Following him through the hallways, she made direct eye contact with each person she encountered, not willing to show the slightest weakness. These shifters needed to know that she didn’t fear them, or care about their scorn. She didn’t crave their acceptance. The only thing she cared about was finding the truth and making her father own up to his part in the destruction of her life.
As she watched her mate’s fine ass swaying in his jeans, she was forced to admit perhaps revenge wasn’t all she was looking forward to. Since it was her right to take it, why not enjoy?
Outside, he led her to the edge of the forest, then a few yards down the path into the undergrowth. There, he began to shed his clothing, and she took another long look at the man who was now hers. He was absolutely gorgeous.
Having no modesty, she got rid of her clothes as well and laid them over a log. Zan studied her in kind, and she couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride at the flare of heat in his eyes. He obviously liked what he saw, and her wolf practically whined at the attention.
“How fast is your wolf?”
“Pretty fast,” she answered. “Yours?”
“Why don’t you find out?” He threw it out as a challenge, a twinkle in his brown eyes, then shifted. In seconds his gorgeous black wolf stood before her, waiting eagerly.
Not about to start out behind, she let the change flow over herself also. It always happened fast, and in moments she was next to him, a white wolf next to his ebony. She thought they must make a striking visual.
Zan took off with a bark, paws churning the earth. She dashed off after him. Stretching her muscles felt damned good after being cooped up in that stupid cell. She was glad he’d suggested this, because her wolf needed it.
She tore across the forest floor, jumping dead trees and dodging rocks, hot on his heels. He was fast; she’d give him that. But she was holding back a bit. He’d challenged a born wolf to a race, and she was determined to win.
But he’d been holding back as well. Just as she started to pass him, he put on a burst of speed that left her eating his dust again. Crap! He pulled several yards ahead, jumped a small creek, then skidded to a halt on the other side and spun, his wolf panting, tongue lolling, his expression looking like a big smile.
Jumping the creek, she barreled into him, taking him to the ground with a playful growl. Together they rolled over and over, nipping and yapping, and it was . . . fun. When was the last time she’d experienced this with one of her clan? Specifically, a lover? Never.
After their play, they lay panting, side by side. Gradually, the high of their tussle began to settle into an awareness of each other she’d never felt with anyone else. The feeling was heat and fire. Arousal.
And not just any arousal, but the kind that took that fire and melted her bones. Pulsed inside with every beat of her heart. Her blood pounded in her veins, and she shifted smoothly to human form, rolling to crouch on her knees. She was aware of him staring at her naked form. Lust shone in his eyes.
“I want you,” she said simply.
He shifted too and sat back with one leg straight on the ground, one leg cocked with his knee up, arm resting on it. His cock jutted proudly to the sky, and his smile was feral.
“Then come and get me.”
She crawled to him and pounced. Their mouths met with a clash of lips and teeth, and she tasted a bit of blood. This wouldn’t be a gentle mating, but a coming together of two primal souls. Two wolf mates, taking what belonged to them.
That was fine by her.
Their tongues dueled, tasted. His fingers found her nipples, plucked and twisted, sending her need through the treetops. Placing a palm in the center of his chest, she shoved him onto his back and straddled his erection.
“Oh, yeah,” he groaned. “Fuck me, beautiful.”
She lowered herself onto his rod. Already so aroused, she was wet and ready. She slid onto him, loving how he stretched her. Giving in to the moment, she let the wild side of her nature take over—and she did a partial shift.
He gasped as his fingers at her waist buried themselves in soft fur. “You—you’re shifted!”
“Half,” she corrected him with the throaty voice of her partial form. “Feels good, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. You’re beautiful this way.”
She knew he was seeing her elongated fangs, the soft white fur. Her claws. “You can do it too, and it’ll feel so good to me. Have you had it this way before?”
“No. Is it better for you?”
“Not better, just different. Sort of wild.” She grinned. “Did you know your cock will swell even bigger inside me in half form?”
“God! I want to try it.”
“It’s easy. Just start the change, but let it go only until you have fur and claws, like me.”
As she moved on him, fur sprouted under her fingers, soft and silky. Fangs grew to overlap his bottom lip, and his eyes were that of his wolf peeking through. His claws dug into her hips as he thrust. And best of all, his cock grew, filling her almost too much. He was huge inside her.
“Fuck yes!” she cried. “Do me!”
With a snarl, he flipped them. Suddenly, she was scrambling to get on her hands and knees, and he was behind her, poised at her entrance. Then he plunged deep, filling her so full, she thought he’d impale her all the way to her throat.
She screamed her pleasure as he fucked her hard, like a wolf mate should. His hips pistoned into her, his cock stroking her walls with increasing speed, balls slapping against her sex. It was so good, so damned fine.
Then he stiffened and began to come with a shout. His orgasm triggered her own explosion, and she rode out wave after wave of intense pleasure until she collapsed to the ground, limp and sated.
Zan joined her, lying close so that their bodies were touching, but stopping short of pulling her into his arms. It would’ve been okay with her, but she wasn’t going to mention it and sound needy.
“I’ve never felt anything like that,” he said in awe. “Is it always like that in half form? Wait. Don’t answer that. My wolf doesn’t like the idea of you having done that before.”
“I wish I could tell you I haven’t,” she said, and meant it. “But with born wolves, it’s quite natural to give in to our feral nature once in a while. Especially with mates, though you are my first in that area. And I’ll tell you, nothing that came before came close to being as good as that!”
He puffed up a little. “Yeah? That’s because I’m awesome.”
She snorted, secretly thinking he was pretty cute. “Come on, Mr. Awesome. Let’s splash off in the creek and then see if you can keep up with me this time.”
“Hey!”
Shifting back to her wolf, she sprinted, and was gratified to hear his yip sound behind her as he gave chase. They washed off some, then shook their coats on the bank and ran again. They bounded through the forest, letting their wolves play until well after dark. Until her stomach was snarling in anger at having been neglected.
As if sensing her hunger, he turned them toward the compound. Within the hour, they were at the edge of the forest, shifting to collect their clothes and dress again.
“I’m starving,” he said, pulling on his T-shirt. “You?”
“I could eat.”
“We’ve missed dinner in the dining room with everyone, but I’ve got stuff for sandwiches and chips in my quarters.”
“Sounds great.” Truthfully, she wasn’t eager to face his Pack just yet.
Back in his apartment, he fixed them turkey sandwiches on crusty hoagie rolls, with Swiss and spicy brown mustard. She ate like a starving wolf and then yawned, sleepy.
“It’s been a big day for you,” he said gently. “Why don’t you turn in, get some rest?”