Skin Walkers Conn (19 page)

The rut!
He snorted as he stirred the soup and ripped open the
package of
hardtack before
popping open the tin of peanut butter to spread it liberally on the large hard cracker. 
He eyed it momentarily before lifting it to his nose and sniffing.  It smelled good.  He took a bite and chewed vigorously, but it seemed his mouth was void of any saliva.  Soon his mouth was nearly immobile from the peanut buttery pasty substance that was dried to his tongue and the roof of his
mouth.  He tried to swallow but only succeeded in choking.  He coughed up the cracker and used a napkin to wipe the remnants from his tongue. 

Worry marred his brow.  He knew he’d have to think of something soon or he’d no longer be able to function from the need for sustenance
.

Pouring the bean soup into a bowl he placed the bowl on a serving tray along with the buttered hardtack.  He snagged a napkin, some silverware, and a
cold
soda from
the fridge
before carrying the meal to the bedroom.  

He didn’t knock, but entered quietly.  He was surprised to find Aries
sitting on the edge of the bed with her knees pulled tight under her chin.  “You okay?”

Her response was thin, “I’m fine.”

He set the tray on the bedside table.  “You need to eat.”

Aries eyed the tray, “Aren’t you eating?”

“Still haven’t been able to keep anything down.”

“Conn!” Alarm drew her fine brows together as she stood and approached him, “It’s been…” she was trying to do the math in her head. 

“Days,” he supplied wearily running a hand over his face.

“Day
s?
  It’s been almost a week,” her tone was accusatory. 

He didn’t argue, didn’t have the energy to.  Instead he crossed to take up the seat she’d just vacated on the edge of the bed.  He’d been doing that a lot lately, sitting.  It was out of character and a true indication that he was slowly wearing down. 

“Conn!” Aries implored, “What’s going on?  You’re no good to either of us if you can’t even stand!”

He let his head fall forward to rest in his hands
, funny how her words mirrored his own thoughts
.  “I’m fine Aries.  Eat,” he commanded.

He watched her small bare feet slip from view only to return moments later. 

“Open up,” she demanded.

Lifting his weary head he found Aries standing over him with her bowl of soup in hand, the full spoon extended out toward him.  He shook his head, “I
can’t.  I already tried.”  He smiled guiltily as he eyed her hardtack that had a bite missing.

“How do we fix it?”

“
We
don’t.”  He stood, “Look, I already spoke to Dr.
Arkinson
.  W
hat’s happening is nothing for you to concern yourself with.”

“Did she tell you what’s wrong?  How to fix it?”

Conn laughed without humor.  “Apparently I’m in the rut.”  He tried to walk away, but Aries caught his arm.  The contact sent a shock through him.

“Like deer?”

He stared at her, “You know about the rut?”

She dropped her hand, “I’m a
Montana girl
Conn.
”  She looked away then back, “Least I was a
Montana girl
.  I know what the rut is.”  She eyed him quizzically.  “Does it hurt?”

He shook his head, “First of all, I’m
not certain I believe Dr.
Arkinson’s
assessment.  Second,
even if she is correct there’s little I can do about it, and to answer your question no it doesn’t hurt.”

Aries’ eye
s
crinkled
as
she turned her head to look at him out of the corn
er of her eye.  “Why would the D
octor lie?”

Conn sighed wearily, “I don’t know.  She probably wouldn’t, it just sounds so fucking ridiculous.”

“So it’s never happened to you before?”

He shook his head, “Apparently not.”

“So what was the change?  What triggered it?”

You.
  He didn’t say it.  “Look you should eat, your food is getting cold.”  He turned and abruptly left the room.

Chapter
19

Aries stared at the closed door. 
The rut!
  She’d grown up in
Montana
, in prime hunting country and she loved the sport
dearly
, which meant she was familiar with the rut and how it affected deer.  She wo
ndered if it affected a man, a
Walker
, the same way. 

The rut for
deer meant the mating season, a
period when males would fight each other for possession of
a
herd of females in estrus. 
Females in estrus.
  She
fingered the white strands of her hair
as she
eyed
at the door. 
Am I fertile? 
She was computing the days on her fingers, trying to remember when
she’d last bled. 
Her head fell back and her eyes closed as she dropped her arms to hang loosely at her sides. 
Oh God!  It’s me!

She turned to eye her tray of food.  She was hungry, which meant that Conn was starving
…literally
.  She sucked in a sharp breath and unbuttoned the shirt he’d given her to wear.  She dropped it on the floor then peeled off the oversized sweats until she was once again wearing only her black slip. 
He is risking his life for me and I need him healthy.
 

Her pep talk did little to settle her nerves.
 
In fact, it only made her more
trepidatious
because she knew she was lying to herself.  Deep down she
knew she just
wanted to finish what they’d started in the
gymnasium at
StoneCrow
.   

Adrenaline coursed through her as s
he crossed to the door and pulled it open
.
What if he rejects me? 
She shoved the thought away, remembering his reaction to her in the gym. 
It was mutual, he wanted her too. 
Her womb clenched in anticipation and her mouth literally salivated at the memory of his black licorice taste.
  There was something about it that made her want more, she was craving him.
 

She found
him
sitting at the small table with his head resting in his hands.  “Conn?”

He slowly lifted his head, “What do you need?”

She bit her bottom lip before pulling the door open, “Can you come here?”

“Aries, eat and get some rest.”  His tone was impatient
.  He dropped his head back into his hands.

“S-something’s wrong,” she lied.  It got his attention.

Conn stood and stalked toward her, his eyes leaving her face to search the empty room behind her.  “What is it?”  He entered the room and scanned it quick
ly looking for anything out of the ordinary
.

Aries closed the door behind him and Conn turned to frown at her when he heard her slide the lock into place.  She pointed to the bed, “Lie down.”

His brows drew together in a dark frown, “Damn it Aries, I thought something was wrong.”

“Something is wrong.”  She approached and placed palm
s
on
his chest.  “
I…need you.”

Conn’s frown faltered.  He grabbed her wrists, “What are you doing?”

“Being smart,” she supplied and stepped closer to him.

He backed up a step, the back of his knees hit the bed.  “Aries you…”  His words were cut off when Aries stepped closer still and used the mattress at the back of his knees and her own weight to shove him off balance until he fell back on the bed.  He
hadn’t
let
go
of her wrists
before he fell,
so
Aries landed
on top of him.

Sitting up quickly, Aries kept her legs straddled over Conn’s hips and she pressed her hands into his shoulders when he tried to sit up.  “Stop
!
”

“What are you doing?” he demanded a second time.

“It’s me Conn.”  She dropped her eyes guiltily.  “You’re sick because of me.”

“I’m not sick Aries,” he tried to sit up again but she pressed harder into his shoulders using all of her body weight to keep him down as her long hair fell over her shoulders and hung down to brush his cheeks. 

Conn stopped talking and frowned at her.

Aries tried to control her breathing as she hovered over
him
.  Her eyes traveled the length of the scar that bifurcated his face.
The rough scar cut across his stern f
eatures
from his hairline, over one eye and the bridge of his nose and slashed across his opposite cheek.  She’d been wanting to do this to him since the moment she’d met him, and with him now silent under her she
swallowed her fear and
allowed herself the pleasure.  Leaning down, she licked her lips.  Conn’s eyes instantly dropped to her mouth then she leaned closer
and licked the e
ntire path of his scar from chee
k to forehead.  She felt him tense under her and the reaction was exhilarating.  Knowing she’d evoked the response was heady
.

She pulled back a fraction and looked at him.  His steely gray eyes had darkened considerably.  He watched her like a predator watches prey and she felt powerful knowing that she could make
him
give in
to
her
…o
nly to her.  She lowered her head and brushed her lips against his.  He growled and she let her tongue dart out and lick his lips. 

“Aries don’t start this
!
” his voice was husky, rough with need.  “I won’t be able to control myself.”

“Then don’t,” she whispered against his mouth before sliding her tongue between his lips.  He was already hard, she’d felt it the instant she’d fallen on top of him.  He wanted her, but more importantly
,
he needed her just as she needed him. 

He was the only man who’d ever been willing to protect her so she’d give him what he needed, and while she told herself that it was out of gratitude and self-preservation she knew in
her heart that there was more to it than that.  She trusted him, and s
he’d never trusted anyone
.
The truth of it was frightening as hell.  She’d spent the last three years as self-sufficient and cut-off from society as any one person could be.  Convinced she’d succeeded in severing any need for companionship, she was now terrified to discover the truth.  In the few short days she’d known him, she’d grown to rely on Conn, to need his protection, but more importantly she yearned for his touch.
 

Conn growled as he released her wrists and grabbed her up
per arms forcing her back.  “We
’re not doing this
!
” 

Rejection tore through her but when she saw his chest rapidly rising and falling and the strain on his features as he fought against
his desire
, Aries grew bold
knowing he wasn’t only fighting her, he was fighting against his self-control
. 

She jerked her arms out of his grip and frowned at him.  “You don’t get to decide what I do.”
  She eyed him evenly, “We’re both adults and we both know what you need.”
 

Her arms crossed over her hips as she grabbed the hem of her black slip.  It was up and over her head in an instant before it was tossed to the floor. 
She watched Conn’s eyes dip to her
swollen
breasts and
she
swore she felt the erection that now ground against her
sex
grow harder.  She grabbed his hands and lifted them to her
chest
.  When his palms covered her
breasts
, she tilted her head back and moaned, “Conn.”

She started grinding her hips against his and smiled when he growled deeply
.  She gasped and her eyes jerked open when his
hand clamped firmly around her arm
and jerked as he rolled pinning her underneath him.  Her eyes locked on his and she was shocked at the enraged expression on his face.  Her
heart thundered in her chest as s
he wondered what he was going to do.

***

Conn tried to control his ragged breathing.  Aries was offering herself to him, and he knew he should refuse her. 
She was only making the offer because she needed him healthy and strong in order to properly protect her. 
He was trying to talk himself into getting off her when her expression changed.  The shock that was there moments earlier slipped away and she bit her lip demurely as she smiled up at him.  She reached up
with
one hand and
smoothed it down the side of
his face while
her
other
hand
closed over her breast.