Chapter 16 - Jack

The next day, I head out fairly early to talk to Bailey. Before I left, I told Lena to sleep in a bit. She happily curled up in the blankets, smiling contentedly as she snuggles in.

I hurry over to Bailey's and find him sitting on the couch, feeding Natalia a bottle. He looks ragged, with dark circles under his eyes and wild hair.

"Whoa, buddy. What happened to you?"

"You should see the other guy," Bailey mutters.

"What?"

He sighs. "Jenks challenged me to a drinking competition last night. It went on for some time. I think I won. I'm not sure. Being a damn fool doesn't get me out of dad duty, though. You're up early, so something must be up. What's wrong?"

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just get into it. Over a year ago now, you told me to stay away from Peter and his family, including Lena. I had a nasty fight with him."

"Yes," Bailey says. "I remember. Decker assured me it was an isolated incident, and that Peter would take serious offence if he ever saw you again. He is an elder, from the founding wolves. These matters need to be handled with care."

"But you saw how he abused Lena, right in front of the council."

"I did," Bailey agrees, a dark frown on his face.

"It's far worse than it looks. He's been abusing the entire family for years. He is a brutal sadist that should be locked up. I fully believe he is still up to his neck in illegal activities, too."

Bailey nods. "Okay. I'll take this up with Decker as soon as I can. I know they don't know what to do with him, so we might have to call in some of the ancient laws of punishment, but both packs would have to have a full consensus."

"Do this carefully, Bae, please," I say. "Don't let Lena get hurt by this more than she already has."

"I will," he answers. "Thank you for bringing this up. Once I've woken up a bit, I'll get on to Decker."

"Thank you, Bae."

I give my niece a little kiss on the head before I go. The little mite is growing so fast, I can't believe she's nearly walking already.

After I leave, I head to town and get some pastries and coffee. At the last minute, I decide to get some gourmet snacks and sandwiches, then hurry home. Lena is just getting out of bed when I get there.

"Hey, babe. I got you some breakfast."

"Thank you," she says, smiling sleepily. "I seriously didn't want to get up."

I hand over the coffee and the paper bag with the pastries. We enjoy them for a few minutes, the silence between us comfortable and easy.

"Hey… would you like to go on a little hike today? My wolf could use a run."

"Sure!" she answers. "Give me a bit to clean up and then let's go."

I let her get dressed and as soon as she's ready, we head out in the truck, parking at the main area near Mt Wilson where our territory starts. Lena looks up at the snow dusted peaks.

"Look at that," she whispers. "Mt Sneffels is huge. I'd love to go right up to the peak sometime."

"We'll go," I answer. "For sure. But surely not today?"

"No," she laughs. "My body is all kinds of sore, in the best way."

I give her a hug and a brief kiss, loving her soft, contented smile. We walk into the woods together, finding a quiet spot to leave our clothes. The sight of her naked body excites me but I restrain myself, shifting and running out on to the plain. Lena follows me, barking excitedly and rushing past me.

I chase her, letting my primal nature take me over. Every strike of my paws against the ground affirms what I am, that the wolf is my true soul, and the man is a mask I wear.

As we reach one of the lesser peaks, Lena leaps to the top of a pile of rocks and howls with joy. I join her, pressing my shoulder against hers and adding my voice to the song. It resonates through us both, echoing through the valley and up to the highest peak.

Suddenly Lena yips and rushes around me, skittering with her feet. With a playful bark I do the same, then she's dashing through the forest again, back towards the park. I chase her, right on her tail the whole way. The exhilaration of my muscles working at their peak, my heart pounding and my breath easing in and out of my lungs clears my mind and banishes all the tension from me.

We slow down as we reach the trees. I trot slowly into the little glade where we left our clothes, planning to get dressed and head back to the car to get our picnic basket. I shift and reach for my clothes, but then Lena shifts right in front of me.

The bright, mid-afternoon sun has set her hair alight. It drifts around her shoulders in a curtain of glittering gold and red. Her skin glows, as if it's absorbing the pale light. When she looks up at me, her eyes are wide, deep, and green, like forest pools that harbor ancient knowledge for only the faithful to find.

When she smiles at me, my primal urges take over. Before I know it, I'm standing next to her, wrapping her in my arms. Her lips find mine, and she slides her arms around my neck, pressing her body against me. I grip her waist, holding her tight as I deepen the kiss.

We sink down into the thick grass, hands frantically stroking each other as if we are trying to touch every part of each other at once. Lena pulls me down on top of her and wraps her legs around me, thrusting against me as her fingers dig into my back.

She kisses my cheek, squeezing me with her arms and legs as if she can't get close enough to me. I find her mouth with mine and kiss her, softly and slowly pressing my lips to hers while I let the feeling build between us.

Lena writhes against me, trying to slip me inside. I can feel my hard cock sliding against her pussy as her arousal builds and her movements become more urgent.

"What do you want, my love?" I whisper against her ear. She laughs, bucking her hips up and down.

"You know what I want."

I grab her shoulders and roll, putting her on top of me. For a few seconds, she stays stretched out on me, kissing me deeply, then she sits up, balancing on my belly with her hands as she grips me with her thighs.

"Oh," she whispers in surprise. "That feels good."

She strokes her hips back and forth, rubbing her pussy against the shaft. I take it for a few seconds before I start to tremble.

"Okay, I'm not sure why I put you in charge."

She giggles, grinding against me with her hips. She almost slips me inside but keeps teasing me instead.

"What do you want, Jack?" she asks, a devilish grin on her face. "I just don't know."

I sit up and grab her arms, kissing her. She wraps her legs around my waist, still teasing me with her hot, slick pussy. Her hands go around my shoulders and caress the back of my neck while she wriggles in my lap.

I can't take it anymore and roll us back down to the ground again. She laughs, digging her heels into my ass to thrust against me. A wave of lust rolls through me, robbing me of all thought. I manage to stop myself and look into her eyes, touching her cheek gently.

"Ready?" I ask, my voice very soft.

"Yes," she answers, nodding.

I reach down and rub my cock gently against her pussy, feeling how hot and wet she is. When she thrusts her hips towards me, I groan with pleasure, feeling it sweeping through me with so much intensity it's almost pain.

Slowly, I slip my cock inside. Even though she's so wet, she's also very tight. I take my time, sliding inch by inch, waiting for her body to relax before I keep going.

As our bodies finally press together and I'm as deep inside her as I can possibly go, Lena clings to me, writhing against me. Her hands grip my shoulders as she puts her cheek against mine, and a small cry escapes her lips.

I prop myself up on my hands and look into her face. Her eyes are closed, her beautiful lips curved in a satisfied smile. I stay still until she finally looks at me.

I kiss her once, very softly, then start to thrust. I watch surprise and pleasure flash across her face as my cock strokes her slowly, parting her soft, warm pussy with my hard shaft. I increase my pace, thrusting harder and faster as I watch her face the whole time.

When her breath is coming in harsh, short gasps, I slow down again, drawing out the pleasure. She grips my back and kicks her heels against me, like I'm a naughty horse.

I lean down and kiss her, keeping my body still. Lena writhes against me, trapped between my body and the ground. I kiss her slow and deep, teasing with my lips and tongue as I press my cock into her as deeply as it will go, feeling her body relax and invite me in.

When I pull back to look into her eyes, all I see is complete and utter need. She thrusts desperately against me, and I can feel her passion as the intensity rises in her. It fires my blood as my body answers the call.

This is so much more than I ever imagined.

I start thrusting hard and fast, bracing myself on the ground to give my hips power. Lena's legs loosen on my sides, but her hands tighten on my shoulders until her nails are digging into me. She shrieks at the end of every thrust as I slam my body against hers, her breath rushing in and out in pace with my movement.

As I get harder and thicker, Lena uses her heels and hands to keep us locked together, and my thrusts are very short, hard, and deep. I feel her pussy tighten around me, and a groan rips out of me as her inner muscles spasm and hold on to me.

She shivers in my arms, crying out as she holds on to me loosely. I thrust harder and faster into her, feeling my own orgasm cresting into a crashing wave. Just as Lena convulses in my arms, almost screaming, my cock shudders and blows deep inside her, taking all my strength with it.

I lay against her, gasping for air. I move off her as quickly as I can and wrap her in my arms, holding her against my chest. Her breathing is even shakier than mine, and I hold her even more tightly.

I will never let anything hurt you. Ever again.

I look down into her face, and the pleasure and contentment I see there touch my heart. I truly believe she has never been so happy.

And it is my honor to make her this happy as often as I can, for the rest of our lives.