Dark Moon (18 page)

“What were you going to do when you found me?”  She asked as she opened his shirt. 

He groaned lightly when she ran her hands over his naked chest.  He stared at her breasts and forced himself to keep his hands at his sides.  Her nipples were hard and her skin was covered in goose bumps.

“Are you cold, little Lycan?”  He asked.

She shook her head.  “No.”  She ran her thumb over his flat nipple and then traced his collarbone with the tips of her fingers.

“What were you going to do when you found me?”  She asked again.

“Spank you.”  He muttered hoarsely.

Her eyebrows rose up and then she laughed loudly.  “Do you really believe I would allow you to spank me?”

He didn’t answer and she leaned over him, pressing her breasts into his chest.  She rubbed her pelvis against his naked stomach, grinning when he moaned quietly.

“Is that what you want, human?”  She whispered into his ear.  “Me bent over your lap, my naked ass in the air so you can spank it?”

“Sophia…” He moaned and gripped her naked thighs in his hands, squeezing them firmly as she kissed his thick neck.

“Yes, Kaden?”

“We – we agreed not to do this remember?”

“Aye, I remember.”  She bit the firm flesh of his shoulder and rubbed herself against him again.

“But that was before you went traipsing through the woods like little Red Riding Hood.”

“Like who?”

She grinned at him, her white teeth flashing in the growing darkness.  “An ancient’s tale.  They told it to their children to frighten them.  Red Riding Hood was a little girl who was afraid of the big bad wolf.”

His fingers tightened on the firm flesh of her thighs.  “Are you calling me a girl?”

“The way you keep denying me what is rightfully mine is starting to make me wonder.”

He pushed her back until her pussy was directly above his erection and ground his pelvis against her.  “Be careful what you say to me, little Lycan.”

She pressed herself against his erection and then sat up.  She cupped her breasts, running her thumbs over her nipples and smiling when his eyes darkened with lust.

“Why?  Are you going to spank me?”  She asked cheekily.

He groaned when she pulled tightly on her nipples, making her back arch with pleasure.  His hands moved to her ass and he squeezed it roughly as he pushed his pelvis into her repeatedly.

“I’ll make you a deal, human.”  Her hands left her breasts and went to the buttons on his pants.  She flicked them open one-by-one and then leaned over him.  “I’ll consider letting you spank me one day if,” she pulled his cock through the opening in his pants and squeezed it firmly, “you give me what is mine right now.”

“Sophia, we shouldn’t.”  He rasped out as his hips rose in time to the firm strokes of her hand.

“Aye, perhaps not.”  She agreed before leaning over and kissing him hard on the mouth.  She plunged her tongue into his mouth, darting and flicking it against his tongue, before tearing her mouth from his.

He panted and moaned under her as she stroked his cock.  “If you don’t want to fuck me at least let me use your cock to make myself come.”

He watched, his breath heaving in and out of his chest in harsh pants, as she reached down.  She parted the lips of her pussy with her fingers, and used her other hand to rub his cock against her wet clit.  He cried out as she made a low moaning noise and arched her back.

“Should we fuck, Kaden?  Are you ready to give me what is mine?”  She panted.

“Yes.  Oh gods, yes.”  He groaned.

She lifted her pelvis, slid her hand to the base of his cock, and thrust herself down on to it.  They cried out in unison, and he gripped her hips tightly as she rocked up and down on his cock.

She braced her hands on his chest and rode him hard.  Lust coursed through her and she growled loudly, her eyes turning green, when he reached up and cupped her wildly-bouncing breasts.  He pulled hard on her nipples and she leaned over him.  She stared at him, her eyes glowing brightly, and kissed him.  He returned her kiss, thrusting his tongue between her lips as he thrust his cock deep inside of her.

He moved his hands to her ass and held it firmly, as she bounced up and down.  She moaned and reached between them.  She rubbed her clit hard and he gave a loud cry of pleasure, his hips bucking upwards, as her pussy tightened around him and she shuddered wildly.

She lifted her head to the sky and howled.  He thrust his hips upwards and let his own climax take over.  He pumped furiously into her as her fingers raked over his chest leaving shallow, bloody furrows.

She crumpled against him, her pulse pounding in her ears and her entire body trembling.  He wrapped his arms around her and burrowed his face into the warmth of her neck as she stroked his hair gently.

She touched his chest and stared guiltily at the traces of blood on her fingers.  “I’m sorry.”  She whispered.

“It’s fine.”  He kissed the top of her head and stared up at the sky through the trees.  Darkness was nearly upon them and he could see the faint light of the stars.  She rubbed his chest and he pulled her closer, sighing harshly to himself.  Not sleeping with Sophia was turning out to be more difficult than he could ever have imagined.  He tried to tell himself it was because he wanted her body and nothing more, but as she placed a gentle kiss on his scarred chest he knew it was a lie.

Chapter 16

“What are you doing, my love?”

Tristan crouched down next to Leta.  It was just after breakfast and she was sitting cross-legged on the cold ground of the yard, her hands cupped together as she rocked back and forth.  She was staring with hard concentration at her hands, her brow furrowed and her lips set in a determined line.

“Leta?”  He put a warm hand on her back.

“I found it in the yard, papa.  It has a broken wing.”  She opened her hands slightly so he could peer between them.  He could see the small sparrow sitting in the palm of one hand, its left wing held out at an awkward angle.

Leta sighed and closed her hands up.  She resumed her rocking as Tristan rubbed her back.  “What are you doing?”  He repeated.

“I’m trying to heal it.”  She explained.  Her entire body tensed and she grunted a little with the effort.

“Leta – “

“I know I’m a healer like mama.  I know it!”  She said fiercely.  “I can feel it in my bones, papa.”

He smiled gently and sat down next to her.  “My love, I have no doubt that someday you’ll be a healer like your mama.  But it will not happen until later.  You know that the gift of healing doesn’t happen until you are older.  Your brother’s healing ability did not show up until he was in his teens.  Remember?”

“I know.”  She sighed.  “But I want it to happen right now, papa.  I want to heal.”

He kissed the top of her head as Avery came out the back door and, wrapping her sweater tightly around her body, approached them.

“What are you two doing out here?”  She asked.  “It’s freezing out.”

Tristan smiled at her as she squeezed his shoulder affectionately.  “Leta found a bird with a broken wing.”

Avery sat on the other side of Leta.  “Let me see.”

Leta opened her hands and Avery peered at the tiny bird.  “Poor little thing.”

“I’m trying to heal it, mama.”  Leta said solemnly.

“Are you now?”  Avery kissed her forehead.  “That is very kind of you.”

“It’s not working.”  Leta sighed.  “I know I can heal, mama.  Why won’t it work?”

“You are not old enough yet, my sweet Leta.”  Avery said.  “Here, let me see it.”

Leta carefully handed the bird to Avery.  Avery cupped it in her hands and Leta crawled into Tristan’s lap, resting her head on his broad chest and linking her fingers with his.  They sat in silence for a while, Leta humming a quiet tuneless song under her breath, until Avery smiled at her.

She opened her hands and Leta leaned forward to study the bird.  It was sitting in the palm of Avery’s hand, its formerly broken wing now straight and smooth.  Leta smiled delightedly as the bird stood and shook itself.  It walked to the end of Avery’s fingers, shook itself again, and then flew up and into the air.  Leta, her hand shading her eyes from the sun, watched it fly for a few minutes and then turned to Avery.

“Someday I’ll be able to do that too, mama.”

“I know you will.”  Avery smiled at her as Tristan stood and offered his hands to them.  He pulled them into a standing position and kissed Avery gently on the mouth before leading them both into the house.

* * *

Kaden sighed and stared blankly at the chess board in front of him.  It had been two days since he had gone to the forest to look for Sophia, and since then he had avoided being alone with her.  He had realized quickly after that night that he couldn’t be alone with her.  His willpower, his ability to resist her, was pretty much non-existent.  He was leaving after the wedding, and it wasn’t fair to her to continue to sleep with her.

And why exactly are you leaving after the wedding? 
His mind whispered.

He jerked a little.  Why
was
he still planning on leaving?  He trusted the Lycans now didn’t he?  He searched inwardly and realized with a twinge of regret that no, he didn’t trust them.  He hated that he didn’t, and hated that he still didn’t entirely believe they wouldn’t turn on him.  Despite everything they had done for both he and his sister, he couldn’t get past his belief that deep down the Lycans considered them as slaves.

Even Sophia, the night in the forest, had told him repeatedly that he belonged to her.  He felt a throb of lust deep in his belly.  It certainly hadn’t bothered him at the time; he had enjoyed the way she so clearly claimed him as her own.  She had driven off the smaller wolf because it had tried to take what was hers. 

Another shiver of desire went through him.  He had spent his entire life taking care of first his mother and then his sister.  He had gotten used to being the one who took care of others, and even the few women he had slept with had a certain quality to them.  They had a type of weakness and a craving to be protected that had appealed to his need to keep others safe.  Sophia wasn’t like that.  In fact, she had proven numerous times that she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

Did that bother him?  For the first time in his life he had met a woman who didn’t need him to keep her safe.  And when she wasn’t saving his life she was acting like it was her right to have sex with him.  His cock hardened in his pants as he remembered the way she had ridden him in the woods.  It had turned him on when she told him he belonged to her.  He rubbed his head angrily.  He didn’t want it to turn him on, he didn’t want to feel like he belonged to her, but gods be damned he did. 

He belonged to her and she belonged to him.  He knew that to the very core of him.  It was exactly why he needed to stay away from her, and why he needed to leave after the wedding.  He may trust Sophia but he wasn’t sure he would ever trust the rest of her family.  He had trusted Ian and look where that had gotten him.  He wasn’t angry with Ian and he understood his reasons, but it didn’t negate the fact that the old Lycan had been lying to him the entire time.

He thought briefly of asking Sophia to go with him but knew immediately she would never do so.  She was bound to her family both by love and the need to be in a pack.  She would never leave them.

“Gods Kaden, are you ever going to make a move?”  Nicky’s impatient voice broke through his thoughts.

“I’m thinking.”  Kaden replied.  “I’ve only just learned how to play – give me a minute.”

“It’s been nearly five.”  Nicholas pointed out.  “Perhaps you don’t have the knack to play chess, or perhaps you need to play against a weaker opponent.”  He teased gently.

“I think you’re doing great.”  Dani smiled brightly at Kaden and leaned against him, putting her arm around his shoulders.

Kaden sighed.  The girl had left him alone for a few days after his birthday but his near-death experience had renewed her crush.  For a moment he wished Dani was Lycan, if only so that she would know that he had slept with Sophia. 

She brushed her hand down his arm, squeezing the thick muscles gently.  “Don’t let my cousin get to you, Kaden.  He beats everyone at chess – even dad and Uncle Tristan.”

He smiled uncomfortably and leaned away from her.  She gave him a hopeful smile.  “Would you like to go for a walk with me?”

“Um, that’s nice of you but – “

“Get away from him, cousin.”  Sophia’s low voice, almost a growl, interrupted him.  She had entered the common room and was leaning against the wall, her eyes burning balefully at them.

Dani turned and glared at Sophia.  “Mind your own business, Sophia.”

She turned back to Kaden.  Will you come for a walk with me, Kaden?”

He shook his head.  “No, Dani.  I already told you that I –“

“He’s mine, Dani.”  Sophia interrupted softly.

Dani sighed impatiently.  “No, he is not.  He’s a human, not some pet that you can claim as your own.”

She scowled at Sophia.  “He can make up his own mind about what or who he wants.”

“Did you not tell her, Kaden?”  Sophia walked towards them.  “Did you not tell my pretty little cousin that you belong to me?”

“Be quiet, Sophia.”  Kaden said harshly.

She ignored him and smiled at her cousin.  “I’ve had him inside me, cousin.  It is my name he cries out when we are in bed together.”

Dani turned white and she stared at Kaden in shock.  “You said it was not because of her.  You said you were not attracted to her.”

Kaden sighed.  “Dani, listen to me.  I told you – “

“He does not want you.”  Sophia said quietly.  Her eyes were bright green and filled with a terrible blank light.  “He does not – “

“Sophia, leave!”  Kaden shouted at her as Nicky stood and strode to his sister.  He shook Sophia’s arm roughly.

“What is wrong with you?”  He hissed at her.

Sophia stared blankly at him for a moment before she shook herself.  The light died in her eyes and a look of regret and horror crossed her face.  “Dani, I – I’m so sorry.  I did not mean to – “

Dani, her slender body trembling and tears dripping down her face, turned away.  Kaden hesitated and then put his arm around her.  She leaned against him, burying her face in his chest as Sophia gave him a look of shame.