knew he could smell her readiness.

Jake wanted so badly to rip off her panties and impale her on his cock but he could sense her hesitation. So he gave in to another temptation. Instead of guiding her hips down to his hardness, he pulled her forward so her breasts were hovering over his waiting mouth. Honing in on one already hardened nipple, Jake engulfed it in his mouth through her top. He greedily sucked her into his mouth and used his tongue to rasp the material over her flesh. His efforts were rewarded with a low moan escaping her throat and she pressed into him deepening the contact. Jake continued the delicious torture a moment more before bestowing the same lovely treatment on her other nipple as he kneaded and massaged her ample ass.

Shayna gave up her fight and sat back onto his lap, covering Jake's twitching cock with her hot pussy. He lifted his head from her breasts and was mesmerized by the incredibly erotic picture she made. She threw her head back, eyes closed, and her lips parted as she panted in ecstasy. Her small hands gripped his shoulders as she gyrated against his cock, soaking both their underwear with her juice. Her breasts bounced with her movements and lifted her shirt over her head and lowered his mouth to tease her again. The roughness of his tongue on her nipples was electric and Shayna's tempo increased against him.

Jake could tell she was nearing release so, elongating a fingernail, he lifted her slightly away from him and slit her panties, pulling them away from her body. Quickly doing away with his boxers as well, he gripped her hips and lowered her entrance to the tip of his dick. Her juices were flowing freely from her body, covering his head and sliding down his shaft. The image burned into his brain as he carefully lowered her onto his cock until he was almost fully encased in her luscious pussy.

Shayna was in absolute heaven. She wasn't sure how it happened but just as she was wishing Jake was inside her, her wish came true. She was literally sitting on his dick and it felt delightful. He must have been inside her as far as he could go because she could feel a sharp pain when she inhaled but she didn't care. He was so thick and wide and filling her so much that the pain seemed almost insignificant. Holding her breath, she tentatively flexed her hips forward and felt such a rush of pleasure that she gasped in awe.

Jake heard her gasp through the haze he was in and thought he was hurting her. He lifted her hips and was surprised by her frantic outburst.

"No! Don't move!" she demanded.

Stunned into stillness, Jake let out a rush of air as Shayna slowly slid back down his shaft taking even more of him inside her. And when she began to flex her hips back and forth, he almost lost control of his beast. Forcing the animal to back down, he concentrated on the exquisite feeling of her tight, wet pussy gripping him as she set a slow pace back and forth, gently rocking against him. Her pace quickened as she found her rhythm, then she discovered another motion. Swaying her hips in a circle brought more moans of pleasure from both of them. While Shayna kept her eyes closed, Jake's were glued to her face watching her expressions of wonder and ecstasy intensify as she rode him with enthusiasm.

"Oh God, this feels so good!" she panted breathlessly and Jake almost lost it again. He could feel her nearing orgasm as her speed increased and her gyrations became wilder. Shayna was panting heavily and her grip on his shoulders tightened.

"Shayna, baby, open your eyes. Look at me!" Jake growled, nearing his own release.

Shayna did as she was told and opened her eyes just as the first waves of her orgasm crashed through her body. Jake thrust his hips upward as she ground herself against him and howled as his hot seed erupted into her depths. Shayna was entranced as Jake's eyes went from their normal blue-gray color to the color of the blazing sun. He grunted and growled as his seed continued to pour into her and her pussy contracted over and over, milking him of everything he had to give. This went on for several moments until she finally fell limply onto his chest. His strong arms enfolded her as his cock continued to throb inside her.

Suddenly, his cock seemed to swell even more inside her pussy and she felt a new pain begin at the entrance to her body.

"Damn it," he muttered. And when Shayna tried to sit up, he ordered, "Don't move! Please, don't move."

Jake's knot had already entered her pussy and would do major damage if he tried to pull out of her before it went down. He gripped her hips to hold her still and tried to will his knot to go down. But try as he might, his beast would not be denied and he gave in to what he knew would be the ultimate pleasure for both of them once the pain and discomfort passed. He just didn't want to deal with what would come after. Moving slowly and carefully, he eased Shayna onto her back and began to move his hips in short thrusts to minimize her pain and allow his knot easier access into her slick canal.

"Jake," she gasped. "Wh-what's going on? What is that?"

"Shh, baby. Please, just try to relax. I promise the pain will be over soon," he said softly in her ear.

Jake buried his face in her neck and tried to soothe her as his knot made its steady ascent up the walls of her pussy to its ultimate resting place against her sweet spot. He sent up a prayer of thanks when her whimpers of distress changed to moans of pleasure. He continued swirling his hips against her but his movements were limited by the thickness buried inside her. Besides, movement was unnecessary since he could tell that Shayna was lost in the pure bliss brought on by the constant pressure. Her eyes were glossy and her mouth parted as she took shallow breaths. The muscles of her pussy pulsated and contracted around him and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips to hold him in place. Jake smiled, loving every minute of being pinned to her as orgasm after orgasm rocked through her.

When his knot finally began to subside, he thrust into her with wild abandon until he exploded again, shooting more of his essence into her already drenched womb. She met him thrust for thrust and came again in a hot flood of her own juices. With the last contraction of her pussy around his cock, Shayna's body went limp beneath him. Looking down into her beautiful face, Jake wasn't surprised that she had passed out. They had been pinned together for the better part of an hour, and she'd had countless orgasms in that time.

When he finally slid from her sated body, their mingled fluids gushed out of her cunt. Unable to resist, Jake greedily lapped at her dripping pussy, relishing the taste they created together. Shayna stirred a little as he licked her pussy clean but didn't awaken. When he had savored every drop of their combined essence, he lifted her to his chest and carried her to the bedroom. He settled them in bed, spooning against her back, and pulled the covers over their bodies. Softly stroking her hair, he tried to rest but his mind was racing. He knew that Shayna would probably be asleep for a long while but when she awakened, he was going to have some explaining to do.



Wolf's Kiss Ch. 06



Jake awakened, instantly on alert. Something wasn't right and whatever it was jolted him out of a deep slumber. Shayna shifted position beside him, momentarily distracting him as he caught a glimpse of her bare breasts before she turned onto her side away from him. He reached out to pull her to him then froze as it hit him: there was another male shifter nearby...very near.

Carefully easing off the bed, he looked around the room but saw no one there. The window was open to catch the late spring breezes but a quick check confirmed the window screen was intact. Still naked, Jake left the room to check the rest of the apartment for any signs of an intruder. Although he saw no one, the scent of the unknown shifter was pretty strong which meant he had been inside Shayna's home very recently.

Pissed off and spurred into action, Jake hurriedly dressed and locked Shayna's bedroom window. She was still soundly sleeping, curled onto her side, with her hair all over the pillow. He gently brushed her hair aside and placed a soft kiss on her lips then went about checking all the window locks in the apartment. When he walked into the living room, a slight movement on the balcony caught his attention. Just as he slid the door open, a large man moved out of the shadows and jumped over the railing, adeptly landing on his feet, and took off running.

Jake immediately followed suit but the man hopped onto a waiting motorcycle and sped away. Jake gave chase for several blocks and would have caught him if he'd been able to shift, but that wouldn't have been a good idea on the busy streets of D.C. Besides, he'd left Shayna alone in the apartment and he couldn't risk anything happening to her.

Jake abandoned his pursuit of the shifter and backtracked to Shayna's praying she was okay. He hoped the shifter hadn't created a diversion for him in order for someone to cause her harm. He couldn't imagine why another shifter would be interested in her but he was determined to find out. For now though, he needed to get back to her to make sure she was safe.

When he reached her building, he realized he didn't have a door key. The only way in was the way he left. After looking around to be sure no one was watching, he quickly scaled the balconies below Shayna's until he reached her fourth floor apartment. He berated himself for leaving the sliding door open and his heart pounded in his chest as he rushed to her bedroom. Shayna was still sound asleep in the exact same position as when he left. He breathed a sigh of relief and went back into the living room. Nothing seemed out of place but the shifter's scent still lingered in the apartment. It angered him to no end to know that someone had gotten this close before he sensed them.

Stepping onto the balcony, he looked around for signs of anyone watching the apartment. He didn't sense any other shifters nearby and figured the guy must have come alone. As far as he knew, D.C. was neutral territory just like every other major city. All kinds of beings blended in undetected by the human population but they were all pretty much aware of each other and respected each other's space. That said, he couldn't figure out why someone would bother with them.

Jake looked at the time. It was almost 8 o'clock in the evening so he guessed Sebastian would be home by now. Digging his cell phone out of his pocket, he pressed the speed dial number to call his brother. When Sebastian answered, Jake asked him to fill him in on anything important. Sebastian didn't really have anything of interest to relay other than their father was pissed that Jake took off the way he did. And the St. Simon thing was stalled at the moment. Their father had asked Gerard St. Simon to meet with him this coming Friday but had yet to receive a response to the invitation.

Jake took all this in, his mind turning a mile a minute. He was quiet while Sebastian spoke as was usual, but his brother could tell something was up.

"What's going on?" Sebastian asked. "I can tell something's wrong so spill it."

"Someone was in Shayna's apartment a little while ago," Jake answered, not bothering to beat around the bush. "A wolf. No one I know."

"What happened? Did he try to attack you or Shayna?" Sebastian sounded just as angry as Jake felt and he most likely was.

"No, no. He came into the apartment while we were asleep but I don't think he was in here long before I sensed him." Jake sounded much calmer than he felt. "I chased him but I didn't catch him. I wanted to beat the daylights out of him but that left Shayna alone in here. I couldn't be sure there wasn't someone else lurking, waiting for a chance to get to her."

"Why would anyone come after Shayna? Or do you think you were the intended target and maybe he wanted to lure you to a more secluded area?" Sebastian asked the very questions that were running through Jake's mind.

"I have no idea. I just hope I don't have to wait too long to find out." Jake paused then said through gritted teeth, "And when I do, I just might do some major damage."

The brothers spoke a few minutes more about taking some necessary precautions then Jake clicked the phone off. He stood on the balcony looking in the direction the intruder took off, wondering who he was and what he wanted. He doubted his intention was to attack because he ran away instead of confronting Jake. But then he could have been trying to lure him into a trap somewhere. There were too many unknowns for his liking and he couldn't risk anything happening to Shayna. He was going to have to wake her and convince her to go back to New York with him. That was his home base and he could protect her better on his own turf.

Jake went back into the bedroom and watched her for a few moments as she slept. She was so beautiful and so pure that his beast raged in his chest, impatient to truly mate with her and claim her as his own. The thought of anyone coming near her, harming her, made him see red for a moment before he came back to his senses.

Kneeling beside her, he ran his hand along her neck and shoulder as reassurance that she was okay and made a silent vow that he would keep her safe no matter what happened. He wondered how he was going to explain everything to her as he traced random patterns on her arm down to her fingertips. Although it wasn't his intention when he initially touched her, his manhood began to stir as he slid his fingers over her smooth skin. Running his hand along her hip and down her thigh, Jake watched her face for any signs of awakening. She continued to breathe evenly and deeply, not stirring the slightest bit. However, even in sleep she responded to his touch as evidenced by the warm, sweet scent of her arousal emanating from within the curly thatch of hair before him.

Easing her onto her back, Jake hooked his hands behind her knees and opened her to his hungry gaze. Already her juices were coating the pouty inner lips of her sex compelling him to sample her flavor once more. Shayna's delicate aroma drew him in as he lowered his outstretched tongue to capture the dew escaping her opening. She moaned in her sleep as he worked his tongue in slow circles along her lips up to her swollen clit where he licked the sensitive flesh before drawing it into his mouth. Shayna moaned louder, slowly coming awake, as Jake alternately nipped and sucked her lips and clit. His cock strained against his jeans, aching to plunge into her body, but he wanted to take his time. Forking his tongue, he licked back down to the source of all that sweetness and proceeded to lap up every drop.

Shayna woke up from an intensely erotic dream to find she wasn't dreaming at all. Her bedroom was dark but there was enough moonlight peeking through the curtains for her to see Jake between her thighs feasting on her body. He looked up at her and held her stare as he continued to give her such divine pleasure that several moans and gasps escaped her lips. It didn't take much longer for the look in his eyes coupled with the fire he stoked in her loins to make her body begin to shake uncontrollably as she came closer and closer to the peak. Jake growled and slid his rigid tongue into her pussy and she rasped urgently, "Oh God, Jake, I'm coming!"

Jake nearly lost his load in his pants but he held on to his control just as he held on to Shayna's bucking hips. He continued to stroke inside her pussy, sliding his tongue against her walls as he pressed his nose into her clit. He wanted her to come on his tongue, to flood his mouth with her sweet, sticky essence. And when she did, he wasn't disappointed. Holding on to his broad shoulders, she yelled as heat rushed through her body and erupted in a tidal wave so powerful, her body tensed for long moments until the last shockwave flowed out of her.

She finally collapsed on the bed and let her hands fall beside her. She'd held on to him for dear life in the throes of her orgasm but it didn't matter. Jake's face was still buried in her mound as he had no intention of coming up for air until he'd taken all the sweetness she had to give. Shayna sighed in contentment as Jake eased away from her, licking up the last traces of her juice. He flicked his tongue over her clit sending new waves of pleasure over her, making sure she stayed wet for him.

When he finally moved away from the bed, he treated Shayna to a mini striptease as he removed his clothes then stood proudly before her, his massive manhood fully erect. Shayna marveled again at his size but felt no fear. Instead, she smiled coyly at him and parted her legs, inviting him inside her body.

Taking several deep breaths to calm his beast, Jake moved slowly toward the bed. When he reached her, he grabbed her legs and pulled her to the edge of the bed and surprised her by flipping her over onto her stomach. Grabbing her hips, he lifted her to her knees and pulled her buttocks to his groin. Shayna tried to turn her head to see what he was doing, but one hand shot out to the base of her neck effectively holding her still. She did feel a sliver of fear then as she heard low growls rumbling in his chest. But the head of his cock rubbing against her wet slit soon replaced her fear with anticipation.

When he was confident she'd gotten the hint to remain still, Jake grabbed her hips again and slid the tip of his cock into her wetness. He had to move slowly because he was already losing control and he didn't want to hurt or scare her. If she'd turned around she would have seen not only his golden gaze but also his enormous fangs and dark hair sprouting over his torso. He was fighting against his own nature but he couldn't resist the lure of his mate. Her taste, her smell, her passion were making it harder and harder for him to maintain his composure.

Jake slowly thrust in and out of Shayna, easing deeper into her with each movement until he was fully encased inside her snug walls. Shayna threw her head back and moaned, feeling completely filled. Her muscles were already contracting around him and she instinctively pressed her buttocks against him, creating the sweetest friction. Jake groaned and tightened his grip on her hips lest he lose all control and fully shift. But Shayna, not knowing what danger she could be in, would not be denied and moved insistently against him. His only hope was to quickly bring them to completion to calm his wolf.

Since she was so hot for him to fuck her, Jake began to pound into her, holding her steady as he drilled his cock into her slickness. His deep, powerful thrusting made him crash into her cervix but she didn't care about the pain. Shayna panted and met his thrusts head on reveling in his domination of her. Jake was in heaven watching her enjoy being taken like this and leaned into her to slip one hand down to cup her mound. His hands had become rougher in his semi-transformation and the sensation against her already sensitive clit sent her over the edge. Jake stilled as she spasmed around him over and over, squeezing his cock and sending delicious shocks of pleasure through his body. In moments, he too felt his release upon him and pounded furiously into her until he was spent.

He carefully eased out of her before his knot could take shape and tried to quickly revert back to human form but his wolf was still enjoying his bit of freedom with his woman. Shayna, satisfied and sore, collapsed face first onto the pillow. After a few moments, she turned around to see what he was doing and was immobilized by what she saw. Her jaw went slack as the long hair on his body slowly receded and his snout and fangs gave way to a normal mouth and teeth. Only his eyes retained their golden hue as he stared down at her still breathing heavily from his recent exertions.

As Jake moved to lie beside her, Shayna scooted away from him and jumped off the bed. At the sound of a low growl at her back, she tried to run from the room but Jake wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him resting his chin on the top of her head. Still stunned into silence, Shayna tried to free herself from Jake's embrace but he wouldn't let her go. His breathing had almost returned to normal but she could feel the tension in his body as he held her to him. She stood perfectly still not knowing what to expect or what to do and prayed he wouldn't hurt her.

'Oh, my God! What the hell is he? What is he going to do to me?' she thought frantically to herself.

Never in her life had she felt so small and defenseless and she found that she didn't like it at all. Her mind was racing, trying to make sense of what she'd just seen, but she dismissed as ludicrous the only possibility that came to mind. Such things only existed in myths and fairy tales and she did not believe in them. Wound as tightly as she was, Shayna almost didn't feel him softly stroking her arm in an almost soothing caress. Realizing that he'd loosened his grip, she tried to move away only to be pulled right back against his chest. It was clear he had no intention of letting her go.

Jake held Shayna close, knowing she wanted to get away from him but he couldn't let that happen. At least not until she knew he would never harm her in any way. Then she would have to decide if she trusted him and he was willing to do whatever it took to prove that she had nothing to fear from him. He took several deep, calming breaths but his heart was still beating so rapidly that he was sure she could feel it against her back. Although she held herself very stiffly he knew her heart was beating as fast as his. He hated her fear of him and had to ease her mind if they stood a chance.

He didn't want to speak yet, not until he had full control of his wolf. Not only would Shayna not understand what he was saying but she would probably be even more freaked out by the sound of his voice in his hybrid state. It would come out as garbled guttural snarls and growls and he could imagine her either screaming her head off or passing out. As it was there could be any number of things running through her mind so he had to act fast.

Swallowing hard and taking a deep breath, Jake whispered, "Shayna, there's something I need to tell you. Why don't we sit down and talk about it?"

Shayna continued to stand stiff as a board in his embrace, feeling dwarfed by his large body against hers. His closeness reminded her just how intimate they had become and some part of her mind rationalized that if he'd wanted to hurt her he would have done so by now. Even now, as he held her close, her sense of safety and security began to return despite her fear of what she'd just witnessed. She wished she could just erase all the weird things she'd noticed about him from day one and go on as if nothing strange had ever happened. But she knew that was not possible. Especially since every horror movie she'd ever seen flashed through her mind.

It was at that moment that Jake realized he could read her thoughts. The images that flashed through her mind almost made him laugh but her fear was very real. Nuzzling her neck, Jake continued to speak to her in a soft whisper.

"Baby, please believe me when I say that I will never, ever hurt you."

She still didn't respond. He turned her around to face him and gently cupped her cheek in one large hand but she immediately closed her eyes.

"Shayna, please look at me. You don't have to be afraid of me."

Shayna reluctantly opened her eyes and looked at him, searching for signs of the being she'd just seen. All she saw was the same devastatingly handsome face that had become so familiar and she almost melted.

'Why shouldn't I be afraid?' she thought to herself. But she still wouldn't speak.

"Because I love you and I would never harm you in any way," Jake replied without hesitation.

Shayna's eyes widened with shock. Did she hear him correctly? Did he really just say he loved her? The intensity of his expression, the passion with which he'd just said it left no doubt that he meant every word he said. Lowering her gaze, Shayna was at a loss for words. She should be glad to know he felt that way because she'd definitely fallen for him. But it worried her that their relationship was moving so fast, and now it seemed she had even more to be concerned about.

Shayna looked up at him again, her brow furrowed. She was sure she hadn't said anything, so how did he know what she was thinking?

"Can you read my mind?" she asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

Jake didn't want to scare her any more than he already did but he couldn't lie to her either. He looked her in the eyes and projected his answer into her mind.

'Yes.'

Shayna shivered at the strange sensation of him entering her thoughts. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling but knowing he could enter her head seemed eerie to say the least. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment trying to figure out a tactful way to ask what she needed to know. Realizing there was no alternative to asking him directly, she just went ahead and asked.

"Jake, what are you?"

Jake's heart sank a little in his chest. He'd just inadvertently admitted his love for her and she seemed upset about it. He searched her face for any hint of tenderness toward him and he found none. She just seemed confused and still quite a bit afraid of him. The past couple of days with her had been incredible and he was beginning to believe she felt the same for him. He'd had no doubt that, with a little more time, she would love and trust him enough to be able to accept the truth about him. But his wolf's impatience may have cost him more than he could face losing. He decided to quell his disappointment and answer her question. Hopefully he could allay her fears enough for them to continue to move forward.

Taking a deep breath, Jake answered, "I'm a shape-shifter. More specifically, I'm a Werewolf."

Shayna closed her eyes and repeated, "A Werewolf."

It sounded so absurd when she said it aloud that she almost laughed. But there was nothing wrong with her vision and she distinctly remembered what she saw. She sobered as she said it again.

"You're a Werewolf. Werewolves actually exist," she said as if trying to convince herself.

"Yes, we do," was his quiet reply.

Thinking back to when they first met, Shayna replayed in her mind all the things about him that seemed strange. His eyes changing from mesmerizing bluish gray to equally mesmerizing gold, the way he growled sometimes when they made love, and just how huge he was...all over. None of it seemed natural, at least not by human standards. Now, in a totally bizarre way, it all made sense.

Another thought occurred to her -- their intense lovemaking earlier that day definitely was not normal. She had no idea what had come over her but she'd felt such an intense desire for him that she lost control. And then afterward, there was an excruciating pain that led to unbelievable pleasure and it seemed to go on forever and ever...




Wolf's Kiss Ch. 06



"This afternoon..." she began, not exactly knowing how to describe the way she felt.

Jake knew what she was referring to without having to read her thoughts.

"Ah, yes. I, um, I pinned you."

Shayna looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to explain.

"Pinning is when my knot enters your body and we're basically stuck together until it goes away. It's a canine thing," he said sheepishly. 

"Isn't that how the female gets pregnant?" Shayna asked, trying not to look horrified.

Jake's heart sank a little more at the expression on her face but he maintained his composure. He couldn't think of anything he'd like more than to see her carrying his children. But he had to be careful from now on, he had no idea if she could handle carrying a wolf child before accepting the change.

"Yes it is," Jake told her. "I apologize for losing control like that and I promise not to do it again until you are able to handle it."

His words weren't lost on her but she decided not to make a fuss about him assuming they would have children someday. She just looked at him, again trying to reconcile the idea of a Werewolf with the man she'd fallen in love with. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt the intensity of his gaze upon her, the gentleness of his touch on her waist. She tentatively touched her hand to his chest, feeling the racing beat of his heart. Shayna knew in that instant that he was afraid she wouldn't accept him, that she would turn away from him.

Shayna wanted so badly to throw caution to the wind and tell him she loved him no matter what, yet something kept her from doing so. All of this was just too much. There was still so much she needed to know but she didn't know where to begin. She removed her hand from his chest and turned back around to stare out the window at the moon. More than ever she wished her mother was there. She always seemed to know the right thing to say, the right thing to do. Then again, she probably wouldn't know what to say in this instance. It wasn't as if finding out your boyfriend is a Werewolf happened to a lot of people.

Shayna walked to the bed and sat down, heaving a weary sigh. Her body positively ached from all the intense loving she'd received that day but she didn't regret it. She smiled to herself a little when she realized she didn't regret anything that happened from the moment they met. And knowing what he really is didn't change that, she was still undeniably crazy about him.

Jake followed her to the bed and turned on the bedside lamp before sitting next to her. The brightness of the light was disorienting at first but when she focused on Jake, she was surprised to see that he was grinning from ear to ear. She suddenly remembered that he knew exactly she was thinking since he could now read her thoughts. She tried to fix him with an angry glare when he moved to pull her to him but relented when he lowered his head to steal a kiss. Shayna mentally kicked herself for giving in so easily but he was so damned good-looking she immediately forgave herself. She just hoped she would be strong enough not to let him win all the time because he was so handsome. And virile. And sexy. And...she stopped her train of thought and blushed from head to toe.

Jake smiled at the thoughts that were clearly spilling from Shayna. It took a huge weight off his heart to know that she loved him and thought he was so handsome and sexy. But he was mindful that he still had to give her time to get used to him as he really was. Before long, he would be asking even more of her, asking her to join him and his family and leave the comfort of her own. He was aware it would be a difficult choice for her to make but he had to ask her to make it. He couldn't live without her and would do whatever it took to have her by his side always.

Thinking of their future jolted Jake back to the present. He had only meant to make sure she was okay when he came into the room but it didn't take much for him to be sidetracked by her luscious little body. He'd almost forgotten about the intruder and the danger they could be in. It was obvious that Shayna knew nothing about Werewolves or any other beings for that matter, so he doubted she knew why a shifter was lurking around her apartment. At any rate, he had to get her somewhere more secure until any threats were neutralized.

He looked in Shayna's eyes and saw the uncertainty in them. He sensed she was still holding back in spite of her feelings toward him. Part of her wanted to be cautious where he was concerned for fear of the unknown. It pricked at his heart a little bit but rationally, he could understand her hesitation. And telling her that someone -- someone like him -- had been in her home might make matters worse. But he had no choice and the sooner he told her, the faster they could move out of harm's way.

"Shay, love, there's so much more I want to tell you and show you. But I can't do it here," he said. He reached out to stroke her hair then gently cupped her face in his hand. "I want you to come back to New York with me...tonight."

"Really? Why?" Shayna wasn't expecting Jake to ask her to go back home with him and she was reluctant to do so.

"I just think it would be easier to show you more of who I am if we were in my home," he responded. He also wanted to wait until they were away from her apartment before he told her about their uninvited guest. She might be a little less creeped out by the news once they left the city.

Shayna considered it for a moment. "I don't know, Jake. I mean, you just dropped a bomb on me and now you want me to run off to New York with you?" She shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Jake was preparing to reply when a knock sounded at the front door. He looked at Shayna and she shrugged her shoulders, indicating that she didn't know who could be at her door. It was almost midnight, too late for a casual visit and he doubted their earlier visitor would come back, this time knocking politely on the door. Still, he wanted to take no chances. He stood and quickly put on his jeans and was just grabbing his shirt when there was another knock, this time sounding a little more insistent.

"Stay here," Jake commanded as he strode from the room.

His anxiety began to rise the closer he got to the door. His instinct told him it was a woman knocking but there was no scent that he could detect coming from the person at the door. He cautiously looked through the peephole and confirmed that it was indeed a lone woman, and then he opened the door.

The woman strode in past Jake and stood in the middle of the living room, looking around as if expecting something. She was tall and thin with long, black curly hair and a pale complexion. Her piercing dark eyes seemed to quickly take everything in before resting on him.

Jake was a bit taken aback by her boldness at breezing by him into the apartment so he continued to stand at the door, holding it open.

"Who are you?" he asked. "And what are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you," she said brusquely. "Who are you and what are you doing with my granddaughter?"



Wolf's Kiss Ch. 07



Shayna resented Jake's commanding tone when he told her to stay in her bedroom. After all, it was her apartment and whoever was at the door was most likely there to see her. It was probably her next door neighbor needing her spare key again. She was forever locking herself out of her apartment so she gave Shayna a spare for such occasions.

Since Jake wouldn't know where to find the key, Shayna put on her bathrobe and went into the living room. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the woman from the airport standing there glaring at Jake. And Jake looked like he'd just gotten the shock of his life.

"Um, hello," Shayna said. Her wariness was evident in her tone as she wondered what was going on. Jake's expression didn't change as his eyes swung to her face.

However, the woman's expression softened when she turned to face Shayna. Then she seemed worried and stepped forward placing her hands on Shayna's shoulders.

"Shayna, are you alright?" she asked, genuinely concerned. "I believe someone I know was here a little while ago. Did anything happen? Did he say anything to you?"

Shayna's brow furrowed. "Who was here?" she asked. She glanced at Jake who now appeared pensive. "Jake?"

Before Jake could answer, she turned back to the woman. "I'm sorry, do I know you? I remember bumping into you at the airport a couple of days ago and I thought you looked familiar."

The woman let go of Shayna's shoulders and stepped back, taking a deep breath. "My name is Marisa and you probably do know me, sort of. I'll tell you everything but first I need to know that you're alright. You didn't have any other visitors today?" she asked.

Shayna shook her head then looked at Jake. She had been asleep for most of the afternoon and evening. Jake would have told her if someone had been here to see her, wouldn't he?

Looking back at Shayna, Jake knew he had to tell her what happened. Her expressive face mirrored her thoughts and he couldn't afford to lose her trust in him. He'd planned to get her out of her apartment before he told her about the intruder but now he had no choice.

"There was somebody here earlier this evening. I don't know who he was or what he wanted and he got away before I could find out," he said. His tone and his expression were neutral but he was seething inside. He wished he'd been able to catch the guy, beat the shit out of him, then find out what he was up to. But protecting Shayna was more important than anything else. Vengeance would have to wait.

Marisa spoke, interrupting his thoughts. "His name is Tomas. I was in the area and I had a feeling that he may have been as well. It isn't a coincidence that he was here."

"Who is he and what does he want with my mate?" Jake growled, his stance becoming more aggressive. His wolf was lurking just beneath the surface, angry and restless.

Shayna instinctively went to Jake and rested her hand on his arm. She'd meant to keep her distance from him but she didn't like seeing him so angry. At her touch, he seemed to calm down a bit and pulled her into his arms. He rested his chin on top of her head and inhaled deeply, letting her scent wash over him.

Marisa felt her tension lessen as well taking in the scene that unfolded in front of her. It was as she had suspected, this wolf had staked his claim on Shayna and she knew he would risk his own life to protect her. Her only concern was whether Shayna knew what he was and if she was ready for the choices that lay ahead of her.

Softly clearing her throat, she said, "I hate to interrupt but I don't think we have much time. Tomas is a member of the St. Simon, uh, family. Do you know them?" she asked Jake.

His head snapped up at the mention of the St. Simons. "Yes, I do," he said. That business of Gerard St. Simon wanting to cross pack lands to find his mate was still unresolved and it made him wonder if that was the reason this Tomas guy had been here.

Holding his stare, Marisa mouthed silently, 'Does she know about you?' and was mildly surprised at his brief nod in the affirmative.

Shayna was unaware of the silent exchange between the two of them. Her face was buried in Jake's chest as she tried to steady her own nerves. So much was going on that she was afraid she wouldn't be able to keep up. But she didn't miss Jake referring to her as his "mate". Just what the hell did that mean?

Jake spoke again and she had to force herself to pay attention to what was going on around her.

"Why would he come here?" Jake asked. "Shayna doesn't have anything to do with the St. Simons."

He held her a little more tightly and Shayna relished the feeling of being loved and protected by him. But she had to move, put some distance between them to focus on the situation. Jake resisted at first but relented when she turned around in his arms to hear Marisa's reply.

Marisa thought for a moment before she answered Jake's question. "I believe he was looking for me. He saw me briefly standing near Shayna at the airport a few days ago and probably wanted to check up on her as a lead to get to me."

She turned to Shayna and smiled ruefully. "When you bumped into me it was an unexpected and unfortunate coincidence. Under better circumstances, I would have been delighted to have made your acquaintance at last."

Shayna watched Marisa as she spoke and kept getting the feeling that she should know her. And what Marisa just said reinforced that notion but Shayna couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"I tried to play it off as the random incident it was and quickly disappeared. Tomas probably wouldn't have taken any further notice of you," Marisa continued. "But I knew he would pick up on the very same thing I'd noticed about you in that instant."

Shayna stared blankly at her not understanding what she was referring to but one glance at Jake and she knew he understood.

Catching Shayna's glance, he said softly, "My scent." Shayna still seemed lost so he clarified, "My scent has been on you since our first night together. He could tell you'd been with a male wolf."

Jake could hear the connections forming in her mind as it dawned on her that the intruder must also be a Werewolf. Then that led her to another thought.

Turning back to Marisa, she asked, "Are you a Werewolf, too?"

Marisa was caught off guard by Shayna's question. She looked at Jake and saw the curiosity in his expression as well.

"Yes," she replied. "I am."

Jake's eyebrow quirked in mild surprise. "I was wondering what you could be. How is it that you have no scent? You might as well be a ghost standing there," he said.

Marisa had been expecting Jake to ask that from the start. "I learned some time ago how to mask my scent. Something I picked up from a Siberian Tiger while I was in Asia."

"A what...?" Shayna asked, dumbfounded.

Marisa's mouth twisted in a half-smile. "You'll find there are all kinds of shifters. Not just wolves, but other canines, cats, and other species as well. I've been all over the world and I don't think I've ever encountered them all."

Shayna closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her head was spinning and a headache was fast approaching. This was just too much all at once and she didn't think she could take much more. But there was no turning back now.

Opening her eyes, she asked Marisa, "So how do you know me?"

"I'll tell you all of it soon. But right now, we have to get out of here," Marisa replied. "I wouldn't be surprised if Tomas returns with backup. His superior probably wanted to assess the situation before making his next move. And your involvement with another Were may not seem coincidental to them."

"Whose orders do you think he's under, Guillaume's or Gerard's?" Jake asked.

Marisa answered without hesitation. "Gerard's," she stated. "We have a brief history, very brief but significant nonetheless."

"Before we go anywhere, you need to tell me why your business with Gerard St. Simon suddenly involves Shayna," Jake demanded. "I can call him now and get to the bottom of this unless you want to tell me yourself."

Marisa sighed in defeat. Jake wasn't giving her much choice so she had to tell them what happened as quickly as possible. She looked at Shayna and her heart filled with pride. She was probably a mess inside but outwardly she put up a brave front. It took all of her restraint to keep her from giving Shayna a big, reassuring hug. It had been extremely difficult not to step in over these many years but the safety of her family required she remain in the shadows. Maybe at least with Shayna she could now have a real connection with her family.

Marisa could see that Jake wasn't about to budge, at least not until he knew enough to assess the situation for himself. Then maybe he would see the wisdom of leaving Shayna's apartment for a safer location as soon as possible.

"Time is of the essence so I'll try to be brief," Marisa said. "I have something Gerard wants, something he gave me a long time ago when I spent some time with the St. Simon Pack. I had to leave abruptly and I've been in hiding ever since but recent events forced me to move closer to my family. I tried to be discreet, wearing disguises and masking my scent, but I still managed to be spotted by the very people I wanted to avoid."

Marisa took in the set expressions on Shayna's and Jake's faces and new she had to explain further.

"Shayna, you and I share a family connection. I came here because I don't want to take a chance on Gerard finding out and hurting you in an attempt to get to me," she said.

Turning to Jake, Marisa said, "We really need to get moving. Can't you sense them coming?"

Jake knew there was a lot Marisa wasn't telling them but he agreed they had to move fast. He'd made the trip from New York on his motorcycle to get to D.C. quickly. While that would be the quickest way to travel, with this new situation, he didn't want to risk having Shayna out in the open. That left only one other option.

Turning Shayna back around in his arms, he said, "Get dressed quickly. We'll have to take your car."

"We can take mine," Marisa said. "It's faster and it's cloaked. No one will be able to scent us while we're inside."

Jake nodded his agreement and nudged Shayna into her bedroom. As he put on his socks and boots, Shayna pulled some underclothes and a t-shirt from her dresser and quickly put them on. Jake watched her every move as she crossed to her closet and grabbed a pair of jeans and some sneakers. He was aware that she was frightened of whatever danger she could be in but she didn't let it show in her expression. She seemed somehow detached as she hurriedly dressed and emptied her purse into a small backpack.

Putting her cellphone in her pocket, she turned to Jake. "Do I have time to pack some necessities?" she asked.

Jake shook his head. "We can pick up whatever you need later. Right now we have to move."

Frowning, Shayna turned away from him and left the room, Jake following closely on her heels. When they entered the living room, Marisa was standing on the balcony watching for Tomas or any other Were who might be lurking near the complex.

Hearing Shayna and Jake in the living room, Marisa stepped back inside and secured the sliding door. "All set?" she asked.

Shayna nodded her head but kept her eyes averted. There was so much to take in, so much going on that she didn't understand that all she wanted to do was shut down mentally and physically. But she knew she couldn't afford to so she kept moving.

Glancing around her home, Shayna made sure everything was in its place, hoping it would stay that way until she returned. Scary images of big men ransacking her apartment looking for God knew what made her shiver and brought Jake to her side instantly.

Wrapping her in his arms and giving her a reassuring squeeze, he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Hopefully they won't come in but we need to get you out of here in case they do. I can't let anything happen to you."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them again, she looked toward the door. "Okay, let's go," she said tonelessly.

They quickly left the apartment and took the stairs to the lobby. So far, there was no sign of any other Weres in the immediate area but Jake and Marisa could sense them coming. They both knew they could take care of themselves but were worried about protecting Shayna. It wasn't just that she was an innocent human caught in the middle of something she knew nothing about, she was also very precious to both of them. Neither of them wanted to take any unnecessary chances with her safety.

"I have a safe-house about half an hour from here," Marisa said as they made their way to the parking lot.

Jake shook his head. "It would be better if we go to my family's compound. There's safety in numbers and we'll be under the protection of the Montrose Pack. St. Simon wouldn't dare make a move against us."

Marisa saw the wisdom of his plan and readily agreed. However, Shayna bristled. Marisa pressed a button on her keychain and unlocked the doors to a medium-sized SUV. Tossing the keys to Jake, she opened the back door and got in. Jake slid into the driver's seat and started the engine but Shayna found herself rooted to the spot standing beside the back door that Marisa left open.

Marisa leaned forward and looked at Shayna, concern furrowing her brow. "Shayna get in."

Shayna looked from Marisa to Jake, seeing the same concern on his face but not really registering it. "I can't just take off to New York. My life is here," she said sounding a little panicked.

Jake knew this was too much for her so he tamped down his disappointment that she didn't want to go with him. But before he could respond, Marisa unbuckled her seatbelt and hopped out of the truck.

Taking Shayna's hands in her own, she said soothingly, "Shayna, honey, we have to go. We'll get to the bottom of this as soon as we can so you can get back to your life." Marisa's hackles rose as she scented at least three wolves coming fast on motorcycles. "Get in now, Shayna. They're almost here!" she said more forcefully.

Feeling Marisa's urgency, Shayna got in the backseat and buckled her seatbelt. Jake took off as soon as Marisa climbed in beside Shayna, barely giving her time to close the door. A few blocks from the apartment complex, three motorcycles whizzed by them going in the opposite direction. Jake's eyes met Marisa's in the rearview mirror and Shayna knew the guys that just passed them were on their way to her home.

Fear raced through her and she wrapped her arms around herself in an effort to control the shaking in her body but it wouldn't stop. The scent of her fear filled the vehicle and Jake pulled over into a vacant parking lot. He was out of the truck in a shot and opened Shayna's door to wrap her in his arms.

"It's okay, baby, it's okay," he whispered against her neck. "I promise no one will ever hurt you. I'll always do whatever it takes to protect you, I swear."

With Jake's strong arms around her and his softly spoken words in her ear, Shayna felt herself slowly begin to relax. She knew he meant every word he said and she had complete faith in him that he would keep her safe. Turning her face into his neck, she inhaled deeply taking in his intoxicating aroma. It served to calm her nerves even more and she took a deep breath as she pulled back from him a little.

Looking up into his mesmerizing eyes, she whispered, "Thank you, Jake."

Jake smiled down at her and kissed her lightly before setting her back in her seat and closing the door. Double-checking that the Weres hadn't backtracked yet, he got back into the SUV and headed out of the city to the highway.

Shayna leaned back and closed her eyes, suddenly very tired. She opened her eyes for a brief moment when she felt Marisa brushing her hair away from her face but her lids were too heavy to keep them open. Her last thought was that Marisa reminded her of her cousin as she half-smiled and continued to stroke Shayna's hair.

********************

Jake drove in silence thinking about all that had just transpired that day. He'd pinned Shayna earlier in the afternoon, chased away a Were who'd broken into her apartment, and partially shifted while making love to her which forced him to come clean about what he is. He'd even confessed his love for her, which he didn't regret, yet it stung a bit that she didn't reciprocate. He knew she felt the same but hearing her say the words would've been nice.

But what she didn't know yet was the woman sitting beside her was claiming to be her grandmother. In a day full of shocks and surprises, he didn't know if she could handle yet another major revelation. Briefly glancing in the rearview mirror, he marveled that Marisa certainly seemed maternal toward Shayna. She kept fussing over Shayna as she slept, straightening her head if she was at an odd angle, brushing her hair away from her face. In his world it wasn't hard to believe two women who appeared to be the same age were actually generations apart but he didn't think Shayna would believe it.

They'd been travelling for just over an hour with no sign of anyone following them and Jake felt reasonably confident that they'd gotten a decent head start on their visitors. He figured they were searching the city for them since they couldn't pick up their scents. Jake dug into his jeans pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Sebastian answered on the first ring sounding anxious.

"Jake, where are you?" he immediately asked.

"We're still about a couple of hours away. Something, uh, someone came up," Jake answered.

"What are you talking about? What happened?" Sebastian was definitely confused as his brother was being cryptic.

Jake grimaced. "A relative of Shayna's came to visit. She's coming with us." It wasn't a lie but it didn't give Sebastian much to go on either. "Let Mom and Dad know we're coming and that I'll come to see them first thing in the morning. My guests will be staying in my cabin with me."

Sebastian sighed. "Mom and Dad already know you and Shayna are coming, but I'm not waking them up to tell them you're bringing a complete stranger to the compound. You can do the honors when you see them."

"Fine," Jake grumbled. "I forgot I got the bigger balls when we were born."

Sebastian just laughed at the insult, his self-confidence still intact. He knew Jake was trying to bully him into doing his dirty work but he'd stopped falling for that crap centuries ago.

"Call me when you get home so you can fill me in on everything," Sebastian said.

Jake just grunted and ended the call. He was aware that Marisa could hear the entire conversation so he didn't want to say too much about her to Sebastian. Besides, he had his own suspicions about her involvement with Gerard St. Simon but he wanted to hear it from her before meeting with his parents.

Checking for oncoming traffic although it was the middle of the night, Jake turned the headlights back on and pulled onto the highway. His chat with his brother lasted only a couple of minutes but he felt the need to make up for lost time and sped along hoping no troopers were out to meet their quotas.

Another hour passed in silence as Jake drove them to the safety of Montrose Pack territory. His eyes flew to the rearview mirror as three sets of lights suddenly appeared. He instantly bristled, knowing it was the three men they'd passed earlier on their way out of D.C. They were passing through a heavily wooded stretch of road but he could see a small town just a little further ahead.

Jake looked in the rearview mirror again. Shayna was still asleep but Marisa had turned around in her seat to stare out of the back window.

"Do you think we should pull over at the next town?" she asked.

Jake had thought that very thing but changed his mind. "It might look suspicious if we suddenly get off the highway just because they're coming. Just stay down so they can't see you."




Wolf's Kiss Ch. 07



Moving slowly and carefully, Marisa reclined Shayna's half of the bench seat to keep her out of sight. Shayna stirred for a moment but remained asleep. Then Marisa reclined her own seat and flipped onto her stomach to peer out the back window.

Jake sped past the exit to the small town and wondered if maybe he should have stopped there. But a minute later, the three motorcycles slowed and turned onto the ramp to the town and both he and Marisa breathed a sigh of relief. What they didn't know was their pursuers had just gotten a call from Gerard St. Simon to fall back, he would handle it from there.

Shayna awakened a short while later, stretching and yawning, and bolted into a sitting position. She was a little disoriented until she remembered how she came to be in an SUV traveling along the highway. Marisa sat up as well and smiled hesitantly at Shayna.

"You seemed uncomfortable so I reclined the seat," Marisa said smoothly. It wasn't a complete lie but she didn't think it necessary to tell Shayna they'd nearly been overtaken by the wolves they were running from.

Shayna simply nodded as Marisa reached over to readjust her seat. She was aware of Jake glancing at her in the rearview mirror but she avoided making eye contact with him.

"Did you sleep well, love?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"Yes, thank you," Shayna replied, still not looking at him.

Jake tried to read her thoughts but was dismayed that he couldn't do so. He tried again but all he could sense was her fear and confusion. His mental link to her was weakening fast and he knew the only way to bring it back was to fully mate with her. He could feel his wolf's frustration with this new development and hoped they could rectify it soon. Shayna was his and he had to do whatever it took for her to see that as well.

They were getting closer to his home and Jake's heart beat a little faster in anticipation. Since their first night together he'd imagined having her in his home on the compound, in his bed, fitting perfectly into his world. The circumstances should have been different but it didn't lessen the feelings he was experiencing. He glanced at her again in the rearview mirror. Her wavy hair was in disarray from her nap but she didn't seem to notice as she stared out the window lost in her own thoughts. His body immediately tightened and he tore his gaze away from her to focus on the road. Marisa was going to have to stay in the guest house.

Shayna sat stiffly behind Jake hoping he wasn't reading her mind. Her stomach was in knots imagining all sorts of horrible things happening to them at the hands of the unknown wolves. Being wolves themselves, she figured Marisa and Jake stood a decent chance against an attack. But she knew she wouldn't be so lucky. The kickboxing classes she took at the gym were mainly for exercise, not for actual fighting. She prayed her limited self-defense skills wouldn't be put to the test any time soon.

It put her mind at ease a little when she remembered Jake's promise to keep her safe. She didn't doubt he meant what he said, but she also didn't want his skills to be put to the test either. The thought of him violently defending her and possibly getting hurt caused a new wave of fear to come over her and she had to bite her bottom lip to suppress the groan that almost escaped. Ruthlessly pushing her fears aside, she tried to focus instead on everyone coming out of this ordeal in one piece and getting back to the life she'd carefully planned for herself.

"Shayna, how long have you known about the existence of Werewolves?"

Marisa's question brought them both out of their private thoughts.

"I just found out tonight," Shayna answered. "I still can't quite believe it."

Marisa nodded. "I felt the same way when I first found out," she said. "It scared the living daylights out of me to know there were other beings walking the Earth that I'd thought only existed in myths and fairy tales."

"So you weren't born a Werewolf?" Shayna asked.

"No, I wasn't," Marisa replied. Looking Shayna in the eyes, she continued, "Shayna, I'm your great-grandmother."

Shayna gasped and stared wide-eyed at Marisa for several moments before she finally found her voice. "Bullshit! You look younger than me! How can you possibly be my great-grandmother?"

Marisa looked sad. "It's true. Your grandmother, Melissa, is my daughter."

As Shayna continued to stare at Marisa, her initial shock began to fade as she realized why Marisa seemed so familiar the first time she saw her. In her grandmother's house in New York, there's an old photograph on her mantel of a beautiful young woman who Shayna had to admit looked a lot like Marisa. The photo is black and white so it was difficult to make the connection before without details like her eye and hair colors. As a young child, Shayna remembered asking about the picture and her grandmother told her it was a picture of her own mother taken shortly before she died. It also always struck Shayna how much her cousin Monica resembled the picture.

And now, looking at Marisa in the flesh with a new awareness, she could definitely see the resemblance to most of her relatives on her father's side of her family. Shayna mentioned the photo to Marisa and she nodded.

"I remember taking that picture. It was actually after I was turned that I had it taken. I knew I couldn't stay with my family for long and I wanted my children to remember me," Marisa said, sounding as sad as she looked. "I'm glad it survived."

But Shayna was still confused. "Why do you still look so young? It was over 80 years ago that you were supposed to have died."

When Marisa hesitated, Jake spoke up. "Shifters age extremely slowly. We can live for a thousand years and not look older than a middle-aged human."

Shayna looked up at him. She initially assumed that he was about thirty years old but she now suspected he was much older.

"How old are you?" she asked. She felt compelled to ask but wasn't sure if she really wanted to know yet.

Jake's expression gave nothing away as he gazed at her through the mirror. She was so tense that he didn't want to answer her question. Although he couldn't read her mind, he could see the enormous strain she was holding in. But now that she'd learned the truth there was no turning back and there was no lying to her either.

"I was born in 1692," was his softly spoken reply.

Shayna quickly did the math, brows rising as she looked at him. "You're over three hundred years old?" she asked incredulously.

He slowly nodded his head and felt her apprehension crank up a few notches. He was going to reassure her later that he still had a whole lot of life in him. 'She should know that by now,' he thought to himself with a little smirk. The time he spent loving her delicious little body should leave no doubt that he wasn't going to turn to dust anytime soon. But if she needed reminding, he would be happy to oblige.

Shayna looked away from the heated look he gave her when their eyes locked in the mirror. She could feel the flush creeping up her neck to her face in embarrassment that he would so blatantly display his lust for her.

Knowing Marisa didn't miss their exchange, Shayna dared not look at her but instead fished in her backpack as if trying to find something. She was already experiencing information overload and there was a dull throbbing ache in the right side of her head. The last thing she needed was a reminder of why she was in this predicament in the first place.

Finally, she turned her attention back to Marisa. "You were born human?" Shayna asked.

"Yes," Marisa answered. "To make a long story short, I had just gotten married to a wonderful man and we were living in a cottage on the edge of his parents' property. We were literally living smack in the middle of the woods, which was remote even by 1920's standards. I was home alone at the time and had decided to take a walk. I had done so several times before and it was totally safe, or so I thought."

She paused a moment, lost in thought, before she continued. "I was attacked by some kind of animal. I had no idea what it was at the time. All I remember is that it was huge and moved so fast, I didn't even see or hear it coming. My whole body felt broken and I was in so much pain. I could feel it dragging me by my leg for a few seconds before I passed out. When I awoke, I was lying on a table and a young woman was bandaging my wounds. When she realized I was awake, she spoke very soothingly to me but I passed out again. I was still in a lot of pain."

After another brief pause, Marisa spoke again. "Eventually I was able to stay awake for longer periods of time as my body healed. And I started healing pretty quickly. I learned what happened to me and that my rescuers were of the St. Simon Pack. I had been dragged onto their territory and when I was found, they didn't expect me to survive, but here I am."

Jake's suspicions grew even more but he held his tongue. She'd started talking about her past and he hoped she would get to the reason Gerard was pursuing her.

"I'd been recovering for a couple of weeks, gradually getting to know some of the pack when Gerard St. Simon returned home from some trip or something. And when we first met, we were instantly drawn to each other. The pull was so strong, I'd never felt anything like it in my life, not even with my husband whom I loved so much.

But my new reality was so confusing and frightening that I resisted my attraction to Gerard for as long as I could. However the mating instinct is strong and I didn't hold out for long. Since it was obvious I couldn't return to my old life, I agreed to become his mate. After that, preparations for the mating ceremony immediately got under way. Gerard insisted it take place as soon as possible so everything was moving along quickly."

Marisa watched Shayna closely as she spoke. A lot of her history would soon repeat itself with Shayna as Jake had already staked his claim on her as his mate. But she was human still and it was obvious that she had no idea what it would take to truly mate with Jake.

"The higher ranking members of the pack knew that I was having a hard time letting go of my past and this was very frustrating for Gerard. I refused to be intimate with him until the mating ceremony because I still felt attached to my husband and I didn't want to be unfaithful to him. I figured the mating ceremony would symbolize me shedding my human life and embracing my new life as a Were. But he didn't see it that way."

"Why was he being so difficult? You'd just been through so much physically and emotionally," Shayna said. She was already decidedly anti-Gerard St. Simon and this depiction of him only made it worse.

Marisa shrugged. "He thought I should have accepted my new life the moment it became clear to me what I'd become. He was so impatient that we argued about it the night before the ceremony. After the argument, he stormed off and went into the woods to cool off. When he hadn't come back after an hour or so, I went after him. 

As I got closer to the edge of the woods, I could hear him talking very loudly. He was venting to his best friend and I guess he didn't hear me coming. I figured it would be best to let him vent and head back to the main house but then I overheard Gerard say he wanted to kill my husband once I became his mate."

Shayna gasped, holding her hand to her chest. "He didn't!"

Marisa shook her head. "No, he didn't. I left the St. Simons that night when most everyone was asleep. I made it look like I had gone into the river and committed suicide, but I really went back to my husband. I knew I was taking a huge risk, but I didn't want him to die, especially because of me. I convinced him to leave with me that day, to put as much distance as possible between us and the pack."

"It was never my plan to remain with my husband," Marisa continued. "I just wanted to ensure his safety then disappear again. We went south, ending up in North Carolina. We bought a house and settled in but I went into heat before I could execute my plan to leave. Nine months later, I gave birth to triplets - one boy and two girls. But one of our daughters was stillborn."

"Melanie," Shayna said. "Grandma told us about her sister who was stillborn. She says she still feels like a part of her is missing."

Marisa smiled wistfully. "It's very intuitive of her to be able to feel it."

Shayna's inner turmoil eased a little as she thought of her grandmother. She'd always doted on Shayna and her cousins and Shayna loved her so much. But being part Were also explained some weird things about her. Like how at more than 80 years old she seemed so full of life and energy all the time. She never acted or looked her age.

Jake interrupted her thoughts. "So what happened then?" he asked. He needed as much information as possible to inform his alpha and to better be able to protect Shayna.

Marisa turned her gaze to him. "I left shortly after the babies were born. It was obvious that I wouldn't be able to stay much longer. My body was undergoing changes that I didn't understand and I almost shifted while I was nursing my son. I had become overwhelmed with emotion at the time and something else just came over me. Before I knew it, my hand was turning into a claw and I scratched my baby's arm. I don't know how I regained control, but I knew that moment that I couldn't stay.

"It was difficult and God knows I didn't want to go, but I had to come clean about what had happened to me. I'd told my husband the truth that I'd been attacked by an animal in the woods. But I didn't tell him that the family who found me and nursed me back to health was actually a pack of Werewolves and that I'd been turned at some point during the attack. The rogue that attacked me had attacked others, people and animals alike but I was the only known survivor. Since the animal hadn't been caught – at least not to the knowledge of the human population – it wasn't hard to convince my husband that I was scared and wanted to leave for a safer place."

Shayna was rapt, watching Marisa closely as she spoke. Jake looked as if he wanted her to hurry up.

Marisa continued, aware that they were almost at their destination. "But now I had to tell him the truth. He didn't believe me until I showed him the scratch on our son's arm. He didn't want me to go but we both knew it was for the best. So I left a few days later. I traveled around the world looking for answers and guidance but I periodically went back to North Carolina to check on my family. I remained incognito so I wouldn't disrupt my husband's life and watched our son and daughter grow up from a distance. I've traveled more and more as the family grew and relocated and branched off into new families."

Jake finally had the opening he needed. "My brother and I have learned recently that St. Simon is looking for you. If I know him as well as I think I do, he won't stop until he's found you. And when he does, what will you do?"

Marisa bit her bottom lip. "I don't know. But I do know that I won't endanger my family." She looked at Shayna. "My only alternative may be to come out of hiding and face him. I'll have to get some guarantee from him that he won't harm my family if I give myself up. But what could he possibly want from me after all this time?"

Jake looked at Shayna and instantly knew the answer to that question. To Marisa he said, "The only way to find out is to meet with him. If you would feel more comfortable having an alpha present, I'm sure my father wouldn't mind acting as mediator."

"Your father is the Alpha?" Marisa asked. She tried not to sound too hopeful but she knew her life was about to change drastically. Any help she could get would be welcomed.

"Yes, he is. My father is Claude Montrose, Alpha of the Montrose Pack."

Marisa nodded. Maybe they could help indeed. She'd learned of the Montrose Pack some time ago and knew they were as solid as they came. They were large in number, very well-respected, and financially independent.

She looked at Shayna and smiled. A Montrose beta was claiming her granddaughter and she couldn't help feeling a bit of pride. If Shayna decided to become his mate, she was sure she would be in good hands. Now if only she could be so lucky...

Jake turned off the highway onto a dark, two-lane road surrounded by open fields. A few miles ahead he could see the dark outline of the trees that marked the beginning of Montrose property. 

Once he hit that marker, he began to relax knowing they would be in the heart of the compound very soon and he would be welcoming Shayna into his home. He'd never brought another woman to his family's compound, his inner sanctum. Shayna would be the first and last by virtue that she was his mate.

He should have felt more confident but he was actually a little nervous. He had no doubt that his family and the pack would love Shayna and that she would come to love them as well but there was still that little thing about her being a human.

Jake was prepared to smooth that over with his parents but Shayna was the one he was worried about. She'd had no time to prepare for meeting several hundred Werewolves when she'd only found out they existed a few hours ago. He was afraid of overwhelming her to the point that she didn't want to give him a chance.

One good thing was that Sebastian couldn't keep his mouth shut and already told everyone about her. So they all pretty much knew what to expect just as they knew to be on their best behavior or Jake would be kicking their asses. Except maybe his older siblings who would likely do whatever they could to embarrass him.

He took a deep breath and mentally crossed his fingers that nothing would go wrong. Sighting the front gate just ahead, he smiled and felt the calming peace he always felt when he came home settle over him.

Something streaked by in the woods and the SUV lurched to one side as the movement caught Jake off guard. He immediately righted the vehicle and slowed down as he looked out the window to see if anything or anyone was out there. The disadvantage to riding in a cloaked vehicle was that while no one could scent the occupants inside, the occupants couldn't scent anything outside. Shayna and Marisa were instantly on alert as well by the sudden movement of the SUV.

"What happened?" they both asked simultaneously.

Jake could hear the fear in both their voices and wanted to put them at ease.

"I thought I saw something but I must have imagined it," he said. "We're almost to the front gate and there are guards there. If anything is out here, they'll know."

Shayna sat back in her seat but Marisa still seemed tense. As they pulled up to the gate, a huge reddish-brown wolf jumped from the trees and landed directly in front of them. Jake brought the truck to a halt and stared at the beast, knowing instantly who it was and hoped he wouldn't do anything stupid. He was ready to jump out of the SUV at any moment and shift if it looked like the wolf was going to attack.

Shayna sat frozen in fear as she watched the big wolf slowly walk toward them until its nose was almost pressed against the windshield. It didn't move any further, just stared inside at each of them until its eyes rested on Marisa.

Marisa was also frozen in fear but her mind was whirling. She'd never seen his wolf before but she knew it was him. And he was breathtakingly beautiful. She could barely breathe as his eyes bore into hers and what she read in them almost made her cry. Such longing and pain and it was all her fault.

Marisa was about to open her door and go to him but Shayna's startled gasp stopped her. Following her gaze, she saw two armed men and several wolves emerging from the gate behind her wolf. He saw them too and with one last look at Marisa, he bounded off into the trees, vanishing from sight.




Wolf's Kiss Ch. 07



Jake immediately jumped out of the truck and called to the men and wolves to stand down. He gave them instructions that Shayna couldn't hear and the wolves turned back into the compound also vanishing from sight. The two men remained at the gate when Jake got back into the truck and drove to a small parking lot on the right of the property. Before getting back out of the truck, Jake turned to the two women in the backseat.

Looking from Shayna to Marisa, he asked "Are you okay?"

Shayna slowly nodded her head. "I think I almost wet myself but I'm fine now."

She still looked a little shell-shocked but Jake smiled at her humor. He knew he was right to love her, she definitely had spunk. Marisa on the other hand didn't look so well. She had an anguished expression on her face and Jake thought he could understand why. Coming face to face with him after all these years must have been hard to say the least.

"I'm sure everything will work out," Jake said. "Just stay put for a few minutes while I go talk to my brother."

Sebastian stepped out of the building in front of them and waved. Shayna smiled and waved back, still finding it hard to believe they were Werewolves. Even watching the large wolf that confronted them moments ago seemed surreal.

Turning back to Marisa, Shayna could see that she was upset by the encounter and put her arms around her, taking on the nurturing role. Marisa welcomed her great-granddaughter's comforting embrace and hugged her back. She felt a bit guilty and hugged her a little tighter. She'd felt so drawn to him that she hadn't considered Shayna's safety had she opened the door. On some level deep inside, she didn't think he came to harm her but she still couldn't take any chances.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled back from Shayna and planted a smile on her face. "I'm okay, sweetie. Just a little shaken up but I'll be fine."

Shayna looked skeptical. "If you say so," she said. "That was Gerard, wasn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah, that was him," Marisa answered and looked away. She realized now that ever since that last night at the St. Simon compound, she'd merely suppressed her feelings for him. Her need to protect her husband had taken over, provided a diversion for her until it became obvious she couldn't stay. She truly loved her husband but she didn't feel her soul stir as it did when she was near Gerard.

But she'd never intended to go back to Gerard either and thought the time and distance between them would dissolve the desire to mate. She was terribly mistaken and for the first time in a long time, Marisa didn't know what to do.

Jake came back to the truck and opened Shayna's door. Shayna hesitated for a nanosecond before accepting his hand to help her out. As she tried to comfort Marisa she was also trying to steady her own nerves. She was literally among a pack of wolves and had no idea what to expect.

Jake put his arm around her waist and leaned in to help Marisa out as well. Not that they needed the help but he was a gentleman and did what gentlemen do...most of the time. He certainly wasn't having gentlemanly thoughts about what he wanted to do to Shayna when he finally got her alone in his house.

When Marisa stepped out of the truck, he locked the door and handed her the keys.

"Marisa, there is one thing I have to ask of you," he said.

She looked up at him, wondering if there was a condition to his helping her with Gerard.

He must have guessed what she was thinking because he shook his head and chuckled.

"It's just that I think you should do whatever it is you do to unmask your scent. You have to trust that we'll do anything necessary to protect you, but we have to be able to trust you as well," he said.

Marisa breathed a sigh of relief. Of course she trusted him, he was in love with her Shayna and Shayna was in love with him. She quickly said a chant in Chinese and her natural lemony scent immediately came forward.

Jake inhaled and held his breath, memorizing her scent identity. While Marisa's scent was light and pleasant, it was Shayna's spicy jasmine scent that he wanted to immerse himself in.

But business came before pleasure as his parents were waiting for them in the community hall. They'd been expecting Jake and Shayna since the previous evening when Sebastian had told them of the intruder in Shayna's apartment. And now that Gerard's mystery woman had been revealed, they wanted to know everything right away so they could take whatever action they felt necessary.

The three of them squared their shoulders, each laboring under different burdens, and prepared to face the inquisition.



Wolf's Kiss Ch. 08



[Author's Note: I apologize for the extra-long delay. After a bad case of writer's block and several rewrites I finally finished Chapter 8. I hope you all enjoy this installment of Shayna and Jake's romance. - Angel] 

*

Shayna stood in the middle of Jake's en suite bathroom and marveled at the opulent décor. The ultra-modern fixtures, granite-topped vanity, large spa bathtub, and huge shower belied the home's rustic exterior. In fact, the whole interior of the house looked like the setting of a home design magazine spread.

When she first walked up to the one-story log cabin she had horrible memories of camping in the woods with her uncle and cousins. She even doubted there was indoor plumbing because it looked so basic from the outside, as did all of the homes she saw in this part of the compound. Although she tried to hide it, she knew Jake was aware of her initial impression by the smirk he wore as he led her up the walkway. But when he opened the door, Shayna's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she took in the elegance that awaited her. Much to her surprise, Jake's home was luxurious and immaculate yet warm and inviting.

Since Jake had to go back to the community building to talk with his parents about helping Marisa, he gave her free rein to make herself comfortable however she liked. He promised to be back as soon as he could then left her alone in his home. Once she got over her initial surprise, she took a few minutes to inspect his well-designed and well stocked kitchen as well as explore the rest of his home. The floor plan was open with only the two bedrooms and bathrooms closed off from the main living space.

The first bedroom was obviously Jake's home office as it contained a large desk, computer, and two floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Across the hall from the office was a full bathroom which meant the last door in the hall led to Jake's bedroom. She was inexplicably nervous about entering his private domain yet she was curious to see if his personality was stamped on his bedroom.

Realizing she was being silly about it, she opened his bedroom door and stepped inside. His bedroom, actually a suite, was in keeping with the rest of the home with its elegant décor and comfortable furnishings. Of course he had a huge bed that dominated one side of the room. It looked larger than a regular king-size bed and she guessed it must have been custom made. The colors were decidedly masculine; rich tones of burgundy, gray, and black adorned the bed and coordinating window treatments as well as other accessories in the room.

The last stop was his bathroom and although she admired the room's amenities, her eyes kept wandering to the huge bathtub. A nice relaxing bath was indeed in order since she'd been in a constant state of tension for more than a few hours now. Although she had a short nap on the drive to New York, her sleep was anything but restful and the muscles in her back and neck were in knots.

Having made up her mind, Shayna turned on the faucet and let the tub fill with warm water while she rummaged through her backpack for a hairclip. After finding a towel and washcloth in one of the cabinets, Shayna stripped off her clothes and piled her hair on top of her head securing it with the clip. Stepping into the water, a satisfied sigh escaped her lips as she sank into its inviting heat, instantly feeling her muscles begin to loosen. Resting her head on the back of the tub, she closed her eyes and thought about her first meeting with Jake's parents.

As they'd walked up to the community building, Shayna was as nervous as she'd been when the big red wolf jumped in front of them at the gate. She had no idea what to expect from Jake's parents or from anyone else at the compound. And as far as she knew, she was the only human among them. It didn't matter that Marisa was there because, well, she was a Werewolf just like everyone else here.

As for Marisa, she seemed pretty nervous as well which kind of surprised Shayna. She'd only known her great-grandmother a very short while but until now, she'd seemed confident and capable of dealing with any situation. But at that moment, she wore a tortured expression on her face as if she was walking to her doom. Presumably seeing Gerard St. Simon again, especially in wolf form, had rattled her and now she had to resolve her situation with him.

As soon as they entered the building, a tall dark-skinned woman crossed the room and wrapped Jake in a fierce hug. Then she stepped slightly back from him and examined him with deep brown eyes.

"Are you okay, Jacques?" she asked in French, her husky voice laced with concern. "Sebastian told us what's going on. Oh, son, I'm so glad you're home!" she cried as she hugged him again. Jake's hold on Shayna loosened as he hugged his mother with his free arm.

Sebastian walked over to Shayna and swept her up in a bear hug, effectively removing Jake's arm from around her. Smiling broadly, he said, "Hey little sis," and gave her a loud smooch on her cheek.

Jake immediately growled and stepped away from his mother's embrace, heading for Sebastian with murder in his eyes. His brother chuckled and set Shayna down between him and his brother. Neatly sidestepping Jake and moving out of harm's way, Sebastian turned his attention to another man seated at a table across the room. 

"See, Dad? I told you," he said, addressing his father in French. "He's done." Sebastian smiled, obviously enjoying seeing Jake so far gone over his mate. He genuinely liked Shayna and it amused him that she didn't seem to realize how she had his brother going off the deep end for her.

Jake stood with his arms possessively around Shayna's waist, growling at his brother until his mother laid a hand on his arm. Giving both brothers warning looks, she stepped around Jake until she faced Shayna. Extending her hand, she smiled warmly and spoke in English, "You must be Shayna. It is such a pleasure to meet you."

She tugged Shayna forward ever so slightly and Jake reluctantly released his hold on her. "I'm Isabelle, Jacques' and Sebastian's mother." Folding Shayna's arm around hers, she led Shayna across the room to her husband.

"Shayna, I'd like you to meet my husband, Claude," Isabelle said.

Shayna extended her free hand to the big man as he pushed his chair from the table but her eyes widened as he stood to his full height. He was a little taller than Jake and just as solidly built with straight black hair and striking features that reminded her of the portraits of Native Americans she'd seen in history books. His face was set in a harsh frown as he glared at Sebastian but it was replaced by a disarming smile as he took Shayna's hand in both of his much larger ones.

"It is my pleasure to meet you Shayna. Please forgive my sons for their rude behavior," he said eyeing them sternly again before returning his attention to her. "I promise they were not brought up to be that way."

Shayna found herself flanked by Jake's parents but their kindness put her at ease. "It's so nice to meet you both. I apologize for coming at such short notice and under these circumstances," she stammered.

"Nonsense," Isabelle said. "You are welcome any time under any circumstances. Jacques should have brought you to meet us sooner." She gave Jake a pointed look then turned back to Shayna. "But you are here now and that's all that matters. Come, you must be tired. I have a room waiting for you in our guest house. You can rest while we discuss this business of Gerard St. Simon."

At that, Jake finally spoke. "She's staying with me, Mother. If you two would kindly release your hostage, I'll take her to my cabin so she can get some rest." He sounded a bit irritated that his mother assumed his mate would be sleeping anywhere but with him. But his parents were amused by his tone as they hadn't expected anything less from him. Of course he wouldn't want to be separated from Shayna, especially since they were not yet truly mated and there were plenty of unattached males in the pack who might be interested in her.

Claude Montrose laughed and patted Shayna's hand before releasing her. Of all his children, Jake was perhaps the most determined and persistent, finding and executing the most direct path to acquiring what he wanted. And when he decided he wanted something it was pretty much a done deal. He almost felt sorry for the young lady...almost.

"I hate to tell you, but you have your hands full with that one," he told her, nodding in Jake's direction.

Shayna was inclined to agree but remained silent. He had already proven how persuasive he could be without really trying. For some reason her brain just didn't function rationally around him. Her heart and body responded so strongly to him that she feared he could manipulate her into doing whatever he wanted. Her only hope was that he wouldn't ruthlessly exploit that fact to his advantage.

Isabelle Montrose turned, still holding Shayna's arm and led her back to her son. "We'll talk later, once we get this mess all sorted out. I'll expect you and Jacques for lunch this afternoon." She smiled and gave her a big hug. "Welcome to our home." 

Shayna returned her smile. "Thank you both very much," she said to his parents.

Jake then silently walked with her to his cabin. He held her loosely by the waist as they walked out of the building, past several houses until they came to his. All the homes looked the same in the dim lighting that lined the walkway. The only distinction Shayna could make out in the semi-darkness that surrounded them was the number 16 carved into the front door. 

He didn't linger when he led her into the house. He seemed suddenly in a hurry as she moved beyond the foyer into the living room and barely brushed her lips with his before he told her to make herself at home then left. It was then that she realized she hadn't said goodnight to Marisa before leaving with Jake. Trusting that Marisa was in good hands, she occupied herself exploring Jake's private domain.

And now, as she relaxed in the bathtub, she also realized Marisa would likely be staying by herself in the guest house where Shayna wished she were at that moment. A sliver of apprehension coursed up her spine at the knowledge that she and Jake would be alone when he returned. Not that it would have mattered before, but now that the truth about him was starting to sink in...

Somehow back in her apartment it seemed incomprehensible that there was really such a thing as a werewolf. Since she'd seen him only partially changed, she could have easily allowed herself to believe it was the result of her overactive imagination. But seeing full-blown wolves definitely made it more real. The wolves outside the gate to the grounds were huge, much larger than she could have imagined, and she was both fascinated and frightened knowing that they actually existed. She couldn't determine which feeling was more prominent nor was she sure how she could live with this new knowledge.

Feeling the need to do something, Shayna stood and quickly soaped her body, pausing briefly at the junction of her thighs. Her flesh was so responsive there that she flushed as she remembered all the passionate loving they'd shared since he'd come into her life. She belatedly wondered at the wisdom of taking a man as large as he as her first lover. After that first night he wasn't always so gentle with her, nearly losing control several times. It was no wonder she felt so tender.

Not liking the direction her thoughts were taking, she focused on finishing her bath and stepped out of the tub. Just as she picked up her towel, Jake strode into the bathroom scaring her half to death.

"I didn't hear you come in," Shayna said breathlessly, heart pounding in her chest.

Turning her back to him, she tried to steady her nerves as she quickly toweled dry and secured it around her torso. But her heart was still racing and she knew it wasn't just because he'd startled her. She felt his heat at her back a moment before his strong arms wrapped around her holding her against his chest. He leaned down pressing his cheek to hers and inhaled deeply.

"Damn you smell so good," he whispered in her ear before planting a soft kiss on her cheek. She didn't know he could smell the faint trace of her arousal although she'd washed most of it away. As she tried to move away from him he let out a weary sigh but held on to her. "I missed you," he breathed silkily against her neck.

Shayna couldn't help snorting in disbelief. "You weren't gone that long," she said.

"It doesn't matter, I still missed you."

Jake wanted nothing more at that moment than to drown himself in his woman. He'd walked into the bathroom to see the most beautiful water nymph standing in the middle of the room, glistening from head to toe as water droplets lovingly clung to her skin. He'd wanted to lick away every drop and claim her, right there on the bathroom floor, before she had time to think about it. And he knew he could do it, take her to the point where all reason left her, and make her respond to him in the most elemental way, make her beg to be his forever.

The idea tantalized him as surely as her intoxicating scent was flooding his being. But no, he'd have to be patient and give her time to make the decision on her own. Meanwhile, he could introduce her to his way of life and show her how easy it would be for her to fit right in. Sound advice he'd just gotten from his mother before he left her a few minutes ago.

"Where's Marisa?" Shayna asked turning his attention to something he didn't want to think about at that moment.

He inhaled the clean scent of her hair before he answered. "She's staying in one of the guest houses. My father agreed to provide neutral ground for them to settle whatever issues they have. He's arranged a meeting with the St. Simons for tomorrow evening."

"What happens if they can't reach an agreement?" Shayna asked. "Will they demand some sort of punishment or something like that?"

Jake wasn't sure how to answer that. It depended on the seriousness of the St. Simon's grievances against Marisa. And if she admitted to any wrongdoing, it was up to Guillaume St. Simon to determine her punishment. He hoped Marisa had been honest with his parents about everything that happened while she was with the St. Simon pack. If so, then she probably didn't have to worry about much. They might demand some sort of restitution for the jewels Gerard had given her that she took with her when she faked her suicide. Other than that, the meeting should go smoothly.

To Shayna, he said, "Don't worry. Hopefully they will work everything out without too much hassle and our lives can get back to normal. If it doesn't work, the next step may be to involve the Alpha Council."

"Oh," was all Shayna said. While he spoke, Jake massaged her neck and shoulders, easing the tension in her muscles making her whole body feel like jelly.

Feeling her relax under his ministrations, Jake scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom. Shayna loosely wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling a new tension coiling low in her belly as he laid her on his bed and followed her down. This was exactly what she was afraid of, knowing she was powerless to stop him if he wanted to make love. He wouldn't take her against her will; she simply wouldn't want him to stop.

Still, she had to try to remain rational at least a little longer.

"Jake, we need to talk about what's going on."

Jake nuzzled her cheek as he undid her towel and peeled it away from her body.

"I know, love, but can't we talk about it later? I just want to hold you right now," he said softly in her ear.

Shayna shivered as his tongue snaked out to lick the rim of her ear at the same time as his hand covered one of her breasts. The double assault left her speechless for several moments as he sucked on her earlobe and gently squeezed her breasts, making her nipples harden.

But again, Shayna tried to focus on their present situation, hoping he would relent at least until she had some reassurances.

"Jake..."

But Jake had something else on his agenda and it didn't include talking. Unless they were love words, maybe even a few dirty words too.

Trailing his tongue down her neck to her collarbone, Jake eased himself slightly on top of Shayna until the breast closest to him was covered by his torso and his leg slid under hers, raising it to open her body to him. His tongue continued its journey until he reached the peak of her exposed nipple and greedily sucked it into his mouth.

Shayna's desire for conversation died as Jake expertly stoked a slow-burning fire within her. The sensation of his hot mouth on her breast rivaled the growing anticipation of his fingers softly stroking her thigh lying atop his. His other arm cradled her to him holding her in place as he ravaged her senses.

As his fingers slowly worked their way toward her center, he eased away from her to bestow the same loving attention on her other breast, circling her nipple with his tongue before engulfing the entire aureole in his hot mouth. Arrows of fire shot straight to her core as his fingers simultaneously found their way to her clit. Her breathing became ragged and shallow as he dipped two long fingers into her wet heat while keeping constant pressure on her clit with his thumb.

He broke away from her nipple long enough to roughly whisper, "Come for me baby!" Then he reattached to her breast as he stroked his fingers in and out of her channel.

Shayna's hips bucked in rhythm with his stroking, increasing the pressure on her little bundle of nerves. Her panting increased and as she neared completion, Jake suddenly moved down her body and replaced his thumb with his tongue, rapidly vibrating it against her nub until her hips froze mid-air. A high-pitched whine left her as her walls gripped his fingers and her body tensed until the last contractions began to subside.

Jake continued to lightly suck and nibble her nub as her body and breathing eventually returned to normal. When she relaxed on the bed once more, he slid his fingers from her and licked every drop of her essence from them before dipping his tongue into her to lap up more of her flavor. With his cock straining against his pants, he reluctantly moved from his feast to hurriedly undress.

Watching him from half-closed eyes, Shayna felt herself moistening again in preparation for his huge member standing so proud. She no longer feared his size though she marveled that she could take all of him into herself. Although it often hurt when he was fully encased in her body, in a strange way the pain complemented the incredible pleasure he gave her until it became almost unnoticeable. Without thinking, she removed the clip from her hair then rolled onto her stomach and came up on her hands and knees in anticipation of his possession.

Jake crawled up behind her, growling appreciatively as his tongue tasted the fresh moisture that gathered and oozed out of her cunt. She was ready for him and he sensed that she wanted him with no holds barred.

And he wasn't going to disappoint her. Without any more preliminaries, he rose up behind her, grabbed her hips and slammed into her in one fluid motion. Shayna raised her head and cried out at the impact but ground against him nevertheless. He held still for a moment thinking he'd hurt her but when she rolled her bottom against him he sent up a prayer of thanks then proceeded to drill into her heat mercilessly. Shayna's earthy grunts and pants egged him on and almost made him come sooner than he wanted. He pounded into her almost to the point of climax then held still, grinding against her until he regained control.

He did this several times until he could fight his release no more. Leaning down to part her lips, Jake strummed her clit in time with his thrusts until he felt her tight walls squeeze tighter around his throbbing shaft. And when she cried out in climax, he gripped her hips once more and drove into her until he exploded, filling her womb with his seed.




Wolf's Kiss Ch. 08



Incredibly sated they fell to the bed, still joined, and curled spoon-fashion on top of the bedding. Jake wrapped his arm protectively around his woman and followed her into a deeply satisfied slumber.

********************

Shayna awakened slowly, stretching and yawning as the haze of sleep faded. She realized she was alone in Jake's huge bed so she lay there and closed her eyes not wanting to face the day. Her life had just gotten even more complicated and she wasn't sure what to do about it. She didn't know which was worse; finding out her lover -- her first lover ever -- is a werewolf, or finding out her long-presumed-dead great-grandmother is alive. And she's also a werewolf. Sure, nothing strange about any of that at all.

And if those issues weren't bad enough, Jake himself made the situation more difficult to cope with by being so damned...addictive. Never in her wildest fantasies had she ever conjured a man so gorgeous and sensual. Being around him put all of her senses on high alert while her brain turned to jelly. But in addition to his sexual appeal, he was also intelligent, affectionate, and had a sly sense of humor too. It all seemed like a winning combination but it felt kind of dangerous too.

Turning away from those thoughts, she threw off the sheet covering her and went in search of the source of her torment. She wanted him to take her to see Marisa and find out what was going on with Gerard St. Simon. The quicker this situation was resolved, the quicker she could get back to her life in D.C.

But Jake wasn't home so she decided to shower. She didn't have time to grab a change of clothes so she dressed in the same jeans and t-shirt she wore there. The clock in his bedroom read 11:30 a.m. and her stomach was rumbling. Isabelle had invited them to lunch but she didn't know what time that would be or if Jake would even be back any time soon. She called his cellphone a few times but he didn't answer. After waiting about half an hour, she gave in to her hunger and made a sandwich and a glass of orange juice.

Prowling restlessly around the cabin, Shayna was bored out of her mind. She peeked through the curtains a few times when she heard people passing by and the sound of children's laughter but she dared not venture outside. She felt like she didn't belong there and didn't want to cause any trouble. Still, she was anxious to find out what was happening with Marisa and was tempted to go back to the community building to see if she was there.

She really tried to wait calmly for Jake to call or come home but the anxiety was killing her. One last failed attempt to call him pushed her over the edge. Peeking out the window again, there was nobody around except a few children playing with a soccer ball in the field to the left of Jake's house. Since she had to go to the right to get to the community hall, she hoped they wouldn't see her.

Shayna opened the door as quietly as she could and stepped outside. Keeping an eye on the children, she closed the door just as quietly and moved along the front of the house instead of walking directly down the pathway. She skulked along that way until she believed she was out of the children's view then walked across the lawn to the main sidewalk. She'd only gotten a few feet away when the children's excited voices coming in her direction let her know she'd been spotted.

Moments later, several curious young faces surrounded her halting her progress. All of the kids seemed to be no older than ten years old, some seeming as young as four or five. The loud fuss they made also drew a few adults out of the surrounding cabins. Before long, Shayna had quite an audience when she'd hoped to go unnoticed to find Marisa.

"Hello," she said nervously to the people crowded around her. "I'm Shayna. I'm a friend of Jake's."

She hoped that telling them she was Jake's friend afforded her a bit of security. Part of her knew Jake wouldn't have helped her avoid one danger by putting her in another. But Jake had disappeared and she didn't want to take any chances.

A woman who'd come out of the cabin next to Jake's stepped forward. She seemed very amused by Shayna's statement.

"Well we know that," she said with a sly smirk. "His scent is all over you."

Everyone laughed at her comment which made Shayna feel even more uneasy. But instead of running back to the seclusion of Jake's cabin as she desperately wanted to do, she held her head up and looked the woman in the eyes.

"I came here last night with my...friend, Marisa. Do you know where I might be able to find her?" she asked.

The woman regarded Shayna with undisguised interest, angling her head slightly to one side. Then she smiled broadly and stepped closer to Shayna, holding out her hand.

"I'm Natalie," the woman said. "I think I might know where she is."

Shayna shook Natalie's hand and smiled in return.

Before Natalie took Shayna to find Marisa, she introduced the other members of the crowd but Shayna couldn't remember all their names. Although everyone was pleasant she was still a little nervous about being the center of attention. All she could think about was going home to her quiet, uneventful life.

Natalie grabbed Shayna's hand again and disengaged her from the crowd. Shayna followed along noting that they were heading for the community building. They passed several more interested faces but Natalie kept them moving, pointing out a few of the other buildings in view.

The community center was the largest building on the compound and the main gathering place for everybody. There was a commercial grade kitchen, large dining room, and several lounges open to anyone who wanted to use them. There was also a pretty extensive library and computer room to keep everyone's skills and knowledge current. Just beyond the community center was a gym with the latest exercise and sports training equipment. There was also a wide field behind the gym for training in human as well as wolf form.

Shayna tried to take in Natalie's running commentary on the amenities at the compound but the woman talked so fast about so much that it was difficult to keep up. She was relieved when they stepped into the community building and she immediately spotted Marisa in the main lounge talking with a small group of women. Marisa smiled when she saw her and motioned for her to join them. When she reached her side, Marisa swept her into a fierce hug.

"How are you feeling, honey? Did you sleep well?" she asked, lifting Shayna's chin and watching her closely. It was a very maternal gesture that came so naturally neither of them questioned it.

"I'm fine, I guess. What about you?" Shayna asked.

"I'm managing," was Marisa's vague reply.

They both suddenly remembered there were others nearby and stepped apart. Their companions seemed fascinated by the interchange they'd just witnessed and Shayna could see the speculation in their eyes. One was a Were like them and the other was definitely human yet there was some kind of connection between them. Shayna wondered if they should put the others out of their misery and just tell them what was going on or if they should let the Alphas determine how much everyone needed to know.

Deciding the latter was the better course of action, Shayna held her tongue. Marisa seemed to come to the same conclusion and proceeded with introductions and only referred to Shayna as her dear friend. Thankfully no one asked any questions about them or why Jake had brought them there and just made small talk.

A few minutes later the sound of a loud commotion outside the center had everyone running to the door to see what was going on. Shayna was by far the shortest person in the room and couldn't see out the window so she pushed her way to the door. Loud growls could be heard over the excited voices in the center and despite the ominous sounds, she needed to see what was going on.

When she finally pushed her way out the door, a frightening sight greeted her. Just outside the gate, two wolves circled each other, growling and snarling furiously. Shayna instantly recognized the red wolf from the night before but had no idea who the brown wolf was. Both wolves were about the same height but the brown wolf seemed a bit beefier. Just then, the red wolf lunged, narrowly missing the other wolf's neck as he quickly leapt to the side. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the brown wolf slammed into his opponent's side knocking him off his feet. The red wolf was just as quick and instantly regained his footing before he could be pinned down.

"Shayna, get back inside!"

Shayna looked up as Natalie grabbed her arm to tug her back to the safety of the building but Shayna didn't move. She knew this was important and didn't want to miss it. Natalie didn't force the issue as she was caught up in the battle before them as well. When Shayna turned back to the fight, she saw Jake's father running toward the gate with several other men behind him. The two wolves were circling each other again but stopped at the sound of Alpha Montrose's booming voice.

"Both of you, enough!" Claude Montrose yelled. "Shift now!"

Shayna was mesmerized as both men changed to human form before her eyes. She wasn't surprised that the red wolf was a big man with a curly cap of bright red hair but her eyes widened in shock as she realized the brown wolf was actually Jake. Without thinking, she started to move down the steps toward them but stopped short when Marisa came into view as she stepped through the gate.

Although Gerard St. Simon and Jake had shifted as ordered, both men continued to crouch and eye each other warily. But at Marisa's approach, Gerard turned his gaze to her and stood to his full height. As soon as she was within arm's reach, he pulled her to him, burying his face in her hair. Shayna couldn't hear the words they whispered to each other but the scene was so touching, so emotionally charged that she didn't doubt they were the words of long-lost loves.

Almost at the same moment, the Weres seemed to become aware of something coming up the drive in the distance. Shayna couldn't see or hear anything but all eyes were suddenly watching the road to the compound. Without warning, Gerard partially shifted, growing red hair all over his body and increasing in height by about six inches. His claws and fangs sprang forth as he hoisted Marisa over his shoulder and leapt into the woods.