Secret Worlds (349 page)

From that day forward, whenever we have blood work done, they always tell us it’s been tainted with feline DNA. I just wonder when that tiger is going to come out. I’m hoping it won’t make an appearance, but I know that’s just wishful thinking.

I stared at the sun-drenched ocean, the light dancing on the waves captured my attention, and I wondered how I got to this wonderful station in life and why I was so lucky.

Naomi’s hand covered mine and I smiled, moving my attention away from the waves.

Some other things have changed for the better, too, and I glanced at two of my closest friends. One has known me since she was born, and I couldn’t have picked a better man for her.

Valerie smiled at me like she knew what I was thinking. She ran her hand down CJ’s arm and laced her fingers with his.

He turned toward her, returning her grin before his gaze dropped to her oversized belly. CJ leaned forward, planting a kiss on the swollen skin under her beach dress.

“How you feeling?” he asked.

“Good, considering I’m overdue,” she said. “I swear this boy just doesn’t want to come out.”

Tom and Raven chuckled, turning toward the squealing laugh of their three-year-old daughter. Hannah approached, her tiny hands grasping one of Steve’s and Jennifer’s. She planted her feet and then jumped, letting Steve and Jennifer swing her forward. Her giggle tickled all of us and we exchanged glances before returning our gaze to the wild redhead. She broke free and ran to our three kids, sliding to a stop and dropping into the sand next to them.

Steve and Jennifer approached, dropping into the vacant seats nearest the kids.

“She’s a handful,” Steve smiled.

Tom returned his smile, nodding and signing a simple, “Yes.”

“Have you settled on a name yet?” Naomi asked, her eyes locked on our children building a sand castle a few feet away.

“Ty,” Valerie said, pulling our gazes to her. “Ty Alexander Ryan.”

I smiled, scanning the horizon, wondering if Ty was finally at peace in heaven.

Grace stood and crossed to me, taking my hand and meeting my gaze.

“He is, Daddy,” she said, patting my hand, leaving tiny traces of sand with each pat.

A chill drifted over all of us and I traded a glance with CJ. He could read me better than anyone here and he raised his beer in response. Grace seemed to have a line straight to heaven, one that even a trinity of angelic grace didn’t have. I gave her a soft smile, staring into those dazzling big blue eyes and ran my finger down her nose, tapping the end of it lightly.

“Thank you, Grace,” I said and wondered just where her celestial knowledge ended. Her level of comprehension never ceased to amaze me and her insight was always frighteningly accurate, even at five.

“You’re welcome, Daddy,” she said and turned, skipping back to the sandcastle.

I knew someday I’d have to worry about Grace, but today wasn’t that day.

The End

CJ Ryan is cursed with the power of the gods, and now he’s on the Devil’s hit list.

http://www.amazon.com/Ryan-Chronicles-Trilogy-J-E-Taylor-ebook/dp/B00N078SEA/

J.E. Taylor is an author, a publisher, an editor, a manuscript formatter, a mother, a wife, a cube grunt, and a Supernatural fanatic. To her, there is no such thing as down time.

She sat down to write her first novel in February of 2007 after her daughter asked:

“Mom, if you could do anything, what would you do?”

From that moment on, she hasn’t looked back.

She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children and during the summer months enjoys her weekends on the shore in southern Maine.

Visit her at
http://www.jetaylor75.com

Long pajama pants, a sweat shirt, fuzzy socks, and still I felt frozen. I’d been here a couple of months but still hadn’t gotten used to the cold. Boston was an arctic tundra compared to Las Vegas and that blistering desert I’d come from. I’d be warm soon enough, though. Aiden was due back at any moment. That man was hot! Wolves have more than just good looks working for them. They run a few degrees warmer than us humans. And I needed that heat. The thought of him snuggling up next to me, fur coat or not, was enough to keep the icicles at bay for the moment, but I was still cold.

Teeth chattering, I pulled the thick feather comforter up to my chest and snuggled into the fluffy, king-sized down pillows. I doubted I would ever get used to the winter. But, if I wanted to stay with Aiden, I’d have to. As the future Alpha of the Olde Town Pack, he was a Boston boy for life. That also meant I would have to make some life changing decisions.

The thought of that wiped the smile from my face.

Aiden was my love, and I knew he loved me for who and what I was—human. But the pack … they wouldn’t accept a human as their Alpha Female.

I buried my head under the blanket as if it would shield me. I’d been avoiding facing the inevitable, but a decision had to be made … soon.

The bedroom door opened with a slight creak.

“Fallon, babe. You still awake?” Aiden called out in a whisper.

Perfect timing!
A thrill of excitement ran through me. “Yeah. Come cuddle. I need to steal your warmth, I’m freezing over here.”

He gave me a quick sidelong glance then looked at the wall. “It helps if you turn on the heater.”

“There’s a heater in here? Why didn’t you tell me?” I felt a little embarrassed for not thinking of something so simple; but in my defense, I hadn’t lived at the sanctuary long.

“Yeah.” He tapped a finger on the thermostat mounted to the wall. “Looks like Brady is up to his old games. The thermostat is off.” He clicked the switch, walked inside, and shut the door.

Instantly, I heard the fans kick on. Warmth rose to my cheeks, but it wasn’t from the heater.

“That bastard!” I said, angrier at myself for falling for another one of his tricks than anything else.

Aiden didn’t bother to hide his snicker. “He is who he is. But you probably should have checked the thermostat instead of turning our bed into an igloo.”

“That would have been the smart thing to do. But then I couldn’t have hot Eskimo sex with you.”

Without another word, Aiden tore off his clothes and dove into bed, under the covers. Snaking his arm around my waist, he pulled me in close and nuzzled my neck. My body began to warm, melting against his. Aiden’s chin stubble scratched a little but not so much that it hurt. Besides, I loved a little rough touch from my man. His thick scent, fresh from the hunt, filled my nose. There’s something about that heady odor of patchouli and cologne mixed with a little sweat that sends my heart racing.

Oh, yeah. This is my happy place
. Safe in Aiden’s arms, I felt like the world could go to hell and I’d still be okay.
This is love, right?

Twenty-six years old and I’d never really been in love. Sad to say, I know. But love had never been a high priority on my list. School, family, friends, sure … but men had been merely blips in the radar. They were temporary distractions; fun little bumps along the road of life. With Aiden, it was different. He made me want to stop bumping along the road and find my home, with him.

“How was the hunt?” I scooted closer, reveling in his delicious warmth.

“The new recruits were naturals.” Pride filled his voice. “You should have seen them. Everyone transitioned this time, and they’re all acclimating well.”

“That’s wonderful news.”
The last group hadn’t been so lucky.
“But I couldn’t take the cold tonight. I’m still too much of a desert rat.”

His warm hand dipped under my sweat shirt. “Your blood will thicken in time.” He tip-toed his fingers up to my breasts. “How about your day? What have you been up to while I was playing in the snow?”

“Nerd stuff.” I purred. That man had a sinful touch. “I got the new server online and finished configuring the firewall. I still have to set up a few new user accounts, but other than that, not much.”

“I have no clue what you just said, but I think it’s sexy when you talk computers. Say something else.”

“Networking,” I said in my sexiest voice. “IP address. Password. TCP/IP Protocols.”

“Ooooh. There is nothing sexier than a smart woman.”

His cluelessness made me giggle, but the fact he appreciated my skills made me feel special. “Then I must be the sexiest woman this pack has ever seen. Your entire computer network needs an upgrade. Someone has to bring this pack up to date.”

“Well, then, we’re lucky to have you as our resident nerd. Speaking of that … have you given any thought to what we talked about?” His voice, a bit raspy from being out in the cold, rumbled in my ear like the purr of a big cat. He rolled my nipple between his fingers.

I let out a sigh. I’d been hoping to avoid answering that question. The luscious warmth of his body and the pleasure of his magic fingers were dampened by the reality that we needed to have
the talk
soon. I wanted to give in, say yes, and be with him forever, but it wasn’t so easy. That choice was potentially a life-or-death decision. Certainly not something to jump blindly into.

“Forget I asked.” He kissed the back of my neck. “I don’t want to pressure you. I just want to feel you next to me.”

Call it selfishness if you want, but I‘d never been the kind of girl who changed for anyone—or any man.
Love me for who I am, or don’t have me at all
. That’s the way I’ve always operated. But Aiden was a different case. How could I deny this man? With him, I wanted to be the perfect woman, but that meant I would have to change more than just my hairstyle; I’d have to change my species.

The idea of that was mind-blowingly frightening, to say the least.

I’d been stuck between two worlds in the last few months, and I felt like I was the odd human out. My best friend was a vampire and my boyfriend … he was a werewolf. And not just any werewolf—Aiden’s the interim leader of Boston’s Olde Town pack. To take the job permanently, he needed a mate. A werewolf mate, and I was a few fangs and a fur coat shy of that.

“You’re too quiet,” he rumbled into my ear. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“No. It’s fine, baby. I’m just tired.”

“You’re lying, I can smell it.”

I looked up at my ruggedly handsome wolf-man. His pitch black eyes locked on mine and all anxiety was forgotten for that moment. “Just shut up and kiss me.”

The corner of his lip quirked up as the concern faded from his face. “Getting a little bossy, are we? I believe I am the Alpha here, and someone needs a lesson in pack order.” A mischievous glint sparked in Aiden’s eyes. He gripped my hips, yanked me on top of him, and met my lips with all the intensity of a starving man at a sumptuous buffet.

He pressed me tightly against him as I ground into his hardness.

An animalistic growl vibrated his whole body. He squeezed me tight and cupped my ass with his strong hands.

“You’re wearing too many clothes.” Urgency filled his voice. Aiden tossed me back onto the bed and dove at my pants, raking them off with one swipe.

“What happened to foreplay?” I giggled. He was always extra frisky after a good hunt, and I loved it.

“Foreplay later. I need you now.” Before I could protest, he rolled me over with lightning speed and pushed my sweatshirt up over my head, leaving my arms partially restrained in the sleeves.

Aiden then gripped my hips and, with a quick tug, pulled me up on my knees.

“God, you have a hot ass.” He drew a finger down between my legs. “And you’re ready for me too. Good girl.” He gave me a playful swat on my right butt cheek and I let out a sharp squeal.

I felt the bulk of his body press against my back. His cock was already hard and ready. He nudged it into my folds, then bent down and nipped at my neck as he drove his silky erection inside of me.

“Oh God.” I lost my breath as he buried himself and then stopped. “Don’t tease … gimme more.” I clenched my muscles around him and tried to move my hips to urge him on.

He growled and bit down harder but not enough to draw blood.

I stilled and arched my back, panting as the pain mixed with pleasure. This was his way of teaching me who was in charge, and I was more than happy to submit.

Slowly and purposefully, Aiden began to rock his hips, pulling out until just the mushroom head of his cock was inside of me. It left me empty and aching for him. Then, when he’d teased me enough, he would slam all the way back in to me, stealing my breath with every purposeful thrust.

Each plunge into my body was punctuated with a growl of pleasure from Aiden. His hands gripped my hips, directing my movement. I tried to rock backwards into him, to urge him to move faster, deeper, harder, but he was too strong. All I could do was let him take me how he wanted. It was sexy and infuriating the way he kept such control.

Every now and again he would bite down harder as he thrust. He was pure animal. I was his helpless prey. And I enjoyed every minute of it.

“I’m so close, baby.” I moaned as pleasure began to coil low in my belly. I begged him to go faster. He released his teeth from my neck and replied by picking up speed, slamming into me harder.

Aiden reached around with one hand and found my throbbing clit. “That’s it, babe. Come for me.” He rubbed my button as he ground into me.

The coiling pleasure became a sudden burst of sensation. I lost control of my breath. My whole body rushed with a warm tingling until the coil released, and like a rocket I took off into the heavens, screaming as my body clenched in spasms of pleasure around his pistoning cock.

He slammed into me harder and faster until he too released with a roar, filling me with his wet heat.

“I needed that,” I said breathlessly.

“So did I.” He collapsed onto the bed panting. “Now that you’ve been shown who’s the boss, we can take the next round a little slower.”

I laughed. “I don’t think I’ve learned my lesson yet.”

He put his arms behind his head as he leaned into the pillows with a satisfied grin. “The wild ones are always the most fun to break. But I’m up for the challenge.”