The Mating(23)
If she was with Kane, he’d introduce her to some more people and she’d feel braver about exploring. While the members she’d met briefly upon arriving yesterday had all seemed friendly, her encounter with Marla had left her a little apprehensive. Would she have to stand up to each and every member in order to prove herself, or would they just accept her? Had they only seemed friendly yesterday because Kane had been there? How would they react to meeting her without his protection? At dinner last night, she felt more confident when the others spoke of embracing new ways and new members, but now... She chewed on her lip as she pondered the questions rolling about in her mind. Joining a new pack was tricky; she’d never appreciated that fact before. Now that she had her own personal insight into the situation, she resolved to be a lot more supportive of new members in the future.
In the distance, Elise could hear a vehicle approaching. Squinting she noted that it was a red sports car and it seemed to be travelling rather quickly for such a narrow, twisty driveway. Clouds of dust swirled up around it, obscuring the view of the driver. Something about the vehicle was making her uneasy and she stepped onto the grass as it drew closer. Just as it was almost even with her, the driver jerked the wheel. The car fishtailed and loose bits of gravel flew up in the air. Elise jerked backwards as small pebbles pelted her. Unfortunately, there was a large puddle right behind her and she slipped, landing on her rear in the muddy water.
Gasping in outrage and embarrassment, Elise looked towards the driveway but the vehicle was gone. Muttering vile threats under her breath, she wiped her stinging cheek, not surprised when a smear of blood appeared on her hand. At least one of the sharp, stony projectiles had hit its mark. Thoroughly disgruntled, she got to her feet and tried unsuccessfully to wipe the mud off herself before stomping up to the house. She’d have to have a complete change of clothes and a shower.
Chapter 7
Thankfully the kitchen was empty. Elise really didn’t want anyone to know what had happened. Someone had humiliated her on purpose, and advertizing the fact was the last thing she wanted. Removing her socks and shoes so as not to leave a muddy trail, she padded barefoot up to her room and then finished stripping off her filthy garments. Setting them on the floor, she went to clean up before heading to the laundry area that Helen had shown her yesterday.
After turning on the shower, she peered in the mirror while waiting for the water to heat up. The stones had stung as they hit her face and she wanted to check the extent of the damage. Sure enough, her cheek was smeared with a streak of dried blood. Carefully, she probed the cut, judging its severity. Lycans healed quickly but even for them a deep wound took time to heal and could leave a scar. Opening the medicine cabinet, she found some antiseptic and dabbed the punctured skin, grimacing as the liquid stung the damaged flesh. A quick perusal found no other injuries, thankfully. Checking her appearance once more, Elise decided that a casual observer wouldn’t notice the wound, which in her mind was a good thing. She didn’t want a lot of people questioning what had happened. Once she found out who the driver was, she’d deal with him herself.
Grabbing a clip, she twisted her pony tail up on top of her head so it wouldn’t get wet and then turned away from the mirror, only to bump into a solid wall of muscle. Strong hands caught hold of her shoulders as she rocked backwards.
“Oh! You’re back.” Quite taken by surprise, she stated the obvious. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the fact that Kane was standing before her as naked as herself.
“Yep, I just walked in. I heard you moving about in here and, since I need a shower too, I thought we could share.”
Skimming her eyes down his form, she took in his sculpted pecs and abs before moving her gaze lower. His manhood was already at half-mast and she stared in fascination before realizing what she was doing. She felt her face grow hot in embarrassment and looked away.
Kane chuckled and caught her by the chin, forcing her to look at him. “Don’t be shy. You can look at me. I enjoy it almost as much as I enjoy looking at you.” He accompanied his words with actions, sweeping his hand down her body, caressing her from breast to hip and back again. “You’re a lovely female, Elise, with soft skin and intriguing curves that call out for me to touch them.” Leaning forward, he nibbled at her lips while using his hands to knead her breasts gently.
The combined sensations created by Kane’s use of his hands and lips made Elise’s body hum with pleasure. Without even meaning to, she found herself leaning towards him, trying to capture his mouth for a deeper kiss and pressing her breasts more firmly into his palms.