Reflections of the Wolf (25 page)

Standing in Liam’s bathroom brought on flashbacks from the first night she spent in his home. She had been angry and scared. Shock combined with lust had been overriding her sense of logic. She realized now that she was really running away from her own guilt and regrets all that time. Now that she admitted her feelings for Liam to herself, it all made sense.

As if thinking about him drew him to her, she felt his arms go around her waist. “Hey, Sweet Tina, you’re not getting very clean standing out here.”

“I know. I was just thinking,” she said.

“Do I want to ask what you’re thinking about?” he asked hesitantly.

“I’m wondering if you still want me,” she whispered. He jerked against her, and turned her around in his arms to face him.

“What do you mean ‘if’?” he asked, tipping her chin so that her eyes met his arctic-blue gaze. She could see the love glowing in them as he bent to kiss her gently. When he pulled away, she smiled back. “I want you, sweetheart, but I don’t just want your body. I don’t just want you today. I want you forever. I told you once I want to wake up next to you every day until we are old and gray. I’m madly in love with you. I want to…”

Tina stopped him with her finger over his lips, and he instinctively kissed it. His eyes glinted with emotion, and the gold ring in his eyebrow lifted in surprise. She stared at him, trying to absorb the moment. His strong jaw was tense with anxiety, and his arms held her loosely against his muscular length. His copper-colored chest was dirty from the woods, and his tattoo peeked at her from one bicep. He moved a hand to brush a lock of her hair away from her eyes as her vision centered on his luscious mouth.

“Liam, I need to tell you some things. I was engaged to Esteban six years ago. In fact we had just gotten engaged the night before he died. He was shot and killed by a mugger, because I asked him to go get bagels for breakfast. We were going to celebrate our engagement by staying in bed for the day. The logical side of my brain tells me that it was just bad timing, but the emotional side of me is terrified that he died because of me. I have been fighting my attraction to you, but not because I don’t
want
you. It’s because I don’t want to
lose
you. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you. I’m not sure I would survive it,” she explained watching the emotional roller coaster in his eyes.

When he didn’t respond, she continued, “Tonight when Carter found me, I was getting ready to come looking for you. I wanted to find you and tell you everything. Liam, I’m in love with you, too.”

She gasped when he jerked her up into his arms. Shutting the water off with one hand, he carried her back into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. He bent over her, kissing her more sincerely than she had ever been kissed. She could feel the emotional rapids that were rushing through them both in the intensity of the kiss. He didn’t lift his head until she was panting with need.

“What are you doing? I’m not finished talking, and we’re both covered in dirt and grime!” She gasped as he pulled her leotard and shorts off with one hand. The other hand gripped the back of her head, bringing her lips back to his. He stripped her naked and kissed her simultaneously, fogging her brain and melting her limbs.

When he broke the kiss to pull his shirt off, she groaned. In a breath he had unbuttoned his jeans and shoved them roughly off of his legs. He didn’t even give her a chance to regroup before he sunk balls-deep into her already soaking-wet pussy. She cried out with the passion of the moment and arched her hips up to meet him. When he was sunk so deeply that she couldn’t tell where he ended and she began, he froze and met her eyes.

“Now, sweetheart. Say it now, with me inside of you,” he said, and she stared at him in confusion. With a cloud of passion in her brain, she couldn’t comprehend what he wanted to hear her say. “Please, Sweet Tina. I’m dying to hear it again.”

Understanding dawned finally in her brain, and she reacted to his impassioned plea by growling and wiggling her hips. “I love you, Liam.”

He growled loudly and began to plunge in and out of her body. His growl taunted the wolf inside of her in ways that she had never imagined and another part of her soul took over her body. She felt the prick of sharp canine teeth against her bottom lip, and before she could comprehend what she was doing, her hands gripped his biceps tightly, tugging him down against her. Her tongue lashed out to lick his neck, and then she was sinking her teeth into his flesh. The metallic taste of his blood soothed her wolf and made her human body ache with need. The bite cause Liam to howl with pleasure, and she growled back in her throat.

When her wolf finally let her release his neck, she began to repeat the phrase
I love you
over and over until she was almost screaming it. The orgasm that blew through them both rattled the bed and deafened her ears for a few moments. When they both lay panting and spent, she finally brought her eyes back to his and smiled.

“I love you, Sweet Tina,” he said softly, and she could feel a tear slip down her cheek. “I’ve never loved anyone like I love you. I will always be here for you, and with you.”

Her breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t make her mouth move, or her voice work, so she just tucked her face into his throat and nuzzled him. Her wolf growled with pleasure, and she felt him chuckle. “God, I love that sound,” he murmured as he bent his head to nuzzle her hair, and a responding growl rumbled through him.

“Hey! Are you two done yet? Rafe won’t let me have a damn burger until Tina gets one, so put your pecker away and get your hairy ass out here!” Ryley yelled from outside the door, interrupting their moment of bliss.

They both groaned and laughed together as they moved from the bed. Liam looked down at her naked body and smiled. “Shower first?” he asked.

“Yep, he can wait for a few more minutes. I need your help washing my back,” she said as she grinned conspiratorially and sauntered past him with an extra sway in her hips.

“Hot damn, Ryley you’re going to have to wait. My mate finally claimed me and admitted that she wants my body, and I sure as hell ain’t turning her down!” he yelled toward the door as he followed her into the bathroom.

Epilogue

The bride stood in the clearing of trees, atop a wooden platform decorated with flowers and soft lengths of white satin. Behind her were all of the people she loved and cared about in the world. She was radiant, and her body language bespoke pure love. She wore a long, white chiffon dress that molded to her lush curves beautifully. Her veil curtained her face but didn’t stop the glow of happiness from shining through. White flowers decorated every surface and gave the air a lovely floral scent.

Her groom’s dark looks complimented her brilliant beauty in the white bridal gown, and the audience felt the spark of magic in the air. The benches and chairs set up behind the wedding party were filled to capacity with friends and pack members. People who supported and cared for them and had watched their love grow into a story for the ages.

As they repeated their vows in front of God and their families and exchanged rings, the minister smiled affectionately. He then turned slightly to incorporate the second groom and repeated the same process. The words were emotional and heartfelt, and Tina’s heart just about burst with happiness for her best friend. Caroline’s slightly swollen tummy showed under the flowing folds of her white dress, and every now and then one of her two men would reach out to run their hand over it contentedly. Tina couldn’t wait to have that same feeling of joy with Liam. She watched him with longing from behind the happy trio, wondering how long it would be before they too had a family.

Inside she was just dying to get her hands on him in the black tux. She knew what was underneath it, and it was delicious. Their own wedding was in the works, and she sported a beautiful diamond engagement ring on her left hand. All of the guys had helped moved Liam and Tina into a small cabin near his parents’ cabin, so that they could be near the pack. They hoped to have children sooner rather than later, and unlike Caroline, Tina preferred to live outside of the city. The commute to work didn’t bother her much, but she secretly hoped that she wouldn’t have to do it much longer.

Victoria and Henley had approached her yesterday about opening a medical clinic on pack property so that they could treat pack members for minor medical needs without having to go into town. It sounded like the perfect opportunity for Tina to have her nursing career as well as a family. She was planning to talk with Thomas soon, because she thought he would make the perfect addition to a medical clinic. She hoped that he would consider taking the job so that she could remain close to him. Thomas and Liam got along better than Tina could have ever hoped, and her parents had fallen in love with Liam from the first meeting. It felt like everything was finally falling into place in her life.

The only reservation she had about moving to the den was that she would be so far from the dance studio. It was likely that she would have to give up teaching dance classes, but Liam was worth the sacrifice. Maybe someday she could teach lessons out of their home or turn part of the medical clinic into a studio.

As the ceremony ended and Caroline walked back down the aisle on the arms of her mates, Liam stepped over to take Tina’s arm.

“You look amazing in that dress, Sweet Tina.” He growled, and she grinned.

“You look pretty good yourself, hotshot. Let’s go get this reception over with so that I can make out with the best man.” She tipped her chin up to receive his soft kiss.

“I like that plan, but I have a surprise for you when we are done here.” He laughed at her narrowed eyes. “Nope, don’t even try. I’m not telling you. It will be better if it stays a surprise.”

The first guests moving through the receiving line kept her from responding, and before she knew it, she was swept up in the reception. They danced and ate and toasted the happy trio until the wee hours of the morning. When Liam finally helped her into the truck, she smiled at him from under heavy eyelids.

“Don’t fall asleep just yet, Sweet Tina,” he said and kissed her forehead before jumping into the driver’s seat. “We’re going back to our new place.”

She perked up and looked at him in surprise. “I thought we couldn’t stay there yet until you guys finished patching the roof on it? I thought we were staying at Rafe and Ryley’s tonight again?”

He just smiled slyly. Instead of answering her, he reached over to take her hand and hold it on top of his thigh. It only took them a few minutes to drive from the wooded clearing to the front door of their new home. It was the same size as the one Liam shared with Rafe and Ryley, but this one had stood empty for several years. The pack mate that once lived in it had moved out when she met her own mate. They had some work to do to make it beautiful again, but Tina looked forward to putting her own fingerprints on it.

Once they were inside, Tina turned to Liam with an excited grin. “Thank you, Liam! I’m so excited to be able to sleep in our own home!”

“That’s not the surprise, but I’m glad it makes you so happy, sweetheart. Come with me.” He tugged her down the hallway behind him. They paused when they reached the door of one of the three extra bedrooms, and he took a deep breath. A flash of anxiety crossed his masculine features before he opened the door and stepped back, indicating she should go in first. She gave him a puzzled look and then moved past him into the room. For a moment she couldn’t breathe, and then all of the air in her lungs whooshed out in a gasp. Her eyes filled up with tears so quickly she could barely take in the beauty in front of her.

Liam had turned one of the extra bedrooms of their new home into a dance studio. He had knocked out a wall that contained the bedroom closet as well as a small hallway linen closet to give the room more square footage, and he lined one wall with mirrors as well as a ballet barre. The floor was covered in light-yellow pine planks that were finished to a smooth, glossy shine. She spun to see the entire room, and almost fell to the floor when she saw the mural on the wall.

It was of a glassy lake at night with the full moon reflecting in it. There were two wolves also in the reflection, one was larger and colored a silvery gray, and the other was smaller and was dark-charcoal gray with a white and gray streaked face. They howled side by side next to the shimmering water’s surface, and their mirror image was perfect except for the ripples of the water. It was so amazing that she felt like she could reach out and actually touch the water and feel the moisture of it. It was similar to the painting that she had packed away in a box with the intention of hanging it over their bed, and she knew immediately that it was Rafe’s work.

“Oh my God, Liam! This is amazing! How did you do this?” she asked as tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

“Do you like it? I know how much you love to dance, and I love you. I want you to know how much it means to me that you moved here to be closer to me and our pack. I want you to be happy, Sweet Tina. I love you.” His voice was deep with emotion, and his arms enfolded her holding her against his broad chest.

“I do, Liam. I love it, and I love you, and I’m so very happy!” She whispered into his ear.

“Sweet Tina, you mean the world to me. I love you more than anything else in the world, and I would do anything for you. I know how much you are sacrificing to move to the den, and I wanted to make it more comfortable. You could even give dance classes to the young girls from the pack if you want to.” he said, his eyes full of hope.