Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
Gryff
I’m still so pent up after fixing Honey’s roof, I know it’s not safe for me to go back in the house. Not with her waiting there for me, getting ready to sleep in my bed.
A warning rip from my shirt lets me know what I need. My wolf is restless.
I strip down quickly, stashing my clothes in a pile in the backyard and shifting into my four-legged form. As soon as I do, my thoughts stop whirring around in my head like tiny little remote-control cars and my instincts take over.
I take several bounds toward the house before I can stop myself, pull my paws to a halt, and shake my head. Nope. Not doing that.
My wolf is a safe haven when I’m all up in my head, but he’s an animal. In this form I have very few human inhibitions. But luckily he’s easy to distract.
Lifting my snout to the wind, I test the air for something small and tasty, something with hot blood scurrying through the scrub of the reserve a few blocks away.
There are always rabbits and mice, sometimes hedgehogs and squirrels. I’ll hunt and run and just let myself be in the moment for a while. No worrying about tomorrow’s problems or what I should and shouldn’t be doing.
I take off at a run, tail wagging behind me. It feels good to stretch my legs. I’m always less angry when I’m in my four-legged form.
The grass is soft and green beneath my paws. Everything smells damp and lush and fertile. I try to ignore the most prominent and fertile smell of all; the smell that calls me from within the house, urging me to put my head between Honey’s thighs and feast.
Run. Hunt. Catch.
I turn my nose for the wild places outside town and do just that.
A few hours later, I’m a little less edgy. Belly full and tongue lolling out of my mouth, I trot home, hoping to find Honey tucked up in bed asleep. Safe, or as safe as she’ll get from me tonight.
I come to an abrupt stop when I round the corner of the street and her lush scent socks me right in the face.
How is it so powerful from within the house?
It rides on the slight breeze to tease at my nostrils, and before I can stop myself, four legs become two and I’m loping toward the house in my monstrous beast form.
My mouth waters as I get closer and then spot her.
Her golden hair catches in the moonlight as she turns her face toward me, and my heart leaps into my mouth.
I let out an audible groan. Honey is wearing only a tank top and underwear, standing on the street at the front of my house.
I can make out her tight nipples, pebbled against the fabric of the white top, from where I stand, cock straining against my belly, tail wagging stupidly behind me like a dumb pup.
She gives me a dreamy smile. “There you are.”
I’m not even conscious of the decision to move. One moment I’m standing there staring at her, trying to scrape my brain off the pavement, the next I’m on all fours, bent over to rush the last few yards and close the distance between us.
“I didn’t know where you went.”
A blade of guilt stabs me right between the shoulders. “Honey, what are you doing on the street in your underwear?” Any moron could have come along and seen her like this. Seen and wanted her.
She ignores my question. Probably because it comes out as a rough growl. Sometimes it’s hard to talk in this form.
She extends her hand, and I shudder as her fingertips come into contact with my snout. Just that simple touch has me completely unmanned. “Your eyes are so sad, Gryff. They’re always so sad.”
I need to get her back into the house before someone comes along. Before I lose the last threads of my control and do something I’ll regret.
Honey runs her hand along my cheek and down my chest, and I grit my teeth, forcing myself not to grab her.
She shudders. “I feel so strange.”
I don’t like the sound of that. Is that why she’s out here dressed like that? She was looking for me, and I was too busy dealing with my own stupid feelings to be there for her when she needed me?
“It’s so hot.”
I frown. The breeze has picked up, and even through my thick fur I can feel that it’s not hot. Not at all. Nevertheless, she reaches for the hem of her shirt and I panic.
“Honey, we’re on the street!”
She laughs, tugging at the top, forcing me to grab her hands and stop her from baring her perfect tits in public. I really wish I didn’t have to stop her.
The look I got through her bedroom window that first night is etched on my brain. Full and plump and pale with pretty pink nipples just begging for my mouth. “You can’t get undressed here.”
“Yeah, but I’m dreaming, so it doesn’t matter.”
Something is wrong here. She thinks she’s dreaming, but she’s walking and talking. She’s flushed and overheated, even though it’s cold out. And that smell… “Honey, you need to come inside with me.”
She breaks away from me, still laughing. “Catch me!”
Before I can stop her, she takes off at a run, twisting away from my reach and glancing back at me over her shoulder.
Fuck.
The urge to chase and catch her is irresistible. I launch into motion in an instant, bounding after her. I’m fighting my wolf all the time, and though my teeth ache to sink into soft pale skin, I won’t let myself hurt her.
That’s the only reason she gets as far as she does.
I’m battling my body even as I chase her, forcing myself to slow down, to shift as I run so I’m not likely to scratch her with long sharp claws, or scare her. Moon goddess help me if I scare her.
Unfortunately, now that I’m in my human form again, I’m completely naked. Completely aware of the fact that I’m running after my mate who squeals and looks back at me over her shoulder as if she can’t wait for me to catch her.
I bend and scoop her into my arms. I toss her over my shoulder as carefully as I can manage, refusing to think about the fact that so much of her naked skin is now pressed against my skin that it’ll be hard to ever put her down.
She calls my name, and it’s a moan of need that travels straight to my groin. And now that her rounded ass is right by my nose there’s no way I can miss the way wet slick coats the insides of her thighs.
No wonder she smelled fertile. No wonder I could scent her from down the street. I should have realized the moment I saw her out here like this searching for me in need.
My little omega is in full heat.
“Gryff! Please.”
I hurry toward the house as fast as I can. I have no idea what a succubus heat will do to the other monstrous residents of Mosswood, but I have no desire to find out.
Already my own instincts are in overdrive, urging me to push her down on the soft grass, to rut and knot her until I take her pain away.
How do I get out of this one?
“Gryff, I feel so strange.”
“Shhh.” I keep my voice as soft as I can manage under the circumstances. It still comes out like iron bars being dragged against wet cement. “I’ve got you, babygirl. I know what you need.”
My body knows it. My cock is a solid rod so hard it feels like it might never go down. Every nerve is on fire with sensation in every place I touch her. My fingers curl against her flesh, longing to slide higher up her thighs.
The only way to end this heat is to breed and knot her. But there are so many problems with that.
I kick open the front door so hard it bangs against the wall and probably leaves a hole I’ll have to fill tomorrow. Right now I don’t care.
I kick it shut again behind us and sweep her into the bedroom.
When I lay her down on the bed, she rolls onto her back, her legs falling apart and giving me the most glorious view of the wet patch that covers the crotch of her white panties making them almost translucent.
Half-lidded eyes look me up and down and she giggles. “You’re naked!”
Nevermind me. She may as well be naked herself the way those panties are being ruined by the copious slick dripping from her body.
Fuck! “Honey, you’ve got to listen to me, before both of us are too incoherent to get words out. Is this your first heat?”
Her brows furrow into an adorable little pout. “Heat?”
Fuck! I might have known. I didn’t really process when I asked her about her first heat the other day, but I thought her reaction was odd.
She’s a good girl. If she knew this was coming, she would have said something. But as it is, it’s hit us both like a freight train, and now I’m going to have to see her through it and pray she forgives me on the other side.
She whines, wriggling on the bed and lifting a hand to toy with one nipple. “Gryff, I don’t know what’s happening to me, but you should probably go. You can’t stand there looking so… looking so…”
Despite my best intentions, I open my big mouth to ask, “Looking so what, Honey?”
Moon goddess help me, she lets out a little whimper, and her hand slides down her belly to her soaking wet pussy. “So mine.” She frowns like it didn’t come out the way she intended, but I’ve already reacted to the word.
The growl tears from me before I can stop it, and I’m halfway onto the bed between her spread thighs in an instant.
Her body reacts like a perfect little omega should.
Her legs spread wider, her back bows, lifting that delicious-smelling pussy toward me, presenting for me.
I have her panties in shredded pieces in a heartbeat, her glorious pussy spread out in front of me.
All my instincts are calling out for me to fuck her. Give her what she needs.
But she’s still half asleep. She doesn’t know what’s happening. I don’t like the thought of anything happening between us like this.
Her pupils are blown wide, and her chest rises and falls on heaving breaths. My cock has never been so ready to satisfy a female. It juts out toward her like it’s going to drag the rest of me behind if I hesitate much longer.
Even so, I cup her face gently and turn it so she’s looking up at me. Then I force a growl of command into my next sentence. “Honey, you need to wake up and talk to me. Can you do that?”
She blinks. She still looks dazed, but it’s the way someone waking from a dream looks. “Gryff?”
“That’s right. It’s me. We’re in my house. Are you here with me?”
She shudders and the movement brings her more firmly against me. “I-What’s happening?”
I shut my eyes for a moment, fighting to keep control.
We both need this to end. Sooner rather than later.
But I need to hear her tell me that’s what she wants.
“Honey, you’ve gone into heat. There’s no way to end it without a knotting, but if you’d rather it wasn’t me and if you’re not on birth control…
” This is the part I’ve been avoiding. The part where she tells me she’s not, that I’ll pump her full of my seed and end her heat but leave her full of my pups.
Because my nose tells me there’s exactly zero chance she won’t conceive if my sperm gets anywhere near her tonight. Not if she’s not on something.
She moans, and my mouth waters when her cunt produces a fresh gush of moisture, soaking the sheets between us. “I-I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Gryff. I-I’m sorry. I can’t help it.”
“Shhh. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you, babygirl. I told you. You’ve gone into heat and your body is doing what comes naturally. Now answer me. Are you on birth control?”
“Yes. Yes, I have an implant.”
I silently thank every power in the heavens that is one less thing I have to feel guilty for. “Now tell me to help you. Tell me you want me to fuck you. I need to hear you say it.” It’s come out all wrong, but I can’t call the words back. At least I didn’t growl them. I don’t think I did.
Honey’s mouth parts on a shuddering breath, and she nods quickly. “Yes please! Yes I want you. God, I’ve wanted you this whole time. I didn’t think you wanted me.”
“Shhh.” I lean in, nipping at her neck, commanding her body to obey. She does instantly, arching against me, tipping her head to one side to expose her neck for my teeth. Fuck, she’s perfect. This moment is going to torment me the rest of my miserable life.
I let my weight rest more heavily over her though my muscles are shaking with need. “I want to help you. I’m going to take care of you, OK? I’m right here with you for as long as this takes.”
She nods, and I hear tears in her voice. “Thank you.”
Guilt twists in my chest. I pray to all the gods those are tears of relief.
Even so, she won’t be thanking me tomorrow when her pussy is sore from the pounding I’m about to give her.
When I lose control. When the rut takes me over like her heat has taken over her.
I just hope her succubus side is strong enough to help her withstand it.
And if she takes half my soul tonight, I’ll give it gladly. It’s a small price to pay for the closest thing to heaven I’ll probably ever know.