Page 46 of Bewitched by the Werewolf (The Bewitching Hour #5)

Six. That’s how many orgasms Ryder forces from me before his knot finally slips free from my aching pussy.

Gushing amounts of sticky cum leak from between my legs and I’m too well fucked and sated to care right now.

I laid sprawled across Ryder’s chest half asleep and completely unable to move, my skin sticky with sweat.

Ryder’s lips press lazy kisses along my throat, his tongue licking at the salty skin.

Even after everything we’ve done the touch sends currents of want and desire through my body.

I have very little desire to have sex again, but there’s something about his lips and tongue tracing paths up the column of my neck.

When he nips gently with his teeth, I hum at the pleasant sensation.

He seems to have a fascination with that particular spot, and I seem to reciprocate the feeling.

Small goosebumps appearing on my heated flesh as he continues his lazy exploration and concurring of me.

The moon above has completely shifted to red above us as I force my eyes open to get a better look.

I’ve never seen such a sight before. Through a break in the trees, I can perfectly see the tinted full moon.

Clear skies open and welcoming to the red glowing orb.

Everything the light touches is bathed in red.

The leaves and grass, our skin. I imagine if a person were to actually see red , this is what it would look like. It’s much prettier than I expected.

“So, what happens now? We sleep out here like wild animals and bath in a stream, eating berries?”

Ryder chuckles and his whole chest shakes beneath me. I’m a limp noodle on his broad body, my fingers brushing through his chest hair that tickles my cheek.

“Not even close. Now we go back to the house, eat and drink and when I’m eventually forced by one of my family, socialize.”

“You’re not big on group gatherings I take it?”

“Not really.” He quiets for a moment before speaking again, this time more softly. “It’s something I should work on. It began because of my belief that others were safer if separated from me. You’ve managed to convince me, I may have been wrong.”

I scoff and manage to force my head to lift and press my chin to his bare chest, looking up at him as he stares up at the blood moon above. Those silver eyes of his still glimmering in the red light like beacons, our scents mingled and mixed all around us.

“Don’t become all social on my behalf. I’m more of a solitary individual myself. Though perhaps I became that way through necessity as well.”

We’re both silent for a few minutes, contemplating the strange similarities our different lives have to one another. Both stemming from the same shared event in our past.

“Perhaps it’s something we both need to work on,” I suggest softly in the quiet of the forest.

“Perhaps.”

“Maybe, we could start with a few people and move up from there?”

He nods, still watching the moon and tracing patterns across my skin with his large fingers. I watch him as we lay there. Wondering what it would be like, dating a shifter. Images of domesticity flash through my mind, mixed with a healthy dose of sass, sex and happiness.

My future has never appeared appealing to me. Filled with more of the same and not much else. Loneliness, isolation, and disappointment. For the first time in years, I’m optimistic about what’s to come. That is if I make the choice to change. To try something…else. I think I could.

My stomach gurgles and growls loud enough for us both to hear, making sure I can’t ignore it. I didn’t each much before I met with Ryder. Too nervous to keep anything down. Ryder glares down at me and my stomach, scowling.

“When was the last time you ate?” he demands.

“I don’t know. Lunch maybe.”

“That is unacceptable.”

In one swift motion, Ryder stands and lifts me in his arms. I’m still completely naked, as is he. I kind of like the feeling and freedom of being nude in the wild.

“I must make sure my woman is well fed, so she is strong enough to try to outrun me again.”

“Hey, I almost had you,” I argue.

“No, you didn’t.”

Okay he’s probably right, there was no way I was outrunning him in his true form. “Next time don’t shift, then we’ll see who’s the faster.”

His eyes alight at the challenge. I just inadvertently promised him another chase through the woods. Which means I’d have to stay for longer to fulfill that promise.

“Fine, but you still won’t outrun me, Red.”

He begins to walk, still carrying me, I assume back to the house.

“Wait, my clothes.”

He stops and looks around the forest floor. When he spots the material, he crouches to scoop them up including my boots and knife. He doesn’t set me down so I can dress though.

“You know this would be easier if I were standing, on the ground, not in your arms.”

“You can get dressed when we get closer to the house. We have cleaning stations set up in the perimeter of the woods with towels and water. We’ll clean up some before you get dressed again. Plus, I like holding you naked.”

I wiggle in his hold and realize washing up a little might be a good idea. There’s a mess of stickiness between my thighs and grass stuck to my ass, I cringe at the thought of putting on my pants over it.

When we get close enough to the house to see lights in the distance, Ryder walks parallel to the house until we come across a small makeshift cleaning area.

Clean towels are stacked in a box along with bottles of water.

There’s a laundry bag for the used towels, and a trash can nearby filled with not just empty water bottles, but what looks like torn and dirty clothing.

Ryder spots me eying it suspiciously. “Some shifters get a little excited about the shift and forget to remove their clothing first. I went through a lot of shirts in my youth.”

“Speaking of clothing. Where are yours?” I ask, now eying his nude body. His muscles tight and solid, a thin sheen of sweat still clinging to them. “Not that I’m complaining.”

The corner of his mouth tilts with a sultry grin and a slightly mischievous look. “Back in the yard.”

“You’re just going to walk out there, butt naked?”

“Yup. Worried other females will see me?”

Now that he mentions it. I wasn’t before, but now I am.

He’s an attractive man with an impressive package.

I’m sure there are many who would love to gawk at his body, not just females.

I cross my arms over my bare breasts, because he destroyed my bra.

I guess I hadn’t considered how I was going to get dressed either.

I managed to slip back into my pants after washing up our mess but completely forgot about my lack of top.

“Are you worried other males will see me?” I counter. The playful smirk vanishes from his lips and his eyes dart down to my bare torso, a small growl emanating from him.

“You wait here. I’ll go grab our clothes.” He grumbles. He doesn’t wait for me to argue or agree, he also doesn’t cover himself up. Walking tall and proud out of the cover of the trees and into the backyard, half hard dick swaying between his thighs.

I venture closer to the edge and spot many other naked people wandering out of the forest. Nudity must be a normal thing among shifters.

Since no one cries out in surprise or embarrassment.

I watch Ryder scoop up his pants and slip them on before grabbing the rest of our clothes and bringing them back to me.

~

The food tables are overflowing with all kinds of dishes. Pastas, salads, nachos, burgers, steak. Lots and lots of steak. Go figure, wolf shifters like steak. Ryder makes sure I fill up my plate and eat it all. It’s all good and I’m not going to complain when forced to eat free homemade food.

I’ve just placed my plate in a bin to be washed—because they’re more environmentally conscious than green peace—when a tall, beautiful, and impeccably dressed woman with long auburn hair approaches us. She eyes me dubiously and I prickle at the judgement in her glare.

“So, you’re Tess,” she says in way of greeting.

Well hello to you too.

“And you would be?” I snark back with just as much attitude as she gave me. I’m not easily intimidated, and I have a knife in my boot.

With one raised manicured eyebrow she snips back. “Ginger.”

We appraise each other in that way woman always do.

Taking in the others appearance and ranking our ability to take the other one out, either with words or fists.

In our case I think we would be evenly matched in both.

A small flicker of approval mixed with my reflexive defensiveness.

I’ve dealt with many a mean girl in my day, one more won’t be an issue.

Though when Ryder sighs and steps up to my side, Ginger’s scowl softens.

Which makes me like her a little less. Ryder’s mine, she can’t have him.

“Retract your claws, Ginger. Tess this is my younger and mostly annoying sister, Ginger. She knows all about you and what you do.” He adds quietly.

“Oh.” A range of emotions rolodexes through me and I can’t decide which one I should settle on. Defensive and alert, suspicious and polite, calm and friendly? I like that he told his sister about me but also am concerned she may have judged me already if she knows I’m a werewolf hunter.

Ginger sniffs the air and her eyes widen on Ryder, then shift between me and him. Fucking non-humans and their superhuman sense of smell.

“So that’s how it is. I didn’t realize,” she says, more to her brother than me. He shrugs and grunts, which apparently, she understands because she hums and her expressions shifts back to something more composed but intrigued.

“Uh, it’s nice to meet you,” I attempt a pleasantry, because I’m pretty sure that’s what you’re supposed to do when introduced to a family member of the guy you’re sleeping with. I extend out a hand and Ginger’s nose immediately recoils at it.

“No offense, but I don’t want to smell like my brothers jizz.” Her hands remain firmly around her drink as she eyes my hand as if it were dripping sticky white evidence of what we did in the forest.

I look at my hand wondering if I missed a spot when washing them. They look clean to me.

“Scent lingers on the skin for a long time, even after washing,” Ryder helpfully whispers in my ear. “But my sister is being overly vulgar for no reason,” he says louder this time, so it’s obvious he wants her to hear.

“What? I was just being honest,” Ginger retorts, but grins teasingly at him.

A little embarrassed I tuck my hand into my back pocket so as not offend any others with my obvious lack of non-human etiquette.

I don’t let it show on my expression and stand taller next to Ryder.

I may have blundered the first impression introduction, but hopefully I can redeem myself.

I want his friends and family to like me.

“You can lay off the attitude now Ginger. Tess knows all about us and Snowberry and has no intention of exposing either. Do you Tess?”

I should probably be mad about him speaking for me, but he’s right. I don’t plan on exposing any of this or them. I hadn’t said in words out loud yet, but somehow, he still knew.

“No, I don’t.”

“And what about your website?” Ginger immediately asks, her eyebrow raising accusingly. I guess it should be no surprise she knows about my website if she knows what I am. What I was. Because there’s no way I can continue being a werewolf hunter after this.

“You know I was actually considering taking it down. I think it’s time for me to find something else to do.”

Both Ryder and Ginger watch me with surprised and hopeful expressions. Ginger more suspicious than Ryder but I can tell she’s starting to soften towards me.

“Really? Like what?”

“Umm…I haven’t figure that out yet. I’d probably make a good P.I.

” Then a strange idea pops into my head, one I hadn’t thought of before, but now faced with the possibility it kind of makes sense.

“Or perhaps I could apply for your sheriff’s department.

The law around here seems a little lax. I think it could use a little help. ”

I watch Ryder from the corner of my eye, giving him a taunting look. I’m teasing him of course for spending all his time following me around town but am also serious. With my skill set and knowledge I could be a decent deputy.

“I’ll think about it.” Ryder looks down at me and grins softly. “But you do know that means you’ll have to stay here?”

“Yeah, well, sacrifices will be made,” I joke.

“So, you’re just going to give up on your hunting and remove everything from online?

” Ginger’s honest and concerned tone forces me to stop teasing with Ryder and turn to his sister.

She wants to make sure I’m not lying, that I mean what I’m saying.

I do mean it. Even the part about becoming a small down deputy to a town of non-humans.

“Yes,” I answer just as honestly. “I was already considering a change in careers before I came here. Now I know what I need to do.”

Ginger lets out a slow breath and gives me her first genuine smile. “Well then, if there’s anything you need from me, I’d be glad to help. I can take down your site in seconds if you like.”

My brow furrows and I don’t really know what she means by that. She notices my confusion and elaborates.

“I’m the resident hacker. I make sure nothing makes its way on to the web about Snowberry or non-humans.”

“You’re the reason I couldn’t find it on any map?”

“That’s right. As soon as you settled in town, Ryder came to me to do a background check on you.

We found your site easy enough. I was surprised though when you hadn’t posted anything specific about us.

As a matter of fact, I haven’t seen any activity on your page in over a week.

I take it I have my brother to thank for that? ”

She raises a brow at Ryder who again just grunts in acknowledgement. Is this really how he interacts with people? I remember what he told me in the woods before we headed back and elbow him in the ribs, giving him a speak real words look. He clears his throat and manages an answer.

“Yes.”

We’re going to have to work on that.

“Well then,” Ginger’s tone changes to one of friendly joviality, now that she knows I’m not the enemy. “Why don’t I introduce you to our other newest human resident and my new sister-in-law.”

Ginger extends out an arm to direct me but doesn’t touch me. I probably smell like Ryder cum over my entire body. That’s going to take some getting used to, because if I’m staying, I plan on having a lot more sex with Ryder.

“Sure. Sounds great.”

And that’s how I’m formally introduced to Lottie, AKA Alexandria. The once pop star now turned shifter mate and town local. We don’t discuss her past or mine, and I kind of like it that way.