Alpha Instinct: A Moon Shifter Novel (30 page)

Once Connor had gone, she checked on everyone else, then collapsed onto her old bed, where both her sisters and Vivian were already curled up and sleeping. It was a little crowded but she didn’t mind. Though she
was
lonely without Connor. More than she wanted to admit.

Her cousins had taken up her sisters’ rooms and the guest rooms. No one wanted to sleep in their homes tonight and she didn’t blame them. In the morning, once everyone knew what was going on, Ana figured things would return to normal and they’d all feel safer going home.

There was strength in numbers, and if she were honest with herself, she was thankful she had her sisters and cousins to support her while Connor was out patrolling.

Her lips still tingled from his kiss, and with that thought she allowed the blackness of sleep to take over.

Ana opened her eyes as the world shifted underneath her. She found Connor staring at her as he carried her down the stairs. “What are you doing?” she mumbled, and cuddled into his hard body. It was hard to think when he felt so good. So warm.

“It’s almost dawn. I just got back in.” His voice was a whisper.

She blinked a couple times as they neared their house. “You didn’t have to come get me.”

He grunted softly. “I don’t think I can sleep without you next to me, Ana.”

A pleasurable warmth spread through her until his words settled in.
Why does he say things like that when he can’t even talk to me?
She rubbed her eyes and stretched as he opened the door to their house. “You can put me down.”

He ignored her. Instead he walked to their room, pulled the comforter and sheet back from the bed and laid her gently against the pillow. “How are you feeling?”

“Almost as good as new.” She stretched out her legs and lifted her wounded arm to show him there was only a light scar. As if she’d been simply cut, not shot. It would fade by the end of the day. All she felt now was an uncomfortable soreness. Like she’d lifted weights or gone jogging without stretching.

“Good.” The word was a low growl as he reached for the button of her pants.

With slow and measured movements he pulled her black pants down her legs to reveal lacy black panties. Before Connor, she’d never thought much about her undergarments. She smiled when his eyes narrowed on the sheer scrap of material covering her. Then she wanted to curse herself for caring that he liked it.

“Lift your arms,” he commanded.

Instead of doing as he said, she crossed her arms over her chest. He leaned in close so that their noses were almost touching.

“Lift. Your. Arms.”

She wanted to balk at being ordered around but she was too tired to fight. And if she were honest, the dominating note in his voice turned her on. When she lifted her arms, Connor ran his hands up over her hips and snagged the hem of her sweater before lifting it over her head. She had to sit up a little so he could take it off before she fell back against the fluffy pillow. Ana started to close her eyes when Connor stripped off his own shirt.

When he was bared to her she sucked in an involuntary breath. Her original plan to work him out of her system was obviously not going to happen. Every time she saw him without clothes on she wondered if her attraction to him would ever get old. The tight lines and planes of his stomach tensed under her gaze.

Dipping lower, her eyes trailed down the V of his muscles. She swallowed hard as she looked at the bulge underneath his pants, but he didn’t make a move to remove them. Instead, he grasped the slim straps of her panties and dragged them down her legs. The feel of his fingers rolling against her skin sent another shiver through her. She felt so exposed in front of him. He hadn’t bothered with the lights, but the sun peeked through the windows, bathing the room in a soft orange glow.

“Spread your legs wider.” Again with that deep voice.

Her inner walls clenched and she did as he said. Whatever he had planned, she just wanted him to kiss and touch her. To wipe away everything that was going on. At least for a little while. Even though deep inside she feared he’d never open up to her the way she needed or possibly even leave again, right now she just wanted to feel.

Connor stared at the juncture between Ana’s spread legs and fought to breathe. He might have already had her but it would never be enough. And he hadn’t gotten to taste her the way he wanted yet. That was about to change.

He traced his finger up her slit but didn’t penetrate. She jerked under his touch, and the scent of arousal she emanated was almost intoxicating. It reminded him of how much he’d grown to need her in the past couple days and how he’d almost lost her.

Shame filled him at the way he’d brushed off her earlier attempts to get him to open up and then to comfort him. She’d reached out to him and he’d acted like an idiot. It was no excuse but he didn’t want her taking care of him; he wanted to take care of
her
. And the thought of opening up to her even on the most basic level terrified him. He’d been without a pack for so long and Taggart’s comment about his father not being able to protect his family’s pack had struck deeper than he’d imagined. Connor wanted to be strong for Ana all the time, and dwelling on the past or admitting he wasn’t good enough for her wouldn’t help either of them. He didn’t understand why she needed to talk about anything when they were so right for each other. Still, he hadn’t meant to hurt her.

Ana scooted down a couple inches, as if she were trying to force his hand. He bit back a smile at her impatience. Shifting positions, he moved so that he knelt between her legs.

Her scent wound around him as she spread her legs farther. Leaning down, he lightly kissed her inner thigh. She trembled under the contact and he didn’t bother to hide his groan. When he swept his tongue over her clit she fisted the sheets beneath her.

She was wet and obviously aroused and he wanted to push her over that edge. Seeing gratification on her face was a bigger turn-on than anything else she could do to him. Part of it was selfish, because it turned him on that
he’d
been the one to put that expression there. He dipped one finger inside her and was rewarded when she clenched around him.

“That feel good?” he murmured.

“Faster,” she breathed out in a familiar, demanding tone.

She didn’t have to tell him twice. Ana was too good for him, and the longer he was around her the more he realized it. It had been unfair to demand that she mate with him, and he couldn’t help but wonder if there was some part of him that had demanded it because her father had told him he wasn’t good enough for her. Hell, maybe the old man was right. What kind of man would place stipulations on his protection? When she arched her back, he focused on the here and now and her pleasure.

Ana’s inner walls tightened around Connor’s finger. When he smoothly slid another one inside her, she thought he understood her body better than she did. With a steady rhythm he moved them in and out of her, using just the right amount of pressure to drive her mad.

Though it wasn’t hot in the room she felt as if her temperature had risen a hundred degrees. What he was doing felt incredible but she wanted more.

Needed more.

Through heavy-lidded eyes she watched as Connor leaned down between her legs. Reaching between them, she grabbed on to his head and held tight as he swiped his tongue over her clit.

The abrupt action had her nearly vaulting off the bed. It was quick and erotic. Continuing the steady pace with his fingers, he began a new one with his tongue. He flicked and teased the sensitive bundle of nerves with such precision, her stomach muscles bunched as she prepared to climax. She was almost there. For some reason she couldn’t let go of her control.

She knew he wanted her physically but there was so much more she wanted from him. It became clearer to her every second they spent together. She needed to hear him say how much she meant to him.
What
she meant to him. If anything. But he still said nothing. Her idea to get him out of her system had been stupid. She could see that now. She’d let him into her body and life, and if things didn’t change between them or, worse, if he left again, it was going to rip her apart.

She closed her eyes and tried to block out those thoughts. After tonight she had to lay down some ground rules for herself. But right now none of that mattered.

She was so close to orgasm, it made her tense everywhere. Her inner muscles fluttered around his fingers with each languid stroke. She just needed to clear her head and let go.

“Touch yourself,” he murmured between kisses.

A shiver rolled over her at his commanding tone. She could definitely do that. When he shifted his position to watch her cup her breasts, the fire in his eyes nearly melted her.

The heat coming off him was potent and all consuming, and she loved watching the changing emotions play out in his eyes.

Slowly she strummed her nipples, not only to pleasure herself but to tease him. She liked it when he was as hot and bothered as she was. Right now the look in his eyes told her he definitely was.

“Pretend it’s me touching you,” he managed to rasp out.

She couldn’t hide the small smile at the unsteadiness of his words. As she imagined his fingers and mouth teasing her breasts, he increased his movements. She let out a moan and arched her back slightly as she closed her eyes. Right now was all about the pleasure he was giving her. Everything else faded away.

When he lightly tugged on her clit with his teeth, she jerked at the abruptness but was finally able to let go. Her thighs tightened around his head as her orgasm tore through her with a wildness she hadn’t expected.

Using one hand to push back her thigh, he continued rolling his tongue over the sensitive area until she clutched his head, silently begging him to stop. After her climax crested, the extra stimulation was making her weak everywhere.

“Connor.” She pulled at him, trying to tug him upward. Her voice was ragged, unsteady.

Leaving his two fingers still buried inside her, he met her mouth with his. Hungrily he ate at her. As they kissed, her inner walls tightened around his fingers once again as another, lighter, tremor curled through her.

Finally she tore her head back to breathe. “Thank you,” she murmured.

He dropped a trail of kisses along her jaw and shoulder as he slipped into bed behind her. He pulled her tight against his back, but when he didn’t make a move to take off his pants, she frowned.

She shifted her behind against his covered erection. “What about you?”

“Just go to sleep,” he whispered against her hair.

“But—”

“Shh. I know you’re still sore from your accident and I want this to be only about you. Let me give this to you.”

She opened her mouth once, then shut it. If she wanted him to give more to her, she knew she needed to give something too. She could let him take care of her as long as he let her do the same for him.

When he tightened his grip around her, she shut her eyes and sank deeper against him. Later she could worry about the future and the problems facing their pack, but for now she savored his strong embrace.

Ana opened her eyes and frowned at the haziness surrounding her. It was as if she were looking at a fuzzy photograph. She rubbed her eyes and looked around but nothing changed. The edges of her vision were covered in dark shadows. Alarm jumped inside her when she realized she was in the woods.

And naked.

Strange, she didn’t feel the cold, though there was a light layer of snow on the ground. Heavier than the last time she was outside. Even with her high body temperature she should still feel the air rushing over her bare skin. When had it snowed so much? Her feet should be tingling from the icy ground. Or at least feeling something.

Why am I naked?
She wrapped her arms around herself to cover her chest and started walking.

She remembered going to bed with Connor after he’d given her an intense orgasm. Warmth spread through her at the thought of how much time he’d spent between her legs.

Right now she needed to figure out how the hell she’d ended up here and how to get back to him.

She recognized the woods as her own so at least she wasn’t lost. She was right in the thick cluster of trees close to the main house.

As she started walking, a mangy, feral gray wolf appeared out of the woods. He was coming right for her. She tensed but he didn’t even see her.

Just kept walking. His red eyes glowed fiercely and his fur was dirty, matted and falling off in places. But he brushed by her without a glance in her direction. She shivered and ducked behind a tree, even though he didn’t seem to be aware of her existence.

Careful of any protruding sticks or branches, she hurried through the woods until she came to the clearing.

There was a sea of dead and feral wolves. She clutched her stomach as bile rose inside her. The mangy feral wolves didn’t seem to be actually seeing anything. They blindly walked among the dead wolves.

As she walked toward the lifeless animals she heard a female cry out. Turning back toward the woods she watched as Carmen clutched her neck and collapsed onto the ground.

Ana started running but she didn’t make any progress. “Carmen!” Her heart pounded wildly as she tried to move. She needed to reach her sister. Her legs were like lead.

Suddenly the cold ripped through her and her body became violently aware of the elements. Her sister convulsed on the ground and started foaming at the mouth.

“Carmen!” she screamed again, but it came out as a whisper.

Tears streamed down her face as she tried to reach her. Her sister’s body stilled and Ana cried out in anguish. Why couldn’t she get to her?

A warm hand gripped her forearm and everything around her dissipated as if it had never been there. She now stood on the front porch of her house, fully clothed. Matt was there with a grim expression on his face.