“When you got all hot and bothered.” She glanced up and down his body. “I’m surprised she didn’t scream. You probably scared her because of your size, and with the fact you’re not being human. Has she figured out you’re just a big pussy cat with claws yet?”
“I resent that.”
She laughed. “Puppy dog then, with fangs. Better?”
“Much.”
“Why are you here instead of home impressing her?”
“You could say her name.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay. Why aren’t you with Emma? Don’t tell me you need pointers on how to seduce a woman. I’m sure humans aren’t that much different from our kind. Just avoid going all feral on her ass. The hair sprouting and snarling would probably be too much for her to handle.”
“I wasn’t stocked up properly at my den. I need supplies.”
“Say no more.” She turned away, going into the back.
Red reached over and picked up her store phone, dialing the number he knew by heart. He dreaded the call but it would take Peva some time to bag up what he’d need.
“Yes?” The familiar voice answered on the second ring.
“Hello,” he got out. A lump formed in his throat. He hated to end their friendship but he was pretty certain the conversation would go that way.
“Red.” She paused. “Is it true?”
“That would depend on what you’ve heard, Cavasia.”
“You and a human are sharing your den?”
“She needed my help.”
“Does this change things between us?”
“It does.”
“I see.” She paused. “I just wanted to know. Thank you for calling.”
“You’re welcome. I’m sorry about this.”
“It’s fine, Red. I don’t love you. We had fun and I enjoyed our time together. I just wish you’d told me before I had to hear it from someone else. That was rude.”
“It was unexpected. I only met her yesterday.”
“You know my number when you grow bored of a human. I might still be lonely, but there’s someone I’ve been curious about for a while. I think I’ll approach him.”
“I wish you the best.”
“Thank you.” She ended the call.
He hung up. Peva strolled out of the back with two bags. She placed them on the counter. “I’ll bill your account. I put in some chocolate. Humans love that crap.”
“Who doesn’t?”
“Me. It’s too sweet.” She reached inside the left bag and grinned. “And these.” She showed him the large box of condoms. “Humans can get pregnant. Try to avoid that until you’re sure she’s your mate. That would be awkward if she’s not.”
“That’s not funny.” He grabbed the box from her and laid them on the counter. “Thank you, but they aren’t needed.”
“You want to get her pregnant or is it that time of the month? Does she need pads?”
“No. She’s on something to prevent that from happening.”
“She can still get pregnant. You know that, right? It’s almost that time of year and who knows how long she’ll be here. You go into heat and it can void human birth control.” She picked up the condoms and put them back inside the bag. “Better to be prepared and safe. Keep them.”
“It’s not that time for me.”
“It could be if she’s your mate. It happens. Your body goes all haywire and bam. You’re suddenly in heat. Especially if you’re insecure about whether she’ll agree to accept you. You’ve got too much Lycan in you, Red. It will bite you in the ass. You know how tricky instincts and hormones can be. That part of you will make certain it can claim her any way it can, including planting a little Red baby in her belly.”
“Thanks, Mom. I remember the talk about sex and our nature.”
“You’d better clue your little human’ish in on it.”
“Use her name and stop calling her that.”
Peva grinned and leaned toward him until she stopped inches from his face. “Emma is your mate, you dumbass. So damn protective, and demanding I acknowledge her? Sure signs. Go.” She pulled back. “I accepted the others. She’d better not fuck up by refusing to mate you. Little sis is also protective. I hate when you guys get hurt.”
He lifted the bags in his arms. “I’ll see you soon. Tell your mate I said hello and he still has my sympathy. You’re such a brat.”
The sound of her laugher followed him outside. He hurried his pace. He wanted to get back to Emma, worried that she really was going into heat. No amount of cold water would help with the fever if that were the case—but he could.
* * * * *
Emma felt as if she wanted to die. She groaned, rolling over to lie on her stomach. She couldn’t get comfortable on Red’s bed no matter what position she tried. Her muscles ached and she was running a fever. She’d probably caught some nasty flu bug while traveling. Planes and buses were notorious for that. She rarely got sick but when she did, it was always bad.
She softly cursed aloud, knowing that was bullshit.
As much as she wished otherwise…she’d gone into heat.
No cold or flu had ever made her feel as horrible as she did at that moment. Red’s pheromones had done a number on her body. She just hoped it didn’t last long, since she had no clue how to make it stop. Her grandfather wasn’t there to share a little of his blood to cure her. She wasn’t even sure if that would work.
Stomach cramps had her groaning and rolling again, curling into a ball on her side. She fisted the soft blankets. Maybe Red had the ability to end her heat by donating some blood. She didn’t know if it would be rude or considered taboo to ask him to help that way.
She kept the heavy blankets off to avoid sweating. Red’s den was normally chilly, so she knew it was her body making it seem as if she’d suddenly been shoved into a sauna. Forty years, and now she’d gone into some kind of Lycan heat cycle. She’d never been around Werewolves. It must have been a dormant trait until Red hit her with his pheromones.
“And they put humans down, while Lycans have all this funky shit going on,” she muttered. “This is so messed up.”
Sudden noise alerted her that Red had returned. She didn’t call out to him, but she didn’t need to. His loud snarl let her know he was already aware of her distress.
“Hang on, Emma,” he called out, his tone harsh. “Let me put this stuff in the fridge. I’m coming.”
She tried to just breathe, focusing on pushing air in and out of her lungs. It helped with the pain a little. Red slammed things around in the kitchen. It seemed to take forever but it was probably only two minutes before he came to her.
“Damn,” he growled. “I’m here.”
She turned her head and forced her eyes open. Red tore at his shirt, removing it. His eyes were glowing golden, and she almost hoped he would take control of her mind to put her into a deep sleep.
“You’re in full-blown heat.”
“I was hoping it was the flu but I knew that was wishful thinking.” She stifled a whimper. Her body felt as if it was being cooked from the inside out. “It’s no longer a mystery why they call it heat. I’m burning up.”
He bent, tearing off his shoes to get his pants off. “I know it’s hell.”
He straightened and stripped completely nude. She glimpsed how hard his cock was for a split second before he crawled onto the bed with her. He paused inches away, his gaze locked with hers when she looked at his face.
“Roll onto your back for me.”
“I can’t.” She didn’t want to move. It was agony. The fetal position on her side helped but not by much. It was the most comfortable one out of all the positions she’d tried.
Red nodded and eased closer, until he curled around her back. His big, firm body pressed tight against her skin made her feel less alone, and helped her focus more on him than the pain. He caressed her hip and lifted his head until his cheek brushed hers.
“I shouldn’t have left you.”
“We ne
eded food.”
“You needed me more.”
“Just knock me out.”
“The pain won’t allow you to sleep. I’m going to get you through this.” He slid his hand over the curve of her ass and lower, until his fingers brushed against the slit of her pussy. She knew she was soaking wet. “Trust me.”
She didn’t have a choice. “Can you give me blood to fix this?” It couldn’t hurt to ask.
“There’s only one way to make the heat better.”
She cried out when he suddenly slid a thick finger into the channel of her pussy without warning.
It was pleasure and pain at the same time. Her senses were too confused to tell her if she should be alarmed. Red slowly moved his finger in and out of her…and she realized it wasn’t pain after all. The pleasure was just super intense and sharp.
Red growled low next to her ear. “A little better?”
She released the blanket and frantically reached back, needing to touch him. His arm was in the way of her being able to grip his hip. She lifted her arm and found the back of his head, fisting his hair at the base of his neck.
“Can you spread your legs a little for me?”
She managed to part her knees a few inches and Red adjusted his body, sliding his down a little. He removed his finger from inside her entirely. Emma opened her mouth to protest but then something thicker and bigger pressed against the entrance of her pussy—and she cried out as Red’s cock slid home deep.
He hissed. “Fuck.”
That’s exactly what they were about to do. He started to move inside her, and he gripped her hip again, holding her in place as he thrust in and out. Emma squeezed her eyes closed and moaned.
“Release my hair.”
She was probably hurting him, so she let go. Red’s hand slid from her hip, across her stomach, and he wiggled his fingers under her other hip. She gasped when he rolled them, not expecting him to lay flat and take her with him. She was sprawled over his body, on her back. Gravity forced her legs to fall to either side of his, and then he rolled again, pinning her on her stomach beneath him. He used one of his knees to push her legs farther apart. He braced his arms next to her shoulders. She could breathe easier when he lifted his chest off her back.
“Tell me if I’m too rough.”
He started to thrust again, deep and fast. He hammered her with his cock, the sensations pure heaven. She clawed at the bed and cried out as the climax tore through her.
Red snarled but didn’t slow his pace. He rode her even faster, his hips pounding against her ass. Emma wondered if she’d die from how much she was coming. Her heart felt as if it were about to burst and the top of her head seemed in danger of exploding.
Red growled loudly and froze on top of her. His dick seemed to have a pulse, throbbing against her oversensitive vaginal walls. He jerked, his entire body shaking over hers. Warmth spread, and she knew he was coming too.
He groaned…and started to fuck her again, slowly. The pace changing from frantic to tender.
He shifted his arms until he pinned her body tighter under him, his forearms resting on the bed. He also nuzzled her hair away from her shoulder and pressed a closed mouth kiss on her skin.
“I’ve got you, Emma.” He kept moving inside her, fucking her with deep, leisurely strokes of his stiff cock. “I’m right here.”
Sweat slickened her body. A lot of the burning sensation had faded, almost as if her fever had broken. The pain was gone, only to be replaced by an endless ache and the need for him to keep moving inside her. It felt amazing.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered, her voice a little hoarse from all the noises she’d made. She was afraid he’d roll away again and leave her on the bed alone.
“I won’t.” He opened his mouth, planting little licks and wet kisses along the top of her shoulder and the side of her neck. “I’m going to get you through this. Nothing could make me leave you.”
It was nice to hear. She believed him. It even brought tears to her eyes that she blinked back, grateful he couldn’t see them with her eyes closed and her face mostly buried against the bedding. He was taking care of her when he didn’t have to.
She did feel a moment of panic that perhaps he’d lied, when he pulled out of her completely. She felt the loss immediately, the sensation of being empty a painful one. He lifted off her next.
She opened her eyes and twisted her head, staring at him. He got on his knees next to her and grabbed some of the pillows at the top of the bed. A frown twisted his lips when he looked at her.
“I’m not stopping. I’m just going to make this more comfortable for you. Get on your hands and knees.”
He was a Lycan. The humor of the moment struck her. “You want to do it doggy style?”
His frown curved into a smile. “Not quite. You’re exhausted from the pain. Trust me, Emma. This is going to feel good.”
She managed to get on her hands and knees and Red started shoving pillows under her. She glanced at them, then looked back at him. She arched one eyebrow in question.
He chuckled. “I’m afraid I’m going to crush you with my weight.” He pushed more pillows under her belly. “Close your legs.”
“Okay.” She put her knees together and watched as Red threw one of his legs over hers, positioning himself behind her. He gripped her hip with one hand and grabbed his dick with the other.
“Your arms are going to give way at some point. The pillows will keep your ass up.” Humor glinted in his eyes. “Heat can last for days.” He lowered his chin, staring at her. “Ready? I know I’m up for it.”
She had to lift a little to see his erection. He remained hard. He moved in a little closer as he lined up with her pussy, pressing in. She moaned, and lost interest in watching as he entered her.
He gripped her other hip, holding her while he started to move. “Relax and enjoy this.”
The pillows supported her lower half enough that she could do exactly as he’d instructed. She closed her eyes and just reveled in the feel of Red moving inside her. The climax was slower to build, matching the pace he set. When it struck, she cried out his name.
He paused for a few moments, letting her recover. Then he started moving inside her again. Emma clawed at the bedding. Red was going to kill her…but what a way to go.
Chapter Seven
Emma stood under the warm water in the shower and yawned. Every muscle in her body ached. It reminded her of the last time her grandfather had put her through self-defense training. Fighting against a four-hundred-plus-year-old Vamp had left her bruised and battered, despite him taking it easy on her.
She glanced down. There were no bruises on her that she could see but Red had definitely worked her over. Sex was way more enjoyable than getting beaten up.
She wasn’t sure how long they’d been in bed together. It was a blur of pleasure and sleep, then repeat. The heat had faded though. She didn’t feel feverish. All the aches she had now were from too much sex, not a need for it.
One thing was very clear though. She was falling for Red.
He’d been so tender and loving. She’d never forget the way he’d woken her with kisses and caresses. He’d put his mouth on every inch of her while they’d been in bed together. Even though he was in the other room, she could still almost hear his raspy voice telling her how beautiful he thought she was.
The things they’d done in that bed had been beyond intimate. She’d never experienced anything like it before and knew no one else would ever compare to him. The only regret she had was that he’d kept her from touching or putting her mouth on him. He’d been the one in control, pleasuring her. He’d told her it was because he still wanted to bite her, and it made it easier to resist the urge if she wasn’t stroking his body with her hands.
She rinsed out the conditioner and knew she’d have to face Red. She turned off the water and used a towel to dry off the best she could. He wasn’t in the bedroom area when she came out, but the bed had been stripped. She stared a
t the mattress as memories lingered of the hours they’d spent there.
“Come eat.” Red’s voice came from the kitchen.
She noticed the smell then. It made her smile. He seemed to really enjoy his steaks.
She didn’t have clothes, so she stole one of his shirts from a drawer and put it on. It was big on her, more like a nightshirt. She threw the wet towel in the bathroom and joined him in the kitchen.
His hair remained wet from his own shower, which he’d taken before she’d climbed out of bed. He wore just a pair of low-hipped boxers. They were blue, a compliment to his tanned, muscled body. Desire shot through her, seeing how sexy he looked.
Her gaze lifted when he turned to face her. He grinned.
“Don’t give me that look. I’m washing our bedding. I don’t have spare sheets here.”
“I didn’t know you had a washing machine hidden.” She glanced around the den.
“I don’t. It’s called a river, and a rock placed on top of them to keep them from floating away. I scrubbed them with soap first. I’m letting the sheets soak for a bit. Then I’ll hang them to dry and air out.”
“Wow. That’s old school.”
“I have a washing machine and dryer at the cabin. It’s more modern than our den.”
Our. She wasn’t sure how to take that. Did he mean her? Or should she ask who else owned this den.
He placed a steak on a plate that already held a microwaved baked potato. He’d slit it open and placed butter inside.
He jerked his head toward the small table. “Go sit.”
“Thank you, but I can carry my own food. You don’t have to wait on me. I’m already not used to anyone cooking for me.”
“That’s right. Your grandfather doesn’t eat food.”
“Some Vampires do, if they’re newer or never gave up food for blood only. He didn’t know he had a choice after he was turned. He’s had to eat meals a few times, but it’s not pretty. It gives him horrible stomach cramps and he pukes everything up about an hour later. It’s the only way to get it out of him.”