The Witch Who Cried Wolf (Cry Wolf, #1) (13 page)

“She’s stable. It’s a good thing we brought her here. She’ll need to be monitored for a week or two to make sure everything is alright.” I was glad Mia was okay. I’d been worried.

“I’ll come by and pick you up, I guess. I’d like if we could finish our conversation from the shop and talk...about us.”

Concern nagged at me. “Sure. Sounds fine. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I just...never mind. I’ll be there soon.”

“See you then.” I blew out a breath, not willing to lose her.

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W
e didn’t talk much on the way back to my place. We opted to go there instead of Ethan’s. That way we wouldn’t have to worry about Nolan being there.

How was I going to tell him? How could I put my feelings into words? He loved me. It was exactly what I’d dreamed of him saying. If it weren’t true, I didn’t want our relationship to revert to friendship mode after a few days. I wouldn’t be able to bear that.

If he wanted to be with me, then we needed to know what we were to each other. I was scared he’d lose himself to the werewolf within, but...who knew? Maybe the Alpha’s son could help. He had seemed nice enough, after the initial trouble, that is. If he did help Ethan with his abilities, that would be one less worry.

I’d know Ethan wouldn’t wind up hurting himself or others if he lost control. My brain went a mile a minute. I needed to stop thinking so much. I would only end up working myself up.

We sat staring at one another. Ethan propped his arm on the back of the couch. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

How did I even start? “I need you like I’ve never needed anything before.” I charged forward. If I stopped, I might not get the words out. “Things are over with Greg and me. He’s not in my life, and he shouldn’t have been there for as long as he was.” I fingered the hem of my skirt. “I’m not sure what we are to each other. You said you love me, and I love you, too. Are we...dating?”

He blinked at me. Instead of answering, he pulled me into his lap, crushing his lips to mine. While we’d started our previous make-out session soft and gentle, nothing about this was slow. Passionate, needy: those were better descriptions.

Ethan pulled back for a breath of air. “I don’t care what you call it: dating; in a relationship; boyfriend-girlfriend. What matters is that we’re together. And, Mia, Greg was wrong.” He nibbled on my neck, leaving delicious sensations behind. “I’ll never get tired of you. Not in two weeks or two years.”

I shivered under his touch, wanting more. Those had been my fears. Ethan saying that made me relaxed. We weren’t going to burn hot and fizzle out fast. Smiling, I unbuttoned his pants, revealing black boxer briefs.

He brushed my hands away before I could shove them aside. “Not so fast. I don’t want our first time to be on your couch.” Smirking, he carried me upstairs to my bedroom.

“Fair enough. I just can’t help myself.”

Since the last time he’d been here a few days ago, I’d made sure to keep my room picked up. No laundry lying around, dirty or not. He laid me out on the bed.

Biting my lower lip, I groaned desperately, needing him inside me.

Ethan ran his hands over my body, making me feel delicious and wanted. I arched my back as he slid his hands over my breasts, brushing his thumbs across my nipples. Moisture pooled between my legs. His nose twitched, and he ran his gaze down to my thighs. He slowly tugged at the waistband of my skirt as if I’d stop him.

I tilted my hips up to help him get the offensive barrier between us off away from me. He threw the skirt on the floor, but he kept his hungry gaze fixed on me. He helped me into a sitting position and ran his hands under my shirt.

Desire built inside me. The more we made out, the more I knew this time I wouldn’t be able to stop. This time, we wouldn’t need to stop.

I freed the buttons from the loops on Ethan’s button-up shirt, revealing inch by inch his muscular chest. I wanted to run my hands over that hard expanse, memorizing each curve. When I finished unfastening it, I shoved the shirt from his broad shoulders. I wouldn’t be content until we were naked.

Obviously, he felt the same way. We made quick work of the rest of our clothes. Being undressed in front of him wasn’t the least bit awkward. Then again, with his lips against my neck and trailing ever lower, I didn’t have time to feel that way.

He spread my legs and slid a finger into my core. A jolt of electricity surged through me at the feel of him pressing it inside.

“Ethan,” I moaned, grinding my hips against his hand. Any residual shyness I’d felt disappeared at the pleasure building within me. Something about him left me desperate for more. I didn’t think I’d ever get enough of him, even if we both lived until we were ninety years old.

He pulled away after a few moments of thrusting his finger in me. “Are you sure about this, Mia?”

“Yes! I need this.” I wanted to shake him. Could he really not know how much I was burning for him? But maybe he was just giving me a chance to stop him before we took things to the next level. It was good of him, but I knew fully well what we were doing. Stopping was the last thing on my mind.

He hopped off the bed and dug into the pocket of his pants. When he came back, he wore a condom on his cock.

I looked forward to exploring every inch of him. From the ravenous hunger in his eyes when I spread my legs wider, I suspected he echoed that sentiment.

He covered my body with his, and I pulled him closer to claim his lips. I nibbled his bottom lip as the tip of his dick pressed against my entrance. My heart pumped in anticipation.

He slid inside me, oh so slowly. With his size, it was for the best, but that didn’t stop my need to completely be filled by him. “You’re so tight, Mia. I can hardly control myself.”

I ran my hands over his back, kneading the taut muscles. “Don’t hold back.”

Raising an eyebrow, he eased out then thrust in a little faster, still careful. He withdrew again, then pumped his hips quicker. Each caress came quicker than the last, until he fell into a steady rhythm.

I leaned my head back, unable to keep myself from moaning. The sensations racing through my body shook me to the core. What Ethan and I had was hotter, more magical, than anything I’d ever dreamed could be possible between two people.

With each thrust, Ethan drove me closer to the edge. My thighs trembled for a moment before I came. I dug my nails into his back, clinging to the one person anchoring me from floating off in pure bliss. Waves of pleasure smashed into me over and over, as I screamed his name. Only Ethan’s sure, strong body kept me from drowning in our shared ecstasy.

Groaning, he balanced on his elbows above me. “You’re so damn amazing, Mia.” He swept a few strands of hair off my face.

I ran my hands over his short black hair and grinned. “I’m looking forward to doing that again.”

“You’re not the only one, babe. So many positions, so little time.” He winked, and heat burned up neck to nestle in my cheeks.

Oh, boy....

* * *

I
woke up, lying side by side with Ethan. The blankets were tangled around his long, muscular limbs. Shivering, I wondered why it was so bone-chillingly cold in here, especially with Ethan this close. I climbed out of bed and peeked through the blinds. So far, I hadn’t needed to turn the heater on this year, but the temperatures usually didn’t get this cold until January.

Outside, snow fell in gentle flakes on the lawn, and I watched the snowy scene. This was awesome. I absolutely loved snow. To see it on Christmas Day like this after the intimate night I’d had with Ethan was the icing on this cake, exactly what I’d imagined the perfect day could be.

Warm hands rested on my hips, and I looked over my shoulder to see Ethan with a smile curving his lips. “A nice day to stay in and warm up. If we were at my place, I could light a fire for us and—”

“And my brother would be there too. That would be the epitome of awkward if he were to catch us like this.” I laughed, leaning back into the warmth of his arms.

“Yeah, well, there’s that. Maybe he could go hang out at your parent’s house for a couple days.” He leaned his chin against the top of my head. “I’m not ashamed of us.”

Nolan knowing we were in a relationship set me on edge, but Ethan was right. We loved each other. If my family or Nolan didn’t understand, then that was on them. I didn’t think that would be the case, but I couldn’t be sure.

I leaned back in his arms, but he spun me, pressing me to the wall. He bent his head and kissed me, gently swiping his tongue over my lips. “God, you’re so beautiful. I’ve wanted to tell you that forever now.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck, taking in the sculpted beauty of his bare chest. I couldn’t believe he was this ripped. He was God’s gift to women. “You’re not too shabby yourself.”

“Not too shabby, huh? Well, we have a few hours until we’ve got to get ready to see your parents.” He lowered his gaze. “I guess I’ll have to give you a reminder of last night, so you’ll have a better description than ‘not too shabby’, huh?”

“All’s fair in love—”

“We’ll leave the war part out.” He picked me up and spun us toward the bed in a naked tornado.

I laughed, unable to help myself. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” A mischievous grin brightened his blue eyes, and we collapsed back into the bed.

This time I was on top.

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T
hank you for reading
The Witch Who Cried Wolf
! I originally started on a version of this novella last year, but I wasn’t quite sure how I’d put what was in my head on paper. Eventually, I placed the book on the backburner. However, these characters kept demanding to have their story written. Once I started working on it again, I couldn’t stop. The story just came together.

I hope you’ve loved this book as much as I do. If you did, please consider leaving a review at the retailer’s website or even Goodreads. Also, if you’re interested learning more about my books, sign up for my newsletter at my website and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

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S
arah Mäkelä loves her fiction dark, magical, and passionate. She is a paranormal romance author, but she's written all over the romance spectrum with cyberpunk, sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy...even a sweet contemporary romance!

A life-long paranormal fan, she still sleeps with a night light. In her spare time, she reads sexy books, watches scary movies (and Ghost Adventures), and plays computer games with her husband. When she gets the chance, she loves traveling the world too.

A
dara raced over the dense forest floor, trying to escape the shadow closing on her heels. Fear pumped adrenaline through her body as she ran toward her village through the darkness. Panic tangled with the sheer need to survive.
If only I’d listened. What was I thinking, coming out alone?

She shot a glance over her shoulder. Her foot smacked against a tree root in the moment of distraction, pitching her body forward. The fall came in slow motion.

Cursing under her breath, she rolled onto her back. Dry leaves clung to her blonde hair. The subtle, musty scent of slow rot rose from the rich soil, mixed with the predator’s distinct smell. The dark shadow loomed. Her gaze rose to take in her pursuer, wondering if the beast would be her doom.

The tall, broad-shouldered creature towered over her. Watching. It wasn’t human or animal. The village wise woman had warned her of beings like this, but they’d seemed like fables. How could something so fantastical be real?

Even as she trembled with fear, this creature captivated her. The black and orange stripes covering his shoulders and arms evoked a distant memory, yet the design was uncommon in the Amazon.

His hair hung in straight, black strands like a human’s, but his face had the nose, mouth, and eyes of a feline. His muscular, naked body reflected a splendid combination of both species. Sweat-shiny skin glistened through the inch-long fur that covered him.

His white chest intrigued her, all the way to the patch of fur barely covering his groin.

Leaves and branches framed his face with a lush green background. He crouched over her. His piercing golden eyes focused solely on her. His stare reminded her of a cat from her village staring at a small rodent before pouncing.

As he leaned down, she grabbed her kris from the garter on her thigh and pushed it against his stomach. She didn’t want today to be the day she died. Her people needed her. She wouldn’t let this beast deny them their princess.

The animal cocked his head at her. He brushed his lips over her throat, whiskers tickling her chin.

Her body stiffened.
What is he doing?
Bewilderment spread through her as his feline lips touched her neck. Instead of biting her, his canines grazed lightly, gently, from just below her ear down to her shoulder, almost as if exploring her flesh, instead of seeking to rip open her throat.

She tensed. Even with her weapon pressed against the beast’s stomach, she still feared for her life. As an Amazon princess, she wasn’t easily scared. But this feline made her heart pound. If only she had brought Rubia with her. She wouldn’t be in this situation and could’ve stood a better chance against this feline.

Why does he persist in toying with me?
Adara swallowed as a low burn started in the pit of her stomach. These feelings confused her.

A soft sniffing sounded in her ear right before his tongue scraped rough caresses on her skin. Other jungle cats marked their territory. Did this animal believe she was his? She didn’t want to find out.

Without waiting for the feline’s next move, Adara drove the kris deep into his stomach, meeting resistance as it plunged through flesh and muscle. She forced it further as his blood flowed onto her hands, making the hilt of the kris slick, weakening her grip.