Real Men Hunt: Real Men Shift Read online

  Slinging the guitar behind his back, he closed the small gap between them and smiled down at her. She grinned right back, memorizing every inch of his face. In the distance, she heard a voice that sounded like Val’s telling everyone to get back inside and give the love birds some privacy. Persia made a mental note to send the woman some flowers. Or maybe ammunition. Whichever she’d like best.

  “Hey, Red,” Warren murmured in his thick voice, his hand moving toward her as if he wanted to take her hand but then pulling back.

  “Back atchya,” she replied, closing the distance between their hands and entwining her fingers in his.

  They stood inches apart, his scent wrapping around her like a cozy blanket on a chilly night. Uncertainty rolled off him in waves, echoed by the worry in eyes that resembled the sea on a clear day.

  “I’m so sorry,” he started, his voice low but firm. “I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard. You need some time, and I get that. I’ll chill out, I just hope you’ll give me a chance to prove—”

  Persia cut off his apology by pulling him into a fierce kiss. He froze for a moment and then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight. Their kiss turned deeper, his tongue slicking along her lips until she opened to him. The light in the sky darkened as they stood there kissing for the world to see, if the world was the slightest bit interested. That was fine by her. She wanted to the world to know how much she cared for this brash, sexy, thoughtful, sweet country boy. And she hoped her kiss would show him too.

  Finally breaking away, she took a few panted breaths before having enough air to speak. “I really don’t need flowers and serenading to fall in love with you, Warren. You’re pretty awesome, just as you are.”

  His slightly muddled expression turned deathly serious. “You might not need it, but by god, my mate’s going to get it.”

  As if her heart hadn’t been beating hard enough! Turning, she tugged his hand so he’d follow her. “Then we’d better get to that mating part. Don’t you think?”

  Apparently, that was all the encouragement Warren needed. He chuckled and scooped her into his arms, sweeping her off her feet in one fluid move. He carried her inside, kicking the door to shut it behind them. Even before it clicked closed, she had her arms wrapped around his neck, her lips on his once more. Their tongues tangled while he navigated the space, her arousal rising with each slide, dip, and taste of him. Soon they were in the bedroom, Warren lowering her feet to the ground before encouraging her to back up. She shuffled across the floor, unwilling to lose his touch for even a moment. He tasted too good, too perfect.

  The backs of her knees hit the mattress and she groaned, happy they’d found a horizontal surface. Warren broke their kiss just long enough to slip the strap of the guitar over his head and then he was back, talented tongue tormenting her once more. She was sure he had set the guitar aside somewhere, but she couldn’t care less. Not when his arms wrapped around her, hauling her close.

  She reached for that torso that had taunted her this whole time and slid her fingers over the hard planes of his abs. She tugged and yanked on his shirt, exposing his bare skin to her palms. She explored his stomach, reveling in the feel of his heated flesh and deliciously carved muscles. She’d been denied long enough. She wanted to touch all of him, and she was going to, dammit!

  Warren ran his fingers through her hair, and she sensed the loving desire in those large, rough hands of his. She lifted his shirt higher and pulled on the fabric, wanting it gone, and he understood, pausing long enough to rip it over his head and throw it aside. She swiped her tongue over his lips, taking in more of his taste. Sweet and hot and hers.

  He gripped her waist and pushed her backward, tumbling onto the mattress, and she scrambled until she lay in the middle of the bed. He crawled after her, straddling her and cupping her cheek before capturing her lips for yet another kiss.

  His thick cock pressed against her thigh, the hard length proving just how much he wanted her. The thought of his thickness had tormented her since they’d gotten so close to coming together. It’d only been three days and yet it seemed like a lifetime ago. It was a long, wild ride of passion and… love.

  He reached for her breasts and she arched into his caress, anxious to have his mouth there—sucking, nipping, and tasting her. But just as he pinched a hard nub between his fingers, he released her and retreated. His brow furrowed, a hint of worry on his expression, and some of her need lessened. He gently grasped her chin in his hand, thumb stroking her lower lip.

  “Are you sure this is what you want, Red?” His husky voice sent warm shivers down her spine.

  “What’s going to happen?” she breathed.

  “I’m going to slide into you, fill this pussy.” His voice made her want to get to that part right away, but she also wanted to know exactly what she was getting herself into. “And when we come—” Yes, please. “—I bite you.”

  “That’s all?” she joked to hide a sudden bout of nerves.

  “It’s a mating bite. Once in a lifetime,” he murmured. “It’ll turn you into a werewolf and tie us together as mates.” He lowered his forehead to hers, their gazes still locked. “There’s no going back from this, Red. You have to be ready and I don’t want to pressure you to take this step.”

  Persia tipped her head back and kissed him slowly this time, their lips melding in a sensual caress that conveyed her feelings better than words could. It was sweet and delicious at the same time and she stroked the side of his face as their passion was stoked once again.

  She pulled away slowly, their stares meeting once more, and she released the words in her heart. “All I want is you.”

  The words hadn’t been planned, but they were so natural, so right. They came from her heart and once they left her lips, she knew they were right. This felt right. And Warren’s face practically glowed with her admission.

  Warren descended on her as if the floodgates had burst open. He rained kisses down on her, tickling her and drawing a laugh. One that quickly turned into a gasp as he nipped her and released a low, rumbling growl. She should be afraid of the feral part of him—his wolf—but it only aroused her all the more.

  He worked at her clothes, pulling and yanking until one after another, the pieces of fabric went flying through the air. Soon it was just the two of them—naked and bathed in the dim, romantic lighting.

  Best of all was Warren’s raw, masculine scent surrounding her, sinking into her lungs until no thoughts existed beyond him. She took a moment to look him up and down, kneeling over her, that thick shaft hard and ready to fill her. Then their gazes collided, and she found that his craving mirrored her own. Her heartbeat fluttered when he reached for her breasts, massaging and tormenting her with his passionate touches. He was possessive but this wasn’t just about taking what was his. He caressed her and the more she allowed his hands to wander, the more loved she felt.

  He kissed her breasts one at a time, capturing a nub between his lips and suckling the hard point. Each draw went straight to her pussy, her clit twitching and core clenching with the need to be filled. He repeated the caresses, drawing her need higher with each nip and suck until she writhed beneath him. She arched and pressed deeper into his mouth, wanting more from Warren. More and more and more…

  He tilted his hips and rubbed his length against her pussy, his hardness stroking her while his hands and mouth remained occupied. Her slick pussy let him glide between her folds with ease and she shuddered as the tip of his length nudged her clit. His cock pulsed against her soaked flesh, drawing another tremble from her. He began slowly, savoring the touch as his tongue tormented her nipples again and again. His sharp teeth scraped one firm tip and she moaned deep, enjoying that bite of pain.

  The thick crown of his cock flirted with her pussy, caressing her center with its mushroomed head. A promise of what was to come. Hopefully soon. She was ready for him. More than ready. She told him as much by grasping his hips and pulling him even closer. A silent message and plea in
that one simple movement. One he obliged without hesitation.

  A gasp of pleasure escaped her lips as he entered her, his hardness stretching her pussy, filling her in a single, punishing thrust. A snippet of pain came with the ecstasy and she moaned deep as he possessed her fully. He took control—took her. She was so slick with arousal that he slid into her to the hilt, not stopping the sensuous motion until their hips met. His thick girth filled her, touched her in places that she hadn’t ever imagined. Her nerves were alight with the new sensations, the delirious ecstasy that came with his penetration.

  “Don’t hold back,” she urged him, panting breaths coming between her words. “I want everything from you. I want it all.”

  Persia felt as if she played with fire and loved every moment. Loved it even more as Warren reacted to her words. He took one of her legs and turned her until she lay nearly sideways before him. He grasped her ass with a possessive hold while he fondled her breasts with the other hand—his touch dominant and loving at once. She had a moment to breathe, but only that moment, because then Warren turned his entire attention to driving her mad. He took control of her, her body, her pleasure.

  “Oh god!” she rasped the words as he began truly punishing her, pumping his shaft in and out of her slick pussy.

  He glided in and out of her, his hips snapping forward and pressing their bodies together in an intimate dance. His massive cock stroked her, deliciously raw yet caring as he fucked her hard, body jolting with every thrust. Nothing had ever felt more right. She clutched the sheets, needing something to ground her to the here and now as his attentions threated to destroy her with pleasure. Her mouth hung open, gasping for air, as he pounded into her.

  The sound of his grunting pants and deep groans filled the air, the lewd slap of their bodies joining the sounds, and her face heated. His moans were all for her, every sweet, deliciously wicked sound was for her. This sweet, powerful country boy had it bad for her—as bad as she had it for him. A though so fulfilling that tears threatened to push past the ecstasy assaulting her.

  He thrust into her with exact precision, his cock grinding against her g-spot with relentless thrusts. He gave her more and more and more and she took every ounce of pleasure. She hoarded the sensations, gathering them close as Warren played her body like an instrument.

  She’d demanded everything and it seemed he was ready to deliver.

  Tension coiled inside her, gathering and building, coalescing into an ever-increasing ball of sensation. She gripped the sheets, struggling against the massive bubble that threatened to overwhelm her. It was so big. So much. So… Her pussy clenched around Warren’s cock, milking his hard length and causing the gathered pleasure to increase in size with every ripple.

  Soon. She was so close. She…

  Warren rolled her to her back once more, his pace not faltering or changing in any way, but it was enough to send her release stumbling back. The impending ecstasy stuttered, and she struggled against him, fighting to reach the precipice once more. She’d been so damned close…

  “Are you ready?” he growled—growled—and the truth of what came next hit her full force.

  She was ready to come, but she didn’t think that was what he meant. He wanted to make sure she was ready. Ready to be his. Ready to be a mate. Ready to be a werewolf.

  The answer to it all was a single word, “Yes.”

  To make sure he understood, she tipped her head to the side, exposing more of her neck and shoulder. She wanted this—wanted to be his entirely.

  His body continued to torment hers, his cock thrusting in and out of her pussy as he leaned down. He braced his weight on his hands and drew nearer, not stopping until their chests met and his lips hovered over Persia’s neck. His breath fanned across her sweat dappled skin, a fleeting chill racing across her. She was possessed by him, surrounded by him, consumed by him.

  Warren nuzzled her, his lips caressing the column of her throat, teeth nibbling her earlobe and then mouth ghosting over the shell of her ear as he whispered three words.

  “I love you, Red.”

  Persia’s response was automatic and instantaneous. “I love—fuck!”

  Teeth pierced her flesh, sinking deep into her shoulder and sending searing pain through her body. Agony wracked her for a moment, stealing her breath and all other sensation, overwhelming her with the sudden injury. But it didn’t stay painful for long. Her body knew better than her mind, the sensations transforming from agony to arousal and wanting.

  The orgasm she’d been chasing surged once more, pushing and pulling her to the precipice. Pleasure renewed and leapt beyond the pain of the mating bite and drew her onward toward release. The bubble of joy swelled and grew once again, stretching until it felt near to bursting and she held her breath as she waited. Waited to be flung off the cliff into a sea of ecstasy.

  Warren bit down harder and sucked on her the mating bite, giving her more of that bone-melting bliss rather than the agony expected. The mating turned that soul-devouring hurt into the ultimate need and want and…

  And a kaleidoscope of sensation enveloped her. The growing bubble of joy exploded and stretched to consume her. The pleasure extended to consume every inch of her, expanding to infuse her body from head to toe. She lost all sense of control, her muscles twitching and contracting without thought or intent. The inexplicable bliss snatched her free will and she became a slave to the ecstasy.

  Her pussy milked Warren’s cock, caressing and stroking his length with her inner walls. Each ripple extended her release, drawing the pleasure out even more. She panted and moaned as the bliss washed away every thought, leaving her a mindless mess of uncontrollable joy.

  And amid the deliciousness, Warren found his own release. His hips twitched and pace stuttered, thrusts growing rougher for a moment as he chased his own orgasm and then he sealed their hips together. His thick cock pulsed inside her, a new heat bathing her slick channel, his cum coating her inner walls. He coated her in his scent, inside and out, and she’d never been happier or more at peace.

  They’d made love. He’d bitten her—claimed her. Now…

  He slowly withdrew his teeth from her flesh and lapped at her ragged flesh. One lick and then two before he whispered two words that she wanted to hear for eternity.

  “You’re mine.”

  Chapter Twenty

  The day couldn’t have been more fabulous. Not only was the sky blue, without a trace of rain clouds anywhere, the temperatures remained mild all day and the humidity was unusually low. Couldn’t ask for much more for a party in rural Georgia.

  More people than Persia could count milled about on the pack house lawn, chatting and laughing and generally having a great time. Pups, as she’d learned werewolf children were called, ran around like wild animals, even in their human form. A surprising number of adults semi-surrounded the pups, clearly wanting to keep them safe from the dangers her father had inflicted on them yet relaxed enough to let them still be kids.

  The party’s primary reason for being was to celebrate Levi’s clean bill of health. He’d mostly recovered from his gunshot wound, thanks to Trina’s ministrations and Dick McNish’s terrible aim. As Warren had suspected immediately, the wound was little more than superficial, but any gunshot wound could be deadly, it seemed, even to werewolves. And the bullets didn’t even need to be made of silver!

  Zeke had acknowledged Levi’s sacrifice when he’d tried to protect Warren and Persia and had restored his status in the pack. He’d almost certainly never hold a position of power as he did when he was a member of the pack’s Ruling Circle, but at least he was no longer assigned to poop patrol in Wolf Woods. Hopefully no one would be since Persia had managed to snare that temporary injunction. Plus, she had more up her sleeve that Zeke wanted to keep under wraps for the moment.

  As she strolled through the crowd, meeting new people and greeting old friends alike, she felt more love than she ever had in her entire life. She’d felt unwanted and unloved most of the ti
me, yet these people who barely knew her seemed to accept her without question since she and Warren had mated three nights before. No doubt about it, Persia finally felt like she’d found her place in the world. It almost made her sad, thinking about all the years she’d never known what happiness truly meant.

  As she stood chatting with Hux Davenport, his wife—scratch that… mate—Marsha and their son Little Hux, Warren’s head popped up above the sea of people. He waved and then disappeared. Soon he was by her side, slipping his hand into hers and listening intently as Little Hux prattled on endlessly about the puppy his daddy was going to get for him, and it was going to be just like Fang. Hearing her name, the little Pomeranian yipped from somewhere nearby, drawing chuckles from the little group.

  “Oh wow,” Warren looked over Persia’s head across the crowd.

  She turned and stood on her tiptoes, trying to see what had him so excited, but such was the life of a snack-sized gal. “What?”

  “It’s Chloe,” he smiled down at her.

  “Chloe? You mean that girl you used to have a big, fat crush on until you got a whiff of me?”

  He pulled her into his arms and kissed the tip of her nose with a smile. “That’s the one.”

  “I don’t have anything to be jealous about. Do I? Because this whole new wolfy thing has me feeling things in a much bigger way. Just give me some warning if I need to release my she-wolf so she can kick some ass.”

  She was only half-joking.

  Warren threw his head back and guffawed. “No, none at all. I had no idea what I was really feeling for Chloe. It certainly wasn’t anything compared to how I feel about you. Like, at all. You’re the only one for me, Persia.”

  A short redhead, escorted by a handsome tall man, made their way through the crowd until they found Warren. Persia gave in to a primal need to check out her competition, and one scan made her raise an eyebrow at her mate. She and this Chloe chick could have been sisters. Her mate certainly had a type. He simply smiled and slid the hand on her back low enough to caress her ass, which sent her into a tizzy of desire. Damn these unruly emotions of hers!