Page 2

“Are you saying you want to have sex?” Nico’s gaze flashed to hers. “Because I’m not sure that’s a good idea, sweetheart. As much as I want you—as much as my dick might hurt right now—I won’t take advantage of you. Not after everything you’ve been through the last few weeks.”

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes and behind her nose. Of course, he wouldn't. Nico, for as much as he might appear to be a bad boy, he followed her uncle's rules to the T. He'd never do anything to jeopardize them. "Right. This is stupid. I shouldn't be here." Embarrassment swamped her. In all honesty, she didn't know why she ended up at his door. Going to the station would have been better. Kalkin could have helped her. Jace too. They'd make her shift to heal, and everything would be right as rain. "I'll go. This was a mistake."

“Little wolf...” The desperate way he said those words tugged at her. “Tell me what’s wrong so I can help you.”

If she knew, she’d tell him. She didn’t understand it herself. “It’s nothing. I’m fine. I’ll go back to school. You should be sleeping anyway.” She turned to face the door and placed her hand on the knob. “Could you move for a second, so I can go?”

Nico growled. “What have I told you about lying to me, little wolf?”

A shiver shot down her spine chased by a thrill. The longer she stood there, the more her pain morphed into something else completely. What she was supposed to call it, she didn’t know. But a sweet aroma assailed her, spurring on the thread of excitement. “I’m not lying. Besides, I should go. The school has probably called Kalkin by now or worse Jace.”

“Stop making excuses, Hayden.” Nico turned her to face him.

She lifted her chin in defiance, not willing to let him see how confused and anxious she was. “I’m telling the truth.” Hayden crossed her arms, trying with all her might to pull forth some of that Raferty intimidation her family was so famous for. “I need to go before this ends badly.”

Nico grinned, closing the distance between them. “You did come here for sex. Little wolf, are you giving me your virginity?” He tipped her chin up so their gazes clashed. She loved his brown eyes. Some days they were dark pools of the most beautiful shade of sierra. Other days they were gold, but right now, his body pressed to hers, the thickness of his erection press to her hip, his eyes were amber.

"No," she huffed, shaking off the spell he wove around them. "As you said, we shouldn't. I don't want to be taken advantage of." Low blow on her part, however, she also couldn't seem to shut her mouth either. "It's fine. I'll call Adam. He'll know what to do."

Rage flashed in Nico’s eyes before a coolness smothered the fire. “Little wolf, stop pushing me. You’re seventeen, and I’m twenty. We could get into serious trouble.”

She froze. He was right. She was pushing her luck being there. She needed to leave. “I’m sorry. I’m taking your choice away.” She closed her eyes. Warm wet drops slid down her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I need to go.”

“Hey...” Nico tugged her into his arms and pushed her backpack from her shoulders. “You’re not doing any of that. I’m fucked up in the head right now, Hayden.” He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. “Seeing you chained and naked, knowing full well if we hadn’t arrived when we did, what would happen to you. It fucked me up.” He carried her over to his couch and sat down with her in his lap. “I killed for you. I destroyed that hellhole for you.”

She knew. He didn’t have to remind her. Saying such only made her feel more guilty than she already did. “Nico I—”

“I wanted to fuck you that night,” he whispered against the shell of her ear. “Right there in the middle of the warehouse. I didn’t care if there was blood on the floor or if there were corpses littered around us. I wanted to bury my dick inside of you and claim you—cum deep inside you so you were marked by me and only me.”

She shivered, knocked speechless by his words. “I—”

“You weren’t ready for me then. I don’t think you’re ready for me now. Once I get a sample of your sweet little pussy, Hayden, I’ll want you every day. I’ll knot you during the full moon. I’ll fuck you like a wolf in heat. I’ll keep going until you’re pregnant carrying my pups.” His hold on her tightened.

A tingle of something foreign wiggled through her belly causing her to hurt even more. This time in a good way, if that was even possible. “I hurt.”

He nuzzled her ear again. “It’s called arousal, little wolf. You’re in a state of arousal. Your little pussy is creamy for me and only me. Your nipples want my mouth on them. This is why being here right now isn’t good for us. I won’t be able to control myself with you.”

She jerked in his arms. “What is it with everyone and control?” Her uncles, her fathers, even her aunts all talked about balance and controlling herself? Why should she? Why did any of them for that matter? She wasn’t human. She was a wolf. A Raferty wolf which meant more in the grand scheme of things. “I’m tired. I hurt. I don’t know what I want but being this close to you makes it all worse and all I want is to let go and forget about everything.” Her vision blurred as fresh tears began to flow. “You don’t understand me. No one does. You can’t possibly understand how I am feeling right now.”

He chuckled. The dark, rich tone had her peering up at him between her wet lashes. "Can't possibly understand? Oh, little wolf, that's where you're wrong." He took her hand in his and placed it against the front of his sweats. The thick length of his dick strained against the material and when she ran the pad of her thumb over the crest, a wet spot formed where she'd touched him. Nico hissed. "I am in the same boat as you, baby."

"I hate this," she muttered. "I hate that we are stuck this way." The first time he kissed her, she'd been sixteen. It'd happen so quickly and so unexpectantly, she sometimes wondered if it'd happened in her imagination. Since her first kiss, they'd shared several more in secret when no one was around. They were playing with fire, she knew that. She understood the rules, but couldn't they, for once, break them all?

He inhaled deeply and nodded. “Yes, I know. I feel the same way.” He flicked open the button on her jeans “Spread those pretty thighs for me.”

Hayden stared up at him. “Why?”

"Because I can't have you leaving here like this." He waited for her to do as he asked and when she did, he slid his hand down past the band of her panties. "Fuck you're soaked." With his free hand, he flicked off her shoes then ripped her jeans off without even trying. "How long have you been this way? Why didn't you get yourself off, little wolf?" Concern laced his words as he waited for her to answer.

She shrugged suddenly embarrassed by her state and the fact she hadn’t thought about masturbation. “I only thought of you.” Her lips barely moved as she spoke.

“Damn it, Hayden.” He growled again, this time the sexy rumble shot straight to her vagina and her clit. “You should be taking better care of yourself.”

She peered down at herself, the rainbow hue of molten bruises broken by Nico’s golden skin, did funny things to her lower belly. Butterflies battered her insides while a wriggle of excitement spread through her. “I can’t.”

Nico shoved her panties out of the way and slid his fingers along her slit. Her hips rose off his lap and a strange keening fell from her lips. It was as if a thousand volts of electricity shot through her body and instead of it causing pain, she felt good. Really good. “What do you mean, you can’t? I thought Adam was your little toy?”

She frowned. She hated what she'd done the previous year to make Nico jealous. Adam was an omega in the pack. He didn't have many friends and because he'd been so shy and quiet, like her, she'd used his kindness. She began experimenting with him hoping to learn all of the different, crazy techniques adults used for sex, so she, in the future, could please Nico. However, when he tried to reciprocate, nothing happened. It didn't feel good. Hell, she could officially say, she never felt the bolt of lightning as she had with Nico. "He couldn't either."