In the Shadow of the Wolf Read online

  Her exposed skin seemed to shimmer in the firelight. The play of shadows caressed the contours of her figure. The man inside him inhaled sharply, ragged with need, while the beast in him bellowed for release.

  Ulrich threw his shirt on the floor, no longer able to stand the feel of the material against his now super sensitized skin. A sound began deep in his throat. It was animal, feral, a ferocious savage claim. He kicked aside his clothes, exposing his entire body, chiseled muscle and burning need.

  Her throat was suddenly dry. It tried to close up as she slid the lacy straps of her bra off of her shoulders, let the material slip to the floor. She thrust her breasts forward invitingly, her nipples having suddenly become hard in the cool air of the room.

  He ripped the offensive jeans she'd been wearing from her body with a single tug and tossed them aside.

  Her bones were small, delicate, her skin hot satin. The mass of her dark hair came loose from its tie with his marauding fingers, brushing against his skin, sending fiery arrows to pierce his groin. His body raged within, tightened with need. He wanted her so much.

  Moving closer, he let his hand close over the nape of her neck in an unbreakable grip, his thumb tilting back her head to lay bare her throat and breasts to him. His hand moved at an agonizingly slow pace, memorizing the swell of her breasts, pausing for a moment to put his mark on her neck so that it pulsated, burned, and then returned to cup the velvet softness of her breasts. He followed each and every line of her rib cage, soothing her fears. His fingers trailed over the flat of her stomach and the ridges of her hipbones, to rest in the triangle at the juncture of her legs. His hand sparked desperate need, a sensation of near drowning in an oasis of pure feeling.

  Ulrich growled something unintelligible deep in his throat.

  He was so aggressive, trapping her with his body against the floor, that for a minute she couldn't help but think it was very reminiscent of a wild animal forcing its mate into submission.

  It hadn't occurred to Ulrich until that moment just how close to turning he really was. Everything was swirling together until he feared for both of them, the emotion, the passion, the lust.

  The light coming from the fire cast a shadow over him making him seem inhuman. He appeared enormous, irrepresible, a dangerous beast as he crouched over her.

  "Ulrich," she said softly, reaching out to ease the lines of tension of his contorted features.

  He caught and held both her wrists in one hand. Pulling her arms above her head, he held her there.

  His gaze moved over her. It was intense, glowing, scorching her skin everywhere his gaze touched.

  Sayuri lay still and quiet beneath his unrelenting strength, seeming to sense his implacable resolve, somehow aware of some terrible inner struggle within him. Her dark gaze drifted over the lines etched on his face; his mouth, so sensual and intoxicating, his eyes burning with such fierce need.

  The touch of her naked, soft body writhing beneath him only aroused him more.

  "Sayuri," he said on a groan, his hand sliding up her thigh, finding her heated core.

  His deft fingers sought velvet, probed, dominated, elicited a rush of hot liquid. He bent his head to taste of her, to taste her flesh, to savor the texture of her skin, to imbue his senses with the scent of her.

  When his hot mouth found her breast, she cried out softly. When his fingers probed deeper into her pussy, ripples of pleasure coursed through her body. Tracing the earlier path of his hands with his tongue, he moved further down her body.

  With every stroke of his tongue his body tightened and the beast he kept at bay became stronger. He inhaled deeply of her scent, drawing the very essence of her into his body. He slid his tongue across her slowly, a long caress.

  She made to move again, still unsure, but stilled when he lifted his head and pinned her with a look that was pure possession burning in his eyes.

  He pushed her knees apart, exposing her pussy to him.

  He had waited far too long for a mate, endless mating cycles of hunger and darkness and desolation. He could not be gentle and considerate when everything in his entire being demanded that she belong to him.

  Her body convulsed, and she cried out.

  Ulrich moved over her, savoring the feel of her skin, her suppleness, how very small she was. Every detail, no matter how infinitesimal, was burned into his mind's eye, became a part of the savage pleasure in which he was indulging.

  He released his hold on her wrists and bent to kiss her mouth, her eyes.

  "Belong to me, Sayuri. Belong only to me," he said as he pressed himself hard against her, his body still, corded muscle, unbelievably powerful, shaking with his need for her.

  She wasn't sure she understood entirely what he meant. She was so caught up in him nothing was really making sense. But she knew one thing for sure, at the moment, she did belong to him. "I do."

  At that, Ulrich caught her hips in his hands.

  Her pussy was hot and ready for him as he surged forward and buried himself to the hilt in her tight, fiery sheath. She moaned low in her throat, and he bent his head to seek her mouth. It took all the will he possessed to hold himself still, to allow her body to adjust, to accommodate his. He could feel their heartbeats combined, could hear the blood singing in her veins.

  He moved slowly then, carefully at first, studying her reaction by watching her expressive face.

  Fire danced all along his skin and roared in his belly. His muscles contracted and flexed, perspiration beading on his skin. He dragged her closer to him, claiming her as his own, burying his cock in her over and over again, intent on sating an insatiable hunger.

  He growled his torment and bent his head to the spot over her left breast to devour again the soft velvet skin as he continued to plunge his cock into her. He burned and drove harder still, seeking respite in the only way he could.

  She moved, shifting away from him, emitting a breathless almost inarticulate cry, trying hard to voice the rippling pleasure consuming her.

  Again he growled, the animal inside of him protesting as he pinned her to the floor.

  It went on and on, pain edging pleasure, and he found himself needing more and more. He spilled his seed which only served to trigger a sensual hunger, the beast in him completely aroused.

  He traced a path along the side of her throat to find the steady beat of her heart beneath an inviting breast. He stroked a hardened nipple with his tongue before returning to trace the swell of her breast, once, twice. He took her body again, insatiable in his sexual frenzy, this time hot and fast. The taste of her was sweet and clean and utterly addictive. He craved more and more, his body building power and strength, driving harder and harder, burying himself deeply in her, pushing her toward another shattering release.

  Sayuri struggled with herself, unable to recognize Ulrich in the beast whose emotions were nothing but pure sensual hunger and appetite.

  His mouth burned and tormented her skin, fueled an endless, spiraling climax.

  She could feel herself becoming weak, a strange euphoria taking over her, languid and sexy.

  His dark eyes were still glowing with the beast when he lifted his head, her taste in his mouth, on his lips. Gathering her limp body to him, he cradled her in his arms. A burgeoning need possessed him, he needed to feel of her soft skin, needed to hold her.

  He then carried her to her bed in the other room. She looked so beautiful, a rare, precious treasure. He couldn't help but think that he should have guarded her against the beast in him.

  He had been unable to maintain control in the heat of passion.

  He touched her face with fingers that trembled, a light caress, then bent to kiss her delicate mouth.

  With ferocity he descended upon her, crushing his mouth against hers. Suckling her lips, he pricked her with his sharp teeth. Her soft mewling protest at the injury mingled with the sweetness of her mouth, fueling the lust consuming his senses, threatening to push him over the edge of control again.

 
; Small noises came from her throat, soft whimpers of pleasure as he thrust the comforter aside and settled his body against her naked flesh.

  She rubbed her tight body against him, making him groan against her mouth. Closing her arms around him, she dug her nails into his back, clutching him tightly as he ravished her mouth.

  Plunging his tongue inside, he explored her dark crevices, entwining his tongue with hers as she sucked him deeper. The heat of her mouth enveloped him, searing all sanity, banishing all reason. With a mind of their own, his hands moved down her taut stomach. His fingers teased the lips of her pussy, moist with her desire. Discovering the evidence of her arousal was nearly his undoing. He dragged his mouth away, along the line of her jaw to her ear. Tracing the shell of her ear with liquid heat, he plunged his tongue inside as his fingers sought and found her clit.

  A loud moan escaped her followed by gasping, as though she could not catch her breath. She spread her legs wide for him, tilting her hips to meet the thrusts of his fingers.

  The head of his cock nudged the opening of her pussy, wet with her juices.

  "Please," she pleaded, her voice husky as she wrapped her legs around him.

  He went perfectly still, poised above her, tense. He realized he had lost his damned mind. What was he thinking? He couldn't have sex with her again. He needed to stop, to leave. His arms began to shake with the effort it took to control himself, and a cold sweat broke out all over his body. It wouldn't take much to sink into her depths. She was wet and needy for him.

  Sayuri arched beneath him, and the head of his cock teased her entrance, jerking with need.

  He groaned and slipped infinitesimally inside. As he slowly relinquished his restraint, his arms shook more violently. Her wet heat beckoned, threatened to snap the remainder of his resolve.

  "Don't stop. I beg you," she cried in torment, tossing her head back and forth, her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

  "You don't know what you're asking," he said through gritted teeth, pained with the force of will it took to maintain control.

  "I do," she whispered.

  He plunged into her pussy then, setting a quick rhythm, each stroke making her quiver with her impending release.

  In moments, sudden all-encompassing bliss shot through them like a current of electricity, enveloping them as the waves of orgasm crashed and consumed them in pleasure.

  They both fell limp against the bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

  Chapter Six

  When Ulrich first woke up, it took him a minute to figure out where he was. But, all it took was one look at Sayuri laying next to him asleep in bed to clarify things. He ran a hand hard over his face as if he could wipe away the events of the night before, but when he looked again nothing had changed and Sayuri was still laying asleep beside him in the bed, her steady breathing somehow relaxing.

  He mentally chastised himself. What in the world had he been thinking? He'd told himself that he didn't need to walk her home, but, on the other hand, he'd convinced himself that he couldn't allow her to walk home alone late at night. It just wasn't safe in the wilderness. Like the fool he was, he'd gone with her, believing the whole time it was the chivalrous thing to do and that he only had honorable intentions. He had felt certain that he was in full possession of his faculties, that he wouldn't do anything he shouldn't, even though he'd wanted to earlier in the day at the gym when he'd realized that Faolan already had and again at dinner when she'd taken off her coat and smiled at him so invitingly.

  His gaze drifted to Sayuri again as she continued to sleep peacefully, completely unaware of his internal struggle. She didn't deserve to be treated the way she'd been treated. She didn't deserve a one night stand, didn't deserve to wake up alone after he had fucked her brains out all night.

  But he knew that that was exactly what was going to happen. He didn't have a choice. The sun had already risen, which meant that Faolan and Torolf had already woken up and were in the gym. They would have realized by now that he'd never come home last night. He was going to play hell with his pack mates and his boss if he was late for work.

  And more than that, his alpha was going to want to cut his throat if he discovered what he'd done. But, at the moment, he didn't give a damn. She looked so beautiful, lying next to him, deep in sleep. He hated to leave her, especially after everything she'd told him the night before at dinner. She was right, they did have a lot in common, each of them had been abandoned when they were young. He had wished that he could tell her why his parents had left him to the elements, but he couldn't because they weren't the same, because she was human. And he knew that was also the reason why he had to leave now. He couldn't afford to think of her as someone he could get close to. It just wasn't possible.

  He got out of her bed, gingerly so as not to wake her, and made his way through the cabin, collecting his clothes from where he'd thrown them down in front of the fireplace. He quickly stepped into his pants and hastily threw on his shirt, not bothering to button it. As he approached the door, he thought he was making good his exit, after all, he hadn't woken her up.

  As he slowly backed out of the front door, he came face to face with Faolan.

  "Shit!" he said in a loud whisper. He'd been so caught up with listening for Sayuri stirring in her bed he hadn't paid attention to anything else.

  Faolan grabbed Ulrich by the shoulder and pulled him around to face him and Torolf. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" Faolan asked in an angry whisper, sounding every bit like an angry parent having caught their child returning from a midnight rendezvous.

  Ulrich's brow furrowed with irritation. "This is not the place to discuss this," he said in a harsh whisper, his own temper rising at Faolan's accusatory tone. How could he stand there and question him when he'd gone and done the same damn thing? He knew why Torolf was mad, he was the only one who hadn't gotten the chance to satisfy his beast.

  All three of them stalked off into the woods to where they had argued the day before.

  When they finally arrived and they were all alone, Faolan confronted Ulrich. "What the hell did you think you're doing?" he asked, dangerous undertones evident in his voice.

  "You know damn good and well what I was doing," Ulrich replied gruffly.

  "How could you both do this?" Torolf demanded, his face pensive, his body tense with irritation, closing and opening his hands over and over again at his sides, as if he wanted to rip them to pieces.

  The comment surprised both Faolan and Ulrich, and they both turned to look at Torolf.

  "What do you think you have done? What if she winds up pregnant from all of this? Then what are we going to do?"

  Faolan and Ulrich quickly looked at each other, both looking the worse for wear on that comment. They had been so consumed by their own needs that they hadn't thought about the consequences of their actions.

  Torolf began to pace in the snow, his anger mounting at their carelessness as he continued. "I think she's going to know something is up when she has pups instead of human babies. If she does become pregnant, she has the right to know what's going to happen, what we are. The only thing that could make matters worse is if our own people find out or if she was pregnant and had the baby at a human hospital."

  Faolan began to pace in agitation as well. "I don't think it's possible that she will become pregnant," he said, running a hand roughly through his hair as if it would help him think. "For one, it's never been proven that our kind and humans can successfully breed. For another, I'm fairly certain I pulled out before I spilled my seed." He stopped pacing for a minute and turned to look at Ulrich. "That just leaves you."

  "What?" Ulrich asked.

  "Did you spill your seed in her or not?" Faolan said, his voice rising in irritation. "Haven't you been following the conversation?"

  Ulrich thought about it for a minute. "I think I pulled out the first time. I'm not sure about every single time, though, really."

  The other two men looked at him angrily.


  He growled at them in return. "Look, it's not as if I was in my right mind. We're all at each other's throats here because we've been denying our instincts to mate. It goes against who we are to just keep pushing these urges to the wayside year after year."

  "I think it would be best if we just stayed away from Sayuri," Faolan said with conviction. He didn't like the idea any more than his pack mates did, but they really didn't have a choice in the matter. They couldn't afford for the rest of their kind to find out, then they would never have a chance at breeding.

  "I think you're right," Ulrich agreed, although internally it pained him to admit it.

  "Of course, now that you two have satisfied yourselves, we should definitely stay away from her," Torolf shouted in return.

  Blood was pounding in Torolf's ears so loud he couldn't hardly think, let alone listen to Faolan and Ulrich anymore. He was too consumed with his beast. He turned away from his pack mates and left the clearing as fast as he could. He needed time to think, time to be alone, before they found themselves in exactly the same situation they had been in the day before, tearing at each other's throats.

  Faolan and Ulrich had already quieted their beast. He grew increasingly pissed as he continued to dwell on what Faolan had said about staying away from the woman.

  It was true, she was trouble. She had already tempted two of them to break pack law. If they weren't careful, they would be cast out by the council leaders and become rogues.

  He had listened to everything they had had to say, but he knew with his entire being that they were going to make a play for her again at the first opportunity that presented itself. Since this wasn't an actual mating, he didn't figure the pack law of order counted. If it was a mating, and Faolan had claimed her, then he wouldn't be allowed to touch her until his alpha had impregnated her. Impregnation wasn't the goal here, and Faolan and Ulrich had both claimed that they pulled out and didn't give her their seed. He thought about if for a while and decided that as long as he didn't give her his seed, it would be alright if he spent some time with her as well. He wouldn't have broken the primary pack law, that the alpha always had first rights of impregnating the pack female, but that law didn't apply to her. She was fair game.