Reluctantly Lycan (Dakota Wolves Book 1)(22)

Things were getting tense. No more evidence or clues about the  disappearance had surfaced. Each night the couple stared up at the  sliver of moon growing larger and larger every evening until it was  nearly a full pie. No matter how many times she and Kaden had sex …  in  the clearing, up against trees, or in the cool waters of the river …  they  couldn't screw away the angst that the long anticipated bonding  brought.

And the night was upon them. The days had dragged by until this moment  and now everything was happening too fast. Marala sighed, running her  hands over the delicate white dress. Not her usual style, but she sure  felt beautiful for once.

She had let her hair flow freely down her back and over her shoulders.  Only a small strand was braided in the side. The wolf paw necklace was  where it stayed now, around her neck with the pendant near her heart.  The sound of people talking drew her to a nearby window.

Outside, pack members were bearing gifts. She assumed they were leaving  the offerings of blessing on the porch. From her angle, she couldn't  see. Their voices were animated and excited. The gestures warmed her  heart. Within a pack, you were never alone in the world.

Why did I think leaving was the right answer? She asked herself, but  then thought about everything she'd gone through, from the loss of her  parents to Kaden's infidelity, and she couldn't blame herself too much.

Kaden knocked on the bedroom door a short time later. He had a busy  night ahead of him. First the bonding with her and then pack leader  business. That meant fighting. New scars. Danger.

She opened the door for him. He was dressed in a black robe the same  color as his hair, the same as his eyes, and the same as his wolf. Her  breath caught in her throat and for a split second she was afraid of the  beastly man. One mistake and he could snap her like a twig. But, she  knew he'd die before harming her when he smiled down at her. A brutal,  aggressive man like that shouldn't have such a heartwarming smile. It  was almost too amazing.

Kaden touched her cheek before stepping inside. "You ready?"

"I think so. What if something goes wrong? I'm so old. The transformation could kill me or not work at all."

He laughed a little. "Oh, it will work. You're not that old. I can smell  the need on you. Relax. I'll take care of you. Jak is locked up in his  room with his headphones on at full blast." His hands rubbed over her  shoulders and down her arms. "You're more beautiful than you were the  day you left."

Marala ran a fingertip along his chiseled jawline, looking into the  depths of his eyes. Rising to her tiptoes, she pressed her lips to his.  She loved him so much it hurt and soon they'd be even closer. Instead of  trying to kill the wolf within with depressants, she'd spend full moons  running through the forest with her mate.                       
       
           



       

His hands fell to her waist and slowly he lifted the gown from the  bottom until he was pulling it over her head. Though it was removed  quickly, the respect and honor the dress represented was important to  her. When he'd finished, he untied the belt holding his robe closed and  it fell open to reveal his toned, muscular physique. Without modesty, he  allowed his member to jut out toward her.

"I'm scared," she whispered, not wanting to admit it. Ashamed to say the words out loud.

Firmly, he touched his lips to her forehead and held her close against  his chest. She could hear his heart and it was racing. "Do you want to  be with me forever?" he asked.

"Forever," she repeated.

"Then it's necessary. Everyone is afraid the first time they shift. Even I was."

"I wish I had been here for it."

"Me too, wa-ya. We're together now." He led her to the bed, lifted her,  and placed her flat on her back. Discarding the robe, he covered her  with his body.

"Don't bite me when you change." He put one finger against her nose and smiled again, trying to ease her tension.

Marala wiggled a little to spread herself open and he positioned himself  in a way to give her room beneath his massive frame. "I won't."

He caught more of her scent, his nostrils flared, and ravenously he went  in for a kiss. His tongue pushed into her mouth, followed by his member  between her legs and into her body.

Marala and Kaden were both virgins to full moon sex. Neither was  prepared for the mind-shattering, body shocking ecstasy of the most  intimate embrace two lycan can share.

She locked eyes with him when he pulled away from the kisses to look  down at her expression while he made love to her. Never stopping, never  losing rhythm, thrusting for what was surely hours but felt like days.  Her hands rose to his chest and she lightly ran her fingernails down it.  Only for a moment they weren't nails at all, but claws. She blinked  once and the illusion vanished.

"Don't be scared of the wolf." She heard him say and felt his hands protectively on the sides of her head to still the insanity.

Had she been writhing back and forth, screaming? Yes. But his mouth was  on hers again and she calmed. This only lasted a moment because orgasm  sent her body arching upward. His arms wrapped around her and lifted her  up to sitting on him, hugging her tightly as he released within her.

Reality revealed. With eyes open, the truth of what she was, visions and  shared memories, were shown to her. The wolf was free and she belonged.  Not only to Kaden forever, but to the pack …  to the wolf and to the  moon.

He'd slipped away from her to the foot of the bed, watching. She saw his  form, but couldn't make out his features clearly with her new eyes. His  mouth was moving, but there was too much going on in her mind and body  for her to hear.

She fell forward on the bed where Kaden had placed her after he'd lifted  her off him and set her down. On all fours, her back arched upward,  then another tingling sensation shot through her body and she lowered  it. Her head lifted into the air next. In a shaky motion, not fluid like  Kaden's shifts, she suddenly transformed into a soft red wolf with  bright yellow eyes. A sensation akin to vertigo disoriented her, but  nothing she would call pain happened.

"You're the most amazing creature I have ever seen," Kaden whispered.

She could see him clearly now and he had tears in his eyes. The tough  guy, the leader of lycans, was on the verge of crying. Marala drew in a  breath, testing her newfound senses. Immediately, she bristled and  jumped off the bed. Her changed appendages faltered and she fell flat,  but in a scramble, made it to her feet.

"Marala, my love, please calm down. You're okay," he spoke soothingly,  knowing how the wolf mind could be confusing. It was mostly instinct,  not thought.

Looking directly at him she growled and then placed her front paws on  the bedroom door, clawing at the knob, trying to open it. She knew it  would be nearly impossible to return to human form until the full moon  set since it was her first shift.

Kaden, confused, put on his robe and opened the door. Marala darted  across the hall and did the same clawing motion on Jak's door. Kaden  gently pushed her aside. "Stay here and let me check. I will not  hesitate to muzzle you if you try to bite our son."

Marala released a heartbreaking howl to tell Kaden to hurry. He opened  the door, stepped inside and shut the door behind him. When he came back  out, Marala looked up expectantly.

"He's gone," Kaden told her as he ran for the front door.

~*~

"Wake up, Jak," a familiar voice said. He was being shaken.                       
       
           



       

"Taylor?" Growling. What is that?

"Come on, kid. I know you're groggy, but bad shit is happening."

Jak forced one eyelid up. What he saw had the other open wide despite  the effects of the drugs he'd been shot with. A wolf stood in the corner  of the dirt hole he was in and looked ready to attack at the slightest  provocation.

"Is that Mason?" Jak asked.

"Uh, yeah, and he's about to eat us."

The moonlight lit the pit enough for Jak to see how weak Taylor and the  wolf were. With a little help, Jak was able to get to his feet. He  leaned against the dirt wall and spoke, "Mason, I'm a wolf like you. My  dad is Kaden Dakota. You know him, the pack leader."

Mason's eyes lowered a little as if he was remembering the pack …  or  thinking about how delicious two humans might taste. A few seconds  passed and the wolf took a step forward, teethed bared again as if he'd  forgotten everything Jak had said.

Taylor went to block the wolf from attacking Jak, but Jak held out an arm to stop him. "No. I got this."

"I sure as hell hope you do because I don't."