This was all so new; being able to freely touch someone, without fear of reprisal. It was wonderful and strange all at the same time. Not only had Wolf survived her violent outburst, but he wasn't frightened at all. It seemed unreal.
"Wolf?"
"Yes," Wolf kissed her shoulder.
"Thank you for not freaking out. I don't understand how you can be so calm." Ella shook her head in amazement. "And you're fine." Ella walked her fingers over the ridges and valleys of his abs. "You know, I've hurt people before," Ella frowned. "I tossed the guy who gave me my first kiss across the room. Knocked him out," her brows furrowed. Ella couldn't figure out how Wolf hadn't fared the same.
"Princess, I'm tougher than I look. I … " Wolf's cell phone rang interrupting him. "I'll let the voicemail get it."
"What if it's about the missing kid?"
"Aw dammit, you're right," Wolf groaned. He leaned over the bed and grabbed his phone.
Ella snuggled into Wolf's back as he talked to his friend, Cain. She liked the way his voice vibrated through his chest as he spoke. Ella repressed her disappointment. It sounded like Wolf needed to leave. Even though she didn't want this moment to end, Ella was mollified, even proud, that Wolf was leaving for a good reason. He wasn't just pulling the after-sex Houdini routine. That would devastate her, after finding the first man who didn't crumple when he touched her.
"Well shit," Wolf groused as he hung up.
"I heard. You gotta head out." Ella looked around his room. "Crap. That window needs to be boarded up. I can clean this, while you get ready."
"Nah. I'll text Vick and Tony. They owe me big."
"I can still help out. You know I've got my own drill." Ella stared at him while fluttering her lashes.
"Fuck, woman! You're making it hard to get out of this bed," Wolf groaned as he rolled back on the bed. "I don't know which is hotter, you in those boots and jeans, holding that drill, or the tight black skirt with those fuck-me heels, and the stockings that have the line up the back."
Ella smiled a happy smile at Wolf's dilemma. She didn't mind featuring in any of his tawdry fantasies.
"How long do you think you'll be gone?" Ella ran her fingers through Wolf's hair. She wanted to do this again soon, real soon.
"I'd like to say a day, but it could be longer." He closed his eyes enjoying her touch. "I'll call you."
"Good. I'll worry." Ella was already worried at the thought Wolf might be in a dangerous situation. "I really hope the little boy is alright when you find him."
"Me too, Princess." Wolf leaned over and kissed her. "I should get dressed," he groused against her lips.
7 Justice
Wolf
Ella was turning into a hell of a kisser. Wolf pulled into the parking lot of the rendezvous point still feeling the energizing tingle from her parting embrace. Not to mention the memory of Ella's body arching beneath him. It would forever be seared into his mind. It had been real damn hard leaving her.
Damn I've got it bad for that woman.
Strangely that didn't bother him one bit. Wolf smiled as he headed inside. Wolf spotted the shaggy blonde, feline Shifter at the bar, and wandered over.
"Hey MD. Let's get this show on the road." Wolf wanted to do this job and return to Ella.
"I missed you too, man," MD chuckled.
"It's been less than a month. I was hoping to miss you more."
"I'm wounded," MD clutched his chest. He threw money down for his beer then followed Wolf out.
It felt like yesterday he and the Reaper medic returned from their adventure in Mexico. It was also odd how so much could happen in such a short time. There were some things that changed your life forever. Meeting Ella was one of those turning points. Little-Miss-Straight-Laced had turned Wolf's life upside down.
"So, did Cain send you for any particular reason? Not that I'm disappointed." Wolf got along with all the Reapers.
"Yes," MD snarled. "The bastard we're after likes to beat up on people weaker than him."
"Son of a bitch."
Wolf's inner beast threatened to come out and play at the thought of some innocent child being used as a punching bag. Things were going to get bloody if that boy had even a scratch on him. Wolf's nails and fangs elongated.
Soon, he promised his inner beast.
The animal he usually repressed was hungering to get some action. His evening with Ella pushed the bounds of his self-control. It took everything he had in him to restrain the beast. When Ella climaxed, she erupted like an A-bomb, throwing off a shockwave that vibrated through him with fierce intensity. Wolf absorbed it with no trouble, now that he knew what to expect. His inner beast reared up, reveling in the immense power, bathing in it. In the aftermath, Wolf felt energized and jittery, ready to either fuck or go to war. That being the case, it was best he was going to war. Ella needed a little break after their encounter.
"Here," MD tossed Wolf the Bluetooth helmet comm. "I'll brief you on the way to St. Louis."
Wolf hooked the comm up, and they took off for the open road.
"Hey, you mind telling me why Iris wanted me to say, welcome to the family?" MD asked as he merged onto highway fifty-five.
"Iris and her gift." Wolf shook his head in amazement. "I'm seeing someone."
"Well it must be serious if Iris is yammering about it. Shifter or Outsider?"
"Outsider."
"You plan on telling her?" MD asked.
"No. I was actually about to, then this job came up."
"It's kinda soon, isn't it?"
"Yeah, but I don't have to worry about the usual shit we worry about, with Ella."
Wolf understood the Shifter's concern. Just this morning Wolf asked himself the same question. But now he knew Ella wouldn't betray his secret. She'd grown up with the same fear. Except she had to deal with it alone. Wolf ached for her at the thought. At least he had his pack, full of other people like him. Ella had no one. It was no wonder she was so guarded.
Well that's gonna change.
"I still don't envy you. I'm hoping to meet a hot little Shifter one day, so I don't have any of that drama."
"Good luck with that. Chicks are drama, Shifter, Outsider, or whatever category they fall into. And the drama's kinda nice every now and then."
Wolf grinned behind his helmet as he recalled the drama that went down in his bedroom. He thought he wanted something uncomplicated whenever he thought about finding his old lady. Like MD, Wolf assumed he'd settle down with a Shifter, since relationships were hard enough without adding their odd nature as a barrier. Thank god, fate had given him what he needed, and not what he thought he wanted.
Ella incited a passion in him that had never seen the light of day, or the dark of night. She was porn star sexy with a sweet innocence that overheated him in nothing flat. She challenged him in ways no female shifter dared to challenge the alpha, and he loved it. Wolf was certain he'd never get bored with Ella in his life.
"Yeah, they all are, aren't they?" MD huffed into the mic, sounding like he needed to get laid.
"The first few times I met Ella she looked like a librarian."
"Uh, okay," MD sounded skeptical about how that could be attractive.
"Man, you have no clue. I instantly had a hard-on for book learning." Wolf groaned thinking about Ella with her long auburn hair, bound up tight, begging to be set free. "Just when I thought I had Little-Miss-Straight-Laced figured out, Ella flipped the tables on me. I caught her rocking a pair of tight jeans and some shit-kicking boots, wielding a drill. Aw hell, so fucking sexy. It blew my damn mind."
"You sure you've got a real girlfriend and you're not just describing the last few DVD's you watched?" MD chuckled.
"Shut the fuck up. So, tell me, what are the details of this job? Like I told Cain, I didn't have a chance to look into it. It's been a long night already."
"Trip tracked the bastard's last cell call to a shitty neighborhood on the east side of St. Louis. Except that still leaves us a few mile radius. That's where your nose comes in my friend."
"There are benefits to being canine. He's probably holed up in some flop house," Wolf commented.
"Ray demanded Amy bring a thousand bucks to make the exchange. She's supposed to meet him by tomorrow noon, or Ray threatened the kid."
"So how much H did this prick accuse her of stealing?"
"Ray claims she stole five K's worth, when Amy moved out of his ratty apartment with Keith. I'm thinking the tweaker used more product than he was pushing, and now he's got to pay the piper."