Red and her Wolf Ch. 03-04

"How did they sniff you out?" Phoenix's brows pinch. "I thought you shook them off your trail."

"Not well enough. All my wards on this place...they'll eventually find a way in."

"Is that why you're keeping your distance?" She gestures with her eyes towards Emily's house.

Wrong. I've already been far too close."She's a problem. She'll either draw attention or stumble upon something she shouldn't." I pause. "The woods are too dangerous even without The Brethren involved."

"You should warn her."

"I did, though there's only so much I can reveal without looking psychotic," I remind her. "She needs to leave as soon as possible. For both our sakes."

"Something tells me you don't want her to leave." Phoenix punctures my energetic field again, eyes closing. Then bursts into a cackle. "You dream-melded with her?"

I flinch, surprised. My sister's getting stronger despite her claims, surpassing my own skill when I'm not careful. I quickly wrap a thicker shield around the hot memory. "She went into my mind. I didn't go into hers." When I say the words, the realization that my neighbour may have some abilities of her own fully registers.

"But you let her stay there, didn't you?" Phoenix keeps giggling. "She's all over you." Her finger paints a circle in the air. "And you like it."

"That's enough." I rise from the table, taking a fortifying breath. Knocked off kilter. "I have to water the garden."

I exit the room, leaving Phoenix smiling maniacally at the table.

*

In the dark, water hose in hand, I spray down the bed of assorted greens. Night soothes the spiky frustration I feel whenever near my sister, the meditative act of watering plants a healing balm.

But I'm being distracted from the task at hand.

The light is on next door, two figures in the upstairs window. I know Emily has someone over, a short-haired girl who drives a jeep.

I hear the faint murmurs of their chatting, feel the energies of drunken revelry in my body. A woozy, whirling sensation rises in my limbs, my head growing heavy, as though I've just chugged back a shot of whiskey.

Here lies the reason I made my sister go to market in my place: I feel fucking everything.

Being son of a witch and a shapeshifter has granted me wild magic that has taken my whole life to learn how to control. The psychic overwhelm from my mother, the flesh-transforming curse from my father. Growing up, I wished for death rather than experience the mental and physical torture of living in a body like mine. My sister is lucky, having a human for a father, instead of a wolf. Her senses are sharp, but not as all-encompassing, draining.

Excruciating sensitivity. Even after over a decade of learning to build up an immunity to every small minutiae of sound and vision, it still takes constant effort.

I could do it now. Put up a protective wall. Block Red and her visitor out, finish watering and go back inside.

But I don't want to.

I close my eyes and shift my consciousness over, floating in a void before narrowing in on my target. I arrive somewhere near the two girls, hovering over a paisley bedspread. The imagery surrounding me isn't quite clear. A wash of faint hues, like being in a water-colour painting.

I haven't remote-viewed Red before, and a part of me feels guilty for starting now. But...she's stunning. Even in this faded image of her, my body starts reacting. I feel my heart palpitate meters away, my consciousness split in two. Watching Emily smiling on her back, spread-eagled on the floor, while also very aware of my fingers clutching the garden hose nozzle. My bare feet on the grass.

"I can't believe you haven't had sex for over a year!" The short-haired girl says, sitting on the floor next to Red, legs crossed lotus-style.

"I've only had sex with people I'm in a relationship with." Red rolls onto her stomach and her ass comes into view. Plump and inviting in jean shorts.

The physical me goes rock hard in an instant.

This is wrong. I know this is wrong, but I don't return to my body. Apparently, I'm a fucking peeping tom for my sexy red-haired neighbour.

Who knew I would ever sink this low?

A few days ago if you asked me whether or not I'd ever do this, it would be a resounding no. Tonight, I don't recognize myself.

But my body recognizes Red's beauty, her softness. Her milky-pale skin. The wolf inside me is salivating, starving for her. Wants to pull down her shorts, mount her, and take her from behind.

The brunette swirls her drink. "But I'm betting if farm-boy offered, you'd throw down?"

Fuck. They're really talking about me?

In the physical, my eyes are going gold. My muscles turning into a wall of stone. All my senses are on fire, just by listening and watching this conversation from the ether.

"He kind of already did, in a way." Red hesitates. "In my dreams."

"Aw, so sweet." Clear sarcasm.

"It was really...really good." Red buries her face in her hands. "Who knew that dream sex would be better than real sex?"

"Honestly?" The brunette tilts her head. "Not surprised. Those boys you dated were boring as hell." She pauses. "Doggie or cowgirl?"

The breath leaves my lungs.

Red laughs into her palms, body trembling. "He went down on me."

"A good start."

Red grins, then goes very still. She rises up on her elbows, turns her head and looks directly at me.

She can't see me, of course.

Can she?

I don't take the chance. With one inhale I pull myself back into my body. When my eyes open, I see the bright moon in the night sky. I return the hose to it's coil and go straight to bed, hungry.

*

In my dreams tonight, I am aware that I am dreaming. I am aware that I'm walking a trail overgrown with evergreen. Filled with bird calls. The sound of a rushing brook filtering through shivering leaves.

This is normal for me, this state of awareness. I try to be lucid every time I drift off to sleep.

This is how I prevent myself from being attacked in the astral realms.

The Brethren like to attack that way. If I see a wolf in my dreams, I'm in deep shit. I know to wake up and leave town as soon as possible.

In fact, after seeing a potential shifter in the woods on the last full moon, I should have been gone yesterday.

But if the Brethren do know that I'm here, if they've been watching closely, they'll also know that I have a thing for Red. My fault. I got too close energetically even on our first meeting. Phoenix is right. Her essence has infiltrated my boundaries, left a mark. With zero effort.

They'd kill her in her sleep, drop a body part on whatever new doorstep I have.

I just don't know how much they know. Considering the Brethren's leader is my brother, his magic runs just as strong as mine. Stronger, even. This is why I can't ever see what the Brethren's plans are. His wards are an impenetrable fortress. A padlocked door under heavy chains.

I find a familiar tree in the glade. Lean my bare shoulder against the bark. Shut my eyes for a beat.

Then I feel it. The outskirts of my dream being invaded.

By Red.

I let her in. My body flexes, anticipating. Even before my eyes open, I know it's her. Her scent surrounds me: soft honeysuckle, pristine.

The cleanness of it makes me want to ruin her. Rough her up. Contrast purity with sweat and musk-

"Kade?"

I open my eyes. She stands there in a gauzy sundress, a ray of pure light in this shadowy gloom. Hair lit up from the back, a radiant halo.

None of this angelic sparkle prevents me from noticing her lush body through sheer fabric, breasts heavy and round. The dark circles of her nipples, the hollow of her navel, the brush of hair between her legs. All offered up to me, vulnerable.

Is she aware that her subconscious wants this? Dressed her this way?

"You came back," I murmur.

She nods, steps closer. "I missed you." Her lips are pink. Parted and dewy. Green eyes hooded with desire, drugged with it.

No, she's not lucid. And by continuing where we left off, I know I'm taking advantage of her in some way.

I also know that I don't care. If this is what her subconscious wants, I'll allow it.

Encourage it.

I'm being a bastard. Taking foolish risks. Putting the both of us in danger. Seducing my innocent neighbour while she sleeps.

And I can't stop.

I inch forward. Feel the buzz of heady electricity. Her palm reaches, runs down the skin of my abdomen. She touches my scar and I flinch, though there's no pain.

"How did you get this?" Her fingers graze delicately.

I take her hand, press my mouth against her knuckles. Heat in the gesture. "It's not a happy story." I leave it at that, no intention to share. I scan down her, eyes touching over the abundant curves of her breasts, her hips. Desire flaring. "Why are you here, Red?"

A gentle smile. "You know why." She perks up on her tiptoes, smooths her hands over my shoulders and kisses me. Delicate as a gossamer.

Cute, Red. Real cute.

But nowhere near enough.

I pull her to me, caress her from tailbone to the back of her neck. I cup her skull, the fragile weight of it reminding me how much strength I hold back. How much power I wield. How careful I have to be even if she begs me for more.

And she will beg.

My mouth ghosts over hers. A tease before I whip her around, roughly press her back into the tree trunk. Our lips mesh, my tongue sweeping into her silken mouth. My erection throbs thick against her belly. She pushes into it, surges towards me.

I grind my hips, let her feel the hard length through my jeans. I don't ease into things. As sweet as she is, intuition says she wants it dirty. Now.

I unzip, pull my cock out, pulsing and slick at the head. I stroke myself, fist pumping as she looks down to watch. A moan of approval from her lips driving me to new depths of hunger.

"All for you, baby." I sweep the dewy tip over her belly, downwards to the V at her legs. I dip the head there. She clutches at my shoulders as I rub over her clit, the friction of her dress heightening the pleasure. "So wet, princess." The front of the see-through fabric is slowly seeping with her juices as I sink deeper and deeper between her thighs. "Making a fucking mess on my cock and I'm not even in you yet."

My other hand feels up her breast. Rises to grip the side of her neck, thumb gently sweeping down the line of her throat. I bury my face at the soft skin between shoulder and ear to nip, suck. Inhale that light spring scent. "Say you're Kade's pretty baby."

Her skin moves under my thumb as she swallows. "I'm Kade's pretty baby."

I groan as I grasp her thighs, haul them around my waist. Breath hitching as I push my cock slightly into her opening. That soaked, whisper-thin fabric still separating us.

"How bad do you want me to rip this off?" I rasp, ready to tear her dress in half.

"Do it." She arches her back. "Do it now."

I pause, mouth forming into a smirk. Instead of complying I drop her to her feet, twist her around again so that her cheek is pressed against bark. Her ass lined up with my cock. I lift up her dress, and bunch it around her waist. Give her peach-shaped bottom a hearty spank before I slip my cock between her legs again, flat against her pussy. Thrusting sharp this time. Let her feel the sensation of being ravaged without entering her.

I don't know what's stopping me from fully doing the deed. Maybe there's a limit to what I'll do to her, even in this place.

I don't want to fuck her in dreams before I fuck her in real life. I guess I still have standards after all.

But dream or not, it's all the same to her. The spongy head of my shaft is hitting that sensitive bud at the right angle. Making her legs shake, her little moans of pleasure washing over me.

"Fuck me, Kade," she pleads. "I need a good hard fuck."

Fire sparks up my spine. I didn't expect her to talk dirty back to me. "Not yet, sweetheart." I thrust between words. "But don't worry." I lick the side of her neck, grip her hips for leverage as I slam against her ass. "I'm gonna come deep and hard inside you sooner than later. I promise you that."

A promise I know I can't keep, as much as I want to.

Her legs quake, gushing on my dick as her orgasm wracks her body. I curl one arm around her waist, the other over her breasts as I hit my own peak. My seed splatters the grass under us, the roots of the oak tree. Dribbles down her inner thighs as I continue to stroke, wrenching out the last of both of our orgasms.

I pant, resting my forehead on her shoulder. Somehow both drained and renewed.

She turns in my arms, faces me. Gives me a dreamy-eyed kiss as I press her closer, my palm flattening on her lower back.

"I'll see you on the other side," I murmur low at her ear, nipping the lobe. "Sleep well, Red."

And with that, I disappear into ether.