WAS THIS REALLY happening? Was she really spreading out sleeping bags and zipping them together in a tent with the same man she’d been dreaming about for years?
She must be. Who else would be yanking her shoes off so impatiently? “Just a second,” she said as he tugged at the sneaker again. “The fabric’s caught in the zipper. If you yank any harder it’s going to get jammed and break.” Eric let out a deep sigh and waited, his fingers tapping a staccato on her shoe sole.
After a few more seconds of wiggling, it came unstuck and the zipper moved smoothly. Eric flipped her on her back so suddenly the whole tent moved. He reached up with one hand to stop the lantern’s swaying and ran his fingers through her hair with the other. His eyes were glowing so bright she couldn’t even see the pupils. “Tell me what you want, Holly. Where should I start?” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.
Her blush caught her unaware. What did she want? She’d fantasized about this moment for years. She smiled. “I’d sort of like to pick up where we left off earlier. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to wake up next to you without my clothes on.”
He gave her a sly grin. “All right. You get undressed over here and I’ll go over there and we’ll meet in the middle.”
Her hands felt clumsy and rushed as she took off her shoes and pants under the cover of the sleeping bag. She couldn’t help but look as Eric pulled his shirt over his head. She bit at her bottom lip, drooling over the muscles rippling under his skin. Had he always had that tattoo of a wolf head on his shoulder? She couldn’t remember ever seeing him without a shirt on before. Well, there had been that one time, when he was helping clean out the basement at pack headquarters. She’d gotten a glimpse of his bare chest when he’d put his clothes into the wash. Yeah, that was a day she’d dreamed about for quite a while.
Finally stripped down to her bra and panties, she snuggled under the cool, down-filled cover and closed her eyes. The shushing sound of his own slide under the covers made her jump. So did the touch of his hand as it snaked across her stomach.
He nuzzled close, hitting all the same areas where she’d smelled him earlier. The scent of him was amazing—clean skin, warm fur, and musky emotions that soaked into her and made her wet. He blew softly into her ear and rubbed his nose against her temple. Her small gasp of pleasure echoed through the tent.
“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.” The words were a husky whisper.
She smiled but didn’t open her eyes. “You didn’t say that earlier.”
“Actually, I did.” The words were soft and warm, and she couldn’t help but open her eyes. His nose was nearly touching hers, and the blue fire in his eyes sucked her in. “And then I did this.” His lips touched hers, just the barest brush of skin. He feathered kisses along the edge of her mouth and chin, finally ending up next to her ear—all while drawing a slow line down her arm with his fingernail. A whimper escaped her. “But you didn’t wake up.” The words were both disappointed and anticipatory.
“Yes, I did,” she whispered in return, and slid her hand up his cheek before pulling his mouth to hers.
The kiss started slow and lazy, with just the gentle brush of tongues. But once he started skimming his hand down her waist, it was all she could do not to pull him on top of her. But she knew this wasn’t just about her fantasies. He’d wanted to call her for a whole decade?
“Uh-huh,” he said next to her ear, reminding her again that he could read her thoughts. “Not just call you, though. I wanted you. You’ve been the subject of many a dream of mine. So you just lay back and relax, princess. I’m about to make all your fantasies come true.”
He nipped and sucked and kissed his way down her shoulder. She let her fingers finally play with his hair. It had always looked so very soft, and even though he wore it a little shorter than he had back then, it was as silken as she’d imagined.
His hand slipped under her and she jumped just a bit as her bra strap popped open. He pulled it away from her with his teeth while she watched and began to suckle on her nipple until she moaned and writhed. Fantasy number two fulfilled. His other hand was busy too, teasing the edges of her panties. She’d changed into the lacy ones she’d bought for the trip to Australia—on the weird chance he might actually still remember her.
He raised his face from her breast for a second and smiled. “You nearly got jumped right there in the driveway. Why do you think my thumbs were in my front pockets? They were holding on to keep from tossing you across the hood of the car.”
“Okay, it’s just weird that you’re commenting on my thoughts.”
“Yeah? Well then, maybe we just need to make sure you don’t have time to think.” His hand burrowed inside her panties and a finger slid inside her so suddenly that every nerve came alive. Her back arched and she cried out, clutching at his shoulders. When exactly the underpants came off she couldn’t remember, but she did remember the moment he started to lick and suckle and probe her with hands, lips, and tongue.
She was helpless, weightless, and couldn’t do anything but make noises that weren’t words. His tongue was thrusting inside her when the growing pressure finally burst. “Eric!” she heard herself cry as she grabbed onto his shoulders for support, “Yes. Oh God, yes!”
The climax rode her so hard she couldn’t breathe. It was still claiming her when he rose to his knees, taking her legs even higher. She cried out again as he entered her. The look on his face was intense, nearly panicked, as he grabbed her hips and began to pump into her. She lowered her legs and tucked them between his arms until they were around his waist. All she wanted was the feeling of him inside her, so thick it made her already sensitive nerves ache.
He buried his face in her hair and growled loud enough that it raised the hairs on her neck. “God, I’ve wanted you for so long.”
Mine. Finally mine. She heard the words clearly, but he was suckling on her neck so he couldn’t have spoken aloud.
He was slamming into her so hard that her head was pressed against the tent walls, but she wanted every second of it. A second orgasm was growing inside her and she hoped he wouldn’t finish before it happened.
“No problem,” he said, with a low, possessive chuckle. He slowed down, and changed their position until her legs were tight around his plunging cock. Every motion raked him against her swollen clitoris until she was ready to leap out of her skin. “Come with me, Holly. Let’s go over together,” he whispered before kissing her again. His tongue began to pump her mouth in counterpoint to his hips and he began to flick his thumbs against her nipples until she couldn’t even breathe.
She was trapped beneath him, his arms tight against her shoulders and his hips keeping her immobile while he tormented her—his every movement taking her higher than anyone ever had before.
This hadn’t been in any of her fantasies, but it would be from now on, because when her second climax hit, it nearly stopped her heart. Holly screamed into his mouth while her fingers clutched frantically at the ground underneath her. Her entire body clenched so hard Eric had to struggle to move inside her.
Apparently, it was all he could take. His answering moan was so powerful it rattled inside her chest and then he slammed inside her once more before going still.
Power began to fill the small tent. It swirled so fast it made its own wind. The lantern flickered as Eric hurriedly shifted her legs so he could continue to pump into her, his hands holding tight to her hips until sweat poured down his face and his eyes were like twin turquoise stars that dwarfed the light of the lamp.
You too, babe. Your eyes are like supernovas.
Moisture flowed down her face and she didn’t know if it was sweat or tears. But God, it felt so good. The climax continued to intensify and Holly began to feel a second heartbeat pounding in her chest.
The magic rode them both until they were so sweat-soaked their hands kept slipping off each other. Pleasure became pain and then pleasure again until Eric finally collapsed on her and the light inside the tent dimmed, leaving only the lantern’s glow.
Eric reached down between them and pulled himself out of her. That’s when she realized he had been wearing a condom. “Hadn’t even thought about that,” she managed to wheeze out. “Pretty stupid on my part.”
“Almost didn’t bring them,” he panted as he rolled off her and collapsed onto his back. “Ivan bought them when he got the rose. Thank God for friends . . . with their minds in the gutter.” He tucked his hand under her neck and pulled her toward him. “C’mere, you. I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to fall asleep with you wrapped around me.”
She rolled over until she was snuggled against him, her head on his smooth chest and her arm wrapped around his waist.
That was fucking incredible.
“It was, wasn’t it?” Holly gasped.
Eric pulled his head back and the scent of his shock filled the air. Holly didn’t raise her head, but just nodded. “Yep. The mating goes both ways now. Guess you’re stuck with me.”
He kissed her hair and let out a small laugh while the happy scent of cinnamon and sugar filled her nose. “I can live with that.”
A MAN’S HIGH-PITCHED scream woke Eric from a deep sleep. It was far in the distance, but in the direction they had been headed. Adrenaline filled him as he reached for his clothes. Instead of doing the same, Holly shifted forms in a blast of power and left the tent at a dead run.
Quicker this way, came her voice in his head. He couldn’t really argue with that, and followed suit. He chased her across the rocky ground, the nearly full moon lighting their path, as they followed the scent of blood and pain on the wind.
Eric saw a flash of movement and realized that a naked man was running away from tall cliff walls. He veered off to make chase. You follow the blood. I’ll follow this guy. Holly nodded and turned away. He watched as she lowered her head and streaked across the desert with teeth bared and eyes glowing. Damn, she looks good as a wolf.
As he got closer, he realized the man he was chasing was Sazi, and a snake. More precisely, a viper. Could this be the man Holly had mentioned? He did run oddly, with one leg dragging slightly.
The man was fast enough that it was everything Eric could do to keep up. But he’d practiced running in the Outback, pushing himself to go faster every day. It had been something to do to pass the time. But now it was coming in handy. The snake didn’t seem to notice he was being followed . . . or he just didn’t care. That could be dangerous, and it made Eric reduce his speed. Running full tilt into a trap wouldn’t be much fun. He stayed back far enough that he could just barely see the nude man running and tried to watch the landscape for some clues as to his location.
Finally the man slowed and approached a massive boulder. It was split nearly in half. The wide gap blazed with light from inside. He wished he’d brought his binoculars. He heard movement in the darkness ahead and stopped cold. Something was out there, and the scent of whatever it was made his hackles rise in alarm. While he wanted to get closer to see what was inside, it would be far better to wait until light. A lot of snakes were night hunters. It was possible they could be taken by surprise.
He backtracked carefully, being careful to listen around him. He felt a familiar tingle as Holly pulled on his power. Are you okay? He waited for an answer. But there was no response. Had this been a trick to separate them? Damn it! He should have stuck with her.
He started to run again in the direction she’d gone, his heart pumping a mile a minute, imagining a thousand things that could have gone wrong. The scent of blood hung heavy in the air as he approached a tall cliff, but there were other smells—wet sorrow and thick fur.
Would you relax? I was talking. I can’t talk and think at the same time. I’m fine. But you really need to hear this, so hurry.
Relax . . . but hurry. Yeah, that helps. He shook his head and increased his speed just a bit more. Still, his heart stopped pounding quite so hard.
He could see Holly’s shadow—in human form, as he approached the old cave. It had obviously been carved by hand, and matched similar openings in the cliff wall to the sides and above. He felt a sense of awe. Here he was at last, entering the ancestral home of the Sazi. The place where the great meeting of the first shifters happened. Had they met in one of these very rooms to talk about the continuing expansion of humans? Did they sing songs and light fires to mourn those who had been brutally slain by the native tribes during the Ravaging?
“We’re in here, Eric.” Holly’s quiet voice carried intense excitement. He loped the last few feet and looked inside the cavern. A human male of about thirty sat in the middle of a blue square of plastic. It had once been an air mattress, but there was a wide gash in the surface that was charred like it had been burned. He was wrapped with two blankets, and Holly had a third. Eric decided to stay in wolf form rather than be naked.
He looked Holly over carefully. You’re okay?
She nodded and gave him a small, embarrassed smile. “Sorry I pulled from you. But he was so very sick. I had to do something to help. It’s okay. He knows about Sazi. He used to work for Antoine’s cat show.”
Eric turned his head and flicked his ears forward as he looked him over again. He’d worked with Antoine for a summer and should remember him. Could it be—? But he was so very thin and pale. He barely resembled the handler he’d played cards with. “Bruce?”
Bruce’s face lit up and he cocked his head. He wouldn’t recognize the fur, since the human staff always left the estate during the full moon.
Eric sat down and wagged his tail a couple times. “Eric Thompson. I stayed with Antoine one summer a few years back.”
“Oh! Eric Thompson. From Canada, right?” When he nodded, Bruce held a hand up to his chest and breathed a sigh of relief. “At last a friendly face! This has been a horrifying experience. I suppose I always knew I wasn’t completely safe. But I’d always hoped Larry wouldn’t turn on me. God, but I loved that man.” He lowered his eyes. “Guess I was just fooling myself.”
“So what happened here?” He looked around. It was obvious someone had planned to stay for quite a while. There was a massive ice chest and plenty of canned supplies next to a camp stove.
Holly pointed to the floor and that’s when Eric noticed the black glass knife on the floor. It vibrated as though it were alive, and seemed to nearly glow. “There’s what we came for, so I guess the seers were right. That’s the knife Larry—or I guess we should call him Nasil—was playing with on the plane. I’d know it anywhere. He stabbed Bruce with it and then took off running.”
Bruce pulled down the blanket to show a rapidly healing wound in his bicep. “Another few inches to the left and I’d be dead.” He shook his head as Eric turned to look behind him. “Don’t beat yourself up for not catching him. Nobody can. He’s one of the fastest Sazi alive.”
“Oh, I didn’t lose him,” he said before turning to face the entrance. He could have sworn he heard a noise outside, a scrabbling sound like a dozen tiny feet sliding on the dirt. “I followed him to another cave on the other side of this valley. But I kept hearing sounds in the dark, so I stopped. Just like the sounds I’m hearing now.” He started backing up. “Holly, you need to change back to wolf form. Bruce, get on my back and hang on tight. We have to get out of here right now. Something’s about to happen and I don’t want to be trapped inside this cave when it does.”
Holly hurriedly picked up the knife and put it inside a metal box nearby. She changed forms and picked up the box in her teeth. Bruce did as instructed and Eric was glad he at least had on briefs. “Back to the tent. Can you find it again, Holly?”
She couldn’t talk, so she blinked and spoke into his mind. I’ll be fine. You just keep Bruce safe. I just barely healed him, and I don’t want him bruised up again. Her words nearly made him laugh. She sounded like a wife giving a warning after cleaning the kitchen floor.
Eric took off out of the cave at a run. Something large and hairy brushed his head as he exited but he didn’t turn back to see what it was. But then Holly yelped. Crap! It’s got me! Eric!
He turned in a skid to see that a spider as wide as a car had spit silk from spinnerettes on its abdomen and had caught Holly’s hind foot. He started back, but Bruce leapt off his back. “No! Don’t go any closer. I’ve seen these things before. They eat Sazi. Leave this to me.”
Before Eric could get his wits about him, Bruce raced over to where Holly was being dragged backward while she scrambled for purchase and threw out bursts of power. He grabbed the metal box from Holly and pulled out the knife.
With one swipe of the blade, the gooey thread severed. The spider just threw out another thread. But Bruce caught this one intentionally and laid the knife flat on the silk. The spider screamed, a vibrating trill that hurt Eric’s ears. Holly didn’t waste any time. She raced to Eric’s side. Bruce cut the thread just as another five of the creatures started to descend from the cliff openings like some kind of horror movie. Bruce grabbed the metal box and raced back to Eric. He jumped back on his back and they took off, leaving the spiders in the dust.
But as they raced back through the piñons, Eric knew they couldn’t stop at the tent. We’ve got to get back to the base, Holly. We’ve got to tell the council about this.
She nodded beside him and increased her speed.
“You might want to wrap an arm around my neck, Bruce. We’re going to put on enough speed to get back to the others.” Bruce obeyed without question. He put the heavy box between Eric’s shoulders and lay on it so it would stay steady. “Why don’t you just take that out of the box? It’s no big deal if I get cut.”
“No!” Bruce exclaimed over the sound of the wind. “This blade would kill you. It’s what was killing Larry and me. It’s poison to Sazi. It steals your power and makes you decay. It has to stay in the box until it can be destroyed.”
So what did the seers want it for then? Could this be the weapon that could kill Marduc? He didn’t know, but it was definitely time to get it back to the people who would know what to do with it.
Yet as fast as they were running, he had the feeling the spiders were still following. Were they leading them straight back to the others?