Embry's POV
Warning! Graphic chapter!
I didn't sleep for most of the night.
Around three in the morning I rolled over just hard enough to rouse my subconsciousness up. Behind my eyes I saw bear and heard Winnie calling out for my help, then I was wide awake. Lying there, squeezing my eyes shut as tight as I could while trying my best not to wake Winnie next to me with my constant tossing. Then the fact I won't be seeing Winnie for a whole other week immediately rushed to the forefront of my mind till I couldn't fall back asleep no matter how hard I tried.
I gave up trying to sleep hours ago.
My fingers keep tracing the lines of Winnie's face. The tips of my fingers being careful not to wake her up, but still retracing over and over again to commit every inch of her to memory.
It's near five in the morning, giving me a little over an hour left before I have to go.
I shouldn't let a week upset me this much. But I already have to work my ass off just to see Winnie, and even then I barely get to spend more than a day or two with her. We haven't even had time to go out for a real second date. Now that bear attack shook me to my core and it feels grossly irresponsible of me to just not see her for a week when she walked directly into a bear right in her backyard.
I'm not even pissed at Sam anymore, I'm just frustrated with how there's something with more say on how often I see Winnie than me.
If I was normal we would have a normal relationship...
I get so bothered I almost sit up in the bed. That thought has been haunting me all day. Since I first shifted, that what if has been in the back of my mind. I let it eat me up till Jacob shifted. Every time I was struggling in school that what if was there, everytime someone whispered I was in a cult, every time I missed my long hair that what if I hadn't turned was there.
I've stopped wondering about being normal over the years. The faster I got, the stronger I got, the more vampires we killed, the more we protected the res; the what ifs dulled away. Yet every once and while it's there and undeniable. It hasn't been such a nagging feeling till Winnie and I started seeing each other again. First, I confused the feeling with not being able to tell her the truth.
But now?
Werewolf duties are taking up so much of my life.
"You stopped," It's Winnie's murmur that I realize I got lost in my thoughts.
"You're awake?" I ask in a low whisper as if I hadn't already woken her up. Her eyes are still shut, still and undisturbed as she was hours ago when she was asleep on my chest. When I spot the small content smile on her face I rethink my question, "Have you been awake this whole time?"
"Yeah, woke up about an hour ago." The content smile turns into a full blow grin, her hand at my wrist to guide it back to stroking her cheek.
It's impressive how she didn't move at all.
"Are you hungry? I can make us something before I go." I would get up but Winnie rolls her full weight onto me as if she could keep me down.
"Is it okay if we just stay like this a little longer?" I go to answer but forget what I was going to say when her leg hooks around my waist. There's a squeeze, the inside of her thigh grinding over my center so tortuously good that the blood rushes from my head so fast I forget how to move.
"Anything you want." My voice goes deep with want. The excited smile Winnie gives me makes me realize something. "Have you been thinking over how you were going to make the first move while you were pretending to sleep?"
"Yes." Winnie admits as straightforwardly as she can, doing her best to pretend the embarrassed flush of red in her cheeks isn't there. She is a morning person, so it makes sense Winnie would be the type to be horny first thing in the morning.
"You came up with cuddling?" I taunt with a smirk, the bashful look on her face too alluring. With a tilt and a shift of my body weight, she's under me. Bearing down on her tortuously slow, not to tease her but a weak attempt to keep myself in control. I sink into Winnie's beautifully tall body, pressing into her body till every line of body is against mine. When our hips grind together, my mind goes completely blank, then my hands are cupping the back of her neck and the other is at her hip, the waistline halfway down her hipbone if I didn't take a long pause to focus.
"Hoping if you get me close enough I'll get inpatient?" I taunt over her. Winnie's bashfulness is gone so fast I wonder if it was there at all. A lift of her hips makes it easy for me to pull her sleep shorts down the rest of legs, her hips thrusting into my groin that gets me instantly rock hard.
"Yes, I did—." Is the last word Winnie gets out before I kiss her so hard, Winnie sinks into the mattress with a satisfied and triumphant moan. Her long legs wound around me, pulling in my hips against her as tight as Winnie could hold on.
Damn, those delicious mile long legs.
Winnie kisses me harder when I grind against her core, so I snap my hips down into her a little rougher and Winnie deepens our kiss just like I wanted. I can practically taste her moan. Swallowing up her little noise, my chest swells with the noise and the sweet sound races all the way down my middle till it lands at my cock with a surge.
"Winnie, you're getting too good at this tempting me thing." I mutter against her mouth with a quick but fleeing peck. Needing a minute, I put some much needed space between us and flop onto my back. The sheets are balled up in my fists so tight they spring up from the corners of the bed and curl up under us. At least I'm not running out shifting.
"And you're getting better at keeping control." By the smug grin on her face, Winnie seems too satisfied with herself than to be disappointed that I had to stop. Her grin looks soft, almost gooey or melted on her pretty face which gives a good dose of pride.
"You like a challenge don't you?" It comes out as a pained sigh, kicking off the sheets for a dose of much needed air. I always run hot, but it feels like every inch under my skin is at a rolling boil.
Who else trying to lose their virginity with a werewolf find it so damn entertaining.
"I do." Winnie admits with a laugh that doesn't help with the swelling between my legs. "A good challenge getting solved is just so gratifying." Winnie sits up, and the determined look in her eyes is matched by the color in her cheeks.
"Winni—"
"Plus a good old challenge is such good opportunities to rise to." Winnie's long legs bracket each side of my hips, her core landing right down on my hard on. I almost black out.
All I see is the long, lovely lines of Winnie's body. Her long legs run the length of my body, her arms reaching down to balance herself on my inner thighs, with her long back daring me to run my mouth all the way up her spine till I'm at her mouth again, right where I should be.
"Is this okay?" Winnie asks over her shoulder, completely red in the face. That must be the reason she's facing away from me, to hide her blush till she gathers a bit more confidence.
"Yes!" I exclaim, and I'm surprise at how loud it comes out. It must have been the loudest I've ever spoken to Winnie. It just makes her laugh. To shut her up, I rock up into her, my hands at her waist to keep her there as I spear my dick right into her center.
That laugh immediately stops, losing itself till it's choked up groan. The sound drives me insane.
Shooting up, Winnie goes down. All of my weight baring down on her till she's on all fours on wobbly hands and knees. The surprised gasp coming out of her mouth has my hands disappearing from her waist and grasping hold of her chest, each hand full of a little perk mound.
"I know it's hard to wait," My mouth is at her ear, warning her between urgent kisses against her neck.
"I know something harder." Winnie gasps out, arching her back to grind against me. I almost bark out a full on curse. Every time I take her bashfulness too seriously, she reminds me how ready she is.
"Don't make this harder, Winnie." I ground out between clenched teeth, feeling all that anticipation boil over into impatience and frustration so overwhelming I reach under her thin pajamas and pinch her excited nipples then immediately smooth them over with a gingerly stroke of my thumb.
A moan breaks through, a burst of my name that's heavy with want. She bulks against me so deliciously I thrust back into her with so much need, Winnie drops and barely balances on her elbows.
"Like I was saying," Damn it, what was I saying? I'm surprised I can even speak. "I know how hard it is to wait. You have no idea how much this is killing me, Winnie. All I want is to stay in this small bed all day and hear how many times I make you say my name, but I won't last. You're still fully dressed and I'm barely hanging on. We just have to be a little more patient." Driving my point, I thrust hard against her with every sentence.
"Can we be impatient till you have to leave for patrol?" Winnie asks so nicely in that needy sigh, I let out a deep frustrated groan that borders on monstrous.
My answer is searing kiss I plant on her so fiercely we both drop the bed.
Winnie's POV
"Winifred, you're always one to sleep in." Enola sighs as I stumble around my kitchenette to make a desperate and urgent cup of coffee.
On my one day off Enola and Leah knocked on my door just a bit after the sun rose. I'm usually up and working by six everyday—I'm pretty earlier riser. But I'm definitely not up before seven on my days off.
"You're always here so early, Enola." If I hadn't been woken up so early, I might have the better ability to say something less stingy. But Leah finds it hilarious, laughing with a snort. Leah's overalls and Enola's paint stained clothes warn me that they're here to do something messy and a project I absolutely didn't agree to.
"Which is probably why you come to my house to pay rent instead of waiting till the first of the month for me come to over to you." Enola jabs a finger at me with a coy smirk, taking my offered cup of coffee with a chuckle.
Damn it she's good.
"Alright ladies, we should get this started. We don't have all day." Leah interrupts, mounting the ladder that leads to the loft area above.
"What exactly are we getting started?" I question between big gulps of my coffee.
"Leah is here to help me move my things out of the loft." Enola explains, glancing down at her watch. "We better hurry, Leah has to teach a morning class at the tribal school by eight, and Quil Senior won't appreciate us making her late."
"You're moving your things out?" I almost drop my coffee. Leah pauses halfway up the ladder to raise a brow at me before climbing all the way up.
"Yes."
"Why?" I mean for there to be curiosity in my tone, but instead there's a bruised feeling making me sound as taken aback as I feel. "Enola, I promise they're safe here with me. I've been taking good care of them. I dust them every—"
"Now, I know how well you've been taking care of my junk for me, Winifred." Enola gives me a fond look, patting the empty spot next to her on the loveseat.
Of course I do as Enola asks and I sit down.
"It's not junk." I mumble weakly. For the life of me I can't figure out why this bothers me. Why I'm suddenly so protective of those boxes full of family photos, childhood dolls, baby clothes and someone else's memories.
"Hmm, well some of it is. Most of it is antiques." Enola laughs to herself. "I've always meant to move that stuff out of here. It was part of our lease deal."
"They were here before me, Enola. I'm happy to keep your things for you. " Insisting, I get up to apologize to Leah for coming all the way out here, but Enola's hand on my wrist lowers me back down.
"Winifred," By the tone of her voice I ready myself for a talking to. "I've always meant to take that stuff with me into the main house, but I've let a lot of piss poor excuses let me keep that part of my life here. They belong with me, not here. This cabin is your place as much as the main house is my place. It's about time I let you move some of your own junk in here. And if I don't move my things out, you're never going to take up the space you deserve."
"Enola—"
"I know, I know," She cuts me off, beginning to count off her fingers. "My storage has never bothered you, you're grateful I gave you a chance to live here when no one else would, that you've always been grateful for the cabin despite it only being half, and that I've done so much for you. I know already, Winifred. So let me do what I promised to do a long time ago, okay?"
"But you don't have to." I've never been this stubborn with Enola—ever. I can't remember once where I've put up a fight with her except maybe the car she gave me, but never like this.
"I do, Winifred. I do." Enola insists. "It's been an age since I've looked through the boxes. It's time I took care of those things I've boxed away. Ever since I was your age, it was hard for me to even open one of those boxes up. Just like my house, they're filled with memories but those? The ones taped up in the loft? They're from when I lived here in the cabin. That very loft use to be my bedroom. Before my father could afford to build our house, so our whole life was in here till..."
It's not like Enola to finish a thought. She's not one to let a good sentence go to waste, says how she has to talk fast before a man can try to get their word in. She's definitely not the type to get emotional either. From the way she's swallowing down the emotion building at her throat, and blinking back the misty look in her eyes I don't remind her to finish what she was saying.
The fight in me dies.
"You know what?" Enola straightens up, a new point in her head. "How about you come over and help me sort through the boxes?"
"I would love that, Enola." I can't tell her how much it means to me that she would let me be part of that.
A knock at the door makes Enola and I pull ourselves together.
"Whose that?" I know I didn't invite anyone else to the Cabin—I didn't even invite Leah and Enola.
"Oh that's the extra muscle." Enola gets up with a huff because she's not one to sigh. "About time."
Paul and Seth are on the other side of the door. Seth looking bright eyed and early while Paul is yawning and still in what is most probably his pajamas.
"You boys are late." Enola scolds.
"Sorry ma'am." Seth apologizes, while Paul grumbles something about how no one told him it would be this early or else he wouldn't have agreed. Though we all know Paul would do anything Enola asks because he respects her too much.
"Good morning, Winnie!" Seth chirps like a morning lark, and I give him my best good morning. Paul let's me just give a lazy wave to his grunt.
"Go on up. Leah already started." Enola points them up the ladder just as Leah is coming down with a stack of dusty boxes.
"You're late." Leah gives the boys a flat look.
"Why are we doing this at sunrise?" Paul groans, which Leah ignores him. "I thought there was going to be breakfast."
"There will be after, Paul." Enola promises, and Paul curses under his breath before climbing up. "I'll go meet you at the house, Leah. Let me go get the garage open." Enola adds, heading out the door.
"Thanks for doing this." I tell Leah, feeling bad that her super metabolism won't even allow her a boost of caffeine from the coffee I offered her.
"Don't worry about it," Leah assures, lowering down the boxes to stretch her arms. "You know why she's doing this, right?"
"Yeah," I try to not to feel guilty. "So Embry can move in."