Wow.
Pietra SanDiir.
Wow.
The moment I got out of the car, her scent hit me like a brick wall. Light, floral and utterly delicious, she was like a rare flower blooming in a barren field. I knew from the moment her scent wafted through my nostrils that she needed to be mine.
And acknowledging that was terrifying.
As she walked through the woods towards me, panic rose in my chest. This should not happen. I went back to DownMoor through the caves. I was only here for one reason: to prevent any of my family's dark secrets from being brought to the surface once more, to ensure that my father could rest in peace without the past being re-evaluated. And now that the discovery of the site was made public, there was also the possibility that some other wolf would show up here, eager to claim my family's old territories. I had to be on guard. There could be no distractions.
As I watched her nervously bite her lower lip, my cock springing to life, I knew Pietra SanDiir would be a huge distraction.
This can not be happening.
I had it all planned out. I made up a story about a robbery to induce the last ranger to resign. I managed to flirt during the job interview with Bev, the fifty-something ranger with hair like burnt straw, and I landed the job as the new ranger for DownMoor Forest, overseeing the archaeological digs. All I had to do was sneak into the cave at night, find the paintings, destroy them, and check that there were no other wolves in the area. Then I could go back to the jungle and mourn in peace.
I could never have predicted that my mate would also be here. And now here she was—the woman I was destined for, the woman my body already ached for—offering me a muddy hand to shake.
I didn't dare accept. The air between us was already vibrating with electricity—with the obvious, inescapable force that drew me to her. My veins rose with heat, and the wolf inside me pressed against my skin, threatening at any moment to erupt and claim its mate. If our skin touched, I couldn't guarantee that I'd be able to control myself, I would jump on the young archaeologist and pin her against a tree before I even said, "Hello, the weather is awful isn't it?" It would be considered a bit rude. Then I looked at her hand, and she retracted it.
My rudeness pissed her off, and her pretty face tightened into a grim expression, her fluffy nostrils flaring with anger. God, that was sexy.
Mental note, make her angry again.
She was trying to take me to camp, but I knew I needed to see the cave first, get my scent there, so no more wolves would show up trying to claim it as their own. Also, I wanted to see if it still matched my dad's description.
Pietra pointed to the entrance. It was small, barely enough room for me to move my shoulders. This made perfect sense as it meant only one wolf could enter or leave at a time. This facilitated protection against war packs. Sadly, it didn't save my father's family from a terrible death.
I was hoping Pietra would catch a glimpse of the breach first so I could watch her beautiful ass slide into that dark hole. But she stayed behind, waiting for me. I shoved my legs through the hole and slid down.
Inside, the cave was surprisingly bright. Spotlights illuminated the work area's raised floor, cables extending through a smaller hole in the ceiling and connecting to the solar panels I noticed resting against the rocky ledge outside. The light glinted off the shallow pool of water at my feet, a small river running through the entrance and deeper into the cave.
I looked around, taking it all in. The cave floor, the vaulted room, the small river by the door. It was just like my dad said it was...
I lifted my nose in the air and sniffed. A hundred snippets of scent wafted through my nostrils, mostly the scent of mice and foxes and other small animals that made their home here. The distinct scent of another wolf was absent. Well, I was the first one here. Fortunately, there wouldn't be others.
As I waded through the shallow river, I lifted my arm, rubbing my armpit as casually as possible over the rocks. I noticed that one of the stalactites in the cluster near the entrance had been damaged. A shiver of anger ripped through my body. Archaeologists irritated me so much. They were all interested in evidence of human achievement, human beauty, human triumph. Meanwhile, they roamed through beautiful natural landscapes, destroying things that took thousands of years to form without a second thought.
I spoke briefly with Frances Doyle, the lead archaeologist. She was irritated by my presence. She wasn't wearing her helmet, which made me make a mental note to warn her later. In fact, of the entire team, only Pietra was wearing the correct safety equipment. His helmet looked adorable perched on top of his head.
Even as I was standing in my ancestors' home, a place we'd long thought buried and hidden forever, I struggled to concentrate when I became aware of Pietra SanDiir behind me, her breathing soft, her teeth biting the edge of her lip, the shape of her breasts through the wet fabric of her blouse…
My blood ran hot, my entire body desperate to claim her. How was I going to survive sharing a camp with her? I've been here five minutes and I'm already imagining what she'd look like rolling around naked in the mud while taking it...
No. Focus, Josh. You're not here looking for a mate. You are here for your father.
My father. The pain of his loss temporarily chilled my blood. It had only been a month since he died, and I still couldn't believe he was really gone. My whole life it had been just the two of us. I wanted to talk to him, get his opinion on what I should do about Pietra, but he would never give me his wisdom again.
Through the haze of my thoughts, I heard Frances order Pietra to take me back to camp and light the kettle. Good. Maybe I can get my thoughts in order out of this place. This time, Pietra led the way out of the cave. I climbed up after her with as much dignity as I could muster, deliberately running my palm along the cavern wall, smearing a trail of scent that should have stopped any other wolves from approaching.
Pietra walked in front of me, her sensual ass swaying seductively, even in her mud-covered overalls. She must be feeling the effects of the attraction too. I noticed with an inconsiderable amount of glee that she was looking over her shoulder at me. She was staring at me so intently that she hit a tree and landed in the mud.
She looked miserable sitting in that puddle in the pouring rain, her overalls bunched around her boots. I wanted desperately to help her and wipe all the mud off her ass with my hand, but I knew that if I touched her, I would be claiming her as mine. And as tempting as she was, I couldn't do that. She was perfect, and I was a broken, damaged man, carrying secrets that would chill your soul.
If only I could make my body see that. It would be very, very difficult to keep my mind on the task at hand.
04JOSHAn hour later, I was lying on my inflatable mattress, my stomach growling and a pile of field notes on my chest that I should have been studying. But instead I was looking at the ceiling and thinking about Pietra.I was rude to her in the trailer when she offered me tea. I was even more rude trying to get information from her about the site. I even flirted with her a bit, just to see how she would react. Surely, she must feel the same energy between us, the same deadly attraction.Well, Pietra could be my partner, but she certainly didn't know that. She was a shy little thing, always biting her lip instead of saying what was on her mind. Normally, I would never be interested in a girl like that, so eager to please, so desperate to be loved that she never disagreed with anyone. I could tell she wanted to tell me to fuck myself with my attitude, or fuck her with my cock. But instead, she apologized.And then, when I cornered her about her bracelet, she burst into tears and ran a
05JOSHYou have no idea, I thought sadly, marveling at the fate of this conversation. I pointed to the crumpled cover of the book.— So you've had this book since you were fourteen?Petra shook her head.'I bought this copy from a used bookstore in DownMoor. My father gave me a beautiful hardcover copy for my fourteenth birthday. But I wouldn't bring it somewhere. My books are precious, especially my father's.“A woman who speaks to my heart.She smiled then, a genuine smile that made my heart flutter against my stomach.- Oh yes?"I have a little cabin in Sherwood Forest," I explained. “I go there when I'm not working. It's very small and very basic. There is no cell reception and you have to shower in a small stream outside. But I keep all my books there.In my head, I pictured her sitting beside me in front of the fire, her feet on my knees as she leaned back on the sofa, a book open on her lap, those adorable glasses on her nose.I haven't been back to the cabin since Dad died. E
06PIETRAJosh spun around, the light from his flashlight temporarily blinding me.— Pietra, you scared me.“I can say the same thing,” I said, suddenly nervous. Not twenty minutes ago, I was snuggled in bed, trying to forget the way Josh smiled at me when I told him how much I love Heinlein's books. I was asleep, imagining what it would be like to kiss his soft lips… but then I realized I didn't have my book with me. Did I leave it in the trailer when I ran away from Josh, or did I leave it somewhere outside on the way to my tent?Damn it. That was the only book I brought to read. Without it, I would have to resort to talking to people. And, between Ruth's gross and disgusting thinking, Frances' inattentiveness, and Max's general weirdness, I wasn't too keen on that idea.I sighed and sat down to pull on my socks and boots. I was wide awake now, and the thought of the book soaking in a puddle outside was more than I could bear. It was just like I'd told Josh: my books were precious,
07PIETRA- Pietra. His husky voice rasped against my ears. His breath caressed my cheek. And then, he pressed his lips to mine.I pressed back. My entire body shot up with fire. It was like the kiss connected us through more than just our lips.Josh teased my lips, his tongue darting against mine, drawing me deeper into his embrace. His hand cupped my cheek, holding my head against his as if he couldn't bear to break the connection. His other hand burned against my back.In the darkness, every touch, every sensation was out of control. It burned around me, a star going supernova, trailing a line of fire through my universe.I threaded my fingers through her hair, pulling it out of the ponytail and enjoying the way the silky strands fell across my fingers. I've never been with a guy who had long hair before. Ben's hair had been his number two standard cut… no, I didn't want to think about Ben. Not now.Too late. Ben's face was dancing in my vision. That carefree smile he wore when he
JoshAfter my date with Pietra, I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned, my body screaming with desire for her.The connection between us called me to her, and I did everything I could to stop myself from opening my tent flap and running naked across the field to find her.It probably wouldn't be the best view if Frances and Ruth caught me.I expected the kiss to dissipate some of the sexual tension between us, but instead, it all escalated. But as soon as her body stiffened, I realized we had to stop. I knew it was a bad idea. For her, who had to swallow Professor Doyle to get her grades, and because there was clearly something in her past that made her wary around me, and for me, who needed to be on high alert for the presence of other wolves, and so I could find and destroy the paintings. Which would be difficult as long as Pietra was keeping an eye on me.But maybe now she would pull away. It took everything in me to pull away from her, and I could see the disappointment and embarra
JoshI gritted my teeth against Ruth's onslaught of small talk and kept my eyes on the trailer door. After a few moments, Frances came in and kicked off her muddy boots. But Pietra didn't follow her."Where's Pietra?" I demanded. Ruth shot me a disapproving look from behind the pile of vegetables she was chopping.Frances stammered a reply.“She… just came back… to pick up a putty knife."Back to the toolbox?" Or to the caves?Frances shifted her weight from foot to foot.“To the cave. But she's perfectly safe..."You must not allow anyone to stay in these caves alone, even for a moment," I scolded as I pushed my chair back. My chest tightened. Anything could have happened to Pietra. - This is ridiculous. I already warned you about this. I could close the site for that.“She was coming back for a spatula,” Max said, grabbing a beer from the fridge. “What's the big deal?“She's very forgetful and clumsy,” Ruth said, leaving Frances to prepare dinner with a look of resigned disgust.“I
JoshANDI rolled over in the morning, my arm falling over Pietra's sleeping body. She was lying on her side, facing me. Her delicate features looked relaxed and serene. A lock of hair fell over her eyes, and a thin trail of drool stretched from her mouth to the pillow.I smiled. She looked so adorable. Heat radiated from his body, and the strength of our bond connected us. I moved closer, pressing my body against hers as heat sizzled on our skin. The itch under my skin burned into hers. The full moon was starting today, and I needed to be well away from camp. I couldn't predict how I would behave now that Pietra was my mate.My partner.The thought sent a new chill through my body. I noticed a dark spot on Pietra's shoulder from where I'd bitten her, marking her as mine.She was mine. The thought sent a thrill of joy through my body. I reached out and ran my fingers across her soft cheek. I could stay like this all day...… all day…For the first time, it occurred to me how much ligh
I went home. My mother was lying on the sofa, staring unblinkingly at the ceiling, an open album in her hands.- Hi Mom. “I kissed her on the forehead. 'I brought you a Cornish pastry and a new tarot deck.' I thought you and Cynthia would like to try my luck.She didn't answer, her eyes barely registering my presence. My gaze fell on the photo album and I was surprised to realize the photographs weren't of my father. It was me and Ben. Pictures of us smiling under the family Christmas tree, walking along Hadrian's Wall last summer, marching in a student protest against the Iraq War. From each image, Ben's animated face smiled at me. My heart pounded. Why was she doing this to herself?“Pietra. Mom blinked. Fresh tears rolled down her face. She reached out and hugged me with thin, weak arms. - Are you well? Did you come home to be with me?"I'm just here to take a shower and pick up a few things." I'm living at the farm for the next three weeks, remember?—Oh! ’ Her face fell. She clea