Page 8

C alliope opened her eyes and stared up at the morning sky.

It was so strange to be looking at the sky, the sunshine.

In the back of her mind, she felt like something should be happening, or she should be panicking.

Then, just as quickly as she woke up, the events of the previous morning came rushing back to her.

Sitting up so suddenly, she didn’t realize Jaxson had been wrapped around her. Her arm felt fine, as did her ankle. She quickly pulled the makeshift bandage off her arm and then her leg, and sure enough, it was gone. There was not even a scar.

She had woken Jaxson up in her haste, and the moment he grabbed her arm and her ankle, he looked at her and then laughed. This was cause for celebration. He reached out, cupped her face, and then kissed her. This felt good. This felt real. She couldn’t believe how close she had come.

“You’re alive,” he said.

She chuckled. “Yeah, yeah, I am.”

And his kisses were so damn magical.

This was what happened in their game. She got bit by a wolf, and then nearly died. His kisses brought her back to life, and last night Jaxson had held her, kissed her, loved her. She loved him so damn much, and she had been so afraid this was the end.

Staring into his blue eyes, she knew she was never going to take him for granted. “This game, it’s ... scary.”

He nodded and then pressed his head against hers. “I don’t want to lose you.”

She didn’t want to get lost.

Going to her knees, she pressed her body against his.

He always smelled like the woods, so masculine and potent, but in every way that was good.

She loved the smell of him. She had missed being this close to him.

This was home. This was where she wanted to be.

Then, she became aware of the fact he was very naked.

“Still no clothes?” she asked.

“None, and they haven’t replaced your top either.”

She glanced down at her chest and saw there was no top. “Do we think this is where they are going to start interfering?” She smiled at him. Jaxson was completely naked, and she was, well, not naked, but had on some clothes.

“I wonder if we’re being missed.”

Calliope tried not to look down at his naked body, but that was proving to be difficult. She wanted to look at him. She wanted to see him. This was going to be impossible.

“You know, to be a good sport, you could get as naked as me,” he said.

This made her eyes go wide. “You’re asking me to get naked?”

“I’m asking you to get as naked as me. I hope that is not a problem.”

It was only fair, she got that, but she had never been naked in front of anyone. Glancing down at her body, she couldn’t help but feel nervous. “What if you don’t like what you see?” She was so tempted to cover her body, but that would make him aware of how nervous she was.

“That’s not possible,” Jaxson said. “I’m going to like everything I see. I’m going to love every single part of you.”

She lifted her gaze and looked him straight in the eye, and it was like she didn’t even know why she doubted him.

Nodding her head, she got to her feet. She wasn’t even a little unsteady.

She felt fine. Better than fine. Stepping behind a tree, she didn’t even know why she was bothering with modesty.

What was the point? She was going to get naked and Jaxson was already naked.

If he hated her, then they might as well call it quits right now.

Removing her pants, followed by her lingerie, she looked down at her body, and she clenched her hands into fists. She kept telling herself it was going to be okay.

How did they get to this point? Was it her nearly dying last night? Had she even been close to death?

She took a deep breath and felt a little sick, but then something came over her, and she squared her shoulders and stepped out from beyond the tree line.

Jaxson had his back to her, and she nearly freaked out, only she stepped on some kind of magical twig that seemed to echo throughout the forest, alerting him to her presence.

The moment he turned around to look at her, she couldn’t help placing her hands over her breasts and pussy. No matter what she did, this was not going to give her enough modesty.

“Calliope?” he asked.

“Uh, okay, I don’t know if this is as good an idea as we thought.”

“I’m still naked, so The Hunt must think it is a good idea.”

“The Hunt is terrible. We nearly died and it’s bringing our past ... games to life. No one trusts a child, not with these kinds of things.”

Jaxson chuckled. “You’re nervous. I get that. But look at me. Even after all we’ve been through, I’m comfortable being naked around you.”

“I thought wolves were supposed to be comfortable around everyone?” she asked.

“We are, but that doesn’t mean I am, and the truth is, Calliope, this is the most comfortable I’ve been in my skin in a very long time, and you’re the one that makes me feel this way. No one else.”

Okay, that was freaking cute. She couldn’t help it. Then, looking across the short distance between them, she was once again captured by his gaze. So shockingly blue. So stunning. She didn’t want to look away.

And then, something just swept over her. She didn’t quite know what it was, but it was such a force that she had no choice but to lower her hands. All she wanted to do was look at him all day and all night long.

The moment she lowered her hands, Jaxson’s gaze traveled down her body. She clenched her hands into fists as she refused to cover herself. His own hands were by his side, and that was when she noticed something was changing. It wasn’t even subtle.

Jaxson stared at her, and she saw he was getting aroused. His cock was starting to thicken, and she couldn’t help but nibble her lip as she watched. There was no way for her look away as she was positively mesmerized. Jaxson was aroused by her.

She didn’t know who took the first step, only one moment, neither of them was moving, and the next, they were.

They came together in a fiery kiss—one that sent her heart racing.

She didn’t want him to stop. The power of that kiss was everything.

This is what they had been missing their whole lives—each other.

Somewhere along the way, they got lost, but now she knew they were finding each other.

****

T his was his dream come true. Calliope in his arms, kissing her, loving her, feeling her naked body pressed against his own. He loved her full tits, how her thighs were nice, thick, and juicy, and her hips were going to be able to take the force of his grip.

Running his hands up her back, capturing her neck, and then sliding down her body, he stroked her and didn’t want to let go.

The kiss sent a shockwave of pleasure rushing through his whole body. His cock was not going down. Calliope let out a little gasp, and he broke the kiss.

“That was unexpected,” she said.

“You’re everything,” he said.

She cupped his face and kissed him again.

He slid one of his hands down from the back of her neck, and he couldn’t help himself.

He went straight for her curvy ass. Giving the plump flesh a squeeze, he ran his other hand down so he had both cheeks of her ass within his grasp.

He pulled her in close, and his cock was so close, pressing against her stomach.

She arched against him, and he broke the kiss long enough to trail his lips down her body. She moaned.

And he felt his cock already leaking pre-cum, and he felt a need to be inside her, to fill her, to mate her. This was powerful. Calliope awakened that feeling in him, and there was no turning back.

“Please,” she said.

Jaxson didn’t stop as he trailed his lips down her body, and when he got to her tits, they were like a dream come true. He’d been waiting all his life for this very moment, and he wasn’t about to let it pass.

Cupping them within his palms, he massaged them, pushed them together, getting his fill of the beauty of her tits. Then, he took one plump nipple into his mouth and heard her soft, subtle cry. There was no pain coming from her. Just pleasure at what he was doing. He groaned.

Sliding his tongue between the valley of her tits, he moved to the other nipple. Alternating between each breast, he devoted time to each, sucking. Thrashing his tongue back and forth across the hardened peak before taking it into his mouth.

“I want to touch you,” Calliope said.

Jaxson pressed a kiss to each of her nipples, and then he stood. He was within touching distance. All she had to do was reach out, and he’d be in her hands.

She stroked one hand down his body. It felt so damn good to finally have her hands on him.

There had been so many nights he had lain awake, thinking of Calliope.

Even when he said some of the nasty shit he had said to her, or ignored her.

Jaxson didn’t know what was worse—completely ignoring her, as if she meant nothing, or saying nasty shit to her. Both were just as bad.

She got to his stomach and then started to reach lower.

He couldn’t help holding his breath. So many nights, he’d wondered what it would be like to have her hands on him.

He wasn’t prepared for the moment she wrapped her fingers around his cock.

He reached for her, putting his hands on her shoulders, holding onto her, not wanting to let go.

She was everything, just as he knew she would be.

He’d wasted so much time being so fucking proud. He’d been mean and cruel, and pushed his best friend aside. Only, that wasn’t the worst thing he’d done. He nearly lost his mate, and that was incomprehensible. The very thought of losing her didn’t compute with his brain.

Staring into her eyes, he ran his hand down her body, stroking across her hip, sliding over her stomach, then straight toward the juncture of her thighs. Neither of them looked away. They both stared into each other’s eyes.

Calliope began to touch him, and he touched her pussy. Sliding a finger between her slit, he found her clit. She let out a gasp, and he leaned in close, swallowing it.

He didn’t explore her pussy, but stayed focused on her tight bud. Calliope started to work from the tip of his cock, down to the base, then back up again. Up and down, she worked his cock, and he gritted his teeth. This was better than any dream or fantasy. This was the real deal.

They both groaned at the same time, and he heard the sudden hitch in her voice, letting him know she was about to come.

He was close as well. So fucking close. This was ... so perfect.

He never would have guessed their perfect moment together would be standing within The Hunt, fighting for their lives, and in a way their mating, and about to achieve their first orgasm together. Only, this was exactly how it happened.

Jaxson couldn’t hold back anymore, and he came, spilling his seed across her stomach. Moments after him, Calliope came, gripping his cock even tighter, holding onto his shoulder as she did so.

He took possession of her mouth and swallowed down her sweet moans. She looked perfect.

Neither of them spoke. He removed his hand from her pussy and wrapped his arms around her. Calliope did the same for him, and they stood there, just holding each other. It was like they were once again getting to know each other.

“I think we need to find a spring or a waterfall,” Calliope said.

He pressed his face against her neck, and he chuckled, to which she joined him.

This was good. This was them. They found laughter in everything.

He took hold of her hand, they linked their fingers, and as if by magic, right in front of them, a small spring came to life.

“Holy shit,” Jaxson said. It was beautiful. Sunshine came through the trees and seemed to make the small spring glow.

Calliope rested up against him. “This is amazing,” she said.

He kissed the top of her head, and together they made their way toward the spring, and Calliope laughed as he made sure to check the temperature first. It was just right. Not too warm, not too cold. Pulling Calliope into his arms, he never wanted to let her go. She was his mate.

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

“That we wasted way too much time. I hate this place, but it’s brought me to you. What about you? What are you thinking?”

“That this is perfect.”

He leaned down about to kiss her. Only one moment, Calliope was in his arms, and the next, she had fallen to the ground, and that was when he saw it—a fucking piece of shit mermaid. He growled, reaching for Calliope.

She let out a scream that ended as she was pulled beneath the water, which had suddenly appeared. Jaxson didn’t give himself time to think. He dived beneath the water and took off, seeing Calliope fighting and screaming. There was no way she would be able to breathe for long.

Swimming with all his might, he fought and tried to wrack his brain for this kind of game, only they had never played any game like this. Not a single one where a mermaid fucking attacked Calliope. Sure, she would mention them from time to time as being in the water, but that was it.

Drawing on the strength of his wolf, the power that swept over him was strong. He gained on them, and then he pulled out his claw, reaching for Calliope. She looked panicked, and he saw she was running out of air. This wasn’t good.

He didn’t think, but struck out, slashing the hand that held onto Calliope.

The mermaid hissed, but the damage had been done.

Even beneath the waves, he was able to turn, only his head, into a wolf, and he roared.

The sound seemed to echo beneath the surface, and anything that had been following them took off.

One moment it was there, and the next, it was gone.

Taking Calliope into his hands, he broke the surface and carried her straight toward land. The moment they had gotten out of the water, she took a deep breath.

She collapsed on the ground, but he moved her far from the water’s edge. He expected her to be pissed at him, or angry. Only, she wrapped her arms and legs around him as he sat on the ground beside her.

“I’ve got you,” he said. “I’ve got you.”

Running his hands down her back, he pressed his face against her neck, and he knew he wasn’t going to let her go.

She shook within his arms, and he looked toward the water. If anything broke that surface, they were fucking dead. He’d kill them.

And right before his eyes, the water disappeared, until all that was left was land.