Dark Forest (Secret Blood, Book 1) (4 page)

He jerked back, then stepped in close before she could slip off the countertop. He held her steady with one hand while he checked his phone.

“Aiden?”

“Hang on.” He flipped through his apps to find the one he needed. He found it, and touched the icon. Live footage of his front door flashed onto the screen. He growled. “Goddamn it!” He helped Rose down. “Stay here.”

“What’s going on?”

“Julian. I’ll be back. On second thought, come with me, but stay behind me.”

Aiden didn’t look to see if she’d followed his instructions. Rose wasn’t an idiot. He yanked open the door. “What the hell do you want?”

A slick smile curved Julian’s mouth. “We were marking trees to take from the Asher farm. We stumbled on the property line, and found some real nice wood on your property.”

“No,” Aiden said while suppressing a growl. He’d like nothing more than to tear into Julian, but he had to follow shifter laws, and since Julian wasn’t technically invading his territory under the guise of working for a logging company, it wasn’t right to slaughter him on the spot. “I am giving no one my permission to cut any trees on my property.”

“You don’t own everything on this plot of land.” In the next second, Julian flashed into something not quite human.

Rose screamed, and that was all it took to catapult Aiden into a semi-shift where he boasted fangs and claws and sharper senses. But he was still human, still used a man’s reasoning. “Get off my property.”

“You expose us. What do you think the Wolf Council will do to you?” Julian taunted, but didn’t try to enter the house.

“Nothing,” Aiden said before he could stop himself.

Julian’s eyes glowed with malicious delight. “Are you taking a human to mate?”

“None of your damn business.” Aiden stepped out on the porch. His land. His right. The Council be damned. “Leave before I make you.”

Julian shook his head. “The Council is very strict about which humans know about us.”

“Leave.” Aiden didn’t wait for Julian to defy him again. He slammed his fist into Julian’s face, sending the other wolf sprawling backward. He stumbled down the few steps, and landed on his ass on the flagstone path.

Julian dragged himself off the ground, laughing. “You’re messing with the wrong wolf. She’s my mate. I will be back for her.”

“Leave,” Aiden commanded again. He watched Julian until his truck hit county pavement.

“Aiden.”

He didn’t dare turn around. “Give me a moment.”

Her hand slipped into his. Aiden went completely still. He knew what his hand looked like with thick, elongated fingernails. Not quite claws, but close enough to look like them, and he’d easily be able to tear through flesh with them. He turned to face her.

Her eyes were wide as she stared up at him. Her head canted as her hand lifted and then dropped to her side. “Can I…You’re not actually a wolf.”

“No,” he agreed. Relief swept through him when she didn’t run. “We’re shape-shifters. We have four distinct shapes. This”—he indicated the visible changes in him—“is what we call a semi-shift. The half-human and half-wolf Hollywood movie shape is called the lycan, and the wolf is called the wolf.” He assumed she understood human was the fourth shape.

She bit her lip. “Will you show me?”

He wasn’t sure about it, but he had more of a chance of losing her if he didn’t.

“Let’s go around back.” Even though he lived far away from town, on a back road, Aiden didn’t want anyone seeing him from the street.

She needed to see his other forms. She had to accept him. It was a soul-deep need. Humans had never been taboo mates, there simply wasn’t enough of a shifter population to keep from inbreeding if they refused mates from outside their kind, but that didn’t meant the Council was happy about letting humans in on the secret. He stopped by the woodpile, and rubbed at the back of his neck. “I’m going to need to take off my clothes.”

Color touched her cheeks. “I’ve seen boy parts before.”

He growled before he tugged off his shirt and handed it to her. He toed off his shoes and set them to the side. When he dropped his pants, her eyes went wide as a tiny, smug smile curved her mouth. “Is this your way of getting me to see you naked?”

“It’s an elaborate plan. I’m going to do the lycan first. It’s big and scary, but it’s still me. I am in full control no matter what shape I’m in, all right?”

“Quit talking about it and do it,” she said.

He chuckled as he took a step back from her. A show of bioluminescent color swirled around him. His body slipped into the hulking, lycan state. At this point, Rose knew more about what one looked like than he did. Usually, when he shifted into this form it was because he was fighting for his life.

Rose moved toward him with wide eyes then lightly touched his chest. “You’re not scary,” she murmured. “You’re…beautiful.”

His jaw twitched. Aiden wasn’t sure how to respond, but he couldn’t talk like this, so he touched his wolf nose to her temple.

“I want to see the wolf,” she said.

He loved the wolf state the most—well, he was sure his human state would become his favorite if Rose agreed to be his mate. He stepped away from her, not wanting her to get hurt in the surge of power. Lights twisted around him, and then he was a wolf.

Rose dropped onto her knees next to him. “Oh my…Aiden, you’re him. You’re the wolf who saved me.”

He flashed into his human form. “Rose?”

“I’m okay,” she breathed. “I just…That’s amazing.”

Aiden helped her to her feet. Their bodies brushed. She
eeped
, and took a quick step backward. Hunger smoldered in her eyes. “Please, a girl only has so much willpower.”

He snatched up his pants and pulled them on. “You can’t tell anyone.”

She moved up in front of him. Her gaze scorched every part of his body as she looked him over. “I won’t.”

Aiden stared down into her beautiful face. She was so tiny, the top of her head barely reaching his shoulders. For so long she’d been the unattainable dream. He had a chance, a real chance with her. He swallowed hard, knowing if he touched her in this moment, he would consume her. “Rose.”

“Aiden,” she whispered. Her hands rose to hover over his chest for a moment, before her soft, delicate fingers skimmed the contours of the muscles under his skin.

He wrapped his hands around her wrists. “Don’t.”

Her bright green eyes met his. A slow, sensual smile turned the corners of her mouth. “But I want to touch you.”

He let her wrists go. His teeth gritted together for the sheer force of will needed to keep from devouring her as her fingers moved over his chest in featherlight strokes. “Rose.”

Her hands moved up his torso and then curved around his chin, capturing his face. She pulled him down. The tip of her tongue peeked between her teeth. “Kiss me.”

His lips touched hers, and his body exploded in sensation as he instinctively wrapped around her, protecting her even as he possessed her. His fingers slid into the hair at the nape of her neck, gently tugged her head back. And then he plundered, exploring every sweet texture of her mouth. Her hands gripped his shoulders as her tight, little body pressed into him. His cock hardened. Need didn’t begin to describe his want for her.

She broke the kiss, panting. “Aiden.”

“Rose?”

Her head bobbed in a slight nod. “Need you. Now!” Then she stretched up to take his mouth with fierceness.

He scooped her up, carried her to the house, and fumbled to get the back door open. His mouth never left hers while he got her into the kitchen. He set her on her feet and spun her around, pushing her up against the table. He pulled down her red hood, shoved aside her hair, and attacked the back of her neck with his lips. His hands slid around to her front, molding over her breasts, slipping down her flat belly, and down to rub against her crotch. She reached behind her to grip his hips. Her ass ground against his pelvis.

He flipped her around, and stripped her out of the hoodie. He dropped it onto a chair, and then pulled up her shirt. He tossed it behind him, and then he slipped off her bra. He stared up into her beautiful eyes while he used the pads of his thumbs to caress the underside of her breasts, just below the erect pink tips. She made an erotic sound in the back of her throat as her head dropped back, and she arched forward.

He drew one delicate tip into his mouth, temping and teasing the taut flesh as he slipped the button on her shorts.

Her shoes were already off. What happened to them, he didn’t know. Didn’t care. He slowly pulled the denim down her well-shaped legs as she trailed her hot mouth over his chest. The throb in his cock became painful.

She undid his jeans and shoved them down his hips. She dragged her mouth down his chest, over his abs, and then licked his length before wrapping her hand around him.

He shuddered, then leaned forward, bracing himself on the table, sure if she kept doing this he was going to embarrass himself. “Rose.”

She pushed him a step away from the table and used both of her hands to caress and fondle his already engorged member. She swirled her tongue around the super-sensitized spot on his hipbone.

“Rose!”

She kissed up his side, across his abs, and settled on the opposite hipbone.

He was going to die.

Her hands stroked over him as the moist heat of her mouth gave exquisite torture. If she did this much longer, he wasn’t going to last long.

He kicked his jeans off and dragged her up the length of his body, hitched her up, and set her on the table. He brushed honey golden hair back away from her face. His gaze locked on hers.

“Rose,” he murmured as he lowered his head. His mouth was on hers as if her lips were a life-sustaining drug. They couldn’t do it here. Not the first time. He lifted her up, his arms banding tight around her midsection. Her legs hooked around his hips as he carried her, but they didn’t make it to the bedroom. They got as far as the large plush-stuffed chair in the living room before he laid her down.

*

Rose stretched out on the soft chair. Her body shivered with anticipation at the wicked intent in Aiden’s icy blue eyes. He kneeled in front of her and then used his teeth to coax her panties down to her knees. He pulled them off and tossed them to the side. His broad shoulders shoved her legs apart, and he caressed her inner thighs, making her shiver with want. He pressed light kisses close to her center. Heat pooled as she arched, inviting him closer. His fingers slid between her slick folds and brushed against her sensitized nub. She whimpered. He spread her open and lowered his head.

Sweet Lord, the man is going to kill me!
Aiden slid a finger into her, stroking her on the inside. His mouth and hands worked in unison to give her pleasure in ways she’d never even imagined. The flutter started low in her belly and spread until her body spasmed in a wave of sweet release. But he wasn’t finished with her yet.

He kept stroking, tasting, making her body need what he was doing to her. His icy blues were darker as he looked up to watch her. He filled her with another finger as he worked her nub with his thumb while he dragged his mouth over her thigh, and then up to her belly. When his mouth closed over one breast, and his free hand massaged the other, she came undone again. He worked her through one wave and into the next.

She wasn’t going to survive this. She squirmed and quivered before completely surrendering to the pleasure he was giving so freely. When she was sure there wasn’t another ounce he could wring out of her, he flipped her, draping her over the seat of the chair. His hand molded over her ass, and then he slipped his fingers between her legs, thrusting deep into her core. He stroked and thrust into her, kissing his way up her spine. She was damp with sweat. Surely she couldn’t keep doing this. She was about to come hard when he suddenly stopped.

She whimpered and reared up. “Aiden!”

He chuckled as he helped her onto wobbling legs. He dropped down on the cushy chair, and pulled her down onto his lap until she straddled him. Her legs were wedged between the chair arms and his thighs. His hardness jutted between them. He wrapped his hands around her hips.

Aiden dropped his head to kiss the corner of her mouth. “Rose,” he murmured in a raw rasp. He lifted her up, positioning her over him. “Need you.”

She looped her arms around his neck. Their gazes locked as he guided her onto him. She hissed in a breath as he filled her. He slid his hands up her body, until he cupped her face, and then he thrust into her.

They ground together, watching each other as they drew closer and closer to the spiral of white-hot ecstasy. She cried out when her inner muscles convulsed around him. He groaned as his body shuddered, and his head dropped back.

Rose collapsed against his chest. He lightly ran his fingers up and down the length of her tingling spine. Slowly their breathing returned to normal. “Aiden.”

“Shh,” he murmured. “Let me just stay like this for a while.”

Moving would take too much energy. She could not think of a reason not to stay just like this, forever if she could manage it. Then she winced.
Oh damn!
“I need to call Grams. I have to call her to let her know I got here safely.”

He made an odd growling sound, and then huffed before swinging his arm over to the end table and offering her a cordless phone. She stared at it for a long moment before taking it. It took another moment to remember how to use one because she’d used her cell phone for so long. She dialed the number.

Grams picked up on the second ring. “Rose?”

She drew in a deep breath and hoped she sounded normal. “Yes, it’s me.”

“It took you long enough. I hope your excuse was you were enjoying your werewolf.” Then Grams hung up.

Rose winced when the dead line sound beeped in her ear. She hit the End Call button and handed the phone back to Aiden.

He dropped it onto the end table and then banded one of his arms tight around her, pulling her back down onto his chest. He kissed the top of her head. “Just stay like this with me for a while. I’m pretty sure I’m dreaming.”