Wild Wolf (14 page)

Graham looked over the dark red hatchback with its curvy lines and dented fender, his brows drawing together. “
That
belongs to a guy from DX Security?”

“It's his mom's. He was borrowing it for the day. I told him I'd bring the cubs back to you. Well, actually, I just grabbed his keys while he and the others were debating how to return the cubs, and I brought them back. I figured you'd be worried.”

Misty decided
worried
wasn't a strong enough word. Most of the Shifters were relaxing now, especially the wildcats, who were changing back to human form, strolling home, or loping off in their animal forms. Kyle and Matt were all right, and Graham apparently wasn't going to kill anyone over it, at least not now. The Lupines who'd confronted Misty were still there, but not looking directly at her or Graham.

“Did they think I'd kidnapped them?” Misty asked Graham. “Or that I would hurt them? I never would.” She raised her voice to carry to the others. “I'd never hurt them. Or any kids. Or cubs.”

“They know that in here.” Graham tapped the side of his forehead. “At least, they should. But instinct is a bitch. They see someone with cubs who've been missing, and they want to kill first, ask questions later. But they won't do it again.”

“I called when I was on my way,” Misty said. The cubs were calming now, tails moving a little as she petted heads. “But you wouldn't answer your phone.”

“I was a wolf, trying to hunt a scent. Had to leave my phone at home.” He turned to someone behind Misty, across the street. “Nell! Come and take these brats. I need someone to look after them for me.”

“Forget it, Graham!” the large, dark-haired woman yelled back. “I don't have time, and I don't have room. You have that huge house with only you and your nephew. You take them.”

Graham put his hands on his hips. “Wait, I can't raise twin cubs
and
run Shiftertown!”

Nell turned her back, put her arm around the huge man, Cormac, and walked away with him. “Suck it up, Graham,” Nell said. Cormac looked back at him and grinned.

“Shit.” Graham folded his large arms and glared at the two cubs, whose tails had started moving faster.

Behind Graham, his Lupines watched, faces softening in relief, but they were still wary. Misty realized that while Graham could stamp around and let himself be made fun of, he'd showed that, when need be, his word was law. His Shifters disobeyed at their peril.

“Don't think you two can get out of this by being cute,” Graham said to the cubs. “Bring them, Misty. We need to talk.” He growled as he turned away. “Hell, now you've got
me
saying it.”

 • • • 

G
raham threw open the door of his house, went inside, and signaled Misty to follow. No one was in the kitchen, but the place was the disaster area he'd left. Misty stopped, looking around in dismay.

“The servants all quit,” Graham said, deadpan.

Misty stood motionless while Matt and Kyle crawled down her and dropped to the floor. No longer afraid, they started running in circles between Misty and Graham, chasing each other, fear forgotten.

What Graham liked about all this was that Misty wasn't shying away from his nakedness. She wasn't exactly staring at his goods, but she didn't avert her eyes, flush, turn away, or yell at him to please get dressed.

Graham was the one who left, to step into the living room and grab some sweatpants he'd left in there. He didn't mind Misty seeing everything, but if his thoughts kept rampaging, he'd never hide his growing hard-on.

When he came back into the kitchen, Misty was at the sink, sorting dishes, scraping them, running the water.

“You don't need to do that,” Graham said quickly. “I'll get Shifters in my pack to do it; or have Dougal get his butt home and help. Here, I'll call right now.”

Misty kept on rinsing and scraping dishes. She never, ever simply obeyed Graham, as everyone else did, which both intrigued him and drove him crazy.

“My mom and dad divorced when I was ten and Paul was five,” she said, for no reason Graham could discern. “We lived with my dad a lot because my mother remarried right away, and her new, successful husband didn't want the bother of kids around. He was nice to us, but it was pretty clear he wasn't interested in my mom's kids from her previous marriage. I had to learn very fast how to take care of men. My dad was always buried in his next business idea, and Paul was too little.” Misty had the dishes sorted out, scrubbing them in one side of the sink, rinsing them in the other. “I learned early that men aren't good at taking care of themselves.”

“Shifter males are different,” Graham said, leaning against the counter. “We
have
to take care of ourselves, our families, and everyone in the pack. We're good at it.”

Misty glanced around the wrecked kitchen, gave him a wry smile, and returned to the dishes. “No, you're not.”

Graham loved how her nose wrinkled when she smiled like that, loved how one strand of her hair had come out of the ponytail and fallen to her bare neck.

“Are you going to tell me why you tried to call me before?” he asked. “And how the cubs got into the back of that car?” His gaze swiveled to Matt and Kyle, who were trying to lick dried ketchup off the floor. “Leave it!”

Matt and Kyle jumped, looked guilty for about one second, then started running around the kitchen again.

“We don't know how they got into the back of the car,” Misty said over rattling dishes. “They were just there. The car was in the parking lot all day; the guy who owns it didn't take it anywhere, not even on his lunch break. He ate at the convenience store.”

Graham stepped in front of Kyle and Matt's next wild circle of the room. “Stop!”

The cubs came to a startled halt but looked up at him without fear. They knew the difference between Graham as alpha, disciplining the pack, and Graham the irritated babysitter.

He fixed them both with a scowl. “How did you get into that car?”

A series of yowls and yips followed as both cubs tried to excitedly explain. Misty turned around from the sink, concerned.

Graham held up his hands. “Quit that. You sound like a bunch of coyotes. Speak human, so Misty can understand.”

The wolves morphed almost instantly into boys. They were good at shifting. Not all Shifters were—some struggled with the change—but these two had a natural ability.

“We don't know,” Matt said. “We were playing hide-and-seek with Dougal.”

“We were hiding,” Kyle clarified. “And Dougal was looking at a female.” His confused look told Graham Kyle didn't understand why.

“Then Dougal was mad, and yelling,” Matt said. “And we fell asleep.”

“Woke up in the car,” Kyle finished.

“Where were you hiding?” Graham asked.

The cubs looked at each other, their big eyes filling with fear again. Fear made them fall silent.

“Just tell me,” Graham said.

Kyle curled into a ball and hid his face against his knees.

“You're scaring them,” Misty said. She wiped her hands on a clean towel she'd found and came to the cubs. Crouching down, she reached out for Matt's hand. “It's okay, Kyle. We just want to make sure you weren't hurt. And that no one else gets hurt. You're not in trouble.”

“I'm Matt.”

Misty blinked at him, taking in his hazel eyes. “Sorry. Matt. You can tell me.”

Matt considered for a time. Then he squeezed Misty's hand and leaned forward confidentially. “A house,” he said. “A house that isn't done. In the basement.”

Kyle raised his head and smacked his brother on the arm. “We promised!”

“Ow! We said we wouldn't tell any
Shifter
. Aunt Misty ain't Shifter.”

“Who did you promise?” Graham said above them.

“Don't know,” Matt said. “But Shifter spaces are secret, aren't they? We're not supposed to tell.”

“You'll tell me.” Graham's growling grew stronger. He knew Misty was right—if he terrified the little guys, they'd never say a word. But the wolf in him was worried.
“Now.”

“Can't,” Kyle whispered. “Secret.”

M
isty felt waves of fear from the cubs. “Graham, leave them alone,” she said.

Graham only rumbled some more. She wished he didn't look so sexy in the drawstring sweatpants that rode low on his hips, exposing the glory trail that pointed to what he'd hidden. He was dusty and sun-bronzed from his ride wherever he'd been and also from running around looking for the cubs. Tatts hugged arms replete with muscle, biceps hardening as he folded those arms, a stance he liked.

Misty knew Graham was a complicated man. He had responsibilities pulling him every which way and no time for sentimentality. A girl who fell in love with him would have to understand that.

Graham had made it clear after they'd gone out a few times that he expected to take a Lupine mate; he'd probably choose one of the Shifters who'd been cringing on the green today. Misty knew she should walk away from this relationship and let him do what he needed to—that she should have a long time ago.

Misty looked at Graham again and knew she'd have to summon all her strength if she decided to go. A few days ago, she'd been angry enough to tell him to leave her alone. But now, she wasn't sure she had that kind of strength.

McNeil needs you,
Ben had said.
You can save him, but it has to be your choice.

My life sucks.

Graham pointed at the cubs. “You two, upstairs, and into the bathtub. You're filthy. I'll get you some dinner, then you're going to bed. Understand?”

Kyle and Matt both looked up, their fear easing a little. “Are we going to live with you, Uncle Graham?” Kyle asked.

“Looks that way.”

“Yay!” The boys jumped to their feet, gave each other high fives, then both dove at Graham and gave Shifter hugs to his pants-clad legs.

Graham growled again, but gently. Both boys changed to wolf even as they clung to him, and Graham reached down, lifted them with his big hands under their bellies, and carried them out, rumbling at them all the way up the stairs.

 • • • 

L
ater, after the cubs had bathed, eaten their fill of another pizza, and curled up in bed, asleep with noses buried in tails, Misty returned to the dishes. Two little boys and Dougal, not to mention Graham, could sure make a mess. Dougal had come in when the pizzas arrived, eaten a whole one in about three minutes, and breezed out again.

On the prowl, Graham had said. Males right after Transition were always on the hunt for mates. Females were choosy and made males work for it, but that didn't keep males from trying.

Graham needed to talk more to Dougal, Misty thought as she moved another plate into the drying rack. Dougal had avoided Graham's gaze and refused to speak about the cubs and his role in losing them. No one had talked about it, in fact. Graham hadn't let Misty tell him about Ben either. He'd been waiting to speak to her about everything alone, she understood.

Well, now was his chance. The cubs were asleep, Dougal gone, the night darkening, the house quiet. Shifters were moving around outside, but inside, Graham's house was calm. And much cleaner now.

Two scarred hands planted themselves on either side of Misty on the counter. Graham's strong arms hemmed her in against the sink, and his body, in a T-shirt he'd donned for dinner and the sweatpants, covered her back. The heat of his lips brushed the side of her neck.

“Goddess, you smell good.”

Misty lost hold of the last slippery plate, then caught it, lowering it back into the water. “I notice you didn't drink anything at dinner,” she said, her voice not working right. “And barely ate.”

“Nope.” Graham skimmed his mouth over her skin, his breath hot. “Not gonna do it.”

“Graham, you have to drink
something
.”

“No, sweetheart.” His lips moved against her neck as he spoke. “If I start, I won't be able to stop. I'll drink myself to death.”

“But if you don't have any water, you'll die.”

“Wolves can go a long time without drinking. I'm finishing this before I give that dickhead Fae the satisfaction of making me desperate.”

Misty tried to look back at him. “I hate seeing you like this.”

Graham licked her neck up to the ticklish place behind her ear, which her ponytail bared. “When I drink you, I'm not thirsty,” he rumbled.

Heat shot to Misty's intimate places and rested there. “I need to tell you things,” she whispered.

Graham nuzzled her. “They can wait.”

“Probably shouldn't.”

“I don't give a damn right now.” Graham turned her face up to him, keeping her body facing the counter, and bit her chin. Then he bit her lower lip and kissed her.

A hard, commanding kiss, gentleness gone. His hands moved from the countertop to her abdomen, pulling her back against him, his fingers hard on her belly. He kneaded the soft flesh there, moving one hand up between her breasts.

Misty reached up to touch his neck, twisting in his arms, forgetting her hands were wet. She brushed the Collar, thick and cold, the silver and black chain marking him as enslaved.

Graham opened her mouth with his, sweeping his tongue inside. His tongue was rough against hers, his mouth hot, strong.

Misty rubbed his Collar then traced his cheek, her thumb at the corner of his lips. Graham turned his head and sucked her finger into his mouth, licking off the clean water.

He reached in front of her and turned on the faucet. His sink had a sprayer hose, and he lifted this and squirted Misty up and down her front.

Misty squealed and tried to spin away. Graham held her firmly and soaked her tank top and her skin beneath. Water trickled between her breasts, and it was
cold
.

“You want me to drink?” he asked. “Then I'll do it like this.”

Graham lifted the nozzle to his mouth and squirted some water inside. Then, one-handed, he pulled off Misty's sopping tank top, unhooked her bra and slid it off, held the sprayer nozzle close to her skin, and pressed the trigger again.

The water wasn't on full blast, so it poured down her rather than showered. Graham snapped off the water, turned Misty around, and lifted her onto the edge of the counter.

One strong arm behind her pulled her up to him. Graham lowered his head and licked across her chest, his tongue trailing fire. He raised his head, nose-to-nose with Misty, and a slow smile spread across his face. Misty touched the smile, liking how it creased the corners of his mouth.

Graham lowered his head again and scooped up the water on her breasts with his tongue. His warm mouth sent fierce tingles through her, pins and needles of heat. Graham licked around the mound of Misty's right breast and sucked her nipple inside his mouth.

The heat increased to incandescence. Misty groaned as Graham bit down on her nipple, the small pain erotic. He leaned her backward, dragging his tongue from her breasts to her belly, licking water as he went.

Misty felt her skirt loosen. She forced herself upright then, the breath she dragged in cut off when Graham kissed her again. As his mouth moved on hers, she hooked her fingers around the waistband of his sweatpants and tugged at the drawstring.

“Not this time,” she said, breaking the kiss. “You're not undressing me unless you're bare too.”

Graham stared at her. He was going to say no, back away, not go through with it. Misty's heart squeezed, pain seeping through her excitement.

Graham took a step back, grabbed the back of his T-shirt and pulled it off, and then shucked his sweatpants in one short movement. He wore nothing underneath. Unlike when he'd been naked outside, in front of everyone, Graham's cock was hard and lifted straight at her.

A male like Graham, rampant for her, was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen. Misty reached for him, liking the way black hair curled at the base, how the head was flushed with wanting.

“Don't tempt me,” Graham said, moving her hand away. “We're doing this my way.”

Misty curled her fingers into her palm. “Cassidy told me Shifters could have sexual partners without mating with them. And often do. Mating is different from just having sex.”

Graham's growl vibrated the window behind her. He closed the few inches of space between them, his arms slammed to either side of her before Misty could say another word.

“I'll never
just
have sex with you. If I take you, it will be a mate thing, and nothing less. You know that, damn you.”

“I don't know anything about you, Graham.” Misty rested her hand on his chest, feeling his heart banging hard beneath his hot skin. “You never tell me.”

Another growl, this one rumbling long and low. Graham twisted her skirt open, the buttons holding it pinging to the floor. Her panties came next, skimmed off over her legs before he sat her on the counter again.

“There's nothing to know,” Graham said. “Nothing I want to talk about.”

Shutting her out. As usual. His gray eyes held old pain, worry that went back to long before she'd met him. Misty caressed his face, wanting in, wanting him.

Graham slid his fingers behind her buttocks and tugged her to the front of the counter. At the same time, he dropped to his knees, spread open her thighs, and plunged his mouth over her opening.

Misty choked back a scream. The cubs were asleep upstairs—Graham had to be insane. At least she'd pulled the blind down on the window behind her. Other blinds were open, though, the light in the kitchen haloing Graham while he licked her.

Misty's thoughts fizzled off into nothing. All she knew was sensation—Graham's strong tongue finding her depths, his hands hard on her thighs, his mouth on her. Drinking, licking, suckling.

She wound into dizziness. The water in the sink slowly drained, the stopper having worked loose, a little droplet from the almost shut-off faucet spattering on the water's surface. Misty curled her toes, her legs swinging as heat poured over her. She pressed her fingers into Graham's short hair, holding on, her head thrown back. The light made spangles on the ceiling, reflections moving softly.

The water's ripples became waves of sensations Graham poured into her. Misty heard moans come from her mouth, and she pressed her fist against her lips to stop them.

Before she knew it, she was bumping against the counter, barely able to stay on, her moans turning to little cries, still muffled by her fist. Graham was merciless. He kept drinking her, tasting, driving her wild.

She was going to die, and he'd be laughing. Graham went on, suckling, drinking, thrusting into her with his tongue. No sex had ever been this good, and it wouldn't be again, unless it was with Graham.

Misty's first climax finished, and another came hard on its heels. She heard herself begging him, and felt his laughter against her thighs. After the fourth time, Graham finally rose to his feet, gathering Misty to him while she shuddered and clung to him.

“Damn you,” she whispered.

Graham's chuckle rumbled wonderfully beneath her ear. “I was thirsty.”

Misty raised her head. Graham smiled down at her, his eyes dark, something in him relaxed and loosened.

Still, he looked way too smug. The smile said Graham knew he'd taken her to new heights, and he could do it again if he wanted.

Misty reached up and closed her teeth around his earlobe. Graham's hold loosened while he took a sharp breath, and Misty slid off the counter. She kept going, all the way down to her knees.

“No.” Graham's hand fell heavily on her shoulder, but too late. Misty grasped the base of his long cock and quickly closed her mouth around it.

 • • • 

N
o. No, no, no.

Graham had to stop her. Tell her to get up, dress herself, and get her ass out of his house.

He balled his fists as Misty's mouth moved, lips stretched to take him all in. He groaned. “Holy Mother Goddess.”

Misty pulled him closer. The Goddess wasn't going to answer Graham's prayer, but maybe she
had
answered it. Misty kept on with him, moving her tongue across the underside of his cock, licking him, nibbling a little.

Graham's burning thirst, now that he wasn't drinking Misty, had come roaring back, but for the moment, he didn't care. His lower body was spreading its pleasure to the rest of him, rendering his dry throat a minor issue.

Graham's hips began moving, slowly at first, then faster as Misty continued. She pulled him into her, tighter, encouraging him.

Damn the woman. She was torturing him. Punishing him for making her come four times and liking it.

Graham clenched his fists harder, feeling his nails crease his palms. The small pain was lost in the swamping need that poured through him, making every good intention evaporate like water from the desert floor.

He wanted to mate with this woman, take her in every position he knew and some he'd never tried. He wanted to curl up with Misty in the night, letting down every guard he'd ever put up, then wake up and take her again.