Howling at the Moon
-start transmission-
Sadie dreamed; she was running through the woods, the thrill of the hunt in her veins, the fresh forest air in her lungs. She saw her prey, a young buck. She knew it was too big to take all by herself, but she wasn't alone.
Another wolf was beside her, large and gleaming silver with deep turquoise eyes.
They cornered it by a rocky outcropping and without waiting for the other wolf, Sadie went for the throat. She growled as the animal thrashed, trying to shrug her off. Even as the heady taste of blood exploded on her tongue, the silver wolf was beside her, helping her to take it down.
Blood dripped from her chops as the deer fell between them.
They stared at one another, and though she tried to tell herself he was only a wolf, she felt linked to him.
It was strange, elemental, and ethereal.
They bent to feed together.
Sadie awoke with a start and realized she was starving.
She also realized that she was pressed against the front of someone, John, judging by the scent, and that while his breathing was deep and even, he was very happy to feel her.
Though she was not at present, being driven by hormones, the feel of him had her thighs clenching and gritting her teeth, she eased from him and the bed.
Padding naked through the house, she found John's robe, pulled it on and went to the kitchen.
She found the steaks she'd marinated in the fridge, but she was too impatient to wait for them to grill. She licked her lips, contemplating the raw meat. Aw hell, it wasn't completely raw. She'd marinated it in soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and ginger. It was practically cooked, and with that thought, she dug in.
And that's how John found her.
He padded into the room, completely naked, and sporting some impressive morning wood.
"Couldn't you have covered up?"
("Why?") He thought, but what he said was, "You have my robe."
Sadie glared, taking another mouthful of steak.
"Haven't you ever heard of jeans?"
John smiled.
"You don't do casual nudity do you?"
It wasn't a question.
("I'll have to fix that.")
"The hell you will! As soon as I'm transitioned, I'm outta here!"
His fierce denial rang in her head.
"Where the hell is here anyway?"
John shrugged.
"A couple of hours north of the city; most of the pack lives in secluded areas like this one. There's more freedom to run around. Is there anymore of that steak?"
Tearing her eyes away from his erection, she gestured to the fridge. She hoped to cool air would calm him down.
It didn't.
And the way he looked at her didn't help.
His expression was primitive, bordering on possessive.
He was wondering what it would be like to take her without the hormones affecting her.
"Stay the hell away from me!"
She moved around the butcher block, putting it between them.
"Relax!" he said, throwing up his hands, his eyes glittering with lust and amusement. "I'm not going to ravish you,"
("Unless you want me to...")
"Eat your steak," she said. "I made some rice to go with it."
("A body like that and she can cook, too!")
The laugh escaped before she could stop herself.
He smiled back, and something in her chest clenched in response.
Sadie cleared her throat against the sensation.
"So... when do we go after Void?"
"After breakfast if you like,"
She brightened at that.
"Great! Lemme just shower,"
"I'll join you," he said finishing off his steak.
The image of the two of them under the spray, his soapy hands teasing her breasts and below filled her mind.
Whether it was his thought or hers, Sadie didn't know.
"I don't think so..." she squeaked.
John drilled her with a hot stare.
"You don't want one of those of hormonal storms while we're out investigating. Take a pre-emptive strike against your primitive urges and maybe they won't rule you," he said.
It was stupid, and irresponsible, but without a word, Sadie took his outstretched hand.
(= = = = = = = = = = = =)
He was in the shower, swathed in steam, his mate was glistening soap and water, her cheeks flushed with arousal.
Unlike the first two times they joined, this was slow and sweet. His agents were checking all of Jason's usual haunts, so he had all the time in the world. With a slow hand, he massaged her scalp, and slid soapy hands over her breasts. When she moaned, he slid them lower, between her thighs, where she throbbed against his hand. She was soft and wet, and no doubt sweet.
Unable to resist, he rinsed the soap from her and knelt, his tongue caressing her clit, his fingers sliding deep, working her at a slow steady rhythm in time with the strokes of his tongue. She was delicious, and her pussy clasped him in desperation. She came on a choked cry, her fingers sliding into his hair, her thighs spreading wider as he drove over the edge again.
Her cries were music to his ears.
When he lifted her hips, she wrapped her legs around him and he slid deep, pressing her into the tile. She fit him perfectly, her body hot and wet, her pussy clasping him as if she never wanted him to leave her.
As he quickened the rhythm, her nails dug into his back, and her lips fused to his. She screamed into his mouth, her body squeezing, convulsing around him. He swallowed her screams. The force of her release triggered his own, and with a growl, he thrust harder, slamming her into the tile as the orgasm shot up his spine and out, into her.
(= = = = = = = = = = = =)
"I'm sorry about your neck," she said as they drove to the city.
John smiled.
"Don't be, among my people it's a sign that the sex was good... and besides your neck is no better."
From the corner of his eye, he saw her rub her neck self consciously, and then she frowned.
"Wait a minute! Why hasn't it healed like everything else?"
"Certain things heal slower than others," he said obscurely, blocking the thought that it was another aspect of mating.
She went silent for another few minutes.
"If your agents have checked all of Jason's usual haunts, why are we driving to the city?"
"I figured you'd want a change of clothes, a toothbrush, that sort of thing,"
She nodded.
"Is there any possibility that he's left town?"
"Possibly, but the nearest airport's four hours away—"
"—and you injured him pretty badly, so you figure he'll stick to the local woods until he recovers," she said, finishing his thoughts for him. "When's the full moon?"
"Tomorrow," he said, trying to hide his dismay.
"What if he has left town?"
John shrugged.
"We have members working at customs at the airport. Rolf or I would have been alerted the moment anyone matching his description showed up, and you know how good customs is at delaying people,"
At that Sadie laughed and imitated the snapping of rubber gloves.
("So,") he thought, ("she does have a sense of humor.")
"Yes I do," she said. "But you haven't given much of a reason to laugh lately. What's all this about us being parents? I'm on the pill."
"It won't work with your new DNA. Does it bother you?"
He forced himself to focus on the road in the long silence that followed.
"No," she said at last. "Even at this point in my life, with all that's happened, a child would never be unwanted,"
The softness in her voice warmed him, and without thinking he reached out and took her hand, lacing their fingers.
To his surprise, she squeezed his affectionately.
They stopped at the house she shared and he waited in the car while she grabbed a few necessities. She came back dressed in fresh jeans, boots, and a skin tight tank top that made it clear she was wearing a bra underneath. She'd thrown her red hooded coat and scarf over the whole ensemble. As she got in the car, she threw him his T-shirt.
He sniffed it before he could stop himself.
It smelled just like her: rain, soap, and female sweat.
Her knapsack looked fuller than before.
"Where to now?" she asked.
"The south shore. That's where he was headed when I met you. There are a few wooded areas around there. He was bleeding pretty badly. He couldn't have gotten far,"
Sadie pulled a map from the glove compartment and studied it.
"The nature preserve sounds a likely hiding place, but it's huge. We'll never cover that much ground in a day."
"I can," he said.
"What do you mean, if you take to the skies?" she asked reading his thoughts. "You can't fly,"
"I can actually. My mother was a chimera,"
She frowned.
"What's that?"
"An animal that got bitten by a werewolf. Once infected with lupine DNA the animal gains the ability to change from their original shape to human, to wolf,"
"And you mother used to be...?"
"An owl,"
She paused, mulling it over.
"Cool," she said at last. "So while you're flying around looking for a wounded wolf, what am I supposed to do?"
"Though you can't change yet, your senses are all enhanced—"
"That explains a lot," she muttered.
"It'll make you a better tracker. You remember what he smells like don't you?"
She grabbed her ruined clothes from the back seat and sniffed them.
"I do now," she growled.
"Search the woods; see if you can find anything."
"And if I get lost?" the idea clearly made her nervous.
"I'll find you."
(= = = = = = = = = = = =)
They stopped at the Nature preserve and ate the steak sandwiches John had put in a picnic basket for lunch. They went to an area out of sight, where he handed her a knife and tucked a gun into her waistband.
"It's loaded with silver rounds. If you find him, don't hesitate. The pack has made its decision. He has to die."
Sadie frowned.
"Aren't hand guns illegal in Canada?"
"Don't tell anybody," he said with a wolfish grin, and then he began to strip off his clothes.
Sadie's mouth watered as every inch of muscled flesh was revealed, and with a growl, she tackled him before he could transform, the hormone storm knocking the breath from her. They made love on the ground with the sounds of the forest all around them, and it took all of her strength not to fall asleep afterward.
Catching his breath, John withdrew and rose off of her, kissing her slowly, sweetly, and then with a friendly salute, he shrank, feathers sprouting from his skin, until what stood before her was not a sated man but a common barn owl.
("Rest a while before you begin your search,") he told her.
Sadie rested for all of ten minutes, before she dressed, tucked the knife in her boot and the gun in her pants, and began to roam the woods. The forest air was invigorating, and she found herself moving deeper in, fascinated by scents and sounds she'd never noticed before: the chirp of crickets, the mating calls of birds, the hum of bees, and the twitter of chipmunks. The scents of pine and maple filled her senses, but she wasn't there for a sensory overload. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the scent of Jason Void: blood, rotting human flesh, cheap cologne, and BO.
It was very faint, but a few miles in, as dusk set in, she caught a whisper of that scent.
Baring her teeth, she followed it, realizing she was lost in the forest and operating entirely on instinct.
Another mile in and she saw the flicker of a campfire and the stench of rotting flesh.
She came upon a clearing and there was Void, naked, nibbling on what looked like a human calf, complete with foot attached.
Sadie had to bite back the bile.
Jason paused, his mouth full, sniffed the air, and twitched like an itchy dog.
"Nice coat!" he said. "Hungry?"
He wasn't much to look at, Sadie thought.
He was about her age, skinny, pale, with skull trimmed hair, and pathetically endowed... though she supposed a generous heart would blame that on the cold. Had he been sane, Void would be no match for John, but what Jason lacked in strength he clearly made up for in madness.
"No thanks," she said, realizing that for the first time in two days, she wasn't.
He shook his head quickly.
"It's a shame, really. There's something absolutely delicious about human flesh; the sheer decadence of eating the forbidden after a fresh kill!"
Sadie stared at his head, frowning.
Jason twitched even further.
"What are you doing?" he asked, bending to the human leg to take another bite.
"Trying to read your mind,"
He looked up, his mouth bloody.
"Why would you be able to do that?" he asked. "Whose mind can you read?"
He rose and sniffed at her when she didn't answer.
"Parris', right?"
"How can you tell?"
Jason grimaced in disgust.
"His scent's all over you! You know, I'm glad I didn't finish you off!"
He smiled cruelly, and moved so quickly she could only blink. Without thinking, she yanked the gun out of her pants. He was suddenly in front of her and she held the barrel of the gun pressed to his chest.
"You'll make an excellent hostage!"
He moved forward, and Sadie pressed the barrel more firmly to his chest as she found the safety and disengaged it.
"I'll be nothing to you if I pull the trigger," she said.
"You won't."
"And why is that?"
"You're curious."
Sadie thought for a moment, and began to lower the gun, but as he made a grab for it, her hands moved down, shooting him in the foot.
The kickback sent her reeling even as Void fell away from her. She smelled his blood and felt a rush as tears streamed down his cheeks.
"What the fuck did you do that for?" he screamed.
Sadie pocketed the gun.
"You were going to take me as a hostage!"
"Yeah, but you didn't have to shoot me!"
She had to resist the urge to laugh.
"The pack wants you dead. John wanted me to shoot you on site, but you're right, I AM curious."
She moved to the other side of the fire and sat.
"Now why would I make such a good hostage?" she asked him.
Void glared at her, his teeth gritting in pain from his wound.
"Why the hell should I tell you? You're going to kill me anyway!"
Sadie shrugged and tried for nonchalance.
"The way I think it, you can die fast… or slow. The choice is yours."
Jason laughed a wild, howling laugh.
"You know, you and Parris make a great couple. You're just as cold as he is!"
"We're not a couple."
Jason twitched, and crawled to the leg he'd been eating. He pulled it into his lap even as his eyes narrowed on her face.
"You don't know, do you?"
"What?"
"The reason you can read his mind, and only his, is because like it or not, you're his mate!"
Sadie's mind froze, trying to wrap her head around it.
"What the hell do you mean, mate?"
Jason grinned, enjoying her discomfort.
"It's a mystery of werewolf-ness I never fully understood. Females know immediately who their intended are by the fact that they can read the mind of the male. Does Parris know you can read him? He does, doesn't he?" he said, reading her expression.
"What's that to you?"
Jason smiled.
"If he knows it, then he'll do anything to protect you. He might even let me go," as he spoke his twitches became more pronounced.
Sadie raised the gun.
"He might, but I won't," she said, her grip tightening.
Jason frowned, his mouth full.
"What the hell do you have against me? Hell if I didn't know any better, I'd think you actually liked me."
She did, a little, but that didn't change what he was.
"How many people have you killed?"
Jason's expression became one of pride.
"Five!" he said, puffing out his chest.
"And you tried to kill me, and in the process turned me into a fucking werewolf!"
"You say that like it's a bad thing!"
("Ya think?") Sadie thought irritably.
"Tell me, were you born this way or did somebody turn you?"
Jason's chest puffed out even further.
"I was born this way!" he said proudly, and then his face fell. "My parents were killed by overzealous humans."
"So you have no idea what I've been going through. The urges, the pain, the crazy appetite,"
Jason shook his head.
"Nope!"
"And I'll bet transforming for the first time is gonna hurt like a bitch. You ruined my life, Void!" she said, feeling tears in her eyes, and hating herself for it.
Jason laughed.
"I don't care! And to answer your next question: the first people I killed murdered my parents. I got a taste for human flesh that night, and I've been an addict ever since," he laughed again, but this laugh was tinged with bitterness. "I hate your filthy stinking race, and I don't regret a single thing I've done to hurt you!"
Sadie raised the gun as Jason moved into a crouch.
"You've answered all my questions, then," she said, letting the anger pour through her. She raised the gun, when the hoot of an owl distracted her.
She looked up for a split second, but that was all Jason needed. With a snarl, he transformed and leapt forward, knocking the gun from her hand.
He was at her throat again, sensing the blood pumping beneath her skin. Adrenaline flowed through him at the prospect of a fresh kill. It didn't matter that she wasn't human anymore. The thrill of battle flowed through him even as a blow from her fist sent him reeling. She was much stronger now, and while she couldn't take wolf form yet, she gave good as she got.
They fought, fists and paws flying even as the owl landed and transformed into a wolf.
He recognized Parris immediately.
He should have known the son of a bitch was a chimera.
Jason howled as Sadie's fingers dug into his wounded paw, still burning from the silver.
With a snarl, he clawed and nipped at her through her ridiculous red coat and then moved behind her before she could grab the gun.
Transforming back into human form, he managed to lock an arm around her throat.
"Let me go, Parris!" he said to the snarling wolf, squeezing on her neck even as she struggled. "Or I'll snap her neck!"
It wouldn't kill her, but the woman didn't know that. Her struggles increased, so he tightened his grip on her throat. He was twitchy like the animal he became, but that was the price you paid for staying in wolf form as long as he did.
On top of him, the female's struggles ceased, and Parris slowly stepped back.
("Good boy,") he thought.
Then he saw what seemed to be an exchange between Parris and his female, but before he could snap her neck he felt the sting of silver blade jamming into him and the flesh below. He screamed even as the female twisted the blade, cracking his ribs.
With a howl, he fell back and stared at the knife protruding from his ribs. His blood was all over the place, and in that moment, he realized he had nothing to lose. These were probably going to be the last moments of his life and he'd better make them count!
With a scream of pain he wrenched the knife from his flesh and forced himself to his feet.
Parris was in human form now, and he had the gun.
Jason lunged for Parris' throat, knife drawn as Parris handed the gun to his mate.
He heard the gunshot even as the blade nicked Parris in the neck.
On his one good foot, Jason straightened and looked down.
In the middle of his chest was massive gaping hole.
He glared at the female's face, now numb with shock.
"You bitch!" he screamed and then—
(= = = = = = = = = = = =)
Parris pulled the gun from Sadie's now still hands.
On her face was of numb shock.
She'd been crying, he realized, noting the redness around her eyes.
But she wasn't upset now.
She simply stared down at the body, her expression blank.
She was shivering, he realized, and with tender concern, he brought her closer to the campfire, sat down with her, and rubbed her arms to warm her.
"I'm fine," she said after a minute, trying to shrug him off.
Instead, he pulled her closer.
"You're not," he said stubbornly.
"And you're cold," she said, staring at his naked skin.
"I'm fine," he said, using her words.
Sadie looked around.
"It's dark, and I don't want to spend the night out here," she said getting to her feet. With shaking hands she picked up the knife and pocketed the gun. "What do we do with Void?"
"I'll send someone to pick up the body. He'll be buried in the next couple of days,"
"But you'll leave the remains of the victim for the police," she said, reading his mind. "Are you sure you're not cold?"
She started to strip off her jacket.
He was touched by the gesture, considering the state she was in.
"Leave it," he told her. "My wolf pelt is pretty warm,"
He put out the fire and transformed.
She was silent as he led her out of the woods. Even more so as he dressed and made the call to his agents.
As they drove back to his cottage, she dove into the remaining sandwiches in his picnic basket, pausing only to hand him one. She said not a word, and he wondered now if it was a mistake to let her execute Jason.
"It wasn't a mistake," she said as they pulled into his driveway. "I wanted to do it. It had to be done."
They emptied the car in silence.
In his cottage Sadie, hung up her coat, put her bag in his room and went in the kitchen.
He heard the pop of the cork, and the sound of sizzling steak.
He was going to put his weapons away when he heard a sniffle.
He was there in a heartbeat.
She stood bent over the counter, her hair shielding her face from view.
"Sadie?" he asked, hearing the first heartrending sob break free. He stepped forward, intending to put his arms around her, but her hand shot out, stopping him in his tracks.
"Get the fuck away from me!" she screamed.
John stepped back, watching her pour a glass of white wine with shaking hands and down it in a few gulps.
"I don't understand it!" she gasped. "It needed to be done. He had to die, so why do I feel like shit?"
Tears slid down her cheeks as she spoke, and she wiped them away with her sleeve.
"Because you're not a stone cold bastard, like me," he said at last.
"And yet, you still think that I'm your mate. Why didn't you tell me?"
He was taken aback by that.
("How did she know?")
"Jason told me right before you got there," she said.
"I don't think it, I know it. Rolf knows it too. That's why the drugs won't work. That's why the love bite on your neck won't heal."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
John shrugged.
"I didn't want you to think I was some kind of crazy kidnapper."
"And what exactly does being mates mean?"
John took a deep breath for though she now seemed serene, he had a feeling it was the calm before the storm.
"It means we're the most compatible for children, physically and mentally. As for the rest, it's really up to us."
Even as he spoke he sensed her anger, her grief, and her self-hatred transform into something else. Her eyes darkened, and with a flick of her wrist she turned off the stove.
She stared into his eyes, trying to read as much of him as she could. In that instant, he dropped his mental barriers, laying himself bare to the woman before him.
He saw tears in her eyes, and his gut clenched.
She wiped the tears away with an impatient hand, and her pheromones filled the air.
"I can't guarantee I'll be here after tomorrow, but I will give you tonight," she said at last.
Sadie held out her hand. John stared down at it, and then came to a decision, knocked her hand away and swept her up into his arms.
She turned her face into his neck and inhaled deeply, nuzzling his throat with her lips. They were incredibly soft, and remembering her taste, he nudged her until their lips met, long, slow and deep.
They were still kissing as he set her on her feet and it was with great reluctance that he freed her lips.
He lit a candle, and then the fire, so that she was bathed in the soft light. When he rose, he saw her staring at the bed.
"When did you have the new restraints put in?"
"While we were out," he replied. He looked into her eyes, wishing for one moment that he knew her thoughts. "Do you trust me?"
Her pheromones got even stronger. Whether it was because of arousal or the impending change, he didn't know.
She tilted her head back, her dark eyes boring into his, and he had his answer.
"I do."
It was as close as to a declaration of love as he was going to get for the moment, so with a slow hand, he undressed her. He couldn't help but marvel at the softness of her skin or how it glowed in the firelight. Though he barely touched her, every muscle was tensed, as though she were already on the brink.
"Lie down," he commanded.
He saw rebellion in her eyes, but she lay down on the bed.
With gentle fingers he raised one arm, and then the other, and secured them above her head.
"Why tie me down?" she asked him as he reached for the ankle restraints beneath the mattress.
"If all I have is tonight, then I need to know that for this night, you are truly mine. I need to know that tonight, I am your whole world, and that by the end of tonight, you'll scream my name and know who you belong to,"
"I belong to no one!" she snarled, and then gasped as he secured first one leg, and then the other, leaving her spread eagled and at his mercy.
"You're wrong," he chided softly, unbuttoning his shirt and throwing his T-shirt aside. Her eyes darkened even further, and she nervously wet her lips. "Wolves don't choose who they mate. It just happens. Like it or not, Sadie, you are mine!"
Her gut clenched at his words, and then the scent of her arousal got even stronger.
Whether she liked it or not, despite all her all her pride and defiance, she liked being at his mercy. One look between her thighs confirmed it. She was already glistening for him.
But she wouldn't come yet, not if he had anything to say about it.
He unbuckled his belt and slid his jeans off his hips. He was hard. He'd been hard since he'd scented her need on the air. Wanting to keep her off balance, he blocked his thoughts, wanting nothing to obscure what he did to her.
John slid his fingers over her lips, and hers parted on a gasp, but he didn't stop there. He slid them down, over the pulse in her throat, and down over her collarbone. As he reached the top of her breast, she arched as though she wanted him to touch her nipple, but rather than telling him what she wanted she turned her head, her teeth sinking into her lower lip.
He slid his fingers over her tensed stomach, reaching the top of her pussy, before skirting to the side and tracing the tattoo at her hip.
"This has to be the sexiest thing I've ever seen," he said softly, before sliding his fingers over clit. Sadie reared up, as though she were about to come, but he cooled her down with a swift slap to side of her ass.
"Ouch!" she shrieked, her eyes snapping open to glare it at him with a combination of outrage and frustration.
"You were about to come," he told. "As long as you're restrained and in my bed, you only come when I say so."
"Fuck you!" she hissed, but when he slapped her again, she moaned, straining against the chains.
"I will; but in my time and in my way!"
He stared at her body, trembling in the firelight, and reached for the candle.
"Look at me," he commanded softly. Her eyes snapped open, and with his eyes on her, he tipped the candle.
Hot wax dripped onto her nipple, puckering it instantly. Her back arched on a gasp as he poured the wax onto her other nipple.
Before the wax could cool, he pressed it into her nipple with his fingers, letting her feel the burn. His teeth sank into her neck over his mark, wanting to re-stake his claim.
She moaned as she tilted her head to the side, offering herself.
John couldn't help but roar with triumph.
Wanting, craving more of her, he worked his way down, nipping at her collarbone, and kissing his way across her chest. When he got to her nipple, he peeled the wax away and licked each tip, before blowing across it, cooling her. Her nipples puckered even further as he worked his way down, kissing his way over her belly before sliding his head between her thighs.
He spread her lips open and slid his tongue insider her pussy where her taste, her scent was the strongest. For a moment he was lost in her, and then he licked upward, putting his tongue directly on her clit. She moaned and he heard the chains rattle as she fought them.
John suckled her clit, working her until her thighs tensed and she was on the brink, before pulling away and let her cool down. Then he bent and sucked her clit. Her muscles tensed as she got even wetter against his mouth. She was close again, and he slapped the side of her ass, a silent reminder that she was not to come without his say so.
She whimpered as he pulled away, kissing his way up over her stomach, pausing to suckle a breast, before parting her lips with his own. He kissed her long and slow and deep, nipping her with his teeth, before coaxing her tongue into a lazy dance with his own. He could kiss her forever, but he wanted, needed more, and with that thought, he reached into the nightstand.
As he kissed her he lubricated his fingers and slid them between her thighs, pausing to tease her clit before sliding them lower, over the entrance to her ass.
She gasped and reared up as his finger breached her. As he slid his finger in and out of her ass, her eyes flew open.
"All of you," he said softly, sliding another finger in.
He slid his fingers in and out, teasing her, stretching her, until Sadie was moaning steadily and moving to meet his fingers.
Grabbing the plug he'd laid beside her hip, he lubricated it and slid it in slowly but firmly. She gasped as it popped in her ass before it locked around a smaller indent near the base.
Her eyes widened as he pulled her thighs further apart, and braced himself at the entrance to her pussy.
With one sure, hard thrust, he buried himself to the hilt, and flicked the remote for the plug, sending vibrations all the way up her spine.
"Come!" he commanded.
She screamed, and her body seized up as though jolted with electricity. Her pussy squeezed impossibly tight around his cock, and she got even wetter.
His control shattered.
Growling fiercely, he bent, sinking his teeth into her neck even as his hips reared back, and he thrust like the animal he was.
In his mind's eye he heard her screaming, begging for another release, and that temporarily restored some self control.
"You'd don't come again-" he breathed in her ear. "Until you tell me who you belong to,"
"No one," she moaned, and he punished her by thrusting slowly. She whimpered, and his fingers slid into her hair and pulled, forcing her to meet his eyes. In her eyes he could see her beast, and it was beautiful to him.
She was hanging on by a thread.
He could see it.
She tried to rub herself against him, but he punished her with another harsh slap to her ass. He grabbed her hip, tilted her up, and thrust agonizingly slow, making sure to hit her g-spot.
He was sweating, just barely in control, but he refused to give in without her surrender.
"Who do you belong to?" he repeated, stroking her once more.
Reaching between them, he pressed a finger to clit.
"You!" she screamed, as though the words were wrenched from her very soul. "I belong to you!"
He roared with triumph and turned the vibe in her ass up even higher.
"Come!" he commanded. "Come and don't stop!"
Her orgasms welcomed him, and he thrust like a man starved for flesh; starved for her, and in that moment, he went from being half in love to all the way.
He heard her scream again, her release squeezing him, sucking him deeper, and with a growl, he buried his head in her neck and shattered.
(= = = = = = = = = = = =)
John regained consciousness only hours later. Sadie was sleeping soundly, completely worn out.
She didn't awaken when he unshackled her and pulled the vibe from her body. He silenced it, cleaned his toys, himself, and her, and pulled the comforter over them.
Wrapping himself around her slender frame, he slept, lost in the woman he loved.
(= = = = = = = = = = = =)
The next day was spent mostly in silence.
Sadie awoke to John making slow, lazy love to her, and then they went to the kitchen and ate the steaks they'd abandoned the night before along with rice, and some fruit.
They worked on their own projects. Sadie did writing for her part time job, while John did paperwork in the office. Later on they watched a movie on his big screen TV, and trained together in his gym, just like a normal couple.
Neither said a word about the impending change.
The sky darkened and John prepared her a big meal of steak, fries and salad.
He poured her a huge glass of wine and sat down across from her.
"Are you trying to get me drunk?"
John smiled.
("I don't need booze to get you into bed,") he thought, but what he said was, "The change is going to hurt the first time, booze will help,"
Not a huge fan of pain, Sadie downed the wine and made short work of her food.
She felt hot, like she was getting a fever, and she gladly downed the second glass.
Her core temperature spiked even higher and her head spun.
"I'm not feeling so good," she said suddenly, rising from her seat.
The world dipped and for a moment she was seeing double.
John caught it immediately and grabbed her, supporting her weight.
She was burning up, her limbs on fire, as though she would spontaneously combust.
Unable to take any more, she screamed.
"The moon is rising, Sadie. Don't fight the change or it will only hurt more,"
Sadie could feel her bones cracking, even as her fever flared even higher.
Shoving him aside, she ran out the back door. As she ran she tore her clothes from her body, desperately trying to cool off. Through the pain she could hear her bones cracking, reshaping themselves until she fell to hands and knees. Only they weren't hands anymore, they were paws. She tilted her head back and stared the moon, her vision becoming more acute.
In moments her screams became the wild howling of the wolf.
And suddenly, there was no pain; only an immense sense of power and freedom.
Her sense of smell and hearing became more acute, and she knew John was right beside her.
Wanting to test her new body, she took off into the woods.
(= = = = = = = = = = = =)
("She is beautiful,") John thought.
As a wolf she was a rich brown, almost black, with hints of gold and mahogany, no less beautiful than her hair.
Her eyes were still as dark as ever.
As she tilted her head back and howled, he couldn't help but answer her call.
When she took off into the woods, he followed her, as he knew he always would.
They ran together for what felt like hours, before Sadie finally turned back and headed toward the house.
She stared at the door.
("How do I change back?") She asked him.
Werewolves communicated telepathically, so he answered in kind.
("It happens at will. Focus on wanting to and you'll transform,") he replied.
Almost instantly he saw her bones change and her fur fade away until she stood before him gloriously naked in the moonlight.
Taking her cue, he changed, and they stood there, naked in the cold night air.
"How do you feel?" he asked her.
"It's freezing... and I don't do casual nudity," she said, her embarrassment clear.
He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.
"I'll warm you," he said, relishing her scent, the feel of her breasts and thighs against him. Though she wasn't aroused, he hardened anyway.
She pulled away and stared at him.
"I thought you said the hormones would give me a break once I transformed?"
"They do," he said, pulling her closer and taking a lazy lick of her neck.
She gasped, and he caught the scent he was hoping for.
"Then why am I...?"
John smiled and nipped her earlobe with his teeth, and was rewarded with a shudder.
"It could be because we're mates, or maybe it's because of this..." he knelt and took her breast in for a long slow suckle.
Her fingers slid into his hair, holding him to her.
He lifted his head to look in her eyes and heard her whimper of protest.
"Either way, I know it's not the demands of the impending change that's making you respond... so tell me Sexy Sadie, do you want me?"
Her eyes widened, and her lips peeled back from gritted teeth.
"Yes!"
He pulled her down to the ground and they made love in the grass, bathed in moonlight.
It was romantic, ethereal and right.
Much later, they retrieved their clothes and fell into bed in front of a roaring fire.
He dreaded tomorrow, knowing that he would probably never see her again. But he had tonight, so he wrapped himself around her and slept holding her close for as long as he could.
(= = = = = = = = = = = =)
The next morning she made him a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and hash browns.
They ate in an awkward silence.
"I don't want you to leave," he said at last.
"I know..." Sadie said, tapping the side of her head. "But I need time,"
He could only nod at that.
After breakfast he drove her to the house she shared with flat mates. They paused.
He had his hands on the wheel, looking straight ahead; hers was on the door handle.
John waited with baited breath as she turned the handle.
"I guess this is goodbye," she said at last. "Thank you... for everything,"
He heard her open the door, but didn't hear it slam.
A moment later, he heard her knapsack hit the ground, and she was back in the car, her hands buried in his hair, holding him in place for a kiss.
She kissed him deeply, sweetly, and when their faces parted her eyes were sad and he knew she was reading him.
There were tears in her eyes, but she turned away before they could fall, picked up her knapsack, and went into the house.
Not once did she look back
(= = = = = = = = = = = =)
John spent the next three days in hell.
Without his mate, he couldn't concentrate.
He was lonely, cranky, and horny all at the same time.
Since the moment they'd parted, he felt as though there were a big gaping hole in his chest.
Was this what heartbreak felt like?
But he had to go on, so he gritted his teeth through his meetings, and paperwork, and trained his agents in the office's facilities.
Oh hell! Who was he kidding?
He couldn't live like this!
He had to get her back, and with that thought in mind he began planning. With his mind made up, he went to his next meeting with renewed confidence.
John was just coming back when he saw a red hooded figure with a knapsack and picnic basket arguing with his secretary.
His heart kicked into high gear, but he forced himself to walk slowly.
"What seems to be the trouble?" he asked politely.
"This young woman," May Ann said irritably, "insists on seeing you. I offered to give her an appointment but she demands to see you now! I was just about to turn her away,"
He looked at Sadie, but her eyes were deceptively sober.
"It's alright, May. I'll see her now. Hold my calls,"
(= = = = = = = = = = = =)
Sadie couldn't help the smug smile as she followed him into his office.
Unlike John's home, which was furnished with dark wood and antiques, his office was all modern lines: steel and glass all done in tasteful shades of gray and black.
Her research said he owned the entire building.
With a deep breath she put down her knapsack, and pulled back her hood.
She tried to read him, but his mind was blank.
"I brought us some lunch," she said, offering him the basket. He put it on the desk behind him and leaned against it, watching her.
"How did you find me?"
"The internet; you're only the biggest security company in the province," she smiled a little, hoping it would ease the tension.
It didn't.
"Why are you here?" he asked her.
Like her, he had no tolerance for bullshit.
Maybe that's why they fit.
"I'm not a nice person," she began.
When he frowned she pressed on.
"I'm angry, hot tempered, and stubborn, and I pick fight. I've made people cry with my cruel remarks. I don't like discussions about feelings even though I'm emotionally needy and borderline depressive and I hate myself for it. I have an anal retentive, overprotective family, and I'm studying a subject the stress of which is probably going drive me insane before I get to the bar. I can't drive, hog blankets and hot water, and I react like a child when people complain about my cooking. I wear jeans and tank tops most of the time, curse like a sailor, and the word housewife makes me want to vomit. I tried to convince myself in the past three days that I don't need you, but the more I tried, the harder I cried. I can't guarantee I'll be an easy woman to live with, but I'm willing to try... for you."
There, she said it.
She waited for his reaction with baited breath.
He stared at her for a few minutes, and then stepped past her to the door.
He was going to kick her out, she thought.
His hand was on the doorknob.
She waited for him to open the door, but heard nothing of the sort.
Instead she heard the door lock, and suddenly he was pulling her jacket off and shoving her back on the desk.
His thoughts hit her in a massive rush: relief, joy, and need.
They mirrored her own.
"Thank God!" he said. "I couldn't take anymore!"
She could only laugh as he yanked her boots off and then her jeans and panties.
"Wait a minute...!" she could only gasp as he yanked their bodies upright and they kissed, deeply, and violently. As they kissed he slid his hand between them, his thumb finding her clit, his fingers finding her g-spot as teasing it until she came screaming into his mouth.
He released her mouth and laid her back on his desk, using her coat to cushion her.
"We should talk..." she said breathlessly, watching him undo his pants.
"There's nothing to talk about. I love you, you love me. We're mates. That's all that matters. We'll work the rest out,"
"I never said-,"
"You didn't have to..."
At that moment, Sadie gave in, realizing that in the right circumstances, Red Riding Hood and the wolf could live happily ever after.
And then John slid deep inside her, and she couldn't think at all.
-end transmission-