STORY EXCERPT

“She’s a wolf,” he finally said, rising to his feet.

Garret had always believed Cassie to be one-hundred percent human. She’d been innocent to their wolfen heritage until witnessing Patrick shift in the woods. Besides, there were no female shifters, so he never thought twice. Now he wasn’t sure what to believe. As soon as her blood pooled on his tongue, he tasted wolf. Strong and undeniable wolf blood. He began to question everything, his mind traveling in a web of directions. Was Cassie deliberately hiding something, playing them all along? Was she a threat to his pack? And what did it mean for his species if she really was a female shifter?

The mating bond would have to wait until he knew what he was dealing with. He couldn’t even think about sex now.

“What? No she’s not,” said Patrick.

“What’re you talking about?” asked Evan. “She’s a human girl. You know that as well as me.”

“Then why are we all impossibly attracted to her—the same as Rockford and that guy impersonating Scott?” Garret had developed his own fly-by-pants idea. If she was the first female wolf-shifter to be discovered, it only made sense she’d have pheromones to attract the opposite sex. Everything was coming together, and he hadn’t even considered the big picture until now.

“You’re scaring her, Garret. Whatever you think you know, you’re wrong.” Patrick helped Cassie to her feet. Her lust had fizzled away to nothing, and the acrid scent of her fear grew stronger by the minute. As alpha, Garret liked things in order. It was important he knew what was happening in and around his pack. He was still in a state of shock that Cassie’s true identity had gone unnoticed for so long.

She held Patrick around the waist, her cheek against his chest. Was she the enemy? Or was this fate in the making? He couldn’t imagine a slight thing like her being a threat, but he’d been wrong before.

Garret walked toward her, sizing her up, trying to read her body language and expressions. If she were one of his pack mates, he’d already know her thoughts and intentions. “What are you?”

“What do you mean? Am I suddenly a stranger now? It’s me, Cassidy!” She exhaled a staggered breath. “Are you trying to tell me you think I’m a wolf like you? Don’t you think I’d have figured that out by now?”

“I don’t know. Climax isn’t a destination. What kind of girl travels way out here to start over?” asked Garret. The tables had turned. It had been Cassie constantly questioning them, knowing something was amiss. Now Garret felt out of place, desperate to know the real identity of his mate.

“A girl who got a free house from a grandfather she never met.” She was getting feisty, her fists now planted on her hips as she spoke. It was one of the reasons he loved her. And he had to remember that. Regardless of the outcome, she was still his woman.

Matthew joined them. “Her grandfather…he lived in Climax. What if he was a shifter?”

“And mated with a human,” added Garret. It was the only logical answer.

“Exactly,” said Matthew.

Cassie shook her head. “Exactly what? You’re saying you think I have wolf blood in my veins? That my grandfather was some kind of a werewolf like you? And you got all that from a taste of me?”

“Not you. Your blood,” said Garret. “I’ve tasted other parts of you already without such a revelation.”

The whole pack laughed, bringing down the growing tension. Cassie appeared less than impressed.

“It’s bad enough I only know fragments of my childhood. Now you’re telling me I’m not even human?”

Garret reached out a hand for her to join him. Her turbulent emotions were real, nothing false about her aura. She was still his Cassie, the one he’d grown to love. The one his wolf called his mate. He’d accused her when she was probably just as shocked as he was.

Cassie left Patrick’s side and walked cautiously over to him, her big blue eyes bringing down his hackles. He pulled her tight to his body, leaning over to breathe in her familiar scent. There was no evidence she was a wolf. Her eyes were clear, no trace of a feral nature. Even in moments of passion, no fangs or fur had ever emerged. Either she had excellent control or he was way off on his assumption.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Tell me, Travis, is our little mate as human as she appears?”

“Taste for yourself.”

He couldn’t wait. The soft curve of her backbone was accentuated by her sloping position on the forest floor. Her hair cascaded into the leaves, the natural browns and oranges blending into one. He gripped her hips as he admired every inch of her feminine beauty. Knowing she was his made his cock hard as steel.

She wiggled her ass, signaling she was getting impatient. He’d heard stories about the love bite, although he’d never experienced anything firsthand. It was supposed to act as an aphrodisiac, enabling the female of a pack to easily and eagerly accept all the shifters in one night. Their world was complex, but also simple. One female per pack was the way of their kind for as long as he could remember.

“I don’t want you begging just yet, little human. Let me play a while first.” Patrick let the hard length of his cock rub against her clit as he leaned over her back. With one hand, he fondled her pert breasts. He absorbed her scent, her essence, fully aware he was about to bond with Cassidy for the rest of his life. There was no inkling of fear, no dread of commitment. This was what he wanted, and his wolf agreed. She had to be marked, a permanent symbol of his loyalty.

“Please,” she whined.

“Don’t torture her, Red. Give her what she wants before the fire swallows us whole.”

He ignored Travis, and he ignored his woman. When she begged for his cock, it only made him harder. The longer he forced her to wait, the more receptive she’d be when he finally filled her with his dick. It wasn’t easy stalling when he was primed to go, but taking the time to sample her body was a still a treat. He licked the back of her neck and then gently nipped her shoulder blades. Her little moans and sighs were erotic music to his ears.

“Oh God. Please, Patrick. I’ll die if you don’t fuck me.”

He chuckled. “You’ll die? My, that sounds serious. But do I believe you?”

Patrick pulled back, and he could see the clear fluid escaping down her inner thigh. He fought the urge to lap at her folds, determined to show he had more self-control than he did.

“Garret did something to me. You have to ease my pain.”

Patrick impaled two fingers into her pussy and pressed the tip of his thumb against her asshole. “What he did was natural, little one. A wolf’s mark is made to arouse a female, to make her wanton and agreeable for any kind of sexual play.”

“It’s getting worse.”

“That’s because I’ve added my bite, darlin’,” said Travis. “Each new addition will only make it stronger. There’re five of us.”

If she was this anxious now, how would she be after another three markings? They’d have to fuck her all night, hard and long, just to calm her a degree.

He couldn’t hold off any longer. Besides, Travis was right. The sound of the approaching fire line was closing in around them. Patrick grabbed the base of his erection and forced his way into Cassidy’s tight little pussy, still moist from Travis’s release. She cried out as if he’d both killed and saved her. He continued when she pushed back to meet him stroke for stroke. As he held her hips, pulling her in with each thrust, his claws broke free. He fought to keep his feral nature in check, but it was winning over.

Patrick needed his alpha’s guidance or some divine help from above. He swore he’d sprout fur any second.

Cassidy cried out, arousing him further. Her delicate, pale skin was a stark contrast to the rustic browns and greens decorating the landscape. He had her naked and under his control. Control he was about to lose.

“I won’t bite hard,” he lied. Patrick rammed into her, spurred on by her demanding cries for more cock. She was insatiable. They wouldn’t double team her now. She’d have to wait until the forest was safe and they could all enjoy her at their leisure. His mind and loyalties were torn in several directions.

When his release built up to intolerable levels, he hoisted her upper body up off the forest floor, his cock still hard in her cunt. He used one hand to tease her clit, and he used his other arm to secure her to his chest. Patrick’s cock throbbed inside her, ready to fill her with his cum. That’s when he made his move, sinking his lengthened incisors into the thick muscle at the base of her neck. He growled as he bit down, savoring every sensation.

Cassidy screamed, the sound tapering off into a satisfied moan. He couldn’t seem to let go. Her taste and sweet scent were addicting. Just one bite would never be enough. Her blood acted as a cohesive agent, blending the man and wolf until the lines were blurry. Part of him had hoped she was a wolf, allowing him to continue his hatred of humans. But she was not. His little human was delicate, nothing savage about her genetics. He’d love her nonetheless.

“I can feel you milking my cock, Cassidy.” He continued to massage her clit as she rode out her orgasm. “Let it all go.”