Reluctantly Lycan (Dakota Wolves Book 1)(16)

Finn led the way, staggering as he walked. The uneven gait wasn't from  being old, but inebriated. "It was a big fella, like you boys, and he  had something thrown over his shoulder. I'd swear it was a body. Thought  it was in my head until Blake and Luke came by and started askin'  questions."

"Go on back to the house and we'll dig up some clues. Appreciate it."

The men had shed their clothing and transformed in a matter of seconds.  Kaden pressed his nose to the ground, flaring his nostrils as he tried  to find any scent that was familiar or out of place. Frequent and  unpredictable thunderstorms washed away evidence quickly. From the cloud  cover, one was on its way. Without a clue soon, they'd probably never  find Mason.

When he was on the brink of giving up, an indentation caught Kaden's  eye. On the moist forest floor, there was a partial boot print. The mark  itself helped immensely because it pointed in the direction the young  wolf had been taken. Kaden recognized it as a hiking boot, but it could  have belonged to anyone. One of the wolves, a fisherman, or a hunter.  Hiking boots were commonplace. He ran off in the direction of the clue,  his pack at his back, and searched until his paws ached and night had  fallen.

~*~

For hours, Marala swung back and forth in the creaky old porch swing.  Nashoba had taken Taylor home with him, promising no harm would come to  the human without Kaden's word. She'd reluctantly agreed. Taylor hadn't  been thrilled, but he'd been asking questions to the irritable Chocktaw  who had changed to human form when Jak had brought him a pair of  sweatpants. Taylor's resourcefulness impressed her, but she feared for  his life.

A sliver of moon had lit the night for a while, but now it had been  covered and the rain poured down. The only time she could see in the  darkness was when flashes of lightning streaked through the thick storm  clouds.

She strained her eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the dangerous black  wolf or the equally terrifying, handsome man. Marala loathed how easily  Kade had weaseled his way back into her heart; the truth was he'd never  left it. Taylor was attractive and interesting, but her love was for  only one man. Hopefully, when he returned home, he wouldn't kick her out  of his house and shun her from the pack.

Would he exile me? The thought sent chills through her body and she  hugged her light sweater tighter over the large t-shirt she'd taken from  Kaden's closet to wear as a nightgown. Like everything he touched, it  held his masculine scent. She pulled the neck up over her mouth and  nose, closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. An adult, a mother, should  not be acting like a girl with a crush. The thought came anyway. I wish I  had never left.

"What are you doing? You should be in bed." Her eyes flew open and she  saw Kaden standing a few feet from her, drenched from head to toe and  splattered with mud.

Marala had intended to put her foot down and forbid him for harming  Taylor. Tell him that her wishes had to be respected or she would never  bond with him. That she'd take Jak and go somewhere they'd never be  found. None of it happened.

"Kaden." The confidence had disappeared. By the look on his face, she didn't have to ask if they found the missing boy.

"Where is Nashoba and the human?" He shot her a disapproving frown.

"Nash took Taylor to his house."

Kaden rubbed the back of his hand across his forehead, wiping off some  water, but smearing mud in its place. "Good. You're wearing my shirt."

"I, uh, yeah." She hunched her shoulders a bit. Her soft red hair rested  loosely over her back, frizzed slightly from the wind and humidity.

The tension built between them. Neither knew what to say or was willing  to apologize. Marala caved first, tossing herself at the filthy,  shirtless man and wrapping her arms around him.

"Mara, I'm dirty."

"I don't care." She lifted her head and took in all his features as if  it'd be her last chance. No man had ever been more perfect to her, even  if he was often a brutish mess with a hard line of unsmiling mouth.  "Don't send me away."                       
       
           



       

Kaden placed a hand on her cheek. Her skin was soft and white against  his rough, dirt covered fingertips. "I'd never do that. I love you too  much."

Marala couldn't speak, obviously shocked to hear the words flow so easily from his mouth.

"Why are you surprised, Mara? I've never stopped. Never will. It's not like it's the first time I have told you."

"Isn't it too late for us? To undue all the damage?" She bit her bottom lip to stop it from visibly trembling.

He answered by picking her up, her legs going around his waist. "I don't  claim to know the path of destiny, but after all these years, I know  you're in my arms once again."

Mara nodded before running her hands through his wet hair and kissing  his mouth. Softly at first, and then more intensely, trying to make up  for every kiss she'd missed since she ran away. Kaden carried her toward  the front door, but she broke away from his lips, panting. "Take me to  the clearing."

He did as she asked, lowering her to the porch, and squatting down so  she could get on his back. Even in his human form, he was fast and  strong, carrying her into the darkness as the rain pelted their bodies  and the thunder rumbled the ground. In the dark, he easily found his way  to the natural clearing in the forest. The ritual spot. The place where  girls became women, boys men, and everyone wolf. On a clear night, the  area would have been bathed in moonlight and a heaven of stars above.  Not this night. Like their relationship, there was a turbulent storm.

As she was gently laid against the wet earth, Marala briefly remembered  the last time she'd saw him there. Not with her. But he was with her now  and she pushed away the painful memory she'd dwelled upon for a  lifetime.

"I wish it was the full moon," Kaden said as he lifted the soaked shirt clinging to her body up and his mouth found her breasts.

She moaned out, closing her eyes, the cold rain chilling her, but his  breath and body hot against her. "Me too." Her response surprised her.  Becoming a wolf at her age was unheard of. Though, they could forgo the  normal ritual since he was pack leader and no one could argue since they  were long ago promised to each other.

Their last encounter had been unrestrained animal instinct. Kaden now  took his time to appreciate Marala, and the serious, restrained, angry  woman let go. What remained was the person she was meant to be. Had been  at some point long ago.

"I've never been myself without you," he groaned out softly before his  tongue teased at the supple flesh of her breasts and teeth squeezed a  hardened nipple between them. The necklace from the branding hung around  her neck, the paw dangling at her cleavage. He reverently touched the  emblem with his fingertips and lowered his mouth to kiss her stomach in  several places. The rain ran across her skin and over his lips. "I'm  sorry for everything you've been through."

She could barely see into his black eyes in the night when he moved over  her and gazed down. Her own irises were more yellow than green now. She  could see them reflected in his eyes. Tiny little glowing moons. They'd  never been that way before, but with Kaden against her, the wolf wanted  freedom.

"I forgive you," she whispered, leaning up a little to kiss him. A  weight lifted. The heavy burden of carrying the grudge for so long was  gone.

Kaden shed his pants, never removing his mouth from her for more than a  few seconds. His length pressed against her, resting on her underwear.  Without bothering to remove them, he tugged the fabric aside and entered  her slowly.

Marala fell back again and arched her hips, his girth spreading her to  take his entire shaft fully into her smooth depths. "Do you forgive me?"  Her fingertips ran over his pecs lower to his hard abs which she  pressed her palms against. Kaden was the embodiment of muscular  perfection.

His answer was a brief withdrawal and firm thrust to fill her again.  "Yes, my she-wolf." He buried his mouth against her neck, suckling the  flesh, as he made love to her. The sound of his drenched body slapping  against hers echoed through the clearing. Only the heavy rain and  thunder were louder than their connected bodies. Bright flashes of  lightning illuminated their entwined forms.

He rolled over, his cock remaining inside as he lifted her on of top  him. Immediately, he continued to thrust upward. Marala gasped, it a  true testament of his love for her to give her the position of  dominance. Though, in truth, the alpha was still in control of the  situation.

His she-wolf. She liked that. Her hips began moving, finding a perfect  rhythm with his constant upward assault. His hands rested on her hips,  keeping her going when after a length of time, she thought she would  collapse. Even after her body had exploded with pleasure, he kept her  going. Then he stopped, his hips jutting upward, keeping her impaled as  he allowed himself release. He didn't pull out, but lowered his hips.  She leaned forward against his strong body. Inside her, his member  twitched occasionally.