Rutledge Werewolves 1: Scent of Passion (12 page)

“How?” he challenged her.

“Well,” she thought a moment, “it’s not like wolves are hugely populating the area. And if a stack of men really were changing into furry wolves on the night of the full moon,” she choked down more laughter, desperately trying to be serious, “wouldn’t we poor humans notice the great influx of wolves?”

Artemais shook his head.

“It’s not like there’s hundreds of us. Twenty-five years ago, my pack suffered a huge culling, killing more than half of us. There’s only a dozen or so of us left, most of them elderly Beta men and women.”

Instantly, he saw the concern and sorrow in her eyes.

“You were culled?”

“My parents, and grandmother were among them. Many old friends died too.”

“Oh Artemais, I’m sorry.” Sophie blinked when she realized what her words meant. Doubt and worry clouded her gaze.

“When is the next full moon?” she queried.

“Friday.”

Sophie searched his face. He could tell she didn’t know what to believe. Evidently she thought
he
believed what he said, but she wasn’t convinced. Not that he could blame her.

“Is it…? Are you…? I mean…”

“I’d never be a danger to you, love. Surely you know that? You’re my mate and I would protect you with my life.” Dragging her close, he hugged her tight. He needed her to believe that much at least. When she sighed and snuggled trustingly into his chest, he hoped half the fight of her belief in him was won.

If he had really wanted to, he could have changed into a wolf there and then for her, but he thought he had pressed his luck as much as he could today. He knew the conversation held a lot for her to take in, and even though she only half believed him, the worst parts for him were over. He and his brothers could charm her into staying, and when she saw them on the full moon…well, hopefully she trusted him to keep her safe.

It was better than her screaming and running away in a panic. His Sophie certainly proved without a doubt her core held made of sterner stuff, he thought, filled with pride at the knowledge.

Chapter Fifteen

As Sophie drew her clothes back on, her mind whirled with stray thoughts. She had never made love in a public place before, and while this deserted, gorgeous woodlands area wasn’t exactly public, and it certainly wasn’t in a closed bedroom.

Anyone could have come across them, yet she had been far too engrossed, far too focused on Artemais and the exciting feelings he brought up in her to think about petty things like being caught like a couple of teenagers necking in a car.

What worried her more, though, was the niggling worry that she didn’t know if she believed what Artemais was telling her or not. He looked so serious, so
very
serious that she knew
he
believed he was a werewolf. And this wasn’t really something one could be mistaken in surely? It’s not like one could turn into a wolf and
not
realize it?

Sophie shook her head, confused. When Artemais had been talking to her about being a werewolf, she recalled herself as a young child.

She had always been one of those children, down at the bottom of gardens and checking under mushrooms in parks, looking for fairies and goblins. Imagining she was a Queen in exile. She had never been girly enough to want to be a fairy princess, but she had dreamt that she came from another country, another world. She had always owned an amazing imagination, reading Enid Blyton and utterly charmed with the idea of being a changeling.

Her grandmother had caught her one afternoon, stomping her foot in exasperation,
demanding
the fairies come out and play. As her parents had died when she had been young, her beloved grandmother had raised her as best she could. She had been sat down on Grandmother’s lap, and explained that while magic did exist, things like fairies and vampires, werewolves and goblins were never quite as the myths and tales told them.

Grandmother had never told her these things didn’t exist, but she had pointed out that, just like in Chinese Whispers, a tale told more than once to different people changed, so did legends over time.

“For every Legend that persists, an element of truth is present,” had been a saying that her grandmother had repeated often during those years. Sophie had clung to those words as a child. She had never really stopped believing that magic and fairies existed, but she had been skeptical on how vampires and werewolves could exist without general knowledge.

To her dismay, Sophie realized instead of running away, climbing back into her car and driving as far away as humanly possible, she instead wanted to ask Artemais a million questions. Her childlike curiosity had never really waned. Instead, it had lain dormant as she grew into adulthood.

Sophie blushed as Artemais winked at her. He, too, silently pulled his clothes back on. The rogue thought that such a gorgeous man shouldn’t need to clothe himself swiftly followed with the desire to rip said clothes from him again and screw his brains out, right there in the woods.

Sophie wondered briefly if she had lost her mind—if the pregnancy had shaken up her mind so much that she had lost her marbles.

As Artemais gently took her hand and led her slowly back out of the woods, Sophie couldn’t bear to keep her questions hidden.

“Are your brothers… Dom and Samuel… William…?”

Sophie smiled when Artemais released a breath he had been holding. She hadn’t realized he had been silent too, letting her assimilate what he had shared.

“Yes. They are.”

Nodding, she let him lead her a few more paces.

“What’s it like?”

Sophie had been looking at the scenery, so when Artemais stopped she bumped into him. Warm hands reached out to hold her steady, embracing her in his heat. Turning into his chest, she nuzzled his neck a moment, enjoying the closeness she had with him. Sophie heard Artemais clear his throat. She nuzzled a bit more, teasingly this time when she found his cock hardening. She loved how he reacted so fiercely to her.

“It’s painful, but not badly so. It’s like coming home.”

Sophie raised her head, worried.

“You feel more at home as a wolf?” She felt a bit relieved when he shook his head.

“That’s not what I mean. When I change into a wolf, I feel free. I can smell the scents of the earth, run wild, be an animal. When I change into human form, I can feel my power, feel smarter, better. I’m at home in both bodies, and I’m blessed in that I feel relief and safety in both forms.”

Sophie worried her lip.

“So how long do you run for? When you change into a wolf? Will you leave me for days?”

Sophie refused to look at him, staring at the beauty of the Park; she tried to rationalize the fear and uncertainty gnawing at her gut. Could she cope with having her partner run wild for days at a time in wolf form? She wasn’t sure.

Sophie felt her hand creep protectively over her stomach. Her child would be half werewolf. If for no other reason, she would make herself—teach herself—to deal with any of their idiosyncrasies, for the sake of her child. What she might not be willing to accept in a partner and lover, she would embrace and love in her child.

She felt Artemais’ big hand tilt her chin upwards, so she had to look into his face.

“I’m Alpha, darling. I can chose when I change. I have to change on the night of the full moon, but I’m still me, still Artemais. I think slightly differently, but as a wolf or man, you are my mate. No other woman holds appeal for me. I doubt I could survive very long, and certainly not be content, without you by my side. On the night of the full moon, I’ll run wild and free, yes. But I will
always
come back to you, to our son, to our home.”

Sophie smiled and couldn’t resist her teasing.

“Our daughter, you mean.”

Artemais laughed, loud and long.

“If we are blessed with a daughter, I would love it. But genetics always seem to breed true for the Rutledges; I think you’ll find our baby will be a boy. However, you can feel free to think otherwise. Either way, I simply must kiss you right now.”

Sophie’s breath caught as he dragged her even closer into his body. His hard muscles, his throbbing cock, his long, lean fingers as they traced a path down her spine. Everything he did set her body on fire. Pressing his lips to hers, she felt her doubts and fears melt away. Pressing back into him, she slid her tongue out and into his mouth, playing, dueling with his own.

When Artemais groaned, deep in his throat, Sophie felt an answering awareness in her body. She felt damp, her heartbeat accelerated, and her entire body strained forward for more attention.

“Sophie,” Artemais started, obviously trying to keep a hold of his good intentions. Sophie nuzzled, then lightly bit his neck, sucking for a moment on the salty skin.

“Now, Artemais. I want you here, now. Please.”

Sophie felt a rush of pleasure as Artemais lifted his head, looked wildly around them both, and then dragged her behind a particularly large tree.

“We really should…back to the house…” he panted, stringing kisses down her neck and unsnapping her jeans. Sophie grinned. It made her feel so much better to realize that it wasn’t just her that felt so strongly affected by their attraction.

“Come on Artemais, live on the edge for a moment,” she smiled softly, teasingly. The answering heat in his eyes, the fierce pressing of his hard cock showed he enjoyed her teasing.

“You want to live on the edge, huh, Soph? Let’s try this then.”

Sophie squeaked as Artemais turned her around and pressed her up against the large tree. He opened her jeans, then fumbled with his own, setting his large cock free. Sophie leaned back, ready for the lovely tight fit of Artemais’ cock inside her, but when he kissed her again, then started playing with one breast and drawing damp patterns on her stomach, she shifted, being tickled.

“Artemais,” she complained. When he only chuckled, and whispered “Patience” she knew she was in trouble.

He nipped and laved at her throat, and drove her body wild with his erotic patterns, his attention to her breasts. She could feel the heat radiating from his cock, as it pressed against her jeans and her panties, but he made no move to penetrate her.

Determined to tease him just as he teased her, she closed her hand around his cock in a tight fist, and pumped him once. Artemais pulled away from her slightly, his eyes flaring, his pupils dilating.

“Sophie,” he growled warningly. She simply smiled back, trying to look innocent.

“Yes, Artemais?”

She pumped his cock again, squeezing her fist slightly as she reached the tip of his cock. She felt dampness as her finger swirled over his tip. An answering dampness wet her panties.

“Argh,” he moaned, as Sophie pumped him a third time.

“I’m waiting Artemais,” she chided gently, kissing under his ear and nipping the lobe gently.

“Fine,” he growled, pulling her panties down so quickly she heard the delicate satin tear a bit. Her pussy finally exposed, the chill breeze sent goose bumps over her arms. In one heartbeat, Artemais covered her, shielding her from the breeze. She wound her arms around his neck, and tangled her legs in his.

“Shit, Soph. I feel like a schoolboy again.”

Sophie smiled, and merely kissed him, drawing his tongue into her mouth as his long fingers explored her pussy. She was wet and impatient for him, but she could feel the massive effort he exerted over himself as he tried to delay their pleasure. When the pad of his finger grazed over her engorged clit, she cried out and arched into his hand.

Around and around, over and over he teased her clit, sending jolts of electricity through her system, driving her higher. When she could feel herself reaching that peak, she pulled him closer.

“Come with me,” she panted. “Don’t let me come alone!”

As Artemais gently held the head of his cock outside her pussy, Sophie swore she could feel its heat, feel him throbbing with the desire to enter her.

Then slowly, so very slowly she thought she would lose her mind, Artemais pushed himself into her. Inch by delicious inch he pressed. When he had a few inches inside her, he withdrew himself, tearing a cry from her.

“Please! Don’t!”

When he chuckled and kissed her neck, Sophie clutched him with her inner muscles.

Yet again, he started pushing himself into her. First one inch, then another. When he lodged half inside her, he began to withdraw once again.

“No!” she cried, futilely trying to grasp him and pull him back inside her.

“Could you really leave me, love? Leave this?”

“No!” she panted, the husky timber of Artemais’ voice turning her on even more than his physical actions.

“Our passion, our love for each other has already created one child inside you. I’m looking forward very much to creating another child, and then another. Do you want this Sophie?”

Sophie shrieked. When Artemais said
this
he pushed his entire length into her, filling her with his cock, with his words, with his heat and passion.

“Yes!” she cried out, uncaring of anyone hearing her screams, “I want it, Artemais.
Please!
”