Changing Focus

Chapter Eight

Micah lay on a towel on a wide wooden bench. His body had started to gleam with moisture from the heat in the sauna. He leaned up on his elbows to smile at her, his cock rising to greet her. Olivia licked her lips and saw his cock respond. Micah’s scent filled her nostrils and she quickly ripped her robe off, tossing it on the floor and stepping into the warm, dark room.

Sitting up, Micah held one hand out toward her. Olivia put her hand in his, hoping, praying she could keep her beast at bay. Then again, Micah has his own beast. What is this going to be like? Making love to a shifter?

“Stop thinking so hard, Liv. There’s just the two of us in here. Nothing else, no one else. Just you and me. Come closer, sweetheart. You are in control.”

She let him pull her so that she stood between his legs. The temptation was too much and Olivia reached out to run her hand over his hard rod. Micah immediately put his head back, letting out a groan of pleasure.

She whispered softly, “Show me what you like, Micah.”

His hand covered hers as he showed her the pressure he liked best. The muscles in his thighs twitched when she ran her other hand down from his balls to his knee and back up again. When she lightly scratched her way back up, she thought he might levitate.

“Let me do this now. You can watch, but you can’t touch.” A sly smile accompanied her quiet demand. The answering flash of gold in his eyes as he moved his hands up to rest behind his head rewarded her. Olivia felt a surge of power well up within her. For a moment it scared her then she remembered that he was like her. Her passion wouldn’t scare him.

“Liv, you are thinking too much. Please, sweetheart, don’t stop. I want to touch you so badly. I want to flip you over and drive my cock into your sweet pussy. I can smell you, Liv, and it’s driving me crazy.”

That last ended on a low growl as she refocused her attention on Micah’s shaft. The heat of his cock filled her palm as she smoothed up and down the velvet-covered steel. He shivered when she leaned over him to lick the tip. His hands came down, almost touching her head, then fisted at his sides. Musk and salt sang in her nose as she slipped her lips over the head then released him. Pulling back, Olivia reveled in the soft groan from Micah.

His hands flexed at his side as if he were straining against an invisible bond. Gold gleamed at her as his eyes lit from within. Momentarily she wondered if her own eyes did the same. Then she bent down again to swallow him into her mouth. She tried to keep her lips tight around him. When her teeth scraped him, his hips drove up.

“Liv, please. I need you. Let me touch you. Let me fill your pussy with my cock. Please.”

Lifting her head, she stroked her hand over his cock, Olivia marveled at the control he’d once again given her. She’d expected someone Micah’s size to always want to be in control, but he’d surprised her yet again. Suddenly he covered her hand again.

“You have to stop, sweetheart. I’ll come if you don’t.” Micah pulled her closer, kissing her chin, her cheeks and finally her mouth. “I can’t take your lips on my cock with your ass in the air like that. All I want to do is spread your legs and lick you until you scream my name.”

“You cheated, Micah.” She murmured the words against his lips as he kissed her.

He chuckled as he lifted her up from in front of him. His strength amazed her as he twisted to seat her next to him on the redwood sauna bench. “I know. You make me not want to play fair, sweetheart.”

Olivia made her own sound of pleasure, leaning close enough to feel the heat of his body and the sweat from the sauna. She turned into him and Micah cupped her breasts. Threads of pleasure wove through to her belly as he nipped at her lips while his thumbs rolled her nipples into hard peaks. The hair on his neck tickled her fingers as she stroked his neck and shoulders.

Then Micah surged to his feet, wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her into the air again. He laid his head against her breasts as he held her tightly-almost like he was afraid she would disappear. “Liv, I-”

He stopped, making Olivia nearly weep to know what he’d been about to say. Then he put her gently back down on the bench. The towel under her felt soft, the air warm and thick as Micah surrounded her with his body.

Olivia ran her fingers through his hair, gripping it tightly as he moved his mouth down to her breasts. She guided him toward one nipple and he immediately took her up on her invitation. Not wasting any time, Micah sucked her softly then harder, nipping with his teeth then soothing with his tongue.

“Open your legs, sweetheart. I want to feel your heat, I want to taste your sweetness.” Micah licked his way down her body, pushing her legs farther apart to accommodate his broad shoulders.

“Micah, please.” Not sure quite what she asked for, Olivia tugged on Micah’s hair again. He laughed as he nuzzled her then all laughter stopped as he licked her core. Olivia lifted her hips, wanting to feel him inside her. “Yes, oh yes, right there.”

“God, Liv. You taste sweet.” Micah licked all around her opening then thrust his tongue deep inside her body. Olivia arched her back, one hand tweaking her nipples, the other holding tightly to the back of his head.

Micah watched her carefully, saw when he found the perfect spot and concentrated on making her squirm. Olivia had to be the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. In ecstasy her skin took on a rosy glow, her blue eyes reminded him of a perfect summer sky and her scent filled his head and his senses.

Growling against her pussy, Micah sucked at her clit, pushing two fingers into her body, curving them slightly as he pulled them out and listening to her cries of pleasure. Olivia pumped her hips, her grip tightening on his hair and her other hand pinching hard at her nipple. He moved his other hand up to pinch the neglected nipple and Olivia screamed out her release.

Before he could temper his thoughts, even analyze what he was doing, Micah flipped her over onto her stomach. Olivia groaned and pushed her rear up slightly. Micah grabbed her hips, pulling her toward his very eager body and guiding his cock with one hand, slid inside her wet, welcoming body.

Olivia threw her head back at his first thrust, then dropped her shoulders back to the bench. Micah covered her with his body, pushing hard and fast into her then pulling almost all the way out and reentering her slowly.

He leaned back again so he could watch his cock disappearing inside her body. Olivia pushed up again then looked at him over her shoulder. “Micah, more, more.”

“Yes, Liv, more.” Gripping her hips, he started a pounding rhythm. Sweat poured off his body and hers, making his hold on her slip. Olivia reached back, grabbing his hand and pulling it toward her breasts. Instead of letting him cup her breast, however, she pulled it farther up her body as he continued to take her. Micah felt his eyes roll back in his head when she sucked on his forefinger.

He came with a shout, pushing deep inside her body, feeling her contract around him and feeling the scream she blocked with his finger in her mouth. Olivia let go of his finger and dropped her head back down onto the towel. Micah slowly pulled himself out of her body and sat down before his knees gave out.

He knew they couldn’t stay in the sauna much longer, but at the moment, all he could really concentrate on was breathing. Liv lay on her stomach, one hand by her head, the other still holding his hand. She opened those beautiful blue eyes and smiled at him and Micah felt his heart start pounding.

Olivia was his mate, his love, the woman he wanted for his own for all time. Now how to convince her that they could share a life? Share the joys of being shifters, share the feeling of freedom and happiness from being a wolf and a human and share the rearing of children, Talia among them. He had to convince her to accept her wolf, then he’d work on convincing her to accept him as her life mate.

First though, he had to get her to the Gathering so the others in the Pack could meet her. If Pete had said even one word to his mate Margie, the entire Pack knew and probably the ones two states away. Margie did love to tell a good story. Micah smiled down at Olivia.

“Tomorrow night is a special night for our kind. There will be a Gathering. Though it’s not a full moon, it is important. All the members of the local Pack will be there.” At her flinch, Micah smoothed his fingers down her head onto her spine. “Let’s move out of here and go talk.”

Olivia wondered if Micah had some superhuman strength. First he fucked her nearly senseless, then he just sat there as though he could go again. A motion caught her eye as his fingers traced her flesh. His legs are shaking. Ha! Not so tough-just better at hiding it!

“Where do you want to go to talk, Micah?” Olivia reached out to slowly drag her fingers down his thigh. His shudder brought a very self-satisfied grin to her lips.

“Liv.” He grabbed her hand. “If you do that, we won’t leave the sauna and that would be bad for both of us. Come with me.”

Wrapping the towel around her body, Olivia shook her hair out of her eyes and followed him. Micah picked up his clothes and her robe on the way out of the sauna room.

“Normally, we might take a cold shower or dive into a snowbank or,” he grinned at her, “we might shift and go for a run. But for now, all I want to do is curl up in your bed with my arms around you. We can let Talia have dinner with us in the room. She’d like that.” He paused with a wary look in his eyes. “It’s good for our young to know they have adults they can trust.”

Olivia’s throat suddenly felt as if it were slamming shut. Talia needed what she hadn’t had as a child. Nodding at Micah, she motioned for him to lead the way. Fearing if she spoke her voice would betray the hot, sharp, almost jealousy she felt, Olivia remained silent until they reached her room.

Micah seemed almost shy when they got there. She went in but he didn’t follow.

“What? Are you also some kind of vampire?” Olivia laughed as she tugged him into her room. “C’mon, you already know you are welcome here and you’ve been in before.”

“That was different. Now you know what you are and there are rules about a female’s room. Liv,” Micah’s voice deepened as he focused an intense gaze on her. “In the Pack, the female has a lot of power. If you told me to leave, I would have to. And there’s no such thing as vampires. That’s just a story someone made up to scare children.”

She couldn’t help it-she laughed so hard she cried. Waving a hand at Micah’s puzzled look, she gasped, “A werewolf is telling me vampires are fictional characters. That’s rich. Don’t you see the irony?”

His head cocked to the side for a moment then a smile split his face. “Yes, I see your point. Still, as far as I know, vampires do not exist. But if they did,” he stroked her cheek, “I would kill them if they wanted to harm you. I…” His voice trailed off.

“What, Micah?”

He just shook his head and pulled her in for a kiss. She sighed into the heat of him, returning the soft kisses. There was no urgency from him. Just a long, deep kiss that spoke to her of safety and belonging. She pulled back slightly. It was almost more intimate than making love.

“Micah? What were you going to say?” Still, he shook his head. Nothing she did coaxed the lost phrase out of his mouth, so she turned the covers down on the bed.

“Come take a nap with me?”

He nodded. Olivia dropped the towel and crawled onto the bed. Micah tossed his clothes over a chair and joined her. When she lay down on her side, he fitted his body behind hers, wrapping his arm securely around her middle. Olivia sighed and smiled.

She could feel Micah’s heart beating, his comforting scent filled her head and when he nuzzled into her hair to kiss her head, she felt better than she had in ages. With the steady sound behind her and his warmth all around her, it didn’t take Olivia long to fall asleep.

Micah propped himself up slightly so he could see Olivia’s face. She slept peacefully, her body pliant in his arms. He meant what he’d said, he’d fight any foe to keep her just this way-at peace and in his bed. With a smile, he sent a mental query out to Gareth.

Where are you? He got a mental picture in reply. Gareth had taken Talia with him to the rez. She was playing with one of Pete and Margie’s grandchildren and they’d be home in time for dinner.

Grinning, Micah lay back down to stroke his hand down Olivia’s side. She sighed and rolled toward him. Cupping one of her breasts, Micah closed his eyes. He jerked to wakefulness when the bell over the front door rang. Sliding out of bed, he glanced at the bedside clock to see that several hours had passed.

Pulling his jeans on and grabbing the rest of his clothes, Micah went back over to the bed. He leaned over to kiss Olivia, smiling when she stretched and opened her eyes.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Better than I have in ages. Where are you going?”

“Gareth and Talia are back. I’m going to run upstairs for a quick shower then go down to start dinner.” When she smiled and threw the covers back, Micah backed away from the bed.

“Don’t tempt me, Liv. If I shower with you, either here or in my room, I’m going to want to make love to you again. That will make both of us very late for dinner. Besides, Talia is going to want to tell you all about her afternoon at the reservation.” With a final regretful look at her lovely nakedness, Micah leaned down for another quick kiss.

“I’ll make it up to you later.” He smiled and left her room before he lost his resolve. Running up the stairs, he carried that last sight of her with him. Open arms, open smile and hopefully an open heart, one open enough to accept him and the future he wanted to offer her.

Damn, I forgot to talk to her about the Gathering. I need to do that after dinner. Micah took the fastest shower he’d taken in ages, dressed quickly in clean clothes and headed for the kitchen. A nice juicy steak would be good for dinner. Hopefully Liv had worked up just as much of an appetite as he had and Gareth was always hungry. He assumed Talia would eat her fair share.

As he rummaged in the fridge to find what he needed for dinner, Micah picked up the sexy orange scent of his mate. My mate. That’s what she is. Mine. It shook him to his core to hear those words in his mind. He turned to smile at her and found her standing inches from him.

“Very good, Liv.” She’d managed to sneak up on him. Not many shifters could accomplish that so his pleasure was very real. The Great Spirit had chosen his other half very well. He circled her with his arms, pulling her in for a kiss. Breathing deeply as her lips moved under his, Micah decided he now knew what made Tony and Malcolm smile the way they did. I am in love.

“What’s got you so happy, Micah?” Olivia ran a hand through the hair he’d left unbraided. Her fingers tugged, gently pulling his hair and arousing him more than he thought possible. Pressing his urgent need against her, he shook his head.

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out, sweetheart. Now go over there and set the table before I forget that Talia and Gareth could be in here any minute!” Swatting her ass, he noted that she could stand to gain a few pounds.

As if on cue, the two he mentioned came into the kitchen laughing. Anyone would think they’d been friends forever the way Talia swung on Gareth’s hand. Micah noted the look of peace on his friend’s face and knew he had to do something about Gareth. He needed a child of his own to make him look that way all the time.

Love is turning me into a matchmaker already. Micah pointed at the two.

“So tell me about your day, Talia. Where did you go?”

Talia’s story began with Gareth taking her to the reservation on a snowmobile and had his name peppered throughout. She talked nonstop until Micah put the food on the table. The meat disappeared quickly with even Olivia eating her share. As the dishes were cleared, Gareth excused himself. Micah didn’t have the chance to pin him down about the Gathering the next night.

Turning to the shorter of the two blondes in his kitchen, Micah tipped his gaze down to her.

“So, short one, would you like to have your dessert in Olivia’s room? I thought the three of us could make s’mores.”

Talia’s eyes lit up as she danced around the kitchen clapping her hands. “Yes, yes, yes! Are we gonna roast the marshmallows and everything?”

Working as a team, the three of them gathered up the necessary fixings for the treat with Micah grabbing three metal skewers on the way. They settled in Olivia’s room where Micah let Talia be in charge of roasting the gooey globs of sugar.

“Micah, is it wise to feed her this much sugar this late?” Olivia made him proud, sounding like such a concerned parent.

“Oh, it’ll be all right. It’s not like she has school tomorrow. Although,” Micah glanced at Talia, “I do need to set up something with one of the home-schooling moms around here. Can’t have her going without an education.”

Olivia leaned into Micah with a soft sigh. “I love how you take care of her. I can’t help but wonder if I had…”

Wrapping an arm around her, he finished her sentence. “If you’d had a guardian or a godparent? I’m sure you did, sweetheart. It’s pretty much a given in our culture. And I am still looking for your people.”

Her face pensive, Olivia nodded. “I know. It’s just that I can’t help but feel a little envious. She knows her place in this world and I am just beginning to figure mine out.”

Micah kissed the top of Olivia’s head, taking in her scent. Part of him wished she had known the life Talia would know. Another part of him recognized that he might not have met her if she had been given a proper shifter childhood. Words seemed useless, so he just lifted her chin up a bit to place a soft kiss on her lips.

She sighed happily as she burrowed just a bit closer to him. Talia brought them her perfectly done marshmallows. Black on one side and still cool on the other was apparently the standard in six-year-old marshmallow-cooking school. Olivia sat up to put together the pieces of the s’mores. Even though she insisted they not eat them on the bed, Olivia seemed to enjoy the time with Talia. Micah was happy. All is right with my world.

As soon as Talia dropped into a sound sleep, Micah put her in Olivia’s bed. Turning to Olivia who sat on the floor in front of the fire, he cleared his throat.

“Liv, do you remember Pete asking you about tomorrow night?”

At her nod, he continued. “There are times when all of the local shifters have a get-together. As I told you earlier, we call it the Gathering and it’s a time to meet any new shifters as well as run with our kind. Will you join me tomorrow night and run with me?”

Blue eyes gazed at him for what felt like hours, then she nodded. “I’ll try, Micah. I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try.”

“Good. What about going ice fishing in the morning?” She nodded her assent and they settled comfortably in front of the fire. With the warmth of the fire and the scent of the woman beside him giving peace to his heart, Micah felt his eyelids drooping.

He tried to rouse himself in order to take Talia to her own room, but the lethargy stealing over his senses wouldn’t even let him get to his feet. Olivia seemed to be having the same problem. A soft sigh from his side caused him to look at her. She slept curled into his body.

Knowing there wasn’t any way he would make it up the stairs, Micah managed to get slowly to his feet with Olivia in his arms. The distance to the bed felt more like a mile than just a few steps, but he laid Olivia down next to Talia. Turning back to the fireplace, he let a massive yawn split his face before he put another split log on the fire, pulled the screen shut then turned and crawled into bed with Olivia and Talia.

Neither of them stirred as he wrapped his arm across Olivia’s body and pulled Talia closer. Sighing deeply, he let his eyes close again, pushing aside any worry about Olivia’s reaction to a Gathering or the Pack’s reaction to her. They’d accept her, he knew that, he just wondered how many males he’d have to warn off.

Dawn hadn’t broken when Micah opened his eyes. He smiled to find Talia lying across both himself and Olivia. She’d pillowed her head on Olivia’s stomach while he had her feet just under his ribs. Moving slowly, he got out of bed to stand at the side, watching his mate and his child sleep. Contentment filled him along with a sense of sheer wonder.

How could he ever put words to this joy? The entire world needed to know about this feeling. Explaining shifter mating rituals to Olivia would be interesting, but it was a task he looked forward to. For now, though, he’d get his “girls” up-it was definitely time to go ice fishing.

Micah leaned over and kissed Olivia awake. She opened those gorgeous eyes and smiled at him then looked down at the child sleeping so trustingly on her stomach. A look of surprise followed by longing filled her face and she looked back up at Micah.

“Good morning, Liv. I promised to take you ice fishing, right?” Micah tickled Talia until the child squirmed and woke laughing. She hugged Olivia then turned and raised her arms to Micah.

“Uncle Micah, what are we going to do today?” She asked no questions about waking with them, so Micah assumed Shelly had let the child sleep with her on occasion or that Jane’s family frequently shared a bed. It wasn’t an uncommon practice in Pack-reared shifters.

“We are going ice fishing, but you have to get up and get dressed quickly. We need to be out on the lake soon. I’ll go down and make us some breakfast sandwiches. You and Liv need to dress warmly. There are some ice skates in the closet downstairs too, if you want to see if you can find some in your size.”

“Yay, yay, yay! Ice fishing and ice skating. Hurry up, Olivia!” Talia jumped up and down on the bed before making a mad dash for the door. “I have to get dressed. Hurry, hurry!”

Micah laughed as he turned back to Olivia. “I think she’s a little excited. Now for a proper ‘good morning’.”

Kneeling back on the bed, he gathered Olivia into his arms, watching as her lips curved into a smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck and welcomed him back against her body. Micah kissed her with all the love he felt for her, stroking across her tongue with his, holding her close against his chest and feeling her fingers tangle in his hair.

He broke the kiss with a soft groan. “If I don’t go downstairs right now, I’m going to make love to you again and that might be awkward with Talia being so excited about the day.”

“I know.” Olivia smiled a very female smile at him. “Micah, we have tonight. I want you in my bed tonight.”

“Liv, don’t say things like that to me.” He put his forehead against hers and sighed heavily. “I want you.”

“I can tell.” She ran a hand between their bodies to cup his cock. Micah took a deep breath and groaned softly as she stroked him. He wanted her hands on his body, her mouth on his cock, his cock in her body-he wanted it all.

“Stop, sweetheart, we have to get up.” Micah rolled over, pulling Olivia with him so that she lay on his body. She rubbed against him with a truly wicked smile.

“Just a taste for later, Micah.” Olivia kissed him this time. Kissed him as though they were the only two people on the planet and they had an entire lifetime to enjoy one another. She raised her head to stare at him. Micah saw confusion in her gaze, but she shook her head as she slid seductively off his body. “Until later.”

He let his head fall back on the pillow with a groan as she waltzed into the bathroom. Getting to his feet with his cock at attention took some effort on his part. Only the thought of Talia interrupting them kept him from joining Olivia in the shower.

Resigned to dealing with a painful erection for a while, Micah limped toward the door and headed for the kitchen. He heard Talia singing from the third floor and laughed as he walked down the stairs. Life is definitely good.

He had reason to rethink that after some time on the ice. Olivia and Talia had laughed as they walked out onto the frozen lake. They’d both wondered if the ice would break under them because of the cracking sound it made as they walked on it.

They’d liked watching him bore holes in the ice with his auger. Olivia hadn’t been able to take her eyes off him and Micah had been very grateful for his coveralls as they hid a multitude of sins, including his body’s immediate reaction to her gaze.

However, sitting on a short stool and watching the girls shiver as they sat around the holes waiting for the elusive fish to bite wasn’t much fun. Apparently today would not be a good day for ice fishing after all.

Gareth had mentioned the possibility of purchasing or building an ice-fishing house and Micah had dismissed that idea until now. Watching Olivia and Talia, seeing how little they were enjoying this particular experience, he wondered if being inside a cozy, warm ice house would have made a difference.

“Okay, that’s enough. I don’t think we’re going to have any luck with the fish today. Did you find skates to fit?” Talia jumped up, dropped her pole and ran for the sled Micah had used to cart their supplies out onto the lake.

“Yay! Skating.” Olivia and Micah followed more slowly. He took her gloved hand in his and even though he couldn’t feel her skin, he smiled.

“Can you ice skate, Olivia?”

“Me? I don’t know. I’ve never tried.” When she smiled up at him, he chuckled.

“This could be very interesting.”

Olivia wobbled as her feet hit the slick surface. If Micah’s arms hadn’t been around her, she knew she would have been on her rear. His rumbling laugh pulsed through her as he coached her on how to best navigate on the blades. Talia dashed across the ice as though born to it.

“The last foster family had a budding competition ice skater so they were at the rink a lot. Looks like Talia has some natural talent as well.”

Watching the child take the ripples in the lake ice in stride, Olivia didn’t even notice when Micah pulled away from her a bit. Suddenly she looked down to see her own feet gliding.

“It’s a little like cross-country skiing, isn’t it?” Turning her head to Micah, Olivia lost her balance and went down hard.

“Yes, but the ice isn’t as forgiving as the snow. Are you okay?”

Narrowing her eyes at his obvious difficulty in hiding a grin, she took his hand. “Fine. I think you need to hold my hand until I can get my ice legs as it were.”

His eyes softened as he squeezed her hand pulling her up. “Liv, I don’t want to ever let go of your hand. You are so important to me.”

Her heart tightening in her chest, Liv changed the subject to Talia. She didn’t want to hurt Micah, but she didn’t know how to deal with this emotion she felt. Seeming to understand, Micah let her lead the conversation away from the idea of forever.

Soon she felt like she had the skating thing down but she didn’t let go of Micah. Talia joined them to grab his hand while the three of them zipped across the edge of the lake. Even the occasional snowdrift or ice wrinkle didn’t take Liv down. She had so much fun that when Micah said it was time to head back to the lodge, Olivia considered joining Talia’s whine.

“Talia, tonight is a Gathering so Liv and I need to nap as much as you do.” He flicked where her nose would be on her face mask. “And you get to go hang out with the other cubs at Margie’s. I hear there will be pizza and movies and no bedtime for you guys.”

The child’s face brightened at the thought of going to see her new friends again. Olivia’s stomach roiled at the idea of meeting all those strangers in four-legged form. Can I do this and not embarrass myself-or worse, Micah?

The snowmobile ride home didn’t help her anxiety. As the trees whipped past, fear after fear piled up until she knew it wasn’t just the motor making her shake. Why am I such a coward? Olivia Marie, get it together right now. Micah will be with you. It will be okay. Nothing bad will happen.

With the lodge in sight, Olivia breathed a sigh of relief. Talia leaned against her so heavily that when she looked at the child’s face she was not surprised to see the six-year-old sound asleep.

“Apparently snowmobile rides are a lot like car rides.” The tenderness in Micah’s voice along with the gentleness he showed as he scooped the sleeping child up made tears well up in Olivia’s eyes. He makes such a good parent.

Once Talia was tucked in bed with Olivia assisting Micah in making sure the covers were snug around her, the two adults turned as one to head downstairs. Olivia led the way with her hand tugging Micah along behind her. She wanted to spoon into him and let the tiredness that the activity brought on-and the fear it enhanced-melt away.

“I’d like to make love to you, Liv, but let’s save our energy for tonight. It’s going to be your second change in as many days so you need to be ready for that.” Luckily Micah echoed her own thoughts about just going to sleep.

Olivia woke later with Micah still curled around her, his warmth comforting her. She stirred enough to roll over, studying him in his sleep. Strong jaw, high cheekbones, thick lashes and that lovely mouth. Thinking about his mouth could only lead to one thing. Olivia slid closer to kiss him.

Micah woke smiling. He brought one hand up to frame her face and kissed her again just as the bedroom door banged open, hitting the wall. A six-year-old bundle of excitement landed right in the middle of the bed, bouncing on Micah’s side.

“Hurry up, everyone’s going to be there before us and I can’t wait for pizza!” Talia bounded off the bed just as quickly as Olivia and Micah laughed together and got out of bed. Within thirty minutes they were piled in Micah’s truck for the ride to Pete and Margie’s. Talia talked nonstop from her booster seat strapped securely between the adults.

After they’d dropped her off and Micah had introduced Margie and Olivia, they headed back to the lodge. He explained that they’d change into wolf form at the lodge so they could safely leave their clothing in a warm and accessible place.

“There will be about thirty there tonight, Liv. Don’t be nervous, they’ll all want to sniff you, just to figure out who you are. Stay by me and you’ll be fine.”

Olivia kept her second thoughts firmly to herself. I want to do this, don’t I? I am a shifter, right? I should be looking forward to meeting others like me.

Still, as the turnoff to the lodge appeared, she felt her heartbeat increasing and her blood pumping faster. “Micah, I don’t know if I can do this. What if I want to stay a wolf?”

“Sweetheart, stop worrying so much. We’ll run with the others for a while then we’ll come back here together. Just stay with me, Liv, everything will be fine.”

Micah pulled the truck to a stop and she saw Gareth standing on the porch. He waved as they got out of the truck and moved toward them.

“Gareth, you’re coming tonight, right?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Olivia watched the way his gaze bounced off Micah’s face and to the ground between them.

“Gareth, you need to be there tonight.”

Olivia watched him carefully. Gareth sighed, shaking his head, then took a deep breath. “I’ll go.”

“Thank you.” Micah touched the other man’s shoulder briefly then turned back to Olivia. “Let’s go inside for a bit, we still have about twenty minutes.”

Nodding, she followed him inside. Gareth stood on the porch for a few minutes then came inside. She felt the tension surrounding Gareth but had no idea why he didn’t want to be with the other shifters.

Though they sat in fairly companionable silence, Olivia’s curiosity got the better of her.” Gareth? May I ask you a question?”

He glanced at her almost with a sideways sweep of his eyes then he did the same to Micah. “Micah?”

“Gareth, Olivia is with me. If you are comfortable answering her questions, feel free. You don’t need to ask my permission.” Micah clipped the words out as if he was annoyed by something but Olivia didn’t know what that might be.

“Go ahead, Olivia.” Gareth kept his eyes lowered as his shoulders seemed to creep higher up his neck.

“I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, but why don’t you want to be at the Gathering tonight? I know why I don’t, but you? Aren’t these your,” she stumbled over the word, “Pack?”

With a sigh, Gareth swept a hand through his hair. revealing his scarring and the patch over his eye for a moment before letting the hair curtain back over the destruction. “This isn’t really my Pack. I have friends here and I acknowledge Micah as my Alpha even if he doesn’t accept that, but I’m not really accepted among the Pack.”

A low growl came from Micah who softened it with a grin that was just shy of a grimace. “It’s not that I don’t accept it, Gareth. I can’t. Or I couldn’t. I was working two jobs-here and all over the country. You know that better than most.”

Olivia interrupted. “Micah? Pete acknowledges you as the leader and so does Gareth. I imagine that there are others as well?”

“We all do, Olivia. There is not one shifter among the Pack who will be at tonight’s Gathering who doesn’t accept Micah as our Alpha.”

The quiet after those words stretched out until Olivia couldn’t stand it. She smiled softly at Micah. “Well, I think there is one who doesn’t accept him as Alpha.”

Gareth’s menacing roll of sound made the hair stand up on her neck. “Who is it? I’ll challenge him in a heartbeat.”

“Gareth.” Olivia held her hand up. “I’m talking about Micah.”

The stunned looks from both men was too much for her. Giggles burbled up as she covered her mouth with both hands. She imagined they looked like they’d seen a two-headed moose in the living room with the way they stared. Then they both joined in her laughter-Micah first closely followed by Gareth.

This time the silence that followed was softer. Olivia felt less tense. But when Micah got to his feet she felt her stomach clench. “It’s time, isn’t it?”

He nodded at her. “Yes, Olivia. Time for the Pack to meet you.”

She wondered why he phrased it that way. It seemed to be more about her meeting the Pack. The question she had asked died when Gareth stood up as well. Without another word, both men started undressing. Not being as comfortable with group nudity as they obviously were, Olivia moved behind one of the tall chairs.

Her hands shook as she slipped her shirt off. The pants seemed to cling to her legs, making her struggle to get them off. She might have asked for help removing her bra, but Micah already stood before her in his beautiful wolf form. She watched as Gareth flowed into his own wolf-self.

The white wolf she’d seen it the woods really was Gareth. The scars he hid under the patch he wore stood out on his wolf face. One blue eye and a cloudy white eye marked him for sure. Micah stood several inches taller in wolf form than Gareth, but as she looked at the size of their chests, she could see that Gareth was about equal to Micah in total size.

A cold nudge on her hand broke her reverie. Micah’s moist nose insistently poked at her hand. She gave in to his pleas to scratch him behind his ears. Her tension was broken by the very doggy look of satisfaction he got leaning into her fingernails. Then he moved away and gave a sharp commanding yip. Olivia nodded in response.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated on shifting. She heard Micah mentally encouraging her but lost her focus when howling sounded outside the window. Micah bounded toward the window then looked back at her. Gareth had moved to one side of the chair and a silent communication passed between the two of them.

Watching Micah push the partially opened window up with his nose, she realized she was holding everything up. “Micah, you go ahead, Gareth and I will be right behind you.”

First he shook his head, but she put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Go on, now. You watching me just makes me nervous. I promise I’ll be right behind you with Gareth.”

He came toward her, nudging her hand with his head then staring up at her. She got the message to hurry and smiled. “I will.”

Micah jumped out the window and the howls sounded again. This time he joined in. Olivia shivered and concentrated again. Her muscles shuddered as she tried to recall what wolf had felt like to her. Her bones ached. She could almost feel them reorienting in her body. She opened her eyes to see the floor much closer than it had been and a quick look at Gareth confirmed that she’d managed the change on her own.

Are you ready, Micah’s Olivia?

She knew the words came from Gareth. What an odd turn of phrase. I am ready, Gareth. Please don’t leave me.

His gentle shoulder bump made her feel calmer. He led the way toward the window and they leapt out to race toward the clearing. Gareth might only have one eye, but he could jump and leap over any obstacles that appeared in their path just as nimbly as she. They reached the edge of the clearing and Olivia felt overwhelmed by the variety of scents surrounding her.

Each wolf had their own unique scent. She picked Micah out of the crowd immediately, his cinnamon scent teasing her nose as Gareth’s earthier pine scent seemed to fade. Olivia realized a group of males had detached from the larger group in the center of the clearing and had headed toward them, heads down.

Gareth stopped, so she did the same. The leader of the four wolves halted in front of them, growling at Gareth and ignoring her. What do you think you’re doing here, Scar-face?

I’m here for the same reason you’re here, Luke. To welcome our Alpha home. Gareth’s voice sounded calm in her head. Olivia looked between the other wolves and Gareth, wondering why they were giving him a hard time.

No one wants you here, Scar-face. You offend the Alpha with your presence. Get lost. With that, three of the wolves attacked Gareth. Olivia yelped and ran toward Micah. She glanced back once to see Gareth holding his own against the three, but when the fourth wolf, the one he’d called Luke, joined in, Gareth went down. The snarling and growling had pulled some attention away from the center of the circle and Olivia saw Micah surrounded by female wolves.

She forgot all about Gareth in that moment. Those bitches were trying to get Micah’s attention and she wouldn’t have it! Olivia growled low in her throat, surprised at the sound she made, but meaning it nonetheless. She ran toward the closest female, snarling and nipping at her tail. The females scattered, yipping as they went while Micah waited calmly for her.

Olivia bumped his shoulder with her head and Micah rubbed his jaw along the top of her head. I’m glad you’re here, Liv. Meet the Pack. Everyone, this is Olivia Volksson Decatur. She is my guest and under my protection.

Just as he finished addressing the group, the four wolves who’d run Gareth off came rolling and tumbling into the main group of wolves. Micah turned his head toward them and Olivia followed his gaze to see a streak of white disappearing between the dark trees.

Micah, they attacked Gareth-they may have hurt him. Her shaking was echoed by the growl that rumbled through Micah as he left her side, stalking toward the four.

What did you do, Luke? The gamboling stopped as Micah approached the four smaller wolves. The hair stood up on the back of his neck and he felt another growl deep in his chest. Luke had been harassing Gareth for some time now. He and his friends were the main reason Gareth never felt comfortable joining the Gathering.

Micah knew the truth behind their posturing. As a wolf, Gareth was almost as big as he was, much bigger than these four now cowering before him. Luke raised his head momentarily then pushed at some snow with his nose as he whined.

I ran off the scarred one off, Micah. I thought, as your lieutenant, it was my place…

Micah rammed into Luke, upending him in the circle and holding him down with both paws across his chest and his mouth open around Luke’s neck. The gang of Betas backed down immediately going to their bellies, tails and heads dropping in submission and Luke, after a brief startled yelp, held perfectly still.

My lieutenant? Do you honestly think I would allow a bully like you to be anything in any Pack structure? Gareth is my friend, Luke. He is my second-in-command in the human world and Pete is the highest-ranking wolf when I’m not around. What gives you the right to make yourself my second here? If you or your friends attack Gareth in or out of the circle again, you will all answer to me. Are we clear?

He shook the other wolf once just to make his point. Micah knew he had the attention of every wolf at the Gathering so he took yet another opportunity to defend Gareth.

He knew the others, especially this group of youngsters, assumed that because Gareth only had one good eye that his stature in the Pack was lessened. Micah knew that because Gareth had grown up in a Pack and fought his way to become one of the Beta males in Curtis’ old Pack that he could hold his own, half blind or not, against any one of these new-to-a-Pack wolves.

Yes, Micah. I’m sorry. I won’t attack the scarred one again.

His name is Gareth. Use it. With that Micah released Luke who immediately flopped onto his belly and as soon as Micah turned his head away, jumped to his feet and ran, tail tucked between his back legs, back to his friends.

Micah turned back to the rest of the Pack only to see Olivia standing frozen in the middle of the group of unattached females. She shied away from contact with all of them. Her head went up when he caught her eye, then she turned and ran from him as well.

He focused on the female running away from him, from the Pack and caught her thoughts. Monsters, all monsters.

Growling out his frustration, Micah took off after her, throwing a thought at the Pack as he left the Gathering circle. Thank you all. Be free, my friends. Enjoy, I’ll be back.

Liv might be small and quicker on her feet, but Micah had desperation on his side. He had to convince Olivia to accept this world. It was just as much a part of him as the human world and it was for her as well. She needed to accept the animal behavior, the Pack structure if she was ever going to accept him. And he wouldn’t have anyone but her at his side.

Micah skidded to a halt at the side of the path. Olivia stood beside Gareth, her sides heaving, both from exertion and the anguish he could feel rolling off her. Gareth looked at him then turned his head slightly to the side.

Gareth, are you all right?

I’m fine, Micah. This is really nothing new. I’m just going to say goodnight now. Micah watched Gareth limp off. He took note of the fresh wounds on the other wolf and knew that none of them were life-threatening. Gareth would heal, physically, with his next change. The attack by the Betas was just another strike against Gareth ever feeling comfortable with this Pack. It was a problem he’d have to address in the very near future, but for now, Olivia was more important.

Olivia, why did you run?

I can’t deal with that, Micah. It’s just not right. I don’t know how to deal with it. All of my dreams, the running, the fighting. I even dreamed of chasing a rabbit. Oh God, Micah, the sound that rabbit made. I can’t do that, I can’t be that. I can’t be a wolf. I’m not good at it.

Moving slowly, Micah rubbed against Olivia’s side. Sweetheart, stop. Take a deep breath and think about this for just a minute. Before you knew what you were, your subconscious wolf mind took over, but here you are, in wolf form, having a conversation with me. If your human mind weren’t in control, do you honestly think we’d be talking right now?

He bumped her with his head, playfully butting into her. Olivia growled softly then sighed, shaking her head. She looked surprised when she continued to shake, all the way to her tail.

There is much joy in this form, Olivia. There are so many things we can do as wolves that we’d never do as human. If you chase a rabbit, even if you catch and kill it, it’s because the wolf in you has taken control for that brief moment in time. You can control the wolf. You can still be human in this form, but it’s easier sometimes to let the wolf out, to let it run free and not worry about your human form. We call it moonlust and it usually happens to young wolves. The more you shift, the more time you spend going from human to wolf and back again, the more control you’ll have over your animal self.

For now, let’s just concentrate on the joy. Run with me, Liv. Run with me in the moonlight, under the blanket of darkness. Run with me and feel the freedom in this form. Micah moved slightly away from her, wagging his tail, giving her his best wolf grin. Olivia stared at him for a long moment.

You’ll help me get back to my human form if I get distracted?

Micah stopped wagging his tail, stopped moving altogether. You have to do it yourself, Liv. You have to learn to control your shift.

But you’ll stay with me? Her head dropped as her ears shifted back against her skull.

Micah felt physical pain when he looked at the unhappy she-wolf in front of him. He would do anything to show her how beautiful she was to him in both forms. Yet he feared it might not be enough. He wanted to tell her he loved her-that he claimed her as his. Instead he mouthed her muzzle gently. Yes, I will stay with you.

Then show me this world, Micah. Convince me that I’m not a monster, that we’re not monsters who only want to rip and tear at one another and at smaller animals. Her head lifted slightly as her tail swept up from the ground. When her ears pitched forward toward him, understanding broke through his animal mind.

Olivia feared the “monster” who lived inside her because that’s how she had always seen her wolf. A monster who killed her parents, the monster who caused the Beta males to attack and hurt Gareth. A monster who craved fresh meat-that also explained why she had refused to eat meat at first.

Run with me, love, feel the joy in this form. Feel the freedom. Follow me. Micah set off at an easy trot. They circled around the other wolves to a spot high enough to overlook the Gathering. He sat and waited patiently until Olivia joined him. Look at them, Liv. They’re not monsters. They’re just wolves having fun. In their human forms they’re doctors, lawyers, waitresses, housewives, factory workers, real people. Tonight, though, tonight they’re wolves, they’re free and they’re loving the weather and the night. “And the wolf behowls the moon.”

I do love a man who knows his Shakespeare.

Micah knew she didn’t mean love the way he wanted her to but he let the words warm his soul anyway. They watched the other wolves for a few minutes, then Micah led the way around the clearing, back to one of his favorite paths. Trotting side by side, he and Olivia covered quite a bit of ground. He showed her his preferred spots along the path, where she could get a drink of fresh water from the one still-running stream because deer frequently crossed there and kept the ice from getting too thick.

For several hours they ran as wolves and Micah could feel Olivia relaxing into her form, accepting the enhanced eyesight and sense of smell. Finally she looked at him. Her teeth gleamed white as her jaw dropped open. His heart tumbled again when she gave him a wolf grin. Her voice teased him as she challenged, Race you back to the lodge.

Micah let out a huff of air. Before he could respond, Liv broke and ran, ears back, legs churning over the uneven ground. The sight of her silky tail streaming out was more than he could resist. Micah stayed hot on her heels. Pine trees flashed by. More than one rabbit took off in terror only to pause when it realized that it wasn’t the object of the chase.

Her laughter rang in his head. Her human smell mixed with her muskier she-wolf scent. Micah didn’t ever want to smell anything else in his life. More, he could feel her down to his marrow. Mine. That one word kept repeating in his brain as they ran.

Time to show you something you missed, Liv. Micah felt her curiosity as she loped behind him. Her chuckle burbled in her head.

I never noticed this before! It makes perfect sense though. A dog door.

Micah snorted. Wolf door, please, my love.

He felt her mood shift immediately and cursed himself for letting the endearment slip. He knew how he felt but she wasn’t ready yet.

Micah, I’m-

It’s okay, Liv. Cutting off her soft words, Micah shifted.

“Do you want me to wait for you?”

At her nod, he leaned against the kitchen counter. “When you are human again, I want you to come to my room, please. And understand that is a big step for us, for you.”

Olivia shuddered in front of him, easily sliding into human form. “Wow! That wasn’t as hard this time, Micah! I did what you said and put the puzzle back together.”

She stared at him then. “Go up. I’ll join you in a bit. I need to think about some things first.”

Micah could smell Olivia on the other side of his door. He waited impatiently, knowing she had to come through it on her own. Suddenly that closed door represented all that he’d shut out of his life for so many years. It was as if he’d been waiting for that perfect woman, his mate, to show up.

For a moment, Micah indulged in the daydream of introducing Olivia to the Pack as his mate. Shaking his head, he realized that would make them see her as Alpha bitch. His cock pressed against his belly like some insistent fist. She was perfect as his mate and he didn’t want to share her with the Pack that way. Just another reason for him to find someone else to take over as Alpha.

Picturing Olivia naked, he silently urged her to come through the door. He’d never made love in this bed. That had always been somehow reserved for the woman who would be his mate. For Olivia if she would just push the door. He thanked all that was holy that Talia was with the other children at Pete and Margie’s. He didn’t want any interruptions tonight.

What he wanted was a petite blonde who could run the woods of his home-their home-with him. One who could give voice to her joy as she surged past him in a race he couldn’t have possibly won. Remembering her beautiful wolf form brought a smile to Micah’s face. Are you ever going to come in?

He lay facedown seemingly relaxed on the bed, wondering if she would overcome her fear and give in to that sweet tangy desire he could smell. A click of the door opening made his senses leap though his body remained still. Sprawled on his stomach, one arm under the pillow bunched under his head, the other hanging off the edge of the bed, he hoped he presented an unthreatening view. If he rolled over now, his cock would probably grow to meet her at the door.

Suppressing the nearly overwhelming need to take her in his arms, he allowed her to look at him. He imagined he could feel her studying him and warmth swept his body. Tracking her movements by sound, Micah heard her come to the foot of the bed. The click of a shutter caused him to raise his head.

“Don’t. I need this memory of you like this.” Olivia’s voice held tension, but Micah thought he detected sadness as well. Need this memory of me? Sweetheart, I am going to be so indelibly stamped on your brain that you will never forget me. Obligingly but with great difficulty, Micah held his position.

He counted the whirrs of the camera as she took picture after picture. He wondered what she looked like-did her head turn? Was her hair caressing the camera? Did she have her tongue stuck out like Talia? With difficulty he obeyed her hissed command to “Hold still, Micah”.

The passion in her voice and his own observations from the past few days told him how much her she loved her work. Micah flinched. His mind had gone right to the thought he didn’t want to acknowledge. But does she love me?

Micah rolled slightly and looked at her through the curtain of his hair. She snapped another shot of him but he could see her smile behind her camera.

“I want you under me, Liv.”

“Oh.” Olivia let the camera dangle from her hand as she moved closer to the bed and ran her fingers from the bottom of his foot up to his butt. She felt his muscles clench and shrieked as he grabbed her, pulling her over his body and onto the bed.

“I didn’t think your magazine was into nude shots.” Micah kissed her between his words, ending his statement close to her ear then sucking her earlobe into his mouth.

“They aren’t.” Olivia could hear the breathless tone in her voice, amazed that he could arouse her so easily, so quickly. Micah had pushed her robe open and moved his mouth to her collarbone. “Those are for me.”

Micah rumbled a laugh against her body even as he licked a path from her shoulder to her breast. Olivia moaned softly as she reached for the nightstand. She put the camera down then put both hands on Micah’s head. She felt her body warming, felt her nipples tightening just as he cupped her breasts. His hands were so large, so strong. He pushed her breasts together gently then licked across the tops of them.

“I’m glad you followed me up those stairs, Liv. We won’t be interrupted tonight. Talia’s with the other cubs until tomorrow. Our time is now and I plan to make full use of it.”

With that he dropped his head back to her breasts. Micah cupped her, pushing her breasts together and licking and sucking at her nipples until both were hard nubs vying for his attention. Olivia tugged at his hair and Micah chuckled as he continued to suck, bite and pinch her nipples. He slid down her body, his goal obvious.

Olivia spread her legs, bending her knees as Micah opened her pussy. He licked once from the bottom of her slit to the top then pushed her legs open even more as he delved deep with his tongue. Dropping her head back on the bed and tugging at her distended nipples, Olivia gave herself up to Micah’s ministrations. He thrust his tongue deep then tickled her clit with the very tip of his tongue.

His fingers dug into her thighs as he fucked her with his tongue, sliding down to rim her rosebud, then up to lick and suck at her clit. Olivia wanted his cock where his tongue was, she wanted him to fuck her hard and fast, to pound her into the bed, to cover her with his warmth. She wondered if he’d been holding back and that was the last thing she wanted him to do.

It amazed her that someone as handsome as Micah could want her as much as she wanted him. Tangling her fingers into his hair and forcing his head back, Olivia met his eyes. “Take me.”

“Liv…”

“No! Take me.” She wiggled under him, wrapping her legs around his hips. She could feel his erection, he was there, right at her entrance. Olivia kept one hand in his hair but ran the other down his back, her nails scoring a path to his butt.

She saw his eyes narrow, watched his nostrils flare and heard a low growl. For a moment she wasn’t sure who had growled, then it didn’t matter. Micah moved his mouth to hers even as she pulled him into her body. He sheathed himself deeply inside her on the first thrust.

It should have hurt, he was so large but she dripped with desire from seeing him waiting for her on his bed and from running with him. Olivia pulled her mouth away from his, tossing her head back even as she dug both hands into his butt, urging him to move. His cock pressed against her walls as he buried himself in her. She clenched her muscles to hold him there and was rewarded by his nipping at her lips.

Micah growled, this time she knew it was him, and pulled nearly all the way out of her before driving back in, high, hard and fast. Olivia opened her mouth to pant as he started a hard and fast motion into her body. Sensation rode her as heat built up inside her body. She clamped her mouth on his chest to thwart a scream. Her teeth dug into his flesh. Micah stiffened for just an instant then moved faster and harder than before.

Olivia kept her mouth on him even as she gripped his butt, urging him deeper into her body. Her hips slammed up into his, answering his urgency with her own. She tasted blood as her climax erupted, filling her with heat. She cried out, throwing her head back and digging her heels into his legs.

Micah growled again then dropped his head to her neck. She felt his teeth close on her neck, felt him pumping faster, just moving his hips now, the rest of his big body covering her like a blanket.

A stuttering cry of ecstasy escaped her as his teeth broke through her flesh-as she felt him stiffen and explode inside her. He was so deep she could swear he was touching her womb. He pulsed again and again inside her, not moving anywhere else. Finally, he collapsed onto her, then immediately rolled onto his side, releasing his hold on her neck and inhaling sharply.

As stunned as she was, Olivia reached a shaky hand out to touch his chest. Micah was breathing hard, his heart pounding against the wall of his pecs. She could hear her own breathlessness-feel her own heart pounding as well. She’d marked him, more than that, she’d made him bleed. A perfect imprint of her teeth, just above his right nipple, the deeper marks still trickling blood.

The shock of that sight spawned more shock. He’d bitten her as well. Olivia raised her hand to her own neck. Just where her neck met her shoulder, a tender spot. She touched it gingerly, felt the blood, then raised her shaking hand to her face.

Micah caught her hand in his, bringing it to his mouth. He gently licked her fingers, then nuzzled her, licking the area he’d bitten. She flinched and he faltered slightly, then continued.

“Micah? Why did I do that? Why did you…you bit me!” She struggled then, trying to get away from him. Micah rolled back on top of her, holding her still without hurting her, calling her name soothingly until she met his eyes again.

“Easy, Liv, easy.” She took a deep breath, felt him do the same. His eyes changed, turning more gold than brown. He smiled slightly as he soothed her with his touch. “It’s okay, love, really, everything’s okay.” Suddenly his smile widened.

“I want you on top of me.” He flipped them in the bed, faster than she’d have thought possible. Micah lay below her, holding her still, holding her against his chest. He smiled and traced his hands up and down her sides until Olivia could think of nothing else but filling herself with the erection that hardened so quickly between them. But there was something she wanted just as much. Sliding her hands down his broad chest, skirting the mark she’d left on him, Olivia teased his hard nipples until they budded under her fingers. Tweaking and scratching across them with her fingernails, she watched Micah’s eyes flash.

Leaning forward, Olivia licked first one nipple then the other, much as he’d done to her earlier. She traced an imaginary line between his nipples with her tongue, then slid farther down his body so that she straddled his thighs. She was eye level with his gorgeous cock, still shiny from their combined fluids. Not so tentative this time, she reached out to touch him. Micah covered her hand with his, again showing her just how he liked being touched, then let her take control, moving his hands up so that they rested under his head. His eyes never left hers as she sat up and took just the head of his cock into her mouth.

Micah’s eyes fluttered but never closed as she sucked at him. Sliding her open mouth down his cock to the sparse hair at the juncture of his body, she stroked her hand over him in opposition to the movement of her mouth. Micah’s balls caught her attention next, she licked at his sac, feeling it tighten and draw up at her movement. Sucking him into her mouth, she heard as well as felt him groan.

Olivia moved her mouth back up Micah’s cock, sucking at the head again, then opening her mouth as wide as possible and relaxing her jaw to take as much of him in her mouth as she could. Micah jolted, his hands tightening in her curls, his entire body going tight beneath her. Olivia reveled in the power she held over him in this moment. Now, right now, there was nothing more important than giving him as much pleasure as he’d given her.

She sat up to get a better look at him, then gave a shy grin as he shook at the touch of her hand on his cock. “Now please, Olivia.”

His plea shattered her. She’d worry about biting and clawing later. Now, right now, she wanted to be full of Micah again. Rising up on her knees, she crawled up his body and leaned forward to kiss him as she positioned herself over him. Holding his gaze with hers, she tilted back to open her folds for him. His gasp thrilled her as she dipped her fingers inside her own pussy.

“Want me, Micah?” Olivia couldn’t be bothered with being amazed by the wanton woman taking over her body. She plunged herself down on his cock while pushing her fingers into his mouth. The warmth of his tongue pulling the moisture from her fingers matched the pulse of him inside her. Her nipples sprang up as his fingers tweaked at her breasts.

“Ride me, Liv, hard.” His words sent her over the edge of the world again. Olivia braced herself with her hands on either side of his head as she pumped her hips wildly. She leaned back, feeling him deep inside her body and felt his hands at her hips, supporting her, helping to raise and lower her on his hard cock. Olivia opened her eyes to see Micah staring where their bodies were joined.

“You’re so beautiful, Liv. You’re taking me so deep and you feel so good.” She leaned forward for a kiss and found herself caught. Micah put one hand on the small of her back and the other on the back of her neck. He held her against his body and pumped his hips hard and fast.

Olivia moaned her release into his mouth, spurring him on even more. Giving another hard thrust, Micah growled out his own release. For a few moments nothing else mattered as they both struggled to slow their breathing. Olivia felt herself drifting toward sleep.

“Run with me again.” His voice pulled her back to wakefulness.

“What?” Olivia managed to lift her head enough to free her lips so they could move.

“Come for a run with me.” Micah rolled so that his body was over hers supporting his weight with his knees and hands. “It’s nighttime now. There’s enough moonlight to really enjoy it. Come for a run with me.”

“Can’t move.” Laying her head back down, she felt the bounce of the bed as he laughed.

“No, you’ll be fine once we’re running.” He playfully nipped at her jaw. “Come with me, love, come run with me.”

She felt something stirring in her body, an almost primal urge but she tamped it down. Micah stared at her, waiting for her answer. Olivia shook her head. “I can’t. What if I want to stay a wolf again?”

She shoved on his chest. Micah obligingly moved off her. Olivia walked into the bathroom and shut the door. She took a deep breath then moved closer to the mirror.

God what is that? That’s not a hickey. That is something much more. She studied the mark he’d left on her neck, just where it met her collarbone. It wasn’t bleeding now. Probing it, she found it tender to the touch-the mark of his teeth still visible. A scent hung in the air that wasn’t Micah but was-only more primeval than the smell he usually gave off.

She shuddered as she remembered she’d marked him as well. Olivia had never been into pain, had never bitten anyone in her life intentionally. Flashbacks of what she’d done to Jackson reeled through her mind. His horror matching hers when she realized she’d drawn blood. His rejection of her-would Micah reject her? No, she couldn’t understand why she’d bitten Micah, but she knew he hadn’t minded. Her biting him had spurred him on, sexually.

Olivia wrapped her arms around her waist as she sank down on the floor. Biting Micah had seemed like the thing to do. She’d wanted the taste of him in her mouth, in her system. “God, what’s happening to me? First he has me eating venison, then turning furry and now this. I’m turning into a cannibal.”

“Carnivore, love.” She didn’t jump at his voice. She’d known he was there without even acknowledging it. Micah wrapped his arms around her and picked her up off the floor. He carried her back into the bedroom then into his living room. She stayed curled up as he sat down with her, wrapping both of them in the fleece throw from the sofa.

Olivia sniffled and scrubbed her hands over her face then glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

“You’re a carnivore, love, not a cannibal. You’ve been denying yourself the pleasure of meat for some time and your health has suffered. Since you’ve been here, since you’ve been eating properly and getting some exercise your body is recovering.”

She gave him a glare along with a pout. “You’re going to keep force-feeding me, aren’t you?”

He laughed as he hugged her tight against his chest. “I haven’t forced you to do anything, love, much less eat.”

“Why do you keep asking me to run with you? You know I’m not into running as exercise.”

“I mean as a wolf, Liv.”

She stiffened then pushed out of his arms and away from him. Micah sat perfectly still as she paced in front of him.

“That’s not possible. You know it’s not. Okay, so I can do that. I’ve decided I don’t want to do that. It’s not normal.”

Micah’s eyes widened as his nostrils flared. “What do you mean you’ve decided? You only recently learned how to shift. It’s not a decision you have to make, it’s part of your life, part of you. You enjoyed yourself, Olivia. I was there. You are a beautiful she-wolf with a sunlight and gold coat. We ran together.” Desperation made his voice pitch sharper than she’d ever heard. “You are like me. You are one of us!”

Her voice rose as her back and forth pattern speed increased. “I’m not like that, it’s not possible. I can’t do that. I’ve made my decision and that’s final. That monster, yes, monster.” She flung a hand up to stop his response. “That is why my parents died. Who knows, maybe I killed my birth parents too. I have blackouts, you know.”

“Not anymore.” His voice broke again. “The blackouts won’t happen now that you know what you are. But Liv, you’ve got to learn to control it. If you don’t…”

The words trailed off into silence as he stared at her. Olivia tried to fill in the blanks. If she didn’t, what? She’d kill again? Her throat began to close as her eyes burned. Shaking her head, she turned away from him.

Micah got slowly to his feet. He didn’t know what to do, what to say to ease her distress. It hurt him somewhere deep inside that she refused to accept what she was. Finally he reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding tightly to her. The tears startled him at first, but he sat back down, holding her in his arms, letting her cry.

She’d marked him and she had no idea what that meant. He knew, though, and the fact that he hadn’t been able to stop himself from marking her in kind shamed him. She wouldn’t accept what she was, wouldn’t fully accept her nature, how could they tie themselves together forever as mates under those circumstances? Until she accepted what she was he had no business claiming her as his mate.

His shifter heritage was strong-a part of who he was, a big part of his life. He’d always known he’d have a shifter mate, someone to share every facet of his life. To have found her and have her not accept what she was…it was unbearable.

Olivia finally slumped in his arms, sleep a welcome relief to her. He held her still, staring down at the woman he loved. A faint smile curved across his face when a soft snore escaped her. She was so precious to him, so beautiful, and now so much a part of him. How was he going to let her go? He knew she’d leave, knew she wouldn’t even try to accept the truth.

Micah tightened his grip and his resolve. He got slowly to his feet, moving toward the bed with his precious burden. He put her down, tucking her in and smoothing her hair away from her face. Placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, he backed away from the bed, his eyes still on the woman sleeping there.

Micah pulled on a pair of jeans and his moccasins and left the room, making his way to his study. It was late, too late, really, to call, but he knew his grandfather would be awake. And the time difference gave him a little leeway. Stoking the fire with one hand, he hit a speed dial on his portable phone.

“Ya-ta-hey.”

“Grandfather, it’s Micah.”

“Grandson, it has been a long time. What troubles you?”

Micah smiled, just like the old man to get right to the heart of the matter. “I’ve found a mate, Grandfather. A shifter female named Olivia.”

“You wake an old man in the middle of the night for this? Call me back when the Blessing Way needs to be sung. Call me back when she is pregnant with my great-grandson.”

“Grandfather, there won’t be a Blessing Way. She doesn’t accept what she is, what I am. She fears it.” Micah waited through the silence, waited while the clock over the mantle ticked the passage of time. When his grandfather spoke again, his voice sounded older, tired. Micah had heard this tone before, when his grandfather spoke of visions.

“She will be made to understand. She will face an unexpected challenge and she will triumph. Keep the faith, Micah, keep your love strong. Keep your heart strong. She loves you, this woman?”

“I think she does. She hasn’t said the words.” Micah settled more comfortably in front of the fire.

“Have you?”

“No, she won’t hear them from me right now. But I do love her. She is mine, Grandfather, just as I am hers.”

“For this I’m thankful, Grandson. You will bring this woman to see me soon. We will celebrate the Blessing Way.”

Micah smiled, knowing his grandfather wouldn’t sleep any more, that he’d be out wandering in the desert and then returning to sit in the sweat lodge before dawn singing and praying. “I will, Grandfather.”

He hung up after the old man disconnected, then sat staring into the fire. An unexpected challenge? What would that be? Surely his grandfather knew that since he’d claimed Olivia as his mate, Micah wouldn’t allow her to face any problem alone. Maybe the old man’s visions weren’t quite up to par anymore. He’d turned ninety this past summer.

Micah put the phone away and stretched out on the floor in front of the fire. He’d let Olivia sleep for a bit then wake her with breakfast in bed. Grinning, he thought of some rather creative uses for the homemade maple syrup he would warm up just for her.

Pushing the shifting could wait for now. He’d let her get used to the idea. They still had to talk about Talia as well. If Olivia were going to accept him as mate, she’d also have to accept shared responsibility for Talia. They’d become an instant family and he wasn’t sure how she’d feel about that. His thoughts chased one another much like the young wolves chased their own tails until sleep claimed him. Dreams of running with Olivia soothed his worried mind.

It hurt to open her eyes. Olivia scrubbed a fist at them in hopes of knocking the salt loose. Painfully she pried one open then the other. Micah was not in the room but his scent lingered. Rolling on to her stomach, she winced when the bunched blankets hit the sore spot on her neck. She scooted off the bed and stretched.

“Oh God, what have I done?” Her heart hurt when she realized that she’d done what she’d sworn she’d never do again. She’d drawn blood during sex. And then, instead of leaving as she should have, she’d made love to him again.

And he’d held on to her instead of pushing her away. Soothed her with gentle touches and strong arms while she’d cried herself to sleep again. Her life was spinning out of control. First this attraction to Micah then the knowledge of what he was-what she was-and then the blood. Olivia shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself.

“This ends here and now. I won’t let this take over my life. I can’t hurt Micah like that.” Olivia shoved away the knowledge that he’d obviously liked it and returned it. That didn’t matter. He was just responding to her uncontrollable urges. With a firm nod, Olivia slipped out of Micah’s room and headed to her own.

She stopped by Talia’s room, pausing at the door. The slow, even breathing of a sound-asleep child greeted her. Gareth had obviously brought her home earlier since she hadn’t been here when Olivia had cried herself to sleep in Micah’s arms. She wondered if the child had even awakened during the trip. Resting a hand on the door, she whispered, “Love you, Talia. Grow up strong and know who you are.”

Tears traced warmth down Olivia’s cheeks as she unplugged her laptop to secure it in its case. She made a call to the car service that had brought her to the lodge then opened her suitcase. As she folded her clothing into the bag, she tried not to notice the occasional water spot. I swear! You’ve cried more here than you have since Mom and Dad died. Swiping a tear from the edge of her mouth, Olivia closed the suitcase.

Leaving the silk long johns on the bed along with the cap and scarf, she wheeled her suitcase into the hall then picked it up for the suddenly endless trek down the stairs to wait for the car. She knew she’d have to confront Micah. No one could leave or enter the property without him being aware of it.

He stood in the doorway to the kitchen, a silent statue with arms folded over his chest. His hair hung loose around his face and though his pose might have looked casual, she could smell his tension. The air hung heavy between them as she put her luggage by the front door.

“You’re leaving?”

She’d have had to be made of stone not to hear the hurt and disbelief in his voice. His fingers curled around a loose thread on his sweater. She watched as he pulled at the string, almost as though he was trying to pull her back to him. Olivia fought the urge to tell him to stop-it wasn’t her place. She had no right or reason to tell him to do anything. Micah released the string to rub lightly at his chest, reminding her of where her teeth had been scant hours before.

“I have to. I have to finish my story. I can’t stay here. I can’t be what you want me to be.” Words tumbled over each other as she pulled every sad excuse from her repertoire. Turning her head didn’t alleviate the incredible searing pain that blazed through her.

Hurting him was the last thing she wanted to do. Which, she reminded herself, is precisely why you’re waiting for a cab to take you as far from him as possible.

“Why, Olivia? Why are you running? How long can you run from yourself?” He unfolded his arms and walked toward her but stopped when she took a step back. “Liv, this isn’t right. You belong here, with me, with Talia. You’re one of us.”

“No!” The violence inside her projected into that one syllable. “No, Micah, I am not one of you. Maybe, maybe if I’d been with the right family, maybe then all of this would make sense. All it makes right now is crazy. And I can’t afford crazy in my life. Do you even know how much money I spent in therapy? On medicine to keep me sane?”

Olivia backed farther away from him until she hit a wall. “I can’t, Micah, and I won’t.”

A sigh ripped from his lips as his shoulders sagged. “Then that’s that. I can’t make you stay, Olivia. I can’t make you want to be with me.” His voice faded then came back. “I can’t make you be one of us. What about Talia? Will you leave without saying goodbye?”

Tears misted in her eyes. “Tell her I love her and I’ll call her, okay? I can’t say goodbye to both of you. I’m not that strong.”

His chin sunk to his chest then he leveled his gaze at her. “I will always welcome you at my side, Olivia. The mark you left on me will never fade nor will your presence in my heart. I will always-”

A honk from outside interrupted him and Olivia didn’t wait for him to finish. She couldn’t hear him say those words. If she did, she might stay. Instead, she grabbed her luggage and fled as though the hounds of hell were at her heels.

Micah didn’t follow her to the car although she half expected him to. Or hoped. No, not hoped. That implied she wanted to stay and she couldn’t. She wouldn’t trust what was inside her ever again. Leaning back against the vinyl seats, Olivia gave in to the tears she’d held back in front of Micah. She was leaving the man she loved-the child who had stolen her heart when she wasn’t looking. She was leaving the only real home she’d ever found.

Micah stood in the lifeless kitchen until he could no longer hear the motor. Until he was sure he wouldn’t shift and chase her down to drag her back. The savage beast wailing inside him begged him to go after his mate. He had to resist. She had made her choice. Now he had to piece his shattered world back together.

Setting himself to start breakfast, Micah turned to the coffeepot and caught a movement from the doorway.

“Micah? Is everything okay?”

Gareth’s voice carried compassion. Micah knew he knew everything wasn’t okay. Lifting his head, he stared at his friend.

“She’s gone.” The stark words raked razors down his throat but they had to be said-had to be released so he could begin to deal with the loss of his mate.

“I know, Micah. I knew when I hit the door. You want to talk about it or do you want it to be business as usual? Your call.”

The unexpected sympathy knocked Micah off balance. He sought for control as he took a breath and sent the unsteadiness deep into his soul where he could deal with it later.

“What do you have for me, Gareth?”

Gareth read him a few messages that had come in on the answering service, then dove into some repairs some of the cabins needed. Micah tried his best to focus, but couldn’t.

“Sorry, Gareth.” Micah’s words halted Gareth’s seemingly unending litany of things to do. “I know I said business, but I can’t focus. I’m going for a run. Will you keep an eye out for Talia? She should be up soon.”

Not waiting for a response, Micah shed his clothes on the way out. He knew it was irresponsible but he also knew Gareth would pick them up. Right now he didn’t care about fair or right or anything other than running until the pain was gone. He thought he might have to run until he collapsed for that to happen.

He found no joy in the wind whipping past him because there was no sunlight-coated female at his side. That brief moment of joy seemed long gone in the face of this emptiness. Tilting his head, he gave voice to the grief he felt as snow whipped past his churning paws. Answering howls told him his Pack heard but wouldn’t interfere. They grieved with him even though he didn’t accept his place as Alpha and even though they didn’t know the true source of his grief. The thought humbled him.

Racing against the loss was a losing battle and Micah finally admitted that to himself. He slowed to a lope and turned back for the lodge. Talia. He had to let Talia know. Then he had to convince Olivia of what he knew to be the truth.

He could no more live without Olivia than be without his true nature. She’d just have to get used to him and Talia being around. He had to go to New York to convince her to come back to them. He and Talia needed Olivia.

With the lodge in sight, Micah trotted into the barn to shift and dress. He always kept spare clothing in there. Talia was a shifter but she was still a little girl. No need to educate her on the niceties of the human male form just yet. He slid into jeans and a sweatshirt then braided his hair back off his face.

Gareth met him in the barn. “Micah, we need to talk about those messages.”

Catching a different scent on Gareth, Micah challenged him. “You’ve been running with another Pack? What is this? Don’t talk to me about business, Gareth. Who do I smell on you?”

Head turned and eyes down, the other man stuttered, “It’s not what you think. They aren’t Pack. They’re wild. I ran with them just to feel…” His voice trailed off.

“Dammit, Gareth, how many times have we talked about this? This Pack doesn’t care about your scars. I won’t allow it. You know that.”

Gareth’s voice weighed heavy with pain. “You won’t allow it, Micah? That’s great. Don’t you see? They don’t accept me for who I am. They accept me for who you are. That’s not a Pack. That’s pity. And it’s not what I miss, what I want or what I need.”

Slashing his hand down, Gareth turned his back to Micah. Shoulders sagging, he whispered, “Like you, I grew up in a Pack, Micah. I’ve only ever lived with other shifters. Now none of them will accept me. Even the kids are scared of me. You saw how Talia was at first. It wasn’t until you told her not to be scared that she even came near me. Dammit, Micah, can’t you see? I have no place in this world that you haven’t made for me as Alpha of this Pack.”

It was automatic. “I’m not Alpha, Gareth. And they would accept you if you would let them get to know you. You’re practically a lone wolf now. And you know the Pack definitely won’t allow that.”

Gareth laughed bitterly. “I’m the lone one? You just told me for about the hundredth time that you aren’t my Alpha. So how can you speak for this Pack? How can you stand there and tell me what they will and won’t accept? Until you take your rightful place as our leader, as our Alpha, Micah, you have no right to tell me mine.”

Turning on his heel, Gareth faced Micah and looked him in the eye. “Yeah, Micah, I mean that. I’m not challenging you, we both know that would be total stupidity on my part, but until you accept your place, I can’t see you giving me any more advice or guidance. You’re avoiding your responsibilities to the Pack but expecting them-me-to go along with your decisions.”

He shook his head, looking down at the ground again. “I’m done. I need to get away from here for a while. I’ll ask Jonah to come in from the reservation to see to the things that need to be done around here. He’s not busy and he’s learned a lot from working with me while you’re gone. Just got one person moving in over there and they won’t be here for a few months. As soon as things are settled with him, I’m leaving.”

Micah opened his mouth then closed it. In a strange way it made sense to him. Gareth was right. Micah paused-or had been up until a few days ago when Olivia and Talia had shown him what Pack could be. Stretching his head up and back, he rolled his shoulders.

“Then go, Gareth. But don’t run with the wilds again.”

“Why not? They give me more acceptance than I’ve found recently among my own kind.”

Watching his friend leave only increased the pain he felt. First Olivia leaving him and now Gareth choosing this time to call him on his lack of leadership. He knew in his heart that there was a point to the accusation. By not holding councils or participating in Pack Gatherings other than the full moons, he continually fought the yoke of leadership.

Biting back the howl of frustration bubbling up inside him, Micah headed for the lodge. He had to tell Talia about Olivia-had to make a six-year-old understand why her friend had left without saying goodbye.

And then he had to concentrate his energy on getting Olivia back. Only then could he figure out his place in this Pack, whether he was truly fit to be their Alpha or if he should insist on turning that responsibility over to someone else.