Brindle (2 page)

He lets out a sigh that makes me think he’s sad, too, but then he strokes my cheek, and I shudder. “Lead the way.”

My dorm is less than a quarter mile from the student union, and our feet move quickly along the pavement. “How did you find me?”

Brindle hikes his bag up higher on his shoulder. “I drove to campus and followed my nose.”

A breeze blows by us, and I detect the odor of butter and onions from the cafeteria. I glance over at him and find him grinning. “Really?”

“Can’t you smell me?”

There’s no mistaking my mate’s scent, and it definitely calls to me from a distance. I inhale and sigh at the pleasurable smell of Brindle. “Yes. But I’m not sure I would rely on it to find you.”

“That’s because I’m not in heat. If I was, you’d know when I was within a mile of you.”

He leans down and sniffs my neck before his tongue flicks out. The roughness sends a jolt through me that threatens to be the final straw, and I hiss, “Mother of all things holy. Stop that.”

“You’re a live wire, aren’t you?” He shows me a mouth full of teeth with his grin.

I fumble for the key to my dorm. “Yes.”

My hand is shaking as I try to unlock the door, and Brindle chuckles. I snap at him. “This isn’t funny.”

“Sorry.” He walks toward the elevator.

Bad idea. The image of me tearing off his clothes to get what I need is strong, and I don’t think I could handle being in an enclosed space with him right now. I turn to the right. “Stairs. They’re faster.”

I jog up, and I’m panting by the time we get to my door. Brindle grabs my keys to let us in as I pull off my jacket and unbutton my pants. Once we’re inside, I reach behind his head and yank him down to kiss him with a fierceness that bruises both of us.

His mouth tastes like coffee, sugar, and the wolf I desire the way an alcoholic craves a drink. Somehow, we’re both removing clothing as we try to satiate my thirst. I wrap my hand around his cock and am about to guide it into me when I remember birth control. “Condom.”

Brindle releases me and squats down to his bag on the floor to rummage in the pocket. I reach down to my wet folds and finger myself, hoping to release some of the pressure. I beg, “Sweet Jesus, hurry up.”

I glance down at him, and he looks as though he’s about to pounce. Our gazes lock, and my name rumbles low from his throat as he almost growls. In an instant, my thigh is lifted up in the air, and Brindle thrusts into me with enough force that I fall back against the door. I relish the pounding. My orgasm is moments away, and it practically breaks out of me as I scream.

I’m blinded by my pleasure and barely register that Brindle came, too. With legs like jelly, I slither down to the floor, and he lies down next to me and asks, “Help?”

While my climax was wonderful, my ache for sex hasn’t faded. “No.” I squeeze my eyes shut. “What’s wrong with me? I can hardly move from that, but I feel as if you left me hanging.”

“It’s the condom.”

“No.” But I remember when I was getting ready to be turned, Brindle’s older brother, Bern, explained mating season to us. He said the point was to create future werewolves. It makes sense a condom wouldn’t work, because it blocks semen from reaching its target.

I reach down and remove the prophylactic from Brindle as I say, “Bareback it is.”

I’m too focused on my need to do anything but toss the condom aside and climb on my mate. He’s not quite firm, so I slither my juices over his cock until he’s hard enough to enter me.

I feel my wolf strain to get out, and a low growl escapes from my throat when I fill myself with Brindle. He grips my ample hips and says, “That’s it. Give it to me, baby.”

His fingers dig into my flesh as if he’s hanging on for the ride, and I give him all I’ve got as he continues words of encouragement. I throw my head back and lose myself in my supernatural power. Ancient howls sound in my head like the wind, and every nerve of me is on fire, ready to explode.

The quake starts in the base of my belly and spreads through my abdomen. I’m close, but I need Brindle’s hot seed to complete me. I say, “Tell me you’re almost there.”

“Let go, Katie.” He moans and jerks up into me as I fall into the depths of my bliss. It seems to go on forever.

I collapse on top of the slick skin of my spent mate. “How about now?” he asks.

“Uh-huh.”

“Can you move?” His fingers comb through my hair as he moves it off my face.

I speak into his neck. “Nope.”

“Damn, I’m good.”

Brindle moves to sit up, but I don’t slide off him. He chuckles and lifts me into his arms. “Let’s try this again in the bed.”

I inhale the salty musk of us as he moves and let out a small noise of contentment. My mate’s strong hands lower me gently onto the mattress. The soft cotton of my quilt is cool under me, but I’m not even close to cold. The warmth of being in heat is radiating off my skin, and when Brindle lets go, I whimper for his touch.

He crawls over my prone body and lowers his mouth to my ear to whisper, “You can’t live without me, can you?”

I speak in the same volume. “No. Touch me.”

“Baby, I could never resist those curves.” He kisses his way slowly down my breast and nips the peak, making me quiver in anticipation of more. “This time, we’ll take it slow, Katie. I’m going to show you why you’re mine.”

A
s much as I need sex with Brindle, I know it’s a bad idea. I slump down against the painted concrete wall to the vinyl floor of the hallway. I’m guarding the bathroom in my all-girls dorm so he can shower. The smell of our musk wafts up from my bathrobe, and my insides twinge. I wonder if I could convince him to stay for the next seven weeks, because I want to do him again even though we barely got any sleep last night, and I’m sore as hell.

I raise my head to the snap of flip-flops and see Jen coming my way. The shower squeaks as the water stops running, and I nod my head in the direction of the doorway. “Boyfriend from home. He’ll be out soon.”

Jen swings her bucket of toiletries and grins. “That’s why you’re so antisocial. Must be love.”

I shrug because I don’t really want to get into what we really are.

The clean scent of soap can’t hide the musk of Brindle from me when he exits the bathroom. As I stand, I notice he’s wearing a towel slung low on his waist, and that sexy
V
of his incredible body is on display. Jen doesn’t hide her perusal of him and gives me a conspiratorial wink. “I wouldn’t go out either if I had him.”

Brindle grins and curls a finger into the opening of my robe to yank me against his naked chest and wrap his arm around my waist. I place my hand on his firm pecs, and the heat sears my palm as he says, “We don’t go out because she keeps me chained to the bed as a sex slave.”

I decide to play along, sort of. “Now there’s a thought.” And just to get Jen fueling the gossip mill with something more fun than what a loser I am, I add, “The handcuffs are in the bottom drawer. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

I’m rewarded with Brindle’s baritone laugh as I turn away to enter the bathroom.

When I return to my room, the metallic clunk of the door sounds when I shut it. Brindle comes up behind me and places his hands on my hips. The lock clicks, and I turn to lean back against the cold metal. He’s naked and aroused when he asks, “Boyfriend?”

“It was the easiest thing to say. Would you rather I said friends with benefits?”

“Admit it, you still love me.”

I push against his rock-hard torso, and he steps back. “Like I have a choice. Look, I really appreciate you helping me out with my problem, but this doesn’t mean we’re back together.”

Brindle frowns slightly before his face relaxes, and he reaches for the tie on my robe to pull gently and release it. “Friends with benefits works.”

I wonder what this is costing him, and my stomach clenches with my guilt. I let the terrycloth garment fall open, and a flush of heat envelops my body as I shrug it off and nod. So much for being satiated.

***

I
’m supposed to be at class, but our morning romp lasted longer than I expected, and we’re lounging in my bed. My body is warm with a feeling similar to the afterglow from eating a good meal. Brindle is leaning up on his elbow, and I reach up to move a lock of hair out of his eyes. “I like it longer. You’ve got a Chris Hemsworth thing happening here.”

He puffs his chest out a little. “So you’re saying I’m hot?”

I grin. “Yes, you’re hot. You always have been.”

Brindle traces the edge of my face. “And you’re still the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. We’re really good together, Katie.”

Sexually, yes. But being trapped in Winter Valley for the rest of my life scares the hell out of me. At first, I was honored to help the pack have children. I know Brindle was obligated to find a human mate, and choosing me was a big deal because he gets only one in his lifetime. But once I changed into a werewolf and realized what I had done, I couldn’t get away fast enough. I wanted to return to normal.
How’s that working out for you, Katie?
Not so well, unfortunately.

I don’t let anyone get close to me in case I shift by accident. I should have learned to control it when I was first changed, but one time was enough for me to know I never want to be a wolf again. That little problem rules out drinking and being in situations that could go wrong in an instant, like the frat parties everyone flocks to on weekend nights.

Being pegged as a loner seemed like a good idea last fall. But now, it’s depressing. “Brindle, I...”

He sits up. “No pressure. I know you’re not coming home.” He climbs out of bed, and I watch his fabulous butt flex as he walks across the room to his bag. “Now that we’ve solved your problem, I should get out of here and let you get back to your life.”

I shiver a little without his heat next to me. “Just like that?”

“Just like that.” He zips up his jeans and thrusts his crotch at me. His eyes twinkle as he says, “Same time next year?”

I look closely but don’t think he’s masking his pain. Sweet baby Jesus, he’s taking this well. Too well. I wrap my arms around myself to cover my naked breasts. “Sure. Maybe I’ll see you around when I’m home this summer.”

“Yeah, that would be fun.” Brindle is finished getting dressed and slings his backpack over one shoulder. He pauses at the door with his hand on the knob. “Take care, Katie.”

“You, too. Thanks.” I watch him walk out, and it’s as if a piece of my heart goes with him. I want to cry out, “Wait! Don’t leave me all alone.” Instead, I tear up and hate myself for not being able to give Brindle what he deserves.

I climb out of bed and find a pair of yoga pants and a long-sleeve T to wear. Economics class is in less than an hour. I should probably shower, but I want to keep Brindle with me a little while longer. I glance at the unused box of condoms on my nightstand, and my stomach sinks. I may have a piece of him with me for the next nine months.

B
eing stubborn has its advantages and disadvantages. Today it’s a disadvantage, because I would love to just pack up my car and drive home instead of finishing my semester. Once Brindle left me, I poured myself into my studies in an effort to pass my classes. And to keep my mind off the aching need to be near him again.

I plop my backpack down with a thud on the floor next to my carrel. Exams start tomorrow, and I need to do well. I’ve chosen the quiet third floor where only the serious studier goes, and students sigh in exasperation at the noise I made. Jen pokes her head out of a cubicle in annoyance, but when she notices it’s me, she smiles. Apparently, I’ve become cool because I have a sexy boyfriend back home. Not that my social life has picked up much, but the girls from my floor do sit with me at meals now.

My mind wanders to Brindle, and I reach down to my bag. The zipper hums softly as I open it, and my fingers find the slick plastic case of my cell phone. Still no reply from him. I texted yesterday telling him I’d be home in a week and wanted to get together. Last night, I convinced myself his phone was dead and that’s why he didn’t answer, but this morning, I’m not so sure. I’m worried he might have moved on.

Two months ago, that’s what I wanted. But ever since he came to visit, I can’t get him out of my mind. I’m ready to face my indisputable love for him and hope we can come up with a plan. Because the empty feeling I have is almost as bad as my insatiable need for sex during heat. My throat tightens at the idea of Brindle with someone else, and I blink back tears in an effort to calm myself.

Just get through finals, Katie.
I set my phone down next to my laptop so I can see a text the moment it comes in. One finally does, but it’s from my high school best friend, Devon. She was the perky blond cheerleader while I was the nerd, and I’m grateful for her loyalty. We shared just about everything with each other, but our relationship took a hit when I discovered Brindle was a werewolf and decided to become one, too. It was a secret I couldn’t share.

But she was right there for me when Brindle and I broke up last summer, and while she didn’t know what was really happening, she helped me get back on my emotional feet so I could take off for college.

I open her text to a quick video that makes me laugh. She blows me a kiss and says,
“Can’t wait to see you!”

Devon stayed home and went to beauty school. Now she’s opened her own hair salon, and my fingers tap lightly when I reply,
“Do I get to see your new shop?

“Of course. Want highlights?”

Her text makes me smile. She was always doing something to my hair and giving me makeup tips. I have no doubt a couple hours with Devon will rejuvenate more than my appearance.

“Yes. I’ll call when I get home.”

Devon replies with happy emoticons.

I manage to get a good afternoon’s worth of studying in, and I’m at dinner when Brindle finally replies. Swallowing my bite of pasta, I frown at his one-word answer.
“Sure.”

“Trouble in paradise?” asks Jen.

When the conversation at the table goes quiet, I realize she’s talking to me. “What? Oh.” I shake my head. “Brindle’s not one for words. He confuses me.”