Wolf’s Heart (24 page)

Running on swift paws, he caught up to the female quickly. She stood there, eyes watching the woods intently, a weapon in hand and her voice whispering on the wind. He inhaled her scent, calming as he struggled to tamp down his instincts. He had to let the man out again to take over and care for the female. With that thought, the wolf closed his eyes and let the man return.

So maybe the drink at the bar and the smoke weren’t going to happen as soon as she wanted. Lou hadn’t actually been paying attention on the ride in. All she knew was that they were in the middle of nowhere, but she at least thought nowhere would be a little bit closer to a store or something, anything. She could still hear the fight back in the woods and was just happy they were focused on each other and not her. She had to have run full out for at least a mile until her side started to hurt. Finally, she stopped, heaving as she took each breath.

Maybe Mr. Grumpy was right, those smokes might kill me after all.

Her feet hit the road, slapping against it with each step. At least she was out of the woods and there would be no more surprise visitors. Or she hoped so. As she slowed her pace, the figure appeared like a ghost out of the darkness.

“Oh, great! First a pack of wild dogs and now Big Foot.” 

Lou readied herself as the figure got closer, her feet about a foot apart, one slightly back. There was one thing she did know, and that was how to fight. Not your normal girly shit, either. No hair pulling or slapping for her. She watched as the figure sauntered closer. This was a human and no Big Foot, that much she could tell for sure. Taking a slow, deep breath to slow her heart from the run, she was resolved. She would not go down without a fight.

“If you wanna keep your balls attached you’ll stop right there and turn the fuck around or I
will
kick them so hard you will be spitting them out. That would definitely ruin any plans you have for the next few days.” 

The figure got closer, not a waiver in its stride as it walked towards her. The adrenalin was again pumping in her veins, getting ready for the fight.

“Guess it’s gonna suck to be you tomorrow.”

She heard what sounded like a growl. Watching carefully, with just enough moonlight shining between the trees, Lou finally saw him. Her mouth dropped when she realized it was a very naked JT walking out of the woods, and he didn’t look happy to see her.

“Dude, I am so not in the mood to play with you.” 

For some reason, the word play drew her eyes to the thick length that hung between his legs.

Holy shit!

It hung half way to his knees, and it wasn’t even hard.

“You don’t need me, you don’t want me. Just go home and, I don’t know, knit a sweater for that thing or something before you get a cold.”

JT’s jaw was set, he never stopped his steady pace as he approached, and his voice was firm. “Get back to the fucking house. You can walk, or I will carry your ass. Either way, that’s only place you’re going.”

Lou looked at him in disbelief. “Dude, screw you. I hope, for your sake, your boyfriend comes back soon. Maybe a good lay will improve your attitude.”

His hands reached out to grab her and she spun away, bringing her elbow around in a dead aim on his nose, but his hand caught it. She raised her foot and stomped with all her might, his foot the intended target. Again he avoided the hit. Reaching down, she had every intention of grabbing his balls and squeezing them until they turned blue. He caught her wrist just as she attempted to wrap her fingers around them.

He growled low. “Are you done?”

She was snarling right back at him. She knew she could kick ass with the best, but this Neanderthal was blocking every move she made.

“I’ve only just started.” 

Jab, punch, kick, she even tried to fight dirty, but he anticipated every move.

She might be slight of build, but she was toned to perfection, and could hit hard and fast, but he was faster. She noticed he didn’t attempt to hit her back, but he sure wasn’t going to let her hit him. He blocked, moved, shifted, ducked, and when she finally became winded, he stepped back. It seriously pissed her off that JT wasn’t even breathing hard. 

She bent over, hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath, waving a hand in surrender.

“Are you done this time? I can do this all night.”

“Fine! You win, asswad. Just give me a minute to catch my breath.”

She waited until he seemed to relax, then stood up and started to walk. He fell into step right beside her. With a smirk on her face, she swung, and the right hook caught him firmly in the jaw. She never missed a stride. The growl did send her off and running, however.

JT snarled at her, his palm itching to warm her ass for the trouble she caused, and then give Ryden his fist for his part in this shit. He growled at the hit she landed before she took off running, jumping through the woods like a gazelle.

Damn, she can run.

JT let her get ahead, allowing her to think she’d get away, then took off after her...barefoot...through the woods. Oh, yeah, she was gonna get that ass beating this time. Wolf though he may be, he couldn’t make shoes appear out of thin air. 

She looked back over her shoulder, the deer-in-the-headlights look written all over her face. He gained on her, grabbed her arm, and spun her around. She landed chest to chest with him, and her eyes looked up in defiance.

“That’s it! I’m tired of this shit! I save your ass from a rabid coyote after you run off through the woods right at dark, get my feet cut up for the trouble, and have a dead coyote to dispose of before it infects the entire population of wildlife around here!” 

 She panted, trying to catch her breath and then started swinging her arms again. The knee coming up between his thighs, attempting to unman him, was the last straw. JT picked her up, none too gently, tossed her over his shoulder and tromped through the woods, making his way home.

“Put me down!
Aaahhhrrrrrr!
You are a beast, you know that? I demand you put me down!”

She beat against his back, struggled and tried to get free, but he had a tight grip across the backs of her thighs. There was no way she was getting loose. It didn’t even bother JT that she was staring down at his bare ass while she screamed and yelled.

“Demand, huh? Well, well, the princess demands. Guess I had better do it then.”

She couldn’t see where he was going, and before she could even react, he tossed her in the pond beside the house. She screamed, went under and came up sputtering.

She sank down again, the water covering her head, then came back up, gasping at the coldness of the water. “You DICK! You will
so
fucking pay for that!” 

“Now, if you’re done running, I’d like to get that rabid coyote out of my territory, and get a shower before I sleep tonight. The house is that way. Make sure you get there or next time, I’ll let the coyote eat you.” 

Without another word, he walked back up to the porch and dressed to head back into the woods. He was sure she’d go inside. She was stubborn, not stupid. Yes, she knew she was beaten and would come to heel soon enough.

She flipped him off as he walked back to the porch, and she watched him dress. She had never met a more infuriating man in her life. She made a promise to herself years ago. No man would ever get the upper hand, but he seemed to be doing exactly that and she was at a loss to change it. He walked past her on his way back into the woods and barely gave a glance in her direction.

“I hope you get rabies.” 

His head tossed slightly, but he kept moving without a word. Lou’s teeth were chattering, and her butt cheeks were numb from the cold water. Swimming quickly to the bank, she crawled up the muddy edge to get out. All she could think of was getting into the house, getting warm, but she couldn’t run. Her muscles were frozen from the adrenaline and heat from the run and then the icy cold plunge. 

As she made her way into the house, water and mud marked her route. She knew that she was leaving a trail as she went through the kitchen, down the hall and back to his bedroom. That part made Lou smile.

JT can just kiss my frozen ass.

It was all his fault; he should have let her leave. She stripped out of her soggy clothes and turned the water in the shower on hot, stepped in, and let the spray warm her and wash away the mud and pond scum. 

Lou tried not to think that she was stuck here. The thought of being trapped, a hostage, or whatever, was not helping her nerves and was keeping her on edge. When she was sure all the dirt and grime was off, she stepped from the shower, leaving the last bits of mud and debris on the shower floor.
That’ll teach GI Jackass
. She dried off and left the second wet towel lying on the floor along with her muddy, soaked clothes. Shaking excess water from her hair, she went to his bedroom and rummaged through the drawers until she found a large black t-shirt and a pair of boxers, which had to be rolled down and twisted at the side to keep them from falling down. She then found a pair of his socks, typical military issue and put them on. They came clear to her knees, but she didn’t care, she was warm. 

She pulled the comforter off the bed and wrapped it around herself as she made her way back to the kitchen. At least the coffee was still hot. She poured a cup and went back to where she started, the den, where she curled up in the chair with the blanket wrapped around her, sipped the coffee, and watched
Wheel of Fortune.

Morning came and with it the sounds of Carlee’s soft breathing as she lay in Ryden’s arms. Sometime during the night, they had both finally fallen into an exhausted sleep, neither one having slept more than a few hours in the last few days. Ryden couldn’t recall how many days had passed since he’d gone looking for her, found her and went on the run, trying to stay ahead of the bastards who were after her.

Remembering when she got in that cab and left him behind, he cringed. His life had gotten in that car and drove away. All that mattered was getting her back, keeping her safe and making her his in every way possible. Last night’s impromptu proposal shocked him as much as it did her, but he had never been more sure of anything in his entire life. This was how it was supposed to be, and he had been a fool to stay away from Carlee as long as he did.

Lying to himself, he thought he was protecting her, keeping her safe from him. Truth was, he was protecting himself. She had gotten under his skin long before he had been changed and he refused to see it. Too many times, he had let himself get attached to people, and all they’d ever done was tossed him aside like garbage, leaving him alone. Time and time again, through many foster homes and schools, no one had cared until that night in the store. Even then, he had maintained a sense of detachment when it came to others.

Carlee had wiggled her way into his heart, one date, one night, one phone call, and one text at a time. It took her getting hurt and nearly dying before he saw what had been right in front of him all along. Never again would he take these moments of just holding her in his arms, loving her body and soul, and having her beside him for granted. She was his, but he belonged to her as well.

She stirred a bit, pulling him from his deep thoughts, and he felt her kiss his neck. He turned and buried his nose in her hair, soothing the wolf and the man. He felt content to just stay here from now on, but he knew they couldn’t. Fact is, they were still on the run, but who exactly the enemy was, he still wasn’t sure.

“Morning, Buttercup. Sleep well?” She sighed and shifted so her legs spread, one rising up over his hip and her heated center poised right over his rising cock.

“Yes, very…” She moved against him, shifting, so the full head rubbed through her slick folds. Her mouth met his in a heated kiss, tongues tangling as their mouths fused together. He wrapped his arms more tightly around her as she slid down over his erect member, his hands caressing down her back. Her long hair tickled against his chest when she moved more fully on top of him, pushing him back into the bed.

“Greedy wench…” She chuckled against his mouth and began to ride him, easing up and down his shaft, her hot, wet sheath gripping his cock until he felt as if it would burst. “Hmm…”

He hissed at the friction, loving the feel of her around him, on him, her touch, her kiss, everything about her. Her eyes were glazed over with passion, her long, dark lashes resting against her cheeks as she closed them. Her hands splayed out against his chest as he gripped her hips. She could damn well do anything she pleased to him right now, and he knew he’d love every moment.

“Carlee…baby.” The hand caressed across her flat belly and eased down until he parted the dark curls hiding her pussy from his view. Her clit was swollen with need and his fingers pinched, stroked and teased until she shattered around him, crying out her release. It wasn’t until that moment he let himself go, flipping them over on the bed and thrusting hard into her still quivering body.

“God baby, you feel so good.”

“Ah, shit, Ry…Peach…God, yes.” Slamming into her core, stroke after stroke until sweat dripped down his face, he made love to her. This was so far from the sex they had shared in their past, there was no comparison. With one final thrust, he came, filling her as his cock pulsed out his release leaving him breathless beside her, their bodies still joined.

When he could finally speak, he cupped her face in the palm of his hand, his thumb rubbing across her swollen bottom lip. “No regrets, Carlee. From here to eternity, I will love you. Nothing matters but you. You’ve captured me, heart, mind, body and soul.” 

She and Ryden had been up most of the night, seemingly unable to get close enough to each other. They fell into an exhausted sleep late into the night. She would have slept for hours had she not felt him tense. All it took was one deep breath, just the smell of him and she knew she needed him. He was like hot chocolate and snugly blankets. She sucked in her lip, and he ran his thumb across it as he spoke. She knew he was talking about the proposal.