Chapter Ten
One Month Later
Sienna woke to the sound of silence and a milky light streaming in from a crack in the curtains.
It had been snowing all night. A quiet blanket now lay over Kochi. It had been expected and she was excited to see the camp as a winter wonderland.
Tarl moved at her side, cleared his throat, and reached for her. “Morning, gorgeous.”
“Hey.” She glanced at the dent in the pillow to her right. “Where’s Grady?”
“When it’s the first snowfall, he likes to do an early patrol.”
“Ah, I see.” She knew this meant he’d shifted and gone out into the forest to survey the pack’s territory.
“The snow gives up lots of secrets when it’s fresh,” Tarl went on. “Prints especially.”
“Why didn’t you go with him?” Usually, they went out as a pair, or sometimes as a pack, every shifter would go leaving the eight humans in camp alone.
“I wanted to stay with you.”
“That’s nice.” She snuggled a little closer to his hard, muscle-bound torso.
“We were talking last night, when you fell asleep.”
“About me?”
He chuckled. “Of course.”
“And?” She looked up at him.
“From what we can gather, the search for you and Grady has died down, but it will never really go away and if they extend the search field they might come to Canada.”
She pushed up to her elbows and frowned. “Do you really think that will happen?”
“Honestly, no. I think the direwolf is old news, the authorities have better things to spend time and money on. But we need to keep you close. No going into town even though you’d like to.”
She touched his chin, stroking over the little dink there. “I’m not really bothered about the town. I love it here at Kochi, it feels like home already.”
He smiled. “That makes me happy to hear you say that.”
“I am happy.”
He kissed her. “I love you so much,” he said onto her lips.
“And I love you.” She pressed against him, her breasts flattening. She loved both Tarl and Grady with every beat of her heart. She’d never known such love in her life. It was as if she’d waited years for this to happen. And every moment of waiting had been worth it.
He deepened the kiss and pulled her closer still. His body was deliciously warm and the room felt magical, otherworldly, as if they were in their own little paradise.
“How do you wake up looking so good?” he murmured, stroking her hair from her face.
“And how do you always wake up with a hard-on?” She grinned and ran her hand from his chest, over his flat belly to find his erection.
“I have no idea.” He laughed softly. “But if you want to put it to good use…”
“I think I do.”
She kissed his cheek, then down his neck to the hollow of his throat, shimmying her body lower as she went.
He moaned softly and shifted the duvet, anticipating her next move.
She smiled to herself as her lips traveled over the hair from his sternum to his groin. His youthful vitality was as sexy as Grady’s dominant confidence.
With the duvet cocooning her in darkness she found his cock and took it in her hand.
“Ah, yeah…”
Swiping her tongue over his slit, she felt his thighs tense and he let out a long sigh.
Feeling lazy and indulgent she kissed his shaft, exploring with her mouth and her fingers. There was no rush. His cock twitched and he slipped his hand downward to tangle his fingers in her hair.
She adored that feeling of being in control and him needing her so much. But still she didn’t rush, taking her time before she took his cock tip into her mouth.
“Oh, God, yes.” He groaned long and low.
She took him deep, adoring his flavor, his heat, and the solidity of his erection. He tickled the back of her throat and she stopped, held him there for a few seconds then pulled back up.
He tensed further and his cock twitched in her mouth.
Taking him again, hugging him with her tongue, she sought out his balls and cupped them gently. As she did so a drip of pre-cum leaked from his slit basting her mouth in salt.
He was nearer than she’d anticipated.
Suddenly she felt the need to make him come hard and fast. So she sped up, working him with her mouth and hands with determination.
He bucked his hips, cried out her name, and then in an instant was dragging her up the bed and throwing back the duvet.
“Not like that,” he gasped.
“But…?”
“I want you to come too.” He positioned her over him, moving her like she weighed nothing. “Ride me.”
She folded her legs either side of his body and hovered her pussy over his cock. He was holding it up, ready for her to lower herself onto. “I would have been happy if—”
“I love watching you come,” he said his eyes sparkling. “It’s my favorite thing.”
She smiled and set her hands on his broad chest, lowered herself onto him. The stretch was gloriously thick, only just the pleasure side of discomfort. And when her ass hit his thighs, she felt so full she barely knew where he ended and she began.
“Ah, yeah, that’s it…” He gripped her legs and stared up at her. “Fuck, I love it when you do that.”
“You do?”
“Hell, yeah. You’re so gorgeous.”
She rocked forward, connecting her clit with his hard body. “Oh…” She fluttered her eyes closed. This had been a great idea.
He urged her on and she set up a grinding rhythm, taking what she wanted.
“Fuck, you have me so near the edge,” he said breathlessly. “You always do.”
“I’m close,” she said, not fighting the pressure that was growing rapidly. “I’m real close.” She flung back her head, jutted out her breasts, and arched her spine.
His cock was so solid inside her, her clit swollen and needy.
“Sienna,” he gasped. “Please…”
She came, crying out and butting her clit against him with more force. The bliss poured through her, going to her toes and fingers, and making her scalp tingle. So damn good.
He let out a long low groan that could almost have been a howl and bucked his hips as he dragged her onto him. He spurted inside her, his semen mixing with the pleasure gushing from her in a torrent of release.
He snapped upright, gathering her close and still coming. She was still coming, her orgasm extending, and as his mouth hit down on hers, bright lights flashed before her eyes.
Her heart was thudding, her pulse loud in her ears, and she gasped for breath.
“I’ve got you,” he said, breaking the kiss and cupping her face. “I’ve got you.”
She stared into his eyes. “I know.”
They slowed and a tremor of satisfaction wended up her spine.
“That was a good way to start the day. Grady will be sorry he missed it.”
“I enjoy our alone time.” She touched his cheek, over a small freckle.
“You don’t enjoy alone time with Grady?” He raised his eyebrows.
“Of course I do, it’s just different. Just like it’s different when the three of us are together.”
“I understand.”
“And I guess it’s different when it’s just you and Grady, right?”
He was quiet for a moment, then, “Yes, and it was just us for so long, before we met you, I guess there’s a familiarity, a knowledge that we can get wild without scaring or hurting the other person.”
“Wild?”
He laughed. “We are direwolves, could we be wilder?”
Sienna showered and then cooked eggs for breakfast, all the time peeking out the window at the snowy landscape. It really was beautiful. But as she sipped her coffee her mind wandered to what Tarl had said about it being wild when he and Grady were alone together, having sex.
She’d only witnessed it once, when Grady had just gotten out of the zoo, and he was still regaining strength, but he’d been dominant even then. Taking Tarl’s hand and wrapping it around his erection, ordering him to “do it.”
A little shiver of desire went through her, it was laced with curiosity and she hoped she’d get to witness them fucking wildly one day. Not worrying about her being with them, just basic, doing what their instincts drove them to do.
Knock. Knock.
“Got a visitor,” Tarl said, standing.
“Yes, Grady wouldn’t knock.”
Tarl opened the door. “Hey, Billie.”
“Hey, I’ve got bread for you, from Mom, and also Madeline is up for visitors today, she was exhausted yesterday, the baby had kept her awake all night.”
“Oh, great news, and thanks for the bread.” Sienna reached for a small cot blanket she’d been embroidering with thread Billie’s mom had kindly given her. She created a design of zoo animals, though no cats of any sort, that wouldn’t go down well. “I’ll take this to her, it will come in handy now the weather has really turned.”
“It will. I’ll come with you.” Billie smiled.
Quickly Sienna pushed her feet into her boots and pulled on her coat. “See you later.” She kissed Tarl on the cheek.
As they crunched through the snow, Sienna noticed the Jeep had gone, the tracks showing it had made for the lane through the forest.
“Hank went to town,” Billie said, seeing the direction of Sienna’s gaze. “To get supplies.”
“Did he take my list?”
Billie laughed. “Of course, I gave it to him personally.”
“Ah, good, I came with so little, I had what I thought I needed but there’s always more, isn’t there?”
“There is, though, only a few things are truly essential.” She shrugged.
Dresdon appeared, stomping through the snow with an axe in his hand. He turned his attention away from them, neither glaring nor acknowledging. Sienna knew he was still pissed at being put in his place by Grady, and because she was Grady’s woman, he didn’t much like her.
“Don’t mind him,” Billie said. “He’ll get over his sulk eventually, and if he doesn’t Grady will send him to Alaska in the spring.”
“Alaska?”
“There’s another direwolf pack there, a bit bigger than this one. He’ll have to fit in or they’ll soon drive him out, they won’t have as much loyalty to him as Grady has.”
“You think Grady is loyal to him?”
“He didn’t kill him, did he?”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, alpha males do not like having their positions threatened, they’ll fight to the death to protect it. Grady spared Dresdon the night you arrived, and a few of us were surprised.”
“Were you?”
“No, I understand how important every direwolf is, there’s not many of us, even bad-tempered ones like Dresdon are important. He needs to find a mate and reproduce, that would be the most helpful thing he could do for his species.”
They reached Madeline’s cabin and Billie reached out to knock on the door.
“No,” Sienna said catching her wrist. “I’m guessing the baby is asleep, don’t wake him.”
“Good idea.” Billie lowered her hand and quietly opened the door. “Madeline?”
“Hey, yes, come in,” a soft voice called.
They stepped into the embrace of the warm cabin and quickly removed boots and coats.
“Hey, Sienna, Billie, it’s so nice to see you.” Madeline was sitting by the fire holding a sleeping baby. The room smelled sweet and powdery and a vase of winter jasmine stood on the windowsill.
“Is he sleeping?” Billie asked.
“Finally.” Madeline gently stroked the baby’s thick dark hair.
“Shall I make you a drink?” Sienna asked.
“Yes, please, and for yourselves. Hank has gone to town with the lists.”
“I’ll make the drinks.” Billie scooted to the kitchen area. “You give Madeline the present you made her.”
“Present?” Madeline smiled at Sienna.
She was very pretty, blonde with a soft face and blue eyes. She was also human, not a shifter, and there weren’t many in Kochi, so Sienna had felt an instant connection when she’d met Madeline a few weeks previously.
“I hope you like it, and I hope it comes in useful.” She held up the blanket, letting it unfold to reveal the elephants, rhinos, monkeys, and giraffe she’d carefully stitched on.
“Oh, I love it, thank you.” Madeline beamed.
“You’re welcome, though I haven’t had time to do anything like this for years. I’ve been so busy with work and…”
“Did you enjoy doing it?” Madeline asked.
“Very much so, I added some material and thread onto my list. It will be nice to do over the winter.”
“It snowed heavily in the night,” Billie said, setting down three steaming mugs on a small table.
“Yes, I know, but it’s so pretty.” Madeline nodded at the window.
“How long have you been here?” Sienna asked, reaching for a drink.
“This will be my second winter.” She paused. “I really like the winter, that feeling of hibernation. And this year, all we have to do is stay in and be warm and cozy together.” Again, she touched a tuft of her baby’s hair. He didn’t stir. “I don’t have to worry about anything. Hank is such a great provider.”
“How did you and Hank meet?” Sienna asked. “If you don’t mind me asking.”
“No, I don’t mind.” She smiled and glanced at the fire as though memories were flooding her thoughts. “My family owns a farm, about fifty miles from here. I used to spend a lot of time riding out, checking the boundaries, and I kept coming across this handsome guy, just hanging around, sometimes with a tent, sometimes not. He said he was fishing or trapping or something like that. I found myself going out hoping to see him, then actively looking, and he was always there.”
“But you didn’t know he was a shifter then?”
“No, not at all. I thought he was intriguing, not like the guys in the local town. He was confident, self-sufficient, and he seemed to really see me, do you know what I mean?”
Sienna nodded, she knew exactly what Madeline meant because it was how she felt when Grady and Tarl looked at her.
“One day, it was early winter, I was out on my own, horse tethered as I fixed a rail, and a grizzly came out of nowhere. I hadn’t expected to see one, not that time of year.”
“Oh, my goodness!” Sienna’s eyes widened. “What did you do?”
“Nothing, except nearly pee myself with fright.” She chuckled. “But before I could even think about my next move this huge wolf appeared. Nothing like the wolves I’d seen before—so much bigger, the head was huge, it was bigger than the grizzly—and it stalked up to it snarling with its hackles raised. The grizzly seemed to shrink in fear, like literally hunched in on itself. The wolf snapped at it several times, then the bear turned and ran into the forest. I’d never seen a creature retreat so quickly, it was clearly terrified of the wolf, and for a grizzly to be scared, I mean, they’re top of the food chain, right.”
“Right.” Sienna nodded.
“Or so I’d thought, but now I’d seen a creature so big and mighty, the grizzly seemed insignificant. I stood there, shaking, waiting to meet my Maker. I was sure I’d be a nice morning snack for this wolf. But instead, he walked up to me, his blue gaze set firmly on mine and nuzzled his nose into my gloved hand. My heart was pounding, fear had made my legs turn to jelly, and I just stood there with a strange sense of having seen the wolf before, even though I knew I hadn’t. Then he turned and ran back into the shadow of the trees.”
“And then what?” Sienna asked taking a sip of her drink.
“No sooner had I gotten to my horse, Hank appeared, he wore only jeans and boots, his torso bare. I was glad to see him and started to tell him about the bear and the wolf. He didn’t say anything, just stared at me with his blue eyes—blue eyes I knew I’d seen before, only minutes ago. It was then I understood he was the wolf.” She smiled and shrugged. “He didn’t deny it so I knew it was true. We started dating and once he trusted me totally, and I’d agreed to live with him in his cabin in the woods, he showed me the truth. He showed me what he was. A direwolf.”
“That is quite the story.” Sienna took a deep breath. “And you’ve been here ever since?”
“Yes, and finally, we have a son.”
“Who will begin to shift when he reaches his teens.” Sienna looked at the baby again. Madeline had draped the new blanket over her lap and the baby’s body.
“Yes, that will be a proud day.”
There was sudden movement outside. Billie stood and went to the window. “Grady is here.”
“He is?” Sienna stood and set down her finished drink.
“Yes, he’s outside with Tarl.”
“Do you need anything else?” Sienna asked Madeline.
“No, it’s been lovely seeing you. Hank will be back soon. I’ve asked for some chocolate from town, I really fancy it.”
“I don’t blame you.”
Sienna bid her goodbyes, donned her boots and coat, and slipped outside letting the crisp air fill her lungs.