A Wolf's Fate (A BBW Shapeshifter Romance): The Holiday Ball (3 page)

“Not this time, Townsend.” The words were ground out, as sharp as razor blades.

Her hand flattened on the chest of the new wolf as she allowed her energy to flow through her into him. She wasn’t surprised when sparkles of pink filled the air where they touched. She started at the feelings of hurt and confusion racing through him. And so much anguish that Autumn’s knees almost buckled. For a moment, she thought she felt the brush of fur beneath her palms, as if his animal had rubbed itself up against her.

“What the fuck?” he cursed and took a step back.

She kept touching him, her hands smoothing across the wide expanse of his chest, even running her hand beneath the dark blue jacket. Accidently, her fingers found the hard point of his nipple. Instead of pulling away, she drew a small circle around it.

He didn’t acknowledge the arousing power of her touch except for the bruising force on her wrist as he hugged her to him. As if she was his.

Her body felt strange, as it had from the moment she’d seen this wolf across the room. Languid and pliant. Disregarding the voice of common sense that told her not to do it again, she traced another small circle around his nipple. His chest stopped moving as if in anticipation of her next touch. Not one to disappoint, she pinched the jutted bud between her thumb and forefinger. All thoughts of calming this big, bad wolf were instantly erased by the low, succulent curse that burst forth from his please-kiss-me-all-over lips.

“Fuck.”

The wolf growled, a sound so earthy and sexy that she’d never heard it from a man or beast. He swept her up in his arms before she knew what was happening.

Kade Townsend signaled a passing waiter and asked for a double shot of bourbon. As he waited for his drink, he thought what lucky bastards Gunner and his brother were for finding their mates tonight.

Just his luck they’d paired with two of the most gorgeous women there. Gorgeous, curvy women whose hips and breasts just begged a wolf to fuck them. Hard. He rubbed his hand down the front of his pants, readjusting his cock. It had been months since he’d felt even the slightest stirring of sexual interest and wouldn’t you know he’d been excited by two women he’d never touch in a million years.

He owed the Barringer pack more than he could ever repay and hoped that he’d done at least a little tonight to start to repay that debt.

He smiled and took another sip of bourbon as he remembered the expression on Gunner’s face as he’d stolen the woman away. The other looked as if he’d been sideswiped by a Mack truck.

“My name is Gunner. Gunner Barringer.”

The man’s fluid movements as he moved them across the marble floor were more than surprising. One would never have thought such a hard, unbending man could move so gracefully. Yet, he was so thoroughly mesmerizing that Autumn followed him without question, watching him in silent awe. His face was strong-featured and handsome. His eyes were amazing, such a dark brown they made her shiver at the mysteries hiding in their dark depths.

His hair was dark, almost black. It was long enough in back to brush the tops of his broad shoulders. If they lived in another time, she could imagine it drawn back, caught by a string of rawhide. Autumn wanted nothing more than to slide her fingers up his neck and wind them in his hair.

While most couples on the floor merely swayed back and forth to the music, using it as a cover to cop a feel or grope a body part, Gunner danced with her. He swept her across the marble expanse in a flurry of intricate steps that she somehow managed to match, if just barely. She’d spent many a teenaged year helping her male cousins learn to dance.

The Christmas lights whirled around her as he moved her expertly around the floor. The decorations of silver and blue melded together until it was just a sense of beauty and peace. Christmas.

Before she could stop herself, she melted against him. His arms tightened around her, pulling her close. Chest to chest, hip to hip. She felt every incredible inch of him flush against her. Every incredible—incredibly
hard
—inch of him. Mmm, maybe this attraction wasn’t as one sided as she’d thought.

She gave into temptation and moved the hand resting so formerly on his shoulder. She stroked the skin at the nape of his neck, trying to ease some of the pain and anger she still felt pulsing around them. “Tell me what happened.”

His eyes met hers briefly before flickering away. “Why do you think something happened?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because it looked as if the two of you were about to shift and go after each other’s throats.”

“If we were, that had nothing to do with you.”

Well, that put her in her place, she thought with a hint of hurt as she returned her hand to his shoulder. But it didn’t explain the unwarranted attack on the other wolf. “What did he do to you?”

“He tried to steal my brother’s mate.”

Even though his earlier comment had hurt, she couldn’t help but rub the palm of her hand across his shoulder again. “Tried? That means he didn’t. Is your brother and his mate happy?”

“Yeah.” For the first time a smile tugged at the corner of the man’s mouth. Immediately, her eyes were drawn to the thin sliver of scar that ran from the corner of his brow to the top of his mouth, barely cutting into the fullness of his upper lip. It looked old, but somehow she knew it wasn’t. She tightened her hand into a fist to prevent herself from reaching out and touching the puckered skin, running her finger along the rough ridge. She was a peace pixie. Others found comfort in her presence. She wanted to take away the pain she saw radiating from this wolf.

“See? Everything’s okay then.” She smiled and again she felt the brush of an animal against her.

“What are you?” he asked, his eyes narrowing. Had he felt that odd sensation?

“I’m a peace pixie.” Autumn braced herself for his disdain.

“Never heard of them.” Another complicated whirl left Autumn breathless and clinging to his shoulders for support.

“We’re, umm, kind of rare.” As in she was a fluke of nature. Instead of being mischievous and promiscuous like ninety-nine percent of all the other pixies, she spread happiness and cheer wherever she went.

Whatever. At times like this she really wanted to be more like her cousin Trixie. Would a little sprinkle of the sex-filled blue pixie dust bring this man to his knees? Have his hands gripping the soft roundness of her thighs, the low, husky voice ordering her to spread her legs as his fingers slipped through the wetness she felt clinging to her pussy lips? His tongue licking away her wetness?

“You will taste like the wind and the rain.”

“Oh, fuck,” she whispered when she realized the wolf had stopped dancing and was looking at her with raw desire. Had she somehow projected her thoughts?

“Such dirty language from such a prim and pretty mouth.” He gave her a another semblance of a smile. His scar would prevent him from ever having a true smile again. His lips pulled back to reveal his white teeth. His slightly elongated teeth as if his wolf was riding the surface.

In the next moment, his strong purposeful mouth claimed hers. His tongue swept across her bottom lip, licking and nibbling before pushing inside. It tangled with hers. He tasted so damn good. He tasted of whiskey and—darkness.

Her pixie senses started to buzz. She arched against him with aroused abandon. An all-encompassing heat consumed her and her body yielded completely to his.

Gunner broke off the kiss and groaned harshly against her mouth. “Your name. Tell me your name.”

“Autumn.”

Gunner didn’t know what was happening. He’d felt her before he’d seen her. Watching the auburn haired witch in Kade’s arms had almost driven him to commit mayhem. He didn’t miss the irony of the situation. It had been a member of Kade’s pack that had committed the atrocities that had led to Gunner’s wolf retreating. Seeing the other man’s hold on his mate had given his animal a reason to wake up and surge forward. Awaken to claim his mate.

His mate.

“Come.” He turned and pulled the pixie behind him. Or tried to. His plump little mate wasn’t cooperating. “Come.”

“Whoa, wolf boy.” Autumn jerked at the strong arm that pulled at her. Trying to stop him from moving was like trying to stop a runaway train. Autumn had very little experience dealing with men and even less dealing with male wolves. For all intents and purposes, it appeared as if he wanted to lead her out of the ballroom and up the stairs. But, there was no way this sexy wolf wanted to take her to his bed.

“No.” She tried to pry his fingers from around her wrist.

He finally stopped and turned his attention back to her. “Why?”

“Because you just want a night of pleasure.”

“And you don’t?”

She quickly shook her head.

Another half smile that made her pussy clench. He looked too certain she was lying. Feeling the warmth spreading throughout her body, her resolve weakened. Why did she have to be such a horny pixie?

He bent his head and nuzzled the side of her neck. If she didn’t know better, she would think he was trying to scent her. That’s what she’d seen other wolves do tonight and the other women had allowed it, anxious to see if any of the handsome wolves in attendance were indeed their mate.

He placed a kiss against the side of her neck and her eyes floated close.

“Come upstairs with me,” he whispered against her skin. “Let me taste you.”

She gave a full body shiver.

“Let me fuck you.”

Her fingers dug into his shoulders to keep from falling at the first long stroke of his tongue over her throat.

She didn’t answer, but did she really need to? Her panties were soaking wet. No doubt, the smell of her arousal had flooded the air around them. Her body was so primed and ready, he could have thrust inside her and she would have taken him easily.

He bent and picked her up. She kept her grip on his shoulders as he walked, fearing he would drop her. She figured it might at least prevent her from falling too fast. She laughed to herself. She’d already fallen. Fallen for the big, bad wolf.

His stride was smooth despite the heavy burden he carried. No ordinary man could have walked so quickly carrying her weight around. The man turned his head to look directly into her eyes. As with all wolves, his were a brown. Right now, his were the darkest she had ever seen. Fierce. And brooding.

“That will earn you a spanking.”

“What?” No way did he know what she’d just been thinking. Before had just been a lucky guess.

A grunt was his only response.

The look on the wolf’s face was unwavering. His eyes damned near glowed with lustful intent. He walked through the entryway and up the curving staircase. Each step was deliberate, as though he was holding onto his control by a thread. Another full body shiver went through her. Was she about to have the bad boy sex she’d always craved? Would he be demanding? Dominate.

Heavens, she hoped so.

Amber lost herself in the warmth of her mate’s embrace. She was still bemused by the events of the night so far. Fate had granted her Christmas wish and given her a mate. And not just any mate. A big, bad wolf who had already done delicious and dirty things to her in his bedroom upstairs. Cause, not only had fate given her a mate, she’d give her the alpha of the Barringer pack.

Not that that mattered. She knew Hayden loved her and that’s all that mattered. The small stringed orchestra was playing a mixture of carols and modern day Christmas songs. Hayden’s arms were strong bands of steel around her back. One big hand cupped the curve of her ass and she didn’t mind the possessive gesture one bit. In fact, she thought it was time they returned to his room for a little more mate marking.

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

Amber rousted herself enough to ask. “What?”

If possible, Hayden gathered her closer, his breath whispering against her ear. “I think Gunner has found a mate.”

“Really?” She didn’t know that much about his brothers…her face flooded with heat. Maybe she knew the brothers a little too well she thought remembering the scene in the bedroom earlier. She smiled at the memories, especially the punishment her mate had meted out to her. She did know Gunner was the middle Barringer brother and carried a dark stain on his soul. No one had to tell her that, it was evident in the aura that surrounded him.

“Yep. Looks like a pixie.”

That piped Amber’s interest and she raised her head from the comfortable place on Hayden’s shoulder. “Where?”

Hayden moved, turned her to face the wall near the entrance of the grand room. “Near the edge.” He couldn’t believe that his brother was actually dancing.

“Oh, my.”

“What?” He twirled her back around in order to see what was happening.

“He just picked her up and carried her out of the room.”

“That’s my brother.”

A large smile spread across Hayden’s handsome face and Amber found herself smiling back. “Well, I just hope she doesn’t succumb to the Barringer charm too quickly.”

Hayden continued to move them in slow, lazy circles around the room. “Now, why would you wish a stubborn mate on my brother? Isn’t one in the family enough?”