Reaching for My Angel [The Royal Wolves 5] (Siren Publishing Allure) (15 page)

She moved from him and as she lay down her hand came up to him, offering for him to join her. Her hair spread out under her like a halo and she lay with a leg raised at the knee and the other flat, waiting on her mate, her love, to join her.

Shifting, he laid at her side and, for a few minutes just stared down at her. “I love you, Evangeline, my Angel,” he murmured. Leaning in he kissed her softly, gently brushing his lips back and forth over hers. “I need you to know, this is going to hurt, more than what the women have likely told you. This is a test, to see if you are truly my mate. The Wolf will put you through hell and then throw you out the other side. I’m right here for you, Angel. Just remember that and know I will still be here when you come through the other side.”

“I will survive it, Ben, because I am the one for you. I love you and we will be together when this is over.” She tilted her head. “At the mating mark, Ben, that’s where I want you to bite me, please?” she asked as she stroked her fingers along his strong thigh that was over her leg. “Bring me over, Benedek, make me yours.”

“I love you,” he whispered as he bent his head. Normally the Wolf would be fighting for control but, strangely enough, he was very calm if even a bit concerned. Both man and beast were in sync in their worry over what this might do to their mate. Gently he teased her skin, his tongue and mouth moving over her mating mark until she was squirming in need and hot against his flesh. “Be safe,” he breathed out and then sank his teeth into her flesh…hard.

She wanted to reassure him but she couldn’t. The bite was more than it was in the bathroom at the dealership. Instead it was burning hot. It flamed through her body like lightening and made her scream as she arched. She found herself crying but wrapped her arms around him to hold him close. “Love you, too, Benedek” And then she began to feel it, she felt the liquid heat inside of her as she cried out again.

When he knew the change had started he carefully drew back, sliding his tongue over the wound so she wouldn’t lose any blood that she couldn’t afford. Holding her tightly to him, he rocked them back and forth. “I have you, love, just let it happen,” he whispered softly even as his fear grew with each cry she gave.

Evan lay in his arms moaning, screaming, and crying as her change moved through and over her. She knew that it affected him as much as it affected her and she tried to hide it from him, for all of ten seconds, but then found the pain of hiding it was far more than anything else.

Holding her close, Ben rocked her in his arms, tears in his eyes at the pain she was feeling. He knew it was all a natural part of the change, but he hadn’t had a clue as to the effect it would have on him. Kissing her shoulder and neck repeatedly, he murmured to her gently, telling her how much he loved her and that he had her and was never letting her go.

She felt her body shifting then. She felt the fur growing on her body and her bones popping and lengthening. She screamed in pain as her body began to shift and her mind automatically began to fight it and it was only with his words she calmed herself down and tried to go with the flow with what was happening and soon her screams turned into a howl.

Rolling away he came up on his feet, crouched down on his haunches and waited for her to orient herself. This was the most dangerous part. Either her mind accepted the change or it wouldn’t and she’d be trapped as a Wolf for all time. “That’s it, love.” He continued to talk to her. “Nice and slow, Angel mine, just take it slow.”

Front paws moved, back paws stayed, stumble and fall. Back paws raised and up, front paws slid apart, stumble and fall. Over and over again until she was able to make it to him and, sniffing at his thighs she looked up, tail wagging, and began to whine. She wanted to be human again. She was too tired for this body, hurting too much and wanted to be human to be held by her mate.

Sliding a hand through her fur, Benedek leaned in to press his nose to her furry head, breathing her in deeply. “You are so beautiful, my love.” Wrapping his arms around her as he sat, he pulled her closer to just hold her for a moment longer. “When you’re ready I want you to start focusing on attributes of yourself, you body, your arms, your legs, eyes, nose, work through a list of parts of yourself to find your trigger. It will always be the same so remember it, Angel mine,” he murmured rubbing his cheek over her very soft fur.

Closing her eyes and rubbing her long muzzle against his shoulder, Evan began to think about parts of her so that she could become human once more. It was finally her hair, the way that Benedek would run his fingers through it, caressing the silky straight locks and breathing her scent in when he thought she was sleeping. That was what brought her back to him and before long she was sitting naked in his lap with her arms weakly around his waist.

Smiling, he hugged her close to him. “Hello, my love,” he said softly stroking back her hair as he kissed her nose lightly. “How are you feeling?” he asked gently as he held her to him.

“Weak, but happy,” she said with a smile as she looked up at him. “I love you, Benedek, and I’m so very happy but I feel as weak as a kitten to be completely honest.”

“It’s to be expected, love,” he told her softly. “You should lie down and rest for a while. The change will still continue for another few days. You’ll start to notice all your senses heightening a little at a time. It will allow you time to gradually become used to the extra punch they’ll have. So lay down, we’ll have a nap here and, when you wake next, we can get a snack and then a shower and then more sleep.”

“I think that I will just sleep here, Ben, because to be perfectly honest I don’t think that I would be able to move if I had to.” She was completely and totally wiped out. Just talking was taking much from her but he was right about one thing, she was certainly feeling the effects of the wolf. Scents were stronger, sounds louder, and her sight was sharper.

Pulling up the blankets as he shifted them he tucked her up nice and warm so that she didn’t get a chill as her body continued to keep changing. “Sleep, baby. Later we’ll have a hot bath and some hot food.”

There was nothing more she could say and just on the edges of sleep, her body in complete relaxation and her eyes closed, she whispered the last words, “I love you, Benedek Farkas.” With that, she was sound asleep.

Chapter 5

Looking over his shoulder he chuckled softly again as he watched her looking at herself in the mirror again. She was fascinated by the fact she looked younger. He’d told her she would, that the Wolf would take care to get her back to her prime and now she couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away. While it dented his ego that he wasn’t the focus of her intense attention, he could live with it…for a time.

Shaking his head he turned back to the grill and the meal he was making them knowing she’d be feeling intensely hungry. Steaks and all the fixings were the meal of the night. He wanted her getting in all the calories she’d need to help her through the next few days as the Wolf continued to finish what he’d started.

She moved back to his side and leaned against him as she inhaled the scent of food deeply. Looking up she grinned. “I don’t have the lines at my eyes anymore, Ben, and look at my hands.” She held them out. Before they had been a mass of scars and calluses and now, now they were smooth as a baby’s bottom.

Snagging one of her hands, he lifted it to kiss her knuckles. “Even more beautiful than before,” he told her, again. “I told you that you’d look marvelous, Angel mine, and the changes aren’t all done yet either you have to remember. This is just the beginning,” he promised, again. 

“But do you want to know what I love best about all of this?” she asked as she grinned and moved even closer, her arm wrapping around his middle and looking up at him with adoring fascination. “The sex drive.” Her hand moved up and down on his chest now. “I feel insatiable, and then you come along and you make it all better.”

Smiling even wider he shook his head leaning down to kiss her lightly. “You were insatiable before, love,” he murmured quietly. “But I do like that you still want me.” That was another worry when the change was given to a human. Sometimes the mating link no longer existed on the female’s part and they went looking for their other half, the male left behind to slowly wither and die.

She snorted. “Baby, if I wanted you any more you would be hurting right now.” She reached up and stroked her fingers over his cheek, assuring him as best she could. “Benedek, I love you, sweetheart. There is nothing and no one else for me in this world or any other.”

Growling at her softly he nipped her lips lightly. “Go and sit down, this is just about finished,” he murmured giving her a light bump toward the table.

Moving to the table she ran her fingers along the smooth wood and shook her head in amazement. “I can’t believe how wonderful this feels. It’s so strange because even this, just feeling it is different and amazing. Everything is now so very much more.”

Starting to plate everything he shrugged. “Wouldn’t know, darling, I’ve always been this way but I’ll believe you. Shouldn’t worry though, it’ll settle down in time and just be the norm for you.”

“I hope not,” she said honestly as she looked up at him. “I really like having everything be so…” She struggled for the right words and finally said, “I feel as though I’m learning something fresh and new. The sensations of doing something brand new are just what I need. I can’t explain it but I love it. I love being with you, Ben, and the gift that you alone have given me, the lifetime of love and joy…” She trailed off smiling. “Makes the beginning of my life seem to disappear,” she admitted honestly.

“This is your new life, Evangeline,” he told her as he slid a plate before her and sat with his own in hand. “This is the beginning of Evangeline Farkas, or it will be once you marry me and can claim the name of fame,” he pointed out.

She twisted her plate and inhaled all the scents with a sigh. “This smells so…” She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at him. “When do you want to marry me, Benedek? How soon can you marry me?”

“Tomorrow works for me,” he said with a casual shrug before sneaking a peek at her. “But, as I’ve heard often from the other females in the family, a woman should not be rushed through her wedding preparations. So”—he heaved a mock put upon sigh—“if you want to go all out we can take all the time in the world.”

“No, tomorrow works very well for me.” Evan looked at Ben as she said, “The sooner we are married the better. I don’t need a large overdone wedding. I just need you as my husband, Benedek.”

“We’ll need to do the blood work today then, love,” he said softly unbelieving she was willing to marry him, especially after his less than traditional asking. “Are you sure about this, Angel mine?” he asked her softly. “I know your first run at the gauntlet was less than ideal.” He really wanted to sink his claws into that bastard. “Are you sure you’re okay with trying for a better number two?”

“Benedek, as far as I’m concerned you are my one and only. I want to forget the first time.” Even though she never would. The scars and memories would haunt her for all time. “Just us.” Smiling wickedly she added, “And yes, I’m very sure that I want to marry you, Ben, because if we get pregnant I want to be able to tell them that we were married first so that we can hold that as emotional blackmail against them later in life.” Or something like that.

Chuckling at her words he shook his head. “I’m sure you’ll figure out something,” he murmured. “I want to tell Laz and Des at the least. We’ll need them as witnesses, but I want to keep the rest out of the loop for the time being. We’ll announce it at dinner come Sunday,” he said looking to her to see if she would be agreeable.

“That sounds like an ideal plan. That way we can tell everyone at once instead of having to make multiple calls and then for them to be upset because they weren’t called first, yadda, yadda, yadda.” Evan smiled and nodded. “I suggest that you and I get our blood work done then, Ben, so that we can get married.”

“Then you had better eat, love. I don’t want them trying to tell me that you are undernourished our some such nonsense,” he said nodding to her plate. “Eat up and we’ll go do that before we hit the store to see what everyone has done to the place.”

As she began to eat she asked, “You do know that you can go back to work, right? I promise that I will find something to do with my time, Ben.”

“I know, but not yet,” he told her bumping her shoulder with his. “I’m liking having you to myself for a time. Besides, you learning to be a Wolf has been entertaining. I like seeing the world through your new eyes. It’s been an education and a good time for me. But if I’m in your way…” He let that trail off with a grin at her.

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. “And you know that I love having you around.” Especially when they were able to run as wolves and then stopping in the middle of the forest just to make love. Oh yeah, good times. “Whew, did it just get hot in here?” she asked as she began to fan herself.

Scooping up more food, he ate it before answering. “It’s just your heat kicking in, love,” he told her quietly. “It will be murder for about two days and then again each month for the next year, after that it gets less frequent.”

“What?” She squeaked and shook her head. “So what do we do in the next two days, Ben? How do I deal with this heat?” Well she knew what she wanted to do, really wanted to do and just seeing him there was making her want him all the more. “Gods I want you, Benedek.” She knew that the other women in the Farkas brothers’ lives loved their heat because of how much pleasure they got with their mates in that two days.