The Fall of the Wolf Ch. 07

It seemed like only moments later when Rafe heard the sound of birds chirping outside the window. He drowsily cracked open his lids, grumbling at the bright sunlight filling the room. When he attempted to stretch, he came fully awake with a jerk.

Rafe frowned as he realized that his arms were pulled up, with one on either side of his head and tied securely to the headboard. His wrists had been bound with strips of sturdy red velvet that looked suspiciously as if they had been ripped from the riding habit Eleta had worn the previous day. Rafe gave a frustrated snarl and tried to sit up, only to discover that his feet had also been tied to the posts at the foot of the bed. He let out an enraged roar that shook the glass in the windows. He struggled like a crazed beast, pulling and twisting until he grew weary and was panting from his efforts. The massive bed frame never wobbled, and the cloth would not give the slightest inch.

He threw back his head and bellowed at the top of his lungs. "Eleta!"

The sound of his roar echoed from the high ceiling. The door opened, and Eleta appeared immediately as if she had been waiting just outside for his summons. She breezed into the room and gave him a smile that was as dazzling as the sun streaming through the windows.

"Good morning, Rafe," she said cheerily. She was carrying a tray, and she carefully set it on the dining table before turning back to him as if nothing was amiss. "Would you care for some breakfast?"

Eleta was once again dressed in the lavender silk robe, and with the sunlight behind her, no detail was withheld from his regard. "Untie me," Rafe growled ominously, keeping his gaze trained steadfastly on her face.

Eleta lifted a dish from the tray and brought it to the bed. "I am afraid I cannot do that." She climbed onto the bed beside him and sat looking down at him. Her breasts hung suspended just above him, reminiscent of the ripest and sweetest fruit. Once again, her erect nipples reminded him of juicy raspberries, and he longed to suckle them as he had the night before. Noticing the direction of his stare, she smiled knowingly.

"Here, have a bite to eat." Eleta lifted a piece of sausage in her fingers and bent down as she offered it to him. He could see all the way down to her navel through her gaping robe. His cock leaped, and he gave another frustrated groan.

Rafe jerked his face away, once again straining against his bonds. "Untie me, woman!"

He kicked and pulled, twisted and bucked, snarling furiously as he tried to work himself free. All manner of curses were hurled at her while he fought against the restraints. The tendons in his arms and neck stood out as he strained, but the velvet straps held firm against his struggles. Eleta watched him while she chewed on the meat he had refused. She appeared unconcerned by his anger, and she nibbled bites of fruit, bread and cheese as she waited patiently for him to tire. At long last, he lay panting, coated with a layer of sweat from his exertions.

Rafe fixed her with his most ominous frown. Most others, be they male or female, would have quaked beneath such a scowl. "Untie me!"

Eleta merely sighed as if greatly saddened by his frustration. "As I said, I cannot do that. Now, come Rafe, you must eat." She offered him another bite, along with yet another enticing glimpse down her robe. Her nipples peeked out at him as if they were begging for his attention.

Rafe gave a roar of anger and jerked his face away from her offering. "I am not some animal to be chained and fed at your whim. Untie me, woman, or so help me, I'll...I'll..." His mind raced as he tried to think of something to threaten her with. His gaze returned to her breasts against his will, and he groaned with lust.

"You'll what?" she goaded. "You'll ravish me?" Eleta gave a throaty chuckle and turned aside to set the plate on the table beside the bed, withdrawing her offering of both the food and the view.

She retrieved a pair of scissors. When she turned back to him, Rafe thought for a moment that she would cut the ties that bound him, and he was shocked to feel a tiny stab of disappointment. Perhaps it had all been a game to prove some point. Instead, she straddled his hips and ran the tip of her finger down his chest as she held his gaze. When she spoke, her voice had dropped to a husky purr.

"You don't understand, Rafe. I mean to have you, whatever it takes. I won't be denied."

Hot blood pounded through his loins, and he struggled to draw a breath as he stared at her. The fear he had felt of losing control before was nothing compared to the terror he felt now. If he didn't escape before she carried out her threat, he knew that their course would be permanently altered. She was betrothed to another man and seemed to think this would be just a temporary affair. Rafe knew better. Once they crossed this bridge, it would be burnt to cinders behind them. He already knew she was different than every other woman he had known. God help him if she ever discovered the true power she wielded over him.

He tried one last time to get free, twisting and pulling against the velvet straps. He bucked and reared, trying to force her to get off him, but she hung on, grinning at his vain efforts.

"Damn it woman, untie me," he demanded again. Even he could hear the desperation in his voice.

Eleta waited until he had subsided once more, then she held the tail of his shirt and began to cut the fabric. The scissors were cool as they slid along his belly, and he flinched but otherwise lay frozen in horror. When she had cut all the way up through the neckline of his shirt, she spread the two halves wide and hummed with satisfaction. He held his breath as her eyes greedily roamed over his chest and abdomen. She spread her palms and kneaded the broad expanse, sighing as she traced each ridged muscle and tiny scar. She could feel his heart pounding beneath his breast. Her fingers found his nipples, and she toyed with them. He was absolutely magnificent!

Rafe released a strangled moan, and she chuckled. The husky sound went straight to his loins. Her eyes met his, and she continued to tease the sensitive nubs as she watched his eyes darken with passion. Her finger once again traced a path on his skin, but this time, it followed the line of dark hair trailing over his lower belly toward his groin. Her eyes met his once again, and there was a mischievous glint in the sherry colored depths. When she picked up the scissors, his breath was coming in ragged gasps.

Eleta cut through both sleeves and pulled the tattered remains of his shirt from beneath him, then tossed it on the floor. She paused to survey her handiwork with a satisfied grin. She traced each sinew of his muscled arms and wide shoulders. Her hands were delightfully warm, and they kneaded and caressed as they explored his body with obvious delight. She bent and pressed her nose against his heated flesh. His body gave off a pleasant odor of sweat and clean male muskiness, and she inhaled it deeply. Using her tongue, she followed the path her hands had taken earlier, finding and suckling his sensitive nipples.

"Dear God, woman. I can't take any more of your torture," he gasped as he tried to flinch away from her mouth. "Untie me!"

She chuckled darkly and continued her naughty play. "I'm only getting started, my pet." Her eyes met his, and she gave him a mischievous grin. "It's not every day that a woman has a wolf caught in her trap. I intend to take full advantage of your captivity."

Rafe moaned and tensed beneath her. He lifted his head and strained his neck to watch her as she licked and nipped his sensitive flesh. Every sweep of her fiery little tongue sent another jolt of hot blood pounding through his loins. His erection was so swollen he could hardly bear it, and he gritted his teeth to keep from crying out in pain. It was the sweetest torment imaginable. Not to mention being tied up and completely at her mercy. That was the most erotic experience he had ever had. Rafe knew the battle was lost. Even if she freed him now, there was no way he would have the strength to walk away.

Eleta was having a hard time maintaining her own composure. She could feel the hard ridge of his arousal beneath her. With her straddling his hips, the lower half of her robe had parted and only the cloth of his breeches stood between them. She could feel the pulse of his shaft, and even through the soft wool of his trousers, the heat of it branded her. Her own breath quickened at the thought that he would soon be inside her, and her womb tightened in anticipation. She felt empty and hungry, and she knew the only thing that would satisfy her hunger was to take him deep inside where she felt her emptiness most keenly. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and slid backward until she knelt between his knees.

Eleta managed to snare Rafe's gaze, and she held it as she traced one finger along the swollen ridge of his erection. She flashed him a seductive smile and raised one elegant brow. She dropped her eyelids, giving him a coy glance as she ran that same finger inside the waistband of his breeches.

"You don't need these anymore, my wolf. Shall I remove them for you?"

She wasn't really asking. Rafe knew it would be useless to object, so he maintained his silence. In truth, he had stopped wanting her to cease. He held his breath as she cut his breeches down the outside of first one leg and then the other. When she had finished, she laid the scissors on the table and met his eye once more.

Their gazes locked as several passion fraught moments passed. Even though Eleta planned to proceed regardless, she really wanted Rafe's consent. Both pairs of eyes smoldered with desire. Both chests were trembling from the strength of their pounding hearts. Both of them were breathing in shallow pants. Both of them knew there would be no turning back once this final barrier was removed. Once again, she raised one brow, this time in question. She held her breath to see if he would protest, but he simply waited as the moments dragged on. He couldn't bring himself to admit aloud that she had defeated him. Eleta took his silence as mute consent. When she reached for the fabric at last, Rafe released his breath on a heady sigh of relief.

Rafe watched her face as she gently peeled back the ruined breeches and tossed them aside. A light blush tinged her cheeks, and her mouth rounded into a surprised O. He shivered from the heat of her stare. It was all he could do to remain still while she examined him for the first time. He was aching to feel her hands on him. He would have sold his soul to be able to roll her beneath him at that moment.

Eleta was both fascinated and terrified. She had never seen such a magnificent erection, and she began to doubt that it would fit inside her without significant discomfort if not outright pain. Nor had she ever had the opportunity to actually touch a live man's cock. She realized that seeing pictures and watching while others fornicated had not totally prepared her for this moment. Still, knowing that Rafe was fully aroused and completely under her power left her feeling slightly light headed with exhilaration. She unconsciously licked her lips, and was surprised to hear Rafe give a pained groan.

She met his eyes once more and realized he had been watching her face the whole time. The fact that he cared about her reaction pleased her immensely. Knowing he wanted her gave her a huge boost of confidence. Her lips turned upward into a most beguiling smile. Just knowing that he wanted her wasn't enough though. She wanted him to burn for her. It was time to fan the flames of his desire even higher.

"It's not fair for you to be the only one who is naked," she murmured huskily. She reached for the belt holding her robe in place but did not untie it. "Shall I get rid of this?"

She arched her brow in question once more. This time, Rafe realized she would not disrobe unless he asked her to. She wanted his consent. Once he gave it, he could no longer claim he wasn't a willing participant. He swallowed hard and then nodded. Eleta rewarded him with a glowing smile.

Rafe watched in fascination as, ever so slowly, Eleta parted the front of her robe. Her hands seemed to move at a snail's pace, torturing him as they took eons to nudge the clinging silk over her ivory shoulders and down over the upper swells of her sumptuous breasts. He had seen her naked already, but he was surprisingly frantic to see her once again. Inch by inch, she revealed the lustrous orbs. Rafe's mouth began to water. Just when he thought the robe would finally reveal her treasures, she paused. He held his breath, praying for the flimsy silk to lose its tenuous hold over her nipples. Instead, the fabric hung suspended over those majestic peaks, clinging to the very tips of her breasts as if held there by magic. At long last, with the gentlest of tugs, it finally gave way, and Rafe sighed with relief as she let the robe slip all the way off her arms. The wispy garment fluttered unnoticed to the floor as Rafe devoured her with his eyes.

He was completely enthralled. He simply couldn't get enough of the sight of her. She was so different from all who had come before. The feelings she inspired were unlike any he had experienced. He had known lust, desire, passion...but he had never felt devotion, tenderness, vulnerability. He struggled to breathe as he devoured her with his eyes.

His reaction was everything that Eleta had hoped for. She gave a husky chuckle and caught her bottom lip in her small white teeth. It was her turn to sit perfectly still while his eyes roamed over her breasts, waist, hips and thatch of hair with obvious lust. Her skin flushed and her breasts swelled beneath his fiery gaze. Her nipples ached for his touch and she could feel her pulse racing, but she let the moments stretch out to enhance his pleasure. She had never felt such feminine power. It was intoxicating! Slick moisture began to drip down her inner thighs.

When his eyes finally met hers once more, they smoldered. Eleta made the flames erupt when she enfolded his throbbing cock in her small hand for the first time. She stroked his massive length, tracing the throbbing veins and running her thumb over the head. She marveled that something as firm as oak could be wrapped in skin softer than silk. Tiny drops of fluid leaked from the dimpled hole on the end and she caught them on her finger. She brought her finger to her lips and snared his gaze as she sucked the entire digit into her mouth. They both groaned, and she closed her eyes to savor his musky essence on her tongue.

"Eleta please! I'm losing my mind," he moaned softly.

Eleta set out to complete her conquest. Summoning all her knowledge, she crawled over him and straddled his waist. Her eyes dropped shut as she leaned down and kissed him. Rafe was helpless beneath the onslaught. As her tongue mated with his, he luxuriated in the feel of her draped atop him. Every inch of her heated velvety skin branded him. Her nipples were flaming hard nubs that rubbed tauntingly against his chest. Her scorching thighs straddled his waist, and her moist fiery sheath burned his belly. The scalding globes of her bottom rested on his painfully throbbing erection. Rafe felt as if the room were on fire and she were the source of the flames.

Their desires soared until they were both desperate. Breaking off from the kiss, Eleta sat up and snagged his gaze. He could see twinges of confusion in her beautiful sherry colored eyes.

"I want you inside me, but I'm frightened," she admitted in a shaky whisper. "Will it be painful?"

Seeing her so uncertain when she had previously been so bold made Rafe's heart melt. He felt a poignant wave of tenderness suffuse his chest. She had played the part of seductress so convincingly that he had completely forgotten that this was all new to her. He swallowed against the lump in his throat, and his voice was still thick with emotion when he answered her.

"There will be pain, my sweet. But it will be brief, and it will be followed only by pleasure. It will be pleasure like nothing you've ever known. I promise."

He gave her a smile of encouragement and was gratified to see her lips curve upward in answer. She nodded her acceptance of his statement, took a deep breath and lifted onto her knees, balancing above his shaft. When her small hand closed around him, he shuddered. She moistened the broad tip of his shaft in her molten heat and then hesitated. It was all he could do to keep from thrusting upward into her softness.

"Take it slowly," he instructed. He gasped and gritted his teeth as just the head of his cock slid into her slick channel. "Sweet merciful heaven," he ground out. He closed his eyes to savour the sensation."You are as wet as November and hotter than the flames of hell!"

Eleta surprised him with a throaty chuckle. "I take that to mean I should continue," she teased with an impish grin.

Rafe opened his eyes and glared at her. "I would say so, unless it is your intention to kill me."

His words were meant in jest, but they struck her straight in the heart. Her grin instantly vanished. Since the moment she had picked up the scissors, Eleta had forgotten all about her mission. She had been so caught up in enjoying their lovemaking that the harsh reminder came as a cruel shock.

Rafe noticed her abrupt change of mood, but he didn't know what had caused it. He watched the flow of emotions across her beautiful features. Once again, he wondered what secrets she was holding, but at the moment, there were more pressing matters. He rocked his hips very gently, nudging slightly deeper inside her and calling her attention back to the task at hand.

Eleta gasped and met his pointed stare. "Ah, yes," she breathed. "Sorry."

She tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth as she sank further down. Rafe saw her wince, and she hesitated, once again uncertain. She took a breath and let it out on a sigh as she sank lower with a little wiggle of adjustment. He wished his hands were free so he could guide her. Instead, he helped her with his soothing voice as she sank down yet another notch. Not even half of him was inside her, and he knew the hardest part was yet to come.

"That's it," he encouraged. He craned his neck and watched as another inch pressed inside her. Her pink outer lips were stretched to accommodate him, and he trembled with need. He fought a desperate battle to restrain his urge to plunge up into her forcefully. He had to let her take her time. He didn't want to cause more pain than absolutely necessary, but the slow pace of his penetration was torturous. His voice was a gravelly croak. "Keep going, love," he coaxed. Another inch disappeared. She was clenched so tightly around him, he could barely breathe. "Just a little more," he managed to groan. She sank down another inch, and he could feel the barrier of her maidenhead. His brow was coated in sweat when he met her worried gaze.

Rafe could read every emotion in Eleta's intriguing sherry colored eyes. Fear, pain, hesitation, determination, and uncertainty all mingled there in the glowing depths. In the end, the two emotions that decided the issue were passion and courage, and they spurred her onward. She took a deep breath, lifted slightly and then plunged downward over his shaft, shredding the thin barrier of her maidenhead in one fell stroke. She didn't stop until he was buried to the hilt inside her, and the tip of his broad staff butted against her womb. She gave a gasping sob of pain. He gave a heartfelt groan of relief. Their gazes locked and several moments passed with both of them remaining perfectly still except for their tortured breathing.

She was acutely aware of every solid inch of him filling her, stretching her, completing her. The look of wonder etched on her features was priceless, and Rafe knew he would never forget how she looked in that moment. His heart swelled with unexpected tenderness.