Undercover Wolf Shifter Page 9

  He didn’t speak; instead he slowly withdrew his cock, sending new waves of pleasure through her body. He kept the tip inside and paused a moment before driving the length of himself back to her core. Alix gasped in breathless surprise at the sudden fierceness of his moments. He withdrew again and again, quickening his pace until Alix felt a hot itch deep within. She grabbed at his buttocks and pulled him closer, faster, harder, needing him to fill her up, to scratch that itch before it drove her insane.

  At that moment, Zack slipped his hand between their bodies and found her clitoris, gently pinching it between index finger and thumb, and Alix screamed in pleasure, arching her back as she tried desperately to spread her legs even wider. Tidal waves of deep, throbbing pleasure coursed through her, pleasure that she had never suspected she could ever feel. As she tensed her inner walls around him, Zack growled as he came, nearly spasming as he desperately moved faster and harder against her.

  Alix felt him sliding out of her and felt a quick stab of sadness. She wanted him to stay inside her, to stretch this moment forever. Her heart pounded as Zack nearly collapsed atop her, bracing himself on his forearms, their bodies pressed tightly against each other. He kissed her closed eyes, her cheeks, her ears, fighting to catch his breath. He brought his mouth back to hers and they kissed slowly, deeply, thoroughly. She buried her fingers in his hair as he spread one of his hands over her breast in an almost possessive gesture.

  “Thank you,” Alix whispered into his ear. He raised his head and she saw the same faint sadness in his eyes that she felt. He knew this could not be. It would be a wonderful memory for them both, but it could not happen again.

  Zack nodded, rolling onto his side as he pulled her close, holding her tightly. The firelight flickered as a cold wind howled outside. All was quiet, still.

  Alix closed her eyes before the tears could spill.

  10

  Zack

  Zack woke at sunrise. Beside him, Alix had curled up on her side, a small smile on her lips. She slept deeply. Her ice blonde hair wrapped around her, hanging over the curve of her hip, the swell of her breast. He fought the urge to touch her and wake her up for another round. Better to let her sleep.

  The cabin was warm, so he pulled one of the extra blankets off the bed and wrapped it around his shoulders. Alix murmured something and slipped deeper beneath her covers. Zack wanted nothing more than to climb back into bed with her, but some deeper sense was telling him that he needed to check the perimeter. He hadn’t smelled any intruders or even heard movement outside the cabin. But it nagged at him.

  Just look around. Make sure it’s okay. Then you can get back in bed.

  His clothes were dry, so he dressed quickly and stoked the fire in the hearth. With one last glance at Alix, he shrugged into his coat and unlocked the door. The blast of freezing air that hit him nearly took his breath. The sun was weak, but bright enough for him to see that there were no footprints in the frozen snow.

  He trudged out to the SUV and began knocking the icy snow off the windshield so he could start the engine. The last thing he wanted was to be trapped in the boonies with a dead battery… or was it? Would it be such a bad thing to be snowed in for a few more days with Alix? When he thought of all the things he could introduce her to in bed…

  Despite the snow and cold, his erection strained against his jeans.

  He quickly cleared the car and started it, then dug the wheels out of the snow. He felt like there was a dark cloud on the fringe of his thoughts, a premonition of something ominous coming for them. He knew that Vardok was impatiently waiting for Alix to return. Only a few days remained before he would attack the Markonian kingdom… if he hadn’t already. Zack had heard nothing from Brady or any other shifter he knew.

  But what if he has attacked, Zack thought as he straightened, covered with snow. The last of the wheels were clear; if he had to, he thought he could get the car out of the snow. All bets would be off. Alix wouldn’t have to marry him. I could keep her here with me.

  An instant wave of guilt washed over him. How could he even think that? Alix’s family had taken him in when he had no one. They had given him a life he could have never expected to have in the Northlands. He knew nearly everyone who lived within the region’s walls and loved them as if they were his own pack.

  But Alix…

  Last night had only affirmed what he had known for years. He loved her with an intensity that almost frightened him. He wanted to be with her as she discovered the human world, to see her reactions to all the things he now took for granted. He wanted to show her all the ways she could feel pleasure and teach her everything he knew. He wanted all of her smiles, all of her laughter. The thought of her being ravaged by a monster like Vardok nearly broke him.

  He couldn’t let her go back now, could he?

  His thoughts shifted from one scenario to the other. If Alix returned to the shifter world, she would be virtually imprisoned by Vardok, but her family and the region would be safe. If she stayed here, with him, they would be responsible for hundreds of lost lives.

  There was no good decision to be made.

  Zack squinted against the glare of sunlight on the snow and sniffed the air. Nothing. Just the normal forest smells. They were alone.

  But that feeling… he couldn’t shake it.

  He looked into the forest one last time and saw that nothing moved in the stillness. Everything seemed to be hibernating.

  Which was exactly what he planned to do for a few more days.

  “Where did you go?” Alix asked, voice thick with sleep.

  Zack peeled off his wet clothes and crawled under the covers with her, gently pulling her against him. His cock hardened as she wiggled her butt against it and took his hand to place directly over her breast. For a virgin, she seemed to be a quick learner.

  He settled in comfortably, slipping his arm beneath her head and pressing his chest against her back. He gently kneaded her breast, lightly pinching the nipple, as he kissed her throat, moving up to her ear. He gently bit her earlobe and she giggled, rolling onto her back.

  Zack could only smile as he gazed at her in all her glory. She had no shyness in displaying her body. He slipped the flat of his hand over one breast, then the other, toying with her nipples with the palm of his hand. She watched him, waiting, as he allowed his hand to roam over the length of her torso and onto the curve of her hip. He couldn’t get enough of the softness of her skin, the warm silk of her buttocks, the heat between her legs.

  She tensed for just a moment as he touched her there, then relaxed, parting her legs for him. He dipped his finger tip into her, only for a moment, then swirled it around the tender nub of her clitoris, growing almost painfully hard as she arched her back and moaned. He slid another finger into her, deeper this time, and rolled the pad of his thumb over her sensitive clit. She grabbed at his hand and urged him closer, deeper, as her legs widened and she used his hand with wanton abandon.

  Zack broke. He replaced his hand with his cock and drove into her with a desperate need, pushing himself as deeply as he could, gratified by her surprised gasp as she locked her legs around his hips and pulled him closer still. His mouth found her breasts, her throat, her lips, devouring her with a hunger he’d never felt before. As he began to move inside her, he couldn’t control himself. He wanted her now. He needed to fill her up with his cock and possess her and make her his, body and soul.

  He came hard, grunting as he pushed himself as far as he could inside her, panting for breath as he gave her every last little bit of himself. As his cock slid out of her, he replaced it with his hand, circling his thumb around her clit, and she cried out as a powerful orgasm tore through her. She clutched his shoulder, arching off the bed as the waves roared over her.

  Breathless, she went limp against him, smiling so lasciviously that he could feel the stirrings of yet another erection.

  “I… I liked that…” she whispered, laughing. “Do more of it please…”

  “I�
��ve created a monster,” Zack murmured as he buried his face against the hollow of her throat, kissing her pulse and then moving up to her lips. Her tongue needed no coaxing; she moaned into his mouth and he very nearly came again.

  “You’re killing me,” he said, out of breath as he fell onto his back.

  Alix only smiled as her hand roamed over the width of his chest, rolling his nipples beneath her fingers, tangling her fingertips in the mat of dark hair.

  “Do you like it when I do this?” she asked as she licked at his nipple with the tip of her tongue, first one and then the other. Zack groaned with pleasure, but he felt absolutely spent. The spirit was willing but the body couldn’t get it up again for at least a half hour.

  She reached below and took his cock in her hand. Suddenly the body was willing again. She smiled as she watched him growing hard, fascinated by the process. She trailed her fingers up and down the shaft, exploring every inch of him as he watched.

  Zack was just about to show her more of what his cock could do when he heard a furtive scratching just outside the cabin.

  He sat straight up, listening intently. Alix heard it too. She looked at Zack with wide eyes.

  “Get dressed,” he whispered as he grabbed his still damp jeans and shirt. Alix pulled on her sweater and pants, then her shoes and coat. Zack did the same, then moved slowly to the locked cabin door.

  A board creaked on the porch.

  Zack froze, his hand on the doorknob. He glanced back at Alix, who was watching the door intently, her instincts on full alert. Time slowed. Stopped.

  An explosion of glass shattered the silence as a huge black wolf crashed through the window. It growled low in its throat, baring its teeth as it fixed its stare on them. Its fur was torn away in patches, its muzzle scarred. It braced itself to leap, every muscle in its sleek body tensing. A defensive grin exposed yellowed fangs.

  But it wasn’t looking at Zack. It was looking past him, to Alix.

  Zack shifted at the exact moment the black wolf leaped, slamming into it and forcing it away from Alix. They hit the wall and rolled onto the floor, all snapping jaws and slashing claws. Zack desperately tried to bite at its muzzle as the two wrestled and twisted, growling and snapping as they fought for dominance. Zack was dimly aware of the cabin door being knocked off its hinges. He kicked the wolf off him, getting a good swipe along its side with his claws, and chanced a look toward the door.

  A wild boar, easily five hundred pounds, stood in the doorway. Its fur bristled as it sniffed the air, scratching at the floor with a hoof as if impatient to charge. Its tusks were massive, curving upward to a razor sharp point, and it opened its mouth and bellowed a growling squeal that seemed to echo through the forest.

  And when its small, black eyes fixed upon Alix, it charged.

  Before Zack could react, the black wolf was on him again and managed to slash his flank with a powerful claw before Zack kicked him off again. He couldn’t see Alix; all he saw in his range of vision was the snapping yellow fangs of the other wolf. He ran for the open door, the black wolf on his tail, just as a blast of frigid air nearly knocked him backwards.

  Wings.

  Dragon wings, to be exact.

  He caught a brief glimpse of Alix in her dragon form as she lured the boar away from the cabin. Her icy blue scales glittered like snow in the sun, as she rose higher and higher, her powerful wings lifting her far over the boar’s head.

  Suddenly the black wolf slammed into him, pinning him as it snapped viciously at his throat. Zack could do nothing but kick out with his hind legs and fight to free himself. The wolf managed to catch his shoulder and tear out a chunk of flesh and Zack howled in sudden agony.

  Vardok sends his regards.

  The voice reverberated in Zack’s head. The black wolf.

  Perhaps he’ll let you have the remains once he finishes with his new wife.

  With a roar, Zack lunged forward, half-blinded by his own blood, and caught the black wolf’s muzzle between his jaws, crunching it so fiercely that he felt his own fangs click together. The other wolf howled and backed off, but Zack kept snapping, growling as he backed it out of the cabin. The black wolf whined and turned to race away, but Zack was on top of it in an instant, tearing at its hamstrings with a single savage bite. It yelped in agony and fell to the snow, whining as its rear leg twitched. Zack growled and went for its throat, tearing it out with a snap of his head.

  The black wolf was still.

  Zack turned back just in time to watch as Alix drew herself higher with a flap of her wings and blasted the boar with a white hot river of flame. It squealed as the fire enveloped it, shifting into its human male form, then back into the boar’s. Alix was relentless. The fire stopped only when the boar was a blackened skeleton in the snow.

  Zack shifted back into his human form and collapsed onto his ass, gasping for breath as he watched Alix gracefully descend and shift. She dropped to her knees beside him, focused on the bloody gashes along his ribs and shoulder.

  “I’m okay…” he managed to gasp, even though he wasn’t completely sure about that himself. “What about you?”

  “I’m fine, I’m fine.” She pressed her hands against the slashes. “What do I do? It won’t stop bleeding!”

  “Just… give it… a second…” Zack breathed. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling his body beginning the healing process. The wounds were deep but wouldn’t take long to heal. He blindly felt for Alix’s hand and she gripped his tightly.

  “They came from Vardok.” Alix’s voice was as cold as the snow against his back. “The pig told me to cooperate or else they’d kill you.”

  Zack laughed quietly. “Well, that didn’t happen, did it?”

  “He said that Vardok was giving me one more day to decide… or else…”

  Zack opened his eyes to see fear, stark and naked, in her expression.

  “He said that if I didn’t come back, my family would die.” Tears shone in her eyes. “He said that everyone would die. That was the agreement Vardok made with my father.”

  Zack struggled to sit up. “Alix—”

  “Did you know?” She glared at him with burning, reproachful eyes. “Did you know that he threatened my father? My kingdom?”

  “Yes,” Zack said quietly.

  “I have to go back,” Alix said as she jumped to her feet. “You said there was an Arch nearby. We have to go. Now!”

  Zack painfully pushed himself up to his feet. “Alix, wait…”

  She whirled to face him, eyes glowing with a fierce inner fire. “You should have told me, Zack! I trusted you. If I had known those were the terms…”

  “You don’t have to go!” Zack yelled, stunning both of them into momentary silence. He took a step toward her. “You can stay here,” he said quietly. “With me. I don’t want to lose you.”

  “And sacrifice my family?” she asked, shaking her head in disbelief. “Sacrifice my entire kingdom to that monster?”

  “Better them than you!”

  The words hung between them, instantly regretted. Alix recoiled and turned her back to him. Zack opened his mouth to speak, but didn’t know what to say. Or how to apologize.

  “Just take me to the Arch,” Alix said. Her voice sounded tired. Resigned. She trudged through the snow and opened the passenger door of the SUV, climbing inside. She stared straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge him.

  Cursing beneath his breath, Zack fumbled the car keys from the pocket of his jeans. He had known this would be her reaction. He knew she would choose to sacrifice herself. Knew it.

  And all he could do was deliver her to her fate.

  11

  Alix

  How many had died already?

  Alix stared out to the frozen world beyond the SUV’s window, watching the bleak scenery fly by. She couldn’t bring herself to speak to Zack. Not yet. He should have told her the stakes. He and her father should have been honest with her and trusted her to make the right choice.

  She
could close her eyes and imagine the devastation Vardok and his clan would bring to her kingdom. It would take no time at all to raze the village and take over the family castle. No one would be safe; the elders and the young ones would burn just as quickly as the rest.

  Tears filled her eyes and she clenched her fists in anger. How could they keep this from her?

  “Alix…” Zack spoke softly, reaching out to cover her fist with his hand. He glanced at her quickly, then back to the icy road. “Are you okay?”

  “No,” she choked, raging at her helplessness. “I just want to go home.”

  “We thought we were giving you a choice—”

  “There is no choice, Zack!” She twisted in the seat to face him fully. “How could you think I could let everyone die just because I didn’t want to marry Vardok? How little do you actually think of me?”

  Zack said nothing, eyes locked onto the road. Alix could see that he wanted to speak, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it. Her father should have been honest with her the night he’d spoken to Vardok. All of this could have been avoided if…

  …if I hadn’t been so childish and run away.

  And that was what she was so desperately trying to avoid admitting to herself. She had acted like the spoiled, proud princess everyone accused her of being. If she couldn’t do what she liked, she’d just run away until Father gave her what she wanted. By being so selfish and headstrong, she had likely condemned her people to a horrible death.

  “How much further?” she asked quietly, unable to look at Zack.

  “Twenty miles.” He gave her hand a squeeze and she relaxed her fist, weaving her fingers with is.. “I’m so sorry, Alix. About everything.”

  Alix nodded, unable to speak, and looked out the window again, covering her mouth and chin with her hand as she struggled to keep from sobbing. She didn’t deserve an apology. She didn’t deserve his kindness.