Deep Wolves (4 page)

His finger linger along my forehead and brushed my bangs to the side and behind my ear. As he looked down into my eyes, I found myself looking up at him and having trouble speaking.

“You’re the most beautiful being I’ve ever laid eyes upon. That makes me the luckiest person, man or beast. Simply because you are with me. I want everyone to know that I am yours and you are mine. I… I’m sorry if I embarrassed you.”

“You don’t have to apologize for that,” I started to blush. “You’re right. I… I shouldn’t care what anybody thinks. Who cares if they know we’re having sex?”

I reached out for him and he kissed me softly on the lips. I felt a tinge of him rush through my body. My withdrawal had been answered and the drug that Vaughn was returned to my being. I wrapped my arms around him once again and together we made our way to my apartment.

“So what was it that you were working on?” I asked him.

“It’s a surprise.”

“Surprise? Well, now I’m just going to keep bugging you until you tell me.”

“Patience, Ariel. You’ll see soon enough.”

“But—”

“Patience.”

This wasn’t like Vaughn at all. He never kept anything from me and he never went out of his way to do anything out of the ordinary. But I didn’t mind. I welcomed him acting out of character if it meant something special.

We got to my apartment and when I went to open the door, Vaughn stopped me.

“What are you doing?”

“Close your eyes, Ariel.”

“What?”

He looked at me and smiled. I smiled back at him then followed his instructions. With my eyes closed and my mind racing with curiosity, I listened to the sound of Vaughn opening my apartment door.

“Watch your step,” he said as he took one of my hands and led me inside.

Even with my eyes closed, I knew that there was something different in my apartment. I couldn’t see it but I could smell it. There was a sound coming from my kitchen that I couldn’t quite make out. I was growing more excited with each step, the smile on my face becoming more apparent.

“Now?” I asked him.

“Not yet…”

“
Vaughn
!”

I was practically begging to see what he was up to.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” I asked him.

“Maybe,” he whispered into my ear. “But is it really so bad to have your eyes closed for just a few moments longer?”

“I suppose…”

My words trailed off as I felt his lips trail along my neck. I sighed from his touch. The way he touched me always made me melt. My body vibrated with an energy that only he could bring. I could almost feel my flesh beginning to tingle as I felt him lean in closer to me.

“Now you can open your eyes.”

I sighed and started to blink. The smile disappeared and my mouth hung open as I saw what Vaughn had done. Every inch of my apartment was covered in flowers. My couch, my cabinets, the table. There were vases and bouquets covering every inch. Even the ground had red and purple rose petals upon it.

“This is amazing,” I smiled at him. “How long did this take you?”

“Longer than it should have, I’m afraid. I—”

“That’s why you were late.”

He nodded and I leaned in close to hug him.

“Nobody’s ever done anything like this for me before. You turned my dreary apartment into a… into a wondrous place.”

“I know that you enjoy the time we spend out in the forest. But I like being here with you, Ariel. I figured why not have both.”

“That makes sense.”

“So you like it?”

“I love it.”

I looked up at him and he pecked me softly upon the lips. I wasn’t expecting anything like this but I was pleasantly surprised. High off of the feeling of being with Vaughn, I walked through my apartment and gently placed my hands upon the flowers to see that they were real.

“Have a seat,” Vaughn said.

“There’s more?”

“Just a little bit.”

He winked at me and I took one of the few spots not covered with flowers on the couch. I grabbed a rose from the bouquet resting next to me and inhaled the sweet smell of the petals. Before I could appreciate the fragrance any longer, Vaughn returned and took a seat next to me with a plate in his hands.

“What is this?” I asked him.

“I thought I would make you something special, Ariel. So I made you a cake.”

“You baked?”

“I… I followed the recipe but it didn’t turn out exactly how it—”

“It doesn’t matter, Vaughn. I’m sure I’ll love it.”

I took the plate from him and poked at the spongy cake with my fork. There was a thick layer of frosting on it and the construction of the piece was something that a professional chef would be embarrassed to serve. Vaughn stared at me intently as I took a piece and ate it. The sweetness of the sugar overwhelmed my tongue and I grimaced a bit from the taste.

“How is it?”

“It’s… sweet.”

“I tasted some of the frosting. It’s really good.”

“Yeah, it is,” I chuckled. “There’s a lot of it on it…”

“So you do like it then?”

The sweet sugar lingered on my tongue and I smacked my mouth to try and remove it. When I looked at Vaughn, I couldn’t help but smile at him, knowing that he had done this for me.

“It’s the best piece of cake I’ve ever had.”

He poured a glass of wine for the both of us to share. I took a sip to wash the taste of the icing from my mouth.

Vaughn and I spent most of our time together late into the night. We slept in most mornings because we never had anything to do. Every now and then Vaughn would have to show up early in the morning for work but the lack of sleep didn’t hurt him. I liked it this way. There was a calmness in the night that wasn’t there at any other time of the day. I think it’s because of who he was. He was accustomed to the night. And I didn’t mind one bit.

“So what brought this on?” I asked him.

“What do you mean?”

“Why would you do something like this? It’s not our anniversary and today’s not a special occasion… is it?”

“I just wanted to do something special for you because… because I love you, Ariel. Do I need another reason?”

“No,” I blushed. “No, you don’t.”

We both relaxed on the couch and enjoyed the new surrounding of the flowers around us. I leaned in close to him and rested my head upon his chest. I breathed a deep sigh of relief, enjoying the peace I felt that only Vaughn could give me. But in my moment of silence, my thoughts began to wander. I remembered what happened at the bar that night. The uneasy feeling I had from watching the news and the strange man I saw returned to me. I wrapped my arms tight around Vaughn to try and forget about it but it wasn’t going away. I reluctantly opened my eyes and sighed as I pushed myself up and away from him.

“Is something wrong, Ariel?” he asked me.

“Vaughn… I want to ask you something.”

“Of course.”

“It’s about…” I swallowed and paused for a moment.

“Ariel, you can ask me anything. You don’t need to ask for my permission.”

“I know it’s just… I don’t want to ruin the mood you’ve created, that’s all.”

“Ariel…”

“Right,” I sighed. “It’s about… your clan.”

“…Yes?”

I knew that Vaughn would put up with anything I asked him even though this was a sore subject for him. I couldn’t imagine what he went through when he killed every member of his clan. He put his family to death. And he did it all for me.

“How large was your clan?”

“There were not many. But I don’t know the exact number.”

“And you were with all of them when they came to this city?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure? I mean, is there any chance that one or two of them went somewhere else?”

“They were all here, Ariel. And they all died here.”

I sighed, thinking if there was any possibility that one of them might have gone to New York and was responsible for the murders there.

“What about children?” I asked.

“Children?”

“Offspring. Did any of your clan breed with someone that you didn’t know about?”

“The entire clan was male, Ariel. Our queen was dead. We came here to seek a female. We came here to find you. If we had gone somewhere else, there would be other females to breed with but it could not have happened?”

“Why not?”

“Because the other clans would not allow it. Clans do not allow their females to so freely with breed with others.”

“But it
is
possible?”

“Possible. But the female would be labeled a traitor and the male a trespasser. They would surely be put to death. And I would be able to feel their presence. Ariel… Why are you asking this?”

“I…”

I wanted to tell him what I saw on the news. I wanted to tell him that I was suspicious of everything that was going on in New York.

Is it possible that what was happening here is happening there? Is there a member of his clan that Vaughn has possibly forgotten about?

When I looked at Vaughn, I could see the genuine concern on his face. I knew that I shouldn’t have brought something like this up.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. He goes out of his way and does the most romantic thing I’d ever seen and I go and kill the mood.

“Nothing,” I said. “It’s nothing. I was just curious if there was anybody else…”

“I am the last of my clan. I’m sure of it.”

“Vaughn—”

“Don’t pity me, Ariel. I’ve chosen my fate. I’ve chosen you. And given the same choice a million times until the end of time, it will always be you.”

The uneasiness I felt just moments ago was completely gone. It was a ridiculous thought. I had every reason to be happy. But like always, Vaughn knew exactly what he had to say. It was the same constant reminder I needed to know that there was nothing to worry about.

“What do you want, Vaughn?”

“Ariel?”

“You went to all this trouble for me. I can’t just fall asleep here in your arms like I usually do. Wait… You knew? That’s why you stopped by the pharmacy.”

“Was it that obvious?”

“You don’t have to turn my apartment into a forest if that’s all you want,” I grinned.

We laughed softly with one another. But the laughing ceased quickly as Vaughn eyed me as the only way he could. His eyes narrowed and the lust burning within him moved to me. I felt the feeling rush through my body. He wrapped his arms around me and enveloped me with a passionate kiss. I opened my mouth and took him into me, succumbing to the venom in his lips.

My mind started to go blank but before I lost myself completely, I whispered to Vaughn one last request.

“Not here. Take me away… Take me to where you want to have me.”

Vaughn didn’t need any further motivation. We stepped out of the apartment and I hopped onto his back, wrapping my arms and legs around him. He leapt into the night and toward the only spot in the world that was ours and ours alone.

Chapter 5

Vaughn hopped from rooftop to rooftop. His outline must have created an eerie silhouette upon the moon but only for a brief moment. If this was the first time I’d ever been with Vaughn, I might have been afraid but I quickly got used to it. It was one of the many benefits of being with a man who was capable of so much more.

Before wandering eyes in the city could wonder who or what it was bouncing on top of buildings, Vaughn and I quickly found the place deep within the forest I called our second home.

The moon and the stars were the only light we needed. Just as quickly as we had left, we had returned. The hooting of the owls among the trees let us know that we had a nocturnal audience for tonight.

Joined by a passionate kiss, I tugged Vaughn’s leather jacket off of him while he felt me up through my shirt. The feeling of his lips upon mine numbed my entire body. My eyes were shut tight as I lashed my tongue out at him. We pulled away from each other for only a moment so that he could take his shirt off completely. Lifting the garment up over his body, I was greeted with the physique that I had seen before but would never grow tired of.

Seeing Vaughn shirtless fueled the passion that was already an inferno inside of me. I couldn’t get my shirt off fast enough. Vaughn felt the same way. He leaned in close to me and began to lavish my breasts before I had a chance to get my bra off. His hands cupped me as I tilted my head back to bring him in even closer. I breathed a deep sigh of ecstasy from the feeling of his lips upon the soft flesh. He lowered my bra down just a bit and darted his tongue ever so softly at my nipples. He knew just how to please me.

Our intimate time together only got better because he was keen to every reaction I would make. Most men are only concerned with the obvious. They follow a natural progression that eventually leads to sex. But Vaughn wasn’t like most men. He was able to use his instincts and read my body. Every moan, every shudder, every touch was in response to what he did. Vaughn was able to make a distinction and find every spot on my body that drove me wild. Tonight was not an exception.

Vaughn’s appetite was endless. While he worked me over with his mouth, I reached behind my back unhooked my bra. I lowered my arms and the garment fell down at my feet, allowing Vaughn even better access. I wrapped my arms around the back of his head to bring him in even closer to me. My head was tilted toward the sky and my eyes were closed. I sighed another sigh from the feeling. My fingers ran through his long blond hair and guided him to all of the spots that turned me on so much.

My own instincts started to take control. My hands slid down his back and to the sides of his firm physique before eventually ending up on each side of his jeans. I tugged on them even though I knew that they were clinging to his muscular body. He pulled away from me and I looked deep into his eyes before he leaned back into me. He kissed me upon my lips and chin, trailing softly upon my cheek and whipping his tongue against my lips.

“In my pocket,” he whispered. “Back left.”

I reached into the pocket as instructed and pulled out the string of condoms he told everyone he had purchased. Not needing any further instruction, I pulled away from him and fell upon my knees. We worked together to unbuckle his belt. Every second was an eternity as we both tried to get to the prize waiting for me. I could see his length already firm and erect as it bulged along the side of his leg. How terrible it must have been for such a large thing to be restrained by the denim that was holding it captive.