Silver Wolf Clan (17 page)

Grabbing her hand, he led her down the steps but she was slowed by a sore body and billowing blanket. He picked her up and carried her down the gravel road to the other side of the barn. No risk of prying eyes there. He set her down, leaned back against the barn and pulled her close. His mischievously smiling lips looked downright delicious.

“I know it’s a different dynamic with us now,” he said. “So all you have to do is tell me if I play too rough. Okay?”

Playing rough didn’t sound so bad when he put it that way, with his deep, sexy voice. Breathily, she said, “Okay.”

“Your eyes...” He touched the side of her face with the barest brush of his fingertips.

“What about them?”

“They’re so damn beautiful, it hurts.”

If she couldn’t hear the truth in his words, she saw it in his steady gaze. Stretching on tiptoes, she kissed him. He held himself perfectly still, as if he didn’t want to frighten her, but it only encouraged the wanting. His mouth softened under hers, and he leaned forward as she pulled away, teasing. The pulse in his neck tripped erratically. Amazed at the reaction her kiss had caused, she placed her fingertip on it, traced his throat to the hollow at the base, and then over his sculpted chest. She drew her gaze up again, and swam in the golden depths of his eyes. The hunger she found there matched hers. Heat filled her until she trembled with longing.

His breath shook as she ran her hands down his long, taut stomach and hooked a finger along the edge of his jeans. Boldly, she unclasped the button there. He leaned forward, lapping the closed seam of her lips with the tip of his tongue, but gentleness wasn’t what she wanted. As she stroked down the hard front seam of his pants, he gasped. His eyebrows drew down as his eyes rolled closed. “Morgan,” he whispered, begged.

As long as she lived, she’d never get used to wielding power over such a potent, capable man with just a touch. It bewildered her, made her press on. Slowly, she unzipped his jeans, and a deep, gravelly hum sounded from deep within his chest as she found the length of him again. Another stroke, and he dropped his head to her shoulder. Gripping the cloth of the blanket between his teeth, he slid his hands up her shirt, warming her flesh as his fingertips brushed her ribcage.

Nibbling and kissing in turn, he brushed his lips from her throat up her chin, and by the time he reached her mouth again, he’d pulled her so close, she’d lost herself to his magnetism. Nothing else mattered in that moment but the fire that engulfed her. She burned for him, wrapped her arms desperately around his waist. Every instinct screamed
closer, closer, closer still
. As she stretched upward to nip his neck, a soft, inhuman growl escaped her, and she froze, mortified.

He didn’t seem to mind. “Morgan,” he rasped, raking needy hands under the blanket. He gripped her clothes, as if it would bring her closer than she already was. More. She needed so much more of him.

He tugged her clothing out of the way and grazed her collar bone with his teeth. Panting, she dug her nails into the bare skin of his back. His movement blurred and her shoulder blades were thrust against the barn’s splintering wood. She didn’t know how she got there, and didn’t care. Grey was pressed against her so tightly, there was no end to her and no beginning to him. The panel behind her creaked and snapped, threatening to give way as he bucked slowly against her hips, but the pain in her back was only a dull background hum to the pleasure of his waist against hers.

“Tell me to stop,” he rasped against her lips.

She didn’t want to, so she kissed him harder.

He pulled his lips away. “Tell me to stop now, because I won’t be able to if this keeps going.”

“But you’re my mate,” she replied, a tremor in her voice. Every fiber of her said it was so with certainty.

He leaned his forehead against hers. “It’s not a rejection. I’ve never wanted something so badly in my life, but I’m trying to give you an out. You wanted to wait, remember?” He kissed her lightly. Gently.

She didn’t want to make responsible decisions now. Sure, she’d probably thank him later, but at the moment, she only wanted to be with him. Her skin had been made to touch his, and as he slowly pulled away, became chilled with the absence of his. He arched his eyebrows, a questioning smile lingering on his lips.

If she just refused to answer, what would he do? Finding the waist of her pants, he brushed the skin beneath. Her knees locked as his gentle touch went lower.

“No answer means yes, love,” he whispered into her ear.

She sighed miserably. Stupid morals. “Stop,” she said softly.

He didn’t hesitate or give her a look of disappointment, but kissed her hand and led her back to the dirt road. Her unsatisfied stomach clenched and growled audibly. Attractive.

A small smile still on his lips, he said, “You have to eat a lot and at regular intervals now. It’ll make you safer being around Lana. I know you’re worried about that, but I’ll make sure she’s okay until you’re in control.”

“Well, let’s get breakfast then.” She laid the back of her hand dramatically across her forehead. “I’m famished. Also, it wouldn’t suck if you carried me back. It’s a long walk and my body’s screaming for more of those magic muscle relaxers Wade gave me.”

He obliged. How was the man so warm? It was frigid and he was half naked.

By the time they came through the front door, Dean had turned on the stove to start breakfast. One look and a whiff of the sausage links he was about to cook had Morgan’s mouth watering. Wade read a newspaper with a cup of coffee at the kitchen table and offered to change her bandages. After her leg was wrapped in fresh gauze, he handed her some painkillers, and Grey grabbed a glass of orange juice to wash them down with.

Dean set a plate of cooked sausage in front of her and smiled. “I can hear your stomach begging breakfast from here. Looks like you’re about to discover the pre-breakfast breakfast.” The man was basically a saint.

She thanked him, popped a mini sausage link into her mouth and tossed one to Grey across the table, who caught it dexterously between his teeth. She laughed, and his eyes shone blue for the first time since she could remember.

“Does my athletic prowess impress you?” he asked.

“Yes, that’s actually the main reason I’m with you. For your sausage snarfing skills,” she said sarcastically.

“I knew it,” he whispered, snagging another sausage from her plate.

A sleepy looking Marissa came to the top of the stairs and told them she heard Lana stirring. By the time Morgan had her dressed, breakfast was on the table.

Rachel smiled warmly as she exited the office across the living room and Morgan gave her a big hug. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and my family.”

“Of course. We’re just glad you’re back on the human side again. We thought Grey would go crazy before you Changed back. You had us all worried.”

She sat between Lana and Grey. “Sorry for that. It sounds like we all had a rough week. I couldn’t remember who I was, other than a wolf, for a long time. I guess my mind wasn’t ready to deal with all this. And when I did finally remember, it took me a while to figure out how to make myself Change back. I’m still not sure how I did it. I don’t know if I can do it on command. It makes me kind of nervous about the next time I Change. I don’t know if I’ll be able to make myself do it or if I’ll have to wait until it’s forced.”

Dean passed her a plate of French toast. “That control will come the more you do it, and after a while it’ll be a natural thing for you. Like going to the bathroom.”

“Speaking of, you guys should think about putting some kind of Port-a-potty in your cages,” she said as Dean nearly choked on a bite of sausage link. “All I’m saying is, a girl should never have to go in a corner. I’m not a ferret.”

“Okay, fair enough. We’ll have to look into that, won’t we, Wade?”

Wade responded by lifting a glass of orange juice and smiling. “You got it.”

As they finished breakfast, Morgan addressed the table. “Do you think I’m okay to go into town? I was out for a while and have errands to run.”

Grey leaned forward with a worried look. “I don’t know. Your Change lasted longer than they normally do, so we don’t know how much you’ll have to do it yet. It’s safe for you to Change whenever you need to here, but I’m worried about you Changing right away while we’re in town. I think it’s too soon.” He looked to Dean for backup.

“I think Grey’s right. Usually the first Change lasts a few minutes but yours lasted for a week and a half. I don’t know if that means you’ll be able to wait a while before your next one, or if you’ll balance out now and Change daily, as is normal for new wolves.”

She tried to keep her disappointment from showing on her face.

Apparently she’d failed, because Grey rubbed her back in tiny, comforting circles. “How about you make me a list of the stuff you need taken care of and I’ll do it?”

“I guess that would work. I’ll go get started on the list.” She hated feeling useless, but what choice did she have? Work had piled up at home, rent had to be paid, and she needed more clothes, but what if she turned wolf in the truck? Or bit off her landlady’s arm because it looked yummy? She was utterly stuck.

Stupid Alexis.

Grey clenched and unclenched his hands to try and calm barely controlled nerves. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea in front of everyone. It would mean a lot to Morgan, though.

Gathered at the table, the pack passed plates of steaming food around and talked loudly, as if they hadn’t seen each other in a year. Brent, the most submissive member, cut Lana’s food into tiny, manageable bites and laughed at something Jason said. Marissa sat quietly beside Rachel, who stole a roll from Dean’s plate while he talked to Wade. The smirk on the alpha’s face said she hadn’t got away with much. Brandon sat down at the table with an entire gallon of milk, and Logan threw tiny pieces of broccoli in Marissa’s direction.

He could do this. Heartbeat hammering, Grey opened his mouth and turned to Morgan just as she stood and disappeared into the other room. Dean pointed a forkful of steak at him and mouthed
ha, ha
. Maybe telling him hadn’t been the best idea.

Morgan returned with a large, cardboard box, which she set on her empty seat. She tinked her fork against the glass and everyone, including herself, hunched into themselves and covered their ears.

“Ugh, sorry. I forgot. My fault, my fault.” She put down the dinnerware slowly as if ridding herself of a loaded weapon and puffed air from her filled cheeks. Her heartbeat galloped away even faster than his.

“I wanted to say that I really appreciate y’all helping us through this crazy transition.” She laughed nervously, shifted her weight from side to side. “I know how much you mean to Grey, because when I see him around you, he’s more relaxed. He smiles more easily.” She looked down at where he sat with such pride swimming in her eyes. “He talks more openly. He’s more himself. And for me, it means so much that he’s found a group of friends who are sincere, accepting of everything important to him. I don’t know how this is done. I don’t know any werewolf rules really, but...” She scooted the box closer to him. “Well, just open it.”

A scratching noise came from the cardboard and as the full scent of animal fur reached his nostrils, a flare of hope panged as deep and wide as a canyon.

She rested her hand against the back of his chair. “The day Alexis brought you the gift, I was angry at the implications, but I understood its meaning.”

He opened the lid with sure fingers.

Blushing, she muttered, “Rachel and Marissa helped me track it down. I was working up to, you know, killing it for you.”

The pack stood and leaned over the open box.

“Bunny!” Lana shrieked. “Can we keep it?” She’d already picked up the black and white pet store bunny and hugged it tightly to her little body.

“Or I guess I won’t kill it,” Morgan said quietly, amid the amused chuckles.

“It’ll be an interesting experiment to see how long a pet bunny can last in a werewolf den.” Dean laughed.

“We have to try, Dean. For Lana,” Rachel said, wiping happy moisture from the corners of her eyes. “We bought the sturdiest cage the pet store had, so maybe it could work.”

The table settled, and Grey tried to stifle the howling happiness Wolf pushed and expanded inside him. His inner beast was practically singing. “Do you mean this? You want me to be yours, then?”

She nodded, eyes filled with bottomless emotion, and he pulled a gift from beneath the table.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Open mine now.”

She unwrapped a hand crafted wooden container the size of a jewelry box. Etched onto the front of it were two wolves. One, made of a lighter wood with little contrast to the grain of the background. The other was placed protectively in front of the fair colored wolf, in a dark wood which had been stained to darken it even more. In a forest scene, both wolves had their heads thrown back. Eyes closed, they howled at a full moon hanging in the upper right hand corner of the panel. The dark wolf stood shoulder to shoulder over the fair one, and their heads were arched back toward each other so the tips of their ears touched. A continuation of the forest scene surrounding the wolves with a few tiny bunny carvings blending into the trees and brush covered the box’s side and back panels. She touched the flowing details of the wooden thicket and ran a finger gently over the wolves.

“The front carving was a human and a wolf a couple of weeks ago, but I had to redo it after you Changed. I like it this way better,” he said.

She opened the top and pulled out a small, black velvet box from the inside. He took it gently from her hand and dropped to one knee. Shock flitted across her face like a tiny tidal wave.

“I don’t really know the rules on this either. So—” He searched her filling eyes and anchored himself with the knowledge of her affection. “Morgan, from the first time I saw you, I knew I wanted you. You and Lana make up the best parts of my life. I’ll spend the rest of my life making you happy and keeping you safe, if you’ll let me.” He dragged a steady breath into his lungs. “Will you marry me?”