The Lonely Wolf (15 page)

A day earlier.

Driving around the rocky terrain of the ridge overlooking Reserve, Lupo slowed the beamer to a stop by a glade. Hungry, tired, and worried, he let his head hit the steering wheel and exhaled a long sigh. “Here we are.” He raised his head to point with his chin at the hills and plains below.

Illuminated by a waning crescent moon, Reserve was bathed in a pale light. From their perch, Lupo could hear the soft chirping and buzzing of insects, and the fast flowing waters of the river bisecting the vast area in two. He found the natural sounds calming and breathed the fresh smell of resin and dew in, filling his lungs to capacity.

By contrast, the silence in the car was unsettling. Jasmine had stopped talking when they left the main artery and entered the dirt road that led to Reserve. Now she was hugging herself, keeping her body as far away from his as possible, while she stared outside.

“This isn’t right.” Lupo pushed himself up and leaned against the window, facing her. “I want you, but not if it looks like I’m about to force you.” His wolf paced in his mind, as he had been doing for the entire drive, adding anxiety to Lupo’s turmoil.

Jasmine stirred, but didn’t turn or say anything.

“Talk to me.” Tentatively, he reached out and brushed her shoulder. “If you have changed your mind, just tell me.” His wolf abruptly halted.

Jasmine tilted her head then, her black eyes staring back at him. “For the last hour, I tried to gather enough strength to tell you that we should wait, that you should drive me back home. But I can’t even think of living a moment without you.” She took his hand and kissed it. “I don’t know why the Goddess and the Great Wolf decided we should be one, but the truth is, I don’t care anymore. I tried to rationalize that it must be for a reason. I mean, a Purist panther and a wolf—”

“A lowlife one at that.” Lupo smiled.

She nodded, her mouth forming a small smile. “Our lives run on separate tracks so far away from each other that we would’ve never met.”

“And yet, here we are, two runways, and the whole Reserve for us.”

“What I feel for you is soul-consuming. It’s like I’m burning, and you are made of water. I need you so much, I can’t breathe.” She brought his hand to her heart. “I was raised to be a good wife for my Purist husband, to act and speak properly, to always follow our tribe’s laws. A few hours with you, and I forgot everything about decency. I feel like a different person—”

“I don’t know the old Jasmine, and I’ve just started to get to know the new one, but I’m here to be everything she needs from now on.”

“And I’ll do my best to be a good mate for you.”

Her scent intensified, and Lupo’s heart leapt up to his throat, leaving him panting. In the confines of the small car, he pulled her closer, but the gear shift and the arm rest were between them. After a few failed attempts, he ended up banging her head against the ceiling and his against the window frame. Meanwhile, she was trying to avoid the lever, but lost her balance and hit him squarely in the chest with her elbow. At his grunt, Jasmine started laughing, and after a moment he joined her.

“I swear, I’m usually way smoother,” he said in between laughter.

Jasmine placed a finger over his lips. “Never mention your Casanova past to me again.” Without giving him time to answer, she grabbed the collar of his tunic to pull him closer to her. “How would you react if I mentioned an army of ex-lovers?”

His animal took control of his brain and he saw red. “But you said you never—”

She raised an eyebrow. “See?”

He blinked, realizing she was just making a point. “I become instantly stupid around you.”

“You’re welcome.” She leaned forward, closing the small gap between them, and took possession of his mouth.

The kiss was soft and tender at first. Jasmine’s lips felt like heaven, and Lupo pressed against them, his tongue tracing the seam, demanding she open for him. With a moan, she granted him access. His arms wound around her, taking control of their breathing while their heartbeats synched as one in a frantic gallop.

If their first kiss had been fast and furious like lightening, the second was more like a summer thunderstorm that started slow and left them drenched, but exultant. Their animals chased each other, and their joyful roars echoed in Lupo’s and Jasmine’s minds.

Lupo’s hands went to her lap, and he bunched up her chiton, but there wasn’t enough space to maneuver, and he only managed to raise the fabric up to her knees. Frustrated, he interrupted their kissing and lowered his forehead to hers. “I swear, you’ll never wear one of those hideous things again.”

“You order me so, wolf?” she asked, tilting her chin up to brush his lips.

“I order you so, panther.” He caressed her back up and down. “What do you think of a bit of fresh air?”

She gasped when he deftly unhooked her bra from over the chiton. “What?”

“Down there, I can see a bend in the river and a nice glade.” He placed both hands to the side of her face and gently turned her so that she could see the place he was describing. “What do you think?”

Her eyes wide and her chest rising and falling, she whispered, “Okay.”

He kissed her one more time, then helped her back in her seat and started the engine.

Clearing his mind and focusing on the target, Ludwig punched the dummy. The humanoid figure waved back and forth on its axis as it absorbed the strength of Ludwig’s upper jab. Sweat covered Ludwig’s torso and arms, dripping down his boxer shorts as he extended his right leg for a roundhouse kick followed by two punches.

Drako’s gym was empty when Ludwig had arrived at four-thirty in the morning, but now a few of the regulars were coming in, ready to blow off some steam before starting the day. No one offered to spar with Ludwig. Although his angelic strength usually kept the other patrons at bay, he still managed to get a cocky shifter or two to train with him. But his current mood was so dark, no one dared to step into his side of the gym.

The clock on the wall displayed it was seven in the morning, and he realized he had been punishing the dummy for almost three hours. The soft plastic around its chest was coming off in chunks, while the sides were all frayed, and the head was dangling, attached to the neck by a few centimeters of foam. Overall, his unwilling training partner was covered in Ludwig’s blood, another reason that might have kept the rest of the gym away from him.

Grabbing the towel from the low wooden bench by the wall, he wiped off his face, stanched the blood on his hands, then walked to the water fountain.

“You’re bleeding all over the floor,” Drako’s voice came from behind him.

“It’s okay, I’m holy.” Ludwig turned and gave the Greek a one-armed hug. “You can bottle my blood and sell it on the black market. I’m sure it’s good profit.”

Drako stepped back and studied him for a moment. “You just made a joke.” He opened his arm to the side to show Ludwig the nook where a small kitchen and the coffee maker was.

“I’ve taken myself too seriously for far too long if people feel the need to comment upon my wit.” In passing, Ludwig grabbed a clean towel from the rack and folded it around his left hand that had sustained the most punishment. He sat at the chair Drako pulled out for him and stretched his long legs under the small round table, while Drako fixed the moka with fresh roasted Arabic.

“Is everything all right?” Alexander asked.

The aroma of coffee filled the nook, and Ludwig inhaled a gulp of it before answering, “Nothing is all right, but I’ll survive.” He couldn’t help but chuckle at his choice of words, given that angels couldn’t die.

“Okay, twice in less than ten minutes. What’s happening, archangel?” Drako turned on the camp stove and set the moka on the burner, then stepped in front of the table.

“I hate that word with all my might.” Drako gave him a puzzled look, to which Ludwig answered, “Archangel.”

“May I ask you why? You fought so hard to reach this position.” Arms folded over his chest, Alexander leaned against the edge of the huge marine shell that served as a sink.

“Millennia in the making, and I would give everything to be free of the title right now.” Uncomfortable on the small chair and feeling caged inside the nook, he shifted and pushed it back. “Azahel is pestering me about wanting to visit my office at Castel Sant’ Angelo before she’s installed, and I’d like to tell her she can take my seat at the Holy Nation too, for all I care.” To his annoyance, the angel had sent him a volley of emails, and had also left a few messages on all of Ludwig’s numbers.

“Life can be funny that way.”

“Have you ever regretted making a decision?” Ludwig asked, aware he had never engaged in a personal conversation with the Greek before—he actually never talked about private matters with anyone else but Quintilius.

“When you live as long as we do, there’s always room for epic screw-ups. I’m the king of bad decisions, but in a way, I think that each one of them brought me closer to Ravenna. And with her by my side, everything feels right.”

Ludwig scoffed. “
Amor vincit omnia
, ah?”

“With three kids and a companion I could’ve only dreamed of, I’m the proof that love conquers all.” Drako stepped back to the stove where the moka was spitting out espresso from its spout.

“You don’t miss your old ways?”

“Sure, I loved my life as a playboy. I was very good at it.” Drako pivoted on his heels and brought the moka to the table. “But the thought of spending one single day without my family depresses me. I don’t want to imagine a life without them. It terrifies me.” He reached for the espresso cups and saucers on the shelf over the stove.

As Alexander poured the coffee, Ludwig mulled over his statement.

“I know it’s not my business, and we don’t have that kind of familiarity, but if I may say something, I think you’d be better off choosing what makes you happy.” Alexander brought his cup to his lips, sipped his espresso, then placed it back on the saucer. “Mortals say that life’s too short to not live it at its fullest, and we immortals sometimes forget that the same applies to us, even if on a larger scale.”

Ludwig tasted his coffee and found it bitter but reinvigorating. “But what about responsibilities?”

Alexander played with his cup, tracing its edge with his finger, but at the question, he raised his eyes. “What will you remember in one million years?”

A sweet ache pressed over Ludwig’s chest as the memory of the last time he had made love to Quin played back for him.

“That look right now tells me you have your answer.” Alexander was about to refill Ludwig’s cup with some fresh espresso when his cell phone rang. “Pardon me, but it’s Ravenna,” he said with a smile. “Hello, my love—” His mouth open, he paused to listen to Ravenna firing back, “Something’s happened.” Color draining from his face, he asked, “What is it?”

Since his hypersensitive ears would have heard the whole conversation even if he had no intention to eavesdrop, Ludwig pushed the chair further back and stood to give the Greek some privacy.

Raising his free hand, Alexander made a sign for Ludwig to stay.

“He’s asking for Ludwig.” Ludwig heard Ravenna say at the other end of the call.

“He’s actually here.” Alexander passed the phone to Ludwig.

“Hello, Ra—” He couldn’t finish his greeting sentence, because Ravenna interrupted him with a frantic, “A vampire entered
Casolare del Lupo
, and—” which he interrupted back by asking the only question his brain could muster, “Is Quintilius okay?”

“He’s fine, but Camelia was attacked. She’s in ICU at the Tiberina Island Hospital. Caelum has been called…”

At the mention of the warlock, Ludwig pushed the cell phone back into Alexander’s palm and strode toward the dummy’s corner where he had left his shirt. A moment later, he was outside the gym and airborne.

He landed on the hospital’s roof, then spiraled down the large marble stairwell and reached the entrance to the ICU, where he immediately saw Quintilius, pacing outside. The werewolf wasn’t alone. Ophelia and Peter stood by one of the columns, silently looking at him.

Ludwig waited for his wolf to sense him, but Quintilius was too preoccupied and didn’t see him until Ludwig was halfway down the hallway. At the sight of the dark circles under Quintilius’s eyes and at his clothes—now two days old—covered in dark red stains, Ludwig had to fight the impulse to run and take the werewolf in his arms. Instead, he slowed down his gait and walked toward the trio. Quintilius raised his head and looked at him. Pain was etched on his face as he stroked his jaw and then passed his fingers through his mane.

Stopping before Quintilius, Ludwig asked, “How is she?”

“They just let Caelum in.” Quintilius’s voice was a hoarse whisper, his eyes distant.

“What happened?” Unable to bear Quin’s haggard sight without being able to soothe his sufferance, Ludwig stepped by the side, so he would face the ICU’s door instead.

“Claudius sent a reminder,” Quintilius said, backing a few steps until he reached the cream wall for support. “She’s lost lots of blood—” He looked down at his hands, then brought them to his face and covered his eyes. “For a moment, a very long moment, she didn’t breath, her heart was still, and I thought I’d lost her.” He shook his head. “If she had died—” A long shiver ran through him. “I don’t know what I would do without her.”

Aware that both Ophelia and Peter were watching them, he stepped closer to Quintilius and lowered his voice. “Don’t talk like that.” His hand reached out for Quin’s arm, but he stopped himself before touching the werewolf.

“I was played like an idiot.” Quintilius, a statuesque man whose countenance would scare into obedience all the other alphas, looked frail.

“It wasn’t your fault—”

“I fell for the oldest trick in the book and left her alone, unprotected.”

“Quin—”

The ICU’s door opened, and the blond warlock came out, heading straight toward Quintilius.

A day earlier.

After driving down the hill, Lupo parked the car by one of Reserve’s gates, then looked at Jasmine and smiled.

“Ready?” He took her small hand in his and kissed it.

“I’m ready.”

He leaned to brush her lips, then exited the car and ran to Jasmine’s side to open her door. Cradling her in his arms, he carried her to the fence while kissing her, and only then he let her go.

“I’ll catch you.” He jumped the high wooden fence, waited for her to clear the edge, then welcomed her in his arms at the end of her jump. High on happiness and with Jasmine anchored to his back, he ran to the glade by the river he had seen from above.

The chirping was louder on the ground, and the waters ran by fast, licking the rock walls of the basin with a lulling pattern. A gentle breeze cooled Lupo’s body before he started sweating in earnest under the tunic.

Once every few meters, he would tilt his head backward to steal a kiss from Jasmine. “Tell me where you want me to stop.”

She nodded, then said, “Now. This is perfect.” From above his shoulder, Jasmine pointed at a field dotted with white flowers.

He slowed his pace until he was walking. Once in the middle of the meadow, he lowered her to the ground, then removed his tunic for her to sit on. “The grass is dewy.” Stark naked, he looked down at her.

“You’re truly magnificent.” Her voice was hoarse, and she brought a hand to her chest. “I’ve never seen anything as beautiful as you.”

Sitting by her side, Lupo laughed and dipped his head to brush her nose with his. “And that’s probably the only reason I’ll ever be grateful for your upbringing.”

“It isn’t like I’ve never seen a man in all his glory before.”

“What do you mean?” His temper rose right away, leaving him burning in the chilly night.

“I’ve got unlimited access to internet, you know?”

“And you’ve been looking at naked men?” he asked, barely masking his growing anger. The fact he too went online to look at naked women didn’t seem relevant. Rationality evaded him where Jasmine was concerned.

“Really?” She gave him a raised eyebrow. “What’s your excuse?”

He was too upset to answer her.

“At least I have one good reason to look at pics and videos—”

“Videos too?” he choked.

“Oh come on! You’re the king of double standards. I can see in your mind which one you watched last.”

Lupo’s anger morphed into embarrassment, and he raised his hands in surrender. “That’s just a fantasy, nothing else.”

She snorted. “Well, quit dreaming, because it’s not happening.”

“But I have a thing for generous-sized were-snow leopards—”

Jasmine’s eyes became dangerously cold. “You’re still alive only because I know you’re joking. Next time you complain about my mind-reading, remember this moment.”

“Yes, master.”

She swatted him, but he wrapped his hand around her wrist and said, “I like that you have a temper.” He grabbed her other wrist and brought them together between them.

“Keep thinking what you’re thinking, and you’ll see my temper all right.” Unable to move, she reached for his lower lip and playfully bit it. “In any case, as I was saying before you interrupted me, I wasn’t going to wait for my mating night to see what all the buzz was about.”

He felt slightly better by her revelation, but his blood still ran too hot at the thought of Jasmine watching other men. Again, rationality and fairness weren’t his strong suit. “Enough talking about this.” Teasingly, he pushed her to the ground and blanketed her with his body. “I’ll give you private lessons from now on. Whatever curiosity you might have, you ask me,” Lupo whispered in Jasmine’s ear, and was pleased by her chuckle accompanied by a shiver. “I think it’s about time I unwrap my gift.” He rolled to the side and reached down for her chiton.

“I love you.” She placed a hand over his, but not to stop him. “Here and now, under the moon and with the blessing of the Goddess, I’m yours, forever.”

“I love you.” Lupo’s heart skipped a beat. “Here and now, under the moon and with the blessing of the Great Wolf, I’m yours, forever.” Lightheaded, he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her slowly and at length, until they both were panting.

His hand under the hem of her chiton, he resumed his exploration, raising the fabric unhurriedly, and enjoying her soft moans as he brushed her naked skin. “Your curves are divine.” He splayed his fingers over her thigh. “You were made for me.” He inched one hand higher, his fingers traveling down to the inside of her leg, while he kept raising the hem with the other, caressing his way up.

At the junction of her legs, he couldn’t resist any longer and dipped his fingers to find her panties. He smiled against her mouth, when he felt lace under his fingertips. He didn’t give her much warning, just, “I need to see you,” when he kneeled before her and spread her legs with his hands.

“Lupo—” His name sounded like a prayer on her lips.

He wanted nothing more than to tear her chiton apart, but what was left of his brain reminded him they didn’t have spare clothes, so he pulled her tunic up and over her head, then threw it away. When the whole of Jasmine was bared to him, he remained speechless.

Curvaceous and soft, she was his idea of the perfect woman.

You’re the most beautiful girl in the whole world.

“Thank you.” She blushed and the pink spread to the swell of her breasts loosely covered in the white lace he had already unclasped in the car.

He couldn’t help but cup one round mound, then reverently leaned down to kiss the edge between the bra’s ruffles and her skin, teasing her with his tongue while he traced the contour of her breast. Lavishing one breast with his mouth, he caressed the other, his fingers slipping under the lace.

“Lupo,” she pleaded once again, her mounting want mirroring his own.

His hand traveled back down, brushing her from over her panties at first. For all his sexual experience, he felt like a teenager struggling to impress his date with a decent kiss. When he applied a slight pressure, she responded to him with a drawn gasp that set him on fire, and he slid his hand under the lace. At the same time, he kissed his way down from her breast to the waistband of her panties where he paused and said, “You smell like the gardens of Eden,” and pulled the lace to the side, uncovering her.

With a louder moan, her hands went to his head, kneading his hair and pressing him down to her.

“You’re perfection.” Ever so gently, he lowered her panties, then caressed and kissed her, listening to the pattern of her breathing, changing his rhythm to make her say his name louder and louder, until she screamed.

Shoring his weight on one elbow, he retraced his steps, trailing brushes and light bites all over her, removing the bra all the way as he finally reached her mouth for a searing kiss. “As the Great Wolf is my witness, I’ll love and cherish you all my life. Forever and ever, I’ll be yours,” he whispered when he leaned away to look at her.

Her eyes sleepy, and her pose languid, she circled her arms around his neck and said her vows. “As the Goddess is my witness, I’ll love and cherish you all my life. Forever and ever, I’ll be yours.”

Feeling her body still throbbing under his hand, Lupo rolled on top of her, and taking care not to crush her, he positioned himself between her legs. “Mine, panther.”

“Mine, wolf.” She nuzzled the point of his nose with hers.

As his wolf howled to the moon, calling the panther, Lupo slowly thrust inside Jasmine. Her softness welcomed him, and his fangs erupted at the same time as hers did.

Love. I. You. She.

Love. I. You. He.

His wolf and her panther exchanged their vows, then disappeared from Lupo’s and Jasmine’s combined minds. Their bodies moving like one, their fangs pierced each other’s shoulder. The ecstasy of the marking was prolonged by the physical pleasure of their union and their combined scents.

Colors exploded behind Lupo’s eyelids when Jasmine rode a second wave of rapture, caressing him intimately, and triggering his own release with such intensity, he reached a pinnacle so high he lost consciousness for a moment.

“Lupo?” She was panting, struggling to catch her breath, her hands moving over his back in long circles.

Atop her, he chuckled against her neck. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

“I didn’t think it would be so beautiful.”

“Me neither.”

“Is that normal?”

“No, it’s definitely not normal.” He raised his head and kissed her forehead. “But I’d never made love before. You’re my first.”

She could read his mind and understood his meaning. Her eyes became liquid and a fat tear escaped her luscious black lashes.

“Don’t cry, my love.”

“It’s happy tears.” She pressed her hands over his neck to lower him to her again, and brushed her lips over his fresh mark. “I want everyone to see you’re mine.” She scraped the edge of her teeth over the ragged cut she had just left.

The sharp pleasure bordering pain was all Lupo needed to feel the need to take her again.