Wolfish Dreams

This is the second of three novels that I had published through Total E-Bound.  The story revolves around a woman that is overworked and just recovering from major surgery.  She begins to dream about a man who is everything she could ever want.  Now she just has to figure out which is the dream and which is the reality.  I hope you enjoy the excerpt.

Chapter One

The cabin was dark and unwelcoming as she pulled past the final curve and came into the clearing.  Josie Hare sighed tiredly as she looked with skeptical eyes at the cabin.  She’d needed this time, planned for it, yearned for it.  Now she was wondering if she’d made a mistake.

“Okay, Josie, there’s no help for it now.  Let’s just get inside and get some lights on.”  The sound of her voice seemed to give her courage and she slipped tiredly from the rented SUV.  The trip had taken all day, starting early this morning from her home in lower Michigan.  She hadn’t expected it to be that long, but the directions she’d gotten from the gentleman renting her the cabin hadn’t been exact and she’d gotten lost after pulling off US 2.  After getting some directions, she got dinner and back on the right track.

It had taken another three hours to get to the cabin and after finding the tiny two track road she’d thought she was lost again.  Now she was here, exhausted and ready to just collapse.  But she still had to empty the SUV and get the power on in the cabin.  Why hadn’t she accepted the owner’s offer of coming out and turning on everything for her?

Because you’re too damned proud, the little voice in her head said.  You can never accept help and look what that little personality flaw did to you.  Josie stretched, feeling the pain in her back even more since she’d been sitting behind the steering wheel for so long.  The scar still itched from the surgery she’d been forced to endure, barely healed and she yanked at the brace she still wore, pulling it down and tugging on the tee shirt she wore under it.

The damn thing made her itch and she hated it more than anything in her life, but without it, she felt as if her body would collapse, just accordion down until there was nothing left of her.  Picking up her keys, she headed for the front door, grabbing only her purse and overnight bag.  She fumbled with the lock, cursing the stubborn thing before finally hearing it click and come open in her fingers.  “Finally,” she said tiredly. 

She pushed open the door, hearing it squeak loudly.  On the shelf by the door was a lantern with a big package of matches just as her landlord had said.  Josie dropped her purse and her bag down on the ground, picking up the lantern and lighting it.

The interior was cheery, drapes on the windows and matching furniture that was a little worse for wear.  The inside walls were the original logs, chinked well between to keep out the upper Michigan winter air.  There was a large kitchen table and a small refrigerator, stove and sink in the kitchen.  It was rustic but comfortable and she felt much better after seeing where she’d be staying.

There were a few inhabitants that would have to be ran out of town before she could sleep and she still had to bring in the supplies from the SUV, including her laptop before she could allow herself to relax. 

Excitement gave her energy and she suddenly felt better about the next month.  Leaving the lantern on the porch to give her light, she went back to the SUV and started to unpack, careful of her back.  Too much weight and she’d mess up what they’d managed to fix.  By the fifth trip, she was tempted to let the rest wait until morning, but she toughed it out.  Stacking foodstuff into one corner, she carefully lifted the box of books she’d brought along to read over by one of the couches.

Her suitcase went into the main bedroom, the one that had a fireplace as well as its own bathroom.  Now all she had to do was get the generator started and then she’d be all set for the night, besides sweeping out the unwanted in habitants.  Picking up the lantern, she slipped around to the back of the house, freezing when she heard a crackle of a footstep. 

Josie held her breath, uncertain what was out there making noises.  It could be anything from a bear to a dear, she didn’t know what kind of animals made their homes in this woods.  When eyes shone in the clearing from the light of her lantern, she held her breath, watching as a large wolf stepped out of the woods, hesitatingly approaching the circle of light around her.

He was beautiful, a big, gorgeous specimen.  His hair was deep black, a white streak splashed across his chest.  His eyes were wide set and a beautiful brown, staring at her with an intelligence that was uncanny as well as a little scary.  “Go, get out of here,” she shouted suddenly, watching as the animal turned on his heel and ran back to the woods.  She was almost sorry to see him go, he’d been a surprising but exciting sight.

“Okay, the generator, Josie.  Get it done so you can go to bed.”

She found the shed, reading the directions the landlord had left out by the generator to get it started.  It coughed and sputtered for a minute before catching and running smoothly.  “Wonderful, that wasn’t all that hard.”

Swinging the lantern on the way back, she glanced at the woods, wondering if she’d see the wolf again.  She kind of hoped so.  She’d wanted to be alone on this trip but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t like to see some of the natural wildlife.

She made it back inside, closing the door securely behind her.  With a sigh, she blew out the lantern and dropped onto the couch, suddenly too tired to make up the bed with the sheets she’d brought.  Instead, she grabbed the old quilt that covered the back of the couch and shook the dust out of it before covering herself with it and letting herself sink into sleep.

Into her dreams she felt herself drawn, her eyes moving quickly beneath her closed eyelids.  So deeply asleep was she that she didn’t hear the sound of footsteps on the porch.  She didn’t see the face that pressed against the window, the eyes that stared at her with curiosity and a little bit of awe.

The dream when it started was innocent.  It began with her seeing the wolf in the clearing.  She smiled in her sleep, for he really was beautiful.  He held his well made head high, his nose in the air, checking for scents.  His chest was wide and muscular, his legs long and built for running.  As she watched him, he suddenly stretched, laying full length on the ground almost at her feet.

She blinked furiously, watching as he changed from the wolf to a man in very little time.  He was tall, long legged and lean.  His hair was shaggy but his face, ahh that face.  It was beautiful.  Men shouldn’t be beautiful, but he was.  Dark lashes rested against high cheekbones, fluttering briefly before staying closed.  His lips were full, but not overly so.  They held a masculine kind of fascination, making her wonder how they would feel against her own.  He had a firm jaw that bespoke of stubbornness and a tiny cleft in his chin that had her longing to touch her tongue to it, to find out how he would taste.  His forehead was wide, free of wrinkles in his sleep and his hair was pushed back, as if he an his fingers through it.

Fingers, they were long, slender and looked as if they’d be at home on either a keyboard or a woman’s body.  A shiver shuddered through Josie at that thought and she took her time looking at the rest of him.  He had a wide chest and was powerfully built with thick shoulders and a lean stomach.  She could easily see the lines of the six pack of muscles there and it made her hands itch to touch and explore.

The rest of him was just as finely made and just as big, even his cock as it lay soft upon its nest of pubic hair appeared bigger than normal.  Josie fell to her knees beside the stranger, his continued sleep giving her a bit of courage.  Reaching out, she touched the wide vee of hair on his chest, amazed by how soft it felt.  Her fingers seemed to move with minds of their own, stroking down over his chest and across his stomach, finally touching the crinkly curls at his groin.  They were different, rougher, less soft and more wiry.  With a sigh, she felt the back of her hand stroke over his soft cock, hearing an intake of breath from the man and seeing his cock twitch and come to life, growing longer until she couldn’t help but reach over and stroke it.

It’d been so long since she’d touched a man, way before her accident that had caused the crushed disks in her back some three years before.  Kale had wanted to stay with her, but she’d pushed him away, unable to stand the thought of someone seeing the ugliness of the long scar that had been necessary for the doctors to remove the pieces of disk before they did any damage.  Those weren’t her only scars, the accident had changed her body and she’d gotten so she didn’t even want to see the scars anymore.

The man’s groan tore her mind from those awful memories and she looked into his face, seeing his eyes open.  They were a deep, rich brown with a warmth that surprised her.  “What are you doing?” he asked.

“I-I wanted to make sure you weren’t hurt?” she said softly, stammering just a bit.

“So you thought you’d give me a hand job?” he asked, amused as her face turned bright red and Josie realized she was still caressing his cock with her palm.

She dropped him like he was a snake, her hand rubbing against her jean clad knee.  “I-I’m sorry.  I-I don’t know what came over me.”

“Oh, don’t stop on my account,” he said with a chuckle that touched a chord deep inside of her.  He motioned to where his cock now stood proudly from his naked body.  “I didn’t mind at all.”

“I can see that,” Josie whispered, embarrassed beyond all measure now.  She tried to rise but without her cane or help, she couldn’t get her feet under her the proper way to get up.  Seeing her dilemma, he rose quickly, his cock swinging for just an instant in front of her face.

“I think you’re the one who could use some TLC,” he said, offering her his hands.

She had no choice, she could either kneel here, his cock pointed right towards her partly opened mouth, or she could accept his assistance and rise with as much grace as was possible for someone in her condition.  His hands were warm around hers, his strength enough that she had no problems getting up.  When she was upright once more, he took a step back from her, keeping his hands out incase she needed them as she swayed a bit.  “Are you hurt?” he asked, looking at the strange contraption she was wearing around her middle.

It looked something like an old fashioned corset, but instead of boning in the stays, it held metal.  It tied in the back but had a hook and eye fastening up the front for easy on and off.  She’d been wearing the thing since her surgery three months back and hated it with a passion.

“I have to wear this,” Josie said.  “I was in an accident and had to have surgery.”  But that’s all she would say.  The details were too painful, her loses too many to recount to a stranger especially a naked one.  “Do you always walk around the woods naked?” she asked.

“Was I naked when you first came upon me?” he asked, smiling down at her.  He took a step closer, making Josie realize exactly how much bigger than she he actually was as he forced her to look up at him.  “N-no, you were a… a wolf,” she answered him slowly, finding it as unbelievable as she had before.

“That’s right, I’m part wolf.  Does that scare you, Josie?” he asked.

“I think the fact that you know my name and I never gave it to you scares me more,” she said, taking a step back from him.

“You talk to yourself,” he said simply.

“Huh?”

“You talk to yourself.  I’ve heard you call yourself Josie, I figured it was your name because, unless you’ve really gone around the bend, I don’t think you’d call yourself by someone else’s name.”

“How did this get back on me?” Josie asked.  “You know my name, what’s yours?”

“Teagan O’Roarke at your service,” he said, sweeping into a bow that would have seemed much courtlier if he’d been dressed.

“Irish?” Josie asked, digesting the strange name as well as his strange manners.

“As they come, Miss Josie,” he said with a smile, picking up her hand and playing with her fingers.

She could hear it now, that soft Irish brogue that barely haunted his words.  It was lyrical, his voice deep and intelligent, making her long to hear more.  “So what is an Irish wolf doing in the middle of a forest in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan?” she asked.

“Well, I was thinking of sweeping this young lady I just met off of her feet and talking her into running away with me,” he said, lifting her hand to his lips and placing a soft kiss upon her open palm.

“Then what they say about the Irish is true?” she asked, pulling her hand away slowly.

“What’s that you’ve heard, Miss Josie?” he said with a smile.

“That the Irish are full of blarney,” she teased, backing away from him slowly and moving back toward the front of the house.  She wasn’t paying enough attention to her feet, her eyes on his face and the slow but full smile that developed at her words.  She saw his eyes widen an instant before she tripped on the rock, her arms flailing out in attempt to save herself from the painful fall.

His arms were around her, pulling her gently into his embrace and holding on tight.  She found herself pressed up against that luscious body, his cock pressing against her stomach against the corset.  Her heart was beating in overtime over her almost fall and she looked up at him with wide eyes.  “Thank you,” she said and meant it.

“No,” he said softly, staring down into Josie’s soft blue eyes.  “Thank you.  I was wracking my brain to come up with a way to get you in my arms.”

“And now that you have me there?” she heard herself asking and almost gasped in surprise.  She sounded almost like the old her, the her before the accident that had changed her life so much.

“Are you provoking me, Miss Josie?” he asked, his hands running down my back over the corset and down over her jean clad ass.  “Because trust when I say, it wouldn’t take much provoking at all to sweep you up in my arms and carry you into that cabin to find a bed.”

“Would you have your way with me?” Josie asked, smiling slyly up at him.

“I’d almost believe you were wanting me too,” he said in surprise.

“This is a dream, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” he answered simply.

“Then it is my dream and in it I can do what I want, can’t I?” she asked.

“I’m not certain of the rules, but I suppose you can,” Teagan answered.

Her hands slid up his naked chest, one burrowing into the hair at the back of his head, the other holding on to her shoulder as she tried to raise herself up on tiptoe so that she could get closer to him.  “If it is my dream,” she whispered, “then I want it to be a good one.  Kiss me, Teagan, please?”

“You don’t have to ask me twice, Josie girl,” he said huskily, his hands cupping her face and drawing her up to his lips.

Heat slammed through Josie, passion and desire rolled into one potent punch, slamming right into her gut as his mouth opened over hers.  His big hands slid down her back, once more cupping the rounded curves of her ass, trapped in tight denim.  He lifted her easily, holding her close without hurting her and walking into the cabin.

The couch where she’d been asleep held the crinkled quilt and he carefully placed her on it, following her down to lay next to her.

“You taste of passion and spirit, Miss Josie,” he rasped, his hands roaming and touching.

“You taste like fresh air and fire,” she managed to squeak out as his hands found the fastening of her corset and slowly pulled it apart.

“Will you be okay if I do this?” he asked softly, exploring her face and neck with soft kisses. 

“It’s a dream, of course I’ll be okay,” she sighed, arching her neck so that he could have access to more.  The corset came off and then the tee shirt she wore under it leaving her clad in little more than the plain white bra she’d put on this morning.  He stared at the rounded tops of her breasts, pressed upward by the design of the bra.

“Oh, love, this is a pretty sight.”  He traced the cups, his fingers lingering on the soft firmness of her breasts.  Josie reached behind her, unable to stand his teasing and unhooked the offending garment herself, letting him draw it down her arms and off.  His eyes were on the pretty pink tipped mounds, the look of admiration in his eyes, doing more for her self esteem than anything her shrink had tried on her since the accident.

His head dipped and he took one pink nipple into his mouth, suckling upon it like he couldn’t get enough of her.  Her head fell back into the pillow, her body tried to arch under his touch but the cage that held her spine together stopped her and she moaned in pain and pleasure.

“What?” he asked quickly.  “Did I hurt you?”

“No, no I hurt myself, don’t stop,” she begged, her hands tangling in his hair and pulling him back down.  “That feels incredible.”

He nuzzled one hard tip with his nose, breathing in her scent as if trying to memorize it.  “Then don’t move, love.  I don’t want you hurting yourself, let me do the work.”

Josie melted under him, his words and that incredible voice as well as the softness in his eyes as he stared down at her was almost too good to be believed.  But then again, this was a dream, her dream, so why shouldn’t she create the most unbelievable of men to be in it.  He kissed her again and she felt her passions soar to new levels, her heart racing even as her hands traced patterns down his back.

“You’re beautiful, Josie love,” he said softly, sweetly as he kissed the tip of her nose and then her chin, stopping long enough to taste her mouth before finding his way back to her breasts.  His long and incredibly hot way, that was.  He tasted every part of her, from the underside of her breast to the crease of her elbow, nothing was off limits, nothing escaped his notice.  By the time he reached the waistband of her jeans, she was moaning and squirming under him as much as she was capable of.

His tongue dipped into her belly button and she shivered in reaction, her hands entwined in his hair, caressing his scalp.  He lifted his head, rubbing against her hands as if he were a dog wanting petted, then he reached out and took the button of her jeans in his mouth.  She heard a faint popping noise, then felt the waistband come undone.  He popped the button out of his mouth and sat it on the ancient coffee table in front of the couch, winking at her, before reaching for the zipper to her jeans.

It went down slowly, creating a small vee in the material and showing him the soft pink satin of her underwear.

“Pink satin?” he asked, his nose nuzzling against the softness of her belly just above the waistband.  “It’s precious on you, love.”

“I’m glad you approve,” she said with a small smile and a sexy sigh.  She brushed his unruly hair out of his eyes as he looked up at her.  “I’m tempted to keep you,” she said softly than chuckled.  “But I don’t even know if you’re house broken.”

“How about we take it one dream at a time,” he said softly, rising and carefully taking off her shoes and socks before kissing the soles of her feet.  “Lift up, love,” he said as he reached for her jeans, easily pulling them off.

Josie closed her eyes as some of the ugly scars from her accident came into sight, waiting for him to turn from her in disgust.  Instead, he traced one rigid scar, kissing it softly.  “Such pain,” he whispered as he stared at the extensive damage her right leg had taken.  “Such terrible pain for one so young and beautiful to deal with.  You must be an extremely strong woman, Josie.  Most men wouldn’t have done so well as you if confronted with what you’ve dealt with.”  His hands traced over her skin, beginning at her upper thigh and moving slowly down, massaging the flesh as if he knew every point that hurt and just how to touch it to take away the pain.

“I had no choice,” Josie said softly.  “I could either deal with the hand dealt me or end it.  Suicide is a sin in the eyes of God.  I couldn’t take that route so I deal.”

His fingers dug into muscles knotted by tension and pain and she sighed audibly. 

“What do you call a werewolf then, Josie love?”

“A blessing,” she kidded as she relaxed even more under his soothing hands.

He laughed, tipping his head back and letting the mirth roll through him.  “You would think so at this point in time, would you not?  But of the true nature of the beast, Josie, have you thought of that?”

“Your true nature?” she asked slowly, not wanting to give up the sensations of relief that were rolling through her.

“Yes, my true nature, we are a wild species to be sure,” he said softly, his thumbs coming up to trace the line where her legs were pressed together.

“You wouldn’t hurt me,” she answered him easily enough.

“Are you sure of that?” he asked and she opened her eyes to stare up at him.

“Yes,” she said, staring into his eyes.

“You’re right,” he said.  “I couldn’t hurt you if I tried.”  He bent, kissing the pink satin that covered her sex, before taking it into his mouth and pulling it down so that the blonde tangle of curls over her mound could be seen.  He stopped, taking an appreciative audible inhale as if savoring her scent before continuing to push the panties down her legs and off.

Here she was perfect, pink flesh shining with her desire, open to him.  Her folds were moist and swollen, hiding the core of her being.  He parted them with gentle fingers, searching for her before pressing one long, talented finger inside of her.

“Ah love, you’re tight,” he growled, his brown eyes shining with the fire of his passion.

“It’s been a while,” Josie admitted, her hips moving against him as heat rushed through her.

“A while?” he asked, his eyes upon his fingers as he slowly pushed another inside of her, stretching her delicately.

“Four years,” she admitted, though a blush rose to her cheeks.

“Are the men around you morons, then?” he asked, making her laugh breathlessly.

“I haven’t seen many men, none that weren’t doctors or nurses,” she admitted.  “Before the accident, I was too caught up in my career to care much about sex.”

“Not care about sex?” he asked as if that were the biggest sin in the world.  “Josie, sex and love are what makes the world go round.”

“What does a wolf know about sex and love?” she asked, almost forgetting her question as he moved closer, his tongue coming out to trace a line from the top of her slit down to where his fingers thrust gently into her.

“More than you humans if no man has snatched up a prize such as you in four years.  You taste like honey and your scent is sweeter than sin.  You make a man think of things he aught not to be thinking about, fair Josie.”

“Are you sure you didn’t kiss the blarney stone before coming to my woods?” she asked, laughing even as he drove her passions higher.

“Shush now, love, let me show you what else my glib tongue can do.”

He seemed to almost dive in, his tongue finding her clit and driving her mad.  Her hands clutched at his head as he drove her quickly and mercilessly from one towering peak of sensation to the next.  Finally, when she was strung tight as a bow string, he pulled back.  “Ready for me?” he growled.

“Y-yes,” she almost begged.  “Please, I want to feel you inside of me.”

He pulled his fingers from her, leaving her feeling empty and bereft.  Trailing those two fingers over her nipples, he painted their hard tips with the taste of her even as he came up between her spread thighs.  “Tell me if I hurt you,” he growled, pulling her unscarred leg up and over his lower back, he slowly pushed inside of her, holding his body away from hers with one arm.

He felt huge, filling her, stretching her, making her feel like a woman again instead of just a broken body that needed fixing.  His lips trailed over her nipples, suckling them in, tasting the juices he’d painted her with just seconds before.  Her hands pulled at him, wanting to feel him against her, to feel his chest pressing against her breasts, their stomachs moving against each other as he thrust into her.  She wanted his kiss, wanted to taste his mouth, feel his lips on her own and she moaned out that need, drawing his face up to hers.

“Kiss me, Josie,” he ordered, his voice husky, his brogue even more pronounced.

He leaned down, finding her lips, his mouth twisting and his tongue pressing deep into her mouth, teasing her own into responding.  The kiss and the feel of him inside of her were almost too much to be withstood and she whimpered as the sensations seemed to double, then triple inside of her, coiling deep in her belly.

“Come for me,” he ordered.  “Let me feel you come on my cock, Josie love.

“Kiss me again,” she begged, her hands digging into his shoulders.

He did, devouring her mouth until she cried out, her nails creating half moon crescent shaped wounds in his shoulders as an explosion of bliss blew through her.

He gathered every moan and whimper inside of them, thrusting harder, his balls slapping against her ass with every thrust.  His body jerked above hers, his cock growing inside of her as her muscles caressed the hard shaft that gave her such pleasure.  With a wolf like howl, he came, jetting his pleasure into her womb with every spasmodic thrust of his hips.

Afterward, he held her gently, lying on the outside of the couch with her pressed between him and the back, her head against his chest.

“For a wet dream, that was… wow,” she said, making him chuckle. 

“You should see what I can do in person,” he teased, leaning down to kiss her nose.

“You’d probably kill me, not that it would be a bad way to go,” she said softly, her hands playing in the soft hair of his chest.  “Teagan?”

“Yes, love.”

“Will I see you again?” she asked him, looking up and into his warm brown eyes.

He smiled, a tilting his head cockily.  “Do you want to?”

“Would I ask if I didn’t?” she countered.

“That’s up to the fates and to you, love.  You know where to find me if you want me.”

“In my dreams?” she asked cautiously.

“In your dreams,” he answered, rubbing his hand down her arm.  “Now sleep, tis almost daylight and you have work to be doing in the morning.”

“Will you stay?” she asked sleepily, not realizing that he’d told her to sleep but he was only a figment of her dreams anyways.

“As long as I can,” he said.
She woke to a stray sunbeam that tickled her nose and made her sneeze.  She was alone upon the couch, fully dressed including the cursed corset.  There was no sign of Teagan and she felt a sigh of disappointment that she couldn’t meet someone like him in real life.  But in real life, would he even look at her twice?  Something told her he would, and it made her smile.

Getting up, she noted that her jeans seemed loose and she reached down to pull them up.  Her hands moved to the zipper, pulling it up and then reached for the button.

It was gone.  Her brow furled and she stared down at the coffee table, seeing the single gold button that had held her pants together before Teagan had bit it off.  But that had been in her dreams, hadn’t it?”

Well, hadn’t it?

Feral

Feral will be out December 7 and will be available at All Romance Enovels as well as at Eternal Press.  It is the story of Jacob and Jenna, a Prince and a Veterinarian.  I really enjoyed the dynamic of the two and the difference in who they are and what they wanted out of their lives.  I hope you'll look for the novel when it is released.  Enjoy this sample!

Chapter One

The truck screeched to a halt, tires digging in the dirt of the driveway. The driver's side door opened, and a young woman stepped out before the truck even stopped rocking. She paused by the back of the truck, pulling out a small black bag before turning to the house.

She was lovely and graceful, her bright-red hair gleaming in the stuttered rays of the sun coming through the leaves of the trees. Her eyes were wide and intelligent, the green irises seeming too green to be anything but contacts, but they were indeed all her own. She was tall and lithe, her gait long and elegant, as if she were heading into a party and not this half-built log cabin her brother called home.

Caleb had called her, panic in his voice, unable to tell her the exact problem, just asking her to come, and to bring her medical case. Jenna would do anything for her older brother, and she'd done just that, cancelling the rest of her patients and driving like a madwoman the sixteen miles to his property.

"Caleb?" she called, as she pushed open the screen door. "Where are you?"

"Back here," her brother yelled back, and Jenna finagled her way through the mess her brother lived in. She was constantly threatening to bring a dump truck out here to finally give this place the cleaning it needed, but Caleb always stopped her, spouting a joke or making some excuse.

"What's the big rush, Caleb?" she asked, pushing through the door that led back to the bedrooms. She saw her handsome brother as he quickly closed the door of one of the rooms, and her eyes fell to the mark on his bare chest. It was a bite mark, she was certain. It was an ugly one at that. A chunk of flesh had been torn away, and he seemed to be favoring that side so she knew it was painful to him.

"What bit you?" she growled, stepping up to poke at the flesh around the wound. There didn't look like any infection had set in, and the bleeding had already stopped. She jumped when he grabbed her hand, pulling it away from the mark.

"I didn't call you about me, Jen. I... found something in the woods." He didn't say anymore, and she tore her hand away.

"Is that what bit you?" she snapped. The wound on his chest was ugly and needed stitching as well as bandaging.

"Yeah, but...it's not as easy as all that. He's injured and feral, Jen. I was hoping you might work a bit of your magic with him."

She met his eyes, eyes that were so much like her own. "You've brought an injured and feral animal into your home, Caleb? Are you crazy?"

"I...I never said he was an animal." He uttered the words quickly as if he'd hoped she wouldn't realize what they meant. As soon as her eyes focused on him again, he knew she'd caught what he'd been saying.

"You have a man here? A man who is feral and who bit you? Are you crazy, Caleb? You should call a hospital and let them handle it. They’ll know better what he'll need and will have the medications that will help him."

"Jenna...just shut up for a minute. This isn't an ordinary man. God! I knew this was going to be difficult." Caleb grabbed her arm and tugged her into the room he'd just left. The man he'd brought back to his house was lying on the bed, chained down with two sets of handcuffs. His head turned when he heard the door open, his nose flaring as if he were trying to recognize their scents. Then a snarl curled his lips, and he threw himself against the restraints, his teeth snapping.

His nudity was the second thing that Jenna noticed.

He was well muscled, though he looked a bit thin, and there were cuts and bites all up and down his arms and legs. Blood was dried on his tanned skin, and hair grew profusely on his chest, narrowing to a slight trail over his belly then widening to a curled tangle at his groin. His cock was thick and long, even limp, and Jenna couldn't help but glance at it.

His eyes, a glorious shade of amber, were wild, and she could see the terror in them. When he couldn't break his restraints, he used his feet to push himself as far away as he could from them. "Where did you find him?" Jenna asked, keeping her voice pitched softly.

"I was on the trail, the one I run every morning. I was just past the first big 'S' curve when he jumped out at me. He bit me, and I lashed out. I was lucky, and he fell and hit his head on a rock. I couldn't just leave him there, Jenna. You know that."

"And you thought because I was a vet, and the man bit you, that meant I was the woman for the job?" She shook her head as she set her bag down close to the door and held out her hand toward the man. "I'm not going to hurt you," she said. "My name is Jenna. I want to help you."

The man snarled again and shook his arms. Jenna could see the fresh blood that was spilling from new wounds in his wrists. "Please," she whispered. "Please stop fighting; you're just hurting yourself more." Her voice was low and gentle and seemed to be reaching him. He stared at her, a pleading in his eyes that broke her heart. "Let me help you."

She walked slowly toward him, her hands held out to prove that she meant him no harm. She kept her steps as non-threatening as she could, her eyes on his golden gaze. "I just want to help you."

"Be careful, Jenna," Caleb hissed.

The restrained man snarled, and his shackles rattled again. Jenna quit moving. "Shh, it's all right. Caleb?" she said a little louder. "Shut the hell up."

She waited for a moment until the man seemed calmer again. Taking the last two steps toward the bed, she reached out, touching his arm.

He raised his head, his nostrils flaring as he stared at her hand.

"It's okay," she said again. "I don't want to hurt you." She sank down on the bed next to him and smoothed his snarled hair away from his face. "What hurt you?" she mused aloud. She glanced over at  Caleb, who was still in the room, and smiled genially at the man. "He's going to bring me my doctor's case. I have some medication that will help you."

The man snarled and snapped at the air around him as Caleb came closer to the bed, then reached out with his left hand, grabbing Jenna's fingers and trying to pull her closer to him.

"What is he doing?" Caleb asked, shocked.

"Protecting me, I think." She took her other hand and smoothed it over the man's face. "Shh, it's all right. Can you tell me your name?" She stared into his amazing golden eyes, willing the man to understand her. "I'm Jenna." She pointed at her brother. "That's my brother, Caleb. Who are you?"

"J-Jenna," the bound man said, the words sounding harsh, as if he hadn't used his voice in a while.

"Yes, I'm Jenna." She let her hand slide over his hair and against his scalp, feeling for bumps and bruises. "Who are you?"

"J-Jenna," he said again, and then turned his face so he could look into her eyes. It was as if a sudden burst of understanding slammed into him. "Jacob."

Jenna smiled and then flinched when he did. "Jacob, you've got a nasty bump here." She pulled her hand away, staring at the dried blood and gore that had stuck to her fingers. "Caleb," she called, "I need hot water and ice and all the clean towels you can give me." She glanced over her shoulder toward her brother. "Maybe you can come up with some sweats or something that we can get Jacob into after I get him cleaned up."

Jacob barely glanced Caleb’s way as he left the room, attention firmly upon Jenna. He'd managed to snare one of her hands and brought it to his nose, breathing in the essence of her scent. He nuzzled at her hand, and then he smiled. "J-Jenna."

"Yes, I'm Jenna, and you're Jacob." She couldn't help but smile, he seemed so eager to please her now.

His face twisted into a puzzled frown, and he stared as if expecting her to figure out his problem for him. "Jenna, Jacob."

"Yes, that's very good, Jacob."

"N-no. No! Jenna Jacob's. Jenna Jacob's," he repeated, smiling.

Caleb had quietly re-entered the room and heard Jacob's last words. "I think you've been claimed, sis." He jumped when Jacob snarled and dropped the ice pack he’d brought into the room with him.

Jacob heard him and snarled again, grabbing for Jenna's arm again, trying to push her behind him.

"Jacob, Caleb's okay. He's my brother. He's not going to hurt me." She let her hands move over the man in a soothing matter.

Jacob seemed confused but let loose of Jenna's hand. "J-Jenna mine," he growled.[P1] 

Before she had a chance to pick it up, Jacob had it. He held it close to his face, smelling the fabric, turning it over and over in his hands as if he couldn't understand what it was for. He lost curiosity quickly, especially when Jenna wrung out a cloth and began to clean his wounds. One wound in particular seemed pretty bad and he hissed, backing away from her hand.

"No, Jacob. These have to be clean or they could make you very sick. I'm sorry if I hurt you; I really didn't intend to cause you pain.” She reached for the hand still held by Caleb's handcuffs. "Get me the key," she snarled back at Caleb. "There's no reason for him to be tied. He's not going to hurt me, right, Jacob? You won't hurt me, will you?"

"N-No h-hurt." His eyes didn't leave Jenna's face as Caleb handed her the key. She clicked one wrist cuff open, gently taking his hand out and holding it in her tender hand. She looked at the welt that Jacob had worn into his wrist, fighting the cuffs, and sighed. Getting him cleaned up was going to take a while and would be painful.

She set his arm down against his side and then let her hands graze along Jacob's forehead. He didn't feel hot, but that could change quickly if any one of the bites and cuts on his body became septic. "Caleb," she said quietly, knowing her brother would hear her. "I think we need to put him out for me to clean these up."

"That's the best idea you've had since you got here, Jen. What do you need?"

"For you to stay back for now. Don't startle him." She waited until Caleb agreed, then sat forward, her face inches from Jacob's. Despite the dirt that seemed layered over his skin, and the raw patches that were still leeching blood, he didn't smell bad. Instead, he smelled like male; thick and sinfully rich with a hint of wild. It stirred something inside her, something that was more feminine than the pity she originally felt for him. It was a hint of attraction, and it made her nervous.

"I-I w-won't h-hurt you," Jacob growled in a low voice. He shivered, and Jenna knew that he was cold.

She moved slowly toward the closet, reaching in and pulling down a comforter, and spread it over the injured man. He groaned, for even the lightest of weights seemed to hurt him, but he snuggled into the fabric as if it was a luxury he wasn't used to. "T-thank you."

She smiled and then resumed sitting next to him. "Jacob, I don't want to hurt you any more than you've been hurt. But I have to clean those wounds. Now, I have medication in my bag that will make you sleepy. When you've gone to sleep, I can clean your wounds and bandage them without hurting you. You'll only sleep for a little while, then you'll wake up and we can talk some more. How does that sound to you?"

"No!" he shouted. "No, I can't sleep. They...they'll find me, they'll take me back...No!" Jacob shouted the words, and Jenna felt her heart break at the fear that sounded so loudly in his voice.

"Shh," she whispered. "You're safe, Jacob. You're safe." She let her hand brush through his hair, calming him. "I won't put you to sleep, Jacob. I won't let them get to you, I promise." Her palm cupped his cheek, and she felt the trail of wetness that slid down his face. "You're really scared," she whispered.

"Y-yes."

His answer was only that one word, but it spoke volumes to her. "Okay, we'll do this without anesthesia, Jacob, but it will hurt more."

He nodded, barely flinching when she began cleaning.

Even when she began pulling detritus from the wounds, he didn't moan, but kept his eyes on her face, watching her every move. The only time he looked  away was when she called Caleb closer; then he watched the man cautiously, as if waiting for him to attack.

"You're doing well, Jacob. It will just take a little while longer." Her hand touched his face again and he smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. He snarled when Caleb reached out and touched her shoulder, but Jenna calmed him, stroking his cheek with her fingers. "He's my brother, Jacob. He'll never hurt me."

"B-brother?"

"Yes, my older brother."

Jacob nodded and then flinched. He watched as she reached into her bag, pulling out a needle and a bottle of clear liquid. "I have to numb you, Jacob. I've got to stitch these up so that they'll heal."

Jacob rattled the other chain, the handcuff that she hadn't taken off yet. He looked up at her, his eyes pleading, even though his mouth stayed silent.

"I can't take that off until you promise you won't attack my brother again, Jacob."

"Jenna, I can take care of myself."

She glanced at her brother and nodded at the bite mark on his chest. "Yeah, that sure looks like you can handle yourself."

"He sprung out at me, Jen. I didn't even know he was there."

"Yeah, and he's in such good shape that you could take him down that easily. Come on, brother. Fess up."

She chuckled as Caleb's cheeks turned red. "I'm picking on you, Cal. Get over yourself."

"Jenna, you are so not funny."

She laughed at the tone of his voice. "See, he'd never hurt me, Jacob. That means I just need you to promise you won't attack him."

"He can't touch you," Jacob said, his voice a rusty growl.

"Touch me...why?" she asked, confused.

"He can't," Jacob said and refused to say more.

"Tell him you won't touch me, Caleb."

"I won't," he answered, though there was a tone in his voice that stated he thought Jacob had some kind of mental condition. "I promise, Jacob. I'll keep my hands to myself even when she drives me crazy. Okay?"

She took the key and slid it into the other cuff, turning it carefully. His wrist slid out and fell to the mattress next to his head. He lifted his wrist, holding it with his other hand. Jenna held out her hand, carefully checking his wrist and the welt from the cuff.

She smiled. "You're bruised and beaten up, Jacob, but I don't believe there is anything broken, or any internal injuries. You just need some rest."

He sat up, reaching for her. "I can't sleep. If they find me again...I'll be dead."

"If who finds you, Jacob?" She didn't try to break from his grip, shaking her head at Caleb as he stepped toward the bed. "Who is scaring you so?"

He opened his mouth as if he were going to answer, but then slammed his mouth shut. "I can't," he groaned. "I...just can't."

Jenna smoothed her hand across his face, her thumb sliding across the shadows under his piercing amber eyes. "It's okay," she said softly, knowing she was so close he could hear what she was saying. "I won't let anyone hurt you, Jacob. As long as you're in my care, you're safe."

"Okay," he growled, leaning back against the pillow. He nodded at her. "Go ahead and do what you must. I won't move."

She glanced over at her brother before pulling her medical case even closer and pulling out her kit. She grabbed her needles and surgical thread, searching for the finest to close his wounds. "Are you sure you don't want something to dull the..."

"No!" Jacob's head shook furiously. "I can't"

"Okay, I'll try to be quick." She flinched when she threaded the needle through the first of his wounds, and then every time after that until she'd finished them all. Bandaging took another hour or so until he resembled a mummy. By that time, Jacob was yawning and his eyes were drooping, even though he refused to keep them closed.

"You need to sleep," she said softly. "You're safe here. No one but Caleb and I know you are here. We won't let anyone else in."

Jacob reached for her, his hand catching her wrist and holding it gently. "Stay with me?" he asked, staring into the startling green of her eyes. "Don't leave me, please?"

Jenna sighed, feeling the heat of his hand. He was running a temperature, and she could only hope what little antibiotic she'd been able to get him to take, as well as the ice she was using against his forehead, would help it break. "I'll stay. But you must rest."

His golden eyes closed and then opened again almost instantly. He glanced from Jenna to Caleb. "Don't let them in. When they come, don't tell them you know me and don't invite them in." He waited for them both to nod before he let his eyes close again. Within seconds, his breathing grew deeper and his eyes began to close.

Jenna waited a few more moments before she began to rise. Jacob's hand was still around her wrist, and when she tried to pull free, he mumbled something in his sleep and held tight. She sighed. "Caleb, take the bloodied bandages and throw them in the fire, then bring me in a bowl with ice and water so I can use it to try to get his fever down. I want you to get the antibacterial cream from my kit and use it on that bite mark, then put one of the big bandages on it and put a shirt on him. We don't want anyone to see the wounds"

Caleb nodded, gathering the wads of soiled gauze and pads to throw them in the fire as she asked. "What do you think he meant; when they come?"

"I know about as much as you do, Cal. We've just got to do as he wished. I won't have him taken from us."

"But...what if he's dangerous? What if these injuries were caused by him trying to get away from some kind of legal institution? What if he's mentally deranged, Jen?"

"Does he look dangerous to you?" she argued, nodding at the sleeping Jacob. She pulled his blanket up closer around him. "He's weak and running a temperature, Cal. Please, just do as I ask. We'll get this all figured out when he wakes up." Please God, she thought as her brother left the room.

Her eyes roamed over him as she gently brushed the hair away from his face. His hair was black, what her Papa would have called black as sin. It was long and ragged, as if he hadn't been able to get it cut for a while. It matched his dark brows and the thick lashes that surrounded his amber eyes. His face was rugged, chiseled and handsome and a thin scar that bisected his cheek and ended at his hair line took nothing away from his attractiveness. His lips were lush, but dry and cracked, bleeding from one side as if someone had slapped him hard.

The rest of his body had been badly abused, and he looked too thin, his ribs showing through his lanky muscles. His hip bones were too apparent, and she felt sickened by what had been done to him. She couldn't help stroking her hand over her hair as he slept, almost petting him, and she felt a strange possessiveness come over her.

She jerked when Caleb came back into the room, a large tin bowl in his hands. He set it on the bed table and gave her a stack of clean clothes. "I've started some soup and will leave it simmering on the stove. I've gotten out some clothes for our guest if he feels like wearing them when he wakes up. I'm already late for work, Jenna. I've got to go."

"I know. Thanks, Caleb."

 He bent and kissed her cheek. "Stay safe, sis. My Sig is in my room; you know where it is, and you know how to use it. You've got your cell. If you need me, call, understand?"

"Always the big brother," she said with a smile. "Don't worry about me."

"I always worry about you, Jen. It's like a hobby."

"That was so not funny, Cal." She shook her head at him. "Stay safe, big brother."

Cal grinned and nodded, snapping on his gun belt as he walked out.

Jenna squeezed out the cloth the best she could with one hand. Jacob wasn't letting loose of her other.

She slipped the cold cloth over his forehead and down his cheek before folding it and placing it back on his forehead. "It's just us now, Jacob," she whispered.

He moaned in reply, rolling and pulling on her wrist until she was tugged down next to him. She curled up on the blanket, feeling the heat of his body against hers. She could smell his scent over the medicated cream she'd used on his wounds, and she breathed deeply, allowing herself to be pulled under his spell. She could feel how much bigger he was than she and knew that, standing, he'd tower over her five feet nine inches. The hand wrapped around her wrist was huge but very gentle. Even when she tried to pull away, he didn't bruise her.

He seemed to feel her next to him, and he moved even closer, moaning a little when the pain of his wounds intruded upon his rest. He murmured her name, making her smile as he rolled toward her, his head coming to rest next to her breast.

She stroked his hair, feeling him calm, and let her eyes close, though she didn't sleep. Her thoughts were running rampant, the curiosity of Jacob's presence omnipresent. She couldn't stop thinking about him, wondering how he'd been hurt and who'd done it. The bites didn't look like they could have come from humans. They'd looked more like dog bites; some kind of huge dog like a Great Dane.

If he'd been attacked by dogs, how did he manage to get away, and who had used the knife on him?

 She knew her brother would be putting out the word tonight about finding a man in poor condition. He would have lots to tell her when he got home. Until then...

She sighed, rolling to her side a little. Jacob curled up against her back, his arm going around her waist, his hand resting against her slim stomach. She fell asleep, finally, but it was a fitful sleep.

When the doorbell rang an hour and a half later, she sat straight up in bed, rousing Jacob. She turned to soothe him. "It's okay, Jacob. Someone's here and they might need my help. I'm just going to see who it is."

Jacob wouldn't release her. "It's them, the people who did this to me. You can't let them get you outside, or get you to invite them in, Jenna. They'll kill you."