Legend (A Wolf Lake Novella) Read online

  "The problem is not that she is human," Nafarius said turning away from his second. "It's that she's alpha."

  Sam pressed a suddenly shaking hand to her stomach. Taking a deep breath she half knelt, half collapsed to her knees and started helping Maddie pick up the scattered food.

  "You shouldn't have done that," Maddie whispered.

  "Have I made it worse for you?"

  Sam wasn't sure what had possessed her to take on the other woman. She was outmatched on every level but something inside refused to allow her to stand by and watch as Maddie was bullied. Maybe it was because Maddie was the first real friend Sam had.

  "No. I know how to deal with Rose."

  "Why do you let her treat you that way?" Sam was honestly curious. She was trying to understand pack protocol but the dynamics were complex, with shades of nuances that escaped her. Maddie had tried to tell her there were some things only one born a werewolf could understand.

  "She's one of the most dominant females in the pack. I'm not strong enough to confront her," Maddie shrugged. It was the notion of someone that had lived with a belief her entire life and never once thought to question it. "She's well within her right."

  "Being stronger doesn't mean you prey and pick on the weak," Sam said. Standing, she smiled when Marcus stopped to hand her a few of the stray potatoes. "It means you protect them."

  "Not everyone thinks like you." Maddie gathered up her things and started heading back to the den.

  "No," Sam said, spying Roland watching, a curious look on his face. "Not everyone."

  CHAPTER FIVE

  FIRST KISS..

  NAFARIUS FOUND SAM by the stream. She stood with her back to the trees, a light breeze blowing the hair from her face. He caught her in profile, noticed (not for the first time) the strong line of her chin that seemed perfectly matched to the stubborn set of her shoulders.

  She was throwing rocks in the water, trying to make them skip. "You need flatter rocks," he said, letting her know he was there.

  Sam picked another rock, threw it and sighed when it went straight to the bottom.

  "Sam."

  Sam didn't turn around, just tossed another rock at the water.

  "We need to talk," Nafarius started. "You can't trade on my protection that way."

  "Is that what you think that was?" She turned to him, anger simmering in her green eyes.

  "It wasn't?"

  She shook her head. "Rose could snap me in two. I know that..."

  "Then why?"

  "Maddie is my friend. For whatever reason, she's too sweet to stand up for herself," she shrugged, and turned back to the water. "Someone has to."

  "That's not the way we do things."

  "I know," she said, letting the rest of the rocks drop from her hand. "Maddie keeps trying to tell me. But you know what? I figure if you can get away with offering protection to a human, I can offer protection to a werewolf."

  Nafarius sighed, rubbed at his forehead. "Jesus, woman, how does that brain of yours work?"

  Sam just smiled at him.

  "You can't protect Maddie," he said. "You're only human."

  Sam's smile slipped away. "Maybe not," she said, stepping past him. "But I can't stand by while someone else bullies her either."

  "Sam." Nafarius reached out, snagged her arm. "I didn't mean anything by that. But it's true, and you put yourself in danger."

  Sam stared up into Nafarius' eyes. Deep blue today, they reminded her of the ocean and warm sandy beaches. Calm, but with the promise of stormy seas.

  She was aware of him in a way she'd never been with any other man. She sensed him; knew when he was near, could feel the heat from his skin. She wanted to reach out and touch him, wanted to take countless nights and explore every inch of him.

  Nafarius saw the invitation in Sam's eyes. The man in him knew he should let her walk away. But the wolf in him wanted to take, to taste of those impossibly red lips.

  Lowering his head, Nafarius brushed his lips across her mouth. The touch was soft, so fleeting one could hardly call it a kiss. Back and forth, just a sliver of a taste until he elicited the slightest sigh of pleasure. Pressing forward, Nafarius slipped between her lips, reveling in the way she yielded, opened up and took him in. He wasn't surprised when she rose up to meet him, her arms winding around his neck, her tongue gliding seductively into his mouth.

  He took his time exploring the contours of her mouth, learning the shape of her lips, the texture of her tongue.

  Inside, his wolf hummed in pleasure.

  Sam gave him her mouth but took for herself the right to explore, her hands traveling from his shoulders to sweep across the broad plane of his chest. She could feel his muscles straining, his arms locking around her waist as she slipped her hands under his shirt, made contact with smooth skin.

  Nafarius growled at the feel of her hands on him. Her touch was light, teasing. He tracked her progress, momentarily distracted from the kiss as her fingertips danced across his stomach before climbing up his ribs. He was rocked back, a shudder of desire raking his large frame when she brushed over the flat of his nipples.

  Sam felt him shudder. Feminine satisfaction at the effect she was having drove her to return to his nipples. "Oh, let's do that again," she smiled.

  Nafarius growled, felt her fingers brushing at him again before pinching him lightly. Desire shot down the length of his shaft, his hips jerking once as he throbbed. In retaliation, Nafarius nipped at her bottom lip, then licked the sting away.

  Sam's breath hitched, a flash of desire striking at her core. Her tongue darting out, she licked at her lips, tasting him.

  Nafarius recaptured her mouth, sealing their lips together. He growled his displeasure when her hands slipped out from under his shirt, the sound changing to one of approval as she pulled it over his head.

  "More," she panted. "I want more of you."

  "Anything you want," Nafarius offered, kissing her hard.

  Sam felt her breasts swell, needed to feel his hands on her. Taking his hands, she guided him to her breasts. "Touch me," she said against his mouth, as she felt his hands wrap around her breasts.

  Nafarius felt her nipples harden in the palm of his hands and squeezed harder, just enough to have her gasping, her mouth once again open to him. He took advantage, plundered. He couldn't get enough of the taste of her, wanted to sip at her lips until he became intoxicated.

  Sam slid her hands into his hair, tangled her fingers in the silky threads and pulled herself into his body with a slow undulation of her hips.

  Identical groans of pleasure floated away on the breeze.

  Nafarius grabbed Sam by the ass, easily picking her up. "Wrap your legs around me," he ordered, walking her back to a large boulder beside the stream.

  Sam immediately obeyed, a small sigh of pleasure escaping as his arousal was pressed firmly between her thighs.

  Nafarius set her down on the rock, settled her knees higher up on his hips. The heat from his hands burned as they travelled back up the tops of her legs. From knee to thigh he went, a slow slide of skin over skin, his hands disappearing under the skirt of her dress until he reached her hips.

  Sam let her head fall back, closed her eyes.

  Nafarius wanted to howl with pleasure as she exposed her neck, his wolf surging to the surface urging him to take, to claim. Ruthlessly, Nafarius shoved the animal aside. No, he thought, she's not ours.

  Not yet, his wolf growled, but she could be.

  Nafarius' teeth ached, his canines threatening to elongate. Tightening his control, he bent his head.

  Sam shivered as Nafarius licked his way along her neck, nipped at her jaw. His hands which he had held so still finally, thankfully, began to move. She marked his progress, her breath caught and holding as his fingers traced the line of her panties from hip to core.

  Nafarius watched Sam's face, saw the play of pleasure, the heat of desire as he traced the front of her through material wet with desire. "Open your eyes," he whis
pered, his fingertips slipping beneath the edge of her panties. "Look at me," he ordered, when she didn't immediately comply.

  Sam lifted her head, opened her eyes.

  Nafarius waited until her eyes locked onto his face before slipping his fingers deep into her body.

  Sam shuddered, her body clamping down hard. She couldn't stop her hips from rocking, rolling forward to press herself more firmly into his hand. "God, yes," she whispered as his fingers curled within her.

  Nafarius felt her shudder, her passage squeezing his fingers as he rubbed at the tight little bundle of nerves. Eyes still locked, she twisted her fingers in his hair, pulled him down for another kiss.

  She was wet, her juices soaking the palm of his hand while the scent of her desire perfumed the air, saturated his senses. "More," he growled against her lips. "I want it all."

  Sam shivered at the huskily whispered words, shifted so that her clitoris pressed fat and swollen against the heel of his hand. "Harder," she told him.

  Nafarius growled with approval as she directed him, helped him to find the perfect way to pleasure her. Pressing the heel of his hand against her, he rubbed at her clit, added another finger to her passage and thrust harder.

  One...two...three thrusts, his fingers curling inside, Nafarius watched as she shattered.

  Sam couldn't hold his stare any longer, the orgasm throwing her head back as she came. Grabbing Nafarius by the forearms, she held on as waves of pleasure rippled from her core, leaving her breathless.

  Sam shuddered in his hand, aftershocks of pleasure causing her passage to fist his fingers still buried deep inside. She was beautiful. Head back, emerald eyes watching him as he slowly withdrew his fingers, sucked them into his mouth.

  Sam felt heat pool low in her belly, the sight of Nafarius tasting her, taking her juices into his mouth enough to have her shifting forward, reaching for the front of his jeans.

  Nafarius caught her hands, his grip tight. "Be very, very sure," he said. "Once you release me, there will be no going back."

  Sam searched his face, saw something shift hungrily behind his blue eyes and was reminded that he wasn't entirely human. Slowly, she twisted her wrist forcing him to release her or risk breaking bone.

  Nafarius felt his wolf lunge, certain that she had decided to call a halt and feared he wouldn't be able to let her go.

  But once again Sam reached for him, her fingers trembling slightly as she went to work on the buttons of his jeans.

  Relief rushed through Nafarius before white hot desire swept everything else away. He watched her, his eyes pinned to her face as she freed the last button, his arousal springing free.

  Sam felt her breath catch at her first sight of him. He was long and thick, his shaft curving slightly back towards his body while the head glistened with pre-cum. Lifting her eyes, she watched his face as she wrapped her fingers around his shaft, rubbing the pad of her thumb across the sensitive head.

  Nafarius couldn't control the growl that rumbled up from his chest or the instinctual roll of his hips that sent his shaft thrusting through her fist.

  Still watching his face, Sam slid her fist up and down the length of him, testing different speeds until she found the one that seemed to work best for him. She was rewarded as more moisture seeped from his small slit. Wanting to know the taste of him, Sam swirled her finger around the head, coated the tip with his essence and slipped it into her mouth.

  Nafarius' control broke.

  Reaching for her, he snapped the thin material of her panties exposing her to hungry eyes gone gold.

  Sam felt as if she stood in the path of an oncoming train, strength and power barreling down on her as Nafarius stepped between her legs, positioned himself at her entrance and impaled her on his cock. Her entire body jack-knifed, bolts of pleasure exploding across her skin, lighting her up from inside.

  Nafarius was dimly aware that he was losing control. Wet heat surrounded him, branded him as he thrust forward again and again. The need to get closer, to imprint himself on her every sense was so strong that he risked doing something irreversible, risked permanently marking her.

  Gritting his teeth, Nafarius struggled, mentally pulling himself back from the brink.

  "Oh, god, don't stop," Sam begged as Nafarius started to slow down.

  Nafarius had no intention of stopping. "Look at me," he ordered. "I want you to see who's fucking you."

  Sam whimpered, but raised her head, opened her eyes and saw the wolf staring out through Nafarius' eyes. His face appeared almost feral, his expression a twisted mask that promised pain as easily as pleasure. She shivered in excitement that was all the more potent for the fear. Reaching out, she slipped her hand into his hair, pulled him down for a kiss.

  In response, Nafarius ravaged her, his fingers bruising the tender skin of her hips as he grabbed her, pinned her to the boulder and plundered.

  Once again it was all Sam could do to hold on, to take the pleasure his body forced on her. He gave no quarter. Their cores locked together, he thrust his way in and out of her body, driving her higher, winding her tighter until she threatened to shatter.

  "Nafarius, please," she whimpered. Her body felt tight, her skin too small to contain her.

  Nafarius slowed his strokes, moved from the balls of his feet to his heels, changing the angle of his thrusts and causing her to cry out. "More," he growled and drove them down the edge between the pain of denial and the promise of release.

  Sam clung to him, unable to do anything but experience the exquisite torture.

  Nafarius felt her tighten around him, a fresh flood of her juices saturating him with her scent. Another whimper, another plea and he knew he was close to crossing over into pain.

  Releasing her hips, he swept his hands up her back and buried them in her hair. Face to face, he held her a hair's width away, their breath mingling as they panted in time to his thrusts.

  Eyes locked, Sam wrapped her fingers around his forearms and held. No longer the long, slow strokes, Nafarius was pounding himself into her body, short bursts of power pushing him up against her womb.

  "Come with me," he ordered, his sac tightening with delicious pleasure.

  Sam strained against his hold on her hair, moved forward just enough to nip at his bottom lip. "Touch me," she ordered.

  Nafarius growled in appreciation. Releasing her hair, he reached between their bodies sliding his fingers into her nether curls. He found her swollen and throbbing, the hood of her clit already pulled back, revealing the little nub of nerves.

  "Yes," Sam sighed, feeling his fingers circling her clit. "More, please...so close..."

  Nafarius circled her clit, grasped it between his fingers and gave a quick hard squeeze.

  Sam screamed as she came, her body shattering as bolts of pleasure speared through her, coursed across her skin.

  Nafarius felt her body clamping down around him, her passage fisting and milking at his cock. With a shout of triumph, he threw his head back and emptied himself deep inside her body.

  Sam felt the heat of him filling her, setting off a second smaller climax.

  Nafarius groaned, his body buried to the base inside Sam, tiny tremors and aftershocks rippling along his shaft.

  He was still hard several minutes later, his orgasm barely taking the edge off his desire. Slowly, carefully he withdrew from her body. A smug smile breaking out as she whimpered in response to his absence.

  "I estimate that I'll be able to move in about thirty years," she said, her head resting on his shoulder.

  Nafarius laughed lightly. She was amazing, he thought. "Wait here," he said, stepping back and leaving her sitting on the boulder. Not bothering to button up his jeans, he quickly walked to the stream, stopping to sweep up his discarded t-shirt along the way.

  Dipping the cotton in the cold water, Nafarius returned to find Sam still sprawled out against the boulder. The sight of her did something to him, instantly causing him to harden.

  Sam eyed Nafarius waril
y, his arousal growing even as she watched. "I'm going to need a minute to recover," she said, "...or twenty...maybe even thirty. Hell, let's just call it an hour."

  Nafarius smiled, pride causing his eyes to glow warm.

  Sam saw him smirk before he lowered his head, but decided to let it pass. She figured he deserved to be cocky after a performance like that one.

  Nafarius pressed the cool cloth between Sam's thighs, frowning at their red, raw appearance. "Did I hurt you?"

  "Only in the best way possible," Sam purred, startled when Nafarius took a quick step back. "Hey..."

  "Did I hurt you?" Nafarius demanded, his wolf stirring unhappily at the idea.

  "I'm fine," Sam said, confused by the sudden shift from playful to pissed. "I might be a little sore tomorrow but it's nothing that won't heal."

  Nafarius scrubbed at his head. "I'm sorry, I should have been more careful."

  "I believe my exact words were 'more' and 'harder'..."

  Nafarius gave her an unreadable look.

  "Are you regretting this?" Sam gestured at the space between them.

  "No." God, he wasn't entirely sure what had happened here but no, he would never regret it. "I hurt you, I'm not used to..."

  "You seem to do very well for a man not used to it."

  Nafarius rolled his eyes. "With a..."

  "If you say human, I will smack you myself," Sam felt the afterglow slipping away.

  Nafarius stepped back between her legs. Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her gently. "I rarely couple with anyone not a werewolf. With my greater strength, it is too easy to get lost in the moment and do some serious damage." As he watched, the frown lines on her face smoothed out. "Though, now that my brain is back between my ears, I realize something else."

  "What?" Sam didn't have a good feeling about where this conversation was going. Why is it men insist on talking after sex?

  Nafarius sighed at the note of suspicion. "We didn't use any protection. Werewolves don't carry disease other than the obvious..."

  "Shit, is it sexually transmitted?" Sam hadn't given that possibility a thought. Of course, she hadn't been thinking in general.