IceSurrender (4 page)

Their kiss heated up. For once Ryder didn’t feel as if he
had to hold anything back. He didn’t have to stop. He could do whatever he
wanted to Wren for as long as his dream lasted. There were no worries of what
the repercussions would be.

Ryder took Wren down to the thick grass under their feet and
stretched out at her side as he lay on his. The smell of the wildflowers that
dotted the clearing filled his nose. Now that the dark wolves were gone the
scenery had lost its menacing appearance. The sun shone high and bright in the
clear blue sky.

He kissed Wren once more, then dragged his lips down the
side of her neck. He licked and nipped her soft skin. He palmed her breast
through her shirt and squeezed the soft mound.

Wren shifted restlessly. “More,” she said breathlessly. “I
want to feel your hands all over me with no barriers.”

“Yes,” he replied, his voice sounding husky.

Ryder reached for the bottom of Wren’s shirt, but she
stopped him. “This is your dream. You can manipulate it any way you want.”

He smiled, understanding exactly what she meant. Ryder
thought of them both naked, and in the blink of an eye, they were. He propped
himself up on his bent arm and ran his gaze down Wren’s body. It was slim and
toned, and curvy in all the right places. Her breasts were more than a handful,
tipped with rosy-pink nipples. He bent his head over her and flicked a taut bud
with the tip of his tongue. She lifted her chest toward him on a quiet moan.

Ryder sucked a nipple into his mouth as he ran his hand down
Wren’s body. He stroked her flat stomach before inching his way lower to the
spot between her legs he longed to explore.

It was his turn to moan when he encountered how wet she was
for him. He dipped a digit inside her pussy, then stroked her clit. Wren spread
her legs wider, her hips lifting in offering. Ryder switched to her other
breast and stroked one, then two fingers inside her. He went as far as he could
go before he slid them back out only to repeat the motion.

As he continued to play with her pussy, Wren reached between
them and fisted his cock. She pumped her hand all the way up to the head and
down to the base of his shaft. Ryder rocked his hips, pushing his length
tighter into her grip. He grew harder, his cock throbbing in time with his
rapid heartbeat.

Ryder couldn’t wait to bury himself in Wren’s hot, wet body,
but he’d thought of making her come with his mouth too many times to deny
himself that pleasure. He gently pulled away from her hold and kissed a trail
from the center of her breasts down to her mound. He slid between her spread
thighs, pushing them farther apart the lower he went.

In line with her pussy, Ryder pulled his fingers out of her
and licked her from bottom to top. He groaned at the taste of her passion on
his tongue. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to get enough of her. He’d denied
himself for so long.

He licked and sucked, making sure to not leave her clit out.
Wren rocked her hips, a whimpered moan escaping her. She buried her hands in
his hair to hold him exactly where she wanted him. She tugged on the strands a
little too hard, making his scalp burn, but Ryder didn’t care. It told him how
close she was to falling to pieces. He pushed two fingers inside her and
continued to suck on the bundle of nerves that gave her the most pleasure. He
stroked in and out.

Wren arched her back and let out another moan that verged on
a wolf’s howl. Her inner muscles clutched the digits he still pumped inside
her. He lapped at her clit, pushing as much out of her as he could manage. Once
the last spasm hit her, she went limp, her breath sawing as she fought to get
enough air into her lungs.

“That was one dream climax I won’t soon forget,” Wren said
as she lifted her head and looked at him. “It’s your turn to experience how
good it is.”

Ryder kissed a path up her body, then gave her a hot kiss
that didn’t last very long. “I want nothing more than that,” he said, his voice
strained from unfulfilled desire.

Wren wrapped her hand around his hard cock and stroked up
and down. Ryder groaned, thrusting into her grip. It wouldn’t take much to make
him come. Her climax had almost made him lose control. It had been through
sheer force of will he’d held his orgasm back. He wanted to be deep inside her
pussy when he finally let go.

Not wanting to wait any longer, Ryder shifted so he lay on
top of Wren with his hips between her spread legs. His shaft brushed against
her slick opening. He lifted himself onto his bent arms and pushed the very tip
inside her. The feel of her warm, welcoming body closing around him had him
almost rolling his eyes to the back of his head.

“Ryder!”

The deep male voice boomed around them, causing both Ryder
and Wren to stiffen and lie still. Ryder looked around the clearing and spotted
his ancestor, the sentinel’s first shaman, standing at the tree line, watching
them.

Ryder pushed himself off Wren, and with a thought, dressed
them both. They rose to their feet as his ancestor walked closer. This was new.
He’d never shown up in one of Ryder’s dreams before. He usually communicated
with him by bringing on a vision while Ryder was awake. Ryder hoped his
appearance didn’t mean he’d broken that one dictate about no sex. Dream
lovemaking shouldn’t count.

Once his ancestor stood in front of them, he gazed at Wren,
then smiled. “She is not like the others. A true mix of the old and new.”

“This is Wren. Capac turned her.”

His ancestor set his gaze on Ryder. “You have finally
achieved the first step to gaining your full powers.”

“How?”

The first shaman didn’t answer Ryder’s question. Instead, he
said, “It’s time.”

He took a step closer to Ryder, then placed his hand on the
center of Ryder’s chest. It glowed, and Ryder felt a surge of something tear
through his body, sinking into all of his cells. He let out a surprised shout
but found himself unable to move away. The sensation intensified, bringing with
it more than a little pain.

Ryder couldn’t stop himself from bellowing with his
discomfort. As if from far away, he heard Wren calling his name. He couldn’t
answer her. It felt as if his insides were being ripped apart, then made anew.

The last thing he saw and heard was Wren trying to pull his
ancestor’s hand off his chest as she begged him to stop. His world went black
after that.

Tanner, the leader of the dark wolves, jerked awake. He
looked around his room inside his pack’s hideaway. Nothing appeared out of
place, nor was there anyone there. He was about to dismiss it as nothing and
lie back down again when he felt what he could only describe as a “knowing”
take him over.

He scowled, a quiet growl rumbled out of him. The one person
on Earth he wanted to take out more than anything had a surge in his powers.
Ever since reading Capac’s mind, and learning all about the sentinels’ new
shaman, Tanner had been trying to focus much of his attention on getting rid of
Ryder. Now it appeared the mortal had managed to make himself stronger. Well,
that wouldn’t do. He was already too much of a threat as it was.

Tanner threw back his covers and walked naked to his desk.
On top of it was the ancient spell book he’d claimed as his own after he’d
taken out his former maker Andre. If the wolf brothers’ shaman had stepped up
his game, it was time Tanner did the same. He’d have to make a concerted effort
to do away with the thorn in his side. Once Ryder and his protection spells
were eliminated, Tanner would concentrate on taking out the sentinels one by
one. The days of him hiding from them were coming to a close.

He would be the first to make the killing blow, but before
he did that, there was the little inconvenience of freeing two of his pack
members. One of whom was his very own brother. If it had only been Greg,
another member of Brice’s pack he’d turned dark, Tanner wouldn’t bother. The
fact the sentinels had taken his brother was a different matter.

* * * * *

Wren came awake with a jerk, noticing the room was no longer
dark. It was already morning. It took her a few seconds to get her bearings and
remember where she was. Ryder’s bedroom. And with that everything that had
happened in his dream came back in a rush. The part about the dark wolves, them
fooling around and the appearance of Ryder’s ancestor.

She turned her head and looked at the side of the bed where
Ryder lay. At first glance, he seemed to be sleeping. She sat up and touched
him. He didn’t stir, and she wasn’t brought into another dream. Wren shook
Ryder, which didn’t bring him to wakefulness.

Knowing his ancestor had done something to Ryder, Wren
couldn’t hold back the worry that formed inside her. She shook him harder and
called his name. His head rolled back and forth, but his eyes remained closed.

“Ryder, wake up,” Wren said louder. Still no response.

She was able to hear his heart beating so she knew he wasn’t
dead. Wren brushed some of his hair off his forehead and found his skin hot to
the touch. She checked again. Sure enough, Ryder was burning up. Seeing him
like this reminded her of when her mother had been sick before she’d died of
cancer. Wren had nursed her through it all. Watching her mom slowly waste away
had been the hardest thing she’d ever endured. If she’d known the sentinels
back then, she would have had one bite her mother to turn her.

Thinking she had to do something to bring down Ryder’s
fever, Wren pushed off the bed and went to the bathroom down the hall. She
opened the medicine cabinet. There wasn’t any kind of medication inside it.
Thinking there had to be something elsewhere, she rummaged through the vanity’s
drawers and cupboard, turning up nothing. She wasn’t quiet about it either.

Cassidy appeared in the doorway with Wyatt in her arms.
“Wren? What are you looking for?”

Wren continued to look for something that would help Ryder,
even though her search hadn’t turned up anything. “Isn’t there any kind of
medicine in here at all? There isn’t any ibuprofen, nothing.”

Cassidy stepped farther into the room. “No, there isn’t.
We’re immortal. We never get sick.”

Wren stopped her searching and turned to face the other
woman. “But Ryder isn’t. There should be something here for him.”

“Wren, what’s the matter? You look a little pale.”

“It’s Ryder. I can’t wake him up and he’s burning with
fever.”

Cassidy rushed out of the bathroom, calling her mate’s name
as she hurried into Ryder’s bedroom. Wren followed on her heels. Edensaw
arrived a few seconds later, as did the other members of the household.

“What’s going on?” Edensaw asked.

Cassidy handed him Wyatt before she sat on the bed next to
Ryder, who was still unconscious. She felt his forehead. “Wren’s right, Ryder
has a high fever.” She then took hold of his shoulder and gave him a hard
shake. “Ryder, wake up.” He didn’t react.

Edensaw looked at Wren. “Was he like this when you two went
to sleep?”

She shook her head. “No. I think his ancestor did this to
him.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was able to get inside Ryder’s dream again. While we were
in it, his ancestor appeared. He said Ryder had finally achieved the first step
to gaining his full powers, then he put his hand on Ryder’s chest. It glowed.
That’s when Ryder started bellowing in pain. No matter what I did, I couldn’t
get his ancestor to stop.”

“What happened after that?”

“The last thing I remember in the dream is Ryder passing
out. That’s when I came awake, but he didn’t.”

Edensaw looked thoughtful. “Then the changes Ryder had
wanted to bring on have started.”

“This is only the first step,” Wren said. “What happens if
Ryder has to go through this each time until he’s gained his full powers? He’s
mortal. There’s a chance he won’t survive it. Not when it does this to him. One
of you wolf brothers has to bite him. At least that way he’ll be immortal.”

Edensaw gave her a sad look. “We can’t. We all gave our word
to Ryder we wouldn’t turn him. In the visions his ancestor sent him, it shows
he’s not a werewolf once he’s achieved them.”

“We have to do something for him,” Wren said sharply.

Eryn came to Wren’s side and put her arm around her waist.
“We can keep him cool. If his fever spikes too high, one of the guys can get
him into a bath with cold water. I doubt we’ll be able to get him to swallow
anything that will bring it down when he’s like this. Plus, I doubt Ryder’s
ancestor would do anything to put Ryder’s life in jeopardy. This has to be a
side effect of the changes going on inside him.”

Wren wanted to agree with Eryn about the first sentinel
shaman not doing anything harmful to Ryder, but seeing him like this was
ramping up her anxiety. Memories of nursing her mother kept rising to the
surface of her mind, ones she’d done her best to keep buried for the last few
years.

Cassidy stood. “I’m going to get some wet washcloths to put
on Ryder’s forehead. We’ll keep watch over his fever, and as Eryn said, if it
gets too high, we’ll put him in a cool bath.”

Wren nodded. She stepped away from Eryn and sat on the empty
spot on the bed next to Ryder. She felt the heat roll off him as she tugged the
covers down to his stomach. She would have stretched out beside him and cuddled
close, but she would only increase the temperature of his body if she did that.

Cassidy left, then came back with a cool washcloth. Wren
placed it on Ryder’s forehead. With a promise to look in on them from time to
time, everyone left Wren alone with Ryder.

She knew full well she couldn’t sit there and just stare at
him, willing him to wake up. She’d go crazy if she did. Wren snagged the remote
and switched on the TV. As she looked for something to watch, she thought of
what she and Ryder had done in his dream before his ancestor had shown up.

There was no way they could go back to the way they’d once
been. Not after he’d done all those delicious things to her. Ryder had touched
her and her body had gone up in flames. And when he’d gone down on her, he
hadn’t just given her pleasure, he’d feasted on her. Wren’s only regret was
they’d been interrupted before they’d gotten to the really good part. She’d
been so close to having all of Ryder’s cock buried deep inside her pussy.

Wren looked at Ryder and caressed his stubbled cheek. Now
that she understood why he’d tried to keep his distance from her, she wouldn’t
pressure him as much as she’d been doing. But inside his dreams, there didn’t
have to be any holding back. They could enjoy each other with no repercussions.

She took Ryder’s arm out from under the covers and linked
their fingers together. Wren had long decided he was hers. She loved him,
though she hadn’t told him yet. She’d stay by his side while he went through
whatever this was to gain his full powers. Wren only hoped it wouldn’t take
many more episodes. This one was worrisome enough. As had happened with her
mother, she hated the fact she couldn’t do anything to make Ryder better.
Feeling powerless was not something she liked.

* * * * *

Ryder slowly came to wakefulness but kept his eyes closed.
It felt as if he’d been run over by a Mack truck, then had it back up and run
over him again. His body ached, even his eyeballs. He lifted his hands and
rubbed his aching temples.

“Ryder? How are you feeling?”

He blinked open his eyes to find Wren sitting on the bed
beside him, hovering over him. “Like a big bag of shit.”

She smiled, then gave him a big kiss. “You had me worried.”

“What happened?”

“You don’t remember what your ancestor did to you in your
dream?”

Now he did. At Wren mentioning it, Ryder remembered his
ancestor touching his chest with a glowing hand, which had shot a surge of
power through him strong enough to cause him to lose consciousness.

“Thanks for reminding me, though I don’t know how I could
have forgotten that. It hurt like hell.”

“Are you okay? You’ve been passed out for four hours and
have had a fever.” Wren placed her hand on his forehead. “It’s gone now. You’re
nice and cool.”

“I think I am.” Ryder slowly pushed himself up into a
sitting position. Wren helped him and propped his pillow behind his back. “My
head hurts worse than anything else.”

“Do you feel as if your powers are different?”

Ryder looked inside himself, taking stock. At first, he
didn’t think there was any kind of change. He hoped everything he’d gone
through hadn’t been for nothing. That would suck big time. He then found a
little kernel of magic he hadn’t possessed before. He reached for it. It opened
and spread. He gasped as it settled into his very being.

And with it came some of the sentinels’ first shaman’s
knowledge. It flashed through his mind in blinding speed, but he was able to
retain it. Next came the increase in his powers, with a few new ones added. For
the first time since he’d become aware of what he was, Ryder’s control slipped.
The house shook and the bed lifted off the floor.

“Ryder?” Wren asked warily.

He didn’t have time to answer her as another increase in his
powers took hold of him. Ryder concentrated on reining them back, afraid of
what would happen if he couldn’t.

Edensaw rushed into the room. “Why is the house shaking?”
The other members of the household stood outside in the hallway, crowded
together to look inside his bedroom.

“I’m pretty sure Ryder is causing it to happen,” Wren said.

“You have to make it stop, Ryder.” Edensaw stepped closer.

Ryder replied through gritted teeth. “I’m trying. I’m
finding it a little harder to control my powers now that they’re stronger.” His
control slipped again. If he didn’t get it fully back, who knew what damage he
could cause?

But before that could happen, Wren linked their hands. As if
his control had been reinforced, he easily pulled his powers in, causing the
house to stop shaking and his bed to return to its place.

He looked at Wren in surprise. “What did you do?”

“Nothing. I only thought to take your hand to show you I’m
here for you.”

He smiled. “Well, that ‘nothing’ worked. You touched me and
I could rein it back.”

Wren grinned. “I guess that means I’m perfect for you.”

Not caring that the others saw, Ryder cupped Wren’s face in
his hands and kissed her long and hard. Eryn let out a whoop and a “finally”.
He would have kissed Wren again, but his alpha cleared his throat to gain his
attention.

“Since you’re kissing Wren, I take it I no longer have to
worry about you shaking the house apart?” Edensaw asked with amusement.

Ryder put his arm around Wren’s shoulders, tugged her up
against his side and looked at Edensaw. “Correct.”

“Is there any chance of it happening again? I’d like to be
forewarned.”

Ryder took quick stock of himself. His powers were stronger,
but he now had full control over them as he’d had before. Same with the new
ones he’d gained. “I think I’m good now. The initial surge caught me off
guard.”

“Good. Then I guess we’ll leave you two alone.” Edensaw
walked out the door, the others making room for him.

“Make sure you come and eat something,” Cassidy called as
she walked down the hallway.

The suggestion of food had Ryder’s stomach growling. He looked
at his bedside clock and saw it was already well into the afternoon. The last
time he’d eaten anything was dinner the evening before.

Wren rubbed his stomach when it growled once more. “I could
use some food too. I haven’t eaten either. I didn’t want to leave you.”

Ryder put his hand under her chin and tipped her face up as
he lowered his lips to hers. He kissed her slowly and deeply. They were both
breathing harder when he finally released her mouth.

“My ancestor had rotten timing,” Ryder said as he met Wren’s
gaze.

“Really bad. If he’d given us a few more minutes we would
have finished.”

“A few more minutes? That’s not saying much about my
lovemaking if you think it would have been over that quickly.”

Wren slapped his chest. “All right, not a few minutes. How
about an hour? Does that sound better?”

Ryder chuckled. “Yes.”

“Are you sure we can’t finish what we started now?”