Lifesong (6 page)

Chapter Seven

Emma

The cabin felt way too empty as soon as I closed the door. Watching Tucker shed his human skin was like nothing I’d ever seen before. He didn’t seem to be in any kind of pain. No bones breaking through the skin. No blood or sound. He was as he'd always been. Tucker—just Tucker.

His knees buckled beneath him and he pressed his fingertips into the ground, and as he did, his skin rippled until it was covered with fur. Without looking back at me or to see if I was even there, he shook out of his clothes, struggling with the jeans before disappearing against the tree line. He probably didn’t even realise how much I liked seeing him shift, having caught him doing it three times already, including when he’d shifted this morning, waking me up in the process—I was getting used to it.

Last night, he’d come to the door, naked and shivering from the cold. He’d looked so fragile then, as if his human skin hadn’t fit right. Then there was the kiss and the way he’d stared at me as I’d drip-dried in front of him after my shower. My heart flipped.
I shouldn’t have sent him away or told him to confront Zarrius.
I might not have seen him when we’d pulled up in front of the house, but if Tucker didn’t trust him, then neither did I.

He’ll come back.
He always did. It might’ve taken him six years to find me, but I knew he’d always come back. Closing my eyes, I couldn’t help thinking of the way it felt to have him sleeping beside me, even if he’d been a wolf for the better part of the night. And suddenly I missed his weight on the covers, his strong wolf smell, the way he’d stared at me when he thought I was asleep. I’d sent him away too soon.

I can watch for him from the bedroom
. I knew he’d be gone before I could reach the top of the stairs, but I decided to do it anyway. It beat staying down here, wondering when he’d get back.

After checking the locks, I headed back upstairs. His wolfish scent lingered in the hallway, growing stronger as I hurried to one of the bedroom windows. Blood pounded in my ears and against my cheeks as I peered through the blinds at a forest that went on for miles in all directions. We really were a world away from the ward.

I felt as if an invisible hand clutched around my throat when I heard a wolf howling in the distance, the same one I’d heard the night before. I bit my bottom lip and climbed onto Tucker’s bed, burrowing my face into one of his pillows.

A mix of human and wolf scents tickled at the insides of my nose, and as I fell into fantasy—I let go of everything else.

* * * *

My fingertips touched something warm on Tucker’s side of the bed. Something that was alive. The form stirred, releasing a soft moan.

Tucker was lying beside me, his naked form covered in moonlight. I couldn’t say what time it was or how long I’d been asleep, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember anything between this morning and now.
When did you get here?
I mused, rolling over to curl against his stomach.

He drew an arm around me and nuzzled the back of my neck, sending chills down my spine. With only a blanket between us, I pressed my back against his stomach, teasing him by rocking my hips back and forth.

“Why must you do this to me?” Tucker groaned, kissing the nape of my neck.

I flopped over to face him, tracing small letters on his chest while he did the same thing along the middle of my back. Of course, he had an easier time spelling out the words than I did. At least I was writing them right-side up.

After he’d written his word, I’d write my own, all the while trying to decipher the curves and lines he traced over my skin. The first word Tucker wrote was
eyes.
I repeated the word, knowing they were the first part of him I’d ever seen. It was my turn to go first. I drew the letters
w a r m
onto his chest, touching his nipple with the
m
. He whimpered, and we continued, avoiding words like
love, bonded
or
mate.
His rejection from the night before still hurt, but even if he had taken me up on the offer, I didn’t think any of the words would’ve felt right. Not yet, at least.

I knew I felt
something,
but the sensation was so new I didn’t know what to call it. Rubbing Tucker’s chest as if to wipe the words away from his skin I looked up at him, staring at his silver eyes. They were all I needed to see in order to know the man in front of me was Tucker.

“What’s wrong?” Tucker asked, after I’d been staring at him for a long moment.

I shook my head. “Is this love? Is what we feel love?”

Tucker propped himself up on an elbow, tracing the curve of my hip with his fingertips. I suddenly felt too hot trapped under the blankets, and kicked them off, exposing my naked body to the cool air.

Resting his hand on my stomach, he leaned in to kiss me on the lips. Again, I tried to think back on how I’d got there, where the rest of the day had gone and when I’d taken off my clothes. It wasn’t like me to go to sleep without anything on, but my thoughts were chased away once Tucker kissed along the side of my neck.

I imagined him turning into a wolf and biting my skin, which aroused me even more. He could’ve been so very rough with me, but every kiss, every touch was as gentle as a breath of wind—barely there but noticeable at the same time.

He drew circles around my breasts with his fingers, a throaty growl escaping his lips when my nipples perked to attention. He bowed his head, kissing the small, pink buds, holding me steady whenever my body squirmed.

I arched my back when he placed one of his legs between mine, his bare skin so close and yet so far away from where I needed him most. A knowing smile tugged at his lips. He held back and sniffed at the air, a small whimper bubbling in his chest.

I wondered then if he could smell me the way a wolf could, if his wolf senses remained even when he was in human form. I decided he could, and hoped whatever he could sense wasn’t too strong. My mind drifted as I lay back, focusing on his touch, on skin against skin.

He pulled at my hair, tilting my head back to expose my neck. There was a growl, and then a bite. I clawed at his shoulders, and as he trailed his fingers down my back, my breath caught. His hand seemed to work on its own, daringly uncertain as it rested against my hip.

It moved again, closer still, never touching. Fire raced under his hand, and I wanted to tell him what I needed. What we both needed. His lips hovered close to mine, pulling away seconds later.

“Emma.”

* * * *

“Emma,” the voice called again, louder than before.

My eyes shot open and I closed them just as fast, blinded by the afternoon light.
Did I fall asleep?
Shielding my eyes with a hand, I scanned the corners of the room, only to find Tucker wasn’t there. It was then I realised I wasn’t wearing any clothes, and that my hand rested against my clitoris. I let out a soft moan as I withdrew my fingers, my body begging for the release I hadn’t been able to give.

“Emma!” a voice called out. “Open the door.”

It was Tucker! Worried something might be wrong I jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom. I grabbed one of the robes hanging on the back of the door, put it on and tied the rope around my waist before running down the steps. I was about to go to the back door when I heard something scratching along the front of the house.

I pressed an ear against the door, too afraid to look out of the window. “Tucker?”

“Gods, Emma, let me in.” His voice was calmer than before. “Please.”

I sucked in a breath, steadying myself before unlocking the door. There, in pure daylight, Tucker stood in human form, just as naked as he’d been the night before. My eyes searched his body for injury, but found none.

Relieved, I backed away from the doorframe so he could step inside. After locking the door, Tucker hugged me, his arms hanging around my waist as he pressed his bare chest against my back. He nuzzled against the nape of my neck, sniffing at my hair before turning me around to face him.

He drew one of my hands to his lips, taking a deep breath before kissing my fingertips. I squirmed.

“I smell you,” Tucker murmured, suddenly sounding out of breath. He pulled one of my fingers into his mouth, sucking on the digit until I moaned. “Trying to replace me, huh?”

I buried my head in his chest. “Replace what?” He hadn’t done anything yet.

His face softened. “Did I interrupt you?” He kissed my fingers again, murmuring when I tensed in his arms.

I wanted to say yes, but the words wouldn’t come. But Tucker didn’t need words. He just knew.

He lifted my chin, his thumb making arcs across my cheek. I leaned into his touch and closed my eyes, feeling every muscle in my body freeze when his lips touched mine. His were still cold from him being outside, and he hovered there for a moment, breathing me in.

Neither one of us moved. When I opened my eyes again, he was staring back at me.

“I could look at you like that all day,” he purred, his eyes not leaving mine.

“Can I at least sit down? Standing up isn’t really my thing.”

His eyes flashed as he took my hand in his. “I have a better idea.”

Neglecting the clothes he’d shed at the back door when he first left, Tucker pulled at me, leading me back upstairs. My stomach lurched and my legs refused to work right. I stumbled up the steps, tripping on another halfway to the top.

I couldn’t move fast enough and wanted to cry out my frustration. Still holding my hand, Tucker paused, lifting me in his arms. I shivered when a portion of the robe opened from the sudden movement, the covering slipping free of one of my breasts.

Stopping once we reached the top of the steps, he leaned in to kiss me, his lips touching mine seconds before he plunged his tongue into my mouth. My breath caught as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed me. The world spun, or maybe we were the ones spinning around in fast circles.

Tucker backed into a wall, grinning as we deepened our kiss. The tie to the robe felt loose around my waist, and I knew it was going to fall off as soon as I stood up. I moaned against his lips.

“Almost there,” Tucker gasped, his inhalation sending tremors down my spine.

“Hurry.”

Chapter Eight

Tucker

The bedroom had never felt so far away. Emma whimpered softly against my ear. My heart fluttered. She said something, but the words were lost to me. The way she moved in my arms drove me to the bedroom. Not the hall. Not in front of the fireplace downstairs. Just the bedroom. Nothing else would do.

I pushed my back against the door, relieved to find it ajar. It opened with little effort, and I kicked it shut behind us. Time stood still. Her breath halted when I set her down. She tested her legs, which wobbled beneath her.

I untied the little bit of rope that was left around her waist, pushing the robe from her shoulders. The fabric
whooshed
as it fell, piling around her feet. She shivered under my gaze as I took in the sight of her. Her breasts were developed, but not too large that they couldn’t be held in my hands. Her nipples hardened at the change in temperature, begging to be bitten and licked.

I moistened my lips, pressing my hands against her cheeks as I kissed her once more. She inhaled, held her breath and probably would’ve kept holding it if my lips hadn’t broken away from hers. She was out of breath. Her face coloured. She was absolutely stunning. There was just no other way to describe her.

Emma’s body was petite but not so much that her bones protruded against her skin. It had taken some coaxing since we left he ward, but she had a healthy appetite. And not just for food either.

Holding one hand to the nape of her neck, I took her in my arms, brushing my lips against the side of her neck. She arched her back, her legs touching mine. I tilted my head back to look at her, but for whatever reason, I kissed her again. She parted her lips, moaning when my tongue connected with hers.

Without breaking our kiss, I led us further into the room. Emma grunted when the backs of her legs hit the side of the bed. She clawed at my back, digging at skin that was too new, too sensitive.

She moaned, her eyes full of need.

“Tucker,” she gasped for breath, locking her legs around my waist.

Alarms sounded in the back of my head.
Too fast. Too soon.
We were so tangled in each other’s arms that we weren’t getting out until our fever of passion broke.

I hoisted her onto the bed, her legs still hanging off the side of it. She whimpered when I backed out of her embrace, leaving her lying on the bed. Her blonde curls shimmered on the mattress above her head. The way she just lay there caused her back to arch. Lowering onto the bed, I pulled her up beside me. I propped myself up on an elbow, using my free hand to caress her skin, tracing the curves of her breasts and hips.

I drew circles around each nipple, tightening them until my fingertips reached the small buds that rose from my touch. I leaned in, taking one between my lips. Emma’s heart thundered beneath me. She combed her hands through my hair, then moved them to the back of my neck and finally hooked them over my shoulders, her nails tearing at the untouched flesh.

I hissed, my exhalation causing her to squirm under my touch. I continued my search, slowly approaching the curls resting between her legs. I moved a finger along the inside of her thigh, following where her panty line would’ve been if she’d chosen to wear any. She trembled, and her hips lifted from the bed.

I rolled over onto my side, taking Emma with me. She released her grip, however, when I circled my fingers around her clit. She settled on her back, searching for something to hold on to.

“I find the sheets work best,” I said, then pressed my lips to hers.

She followed my direction, clutching a handful of the sheets in her hand. Her hips bucked against my palm when I carefully squeezed her clit between my thumb and forefinger. Her scent rushed up to meet me. Gods, how badly I wanted to taste her.