Chapter 7 – Carla
CARLA
The storm picks up outside, wind howling around the eaves of the motel, rattling the windows. I drift in and out of a fevered half-sleep, each time, waking with Billy’s name on my lips, my body burning for his touch.
Around midnight, a strong wave of heat rolls through me, tearing a whimper from my throat before I can stop it.
“Carla?” His voice comes immediately, concern clear.
I clutch the sheets tighter. “Fine,” I lie, my voice breaking on the word.
The floor creaks as he stands. “You’re not fine. Your fever’s getting worse.”
His scent calls to me, and I squeeze my eyes shut, afraid to look at him, knowing he sees the lie there in how my wolf presses right up against my skin, desperate to take control.
“It’ll pass. Go back to sleep.”
But he’s beside the bed now, close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from his body.
“Tell me what I can do. I want to help.”
Without thinking, I reach for him, my fingers closing around his wrist. The contact sends a jolt of electricity through me, making me gasp.
His rumble begins, low and steady, filling the small room.
His bear knows.
“Billy,” I whisper, all pretence gone, as I open my eyes to meet his, begging him to make me feel better. “Please.”
His eyes darken, pupils expanding until only a thin ring of brown remains. “Please what?”
My eyes roam his naked torso, taking in every ripple of muscle, every inch of tanned skin, the dark hair running from his belly button to the waistband of his tight boxers. He looks good enough to eat, and a flood of arousal soaks my underwear as I stare up at him.
His nose twitches, and his muscles flex, but he says nothing.
“I can’t... I need...” The words won’t come, but my body arches toward him, making my meaning clear.
“Carla, is this what I think it is?” My name is a warning, a prayer. “I’m hanging on by a thread here, but I need you to ask, to tell me what you want.”
He rests his knee on the mattress, which dips under his weight. “I need to be certain this is what you want. Because my bear… if I start…”
The tiny ring of brown in his eyes turns to amber, his bear fighting for control.
“I do.” I tug him closer. My inhibitions burned away by fever and need. “I need you. Please, Billy.”
For a long moment, he stares down at me, conflict clear in his eyes. Then he swallows hard, his throat working.
“If you change your mind,” he says hoarsely, “at any point, just say so.”
It’s a miracle I haven’t jumped him already. There will be no stopping.
“I won’t change my mind.”
Something breaks in his expression, and then he’s on the bed, gathering me into his arms, his mouth finding mine in a kiss that steals my breath. He tastes like wildness and want, his lips parting mine with an urgency that matches my own.
Like this is something he’s been thinking about.
“Hearing you call my name, in your sleep, fuck… I’ve been hard for hours.”
His scent envelops me, intensifying the fever burning through my veins.
I cling to him, fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him closer, desperate for more contact.
When we break apart, both breathing hard, his eyes search mine, checking that I’m still on board. That I still want this.
“You’re burning up,” he murmurs, his palm cool against my cheek.
“Then help me cool down.” I challenge, pulling at the hem of my T-shirt.
He pulls it off in one fluid motion and stares at my breasts reverently before reaching out to cup them and take their weight. His sharp intake of breath as he sees me bare from the waist up sends a thrill through me.
“Gorgeous,” he murmurs, one hand sliding up my ribs. His gaze is hungry and appreciative, making me feel beautiful despite everything.
I arch into his touch, a moan escaping my lips as his thumb brushes over my nipple.
He lowers his head, replacing fingers with his mouth, and the wet heat of his tongue sends pleasure spiraling through me.
I toss my head back. Every touch is absolute bliss as he explores my skin, my nipples, exactly how I like to be touched. My palms run back up, mapping the contours of his body, enjoying the contrast between hard muscle and soft skin.
I marvel at the strength beneath my fingers, the heat of his body. When I reach the waistband of his boxers and dip my finger just under the edge, he groans against my breast; the vibration adding another layer to the sensation.
“These need to go,” I say, tugging at the fabric.
He helps me, stripping off in one movement, then helping me wiggle out of the borrowed sweatpants. And then we’re both naked, skin to skin, heat to heat.
The relief is immediate and overwhelming. My wolf howls in triumph as Billy covers my body with his, the weight and warmth of him exactly what I’ve been craving. His hardness presses against my thigh, unmistakable evidence of his desire.
His mouth finds mine again, the kiss deeper, hungrier. His hand slides between us, fingers trailing down my stomach, lower, until he touches me where I’m wet and ready for him.
“Christ, Carla,” he groans against my lips. “You’re soaked.”
I can’t respond, can only gasp as he slides one finger inside me, then another, his thumb circling the bundle of nerves that makes my hips buck against his hand.
The pleasure builds quickly. My body is primed and desperate for release. When it hits, it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced. A wave crashes over me, through me, leaving me trembling and crying out his name.
But it’s not enough. Not nearly enough.
“Billy.” I gasp, reaching between us to wrap my fingers around his thick length. “I need you. Now.”
His eyes meet mine once again, checking for any hesitation. Finding none, he positions himself between my thighs, the head of his cock nudging at my entrance.
He waits, drawing out the anticipation into sweet agony.
“Please,” I beg, lifting my hips in invitation.
He pushes forward slowly, filling me, inch by exquisite inch, until he’s fully seated within me. We both freeze, adjusting to the sensation, the perfect fullness. His head falls forward, forehead resting against mine, our breathing mingling as a whirlwind of emotion and pleasure courses through me.
“Okay?” he asks, his voice strained with the effort of holding still.
“More than okay,” I assure him, wrapping my legs around his waist to pull him even deeper. “Move, Billy. Please, move.”
He withdraws almost completely before thrusting back in, setting a rhythm that has me gasping with each stroke. His hands grip my hips, holding me steady as he drives into me, each thrust hitting a spot deep inside, that sends sparks of pleasure through my entire body.
My nails dig into his shoulders, leaving half-moon marks on his skin which my wolf rejoices to see. Marking him, claiming him, even in this small way.
The room disappears. The storm outside fades to nothing.
There is only Billy, his body moving with mine, his scent surrounding me, his heart hammering against my chest in perfect rhythm with my own.
I feel the tension building again, another climax approaching fast. Billy must sense it too, because he shifts slightly, changing the angle of his thrusts to hit exactly where I need him.
“That’s it,” he murmurs against my ear, his beard tickling my sensitive skin, and his breath making me shiver with delight. “Let go for me, Carla. I want to feel you come around me.”
His words push me over the edge, and I shatter, pleasure radiating outward from where we’re joined, until my entire body is pulsing with it. I cry out his name, my back arching off the bed, my inner muscles clenching around him.
My release triggers his own. With a hoarse shout, he buries himself deep inside me, his body shuddering as he finds his pleasure.
For long moments, we lie tangled together, breathing hard, sweat cooling on our skin. The fever has receded, for now, replaced by a warm contentment that hums through my veins.
Billy rolls to the side, pulling me with him, so I’m sprawled across his chest, his arms wrapped securely around me. His heartbeat thunders beneath my ear, gradually slowing as his breathing evens out.
“That was...” I trail off, not sure how to put the experience into words.
“Yeah,” he agrees, his hand tracing lazy patterns on my back. “It was.”
I should feel awkward. Embarrassed. I just had sex with a man I barely know, driven by heat symptoms I haven’t fully explained to him. But all I feel is... right. As if this is exactly where I’m meant to be.
My wolf certainly thinks so. She’s curled up contentedly inside me, satisfied in a way she’s never been before. He’s our mate. To her, this is simple.
“Thank you,” I murmur, already feeling sleep tugging at the edges of my consciousness. “That was so good.”
Billy’s arms tighten slightly around me.
“So good,” he agrees, pressing a featherlight kiss to the top of my head. “Carla?” he asks after a moment, his voice thoughtful. “How long do these... heats... usually last for wolves?”
I tense slightly. “Why?”
“Just trying to understand. Bears are different. We go into rut at the same time every year, predictable as clockwork. But this...” He gestures vaguely between us. “I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
“Every wolf is different,” I say carefully.
He makes a frustrated sound. “I asked Marcus once, about him and Leila. How their first time was, if wolves were different. He just said, ‘when you know, you know’ and changed the subject. Not exactly helpful for understanding what you’re going through.”
The admission makes my heart race. He’s trying to understand, trying to be prepared. My wolf wants me to tell him everything, but I can’t. Not yet.
“Sometimes it’s just one night,” I finally say. “Sometimes... longer.”
“Longer?”
“Two or three days. If the connection is particularly strong.” I can’t meet his eyes as I say it.
His arms tighten around me protectively. “Then we’ll stay as long as you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
As I drift off, safe and sated in my mate’s arms, I know I’m lying to both of us by not telling him exactly why we’re so perfect together. This wasn’t just physical relief. This wasn’t just the heat.
This was the beginning of something I’m not ready to name, and he doesn’t yet appreciate the magnitude of.
And in the morning, I’ll have to face what that means.
But for now, I curl up in his arms and rest.