Chapter 9 - Iris

I leaned against the balcony railing, the rough wood gently scraping my palms as I stared out at the landscape. The fresh air brushing against my skin was soothing, and the deep breaths felt cleansing as I relished the early-morning feel.

A coffee mug materialized in front of me.

"Hey there." Alek leaned against the railing next to me after I took the cup. "Doing okay?"

I took a sip of the coffee, unable to stifle the moan of contentment. "You remembered the way I liked it," I said.

"Hard to forget ‘lots and lots of milk, no sugar,'" he teased.

I snorted. "Fair," I said.

I was painfully aware of every inch of him, of the way his body shifted as he moved to look out at the woods. The fact that he was inches away. The fact that I could feel the heat radiating off him.

Since meeting the girls, I had warmed up to Alek a bit more, but we hadn't spent much time together. He was trying to give me space to let me warm up to everything. And was surprised at how much I missed him. I kept wanting to talk to him, even though that kernel of fear still stuck with me. But after meeting people like Jenn and Georgia, even Malcolm, it was hard to see shifters in the same light as I had before.

"How're you doing?" Alek asked.

I swallowed, wincing as the too-hot coffee slid down my throat. "I'm okay," I said. "Things are still…you know."

"Yeah, I get it." He hesitated, his shoulders tensing in the corner of my eye. I turned to look at him.

"What about us?" he asked.

"You mean, are we all right?" I asked.

When he nodded, I chewed my lip, staring down at the undergrowth below. "I'm not sure, Alek. I don't think you mean any harm. I don't think you're going to hurt me…"

"But you're still afraid," he finished for me.

"Yeah," I admitted. "I'm sorry. I wish it were different, but that's just how it is right now."

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Let me prove it to you," he said. "Let me show you there's nothing to be afraid of."

"How?" I asked.

He gave a grin, and there was something wild about the smile. Something wolfish around the eyes.

"How would you feel about a run?" he asked.

***

A minute later, crunching twigs and brush sounded from the side of the house, and a massive red wolf—Alek, I reminded myself—emerged from around the corner. My hand tightened on the backpack I was carrying, which contained a pair of sweatpants for Alek and some snacks.

My legs trembled slightly, and my first instinct was to spin around and run. But I stayed where I was, trying to remind myself constantly that it was Alek.

The wolf whined softly, tail swishing as he came slowly toward me, stepping lightly as if trying to make sure he didn't frighten me off. I stayed where I was. Soon, he was right in front of me, his face level with mine. Before I could move, his muzzle rubbed against my cheek, and he gave it a gentle, reassuring lick.

I thought that would terrify me, but I ended up feeling the opposite. His tongue tickled, and I let out an unconscious giggle at the sensation. He noticed, his tail wagging, and he did it again.

"Knock it off," I laughed as he continued assaulting me with licks. I realized at some point that he was trying to put me at ease, and a glimmer of surprise rushed through me when I realized it had worked. My shoulders had unclenched, the knot in my stomach loosened, and I was smiling. I wouldn't have thought that was possible, given what I was about to do and how my entire childhood had been built on stories telling me to run the other way from wolf men, not clamber on top of them to go for a run. But he'd managed to put me at ease.

Seeing me more relaxed, he huffed before nuzzling against me again.

"Thanks," I said, still amazed that he had managed to take a terrifying situation and make me laugh. I took a deep breath, some of that anxiety creeping back in. "All right, let's get going before I change my mind."

The massive wolf crouched, belly low to the ground so I could climb on top of him.

It took me a long moment to get up the courage to move closer. "Okay," I said. Unsure of what to do, I straddled him, awkwardly nestling myself behind his front legs like I might a horse. Again, there was something bizarrely comforting about it. It felt almost natural. Alek's fur was coarse but soft at the same time, and I loved the way it felt when I entwined my fingers in it.

"All right," I said again.

I let out a soft gasp as he stood up and shook his head briefly. Then, with a brief glance over his shoulder at me to make sure I was secure, he took off.

He started slowly, trotting evenly, getting a feel for the additional weight of me and giving me a chance to get used to riding on his back. Then, he picked up speed, moving at a lively clip as he weaved through the trees. The wind began whipping my hair behind me. My grip on his fur tightened, but only instinctively. The pace was invigorating, making my heart pound harder.

We ran through the woods, dodging trees and leaping over boulders and logs. But Alek was nowhere near his top speed.

He glanced at me again, gave a soft growl that could have meant "hold on," and then went into a full-on sprint.

I screamed half in shock and half in delight as he shot forward. The forest blurred together, blending into one mass as we raced through the woods. How he was able to navigate in this type of situation was beyond me, but we never hit anything, not even a bug or spiderweb.

I let out an exhilarated whoop that was lost to the wind. My heart pounded with adrenaline, and the air stung my eyes. I leaned forward instinctively, gripping his fur tighter. Sensing the cue, Alek sped up again, charging at a breakneck pace. My scream was lost to the wind, and all I could do was be in the moment, letting my fear and anxiety fall behind me with the rest of the world. It was exactly like I had dreamed so many times, complete with that overwhelming, incredible sense of freedom.

Soon, too soon, he came to a halt, a massive rock looking out onto a view even more incredible than the one at Alek's house, so high that you could see the mountains for miles.

I collapsed onto the rock, panting heavily. The great wolf took the bag into his mouth and dipped into the trees. A moment later, Alek emerged, adjusting his sweatpants.

"What did you think?" he asked.

"What did I think?" I gave a breathless laugh. "That was incredible."

Alek broke into a grin. "That wasn't even the fastest I could go," he admitted.

I propped myself up on my elbows, looking up at him with raised eyebrows. "Really?" I asked.

"Yep." He came to flop down next to me.

"It was really…liberating," I said. "I can't remember the last time I felt that free."

"Does that mean you don't see us as vicious killers anymore?" he asked. If I didn't know any better, I would have said he sounded nervous.

I sighed, leaning back down and looking up at the clear blue sky surrounded by brilliant green trees. "I don't know," I said. "I don't think so? But it's not exactly easy to get rid of years and years of prejudice and horror stories."

"No, I don't suppose it would be." There was another pause. "What about me?"

"Do I think you're a vicious killer?" I turned onto my side so I was looking at him. His face was taut, his eyes mildly anxious. "No."

He let out a long, relieved sigh, and some of the tension ebbed from his face. "Good," he said, reaching to brush a strand of hair from my face. His hand lingered on my cheek, and fire erupted all through my body. All of a sudden, it was hard to breathe. "That's good," he said again.

All that tension, all that need I'd been holding back, finally snapped, and I couldn't take it anymore. Without warning, without giving myself a chance to second-guess, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his.

He tasted the same as I remembered, his kiss just as commanding and eager as it was all those years ago. He pulled me toward him, rolling me over so I was on my back looking up at him. He kissed me greedily, seeming to want to make up for lost time, and I was just as enthusiastic. I hadn't realized how much I'd craved him until I felt his lips on mine again.

His hand ran down my side, caressing my body. His fingers rested at the hem of my shirt, slowly slipping beneath and inching slowly upward, giving me a chance to stop him if I wanted. But I didn't want to—I needed him. I needed every inch of him.

His lips never left mine as his hand moved beneath my bra, cupping my breast and squeezing firmly in a way that made my breath hitch. My fingers tangled themselves in his hair, locking him in place until I had gotten my fill. My other hand ran along his bare torso, tracing every line of his muscles. They rippled beneath my touch, sending more fire running through me. My breath shallowed, my mind going blank, consumed with need.

My shirt and bra fell to the ground as he took them off and tossed them aside. He sat up, his legs pinning me beneath him as he straddled me, looking me up and down.

"You're even more beautiful than I remember," he said, his hands roaming across my bare torso and chest, caressing every inch of my body. "Fuck, I've missed you."

I'd missed him, too. More than I had realized. Any fears and prejudices buried inside me—they were paltry compared to how badly I needed him.

He bent down, kissing me on the lips, his tongue slipping into my mouth as his hands continued to roam. His lips moved down my neck, tracing my collarbone, before continuing lower. I could see his bulge through his sweatpants as he took my breast into his mouth. And the sight alone was enough to make me wild with need.

His hand slipped beneath my shorts, his fingers pressing gently against my clit as his mouth went to my other nipple. I moaned softly as his fingers began to rub against my clit, first gently, then more firmly. I groaned, the fire in between my legs growing as I writhed beneath his touch, hips grinding against him as he held me down.

Not taking his hand out of me, he somehow managed to unfasten and yank down my pants, leaving me naked as I lay against the warm stone. We were out in the open. Anyone could walk by and see me melting beneath him as he fingered me, hear my panting and moans as his movements grew faster.

But his fingers, while magical, weren't enough. I needed more. I grabbed his sweatpants, pulling them down. His cock shot straight up, fully erect. I licked my lips, remembering how it used to feel when he fucked me, needing more of it.

He saw the way I was looking and gave a wicked grin that sent new spasms of lust through me.

"You like that, Baby? You miss it?" he asked.

I nodded, biting my lip.

"You want it inside you?"

When I nodded again, he said, "Then ask me nicely."

"Please?"

The tip of his cock pressed against my vagina, circling it, teasing me.

"Alek," I begged.

"Please what?" His thumb went to my clit, his eyes not leaving my face as his lips curled into a smug smirk. I gasped, squirming beneath him, but his legs pinned me in place, leaving me unable to slip away from his thumb, flicking back and forth.

"Please fuck me!"

He thrust his cock inside me, filling me entirely in a way that only he had ever been able to do. He glided in and out of me, getting faster with each pump. He took one breast into his mouth, tugging gently at the nipple while a hand played with the other, still never breaking stride as his continued to plunge inside me. I squirmed beneath him, wrapping my legs around his back, my hips bucking in time with him.

His hand tangled in my hair, his mouth biting gently on my collarbone as he continued his assault. I moaned, and all of it combined began to build inside me, fueling an insatiable flame that burned between my legs, growing with every thrust as he shoved himself deep in me, his pace steady, just the right speed to add to that fire without pushing me over, making it nearly unbearable.

I tried to hold on, to ride the edge for as long as possible, hoping I could hold it in to enjoy the ecstasy that being on the precipice gave me, that mindless need where all that mattered was his cock fucking me. But then his hand slipped to my clit, flicking back and forth with delicious rapidity that made my toes curl and that fire between my legs burn red-hot, and it was too much.

I shattered, screaming loud enough that I was sure everyone in town could hear the echo, despite how far we were. My nails dug into his flesh as I panted, relishing the pulsating wave of release washing over me. He didn't stop, his dick gliding in and out as the orgasm continued, my legs tightening and my muscles tightening around his cock.

He kept going, his speed gaining. His mouth pressed against mine, and even though I had just finished, I could feel how wet I still was, how badly my body needed his. A new burst of need began to spark inside.

Alek grunted, and I felt him filling me with his cum. That was enough to send me over the edge a second time, almost without warning, and I gasped as that wave of ecstasy washed over me again. Finally, he came to a stop, looking down at me.

We stayed like that, his cock still inside me as he hovered, his arms on either side of my head as we both panted, reality crashing down around us again.

"Are you all right?" he asked, eyes searching my face.

"Mhm." I didn't trust myself to say anything else, my heart and head still reeling from what had just happened.

"Good." He bent down and kissed me. "That's good."

I couldn't have said it better myself.