Shelter Me (Sawtooth Shifters, #6) (7 page)

Dallas put his arm around me and sat up. “We need to talk.”

I jumped away.
No
. That couldn’t be good. The little devil, that frenemy that was on a never ending sleepover in my brain jumped up and down, holding up handwritten signs with every worst-case scenario she could come up with on such short notice. I knew better. She’d been working on this little project all along. I wondered which one was worse: being abandoned or knowing exactly why someone didn’t want you.

“Whatever it is, we can work through it.” I ran my hand through his damp hair. “I’m going to mess things up. I’m scared every time you walk out that door that I’m never going to see you again. That’s what happened to me. My mother drove away without me, told me she didn’t have a place for me. Give me a place, Dallas. I’ll make it our home.”

D
allas

The Full Moon Fever wouldn’t kill me, but this broken heart just might. How anyone could do that to her...and who the hell was I to judge?

It would kill me to hurt Lyssie, and I was still scrambling to find a way around it.

“Ember showed up at the Reserve today. She’s the pack alpha.” Just saying her name left a bitter taste on my tongue. Now was not the time for bitter tastes.

Lyssie’s face fell, but her shoulders rose, ready for battle. My wolf liked that, a lot. “What does that mean, and what can I do to make it not matter?” she asked.

I caught her off-guard when I kissed her. “That’s the sexiest thing you’ve ever said. It means that she’s the one orchestrating these attacks. From the boxing match, to Christmas night, to New Year’s. I don’t mean shit to her, I’m just part of her plan. My brothers think that she targeted me because I wasn’t in a relationship.” There went Lyssie’s shoulders. “So if they’re right, she’ll lose interest if I have a mate. She knows the rules. They can’t be that different in Montana. It’s a lifelong thing.”

Lyssie ran her fingers lightly over the bite and frowned. The scab was tight and it itched like crazy. I wanted to rip it open. No way. Fresh blood on the surface was too likely to draw Ember’s attention, give her the wrong idea. It had to fade into oblivion. “But this changes everything,” she said.

“I know.” I sighed. I wanted Lyssie to keep touching me—she quieted Ember’s chaos. “We’re going to have to work hard, maybe harder than my brothers and your friends. We have to prepare for the fact we might fail and not care. And I need you to love all of me—“

Her mouth fell open. “I do.”

“Even my wolf. You don’t realize what you did to me after the shift. That was the hardest fight we’d ever been in, besides when Ryker tortured us. It shattered me, because I thought me and you were past that. I needed one thing to be good that night, and the look on your face almost killed me.”

Lyssie’s eyes glazed over, and she had to fight to keep from looking away from me. “Every time I see you as a wolf, you’re fighting. And every time, there’s an incredible price to be paid. Your brother, X...what happens when it’s your turn? I’m afraid to lose you.”

I drew her in, needing to get lost in her cool, soft curves, the tickle of her hair against my cheek. “But you’re pushing me away. Isn’t that the same thing?”

“It is. I know. I can’t lose anything else, Dallas. I know it doesn’t make sense. It frustrates me, too. I’m afraid I’m not enough to make things better.”

“Take a chance, Lyssie,” I whispered. “You’re more than enough for me. Nothing’s forever if you don’t give it a try.”

She curled her hand in the collar of my shirt, scraping against the bite. My wolf wanted to throw its head back and howl. “What will Ember do? You’re rejecting her. I don’t see her taking it well.”

“No. She’s not going anywhere. She wants this land, by whatever means necessary. Our packs don’t matter to her.”

Lyssie took a deep breath. “If you took Ember as a mate, would it keep your pack together?”

I should’ve expected that. My heart had put itself back together and it swelled. Lyssie was willing to put everything before herself. She wanted everyone else’s happiness more than her own, because deep down, she believed it would trickle down to her. The problem with trickle-down economics was it never worked. The middleman was a greedy bastard.

“I know you think the answer is yes, but I don’t. They attacked Shea and X first. I’m not sure what her strategy is, but something tells me she’s not going to put on an apron and pearls once she has a mate. She’ll just use the lucky guy to her advantage.”

“I’ll wear that for you. Apron, pearls, and nothing else.” Lyssie’s smile was feral. Just because she didn’t shift didn’t take away the primal need to protect what was hers. “No matter what she does, she’s going to tear you apart.”

I nodded.

“That leads me back to my original question. What can I do to make her not matter?”

I lay down on the couch, bringing Lyssie down with me. “Exactly what you’re doing. Make the fever go away with your touch, giggle when I try to be sexy—“ Lyssie giggled, “—just like that. And give badass animals like Fluffy a chance when no one else will.”

Lyssie glanced over her shoulder at the lizard lounge. “I have a thing for badass animals. But the smart thing is to let you go. No more fighting, Dallas. It’ll destroy the pack. I won’t be able to live with myself if someone gets hurt because of me.”

“And I won’t be able to live with myself if I see you with another man,” I growled, and pulled her in tighter. “I’ll fight for you.”

A smile spread across your face. “I was really hoping you’d say that. I want to fight for you, too. For us. I’ll be your beta, or gamma, or...what does that make me?”

“My mate.”

Lyssie melted. “I like the sound of that.”

“Me too.” I wrapped my finger in her hair. “I need you to do something you’ve never done before. I need you to be really selfish, and claim what’s yours. Think like a wolf, Lyssie.”

She pulled away from me, stood up, and pulled off her sweater. “Show me how.”

My wolf was on point. Lyssie pulled the sweater between her hands, unsure of what to do. Everything being new for her made it more exciting for me. “Kiera will be home soon?” I asked.

“Probably.”

“Good. Bring me into your bedroom, and when we get there, take off the rest of your clothes. I didn’t get a good look at you last night. It left me with a craving that might make me crazy. I want to see every stunning inch of you.”

Lyssie nodded, but she didn’t walk away. Instead she reached for my hand. Just being here made me feel better, but her hand was so cool and small in mine, but she squeezed it with the strength I knew was inside her. She bit her lip, trying to conceal her smile, but failed before leading me into her bedroom.

I sat on her bed. This was going to be a sweet reward for all the nights I spent here. Holding her, guarding her while she slept had been more than enough, but the animal inside of me had longed for more. To be able to taste her sweet skin, and touch her in places that would make her howl. I’d been patient, knowing she’d run to me when she was ready to be wild.

She didn’t acknowledge me, closing her eyes as she let her jeans fall from her hips. She hooked her thumbs in her panties and slid them down her thighs, bending over to step out of them. With that round, luscious ass high in the air, she paused to look up at me. The woman I was in the room with, I’d never met before.

The seductress.

I looked forward to getting better acquainted with her.

“Lay down on your stomach,” I said, my tone low. Lyssie stood up, pulling her hair away from her face. I’d do that same thing later, when I was buried balls deep inside her. I was hard before, and now I was about to explode. She put one knee on the bed, then the other before sinking down against the comforter. Lyssie didn’t have any hang-ups about her body, and it was fucking refreshing. She made no effort to cover herself or hide from me. It made for an interesting paradox. Innocent and wanton. I was excited, wondering what other surprises she’d have in store. If she’d let herself get lost in her pleasure, now that she knew she had me forever.

I was the one who was terrified. Thirty years old, and I’d never been able to commit to a woman. This one was forbidden, too. But the rules had ruptured when Ember broke the skin on my neck. Lyssie was going to expect the world from me. This had been the dream, and as Lyssie waited patiently for me to strip out of my own clothes, I wanted to make it real.

She nestled her face on the pillow, her arms resting by her head. It didn’t surprise me that she tensed when I brushed her hair away from her face, but her expression was so serene. A couple of long blinks and a moistening her lips, but that was it. Lyssie wanted this. I’d been watching her for months, always making sure everyone was taken care of. It was time for someone to take care of Lyssie.

I trailed my fingers down her back slowly, surprised smoke didn’t rise from her skin. All along I knew she’d be submissive, hoped she’d be my submissive, but I couldn’t fuck this up. She’d been so timid about her lack of experience, she needed to learn what she liked and didn’t like. We’d work up to more. Peace washed over me. This wasn’t a one night stand. No need to rush, or claim what was mine. I had her, lying before me.

Lyssie grazed her lip with her teeth and tongue in hypnotic rhythm as I continued exploring her body. I wanted to touch every inch of her. She wriggled when I touched her ass, eyes bright. Whether she meant to or not, she squeezed her thighs together when she settled. None of that. I had the best view in the house as I trailed down her legs, goosebumps erupting on her skin. Her feet were ticklish, and she squealed with laughter, jerking them away from me when I ran my thumbnail along the arch. So naturally, I grabbed her foot and did it again. I loved the way she looked when she laughed. The fear melted away and she let herself be free. Even better, I loved the way her body moved, the hint of her tits, her legs moving without any regard for modesty.

“Why’d you stop?” Lyssie asked, lying on her side, trying to catch her breath.

I didn’t answer her right away, still lost in every voluptuous curve, her blue eyes shining with the tears that laughter brought, and the smile she didn’t even know she was wearing. “You mesmerized me.”

“I’m ticklish. I can’t help it.”

She didn’t realize what I was saying. “It has nothing to do with that.” I crawled up her body. Cool air radiated from her skin, an elixir that made the outside world disappear. If only we could get it to be permanent. I couldn’t resist her lips, they were too close not to kiss. “What do you want to do, Lyssie?”

Her breasts rose against my chest with her deep breath. My wolf was going crazy, clawing at the surface.
Claim her, any way you can.
What the hell? Everything peeled away—the heat, the sickness—gone.

It didn’t matter what the fuck Ember thought. My wolf wanted Lyssie. The whole world could burn around us. I didn’t care.

Lyssie’s eyes sparkled with an entirely different emotion. Desire. She licked her lips. “I want to make your fantasies come true.”

Holy shit. The most amazing part was she had no idea what she was doing to me. If I made it through this night without marking her, it would be a miracle.

I kissed her again, grabbing her ass, hard. She moaned against my lips, even hungrier than I expected. “Lay on your stomach again,” I said, breath raspy. “I had a plan.”

“Did you now?” Lyssie complied with my request, settling back to her original position. She wore her serenity like a diamond necklace.

“I did. And it was to make your fantasies come true.” I kneaded the muscles in her shoulders, tracing small circles the length of her spine, until I reached that glorious ass. “If you like something, tell me. If you’re not into it, I want to know that, too.”

“I want you to do the thing you did last night. When you made me lose all control. I liked that. A lot.”

Last night had been perfection, Lyssie’s clothes clinging to her soft curves in that bathtub. I’d never seen anything so fucking sexy in my life. I’d had no control over my body, but the euphoria I felt when the fever broke, that was all Lyssie. “There’s more than one way to get there.”

“Show me.”

I hooked my fingers under her hips, and she slid back into a kneeling position. I wanted to take my time, let the pleasure build slowly, but I was so fucking turned on seeing her like this, it wasn’t going to be easy. Nothing good was. Thirty years in Sawtooth Forest taught me that.

Kissing the small of her back, I needed to get to work. She giggled, and my gaze flicked up her body. Curls obscured her face, but her arms were out in front of her. Total surrender. A soft growl rumbled through my body, my lips tracing the curve of her ass. Her back rose and fell with her deep breaths. She was excited, and she wasn’t the only one.

Lyssie jumped when I slipped my fingers between her legs. I continued the slow, circular strokes from before, coming close but never actually touching her pussy. She started to relax, her hips circling against the movement, trying to trick me into touching her in other places. Her body took the lead. She let herself got lost in the sensation. I’d been so afraid she wouldn’t be able to let go, but after last night, I shouldn’t have had any doubts.

She moaned when I brushed my thumb against her clit. I circled it, giving the pressure time to build and she writhed in time with the movements. She was so ready for me, and my fingers slipped inside her easily. I curled them forward, and Lyssie threw her head back, the closest thing I’d heard to a howl came out of her.

I caught her clit between my lips, craving the taste of her. I licked it softly, letting the little electric sparks ignite, and when I couldn’t handle the burn another second, I started to suck. Lyssie was the one on fire now. Moving away from me, pushing closer, but I still had her, my fingers stroking her inner walls.

As much as I wanted to take her from behind, bury myself completely in her, I really wanted to see her face. “Roll over,” I whispered.

“Don’t tell me we’re done,” she groaned, turning on to her back. She had to move carefully, since I was still inside her.