Hi everybody! This chapter is for all my readers who have been begging for more interaction between Wolvie and Kristi! I hope you enjoy ..... and I hope I haven't gone too far ...... !
My little band of reviewers for the last chapter are; wolfbane17, lancefalcon (a new reviewer - welcome aboard!) Sabrielle-X, nileena, 12kirby12, sagas. pen and Laudine! I love you all!
The adventure awaits - onward!
ooXoo
10. An Act of Love
"What the hell is this?"
Kristi rolled over, groaning at the persistent ache of something digging into her side. Still half asleep, she felt about beneath her, her questing fingers locating something small and hard. Pulling it out and holding it up, she opened bleary eyes to see what had roused her from the delicious dream she'd been having. It was a small cream tile with a letter W etched on it. A Scrabble tile? When the hell was I playing Scrabble? She stared at it for a moment, then leaned over to place it on the bedside table. W for Wildstar. Of all the tiles she could have laid on, it had to be the W. How coincidental was that?
She froze then as something stirred against her, her arm still held out to the table. Slowly, she pulled it back, feeling the hair on the back of her neck start to prickle as the 'something' moved again. Holding her breath and turning slowly, she came face to face with a bare-chested, mussy haired and completely at home in her bed Wolverine.
And everything came flooding back.
She rolled onto her back with a groan as she remembered the sudden feeling of euphoria from the evening before, and the way her common sense and co-ordination had seemingly given up the ghost and abandoned her. She remembered her friends helping her back upstairs and …… Oh Lord! I called Scott, Scooter! She also had a vague impression of feeling hot in the night and struggling out of her T-shirt and sweatpants. She peeked under the covers at this point to discover that yes, she was indeed only wearing her bra and panties.
But her strongest memories were of Logan. Holding her close and stroking her hair. Scooping her up and carrying her to bed. And lying by her side and promising to protect her from nightmares. He was her knight in …… err …… flannel shirt and jeans. And he was still here. Asleep. And at her mercy.
She bit her lip and rolled over to study him. Logan, to all intents and purposes, wasn't the gentlest of sleepers, resting, as he was, in an untidy sprawl. One arm, the one nearest Kristi, was thrown carelessly above his head, resting lightly on the pillow. The other was dangling over the side of the bed. Some time in the night he had managed to get beneath the sheets, which now only covered him to the waist, revealing a bare foot poking out below the comforter and an equally bare expanse of deeply muscled chest above. Kristi frowned, remembering that his shirt had still been on when he had snuggled behind her, but then spotted it lying over the dresser in a tossed and abandoned fashion. Maybe he had felt warm just as she had? His healing factor usually caused his body temperature to run at a couple of degrees above normal anyway – if she had been warm in the night, it would have been uncomfortably so for Logan.
A sudden thought had her scanning the room for his jeans, but she couldn't see them anywhere. Spotting his foot, she pulled on the comforter, breathing out a sigh of relief as the hem of his jeans came into view. A semi-naked Wolverine in her bed was one thing. A totally naked Wolverine was quite another.
A semi-naked Wolverine …… ! Cautiously, so as not to wake him, she hitched up onto one elbow, leaning over to study her mate, her heart beginning to pound with the thought that he was here, actually in her bed, close enough to reach out and touch. His head was tilted towards her as he slept, soft breaths puffing out through slightly parted lips, his hair tousled from sleep, but still rising into the two backward pointing crests which tantalised Kristi's fingers so. She raised a hand with the intention of burying her fingers in that soft, raven black hair, then her gaze drifted lower, to a chest that was rising and falling with each shallow breath, and her hand hovered there, just millimetres above the skin, feeling his internal heat radiating off him like his own personal inferno.
An internal battle broke out, between her hand which so desperately wanted to touch that perfectly sculptured body, and her head which warned her that she was dangerously out of her depth and to back off now, before it was too late. Common sense kept whispering to her that she was playing with fire and she knew that for a fact. If Wolverine awoke, aroused and in the mood for something more than she was willing to give, she knew she was in no position to fend him off. But, at the same time, her heart found that very thought strangely exciting and her pulse raced faster at the image of her bondmate bearing her down and smothering her heated body with passionate kisses. Inexperience warred with desire and, in the end, the intense fascination to know what a real man felt like won out. Her hand slowly covered the remaining distance between itself and her mate's flesh and made contact, fingers spreading out to tangle in his chest hair.
Logan stirred at her touch and she froze in place, eyes flicking to his, expecting them to fly open, to hear him demand to know what the hell she thought she was doing. But he slept on, the hand above his head flexing slightly and then falling still, a soft sigh escaping his lips. Emboldened, Kristi bit back a smile and traced the outline of his pectoral muscles with a trembling hand, feeling her emotions surge at the excitement of being in such close proximity to her mate. A tiny voice at the back of her mind was chiding her for being so forward, yet this yearning to touch and be touched in return felt as natural to her as breathing and she suspected the bond was exerting its influence. Whatever this feral bond entailed, it was seemingly changing her very nature, making her over in her mate's image. Some would argue that the change wasn't for the best. Her parents especially would have been shocked to see their daughter right at this very moment, their sweet and innocent offspring seemingly corrupted by the wild beast that shared her bed. But Kristi felt invigorated, freed from the constraints of a strict upbringing and enlivened by the new thoughts and ideals pulsing through her head. She felt bold and wanton and she almost growled with the heady mix of it.
Dropping her hand lower, she tracked a line of dark hair down to Logan's naval, which was hidden from her sight by the shelter of the sheet. She circled it once with a tentative finger, smiling as Logan twitched slightly under her touch. Is he ticklish? Surely not! Her hand then nudged against the waistband of his jeans and she hesitated there, biting her lip in consideration. Her eyes flicked to Logan's, finding them still closed, and slowly and with great deliberation, she inched her hand downwards ……
"I think it only fair ta warn ya, that if ya insist on goin' any further south I won't be responsible fer my actions ……"
Logan's gravely tones startled her and Kristi squeaked in surprise, glancing upwards to see her mate watching her with darkened blue eyes. Blushing, she moved her hand northwards, stopping only when she reached the relative safely of his thoracic region.
"Wise choice." Logan's arm came down from above his head, his hand covering hers, locking it into place and spreading her fingers against him. "Wakin' ta find a beautiful female explorin' ya body pushes all the right buttons, but I figured ya wouldn't appreciate it if I turned the tables an' ravaged ya." Logan winked at her as he used Kristi's term from the night before.
His mate's eyes widened in surprise. "You were …… turned on?" she asked softly, knowing even as she voiced it that it was a redundant question. Logan's eyes had darkened so much they were almost black and his skin beneath her hand was burning. She could hardly believe that she had provoked such a reaction. A flash of curiosity had her wondering what his heartbeat felt like and she moved her hand upwards. Logan, his eyes never leaving hers, eased up the pressure on her hand so that she could skim it over his skin, but still kept it covered with his, pressing down once more when she came to a halt, imprisoning her there.
His heartbeat was strong and steady, and maybe a little faster that it should be. But she had no idea what was normal for Logan – his healing factor ran his temperature a little higher than normal, so that could be true for his heart-rate also. Her own heartbeat was going like crazy, an unconscious response brought on by her mate's close proximity and obvious arousal, and her body felt hot and tingly. She licked her lips nervously, and felt Logan's heart beat faster in answer, only calming slowly and with some reluctance. Oh geez …… !
"How long have you been awake?" Kristi asked the question simply to ease the sexual tension a little. The very air around her felt charged with static electricity, forged by their connection.
Logan blinked languorously. "Since ya first touched me," he admitted. "In my line o' work, ya have ta be a light sleeper or ya don't live long enough ta regret it."
"But that's not fair, I thought you were asleep," complained Kristi, pouting prettily.
Logan grinned at her. "I figured as much. The bond seemed ta be tellin' me ya needed ta know what a man felt like, an' me …… well, I wasn't about ta argue with that." He took his hand away from hers, leaving her free to move once more. "Go on. Help yerself."
His mate, however, stayed in place, studying him from behind lowered lashes. He frowned at her. "Whassamatta, kid? Afraid I'll bite?"
Kristi pulled her hand back with a snort. "You are so full of yourself, did you know that, Wolverine?"
"I remember ya tellin' me that once before." Logan stretched like a cat, pulling his arms above his head, and Kristi's eyes widened at the sight of those rippling muscles. He winked at her, smugly, knowing exactly what he was doing. "Ya still ended up bonded ta me, right?"
Kristi shook her head in disbelief. "You are such a bloody show off!" she declared, huffily. She poked him sharply in the ribs with one finger, prompting a grunt. "I think there's a couple of things I need to clarify here. One: I am not a kid anymore, Logan. I think this will back me up on that." Boldly, she tugged down the sheet, exposing her scantily clad body. Logan's gaze ranged southwards and stayed there.
"Um …… and the other thing?" he asked, somewhat distractedly.
Kristi blushed under his steady gaze. She had actually surprised herself with her forwardness, but Logan made her feel so …… so flirty. The second point she had actually planned to make vanished from her mind as her mate gazed on her so fixedly and she threw herself down beside him, crushing her lips to his, sucking his lower lip and teasing it with her tongue.
Logan groaned and pulled her onto him, fisting a hand into her hair as he sought to deepen the kiss. With his other hand he drew silky little circles on the skin of her back, making her giggle and squirm against him, which prompted another heated groan.
All too aware of the fact that her body was pressed against the whole delicious length of him, Kristi broke the kiss and nipped at his earlobe, her little tongue darting out to soothe the bite. Logan growled beneath her and she pushed a hand into his hair, beginning to track tender little kisses along his neck down to the hollow at the base of his throat. To her utmost surprise, he tilted his head back to allow her easier access, totally submitting to her ministrations. His growl changed to a deep intermittent rumble, which reverberated through her body and reminded her of a big contented cat. The hand on her back began to fumble with her bra clasp and, with a sudden jolt of clarity, Kristi realised she'd finally succeeded in unleashing her mate's desire. His ragged breathing and lust filled moans told her that she now had a wild and fully aroused Wolverine beneath her, and she was probably in imminent danger of losing her virginity. She should have been scared – at the very least, her parent's disapproval should have come to mind – but her mate's sexual purring was setting her ablaze and all she could think about was letting him make hot, passionate love to her. If this was submitting, then so be it – she would do it gladly!
"Ah Jesus, Kristi ……" Logan groaned softly as she fastened her teeth on his earlobe once more, her hot breath sending little shivers through his body. The hand at her back finally succeeded in popping her bra clasp and he allowed her the briefest of moments to let this sink in before tilting her gently back and pulling the offending piece of lingerie away, flinging it across the room. She caught the briefest glimpse of a pair of blackened feral eyes before his mouth fastened on the soft part of her neck, where it met her shoulder. He sucked once and then she yelped as he bit down hard, sharp canines puncturing the soft skin, at the very same moment as his hand snaked around her side to caress her breast.
"Mine!" he snarled, against her skin.
It was probably her yelp of pain and surprise that shocked him back to his senses – that and the image of a pair of trusting Asian eyes and the flash of a set of lethal claws. He released Kristi abruptly, pushing back the sheet and swinging his legs out of bed, fully intending to leave, only to feel the onset of the now familiar pain pulsing behind his eyes. He sat on the edge of the bed, resting his head in his hands, trying to push the pain back, but knowing he was doomed to fail. Jesus, he couldn't pass out now. Not in Kristi's bed ……
"Logan?" Her soft hand alighted on his back with the gentleness of a lover's touch and he couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through his body. He still wanted her, could feel his lust for her running through his veins, along with the shame that he had allowed himself to mark her – to hurt her. He took his hands away from his face and turned to look at her, feeling the pain in his head fade away as he did so. What the …… ?
She was sitting up behind him, the sheet pulled up to cover her breast, two puncture marks standing out starkly on her neck, oozing blood. He reached out a shaking hand to touch the wound and she tilted her head, nuzzling his hand like a love-starved kitten, bringing up one hand to cover his and keep it there.
"Why do you keep turning me away?" she whispered, softly. A single tear rolled down her cheek and splashed wetly onto the sheet. "Is it me? Am I not right for you? Are you wanting to negate the bond?"
"Fer Chrissakes, Kristi, no." He reached out and gathered her to him, stroking back her hair and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She fell into his embrace easily, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder, snuffling slightly. "Jesus, kid, ya should have been able ta feel how much I wanted ya through the bond. You were turnin' me on big time. I marked ya, fer Chrissakes!"
"Then what's the problem?" Kristi pulled back from him, her whole demeanour changed, her eyes filled now, not with tears, but with anger. "Why the hell do you keep avoiding me?"
"It's complicated." Logan looked away, unable to meet her eyes and so was unprepared for the finger that suddenly poked into his chest, the force of it almost tumbling him off the edge of the bed. "Cripes, Kris, what the hell …… ?"
"Quit holding out on me, Logan!" Kristi punctuated each of her words with a poke of the finger, earning a grunt at every one. "There's something wrong and I want to know what it is. We're bonded and, for good or for bad, whatever bothers you involves me now. So stop all this bullshit and get it out in the open where we can both work it out like two civilised beings. You followin' me, bub?"
Despite himself, Logan grinned a feral smile. "I knew there was a reason why I 'chose' you," he declared, proudly. "Had a feelin' my psyche would never allow me ta bond a wallflower."
"I'm waitin', bub." If Kristi had been standing, she would have been tapping her foot. She folded her arms across her chest, defiantly. "Out with it!"
Logan sighed, defeated by his little spitfire. "Well, maybe it is fer the best," he agreed, softly. He hitched his feet back onto the bed and leaned against the headboard, folding his arms in an unconscious imitation of his mate. Jean's words of advice floated back to him and he took a breath, realising that, now the moment had come, he actually felt calm. Once again, Jean had been right. Talking his problems out with Kristi was the right way to go ……
"This may come as a surprise ta ya," he began, slowly, "But I was once engaged ta be married." He smiled at the memory. "Her name was Mariko Yashida and, at the time, she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I loved her. An' she loved me right back, Kristi. Even when I was forced ta kill her father."
Kristi's breath caught in her throat at Logan's casual admission, but she said nothing, waiting patiently as he hesitated, seeming to relive the moment in his mind. Then, he began speaking again, slowly at first, but picking up speed as he gained more confidence. He linked with her, sending her the images from his memory that accompanied his words and Kristi gazed in awe at the beauty that was Mariko Yashida, knowing she held a special place in her mate's heart. She listened, spellbound, as Logan's story unfolded. He told her how he had been forced to kill Mariko's father, Shingen, because he was corrupt and was dragging the honourable clan Yashida down with him. How Mariko had assumed leadership of the clan upon her father's death and accepted Logan's proposal of marriage. However, on their wedding day, she had left her lover standing heartbroken at the altar, ridiculing him in front of their guests and calling him unworthy of her. Months later, she was discovered to be under the control of the villain Mastermind, who was using her connection to Logan to take revenge on the X-Men, and using her clan to further his own corrupt designs. With Mastermind defeated, Logan once again proposed. But, appalled at what she had been forced to do while under the villain's influence, Mariko refused, vowing to win back her clan's honour before she could take Logan as her husband. And so Logan waited, biding his time, knowing she would send for him when order had been restored. But that time never came. Dying a slow and painful death from blowfish poison administered by an assassin, Mariko begged her lover to allow her to die with honour and dignity.
Logan granted her wish, with his own claws.
Tears filled Kristi's eyes as Logan paused, obviously remembering the painful day he had been forced to take his lover's life. Mercifully, he had broken the link just before narrating that part of the tale, so Kristi was spared the awful grisly details, but she still felt the pain and finality of his decision. He was staring across the room at nothing, one hand at his side clenching and unclenching at the sheet spasmodically as if holding back claws that wanted to spring free and rend something. She wanted to reach out and hug him, but she knew instinctively that this wasn't the right time, so she waited, giving him the space he needed.
When he finally looked to her, his eyes still bore the horror of the painful memory. "So now ya know the reason why I've been actin' so screwy of late, Kristi. Mariko meant a lot ta me, an' ta lose her like that ……"
Kristi reached out to cover Logan's hand with her own. "Don't say anymore, Logan. I understand."
Logan nodded, touched by the sincerity in her voice, but still needing to clarify. "It'll haunt me fer the rest o' my life, Kris. Which is why I need time now. Time ta come ta terms with what's happenin' between us an' ta work myself out. It's not that I don't care about ya, Kris, it's just ……"
Kristi squeezed his hand. "Logan, I understand what you're trying to say. Please don't feel bad about this. If you need time, then take it. But I'll still be here if you need to talk or a shoulder to cry on." He raised an eyebrow at that. "And …… and I won't push you again. Not until you're ready." She pulled her hand back, turning her head away. "I shouldn't have done that and I'm sorry."
Logan growled, his eyes flashing, darkly. "Don't you dare try ta take the blame fer this, Kristi! Weren't no one's fault. What happened between us this mornin' was right an' natural fer …… fer two ……"
"For two people falling in love?" offered Kristi, shyly.
Logan nodded. "Yeah." He pulled her into an awkward embrace, his fingers automatically finding his bite mark on her neck. She winced at the touch.
"Don't be sorry about that," she said, as she felt his shame. "I …… it hurt, but I wanted it."
"This changes nothin' between us, Kris." Logan lowered his head, gently licking the wound better. "Yer mine now, an' I ain't gonna abandon ya. But I won't do this again till I've finally put my ghosts behind me."
"Then I'll be waiting." Kristi placed her hand against his cheek, smiling as he pressed a kiss to her palm. Then he gently set her back and stood, glancing down at the alarm clock. "It's seven thirty. I have an early trainin' session at eight."
"Then you'd better be going." Kristi grinned up at him as he moved around the room, collecting his boots and clothing. "It wouldn't be seemly for the teacher to be late."
"Nah, they'll wait." Logan shrugged into his shirt, not wanting to leave Kristi's bedroom half dressed. As he sat on the edge of the bed to put on his boots, he noticed the little white tile on her bedside table. "What's this?"
"What? Oh, that?" Kristi leaned back against the pillow with a sigh. "It's a Scrabble tile. I was lying on it when I woke up." She grinned. "It's W for Wildstar."
Logan cocked an eyebrow at her. "Kinda poetic. It's also W for Wolverine ……"
NEXT: "So just how much of your personality is now Wolverine's, Kristi? And is it a two way switch?"