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yearned for his primal bite now and I would offer my flesh freely to my mate.

Riley’s sensual lips parted to speak. I awaited his answer, my sapphire eyes gazing

anxiously into his wild amber.

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I've never wanted anyone so badly in my life. A lustful haze clouded my mind with

Riley's body on top of me. His erection nestled between my legs and I didn't want it to move. I

had trapped this wolf right where I wanted him. My legs formed a lock around his waist and I

refused to let him go until he ended this torturous teasing. For someone who claimed to be a

virgin, Riley was a master seducer. He had trapped me as well and I succumbed to his spell. A

sensuous poison laced his kisses and I craved more of his lips. Before he could speak, I sucked

his bottom lip into my mouth. It was plump and perfect for nibbling.

"Mmmm...well, do you have a condom?" I could easily get drunk off this delicious

British wine called Riley. "Please tell me you snuck at least one in your bag while I wasn't

looking."

He removed his hand from my pussy and I groaned in frustration. I noticed a crinkle

between his brows as he bit his bottom lip, now slightly puffy from my assault.

"Um..." My breath hitched in anticipation. "I don't have condoms, but---" I released my breath in a huff and punched the bed with my uninjured arm. I knew he could read the annoyance

on my face. "Even if I did, I don't want to make love to you yet."

My eyes widened in shock, but they quickly narrowed. "So, you're teasing me?"

"I want you to be a member of the pack."

That still doesn't answer my question
.

He tried to remove himself from on top of me, but my legs held him tight. He gave me a

questioning look, but I ignored his request. I was hot, horny, and wasn't suffering any longer.

This time I slipped
my
hand between our bodies and grabbed his cock.

"Gimme this."

Riley's body twitched and he yelped in surprise. "Paige, listen to me."

I shook my head. "Uh-uh. Sex now, talk later."

I stroked his cock firmly in my fist, pushing his foreskin back to reveal a moist tip. He

closed his eyes and released a ragged breath. His cock felt amazing---hard and slick, ideal for

giving me a good pounding deep into the mattress until I can't see straight. I tried to use my right

hand to push my panties aside, but a sharp pain shot through my bandaged arm.

"I want to do it right," he said, his voice serious.

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Damn you and your noble intentions
.

Reluctantly, I unwrapped my legs from around his torso and released him from my trap.

It was harder to let go of his manhood, but eventually I had to give it back.

He moved to lie next to me, propping his head on one arm. He gave me a wary look, his

eyes now back to their human green.

Annoyed, I sucked my teeth before I sighed heavily. "I understand." He grinned and

pecked my lips. "But just because I understand, doesn't mean I like it."

He chuckled. "I know. Believe me, I want to shag you so badly right now."

I looked down at his erection. "I can see that," I said with a smile.

"If we mate now, I know I'll bite you."

I swallowed hard. "What?"

"Mark you, remember?"

I sighed in relief. "Oh."

"When we make love, biting our mate is instinctual and hard to control."

"I thought you said you never had sex. How do you know you couldn't control the urge to

bite me?"

"Because I..." He paused and turned his head away. He spoke so softly, I could barely

hear him. "I've wanked before, okay? And every time I do, I bite something...usually my arm."

My brain produced a mental image, and I busted out laughing. I didn't mean to laugh, but

I was powerless to contain it.

He quickly diverted the subject of his masturbation habits by saying, "If my father sees

you're already marked before he inducts you into the pack, he won't let you in and it'll ruin

everything." He sighed. "I don't want to muck this up."

I was still determined to have sex with him, so my mind scrambled to find a loophole.

"How would he know I was marked? Wouldn't he have to see the bite mark on my body? What if

you bite me in a place where he won't see it?"

He shook his head. "I don't want to risk it. I don't trust myself and I know I'll bite you

where he would be able to see it."

I gave him a sly smile. "What if I wear a turtleneck?"

He laughed. "You
can't
wear a turtleneck. You'll be wearing a ceremonial robe like

everyone else."

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As we looked at each other, I had to admit defeat. Part of me wanted to scream because

he left me unsatisfied. The other part wanted to climb on top of him and shove his cock inside

me...to hell with a condom. Instead, I respected his decision and turned my head to stare at the

ceiling.

"I guess we should go back to sleep." His fingers grasped my chin and turned my head

toward him. He tried to kiss me, but I pulled away. "No, Riley. Your kiss is torture, don't you

know that?"

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I don't want you to be upset."

I sighed again. "I'm fine. Let's forget about it and go to sleep." I turned on my side away

from him and shut my eyes. As a precaution, I warned, "No spooning. Keep your tempting cock

away from me until after I'm inducted into the pack." He chuckled. "If you don't, I won't be responsible for what I do with it." This time I made him laugh and I couldn't keep the smile off

my face.

I felt him move, and then heard his voice above me. "Paige, would you..." Opening my

eyes, I turned on my back and saw him sitting next to me. He leaned his head down, but most of

his face remained hidden in shadow so I couldn't see his expression. "Would you ever..." I didn't need to see his expression to know he was nervous about asking me something.

"Huh?"

He paused and ran a hand through his hair. "Would you ever...make love to me...when

I'm a wolf?"

His question caught me off-guard. Uneasiness followed at the thought of partaking in

bestiality. "Um..." I fought the urge to turn back around and feign sleep. "I'm afraid to do that," I replied honestly.

"I would never hurt you."

"Maybe not intentionally, but remember, you have sharp teeth and nails." I swallowed

nervously. "And uh, doesn't your penis look different when you're a wolf?" A mental image of making love to his wolf form entered my mind and I shuddered involuntarily.

"Yes, because it's made for a she-wolf, but that doesn't mean it won't fit you."

I gaped at him. Suddenly, he took my hand and entwined our fingers. He hovered over

me and I inhaled deeply to take in his scent. He smelled so good, and I wanted him on top of me

again. With my free hand, I caressed his arm and shoulder, down to his chest.

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"Do you love me?" He asked quietly in the darkness.

I surprised myself when I didn't hesitate to answer. "Yes."

He sprawled beside me, but never released my hand. Then he moved his head closer to

mine until I felt his hair tickle my forehead.

"Say the words," he whispered, one of his fingers trailing down my cheek.

I smiled because I knew he could see it. "I love you, Riley."

"Do you love both parts of me…the human and the wolf?"

"Yes."

His other hand smoothed my hair. "What if I could never be human again? Would you

still love me?"

"Yes," I answered in a hushed voice. The thought of him never being human again

frightened me.

"Would you still make love to me?"

This time I was afraid to answer. Seconds ticked by, but no words would come forth from

my lips.

I guess my unresponsiveness worried him because then he said, "Paige, what you're

looking at is just a physical representation of what I'd look like if I was human. It's a tangible

illusion. I can appear, act, and speak like a human, but I’m
not
one. I was born a wolf pup, not a baby. I had to learn how to take my human form and control my shifting."

I sighed because I couldn't consider the idea of making love to an animal. "I feel more

comfortable being intimate with you when you look this way. I'm used to making love to
men
."

"But what if I couldn't be this way?"

I didn't know where Riley was going with this line of questioning, or what made him

think about it. For some reason, the idea of never being human worried him. I took a moment to

consider the possibility of what he was saying, and that's when I realized my true feelings for

him.

"If I didn't have a choice...then yes, I would still make love to you. I love
you
regardless of your physical form and I would never reject you. I don't just love
human
Riley. I love
wolf
Riley too." He kissed my hand, and I smiled again. "But let's take it slowly, okay? I need time to get used to being intimate with you when you're a wolf."

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He placed a tender kiss on my lips. "I understand." I reached up to sift his hair through

my fingers. He still held the hand on my injured arm, but lifted it gently. "Does it hurt?"

"Yes," I admitted quietly. I'll also admit the lust I felt earlier numbed the pain.

"I can see the bandage needs to be changed. Stay right here, I'll get the first-aid kit.

Remember, I'm taking you to see the doctor in the morning."

I preferred him as my doctor, but agreed with him anyway. "Okay."

"Do you want me to get you some pain medicine?"

"From where?"

"Back at the trailer. It won't take me long to get it."

I held him close. "But I don't want you to leave."

"I'll be back before you can miss me," he said softly. "You know I'm telling the truth." I laughed lightly. "I'm really fast."

"Okay, but hurry back." I released him from my embrace and he moved quickly off the

bed. "Run like the wind."

In seconds, he flashed into wolf and jumped out of an opened window.

True to his word, Riley returned minutes later, but entered through the bedroom door. He

brought the first-aid kit from downstairs, along with the stinky herbal medicine from his family's

trailer. He changed my bandage, but surprised me with the method in which he administered the

medicine.

"Just chew up the herbs and wash them down with this."

He held out a glass of water. I stared at him in disbelief, but he never moved the glass.

The herbs tasted like dirt and smelled of rotten eggs. I held my breath while I chewed them to

keep from gagging. Luckily, the medicine knocked me out cold within minutes and I slept

peacefully throughout the rest of the night.

I awakened to the sound of chirping birds and found myself alone in bed again. I sat up

and called out to Riley, but he didn't answer. The pain in my arm returned and I wondered if

Celia's Explorer was still outside. I decided to see the doctor myself and hoped to receive pain

medicine in pill form.

After I showered and dressed, I went downstairs to leave, but saw a black SUV parked in

front of the cabin. I halted my steps before cautiously approaching the window. A Cadillac

Escalade beamed in the sunlight with its large chrome wheels.

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I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard a knock on the front door. I looked through

the peephole and gasped in surprise because I didn't expect to see Dominic on the other side.

I opened the door and his lips spread into a wide smile. "Hey Paige, I'm glad I caught you.

I didn't think you were home." I looked at him with wide eyes because I couldn't believe he was

standing on my porch. An awkward silence crept between us and his eyes darted around, his

expression unsure. "You're probably wondering why I'm here."

"Yes, I am. How did you know I lived here?"

He smiled charmingly. "The same way I found out your name. You're the talk of the town,

darling."

I looked past him and noticed the Explorer was gone. I had to assume Riley had taken it,

which meant he left me stranded here.

"I was going to see the sheriff and ask to be a member of the pack again. I could use

some support."

I wasn't sure I could give him support, but saw him as my ticket into town. I smiled back