Fuck that. Not for long.
Pulling her onto the bed, he tucked her into his side. The soft roundness of her breasts nestled against his arm, and he hardened, his length pressing into her thigh. She laid a hand on his bare chest, smoothing her palm over his pecs, the taut nipples. She journeyed to the curve of his jaw, stroked his face. One dainty finger found his lips, traced them as though she was remembering his kisses, perhaps thinking of savoring more.
His pulse quickened as she explored at will, and went a long way toward soothing his jealous wolf. Not to mention those lovely brown eyes shining with passion, just for him. She combed her fingers through his hair, sending exquisite little tendrils of pleasure down his spine, radiating to his fingers and toes. Heat surged between his legs, his arousal brushing her belly. He groaned, and Daria purred in his ear.
“Like that, do you?”
His body hummed beneath her hands. “Oh, yeah.”
“That’s good, because I
Before he could form an answer, her lips captured his. Gentle, urging. Her tongue found his, rasping. She sucked the breath from his lungs, the reason from his brain. He loved the taste of her, the wonderful feeling of her lithe form sprawled across him. Tender kisses nibbled his jaw, the base of his throat, and his chest. Her hot tongue worked its magic, circling each nipple in turn, teeth grazing them.
He had planned to be the one in charge, but he liked this. A lot.
She slid down his body, palm skimming his stomach as her tongue blazed a fiery path to his navel. Her hand dipped lower, fingers lightly stroking the hard ridge of his erection, and he nearly came undone.
“Ohh.” He lifted his hips, seeking more.
“I see only you, my mate,” she whispered. “Nobody else.” Her hand slid down his belly, lower, finally encircling his shaft. Rubbing, stoking the fire.
“Daria,” he breathed. His fingers dug into the blanket underneath him. He burned to touch her, to bury himself in her sweetness.
“Relax, let yourself go,” she whispered. Her breath fanned against his groin. “You’re mine and I’m yours.”
Ryon was nearly robbed of speech. “For as long as you want. Anything you want.”
She bent to him, long hair trailing across his lap, and rocked his world. With gentle strokes and kisses, laving him until he was mindless. Bodiless. She owned him, and he surrendered willingly.
“Daria, yesss!” He cupped the back of her head, near to losing control.
She pulled back, moved up his body. Captured his face in her hands and kissed him, the hardened tips of her nipples branding his chest. Blood pounded in his ears as his arms came around her. He smoothed her naked skin. Her bare back, the flare of her hips, and her small, firm round buttocks. She rolled to her back, pulling him with her. He took her mouth, licking his way inside. Their combined flavors maddened him, and he craved more.
Ryon kissed his way down the slender column of her throat to her breasts, returning the attention she’d given to him. He cupped them, enjoying her softness and how the perfect globes seemed to be made to fill his hands. He took the taut nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, not pinching too hard, but just enough to give that tiny electric shock that borders pleasure and pain.
“Oh, yes.” She arched under his touch, inviting him.
He bent his head, suckling them, nibbling until his name became a murmur on her lips. Not nearly enough.
Daria’s legs opened wider. He slipped a finger into her slick heat, and she moaned. With a feral smile, he began to work it in and out. Slow, agonizing. He wanted to make her as crazy as she’d made him, send her flying apart. His cock throbbed, begging to be buried inside her. Not yet.
“Ohh! Oh, yeah.”
God, she was hot and wet. Ready. His tongue joined his finger, tasting the soft skin. Reveling in her sweet honey. She bucked beneath him, pulling at his shoulders.
“Ryon, make love to me,
Trembling with need, he covered Daria, bracing his arms on either side of her head. Settling them together intimately, he sank into his mate. Grinding his hips, he filled her as deeply as possible. Their collective gasps rang in his ears, and she gripped his shoulders, urging him.
Ryon began to move, loving her. Never, never anything but this. She surrounded him with warmth, fitting to him perfectly. Never anything so fine, so right as burying himself in this woman.
“Baby.”
Daria buried her fingers in his hair, rising to meet him. He pumped faster, harder, sealing them so tight he couldn’t tell where his flesh ended and hers began. They were joined completely, one soul. One mind.
“Ryon!”
She wrapped her legs around his waist and met his thrusts with wild abandon, shredding him. He drove into her again and again, sending them spiraling into space. She stiffened with a cry, clinging to him, and he let go. Shudders racked them, gradually subsiding to a gentle rocking, like a ripple in a pond.
Ryon cradled her as the throes faded, and basked in contentment. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then collapsed to his back, pulling her into his arms. She snuggled in, resting her head on his chest.
She sighed. “You’re the one I want.”
Contentment spread through his heart. Daria was his.
And he would never let her go.
Ten
That afternoon, Nick called Ryon and Daria into his office.
He was as serious as Ryon had ever seen him, and got swiftly down to business. “I wanted to talk to you both before I brief the others. I spent quite a bit of time after our conference the other day searching through the lab’s files on test subject 356.”
“The one Kalen mentioned,” Ryon said.
“The same. What I discovered is not what I expected. But it answers a lot of questions, starting with the creature’s human identity and why he’s here, in the Shoshone.”
Ryon exchanged a glance with Daria. “I was going to come and tell you on my own, but Daria and I saw the creature earlier today when we were on our run. Actually, we saw him as a man first and then he changed into the creature.”
Nick leaned forward, brows furrowed. “Tell me what happened.”
Quickly, Ryon related how they’d been on their run and encountered the white wolf. That she’d led them to the man, and how they’d watched him change into the beast.
“Were you close enough to identify him as a human?”
“No. I’m glad we weren’t that close, because that was some scary shit and we weren’t equipped to fight him.”
“Just as well. Because I know who he is.”
Neither of them had a clue where he was going. It sure wasn’t where Ryon imagined.
“In the files, test subject 356’s real name was recorded on a single document that took forever to find, and I almost missed it.” He looked at Ryon’s mate. “The name wouldn’t have meant much if Jesse hadn’t called the other day, telling me your dad had been trying to reach you.”
Daria swallowed, growing dread on her face. “Please don’t say what I think you are.”
“I’m sorry. But subject 356’s name was Ben Cantrell.”
“Oh, God,” she rasped. “Are you sure?”
“Unfortunately, yes. Jesse called in some favors, got us a DNA sample from hair in Cantrell’s bathroom. Our own lab performed the DNA test, cross-referencing it with samples of the creature’s saliva that was found on the
