Oh. She supposed for someone over four centuries old that probably wasn’t that long, but he was still a male. It was a freaking long time. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Is talking right before sex or right before I orgasm going to be a thing with you?” she asked, her voice teasing.

Chuckling, he pushed into her in a long, hard thrust that sent a jolt of awareness through her entire body.

“I rarely talk during sex, but you seem to bring it out in me,” he murmured as he began moving inside her in slow strokes.

His thickness filled her completely and she lost the ability to speak. She definitely didn’t need words during sex. Her body could talk for her. Right now it was screaming for release.

Instead of watching each other like they’d done last night, he cupped the back of her head and drew her up until their mouths meshed. Their tongues danced an erotic rhythm as he pumped into her.

She wrapped her arms around him, digging her fingers into his back way harder than she’d have done had he been human. It was almost as if she needed to mark him, to claim him somehow. Part of her even wanted to bite him a little, but she held back. She might have let go last night, but they were still learning about each other and she didn’t want to freak him out.

When he reached between their bodies and began rubbing her clit, her inner walls clenched out of control. He knew how to exert the exact amount of pressure on her sensitive bundle of nerves to drive her absolutely insane with pleasure.

Drawing back, she began nibbling kisses along his jaw as he continued thrusting inside her in even strokes. Unable to help herself, she nipped his earlobe between her teeth. When he sucked in a breath and his strokes became jerkier, the most feminine part of her smiled.

What she wouldn’t give to make this man lose absolute control. Arching up, she rubbed her breasts against his chest, savoring the feel of her nipples brushing against the hard planes of his body.

“Mine,” he growled next to her ear as one of his hands cupped her breast in a dominating grip. He squeezed a little roughly before tweaking her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

The abrupt action made her gasp then moan. As he pinched the hard nub, it bordered on pain but quickly morphed into pure pleasure. Her inner walls tightened even more around his cock.

“Mine,” he said again, this time even more demanding.

Oh yeah, she could definitely get behind that. Her body could be his if he kept playing it so expertly. It was as if all her nerves were on edge, tingling and ready for release. She was so close, it practically hurt. The ache inside her grew until he cupped her other breast. Part of her wondered if there was more to his ‘mine’ declaration, but she refused to allow her thoughts to go there. Not now. She just wanted to enjoy herself and not get tangled up in her own thoughts.

As he rolled both her nipples in tune with his thrusting, she finally let go. Her climax slammed into her like a freight train, running her right over so that she could barely catch her breath.

She grabbed his head, tugging his mouth to hers as her orgasm exploded, shattering through all her nerve endings. Hungrily and almost out of control, she kissed him, needing that extra connection as she found her release.

His own release wasn’t far behind. Tearing away from her mouth, he let out a shout as he came inside her. Unlike their first time, his shout was so primitive it rocked her to her core. The sound echoed off the cave, reverberating and wrapping around them until she was aware of nothing else but him.

She wrapped her legs tightly around him, staying locked in place even after he’d settled on top of her and their breathing had evened out.

Eventually he lifted his head and pinned her with a stare so molten hot she was surprised she didn’t catch on fire. It was like she was caught up in a storm and couldn’t look away. Hell, she didn’t want to. She’d gladly be caught by this sexy man.

“You’re mine, Estrella.”

Her insides practically quivered. She wanted to demand he say it again, even if the statement itself scared her. Those three words sounded a lot more intense than she figured he meant and she didn’t want to read into anything. She’d been alone for so long, reaching out only to a few humans. The thought of letting someone into her heart and then having it shattered when things didn’t work out—yeah, she couldn’t go there right now.

She cupped his cheek, gently rubbing her thumb against his smattering of facial hair. “Rainer—”

She was cut off by an unfamiliar male voice. “Holy shit, Rainer. The entire forest can probably hear you.”

Anxiety threatened to take over as it registered that they weren’t alone anymore and she was very naked. Normally she could scent intruders, but she’d been so wrapped up in Rainer she hadn’t noticed. She guessed it was the same for him because he seemed surprised. Rainer didn’t seem to care about nudity but she’d grown up in the human world and it mattered to her. She turned her head toward the opening of the cave’s mouth at the same time Rainer did to see the same male from the night before entering. It was one of his brothers.

Embarrassed, she tried to cover up but Rainer beat her to it. “What the hell!” he shouted, moving off her and blocking her so that his entire body shielded hers.

She didn’t like to cower behind anyone but she huddled against Rainer, not wanting anyone, especially Rainer’s brother, to see her. She was already embarrassed enough by what he’d just said about the forest hearing them. It wasn’t something she’d even thought about but if his pack mates had heard them...her face flamed and she buried it against Rainer’s muscular back.

“What’s your problem?” his brother asked, his voice surly.

“I don’t know. Maybe you barging in here while my female is naked,” Rainer snapped, sounding furious. The scent that permeated off him was so sharp she could practically taste his anger.

Wait a minute. His female? She wondered if that was just a shifter term for lovers or if he meant something more by it.

There was a long pause and she realized they were talking telepathically. Popping her head up, she glared at his brother and pinched Rainer’s side. “It’s rude to do that when there are other people in the room.” Or cave.

Rainer looked over his shoulder at her and actually looked sheepish. “Sorry. My brother was telling me your house is clear. We’ve got two of my pack mates standing guard, but there are no vampires anywhere near there.”

“It’s daytime anyway, right? I thought they couldn’t walk around in the day.” Or at least he’d insinuated it when he’d said they could return to her house the next morning.

“Day walkers are rare, though my Alpha is mated to one.”

Her eyes widened. “Your Alpha is mated to a vampire?” She’d assumed that would be impossible. But here she was sleeping with a wolf, so what did she know.

Rainer nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but the man at the cave opening cut him off. “So exactly where are you from? And why are you living so close to our pack land without having introduced yourself? There’s a reason those vamps were after you and I want to know why.” His brother’s voice was almost hostile, his questions close to shouting.

Estrella felt her throat close up at the accusatory way he spoke to her. And the dark look in his eyes made her extremely uncomfortable.

“Damn it, Conrad. Enough with the third degree,” Rainer snapped, his own anger almost palpable.

“I have a right to know. The entire pack does. Alaric and Knox are going to be pissed,” he snarled.

Feeling nauseous, Estrella laid back down and used Rainer’s body as cover while she snagged the clothes they’d discarded the night before. Somehow she managed to shimmy into them while Rainer and his brother continued to argue. She’d heard enough. Once she was dressed, she sat up and placed her hand on Rainer’s side. When he saw her dressed he reached for his own clothes.

“Listen, I appreciate your help last night,” she said to Conrad—who rudely hadn’t bothered to introduce himself before tossing questions at her, “but I’m going to get off your land right now. I’ll talk to your Alpha or whatever it is I need to do but it’s early and I don’t need some rude jerk shouting at me.”

Rainer’s brother rubbed a hand over his face and when his gaze connected with hers again, he looked slightly apologetic. “I’m sorry. With the vampire-shifter treaty taking place right now we can’t afford any incidents.”

She shrugged, unsure how to respond. Suddenly she felt very uncomfortable now that it was daylight. She’d just spent a night in a cave with a wolf shifter she was only just getting to know and he was involved with this big pack and a world she knew nothing about. Estrella wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she was back in her home. Rainer’s arm landed around her shoulders as he pulled her close. His embrace was comforting, but she knew she couldn’t get used to it.

Looking down at her, his expression was gentle, but also tense. “Before we go to your place, let’s go back with my brother. You can meet some of my pack mates and my other brother who’s still in town—he’s much nicer than Conrad,” he murmured jokingly.

Estrella shook her head and looked down, feeling totally out of place. “I just want to go home.”

Rainer’s grip on her tightened. “Don’t pull away from me,” he said quietly, almost desperately.

How did he read her so well? Instead of responding, she took a step out of his embrace. There was no way she was having this conversation with his brother and who only knew how many of his pack mates nearby. “Can we just go?”

Growling low in his throat, Rainer shot his brother a dirty look before nodding at her. “Yeah.”

Relief swelled up inside her. Last night with Rainer had been amazing, but clearly she’d jumped into whatever this was too soon. She just wanted to get back to her quiet, uncomplicated life.

Chapter 5

Rainer wanted to pummel his brother for the rude way he’d behaved to Estrella. They’d driven back to her place instead of shifting and running and she’d been quiet the entire time. Not that he could blame her. In addition to Conrad, another pack mate had come with them, which had probably only compounded her nervousness. Rainer wasn’t positive, but considering his history with females—or one treacherous female in particular—he knew his brother was just concerned about him.