Lady and the Wolf (7 page)

“I lust for you as well, and I’m ashamed to say I can’t control it. Is this part of the curse? Are we both under a spell?”

“I know I am, but the question is, are you? If you want to stop this, do it now, because I’m almost at the point of no return.”

She didn’t know if it was the curse or a spell or simply magic making her feel as loose as the woman’s red cloak she wore, but she no longer cared. She wanted to be free of her grandfather and she wanted to make her own choices. Right now, she chose Wolf. She felt an intense attraction to him, even though their families were enemies.

“I don’t want to stop,” she admitted. “I want to make love to you, Wolf.”

He stared into her eyes and brushed back a lock of her hair with his hand. “You have such beautiful, big green eyes,” he told her in a soft voice.

“Better to see you with,” she said, and giggled softly. She pushed away from him and he looked disappointed until he realized she was disrobing.

“You are beautiful, Red.” He reached out and pulled her naked body atop his hardened form. She squealed in delight and he smiled and kissed her on the lips as his hands slid up the back of her bare thighs, causing her to shudder in anticipation. “I like the sound of your voice when you’re being pleasured.”

“Who said I was pleasured yet?” She raised her rear and scooted down his chest, placing small kisses downward, using her hands to feel his biceps along the way. She heard him moan in desire this time.

“Your hair smells fresh and sweet like flowers.” He buried his nose in the hair at the top of her head. “I wonder if you taste as sweet as well.”

She looked up to see him staring at her intensely with one brow raised.

“You’ve already kissed me, so I think you’d know that answer.”

“Indeed I have. And if I’m not mistaken, you offered me something to eat.” That dangerous look was back in his eyes, but this time instead of being scared, it excited her. He rolled her off the top of him onto her back and took the place of aggressor. He straddled her hips and she felt the tip of his manhood rubbing against her thighs. He was careful to keep his weight off of her and kissed her on the chest, trailing kisses lower and lower until his head was at her waist.

“Did you want some bread to eat?” Her heart beat wildly when she felt his breath going lower and lower.

“It’s not bread I’m hungry for. I’m going to eat . . . you, my dear. Now just lay back and relax and you will experience pleasure like never before.”

“You’re going to . . . to . . . ” She couldn’t finish her sentence because his head was between her thighs and she felt the wetness of his mouth on her womanhood next. She tensed at first, but then relaxed, as she felt his tongue shoot out and trace her nether lips, teasing, tempting, making her grab his long, black hair in her hands and throw back her head and moan. “Ohhhhh, Wolf. I can’t believe how this feels.”

“It gets better,” he said, sliding off of her and spreading her legs with his hands. She eagerly opened for him and was surprised when he dipped down again, and this time as his tongue did its magic he pulled her legs up over his shoulders, bringing her whole torso up off the bed. His grabbed her buttocks and buried his head between her thighs, using his lips and tongue to pleasure her, finding the sensitive nub that made her cry out loudly as she arched up off the bed almost shattering from his sensual actions.

“Oooooo, ahhhhh, yesssss.”

She felt herself climbing higher and higher, and then she shattered right there with his mouth on her most private place, and she screamed out her pleasure, arching her back and throwing caution to the wind. “Yes!” she cried out loudly. “Yeeeeees!” Tears came to her eyes and she had no idea such an act could bring about such stimulating feelings within her. Then he put her hips back down on the bed and she felt the cool air against the wetness of her liquid passion.

He leaned over and kissed her, their essence of lovemaking intermingling on their tongues only exciting her more. With her legs wide open, eagerly awaiting the feel of the rest of him inside her, he thrust his entire length into her. He slid in and out slowly, guiding her hips to rock and meet his thrusts. He stretched her, and she liked it. And when he came, he growled at first and then howled like a wolf, and it only excited her more.

She shattered yet another time in his arms, though she didn’t think it possible. Then spent and sated, he collapsed on the bed next to her, never once letting her out of his protective embrace.

She’d now coupled with a man she barely knew, and yet she felt as if she’d known him her entire life. She wasn’t sure if magic was involved, but bedding Wolf would surely change the fact that they were enemies, because now they were lovers instead.

Chapter 10

Wolf shined his sword with a rag as he sat near the fire. He’d already dressed and so had Red, and though they’d both just had the best coupling of their lives, neither of them said a word. Finally, he decided he needed to talk to her. Since he didn’t know how to explain to her the reason he felt the need to kill her grandfather, he decided to talk of other things instead.

“Do you have siblings?” he asked, still polishing his sword.

She sat on the edge of the bed, putting on her shoes. She looked up and shook her head. “Nay. I’m the only one. My parents were older when I was born and they said I was a blessing since they thought my mother was barren.”

“I see.”

“How about you?”

“I do.” He looked at himself in the reflection of his sword, wondering when he’d become a man who made small talk. This girl was bringing out a side of him he didn’t know existed.

“Well, sisters or brothers?” she asked with a giggle.

“Both. I have four brothers and two sisters.”

“Really? How nice. Where do they all live?”

“Most my siblings are nearby, however, my eldest sibling, Stefan, is my steward.”

“Stefan is your steward? I didn’t realize he was your brother, but now that I think of it, I should have seen the resemblance.”

“I have a twin as well, though . . . he’s gone.”

“He’s dead?”

“To me he is.”

“Oh. I’m guessing you and your siblings are not close.”

He stopped shining his sword and his gaze lifted to meet hers. She saw sadness and deep despair in his clear orbs. “I sent most of them away to protect them. Or at least I should say I tried, though I didn’t succeed with all of them.”

“Why would you do a thing like that?” She stood up and wiped the lint off her gown. “If I had siblings, I’d want them close to me so I could protect them. I believe in the close bonds of a family.”

“You wouldn’t think the same if your family was cursed.”

“Cursed?” Her brows arched. “Are you saying that you’re not the only one cursed? Do your siblings turn into wolves as well?”

He couldn’t bear this conversation any longer. It was too hard for him to think of his siblings and the lives they lived. Especially the horror his twin brother lived through every day now. “I don’t want to talk about siblings or any more dribble. I need to prepare for battle, because as soon as your grandfather comes for you, I’m going to kill him.”

Winifred’s jaw dropped open and she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. She knew he’d initially hated her grandfather and wanted to kill him, but somehow she thought that since they’d been intimate, he would have changed his mind.

“My grandfather is no saint, but you must understand that he is a warrior. Whatever he did to you, you must have had it coming since he doesn’t torture innocent men.”

“How dare you say a thing like that!” His voice came out as a snarl and he got to his feet and jammed his sword back into the scabbard with force. “Your grandfather is responsible for not only making me who I am, but he’s also responsible for what he did to my brother! I will always hate him and want to avenge him for killing my parents as well.”

“What are you saying?” Her arms uncrossed slowly. “My grandfather . . . killed your parents?”

“What part of that don’t you understand?” He stormed across the room and opened the door a crack and peeked out.

“I’ve been told your family killed my parents, though I didn’t want to believe it was true.”

“Who told you that? Your high and mighty grandfather?”

“Stop it. Now!”

“Red, I don’t have time to argue.” He walked over and proceeded to line his weapon belt with several daggers. “What’s done is done and we can’t go back to change things.”

“Then why don’t you stop trying?”

He looked over to her and his actions stilled as the sound of a howl filled the night air. “I wish I could,” he said no louder than a whisper. “God, I wish I could.”

He hurried to the door and looked out again, and Winifred saw his wolf, Arnon, coming toward them from across the clearing.

“Close the door, quickly,” she instructed. “I don’t want that animal to hurt me.”

“Arnon would never hurt a woman,” Wolf told her, holding out his hand as the wolf stuck his head inside the doorway and sniffed it. He ran a loving hand over the animal’s head.

“You never told me why you and that wolf are tied together with wounds and healing. Is it part of the curse you’re under?”

“I guess you could say that. Arnon was in a cage the same as me and tortured by your grandfather.”

“I know that part. Remember – I’m the one who set you both free. What I don’t know is what happened up until the time I found you and the wolf in the dungeon.”

“What happened is that your grandfather decided to seduce a witch and then managed to make her angry.”

“Ah. So that’s what happened. He didn’t tell me that part. He only said he thought she was a beautiful young maiden and had seduced her. However he did say your family killed my parents. Was it you?”

“Stop saying that. I have killed many people in my lifetime, but never a woman. Nor have I killed a man who wasn’t armed and able to defend himself. I don’t even know your parents, but if I did kill your father, it was in a battle and I assure you he was trying to take my life at the time.”

“Well, I intend to ask my grandfather more about it as soon as I return to Tavistock.” She picked up her crossbow and the basket void of the food they’d eaten after making love. She took a step toward the door.

“You’ll do naught of the sort.” He stepped in front of her to block her path. She thought he was jesting, and stood on her tiptoes and kissed him and ran a hand over his cheek.

“I enjoyed our time together, but I really must be returning to the castle. If my grandfather catches me outside the gates again, there’s no telling what he’ll do.”

“You’re not going anywhere, Red. In a few minutes your grandfather will come looking for you and you will stay here in the protection of the hovel while I fight him.”

“Here? Nay, you’re wrong. He’d never step foot in the forest.”

“He would if he thought you were in danger – from me.”

“Why would he think that? He doesn’t even realize I’m gone.”

“My lord, he’s coming, and he’s not alone,” came a shout from outside. Arnon’s ears perked up at the announcement and tilted backwards as he sniffed the air.

“Who is that?” she asked. “What do they mean? Who is coming?”

“That’s my brother, Stefan. He’s been watching and waiting with a small army of my men. I told him to alert me when your grandfather entered the forest.”

“You did something, didn’t you? This was all a ploy to get me here and use me as bait. How could you?”

“You didn’t really believe a lone woodcutter would get involved with the granddaughter of an earl in treachery on his own, did you?”

“You’re saying you paid the man to have him deceive my grandfather?”

“I did, but he didn’t want the coin.” He turned and looked at the witch’s mirror. “He just wanted that magic mirror, but I wouldn’t give it to him until he did my bidding first.”

“So bedding me meant nothing to you? It was just a step of your devious plan to kill a man. How could you?” She reached out and slapped him across the face and this took him by surprise. He stood there stunned for a moment, and in that split second she ran out the door and disappeared into the night.

“Red, of course it meant something to me, now come back here,” he called after her. “It’s not safe in the woods at night.”

He hurried out the door after her, and had to dive out of the way as he was almost run over by his own horse. She’d mounted his warhorse and sped away in the night before he could even stop her. He was left now with only an old mare and a broken down cart.

“Stefan, come quickly,” he called out, and heard his brother and his men crashing through the forest on their steeds. He looked down to the wolf and ran a hand over the animal’s head once more. “I’m sorry to have to ask you this, Arnon, but will you watch over her? But please, don’t hurt her. I’ve taken a liking to her – a deep fondness that I’ve never felt with a woman before.” The wolf looked up to him and cocked its head. The poor dumb animal probably didn’t understand emotions like he was speaking of right now. Although they might be able to feel the same pain, Arnon would never understand the feelings he held for this girl. Wolf had laid with her out of lust and for some reason it was turning into love for this small woman who traveled with a crossbow and red cape and could bring any warrior to his knees with just a smile. Yes, he felt as if he were starting to fall in love with Little Red Riding Hood.