Howling at the Moon

On that note, Rolf hung up, and John quietly cut off the connection and went back to work.

He heard the TV, and smelled the scent of cookies baking, boiling rice and marinating steak.

An hour later his surveillance camera picked her up in his gym at the back of the house.

She wore her jeans, having undoubtedly found them in his laundry room, and one of his old T-shirts.

He saw her contemplate his punching bag, and then begin to attack it with practiced, furious, concentration.

With measured punches, kicks, elbows and knees, she worked the bag, pausing occasionally to flex her hands and test her knee. Though her touch lacked some refinement, Sadie clearly had training.

He watched, riveted, for a few minutes until the scent of her sweat and her pheromones hit his nostrils, stronger than before. He was hard in an instant, and the need to have her had his teeth clenching, his jaw locking with determination.

With a determined stride, he went to the gym.

***

Sadie pounded the bag, trying to work out her frustrations even as the ache between her thighs became excruciating. Her muscles burned, her skin was extremely sensitive, and her nipples were painfully hard beneath the T-shirt that, while freshly laundered, smelled of John.

As she punched and kicked, the bag reddened as she bloodied her knuckles.

She was aroused beyond sense, and it only angered her all the more.

This wolf, this coward, this Jason Void, had ruined her life.

He'd made sure she'd literally turn into a bitch, having to watch out for full moons, and silver, and have to eat tons of red meat, and meat was fucking expensive! Her entire body was on fire! She'd been given all the sex drive of a teenager at a skin flick and it was all his fault!

As she punched and kicked, hot angry tears streamed down her cheeks.

She hated herself for the show of weakness.

She wanted his blood, and by God, if anyone could give it to her it was John.

Sadie knew the instant he entered the room.

She smelled him.

Sadie heard the beat of his heart, and in his unguarded thoughts, she knew his intent.

It made her pound the bag all the harder as he approached her.

"I want his blood!" she said savagely.

"Who?" he asked calmly.

"Jason Void, the one who turned me; the one who ruined my life! I want his blood!"

"Your life isn't ruined," he said, and his tone infuriated her.

He seemed so fucking cool, but she knew from his thoughts that he was on fire.

Apparently she emitted pheromones he was inexorably drawn to, and that he'd detected them instantly, even from the other end of the house.

He was hard, and determined to have her.

The ache between her thighs got worse, and she directed all her anger and all her agony on him.

In a single move, she turned and grabbed him by the shirt, slamming him against the wall.

"I am in excruciating pain because of that fucking dog! I can't wear my grandmother's silver jewelry, I can't enjoy a full moon, and I'm trapped in the fucking boonies with a man who sees me as a Goddamn responsibility!"

John grabbed her by the arms and reversed their positions, knocking her breath from her as her back hit the wall.

"You hear that?" he asked, referring to his thoughts. "That means I came in here because ofthis—"he said, pressing his erection into her belly, "--and not because of responsibility!"

She tried to wrench herself from his grasp, but he used his grip on her arms to slam her back into place, bringing them nose to nose.

She fisted a handful of his hair, whether it was to pull him away or drag him closer, she didn't know.

"You want Jason's blood? You'll get it. But until then you'll have me!"

His mouth slammed down on hers, his stubble scraping her cheeks. Sadie gasped and John ruthlessly pressed his advantage, his tongue sliding past her lips, slicking past her teeth to claim hers.

Sadie wrenched her mouth from his even as his hands yanked at her T-shirt, exposing her collarbone and the top of her shoulder. His tongue slid over her throat, his teeth suddenly clamping around the side of her neck.

Sadie's eyes rolled back in her head, and she whimpered with pleasure even as she knew he was about to stop.

He lifted his head, and stepped back, releasing her.

His eyes, glittering like the Caribbean, bore into hers.

"I won't force you, Sadie," he said, his breath hot. "If I take you now, I take you with your permission. No hesitation, no regrets."

He waited, and she knew he was mentally begging for some sort of sign.

Although though her breathing was heavy, her breasts and lips swollen, and her pheromones making him crazy, he wouldn't touch her without some sign of consent.

Maybe it was the hormones, or the simple fact that he was gorgeous and good in bed, but in that moment, Sadie didn't care anymore.

With a growl, she grabbed his arm and stepped past him, as she moved, her leg swept his, effectively putting him on his ass on the matt.

"You don't take me," Sadie said, straddling his thighs. "I takeyou!"

She tore his shirt open, scattering buttons, exposing mouthwatering pecks and washboard abs. Her mouth crashed down on his, her tongue thrusting deep, starved for another taste.

He groaned, long and low, his fists clenching, a dominant male fighting her control, but wanting to give it just the same.

Tearing her mouth from his, Sadie soothed the hickey on his neck with her tongue before working her way down. She spread kisses and hot breath over his chest, pausing to nip his nipples with her teeth before sliding her way down his tensed stomach.

Her hands tore at the button of his jeans, and all but ripped the zipper down.

His erection sprang into her waiting hands, and wanting to know all of him, she slid her tongue over the weeping tip.

Jesus Christ!

Just the touch was enough to make him crazy, but Sadie wanted more. She took him in her mouth, and took him deep, as deep as she could take him, massaging the underside of his cock with her tongue.

He groaned, his thoughts ringing loud and clear.

From his thoughts, she knew exactly what he liked, how to taste him, tease him, until she brought him past his control.

He wasn't going to take anymore.

With his fingers in her hair, he wrenched her off his cock and rolled her beneath him.

His weight pressed her down into the mat.

Sadie could only gasp as he tore her T-shirt up and his mouth savaged her breast. Whimper as his stubble scraped her flesh, his mouth suckling on her hard. Impatient for her body, her ultimate surrender, he tore her jeans open, yanked them down, and slid his fingers deep inside her.

She screamed, her hips rocking against his fingers as he found her g-spot and massaged it with every thrust.

She came violently, her eyes rolling back, her body thrusting against his fingers.

He gave her no time to recover, ruthlessly driving her up and over the edge again.

Sadie couldn't take it anymore.

She needed him inside her, right now.

As though reading her mind, he yanked her jeans off and rolled off of her to dispose of his.

Sadie saw her opening and climbed on top of him.

His eyes locked on hers, glittering and bright.

Poised above him, she grabbed his cock, poised it at her entrance, and slowly slid down.

"Oh sweet Jesus!" she gasped, feeling him deeper than ever.

They stared at one another for one heart stopping instant, before the tension became too much.

With a moan, she arched her back, rocking back and forth on his cock, feeling him deep inside her, stroking the right spot with every frantic move of her hips.

Knowing she was close, she bent, thrusting her tongue into his mouth even as her hips continued their maddening rhythm. The feel of his chest hair on her nipples added another dimension to all she was feeling, and unable to handle anymore, Sadie screamed into his mouth and came, once, twice, she lost count.

Beneath her, she heard John growl.

He lifted her off of him, flipped her to her stomach, and lifted her to her knees.

His hands on her hips, he thrust deep.

"You wanted to take me?" he breathed in her ear, even as his fingers slid around to tease her clit in time with every thrust. "Then take me, Sadie!"

Sadie could only whimper as his other hand clamped around her nipple. Her upper body collapsed to the mat, and John followed, going impossibly deep inside her.

She came over and over again, screaming her throat raw, thrusting her hips up and into his.

John got bigger inside her, and the feeling had her coming again even as he stiffened and collapsed on top of her.

***

Bliss.

Absolute bliss.

There was no other way to describe it.

Realizing that he was probably smothering her, he rolled over onto his back, pulling Sadie with him.

Once again, she was sound asleep, and asleep, she murmured something being cold and nuzzled his neck.

That had him smiling.

He lay there for a few minutes, reveling in how she felt, skin to skin with him, and realized they both needed to wash up.

Gathering the remainder of his strength, he scooped her up and carried her to his bed.

Pulling the sheets down, John laid her down and went to the bathroom. He grabbed a soft washcloth, saturated it with soap and water and went to tend his sleeping mate.

He was damn near reverent as he cleaned the sweat from her body. She flinched at the cool wetness but did not waken. He had the feeling that had she not been affected by the lupine DNA, she'd be a light sleeper.

John stared at her bloodied knuckles and dropped the washcloth, needing her essence inside him. Her taste exploded on his tongue and he was hard instantly.

As he cleaned his seed from her folds and thighs, he thought about what kind of kid they'd have.

He or she would probably be a terror.

His smile spread; just like the mother.

He knew from the start that she was a fighter. He'd admired her for it. He knew now that she was fiery, and her eyes gleamed with the kind of intelligence that was easily infuriated by the stupidity of others. From her call to her parents, he knew she cared deeply about her family. He knew from the scents in the kitchen that she could cook, and that she was by no means lazy. If anything, she was, like him, a workaholic.

The fact that she was studying law was proof enough.

Now that her situation had truly sunk in, she was angry, damn near bloodthirsty. She wanted to avenge what she believed was a ruined life. He'd have to convince her otherwise. She wanted to help him find Void. Though it put her in danger, he'd let her. It was the perfect opportunity for them to get to know one another. Maybe even fall in love.

John frowned; shook his head.

Who the hell was he kidding?

He was half in love with her already.

With that thought, he tucked her in, and went to wash up.

As he approached the bed, exhaustion overtook him. With a yawn, he slid beneath the comforter and pulled her against him.

Burying his face in her hair, John slept.

***

Sadie dreamed; she was running through the woods, the thrill of the hunt in her veins, the fresh forest air in her lungs. She saw her prey, a young buck. She knew it was too big to take all by herself, but she wasn't alone.

Another wolf was beside her, large and gleaming silver with deep turquoise eyes.

They cornered it by a rocky outcropping and without waiting for the other wolf, Sadie went for the throat. She growled as the animal thrashed, trying to shrug her off. Even as the heady taste of blood exploded on her tongue, the silver wolf was beside her, helping her to take it down.

Blood dripped from her chops as the deer fell between them.

They stared at one another, and though she tried to tell herself he was only a wolf, she felt linked to him.

It was strange, elemental, and ethereal.

They bent to feed together.

Sadie awoke with a start and realized she was starving.

She also realized that she was pressed against the front of someone, John, judging by the scent, and that while his breathing was deep and even, he was very happy to feel her.

Though she was not at present, being driven by hormones, the feel of him had her thighs clenching and gritting her teeth, she eased from him and the bed.

Padding naked through the house, she found John's robe, pulled it on and went to the kitchen.

She found the steaks she'd marinated in the fridge, but she was too impatient to wait for them to grill. She licked her lips, contemplating the raw meat. Aw hell, it wasn'tcompletelyraw. She'd marinated it in soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and ginger. It was practically cooked, and with that thought, she dug in.

And that's how John found her.

He padded into the room, completely naked, and sporting some impressive morning wood.

"Couldn't you have covered up?"

Why?He thought, but what he said was:

"You have my robe."

Sadie glared, taking another mouthful of steak.

"Haven't you ever heard of jeans?"

John smiled.

"You don't do casual nudity do you?"

It wasn't a question.

I'll have to fix that.

"The hell you will! As soon as I'm transitioned, I'm outta here!"

His fierce denial rang in her head.

"Where the hell ishereanyway?"

John shrugged.

"A couple of hours north of the city; most of the pack lives in secluded areas like this one. There's more freedom to run around. Is there anymore of that steak?"

Tearing her eyes away from his erection, she gestured to the fridge. She hoped to cool air would calm him down.

It didn't.

And the way he looked at her didn't help.

His expression was primitive, bordering on possessive.

He was wondering what it would be like to take her without the hormones affecting her.

"Stay the hell away from me!"

She moved around the butcher block, putting it between them.

"Relax!" he said, throwing up his hands, his eyes glittering with lust and amusement. "I'm not going to ravish you,"

Unless you want me to...

"Eat your steak," she said. "I made some rice to go with it."

A body like that and she can cook, too!

The laugh escaped before she could stop herself.

He smiled back, and something in her chest clenched in response.

Sadie cleared her throat against the sensation.

"So... when do we go after Void?"

"After breakfast if you like,"

She brightened at that.

"Great! Lemme just shower,"

"I'll join you," he said finishing off his steak.

The image of the two of them under the spray, his soapy hands teasing her breasts and below filled her mind.

Whether it was his thought or hers, Sadie didn't know.

"I don't think so..." she squeaked.

John drilled her with a hot stare.

"You don't want one of those of hormonal storms while we're out investigating. Take a preemptive strike against your primitive urges and maybe they won't rule you," he said.

It was stupid, and irresponsible, but without a word, Sadie took his outstretched hand.

***

He was in the shower, swathed in steam, his mate was glistening soap and water, her cheeks flushed with arousal.

Unlike the first two times they joined, this was slow and sweet. His agents were checking all of Jason's usual haunts, so he had all the time in the world. With a slow hand, he massaged her scalp, and slid soapy hands over her breasts. When she moaned, he slid them lower, between her thighs, where she throbbed against his hand. She was soft and wet, and no doubt sweet.

Unable to resist, he rinsed the soap from her and knelt, his tongue caressing her clit, his fingers sliding deep, working her at a slow steady rhythm in time with the strokes of his tongue. She was delicious, and her pussy clasped him in desperation. She came on a choked cry, her fingers sliding into his hair, her thighs spreading wider as he drove over the edge again.

Her cries were music to his ears.

When he lifted her hips, she wrapped her legs around him and he slid deep, pressing her into the tile. She fit him perfectly, her body hot and wet, her pussy clasping him as if she never wanted him to leave her.

As he quickened the rhythm, her nails dug into his back, and her lips fused to his. She screamed into his mouth, her body squeezing, convulsing around him. He swallowed her screams. The force of her release triggered his own, and with a growl, he thrust harder, slamming her into the tile as the orgasm shot up his spine and out, into her.

After the shower they dressed and drove to the city.

"I'm sorry about your neck," she said after a few minutes.

John smiled.

"Don't be, among my people it's a sign that the sex was good... and besides your neck is no better,"

From the corner of his eye, he saw her rub her neck self consciously, and then she frowned.

"Wait a minute! Why hasn't it healed like everything else?"

"Certain things heal slower than others," he said obscurely, blocking the thought that it was another aspect of mating.

She went silent for another few minutes.

"If your agents have checked all of Jason's usual haunts, why are we driving to the city?"

"I figured you'd want a change of clothes, a toothbrush, that sort of thing,"

She nodded.

"Is there any possibility that he's left town?"

"Possibly, but the nearest airport's four hours away—"

"—and you injured him pretty badly, so you figure he'll stick to the local woods until he recovers," she said, finishing his thoughts for him. "When's the full moon?"

"Tomorrow," he said, trying to hide his dismay.

"What if he has left town?"

John shrugged.

"We have members working at customs at the airport. Rolf or I would have been alerted the moment anyone matching his description showed up, and you know how good customs is at delaying people,"

At that Sadie laughed and imitated the snapping of rubber gloves.

So,he thought,she does have a sense of humor.

"Yes I do," she said. "But you haven't given much of a reason to laugh lately. What's all this about us being parents? I'm on the pill."

"It won't work with your new DNA. Does it bother you?"

He forced himself to focus on the road in the long silence that followed.

"No," she said at last. "Even at this point in my life, with all that's happened, a child would never be unwanted,"

The softness in her voice warmed him, and without thinking he reached out and took her hand, lacing their fingers.

To his surprise, she squeezed his affectionately.

They stopped at the house she shared and he waited in the car while she grabbed a few necessities. She came back dressed in fresh jeans, boots, and a skin tight tank top that made it clear she was wearing a bra underneath. She'd thrown her red hooded coat and scarf over the whole ensemble. As she got in the car, she threw him his T-shirt.

He sniffed it before he could stop himself.

It smelled just like her: rain, soap, and female sweat.

Her knapsack looked fuller than before.

"Where to now?" she asked.

"The south shore; that's where he was headed when I met you. There are a few wooded areas around there. He was bleeding pretty badly. He couldn't have gotten far,"

Sadie pulled a map from the glove compartment and studied it.

"The nature preserve sounds a likely hiding place, but it's huge. We'll never cover that much ground in a day."

"I can," he said.

"What do you mean, if you take to the skies?" she asked reading his thoughts. "You can't fly,"

"I can actually. My mother was a chimera,"

She frowned.

"What's that?"

"An animal that got bitten by a werewolf; once infected with lupine DNA the animal gains the ability to change from their original shape to human, to wolf,"

"And you mother used to be...?"

"An owl,"

She paused, mulling it over.

"Cool," she said at last. "So while you're flying around looking for a wounded wolf, what am I supposed to do?"