Page 16 of Midnight Hunt (Wolves of Midnight #4)

15

VIOLET

I was in pretty good shape, but the energy needed to heal my internal injuries had taken its toll on me.

Still, I was tenacious, and seeing Griff run for hours without faltering kept me going. It was sometime after midnight, the rain still beating on our heads and saturating our torn clothing, when my trembling legs finally gave out. I hit the sodden ground hard, further ripping my jeans and bruising my tired body.

Griff was immediately there to help me up, bearing most of my weight as I struggled to stand. One look at my face, and he said, “That’s it. You need a few hours of rest.”

“I can keep going,” I panted, tugging free only to stumble again.

Griff caught me before I could fall. “You’re dead on your feet, Vi. Even Sable can’t keep going.”

Sable softly whined in agreement, her energy linked to mine. She was beat and definitely needed a break.

“Fine,” I got out, still trying to catch my breath. “One hour.”

“Two,” Griff countered, his jaw set like stone. “If they catch up to us, you’ll need energy to fight them.”

Knowing he was right, I didn’t argue back. If we covered our tracks well enough, we should be able to buy ourselves a couple hours of uninterrupted rest. With that in mind, I started searching for a stream or other body of water that could help hide our scent. Griff followed suit, and a few minutes later, we found a stream deep enough to mask our trail. We traveled another mile or so upriver, planting false trails as we went, then began the painstaking process of seeking shelter.

My eyelids would barely stay open by the time Griff spotted a shallow cave just large enough to fit the two of us.

“It’s a tight fit,” he said, grabbing some nearby brush to camouflage the entrance, “but it’ll keep us dry.”

Dry. I’d almost forgotten what that felt like.

Minutes into our mad dash to escape, I’d decided to drop my bag. There hadn’t been anything important inside, but I regretted the decision now, simply for the fact that I really wanted to change out of this filthy outfit.

We’d shifted our legs back to our human ones, and both of our jeans were in tatters from the transformation. As Griff continued to collect foliage to hide our temporary bed, I started to unbutton my jeans. Hearing me struggle to remove the wet fabric, Griff whipped his head up to look at me.

“There’s no way I can sleep with this wet clothing on,” I explained, even though it was pretty obvious what I was doing. Still, I became hyper-aware of my half-naked state as Griff watched me undress.

Pretending not to care, I finished pulling off my pants, then shimmied out of my top. My shoes hadn’t survived the lengthy shift, unfortunately. I left my dark purple underwear on but felt entirely naked when I peeked up at Griff and found him still watching me.

Swallowing hard, I waved at him and said, “Your turn.”

He slowly blinked at me as if coming out of a trance. “Huh?”

“I’m not letting you sleep beside me with those clothes on. Off. Now.”

At the command, his eyes flashed bright yellow, and my breath caught.

Despite her exhaustion, Sable perked up in interest. You just turned him on. Both of them. They’ve always enjoyed being bossed around by their females .

Too flustered to contradict her words, I ducked into the cave to lay out my clothing in one corner. By the time I straightened and turned back around, Griff was already undressed. My eyes immediately dropped below his waist. Only for a split second, but long enough to see that he’d left on his boxer briefs, and . . .

His dick was rock hard.

I jerked my gaze back up but not quickly enough. When our eyes met, Griff’s irises were liquid gold again.

Sable snickered, making the situation ten times worse.

For goodness sake, get a grip , I grumbled to myself. He’s a virile male in his prime. Looking at himself in the mirror makes him hard. We’re just friends. Friends .

You aren’t with Reid anymore , Sable said, clearly listening to my private thoughts. It’s okay if you want to have sex with Griff again .

No, it’s not okay , I all but yelled at her, desperately trying not to think of the kiss Griff and I had shared earlier. Stop interfering, Sable. I’m confused enough as it is .

But if you would just —

Not letting her finish, I practically yanked Griff’s clothing from his hands and crouched to lay them next to mine. Unsure what to do next, I straightened and gestured at the cave. “Um, maybe you should go in first. There’s more room at the back.”

“Sure,” was all he said, then bent down and crawled inside.

Inhaling a calming breath, I crawled in after him.

Right away, I realized how cramped the space was. In order to keep dry, I’d have to be pressed up against him from head to toe.

Cozy , Sable purred.

Pursing my lips, I rolled over and scooted backward until my spine brushed his chest and torso. Realizing my legs were still getting wet from the rain, I bit back a frustrated sigh.

“Here,” Griff said and slid an arm around my middle to pull me tighter against him. As I felt his erection press into my backside, I tried not to stiffen. He maneuvered his other arm beneath my head to act as a pillow, which drew me that much closer to him. His warm breath feathered over the shell of my ear as he rumbled, “Is this okay?”

Fighting back a shiver, I simply nodded and closed my eyes.

After a few minutes, his warmth and scent filled the cramped space. I waited for my body to relax like it always did when he touched me, but the longer we were pressed together, the more my body buzzed with energy. I was still exhausted, but this was the kind of energy that didn’t care how tired you were. It was persistent. Demanding .

And entirely inappropriate.

Proving just how much it didn’t care, an unmistakable scent permeated the air. I silently cursed and squeezed my thighs shut, but the damage had already been done.

Griff stirred behind me, and my eyes popped back open.

“Can’t sleep?” he asked, a husky edge to his voice.

Ah, crap. He could definitely smell it.

“No,” I replied, cursing my stupid body for betraying me this way.

He was silent for a long while, so long that I didn’t think he would respond. What could he say anyway? It’s not like he was going to— “Do you need my help?”

Oh, hell no. He did not just ask that.

No, no, no, no, NO.

At the same time, Sable loudly howled, Yes, yes yes! She definitely needs your help! Oh, I’ve been longing for this. It’s finally happening. My girl is going to get some!

A scream built in my head, one that threatened to explode from me. Sable’s eagerness brought to mind Reid’s final words to me, which only served to arouse me more.

“It always felt like you were his.”

His.

Griff’s .

But I wasn’t his. I’d ended things between us last year for a reason.

Before I could remind myself of that reason, Griff added, “This doesn’t have to affect our friendship. I just want to help you sleep.”

Oh, God. I practically melted at his words, remembering all too well that he’d said something similar after he’d taken my virginity seven years ago.

“We’re family. That will never change.”

He just wanted to help me. Help. And I desperately. Desperately . Needed it.

At the thought of him touching me in that way, a way I hadn’t felt in so long, my mind emptied. Common sense fled me, and I nodded.

The second I did, a sound vibrated his chest. A growl. At how possessive it sounded, more arousal spiked through me. His arm around my middle lifted, and he flattened his hand over my stomach. As he splayed his fingers wide to span the entire length, my stomach went crazy with butterflies.

A breath stuttered out of me, and I curled my hands into fists.

Encouraged by my reaction, he slid his hand lower, making the butterflies flip and twirl until I thought I would be sick.

Friends. Childhood friends , I reminded myself as his fingers slipped inside my panties. Good friends. Really good friends. But we were just —

My lips parted in a silent moan as one of his fingers slid between my folds and found my aching clit. He pressed down, and I saw stars, my eyes rolling shut as bliss lit up my core. He started to rub my clit in tight circles, working it in a way that had me arching against him with a breathy gasp. His arm under my head bent and crossed over my chest, allowing him to slide a hand inside my bra and cup my breast.

I gasped again, placing my hand over his as he kneaded the sensitive flesh and coaxed the nipple to harden. When it peaked, he rolled it between his fingers and squeezed, making me see more stars.

“Griff,” I whimpered and reached down with my other hand to guide his movements, urging him to go faster.

“I know how to pleasure you, Violet Jane,” he breathed against my neck, nuzzling the spot that met my shoulder. “Let me do it.”

I quivered in his arms, wholly turned on by his gentle dominance, not to mention his confidence. He did know how to pleasure me. That wasn’t arrogance speaking. He’d always been an extremely attentive male, especially when it came to my pleasure, as if learning how to make my body sing was a passion project of his.

He slid his finger farther down and found my arousal, thoroughly coating the tip before pulling back up to rub my clit some more. At the added wetness, euphoria rushed through me, and I jerked against him with a groan. The action drove my backside against his erection, and he emitted a groan of his own, briefly pausing to press me hard against him.

The pressure of his entire hand against my core nearly made me come, and I stiffened all over. Sensing how close I was, Griff started to rub me again, this time at the pace I’d been hoping for. Struggling to breathe, I gripped both of his hands and trembled through the pleasurable onslaught, trying my best to keep silent. As I felt my orgasm begin to build, though, tiny breathless whimpers escaped my lips.

Griff rocked against me, his own breaths growing ragged. I felt his cock swell and knew that my pleasure was fueling his as it always had in the past. I didn’t even have to touch him—my pleasure alone got him off. More than pleased that his body still responded to mine in this way, I shuddered through the pleasure a few seconds more, then let it consume me.

Biting my lip to muffle my scream, I came against his fingers, losing myself to the sea of ecstasy. As I did, he jerked against me with a guttural groan, spilling his release inside his briefs. I rode the high for several long blissful moments, allowing Griff to keep his hands where they were. He cradled me to him, his ragged breaths keeping time with mine.

When we finally came down, I was nothing but contentment in his arms. Sable purred within me, relaxed and calm in a way she hadn’t been in a long time. Feeling a sense of peace settle over me, I easily drifted off to sleep.