Ellida (27 page)

“Surprise me,” she said to Jack that evening
when he asked her to be more specific. “Something nice but quick,
because I think it’s building up again.”

Jack made tagliatelle with black truffles,
the tastiest pasta Astrid had ever tried.

She drank a lot of water, and even took a few
quick naps. Within hours, her temperature dropped to a normal
level, there was no pain, discomfort or muscle weakness. She was
bursting with life and energy.

The curtains were pulled back, allowing the
silvery light to spill all over the room. The moon, a swollen,
pale-yellow melon, just one night away from its full, perfect orb,
shone in the ink-black sky, but this time it didn’t affect Astrid.
Her wolf was happy in her human body, as her human soul was finally
at peace with her wolf self.

Every time Astrid’s and Jack’s bodies joined,
every time Jack brought her to another climax—sometimes explosive,
sometimes gentle like a touch of the feather—more and more of her
two spirits merged, answering to their own needs and to the
presence of Jack’s spirits, both human and animal.

It was the first time Astrid was able to
clearly see Jack’s beast in its human form close up: strong, brave,
possessive, protective, smart and fast. And all hers. Completely,
absolutely, entirely hers.

She could also sense his almost century-long
human loneliness, which had vanished the night they’d met each
other. She understood the feelings he had for other women in his
life—attraction, affection, loyalty, friendship—but she knew that
only with her had he found everything he’d always dreamt of: a love
that made him complete. It was their bond, of course, but the tie
between them ran even deeper, connecting them to the time of
Illeani and Harlan. They were an incarnation of the sacred union of
an asanni and a blaidd, a wizard woman and a werewolf man.

“Jack,” she whispered in a raspy voice,
reaching for him. “I think I’ll need you again. God, are you going
to be okay?”

“The night is young, my love.” He kissed her
gently, staring into her eyes that were shifting toward a green
hue. “As long as you need me, my queen. How do you want me this
time?”

“Oh, just kiss me. Everywhere. It’s so nice
when you kiss me.”

“My love,” Jack kissed her temples, lips,
breasts, stomach, hips...

She was so arousing and sexy with that
uncontrollable lust no other man could satisfy, Jack thought, his
chest swelling with primal, almost animal gratification. She was
his woman, the other half of his body and soul. His Astrid, so
soft, so open, so ready for his hands, his lips, his hard flesh.
His lover, his friend, his joy. His wife.

He dipped his head and found her moist, hot
opening. He sucked her, and licked her, lazily traveling between
the silky folds of her flesh with his tongue, circling the
sensitive nerve-rich pearl until she tilted back her head and cried
out aloud, fingers tangled in Jack’s hair.

“I’M TIRED, Jack,” she said sleepily a
little bit later. “And I’m afraid it’s not over yet.” She sighed
and closed her eyes, nestling in his arms.

A thought flashed through her mind and her
body stiffened. “Jack, we didn’t use any protection. I can’t get
pregnant tonight, can I?”

He stroked her face. “No. Not in the
pseudo-estrous phase. And we aren’t supposed to use a condom.
Tonight we’re marking each other.”

“Okay,” she said, relieved. “But starting
tomorrow, you’re gonna get dressed first, okay?”

Bracing himself on his elbow and hovering
over her, he said with a feigned sigh, “You don’t think I maybe
deserve a break tomorrow?”

Missing the phony tone in Jack’s voice,
Astrid stuttered, “Oh, I’m sorry. Of course!” Then she saw him
shaking with laughter.

“You bloody, over-confident, over-masculine…
big bad wolf!” she screeched, bursting with laughter.

“And if you think you can mess with him, it’s
better to teach you a lesson right away.”

Strong white teeth flashed between his parted
lips and the corners of his mouth curved into a predatory grin. In
one swift movement he was above her. His amber eyes darkened. He
lowered his head and—blew a raspberry on her tummy!

“That tickles!” Astrid shrieked and laughed,
wiggling under him and feeling his renewed erection.

“
YOU WON’T end up as a redhead, so you’ll
be able to wear pink, but I can’t do anything for your blue
eyes,”
Astrid’s wolf suddenly announced in the wee hours of the
morning.

“
Thank you,”
Astrid said, truly
grateful. “
Tell me, how long will Jack need to make love to me?
Do you plan to connect with me or you are simply having
fun?”

“
Oh, I am enjoying it, for sure. Not too
long, don’t worry. Does he look he has any trouble keeping us
happy? He loves it! Look at that satisfied grin all over his
face.”

Astrid turned her head to face Jack. He was
smiling, indeed. His eyes were bright liquid gold, his hair tousled
and his body strong. She bent her head and buried her nose in his
neck. He smelled of musk, rain and sun.

Her wolf laughed in her throaty voice.
“
One more time, Astrid, and I’m coming home. Pinky
promise
.”

“I love you, Jack,” Astrid said, and moved
closer. Her hand stroked his face, tracing the line of his strong
jaw.

Jack closed his eyes surrendering himself to
her touch. She kissed his closed eyelids and temples, and moved to
his lips, soft and warm. “You taste wonderful. You smell even
better. I think I’m in love with your scent. It turns me on… Oh,
Jack, I want you!”

Jack lay almost motionless. It was time for
Astrid’s spirits to connect and she spontaneously took control over
it.

Astrid kissed his neck, his chest, his
abdomen, slowly and steadily moving downwards. Jack let out a soft
moan, still trying not to move, not to break the spell.

He let her love him with the gentle touch of
her soft, swollen lips and her tongue. Her hot mouth was his
sanctuary, the place where he felt at home like nowhere before. It
was her turn to bring him to the edge of the universe. She left him
shuddering on its edge for a long, long moment, until he heard her
voice, quiet, soft, alluring, calling him back.

“I want you inside me. Take me hard, Jack.
Make love to me like there is no tomorrow…”

With a quick motion, he pinned her under his
body and entered her in a single, hard stroke.

Astrid could feel the knot swelling inside
her, the incredible sense of being filled up completely, of being
joined with the magnificent male body above her. She gasped in
sheer delight, clinging to him, and then her lips sought his and
claimed them in a ferocious kiss. Jack started moving inside her,
in long, hard thrusts, reaching deep inside her.

“Let go, Astrid,” he said firmly. “Let go
now…”

Her spirits submitted to the unmistakable
command in his voice and soared to meet each other, as her body
rose up to meet his, shiny from sweat and hot from passion.

The first hard spasms shook her very core,
spreading across her body as wild fire. She could feel how Jack’s
body tightened and stood motionless for a fraction of time before
his own hot release flooded her womb.

There was a buzzing sound in her ears, and
she thought,
God, I’m gonna pass out again
, as little white
spirals danced in front of her eyes. She could hear the rush of her
own blood, the loud beating of their hearts, his moans, and her
cries. And then, a surge of heat soaring inside her chest, as
powerful and delightful as the warm current of their bond, yet
different from it.

“
I’m home, Astrid!”
She heard her wolf
one more time, before her deep, velvety laugh disappeared inside
Astrid’s mind.

“Welcome home, Wolf,” Astrid said aloud,
oblivious of the tears that leaked down from her eyes in two thick
lines.

Jack held her tight and rocked her gently.
She pressed her head against his bare chest, listening to the
rhythmic sounds of his heart.

She closed her moss-green eyes and fell
asleep.

I WOKE up with an incredible sense of
well-being. I felt rested, strong, bursting with a vitality
different from the familiar wizard vigor.

I was a full-fledged werewolf!

I kept my eyes closed, assessing my
surroundings with my other senses.

First, smell. I sniffed a new component in my
natural scent: a subtle hint of rain, sun and musk. That was Jack’s
mark on me.

I’d marked my territory, too. I could smell
myself on Jack, underneath his scent. So, that was how everybody
else in our world knew we belonged to each other. Cool.

I could distinguish even the most subtle
aromas: the wood of the floor, the fabric of the sofa, bed sheets,
the wall paint... The wind that was gently moving the curtains.
Grass, trees, even a small creek in the forest…

The feeling wasn’t completely new. I’d become
aware of it and its sounds and smells and tastes the first time I’d
hunted in the forest.

Next—hearing. Like a month ago when I’d
chased deer, I was absolutely aware of every sound around me: the
beats of my heart and flow of my blood, Jack’s heartbeats, his
breathing—he was awake, and he was aware I wasn’t sleeping
anymore—the gentle movement of the tree crowns, a dog howling at
the edge of the town, a single car passing by Kalamata Grocery.

Yet, all those sounds didn’t create a
cacophony in my head. They coexisted in harmony, each of them
distinctive, sharp yet subtle, like a very clear whisper. And I
realized I was able to tune out all those tones I didn’t need at
the moment.

After that I explored my new tactile
abilities. I ran my fingers across Jack’s upper arm. The warm river
rushed through my body, stronger and warmer than ever before.

“So, that’s how you’ve been feeling it all
this time,” I said. “It wasn’t as strong for me. It was nice,
fulfilling, it made me feel a part of you, it was very potent, but
now there’s a whole new dimension to it. No wonder you fell in love
with me at the first touch.”

“That’s a lovely speech, Astrid,” Jack said,
still keeping his eyes closed, devouring my fingers on his skin.
“Now you know what I went through. How are you feeling?”

“Strong and happy.”

“What time is it?”

My inner clock told me the exact time: “3:15
a.m. I slept almost twenty-four hours.”

“You needed it. Are you happy with your new
skills?”

“I’m delighted. I’ve been testing them. I
haven’t checked my enhanced sense of taste and sight yet, so I’ll
keep my eyes closed for a while,” I said and pressed myself against
Jack. I found his mouth and kissed him long and gently. “Mmmm,
delicious. You taste incredible, better than ever before,” I
murmured between kisses, moving from his lips to the sweet hollow
of his neck.

Free from uncontrollable lust, safely tucked
in Jack’s arms, I explored him with my awakened senses, breathing
in his incredible scent that was a part of me now, holding the
length and width of his swollen flesh in my hands, so ready and
eager, feeling his fingers parting me, making me ready for him.

It briefly crossed my mind how anxious I’d
been about our sex life, mostly because of the different levels of
experience Jack and I had. I still didn’t know what challenges lay
ahead of us in the future. Despite the bond, there had to be some,
if for no other reason, than because we both had strong
personalities, we were stubborn and fiercely independent, so
occasional clashes were inevitable. But now I was positive that our
intimate life was not going to be an issue.

Jack kissed my breasts, one by one, playing
gently with their tips. His hands moved to my bare bottom, cupping
and squeezing it. He rolled me under him, opening my legs, angling
me for easy penetration. He entered me slowly, with infinite
tenderness, and started moving inside me in long, unhurried
strokes.

Eyes still closed, I caught up with Jack’s
easy rhythm. I raked my fingers through his hair and buried my head
in his neck, savoring him with my skin, my nose and my taste buds.
I felt safe, powerful and protected because of that strong body
inside me. We were one body, one mind, and one soul—in two bodies,
two minds, and two souls.

“Let go, baby,” he whispered into my ear, and
started pouring himself into me, triggering a string of
pre-climaxes, each one stronger than the previous one, until the
final tremor hit me with the force of a tornado.

“OPEN YOUR eyes, Astrid,” Jack whispered
into my ear much later. “I’m curious to see them.”

Slowly I lifted my eyelids and let Jack get
used to my new eye color. An amused glint in his own eyes told me
they had changed.

I looked around. It was still dark outside.
The moon was hidden behind the heavy, grayish clouds that announced
a new dump of snow. I could smell it now. The room was in almost
total darkness, yet I could see everything: every shape, every
contour and every shadow, clear and sharp.

“So, what do you say?” I said.

He smiled. “Incredible .You should see
yourself.”

“Blue and amber… They could only be green
now. They are green, aren’t they? What about my hair?” I asked and
took a lock of my hair between my fingers, examining it carefully.
“My wolf promised my hair color wouldn’t change so that I can still
wear pink. And she kept her word!” I said excitedly, staring into
my light brownish-blond hair with occasional copper hints.

“Have a look in the mirror,” Jack said,
tugging me out of the bed and towing me to the bathroom.

Eyes still shut, I stood in front of the
mirror. Jack was behind me, his hands on my shoulder. “Ready?”

I opened my eyes. No matter how prepared I
was to find them changed, it still felt strange.