Chapter 16 Rissa
Rissa
After popping a few ibuprofen for my mild hangover, I grabbed a bag of clothes for Krystal and drove over to Nathan's house. As I pulled up, I found Krystal sitting on the porch, cradling a steaming mug of tea between her hands.
"Brought you some things," I called out as I approached, holding up the bag.
Krystal's face brightened. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much." She set down her mug and hurried over to take the bag, rummaging through it. "These are perfect."
The front door creaked open, and Nathan stepped out, stretching his arms overhead like he had just rolled out of bed. His shirt lifted as he rose up on tiptoes, and I caught a glimpse of taut muscles and a happy trail. Oh, man. That was not easy to look away from.
And then he caught me looking. Freaking perfect.
"Morning," he said, his deep voice still gruff with sleep.
I cleared my throat, trying to ignore the fluttering in my stomach. "Morning."
An awkward silence stretched between us. Krystal glanced between us curiously. I wrenched my gaze away from Nathan's, focusing on her instead. "Let me know if you need anything else, okay? I'm happy to help."
"I really appreciate it," Krystal said earnestly. "It means a lot."
I nodded, already backing toward my car, eager to escape the heavy weight of Nathan's stare. "I should get going. Take care, both of you."
"Thanks again." Her smile was warm and genuine. "Maybe we can have lunch soon? Catch up properly?"
"Sounds great." I meant it. It'd be nice to have a friend again. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had a social life.
Nathan walked me to my car, his presence sending prickles along my skin. "Thanks for this," he said quietly. "She's lucky to have you."
"Of course. Anytime." I smiled tightly. "See you around, Nathan."
A woman stepped out of the inn next door, catching my attention. Tall and elegant, with an air of quiet wisdom, I immediately sensed the otherness about her. A dragon.
Nathan glanced toward the inn. "Hey, before you go, come meet my friend, Erin."
Why not? I hadn’t met that many dragons. Thanks to their curse, all the males had to hibernate for ten years every century or so, and Gavin had told me the dragon clan that lived in Stock Creek was just now starting to wake up from theirs.
We walked over. Erin smiled warmly as we approached. "You must be Rissa." She extended a hand. "Nathan's told me about you."
My pulse stuttered as I shook her hand. What exactly had Nathan said?
"Why don’t you come for tea after school tomorrow?" Erin asked, green eyes sparkling with invitation. “I’d love to make more friends here in Stock Creek. I’ve only lived here a few years but haven’t managed to fit in all that much.”
I couldn’t imagine why. She seemed so kind. I agreed to tea before I could overthink it. "I'd love to."
Nathan watched the exchange, something unreadable in his expression. I avoided his gaze, focusing on Erin's friendly smile instead.
After leaving the inn, Nathan stretched, cracking his neck. "I need a run."
I crossed my arms, the wolf under my skin itching to be free. "Me too, actually." I didn’t have to be anywhere right now, and it would be nice to stretch my legs in the woods, on pack land.
Nathan smirked. "Think you can keep up?"
I scoffed. "Try me." Challenge accepted, Alpha.
We headed into the woods, stripping before shifting. I turned away as Nathan pulled his shirt over his head, but I imagined I could feel him looking at me as I shifted. The awareness sizzled along my nerves.
My wolf burst free, black fur rippling, muscles coiled with anticipation. Nathan's russet wolf gave a playful growl before sprinting into the trees.
I gave chase, weaving through the woods, following his scent. The pull between us was undeniable out here, our wolves moving in sync as if we'd done this a thousand times.
Everything else fell away: my worries, fears, and past baggage. Out here, I was pure instinct. Pure freedom.
And despite everything, running with Nathan was inexplicably right, like coming home.
I shoved the thought away. I couldn't afford to go there.
Nathan's wolf paused up ahead, waiting for me to catch up. I put on a burst of speed, determined to outpace him.
Just as I was about to overtake him, he cut me off, teeth snapping playfully at my hind legs. A growl rumbled in my chest. Oh, it was on.
I lunged, tackling him. We tumbled into the dirt, a tangle of fur and limbs, rolling until he had me pinned beneath him. My heart raced, adrenaline surging through my veins.
His weight pressed down on me, solid and warm. I should move, put some distance between us.
I didn't.
Something shifted in the air, the playfulness evaporating like mist under the sun. Nathan's wolf stared down at me, his gaze intense, piercing. Claiming.
An electric thrill raced down my back, lifting my fur. The world narrowed to this moment, to the heat of his body against mine, to the pounding of my heart in my ears.
Then, as if by some unspoken signal, we began to shift back. Skin replaced fur; hands replaced paws. And suddenly, we were human again. Naked. Breathless.
His bare chest pressed against mine, our faces mere inches apart. I could feel the rasp of his unsteady breaths, the heat of his skin. The scent of the trees and something uniquely Nathan enveloped me.
I should move. I should push him away, scramble back, grab my clothes, and run.
I didn't.
I couldn't.
Because at that moment, with Nathan's eyes burning into mine and the weight of his body pinning me to the earth, I was more alive than I had been in years.
More connected. More seen.
And despite every instinct screaming at me to flee, to protect my battered heart...
I didn't want to move. I didn't want this moment to end.
Impulsively, I pushed forward and pressed my lips against Nathan’s.
That action broke some sort of dam inside him, and he growled.
He held me closer, kissing me harder, deeper, and I matched his intensity with my own.
There were too many emotions coursing through me. It was overwhelming, but also...exhilarating.
The kiss went on for what felt like forever and ever. With no clothes on, there were no barriers. The next thing I knew, we were in the soft grass. “Are you on birth control?” he asked quietly.
Boy, was that a loaded question. For now, a simple “Yes” would have to do. Technically, tubes burned was birth control, right?
I did not want to think about that right now. To move the process on, I pressed my breasts against his chest and moaned low in my throat. “Nathan.”
He groaned. “Rissa.”
His very hard dick pressed against my stomach. We were about to get it on in the woods. Right here, right now.
Definitely one of the more unusual hookups I'd ever had, given the circumstances. But I couldn't lie—I wanted him. Now. Forbidden or not, it felt too damn good to resist.
As he pressed his hips forward, grinding into me, I gasped at the stimulation on my clit. “Fuck, yes.”
Nathan smiled against my lips, a wicked gleam in his eye. “Good to know.”
God, I couldn’t wait to see what came next.
The world fell away as Nathan's body covered mine, his touch igniting every nerve ending. Our kisses grew more frantic, hands roaming heated skin. I arched into him, craving more contact.
Nathan trailed kisses down my neck, nipping gently. "Are you sure about this?" he murmured against my skin.
"Yes," I breathed. All my doubts and fears evaporated in the face of this overwhelming need. “Shut up and fuck me.”
With a low growl, Nathan aligned our bodies. He entered me slowly, giving me time to adjust. I gasped at the delicious stretch, my nails digging into his shoulders.
He paused, giving me a chance to adjust. "You're so tight," he whispered against my ear.
"And you feel so good inside."
I moaned. Words weren’t really happening.
He began to move, thrusting slowly, drawing out every moment of anticipation. Our bodies slapped together in sync with the rhythm of the forest around us.
This was raw and forbidden, but it felt right in a way that scared and exhilarated me. We found our pace together, sweat beading on our skin. My orgasm built slowly but steadily. I reached down and grabbed my legs, changing the angle. Now he slammed into my g-spot with every thrust.
“Oh fuck,” I whispered, then Nathan picked up the pace and my whispers turned into throaty moans. As the pleasure grew, I met it with wild cries. My body shuddered under the force of my climax.
As I floated back down from my high, Nathan slowed his thrusts and looked at me. “I don’t want to presume, but did you just come?”
I nodded blissfully.
A satisfied look crossed his face. “Good.” He pulled out and grabbed my hips, flinging me over onto my knees.
I gasped at the sudden position change, then groaned as he entered me again from behind. His hands roamed my body, reaching around so his fingers could toy with my clit. “Fuck,” I moaned. “So good.”
With each thrust, he rubbed that little nub, building me back up again. I bit my lip to suppress my needy whimpers.
And then he slammed into me one last time, and I climaxed hard. So hard my body tensed up and shook. It felt like every nerve ending was on fire, as if I could take him forever in this position.
He still wasn’t done. Straightening up, he stopped his attack on my clit, but that just gave him more room to thrust. His hips and hands moved in sync, yanking me back against him.
My ass slammed into his groin as his head hit my cervix.
Not painfully, just enough for a little jolt of pleasure.
Every time he pulled back out, the ridges of his head dragged against my swollen g-spot.
Was I going to come again?
Nathan began to lose control, thrusts becoming harder and faster. The bumps against my cervix became slams, and little jolts of pain accompanied the pleasure.
Okay. That was… Oh, my. That was amazing.