Wolf Ways (The Madison Wolves Book 9) (6 page)

I was laughing the entire time.

Finally I lay back, exhausted. “You win.”

And that was when she lowered my mouth to me. She moved slowly, very slowly, and it was clear what she was going to do long before she opened her mouth.

And wrapped her teeth over my throat.

I stopped laughing. Her breath was hot against my skin, and I could feel her teeth just beginning to press against me.

I didn’t struggle. I froze entirely. It wasn’t scary. It should have been scary. It was, however, deeply, deeply intimidating.

Slowly, she began to tighten her jaws.

I thought she would tighten just a little, symbolically perhaps. But she held me pinned, and her jaws tightened, and then a little tighter, and a little tighter.

It began to hurt, and I felt myself begin to panic, just a little. I didn’t think she’d hurt me.

“Elisabeth?” I think it came out a little like a whimper. “Please… I…”

She froze, but then she began to growl, deep in her throat. It wasn’t loud, but it was a growl.

“Elisabeth?” I said, more panic in my voice. She tightened fractionally more.

I couldn’t think anymore. I fought my control my reaction. I fought to not fight. I knew I couldn’t win, after all. I could only… surrender.

But hadn’t I already done that?

“Please, Elisabeth…”

And she froze, then, slowly, although not as slowly as she had tightened, she relaxed her jaws, and finally my throat was free.

Then she licked my face a few times before settling down even more heavily atop me.

We lay like that for a minute or two before I asked, “May I hug you?”

She grunted approval, adjusting her paws so I could reach up and wrap my arms around her. I held her tightly to me for a while.

“I did something wrong, didn’t I?”

She grunted.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

There was a pause, and then, only for a moment, she whimpered above me. For a second, I thought I was holding her too tightly. Then I realized…

“God, I’m an idiot.”

And the bitch grunted agreement at me.

“Not funny,” I said.

She lifted her head and gave me another lick, this time right across the mouth.

“Eww!” I said. I wiped the slime off into her fur. “Don’t do that.”

So she adjusted her weight and did it again. I wasn’t expecting it, and her tongue actually slipped partway between my lips that time.

“You did that on purpose!” I said.

She grunted several times while I wiped my mouth off against her fur some more. Then I wrapped my arms around her again and buried my face in her fur, inhaling deeply. She smelled wonderful. I couldn’t have described it. But she smelled wonderful.

But she was getting heavy.

“I’m having a hard time breathing,” I whispered into her ear.

She shifted her weight, then slowly climbed off me before lying down next to me. I rolled onto my side so I could look at her. She panted happily at me. I lifted an arm and let my fingers dig through her fur. Her eyes closed, and a moment later she was making the same noise Celeste had made earlier.

It was a little absentmindedly, but I let my fingers roam. I spent most of the time with them buried deep in the scruff of her neck, but I also found myself stroking her fur and digging my fingers in here and there, trying to find her muscles.

She looked like a really, really big dog. It was hard to find her muscles under the fur, but what I found felt exceedingly powerful.

“You’re amazing, Elisabeth,” I said. She leaned over and licked me. I sputtered. “Stop that!” She just lolled her tongue at me, and I wondered if that was a wolf laugh.

We lay together for a few more minutes my head cradled in one hand, my other still exploring her deep fur and powerful body.

Finally I said, “Were you bored, or did you want to play again?”

She turned to face me, not otherwise responding. I laughed. “I suppose I should ask one question or the other. Were you bored?” She snorted. “Did you enjoy chasing me?” She grunted and grunted and grunted. “Again?” More grunts. “Okay, but you have to help a little bit. I don’t know my way. Am I about to run into a road?”

At that, she climbed to her feet. I sat up and watched her. She stepped around me then turned and faced in a direction. I realized I was all turned around. I tried to find the sun, but the trees were too heavy. I had no idea which direction was which.

“Um. I’m completely lost.”

And damn if she didn’t grunt and loll her tongue at me.

“I should run that way?” I pointed the direction she was facing, and she grunted again. Without another word, I ran.

By accident, or at least by accident as far as I was concerned, I found the trail I’d been on. At least I thought it was the same trail. As soon as I hit it, I turned left, figuring that was the way back to Elisabeth’s house. She said I couldn’t hide inside the buildings or cars, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t try to find other ways to hide my trail. Or scent. Or however she was following me.

Wolves hunt by scent. So did that mean werewolves did, too?

I don’t know how far I got before she howled. I kept running this time, straight down the trail, but it was only a minute or so before I heard her behind me. Then she passed me, a streak through the undergrowth, before she popped out directly in front of me. I almost ran her over, coming to a skidding stop.

She grinned at me, a wolfy grin.

“Having fun?”

She grunted and then began stalking me. I backed away from her slowly.

She was beautiful. I could see all that coiled power, waiting to spring. I should have been frightened; I know I should have. But I was in awe.

I feinted right and dashed left, trying to get past her. She wasn’t fooled, and she met me mid-air, chest to chest. She wrapped around me and bore me to the ground. She didn’t twist this time, but she landed on her paws instead of slamming into me. I thumped against the ground, but it wasn’t bad. I tried to scramble away from her, but then she leapt again, slamming me more firmly against the ground and settling over me.

This time, I tried pushing her off, trying to roll us both over, but she settled more firmly and plunged her mouth to my throat. I tucked my chin and tried to protect my throat, but she got her nose under my chin and opened her mouth. Before I could move, her teeth were wrapped around me.

I froze. She tightened slowly, and I started to whimper. She tightened just a tiny bit more, then froze herself like that. I continued to whimper, and she released me.

Then, slowly and thoroughly, she bathed my entire face. I complained the entire time, but I didn’t try to fight her.

This time, she climbed partway off me before settling in, and I could breathe more easily. I lay back, an arm thrown up as a pillow, and lay quietly.

“I’m not much challenge for you,” I whispered. In response, she licked my ear. I giggled. “Do you mind?” I got a snort for that. “More?” Grunt, grunt, grunt.

But she didn’t climb off me, and we lay like that on the forest floor for several minutes.

My thoughts were in turmoil. Absolutely everything was crazy, insane, surreal. I couldn’t keep up with everything that was going on.

But there was something very simple going on, too.

I was with this woman, a woman I found to be absolutely magnificent. And it was intense and amazing and intimidating and a tiny bit frightening. But it was magic, and I couldn’t think of a single thing I would rather be doing right now.

I wrapped an arm around her and hugged her neck. She grunted at me.

I released her, and slowly she slipped off me. I sat up, then leaned over and hugged her once more before climbing to my feet.

I ran.

I ran about a hundred yards before turning left, back into the deep woods again. I ran another hundred yards and turned left once more, running only a short distance before I found a tree I thought I could climb. It took me a couple of tries leaping for the lowest branch, but I managed to get my hands on it and pulled myself upwards.

I didn’t climb that high, perhaps ten or twelve feet, and I found a notch I could rest in easily. Dusk hadn’t quite arrived, but under the trees, it was growing dark. Looking down, I couldn’t really see the forest floor. I wondered if Elisabeth would be able to hear me.

She howled, and it wasn’t from very far away. But it was a couple of minutes before I heard her run right underneath my tree. She wasn’t very loud, but I heard her when she disturbed some leaves, and I saw a streak of silver pass directly underneath me. She ran on.

I should have started the timer!

But it was only another thirty seconds before I heard intense snuffling, growing closer, and I knew she was sniffing me out. I listened and watched, and she passed underneath me, but then she circled the tree once before coming to a stop at the base. She looked up, and we stared at each other. She sat down, her head lifted, watching me.

“You found me,” I said down to her. And she grunted happily. “I should make you come get me.”

She stood up and began to growl.

“Kidding,” I said. “You can see me, so I have to come down.” She stilled immediately.

I climbed down slowly and carefully. I got my feet onto the branch I’d first used. There was something in Elisabeth’s posture that disturbed me. She had the air of a dog on guard, and I thought her fur was ruffled out more than it was normally. But she was watching me, not looking for danger.

“Elisabeth?” I said. “Are you mad?”

She didn’t respond at all.

“Elisabeth?” I paused. “I’m sorry I’m slow. I’m not like you.” I inched my way down until I was sitting on the branch, but I kept my feet up. “I have to hang and drop,” I explained. “Then I’ll surrender. Please don’t hurt me.”

She snorted then moved back, still watching me. Slowly, afraid of falling, I slipped off the branch, hung from it for a second, then dropped to the ground. I landed poorly and rolled onto my ass, then sat there. Elisabeth moved around until she was facing me. She sniffed at me.

“I’m fine,” I said. “Just clumsy.” She moved closer until she was pressing against my shoulder with her chest, and I found myself forced onto my back. She settled in, and I didn’t struggle in the slightest as she wrapped my neck with her jaws.

I whimpered immediately, and she barely squeezed before relaxing.

She shifted her weight off me almost immediately, and I rolled over until I was pressed against the length of her body, one arm thrown over her.

We played three more games. I didn’t do any better for any of them, but I knew there wasn’t much I could do about that.

I had a blast.

But it was during the last game when I realized I couldn’t see anything. I almost ran right into a tree, and so I came to a stop, breathing heavily, then carefully sat down with my back to the trunk. Elisabeth didn’t howl for another two minutes, and it took her only about thirty seconds to find me. She came to a stop five feet away, then approached slowly, whining a little.

“I’m fine,” I said. “I almost ran into this tree. I can hardly see a thing.”

She whined again then walked up to me, sniffed at me for a minute, then gave me a quick lick.

She didn’t bite my throat that time.

Then she sat down, half in my lap, and we cuddled for a few minutes. I petted her slowly.

I had to remind myself she wasn’t a dog, but she seemed to enjoy the touch, and I found it deeply soothing myself.

“We should have played this game sooner,” I said, “but maybe I wasn’t ready.” She didn’t respond. “I really can’t see anything, Elisabeth. You’re going to have to be a seeing eye dog.”

She growled lightly. I guessed she didn’t find that funny.

“You know what I mean. I suppose you can see everything.”

She grunted.

“Well, I can’t. Consider me blind, at least until we get out of these trees.”

She climbed to her feet, and then so did I. Then she moved to my side, and I could easily set my hand on her neck. She was taller than my waist, after all. She began moving slowly, and she managed to lead me all the way home without once running me through a bush or into a tree.

We got to her house. I was expecting to find a pile of clothing on the front steps, but they were bare. “Did someone steal your clothes?”

She snorted and led the way to the front door. But she waited for me to open it, stepping into her house ahead of me. Once inside, she flowed into her human form and turned on some lights. I closed the door and leaned against it, watching her.

She was stunning as a human.

Finally she turned to me, and she was smiling. I looked her up and down slowly.

“Does this bother you?” she asked.

“Not at all,” I said.

“We’re casual here.”

“Are you inviting me to stay?”

“Yes.”

“In your bed?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’re both going to be naked soon.”

She nodded. “But if we didn’t have that sort of relationship, we’re still this casual.”

“I’ve already sort of noticed that.”

“You get embarrassed, especially around the guys.”

“Yeah,” I admitted. “Don’t worry about it. As long as they don’t wave their bits in my face, I don’t care.”

“They wouldn’t. They aren’t tacky that way.” She paused. “Some wolves are assholes. Lara has no tolerance for them, and none of them spend time here at the compound. But that mailing list will include some assholes. If you ever receive invitations from anyone on the list, you will talk to one of us before accepting.”

I nodded. “Yes, Elisabeth. Did you have fun?”

She moved closer. “Oh yes. Did you?”

“Uh huh. I feel bad that I’m not a challenge.”

“Don’t. That will just ruin it. I’m happy you’re willing to play. You weren’t afraid.”

“No. Do I need a shower?”

“Not for the reason you’re asking,” she said. “Want a new game?”

“Sure.”

“Every time I catch you, I get to do anything I want to you.”

“Oh, I’m not sure I like this game.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” she said. “You will.”

“You’re going to tickle me!”

“I just might.” She lunged for me, but, giggling, I dashed to the side. I’m sure she let me get away.

She stalked me around the house, the game moving from the foyer into the living room, where I barely evaded her several times until she caught me around the waist. She pulled me as I squirmed, then gently lowered me to the floor before pinning me on my back.

“This feels familiar,” I said, looking up at her and still giggling.

In response, she lowered herself until our mouths met.

God! I wanted her. I parted immediately, and her tongue accepted my invitation. I moaned into the kiss.

Oh, I loved kissing her. And clearly the feeling was mutual. We were both out of breath before she was done ravaging my mouth. She held me pinned for a moment then slowly released me.

“Run,” she said.

I jumped to my feet and ran. I had no idea where I was going. I just tried to keep away from her.

This time, she was the one giggling as she chased me around her house. She caught me again, this time tossing me onto the sofa before following after me. She pressed me against the cushions, kneeling across my lap with my hands pinned on either side of me. I struggled under her, and she grinned down at me.

She moved my hands so they were over my head, then adjusted so she was holding both of them in one hand. I renewed my struggles, but they didn’t do me any good.

“No!” I said, sure she was about to tickle me. “This is so not fair!”

She didn’t tickle. Instead, she began unbuttoning my shirt. Slowly. By the time she was at the third button, I stilled under her, watching her as she worked the buttons. She untucked the shirt from my jeans before settling her weight down on top of me. She inhaled deeply from near my ear, then rubbed her cheek against mine.

“You smell like both of us,” she said. “This is a scent I intend to make permanent. Do you understand?”

“No.”

“Lots and lots of very intimate touching,” she said. “Anyone getting near you will smell me and know you’re mine.”

Was I hers? That seemed like an escalation in our relationship. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

On the other hand, what she had said was a little heady — and a little sexy, or at least I thought so. I leaned my cheek against hers for a minute, rubbing a little myself.

“That’s a two way street, Elisabeth,” I said. “If I smell like you, then I bet you smell like me.”

She chuckled but didn’t respond. Instead, she climbed off me then pulled me to my feet. “Run. If you don’t do better, I get to spank you.”

“No!” I screeched. I ran.

She played with me. She could have had me five or six times before she caught me. I never made it out of the living room.

This time, she caught me about the middle from behind and lifted me in the air, my legs kicking.

“Oh, oh,” she said.

“No!” I screeched. “Brat! Bully!”

She ignored my protests — which were in fun, anyway — and carried me backwards until she was sitting on the coffee table. I tried to scramble away from her, but a minute later I found myself bent over her knee.

“No!” I said. “I can’t believe this is so easy for you.”

She swatted my bottom. I yelped, but I got four more swats before she let me up, then pulled me so I was sitting across her lap.

“Too rough?” she asked.

“No,” I said softly. “But absolutely no rougher.” And I leaned against her, pulling my legs up and laying my head on her shoulder.

She held me tenderly for a minute.

“Are you sure?” she asked. “I think I got carried away. I’m sorry. A wolf wouldn’t have yelped, even a deeply submissive wolf. I’m sorry, Zoe.”

“I told you we should play what you like to play.” I leaned away so I could look at her. “Elisabeth, I meant it when I offered it. I didn’t know the particulars, but I had a pretty good idea of the generalities.” I laid my head back on her shoulder. “I want you to be you. I’m not going to actually admit whether I liked the spanking, and I’m never going to give you permission, but I will tell you if you’re being too rough. Is that fair?”

“I’ve never had a relationship with a human, Zoe,” she said.

“I like knowing you’re so strong,” I said. “If I didn’t, I’m with the wrong woman, aren’t I?”

“So if I spank you again…”

“No comment,” I said. But I kissed the side of her neck. “I like your games, Elisabeth.”

“Good. Run.”

I jumped from her lap and ran.

This time, she chased me into the kitchen. She had a center island, and she chased me around it a few times before she came right over the top for me. I squeaked as she caught me, and I found myself bent over the island. This time she didn’t spank me, but instead, she rubbed and groped my bottom.

I squirmed.

“Were you thinking of spanking it again?”

“Perhaps later,” she replied. “I’m doing exactly what I want.” And she continued to rub.

I definitely liked her game.

“Run.”

She caught me, over and over. The next time she caught me, she pulled my shirt off me completely. I tried struggling, but it did me no good. The time after that, she pinned me to the floor on my stomach and then lightly caressed the bare skin she could find. After that, she stole my bra, then my shoes. Then the time after that, somehow she tangled my limbs in hers, and then she began nibbling my feet. I could squirm, but I couldn’t get away.

It tickled insanely, and I was begging her to stop long before she released me.

I lost my pants somewhere on the stairs to the second floor and my panties at the top. I got a second spanking — this one gentler than the first — while spread across her lap as she sat on the bed.

And then I didn’t even try to escape after that. She tickled me thoroughly, and then we lay together on top of her bed, both of us laughing.

“All right,” I said. “Maybe I like your game.”

She grinned.

“And now it’s time for another game,” she said.

“You seem to like games. What is this one called?”

“We’re going to play a few games,” Elisabeth explained. “The first one is called, ‘Zoe lies still or gets punished’.”

“Oh, I’m not sure I like that game at all. That’s a horrible name for a game.”

“And yet, we’re playing anyway,” Elisabeth told me.

“I don’t get a vote?”

“No. Do you think you understands the rules of this game?”

“I don’t get to move at all?”

“I’ll allow breathing.”

“Elisabeth…”

“Mild squirming…” She began caressing me. “Panting… And saying whatever I order you to say.”

“What?” I squeaked.

“Oh, oh. I didn’t order that,” she said.

“The game hasn’t started yet!” I protested.

“Hmm… All right. The game starts… Now!”

I was sure she’d find ways to punish me if I disobeyed her rules. Part of me wondered what the nature of the punishments would be. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to find out. And so I lay as still as I could as she caressed me. She moved until she was kneeling beside me, looming over me. Then she clasped my wrists and moved my hands above my head so I lay more stretched out. Then she went back to caressing me, smiling as she looked at me.

I watched her. God, she was beautiful.

She caressed my sides and my face. For that, I closed my eyes. It felt so nice. Fingers brushed across my lips, and then lips brushed across mine, briefly. They moved away, and I was deeply tempted to follow, but at the last instant I wondered if that had been a trap.

I continued to lie still.

She bent over and whispered in my ear. “In this game, you may answer direct questions. You almost moved there, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

She kissed my ear.

After that, she continued to stroke my body while I lay quietly. The more she touched me, the harder it became to lie still. At the very least, I wanted to squirm and to encourage her. I wanted to touch her in return. I wanted to run my fingers across her skin. I wanted to feel those taut muscles. I wanted to feel them ripple under my hands.

She moved down my body to my feet, and I closed my eyes and she massaged one foot then the other. The bed shifted, and then she was spreading my legs apart. Then I felt her begin to move back up my body, touching the insides of my legs as she moved.

She bent down and kissed a knee, then licked her way across the top of the leg all the way to my pelvis. She kissed my belly button, and then her lips were over a breast. She pulled a nipple into her mouth, and I gasped.

I was afraid that would be against the rules, but she hummed at me. Her fingers continued to stroke me while her lips and tongue teased my nipple. I felt it engorge under the attention.

I couldn’t help it. I moaned and squirmed. Apparently those were legal in her game, too.

“You taste delicious,” she said. Then she moved to the other nipple.

The attention was divine; the anticipation was excruciating.

“Say my name,” she ordered. And I obeyed.

“Elisabeth…” It came out as a cross between a whisper and a pant.

“Keep saying my name,” she said. And so I did.

“Elisabeth… Elisabeth… Elisabeth…”

She kissed me, and I moaned into the kiss. I opened for her, and her tongue slipped inside, searching, exploring, teasing. Then she withdrew. “Don’t stop saying my name.”

“Elisabeth…”

Her touches became more intimate, and I knew soon I would feel her hands where I wanted them.

I squirmed again. I couldn’t help it. But I kept my limbs where she had put them.

My eyes were closed now, and I didn’t open them for a long, long time.

“Elisabeth…”

Her fingers teased me, touching gently. Her hands still moving, her lips moved to my ear. “I am a dominant wolf, Zoe,” she said. “I take what I want, but never without permission. Say ‘yes’.”

“Yes!” I said loudly, assuredly.

She didn’t wait. Her hand slipped down my stomach, caressing with an open palm, and then the fingers curled. She cupped me, and I gasped at the touch.

“You may now say three words. My name. Yes. Or the word ‘yours’.”

“Yes!” I said again. “Elisabeth…”

I wasn’t ready to admit I was hers.

She stroked me with two fingers, and I gasped.

“Yes!”

She continued to stroke, and with each stroke, I said one of the allowed words.

And I squirmed.

“I won’t enter you until you admit you are mine,” she whispered.

“Yours!” I agreed. “Yours, yours, yours.”

She parted me with her fingers, and then she inserted a finger, and then a second. “Yours!” I said firmly.

She knew what she was doing, and she soon had me gasping, repeating the three words over and over. She slowed, and her hand stilled.