Dawn's Path: Completed Work

After a little rest in a very comfy bed, she awoke this morning energized, although dirty, and ready to face the world. Rolling onto her side, enjoying a very languid stretch, she startled in shock. While she slept, her wolf was supposed to keep her safe and out of trouble. Obviously, her wolf had been a little lax. Either that or she didn't see the man stretched out beside her as a threat. Of course, she didn't. Her wolf recognized Drew as a potential mate. And the full moon was rising, riding her and Tala hard. Drew leaned on one elbow, his head resting in his palm, staring down at her with a crooked, boyish, innocuous grin on his face. "Don't look at me," she groaned, pulling the covers over her head.

Drew pulled back the covers. "Why?" He'd ditched his brothers the second they'd returned to the compound. Promising a debriefing later on in the day. The wolf inside of him had had enough of being in the passenger seat. And he'd made the urge for Drew to seek Tala out and bathe in her scent undeniable. He'd found her naked, fast asleep in her bed. And stretching out beside her just after dawn, watching over her as she slept, holding her close, and yes, she was a cuddler, had been a treat.

"I must look positively awful. I have never been so mortified in my life." Tala scrambled for the covers. Her heated blush, burning her cheeks. She'd been naked in front of him before. In fact, she was naked when they met. And it hadn't fazed her then. But, now, with him staring down at her with that masculine glint of possessiveness and desire darkening his eyes, had her suddenly very body conscious. Her wolf all but cackled in her head at the male pheromones his wolf was throwing off. Tala noticed how close she was to Drew. She'd been sleeping practically on top of him. Naked.

"No, you're beautiful," Drew answered truthfully. He'd been watching her sleep, fascinated by her light snores and the way her lips curled into a smile as she dreamed. He teased himself with the fantasy that her dreams were filled with images of him. He had tried to find out, but he could not invade her sleeping, defenseless mind. He had tasted her blood and slipping into her dreams should have been easy. But, he couldn't get past her mental block. Her wolf was happy to share though. Events, images, the sheer exhilaration of the hunt, and those brief glimpses had awakened his wolf. It was harder than ever to keep him under control.

"Ha!" Tala sat up and plucked stray pieces of debris from her hair. Flicking them off the tips of her fingernails at Drew. She was an absolute wreck. The sheets were covered in dirt and stained with streaks of mud. Being naked, in bed, and so physically close to him was playing hell her system. There was a chance that the mating bond might not form, if they dared to get truly physical. But, that wasn't how her luck ran. And she wasn't sure if she was ready to give her heart away, not yet.

His wolf, the call of him to her wolf, was damn hard to ignore. The draw of the man to the woman in her was even worse. She had experienced her first climax by this man's hand. And, she burned with the desire for more. Not just an itty-bitty release. But, the big one, the orgasm only achieved by penetration. A joining of bodies in the most intimate of ways. But, that was how the mating bond and her fate would be sealed. Pathetically, what she wanted most, she couldn't have. Not with him. Not with any man. Not without dire consequences. And not until she was absolutely sure she'd found her soul mate.

"What are you thinking?" Drew asked. Her scent changed. So subtly someone else might not have noticed it. But, he did, or rather, his wolf did. And his wolf responded with a low rumbling growl and fierce need to possess this little she-wolf as his. Drew scooted closer, closing the distance between them. He felt the warmth of her body under the covers. He had no idea his wolf could exert such a strain on his control. He hardened and strained in response to the gentle heat and the calling of her naked skin, so close. The damned appendage hadn't so much as had a pulse in well over a century. Hadn't gotten hard since his wife passed into the spirit world. And now he couldn't keep the thing down. Gently, he reached out, running a finger along the curve of her bare spine. He smiled as her arousal, the emotion of it, flickered through his mind.

Tala's mind raced. Reduced to a small urgent whisper by her hormones. What she was really thinking, she couldn't say. And she kept silent. Relishing the light pass of his fingertips over her bare skin. She wanted to rip his clothes off and jump his bones. Have him give her the pounding of her life and just forget for a while what was at risk. But, she settled for wrapping the covers tightly around them and scrambling off the bed. "I need a shower."

Drew cocked an eyebrow. Stirring the covers sent more of the luscious scent of her wolf and her arousal into the air. A cold one, Drew silently added keeping the thought to himself. He leapt from the bed and ran past her into the bathroom. Turning the brass shower tap on for her, he draped a fresh towel across the warmer and smiled coyly. The water was hot. Stinging his skin the way the sense of her arousal stung the edges of his mind. "Shower is ready."

"Ah, thanks," Tala said. Covered from head to toe in the blankets she wondered exactly how she was going to manage dropping them and climbing into the shower without dragging him with her. And wasn't that a hell of a thing to think with him undressing her with his eyes. Heightening her arousal to the point where she ached. The soft coverlet brushed her swollen nipples, increasing her desire. She stood, wrapped up like a mummy, waiting for him to do the gentlemanly thing and turn away. He did no such thing. He reached for the blankets and began to gently unwind them from her shoulders.

"I thought nudity didn't bother you?" Drew asked. The blankets were good quality. Not as serviceable as his woolen ones he used when he actually thought to pack them for one of his extended exoduses into the woods. But, Tala's skin was too fragile for the harshness and itchiness of wool. She deserved silks and luxurious furs. She blushed as he worked the blankets down her shoulders and brushed the tips of his fingers across her heated flesh. His wolf wanted to devour this female. Taste. Lick. Sample every inch of her. And the sheer male in him wasn't too much far off from his wolf's eager thoughts. She would taste like heaven.

"It doesn't," Tala said defensively. "I thought it bothered you?" Clouds of white steam billowed from the shower. Sweat beaded her upper lip. The blankets were uncomfortably hot. Determined not to let him get the better of her she dropped the covers into a heap at her feet. The sudden coolness had her nipples peaked. And instead of blushing as she'd expected, Drew reached out to trace one erect point with the tip of his finger.

Drew shook his head, stifling a chuckle at Tala's shocked reaction. She was aroused. So ready for him it hurt. Her heart pounded like a drum in his ears. Calling to the vampire in him. "It doesn't, when you're the one naked," he said. He traced a path with his fingertips from one ripe nipple to the other. Her breasts were small, pert, and the peaks, the shade of ripe cherries. Perfect for taking into his mouth and teasing with his tongue. He dragged his palm down, reaching around her hip to cup the curve of her butt, gently guiding her in line with his body. Quite content to tease her, to wear down her resistance to what they both wanted. And as for the consequences, mated for life or not, he couldn't think of a single downside to them.

Sighing, sweating and quivering with the force of her desire, Tala caved. Her wolf howled with want. Urging her to get naked with him. She couldn't be naked so close to him. He had no idea how close she was to letting the wolf have its way and condemning them both to a life they might not want. "Please leave."

"No." Drew tightened his fingers. Digging them gently into the curvy, firm flesh of her butt. "I have to hold you. I can't resist you. Clothed. Unclothed. It doesn't matter. I just have to be near you." His voice trembled in raw desire as his lips descended on hers. His hands traveled around the curves of her waist. Their mouths crushed together. Tongues intertwined, suckling, stroking, tasting, and enjoying the feel of heated flesh.

Moaning from the assault of Drew and his wolf. Tala quit fighting the draw between them. She tore at the black t-shirt, ripping it out of the waistband of his leather pants and over his head. The shirt landed on the floor, tangled in her abandoned blankets. His long fingers stroked the backs of her hands as she clumsily worked the button free on his pants and tugged on the zipper. His erection sprang free, earning her a groan from deep in his throat as she wrapped her fingers around the length of him and stroked up and down his shaft.

Drew's hands were busy on her. Teasing her nipples to aching points. Cupping her butt. Roaming over her hips. Delving into the soft, wet, depths of her. He was impatient, but gentle. Never going past the barrier of her virginity for fear of hurting her. And, with the points of his fangs scraping her bottom lip, out of fear of what the scent of her blood would do to him. She could care less about that. Let him take every single drop she had and leave her a crumpled heap on the floor. She didn't care. Gasping and shivering, she arched her back, eager for more of his touch.

Each stroke of his tongue was paradise. Every brush of his fingers was torture. Tala had never felt such a mix. She had never known the pain that pleasure was until now. Soft whispers escaped her lips. Encouraging him. Begging for more of his touch. Her hips bucked as hands gripped her butt and pulled her forward. Pressing her tightly against his erection. The feel of him, thick, hard, and so eager to be inside of him, the hot flesh probing against the sensitive flesh was dizzying. One lift of her hips and he'd be inside of her. Solving the greatest mystery of her life.

This man was pure sex. Promising pleasures that she could not begin to imagine. He knew the secrets of the universe. Held them in his palms. Raw energy flowed through him, into her. Every touch filled her. Every stroke engulfed her in desire. The flames were hot, scorching her skin. But, she didn't back away in fear. She wanted more. Ripping and clawing at his leathers, she worked them down his hips and thighs. The hair on his thighs was coarse beneath her fingertips. He kept a tight hold on her as he finished the job, dragging them down his calves and kicking them off his bare feet.

He was beautiful. Sculpted. His skin glowed bronze in the garish white light of the overhead lights. Standing on her tiptoes, Tala kissed the round scar over his heart and worked a path down the hard planes of his chest and abdomen. He was erect. Perfection in both length and girth, hard and straining, his cock jerked beneath her touch. And she knew, instinct her only guide, what she wanted to do. His belly flattened as he sucked in a deep breath as she hazarded to kiss lower, more intimately than she'd ever kissed a man.

Drew bucked and hissed at the heat of her exhales tickling against his skin. Tala was wild and untamed. Unfettered by convention or worry. Her touch was magic. Making him forget everything and everyone in the world but her. Her fingers gripped around the base of his erection, her nails scraping the heavy sac beneath, teasing. He fisted her hair. His fingers tangling in the matted strands as she dropped to her knees in the soft pile of blankets twisted around their feet and traced the ripe head with the tip of her tongue. The act, the dizzying sensation of her mouth on him, of her sweet lips wrapped around him was madness.

He was a gentleman, and she a virgin. He'd like nothing more than to lift her into his arms, wrap her legs around his waist, and impale her with his cock. End this struggle of attraction for the both of them. Take them to the place where there was no debate and no fear, but only pleasure. Panting, stroking her hair with his fingers and cupping the back of her head, he gave her time to explore him with her mouth, her lips, and her fingertips. It had been so very long since he'd felt this kind of pleasure. Too many cold, long, lonely days and nights had passed. And he was there in minutes, so close. His groin tightened with anticipation. And her mouth, her tongue stroking over the ridge of his cock, tracing the thick veins running along his shift, kept working him, bringing him closer.

Drew sucked in a deep breath of the humid air and grappled for control. He would not sully her this way. He would not let go of his release in her beautiful mouth. Tala deserved roses, silks, beautiful words, and sweet, gentle caresses. Fisting her hair as carefully as possible, Drew eased her head back. "Stop, Tala. Please," he groaned, meaning it, but not truly wanting it. Determined to keep him there, she teased the hot tip of him, lapping up the beading moisture on the head with her tongue and gently stroking him with her palm. She stared up at him, her brown eyes glittering with desire. Her lips swollen from his kiss and their pleasurable assault on his cock, and it was all he could do to not guide her back to his length to finish what she had started.

Tala stared up at Drew in confusion. Withdrawing from his length, gently guided back by his grip on her hair, she ran her fingertips up and down him. His desire, the rich, musky scent of male and wolf, was thick in the air. She was left with little doubt that he liked what she was doing. But, he'd begged her to stop. And she didn't understand. "Why?" she asked.

She didn't want to stop but to finish her exploration of him. His pleasure, the grunts exhaled from his parted lips and the flex of his fingers against the back of her skull, the buck of his hips driving his length further into her mouth, was her pleasure. She enjoyed seeing the true male in him so wild and out of control. She wanted to claim him in the only safe way she could. Taste his saltiness on her tongue and know that she was the one to bring him to it. She raked her nails over his thighs, feeling his muscles quiver beneath her fingertips.

Extending her neck, she captured the ripe head of him between her lips and began sucking. His hold on her hair loosened, allowing her better access to him. Drew's wolf was with him, filling the air with the musk of mating scent. Prowling beneath the surface of his mind. Calling to her wolf to finish the bonding. And her wolf, scratching at the surface of her mind, clamored for Tala to do it. To be with this man and this wolf and lock them together for all time. Tala was tempted. More than tempted to climb up Drew's body and seat herself over the heat of him. She was so aroused it hurt. Her core wet and slick, her breasts full and swollen, so tender and aching for his touch, her body thrummed with need unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She wanted. Oh, how she wanted to give in to it.

Drew could not stop. His body demanded the release Tala promised with her lips and tongue gliding over every inch of him. Her mouth was so warm, so soft, the gentle scrape of her teeth against the sensitive skin a heaven he'd never known before. The release he'd been trying so desperately to restrain held him under siege. Pleasure shot up from the tips of his toes to the top of his head, flowing through his whole body. His groin tightened. Hips bucking, he said words, nonsense mutterings whispered in desperation and joy. The suction of Tala's mouth and the pace increased. Her palms cupped his sack, cradling them in the warmth of her hands. The two hundred years he'd deprived himself this basic need welled within him and on gasps and shudders of pleasure shot into her mouth.

Drew was water. He was a cold stream, languidly flowing over rock on its way to the ocean. He dropped to his knees, unable to support his weight any longer. His wolf howled in his head to complete this mating. To give them what they both had found in this female. She was his other half. And he'd waited so very long to find her. Their limbs tangled in the blankets and around each other. Drew rested his head on her shoulder, bathing Tala with his scent and the dampness of the sweat off his brow. He buried his nose in the thickness of her hair, inhaling the scent of her desire. She lifted her chin to grant him better access to her neck. Giving him silent permission to taste her. But, that wasn't what he wanted. It wasn't what he needed. Cradling her to him, he held her for the longest time. And he knew then, the vampire in him craved her blood. The wolf in him craved her wolf. But, the man in him just craved her. And it was the man's needs, his needs he was content to satisfy.

Tala savored the salty taste of him on her tongue. Licking her lips, she lapped up the lingering remains of his release. Drew's body was pure heat. He clung to her, rocking her in his arms. His fingers worked through the thickness of her hair. Pulling her onto his lap, he cradled her. His erection, so hard and thick, pressed against her softness, presenting temptation. The warmth of his lips traced a path down her neck, pausing to nuzzle the sensitive spot behind her ear. Tala sighed happily and lifted her chin, offering him her throat. He didn't make a move to bite her as she assumed he would. Drew continued showering her with kisses. Soft, gentle, almost reverent passes of his lips over her neck, her cheeks, the tip of her nose, and then finally, her lips.

Drew tasted the salty essence of his release on Tala's lips. And it was the most decadent thing he'd ever tasted. More treasured to him than the blood that flowed through her veins. His woman wanted. Her wolf wanted. The scent of it was an aphrodisiac that sent his pulse racing, his cock stiffening, and his blood boiling. He would not...could not leave her unsatisfied when she'd given him so much. Reluctantly rising to his feet, he pulled her onto hers and guided her into the steamy warmth of the shower.

Tala's toes curled in delight as the hot water sluiced over her skin. Drew was careful, his touch light. Working the soapy washcloth over her skin to wash the muddy debris from her body. He cradled her back to his front, the hard length of him pressing against her bottom. He lathered up her hair with fragrant shampoo and painstakingly cleansed each and every strand before rinsing the bubbles over her shoulders. Working conditioner through the length, he massaged her scalp with tender strokes of his fingertips.

Tala had never been so pampered. Once he was certain he'd rinsed her hair thoroughly, he crouched on his knees and lifted her foot, running the washcloth between her toes and over the sole of first one foot and then the other. Slowly, he washed his way up her calves to her thighs, making swirling, tantalizing passes with the washcloth to the center of her. Tala gasped at the warmth and the slipperiness of the bubbles swabbing against the sensitive flesh. Gripping onto Drew's shoulder to keep her balance, she gave herself over to the sensation.

Drew tilted his chin and kissed Tala's wrist. The pulse beat wildly against his lips. Determined to make her feel good, to tantalize and torture, he wrung out the washcloth and rinsed all the bubbles away with gentle passes of his fingers. Her nails dug into his shoulders, scraping against his flesh. He placed a hand on the hard jut of her hip to still her bucking motions. Crouched on his knees at her feet, taking such tender care of her, he explored her depths. Spreading her wide with his fingers to flick his tongue over her swollen nub. The thick, dark thatch at the center of her sleek tickled his cheeks. And her taste, so sweet and clean, was thick on the tip of his tongue. He was merciful. Using light brushes of his fingertips, slow, languid swabs of his tongue, and gentle pressure from his lips, he brought her there and let her tumble over the edge.