Wolf Tales IV (5 page)

Chapter Six

She lost track of the miles they ran, the trails they followed through the towering redwoods on soft, spongy earth that was damp and pungent beneath her paws. It was new and fresh, a rebirth to feel so free. How she’d missed this!

Keisha scared up a buck at one point, a huge creature with spreading antlers. It raced away and they followed, no threat this night as they’d both fed so well at dinner. Still, the run was exhilarating and left both of them panting, tongues lolling, eyes bright with wolven laughter.

After the chase, Anton kept the pace at a comfortable speed so the miles disappeared beneath their feet, but Keisha never felt pushed or stressed.

Finally he paused in a small, secluded glade. He circled the meadow, sniffing for any sign of danger, lifted his leg and pissed to mark territory along the perimeter. Nothing would intrude where wolves rested.

They might have been on another planet, so far from human habitation, so deep within the primeval forest.

Trees older than recorded time towered above them, their roots cushioned in beds of thick, springy moss. Ferns grew six feet high and more, and thick vines made bridges over creeks and fallen logs. It was a place of magic, truly a place of healing.

The forest heals that which is broken
.

Anton’s words had become her own private mantra.
I am broken
, she cried.
Heal me
!

They flopped down in the thick bracken, tongues lolling, eyes glowing in the pale starlight. Keisha had never felt so aware of her wolven body before, nor as aware of the big male beside her. The strength of their muscles, the thick pads on their paws, the dark nails they used to dig and climb and run.

She rolled over on her back and nipped at Anton’s muzzle. He licked her face. She nipped again.

He rolled over as well, so that his furry body pressed against hers, nose to tail, tail to nose.

She felt his tongue between her legs and jerked at the contact. He’d never approached her sexually in wolven form before. He licked her again, slower this time. She might have been frightened, had she been human.

She was wolf. An Alpha bitch.

She lay back and spread her legs.

Anton rolled over and stood up, his shaggy head hanging low, his eyes intense, watching. His mind was closed to her, but his intentions obvious.

He meant to have her.

She was
Chanku
, the wolf. Not a victim of rape, not human. Her fears couldn’t touch her now. Powerful, in control, the Alpha bitch.

Growling, the snarl a low rumble in her chest, Keisha rolled over and rose to all four feet. She presented her bushy tail to Anton, swinging it slowly, enticingly, back and forth.

A deep growl emanated from Anton’s wolven throat. He raised his foreleg and pawed her hip.

His claws were sharp. They left ruffled furrows in her pelt.

Keisha refused to give ground. Instead she turned and looked at him over her shoulder, linked with him.

Take me, now, as a wolf, not a woman. The woman is broken. The wolf is whole
.

He shook his head, denying her words.

You are not broken. Never, in my eyes. I love you. You must know, my love, that among the
Chanku
, if I take you as a wolf you are mine forever. Have you noticed that Stefan and Alexandria mate as wolves? I do not join them. Only in human form are we so promiscuous.

I love you, Anton. Do you truly want me?

For all time, my love. Forever.

Then take me now. Make love to me. Show me your goodness and your strength. Wipe out the memories and give me new ones, fresh, loving memories of you and me together
.

He needed no further urging. Nipping at her shoulder, he established his dominance with a single slash of his teeth, the rake of his paw across her back as he mounted her.

The frustration he’d felt as a human male was intensified in wolven form. He found her soft opening on his first thrust, driving deep, hard, entering Keisha as she braced her legs to take his much heavier weight.

He heard her soft grunt as he filled her, a sharp
yip
when he finally buried himself deep inside. He tried to link and found a barrier thick as a stone wall. Then the sensations took over, the clenching heat of her channel, the coarse fur along her spine rubbing against his chest. He pumped quickly, taking her as a wolf takes a mate, filling her with his rapidly swelling cock, readying her for his seed.

Once embedded in her warmth, Anton thrust hard and deep, over and over until his swollen cock tied the two of them together. He felt her body stiffen, knew the sexual knot in his wolf’s penis could frighten her with her loss of control, the sense of entrapment.

He took his chance then. Prayed it was the right move, and shifted. Still tied to Keisha, he resumed his human form.

And realized she’d done the same thing. He held a woman in his arms, her buttocks pressed against his belly, his cock buried deep inside her hot sheath. They lay together in the soft bed of moss and bracken fern, tied together in love and passion.

He shuddered with the last tremors of his climax and felt the lingering spasms in Keisha’s body. Gently he brushed the tangled hair away from her face and held her close, her back fitting perfectly against his chest, her hips seated in the cradle of his. She turned her head and gazed back at him with so much longing in her eyes, so much love, he buried his face in the hollow of her throat, broke down and wept.

She twisted her upper body so that she could see him, looked into his face, into the amber eyes of the man she loved, and marveled at his tears. With her hands still shaking from the tremors of her climax, Keisha brushed the moisture away from his eyes, leaned closer and kissed Anton on the mouth.

Whatever fears, whatever worries she’d had melted away in the beauty of his tears, in the depth of love she felt for this most amazing man. His cock was still embedded within her heat and the connection felt right. It was perfect. When she kissed him, she felt him swell once more within her, knew he wanted her again.

“I love you. Forever. Make love to me again… love me as a man loves a woman.”

His body trembled and he closed his eyes as if in prayer. Very gently, he withdrew from her clasping sheath and rolled her to her back in the crushed bed of ferns. Kneeling between her legs, he brushed the hair back from her face.

He started to speak, cleared his throat and tried again. His eyes glittered in the starlight, filled with unshed tears. His voice broke, cracked, strengthened. “When I first saw you, your hair was so tightly braided, I had no idea how thick it was… how beautiful.”

She frowned. All she could think of was putting that beautiful cock of his back between her legs. The fear that had held her for the past month felt like a bad dream, she wanted him inside her, now… and he wanted to talk about hair?

“It’s changed. I’ve changed.” She knew she sounded impatient. She couldn’t help it. “My hair was so kinky I had to wear it braided or keep it short… becoming
Chanku
changed it. It’s softer now, more like Xandi’s.”

“You’ve always been
Chanku
… but shifting to the wolf must have altered your hair… much as it’s altered the rest of you.” He ran his hand over her tousled mass of black curls and waves, leaned over and held a handful of her hair to his face and inhaled, then smoothed it back from her face once more.

“You are stronger, more powerful. You will never be a victim again.” He laughed as he leaned down and kissed her, his lips moving skillfully over her mouth, his tongue barely teasing with hers. She felt his hard cock brush against her belly and her pussy wept.

He ended the kiss and sat back on his heels. “You truly are the Alpha bitch in the pack. Even Xandi defers to you in many ways.”

She tightened her knees against his hips. “What are you driving at, Anton? Why aren’t we making love? You’ve been wanting this for weeks.” She bit back a nervous giggle. “I’m ready, okay? So are you… just look. Your poor cock’s standing there, looking very impatient with both of us.”

She tilted her hips once more in blatant invitation. His erect cock grew even larger, pressed upward against his lean belly. What was he up to? His introspective comments made her uneasy, unsure of herself. Her pussy was wet and waiting, her nipples puckered into tight, sensitive little buds, and all of a sudden he wanted to talk?

Why did he still look so sad?

“I’ve dreamed of this since the moment I saw you. I’ve slept with you in my arms, knowing you were afraid of anything more than my support and companionship. Let me savor this a minute, okay? Let me look at your body, taste your flavors, inhale your scent. I want it all, my love. All of you. I want your love, your passion, the very thoughts in your mind. I don’t intend to rush until you’re ready to drop all your barriers.”

“Oh.” She gazed up at him, understanding, for the first time, the true depth of his need. She’d blocked his thoughts so thoroughly, seeking the one protection left to her, the sanctity of her fears still locked in her mind.

The fear was gone because of Anton. The trauma, the assault, the brutality no longer controlled her heart, her mind and soul. Finally there was truly room for love in her heart. She dropped her barriers, linked with Anton and gasped with the intensity of emotion roiling within his thoughts.

Gasped, then smiled, finally accepting his need, his desire, his unconditional love.

Accepted, and returned every bit as much.

Love washed over her, spilled out of Anton and bathed her. He leaned close and took her nipple into his mouth, suckling it deep, and she felt reborn. His tongue licked the very tip, his teeth nibbled and nipped, and she cried out at each fresh sensation.

He kissed his way quickly down her belly, nuzzling in the tightly curled thatch of hair between her legs, licking her swollen lips like a starving man at a feast.

Almost frantic now, he lifted her with broad palms beneath her buttocks, raised her hips to his mouth and curled his tongue inside her, lapping like the big wolf he was.

Moaning, body trembling, Keisha reached for his arms and held on tight, practically curling herself into a ball as he licked and sucked her tender folds.

He took her to the edge, took her one step closer, then stopped, raised his head and leaned over to kiss her. She tasted herself on his lips, suckled his tongue into her mouth, groaning with each new taste, each new sensation.

Her pussy clenched, wanting. His cock bumped against her, just as desperate.

What are you waiting for
? She glared at him.

An invitation?

Oh shit. Fuck me! Now, Anton. I can’t wait any longer
. Gasping for breath, she lay back in the soft ferns and grabbed onto the stems, anchoring herself. He drove deep and hard, his cock finding its way home in one sleek thrust. He bumped hard against the mouth of her womb and sighed.

I feel as if I’ve come home.

You are home. We both are
. She reached up and touched his beloved face, felt the emotion in his heart and mind, and accepted, finally, what Anton had told her all along. He was the one, her mate, the single most important person in the world for her. Lifting her hips to hold him even closer, she wrapped her arms across his lean, muscular back and hung on tight.

In the deep woods in the dark of night, in the strong, steady arms of the man she loved, Keisha healed.

Chapter Seven

Four days later, just at sunset, they crossed back over the Golden Gate. The lights of San Francisco glittered against a pink and mauve sky and the buildings faded from peach to gray in the dying light of the sun.

Keisha stared at the familiar skyline and missed the mountains of Montana, the tall trees of Humboldt. She definitely missed the little cabin.

She and Anton had truly discovered one another over the past few days. There wasn’t an erogenous zone on either body that had gone untouched, an orifice that hadn’t been filled, a taste that hadn’t been sampled. She felt well and thoroughly fucked, as wonderfully satiated as she’d ever been in her life.

So in love with the man beside her she almost hurt.

She looked down at her left hand, grasped tightly in Anton’s right, and felt the first sense of tension since they’d left the cabin.

“He’ll be waiting, you know. We won’t be able to shift. He’ll see us.”

Anton turned and smiled at her, looking more feral than when in wolven form.

“I know. I look forward to meeting Mr. Burns.” He looked ahead, skillfully maneuvered around a stalled truck, then turned back to Keisha. “I doubt he’ll enjoy it as much as I intend to though.”

He squeezed her hand for reassurance, then returned his attention to the heavy commute traffic. Keisha sat back against the seat and watched the road ahead.

There was a car parked in front of her townhouse. Anton’s senses went on alert. He had to consciously tamp down the need to shift, to become the predator he was at heart.

I believe Mr. Burns is waiting for us now. Do you recognize the car
?

Keisha shook her head. Perspiration beaded her brow.
It’s been in the neighborhood, off and on, since I returned. I don’t recall if it was here before my trip to Montana.

If it is him, follow my lead. Stay in my mind if you must, but don’t question anything I say.

You’re not going to kill him, are you?

No… though I’ve thought about it. It would be most satisfying to gut the bastard, but it would make a horrible mess
. He turned his attention from the car at the curb to the woman beside him.
It’s important, Keisha. Will you do as I say
?

She turned and there was no fear in her. She laughed out loud. Saluted. “Yes, sir!”

This was the woman he loved.

Finally relaxed, now the battle had come to him, Anton pulled into the driveway.

A portly, middle-aged man immediately got out of the car at the curb. From the rumpled appearance of his clothing he looked as if he’d practically lived in his vehicle over the past few days.

“Ah, Ms. Rialto. I was sure you’d return eventually.” He held his hand out, totally ignoring Anton.

Big mistake
. Anton barely controlled the low growl starting deep in his chest. His skin shivered and twitched with his desire to become the wolf, the predator in his nature almost overwhelming his civilized self.

“I’m Carl Burns, reporter for the…”

“We know who you are, Mr. Burns. Thank you for coming.” Anton bit back the snarl and stuck his hand out, intercepting the other man’s in a tight handshake. Burns’ bluster turned to confusion.

“Thank…”

“It’s wonderful of your newspaper to acknowledge Ms. Rialto’s memorial garden. It was truly an honor when her design was selected.”

“But that’s not why…” Burns shook his head. “I’m not here to…”

“Come this way.” Still speaking, Anton put his hand to the other man’s back and guided him up the stairs. Claws appeared, then receded. His spine rippled with his need to transform, to kill. “I’m sure you’d like to get some shots of Ms. Rialto’s drawings, maybe information about the exotic plants she’s selected? It’s really quite exciting.” He turned to Keisha. “Sweetheart, hand me the key, would you?”

Shaking her head, biting back a grin, Keisha turned the keys over to Anton, grabbed their luggage and followed the two men up the steps. She felt Anton’s struggle, knew the wolf was close. The fact his anger was so near the surface, yet so tightly controlled, made her feel more loved and protected than she could imagine.

She closed the door behind her. The moment it clicked shut, Anton grabbed Burns by the throat and shoved him up against the wall. There was a feral gleam in his eyes and he bared his teeth, but somehow, to Keisha’s surprise, he controlled his rage.

Instead of the wolf she feared, it was a very angry human watching the reporter gasp and squirm, his feet dangling six inches off the floor, his face turning purple from the choke hold Anton continued to tighten.

“You will not write about the wolf. The wolf does not exist. If you persist, you will die. It’s a simple choice to make, Mr. Burns.”

Burns’ eyes bugged out, his hands scrabbled at Anton’s muscular wrist, and his feet scraped at the wall. Keisha held her breath, wondering how far Anton would take this, knowing full well she couldn’t let him kill the reporter, no matter what she had promised Anton, no matter how great a threat he posed to all
Chanku
.

Suddenly Anton took a deep breath and released his hold on Burns. Gasping for breath, the man slid to the floor. When Anton leaned over and grabbed his hand to pull him to his feet, Burns appeared transfixed for a brief moment.

Then he was shaking his head, absentmindedly rubbing his throat before straightening his coat, apologizing for his clumsiness in tripping over the carpet.

Keisha wasn’t certain how Anton managed it, but he had Carl nodding and smiling as if nothing at all had happened in the entryway of her home. The reporter pulled out his notepad and jotted down information, even grabbed his camera for a quick photo of her drawings in the upstairs studio. He took a picture of Keisha as well, standing beside her greenhouse.

She almost laughed when he had her hold some of the very grasses that helped her become the wolf. Anton stood behind the idiot, his canines practically clicking in frustration. Keisha sensed the fury simmering just beneath the surface of Anton’s civilized behavior.

Burns left a few minutes later, obviously unaware how close to death he’d come. The minute he was gone, Keisha grabbed Anton by the back of the shirt and spun him around. “Would you mind explaining to me what just happened? You practically strangle the man, then he acts like it’s all his fault and we’re his new best friends. What the hell is going on?”

“Why, Mr. Burns merely stumbled in the entryway before he interviewed you about your memorial garden.”

His smile was innocence personified, but the effect was ruined by the snarl in his voice.

“That’s not exactly why he was here. How come he totally ignored the fact you tried to kill him?”

“If I’d tried to kill him, he would be dead.”

“That’s not the point and you know it. Why didn’t he ask about the wolf?”

“Merely an implanted suggestion, m’dear. A form of hypnotism, if you will.”

“What?” she practically shrieked, took a deep breath and tried again. “You’re saying you used mind control? How?”

His look was pure
Anton
, all testosterone-driven male, proud of himself and his ability to protect his mate.

Keisha growled.

Anton took a deep breath and answered. “You forget. Before I was a wolf, or before I knew I was a wolf, I was a very powerful wizard. Those skills are inbred in me, partly learned from many years of study. I merely convinced Mr. Burns that a story about your lovely memorial garden in Golden Gate Park was the entire reason he’d been trying to reach you. And you, my lovely lady, have been terribly elusive because you’re very shy by nature.”

“Yeah. Right. Shy.” She snorted.

“Not very ladylike, however.”

“Will he ever remember? Will he come back?”

Anton nodded, kissed the end of her nose. “He’s going to find his notes, references to you as a wolf. He doesn’t have photos, or he would have used them to blackmail you. I imagine, however, that he has a lot of information in his files. It may confuse him at first, but eventually he’ll remember. Hopefully by then we’ll be long gone.”

“What about the bruises on his throat?”

“I’ll let him wonder about them.” Anton looked away for a moment, the fury radiating from his elegant frame almost palpable. He took a deep breath and Keisha heard him grinding his teeth together. “I wanted very much to kill him, but it would create too many problems for you.” He swept his hand over her hair. “I think you’re safe now.”

“What if he finds us?”

“If he comes after us, I just may eat him.”

From the feral gleam in his eyes, Keisha wasn’t sure if he were serious or teasing. “You don’t…”

“Nah. Too much fat. Bad for my cholesterol.”

Laughing, she threw her arms around him and kissed him on the mouth, hard. “Anton, I love you. As soon as the project is over, take me home, please?”

“You’ve got it.” He kissed her back.

Lord, but she loved the taste of his mouth, couldn’t wait to taste the rest of him.
Mind control
. He could make someone think whatever he wanted…

“Anton?” She pulled away, moved out of his embrace. “Why didn’t you ever try that on me? The mind thing… why didn’t you just convince me I wasn’t raped, I didn’t kill those men. It would have been so much easier for you.”

His pensive smile told her how much he’d thought of just such a thing. How difficult it had been for him not to help her.

“Not easier for you, though. It would have taken away a very powerful part of who and what you are. You needed to come through this by your own choice. You’re a survivor. I would not cheat you of that victory. It’s an amazing symbol of your strength, that you’ve done this on your own. I love you the way you are, who you are. I don’t want someone I’ve helped create. I love you, Keisha Rialto, fears, flaws and all.”

“Flaws? You’re saying I have
flaws
?”

“Well, you do have an odd habit of thinking you’re in charge of things.”

She threw herself into his embrace. Once again, as always, he caught her. Just as he would always catch her. She whispered against his lips, kissing him between the words. “As soon as the project is over, you’re taking me home to Montana. There’s so much more for me there than here.”

Anton nuzzled her hair, then raised his head and grinned at her. “You’re right. You can’t forget Xandi… and there’s still Stefan.”

Stefan? Stefan, with a body and face so much like Anton’s, with a quirky sense of humor and limitless compassion… and an obvious interest in sex
.

“You wouldn’t mind, wouldn’t feel jealous, seeing me with another man?”

“Do you feel jealous when I’m making love with Xandi… or, for that matter, with Stefan? When I have Xandi’s breast in my mouth and Stefan’s cock deep inside me, do you want to stop what we’re doing?”

She shook her head, picturing exactly the scene he described, realizing it no longer held fear for her, only desire. “No. I want to be there with you. When I linked with Xandi I wanted so badly to be a part of your lovemaking, but I couldn’t. I was too afraid. The fear’s gone now, though I imagine I’d like to sleep alone with Stefan first, before we were in a group. I need to start slowly. Would that make
you
jealous?”

“It would make me very proud, to see how far you’ve come. To know you truly embrace the part of you that is
Chanku
. I love you.” He kissed her again, much more thoroughly this time.

“C’mon. I know a few things Stefan enjoys. How about I show you what you need to do?”

She laughed. “So I’m getting instructions now? You would presume to…”

Anton swept her up in his arms, kissed her mouth and headed for the bedroom. “I
presume
you love me. I presume you’re mine forever and beyond. I presume you can’t wait to make love… and I presume the bedroom is down this hall?”

“You presume correctly.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “On all counts. I sure hope Stefan appreciates how much we’re willing to sacrifice for his pleasure.”

“Oh, he does. I’m sure he does.” Anton tossed her on the bed and kicked the door shut behind them.