The Fire Inside Read online

  “Such pretty pussy,” he said in a husky whisper before taking a long lick over her entrance and clit.

  Her head lolled to the side as she fisted his hair. “Yes, Konrad.”

  He kissed her cunt with wondrous perfection, sliding his tongue in and out of her core and flicking it across her clit. The dewy scent of her own arousal mixed with the awesome scent that was all Konrad. The things he did to her body were exhilarating. She undulated against his sexy mouth as she cried out her praise for him. Each growl and moan he released had her pussy creaming as her body strained toward the wonderful release his lips promised.

  Wetness trailed down over her anus and she felt his fingers caressing her there. As he sucked her clit into his mouth, he slid two fingers into her channel, rubbing her G-spot ’til she trembled with need. Incoherent words tumbled out of her mouth as she tried to deal with all the sensations he caused in her. He withdrew his fingers. She whimpered again, and then gasped as he inserted one finger into her ass and the other back in her cunt.

  She screamed and moaned as he pumped his digits in and out of her, as he sucked and laved her clit. Her senses became overloaded and she felt the first pulses of her orgasm starting to build with an unreal intensity. She gave over to the wonderful feeling, floating away as her pussy creamed and spasmed. “Konrad!”

  He continued the wonderful torture until he’d wrung every last spasm her body offered. Her limbs felt heavy and her breaths were rapid as he slid back up her body. He captured her lips in a fierce kiss, and she could taste her passion on his tongue. His thick, hard cock probed her entrance and she wrapped her legs around his hips as he slammed into her depths. He swallowed her cries of pleasure as he delivered measured strokes of both his tongue and dick.

  Each glide and pull of his lips had her straining for more. The slick slide of his cock rubbed all the right places inside her. Never had sex been like this. The intensity was off the charts. He held and caressed her just right, until she no longer knew where she ended and he began. One. Mates. Truly a blessed thing. No one could make her body and heart come alive like him.

  As her climax gripped her, she tore her lips from his, giving voice to the spectacular feeling that zipped through her body. Her pussy milked his cock, and his answering growl had her cresting again.

  He picked up the pace, thrusting into her quim with renewed vigor. “Tyra, my perfect Tyra. I feel your pretty pussy fisting me.”

  “Yes, fuck me. Harder.”

  He bared his teeth, snapping them with a cocky laugh as he lifted her leg over his shoulder. “As you wish.”

  She couldn’t contain the screams that tore from her lips. They mixed with his moans of pleasure, providing a melody with which their bodies fell into rhythm. Her pussy quivered then gripped his cock as she came. A roar tore past his lips as he arched his back and released his seed inside her.

  Chapter Ten

  Konrad awoke with Tyra in his arms. The first light of dawn bathed the bedroom in a soft glow. He smiled as he snuggled against her bare backside, loving the feel of her warm skin against his own. For a moment, he basked in the peacefulness that holding her close brought him as he listened to the sound of her soft, even breaths.

  Last night had been amazing. Well, at least the part that included their lovemaking. The rest of the ugly truth hit him as he reflected on the events prior. Teeth clenched, he held back the growl that wanted to rumble through him. Knowing that Thanasis had killed Tyra’s pack put a whole new spin on things. No way could he buy land from the bastard now. His gaze went to the ceiling. As much as he hated to, he had no choice. He would have to split the pack.

  It had been a long time coming. Luken needed to be on his own. But he would have to wait for the right time. He wanted the pack strong when he turned Thanasis down, ready for anything in case the punk ass bastard retaliated.

  The thought had his lips pulling back from his teeth. He hoped the asshole would be stupid enough to come after any of his pack mates. And when he did, Konrad would tear him apart. In fact the longer he thought about it, he wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t tear him apart regardless. No one could blame him after the pain Thanasis had caused his mate, but then again he had to think of the whole pack and not his own need for vengeance. It would be best to think some more and analyze the situation further before he acted.

  His gaze went back to the beauty beside him. She looked so peaceful with her delicate hand curled up near her face. He also couldn’t help but notice that she seemed to be free of the nightmares that had plagued her before. A smile lifting his lips, he reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Her nose twitched and she made a small sound of protest.

  His cock began to stir to life as she stretched and arched her back, her rump rubbing against his groin. As much as he would love to sink deep inside her once again, it would have to wait. He needed to meet with Luken and settle things out, as well as prepare for tonight. Luken would have to run head so that Konrad could stay with Tyra.

  He was pretty confident that she wouldn’t have problems with the shift, but he’d rather be safe than sorry. It would go a long way for her comfort not to have an audience as she shifted. Green eyes stared up at him and his grin broadened as a lazy, sensual smile spread across her full lips. Unable to resist, he leaned in and sampled her mouth.

  Never had a woman slept in his bed. Sure, he’d bedded his fair share of females, but he always saw this intimacy as something to be reserved for his mate. Waking to her now and being able to kiss her lips went way beyond his expectations of the joy it would bring him. His level of possessiveness had also gone off the charts. With a growl, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, savoring the kiss. His cock grew hard and throbbed with the need to fill her again. Using the last bit of restraint he could muster, he pulled his mouth from hers and released his hold on her body, promising himself another taste of her delights later.

  “Good morning,” he whispered next to her lips.

  Tyra turned in his arms and gripped his erection. “Yes, it is.”

  Konrad’s eyes slid closed as he sucked in a hissed breath. She made it very hard to want to leave this bed. Her soft, delicate hands caressed him from base to tip and he couldn’t stop the moan parting his lips. With effort, he managed to grip her hands gently and pull them away from his cock. He opened his eyes and noticed the puzzlement crossing her features. Hoping to reassure her, he lifted her hands to his lips and brushed kisses across the back of her knuckles. “I’m trying very hard to resist you right now, because I have a meeting with Luken that I need to attend. But rest assured, when I get back,” he nibbled the flesh of her inner wrist, “I’ll take you up on the pleasure you’re offering.”

  Her frown turned into a wicked smile that promised ecstasy. “Hurry back.”

  A low growl rumbled his chest and he nipped at her lower lip then gave her a quick kiss. He rolled from the bed and landed on his feet. “Oh, you can count on it.” His steps took him in the direction of the bathroom.

  “You have a very nice ass by the way.”

  He turned to see Tyra lying across the bed on her stomach, face propped up on her hands, watching him. He smiled back. “You have a sexy everything.” Damn, the way her gaze roamed over him had his whole body tingling with the anticipation of touching her again. A growl rumbled his chest. The combination of their scents hung heavy in the room, making him want her all the more. With effort, he turned away from the sultry sight of her and made it to the shower.

  He went through the motions of getting ready with speed. The faster he got to Luken’s house, the faster he would be back at his mate’s side. When he emerged from the steam-filled bathroom, he found Tyra still lying on her tummy, a bliss-filled smile curving her full lips. He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers, afraid to deepen the kiss lest he end up right back in the bed with her.

  He rose and walked to the closet. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Make yourself at home while I’m gone.”
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br />   She nodded as he pulled on his clothes with quick movements. As he moved toward the door, he couldn’t resist the temptation of her lips as he passed her on the bed again. God, the things this woman did to him. It felt like pulling teeth to leave her. But what he had to share with Luken was important.

  She giggled against his lips. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

  He sighed. “I know I have somewhere I want to be.”

  “And where is that?” she whispered against his lips.

  “Between your silky thighs.”

  She moaned. “I want you there too, but I won’t let you slack in your duties because of me.” She pulled back and scooted toward the middle of the bed. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

  “Okay. I’m going.” But damn if the sight of those taut rosy nipples didn’t make him want to move in her direction. He closed his eyes and groaned, turning to head out of the bedroom. Her laughter rang in his ears as he made for the front door. Even with his cock pulsing painfully behind his zipper, he smiled. All the different sounds of pleasure coming from her were wonderful, and he planned to hear a lot more of them.

  He stepped out into the waiting sunshine. The humidity level was already climbing, but it still felt nice. He decided to forgo the drive and instead started at a nice run in the direction of Luken’s house. Various members of his pack called out greetings as his feet pounded against the pavement. He returned their morning salutations and continued on his way.

  It didn’t take long to arrive at Luken’s home. As he started up the driveway, the smile he’d been sporting seemed to fade as the seriousness of the impending conversation began to sink in. He wished there were another option, but even if there were it would only be delaying the inevitable for a short time. Luken needed his own pack.

  Konrad raised his fist, but his knuckles met air as he went to rap on the solid wood.

  Luken pulled the door open, a welcome smile on his face. “Hey. What’s up?”

  “I need to speak with you.”

  Lucan took a step back, allowing Konrad to enter the house. “I don’t know if I like that seriousness in your tone. It usually means something is going to suck for me.”

  Konrad gave a halfhearted laugh as he stepped into the empty living room. All the debris from their earlier work-out had been removed, and someone had come in and patched the damage to the sheet rock. He would miss his friend being so close.

  “Oh hell. Not the half laugh. Just how bad is the suckage going to be this time?”

  Konrad turned to look at his long-time pack mate. His second. They’d been through a lot together over the years. Luken had joined up with him thirty years ago, along with a few other stragglers who were left from an attack on Luken’s original pack. They’d wondered up from Oklahoma when Luken had been just a rebellious teen. But Konrad had seen the strength in him even then. It didn’t take long for Luken to come up to scratch and prove his worth as well as his loyalty. A smile pulled the corners of Konrad’s lips up as he took a fast jaunt down memory lane. He had given Luken some pretty interesting assignments over the years that had provided them both with some good laughs. “Well…I guess this will both suck and be good at the same time.”

  “Am I going to need a drink for this? It really is a little early in the day to be hitting the liquor.”

  Konrad met Luken’s gaze. “I’m going to have to split the pack.”

  Luken frowned. “And just why do you think you’re going to have to do that?”

  Konrad sighed. “You remember me telling you that something was bothering Tyra? Well, that something was the fact that Thanasis attacked her pack. She was the only survivor. She’s been on her own since she was a kid.”

  “Oh damn. Does she know you planned on buying land from him?”

  Konrad leaned one shoulder against the wall. “She knew about the land purchase, but she doesn’t have a clue that I know who attacked her family. I put that one together on my own.”

  Luken folded his arms across his chest as his lips drew into a tight line. “I understand that you don’t want to move ahead with doing business with Thanasis, but I think you’re jumping the gun on splitting the pack. We can look for other land opportunities. Something is bound to come along.”

  “I wish it were that simple, Luken. But you know as well as I do that this moment would eventually come.”

  “Well, it doesn’t have to come now. This could stir up shit when you turn him down, and I am not going to leave your pack and take others with me, leaving you to deal with what happens. And, shit. I’ve been saving money, because, yeah, I did know that one day we would have to split, but damn, I’m not in a financial position yet to take on the care of others.”

  “I figured I would take the money I was giving to Thanasis and give it to you. We can look at human land for sale, and we can still be close—still be allied.”

  Luken took a deep breath and released a low growl. “I don’t need handouts.”

  Spoken like a true alpha. Konrad grinned. “And you just made my point. Your need to be independent and in charge, along with your pride, proves that the time is now. And who says I’m giving you a handout? You’ll pay my ass back.”

  Luken laughed and Konrad couldn’t stop the mirth from swimming through him. He’d miss Luken being close, but this was for the best. “I have a few favors to ask you.”

  “Anything.”

  “I need you to run lead tonight. I can’t explain why, but I need to be close to my mate tonight.”

  “Not a problem.”

  “And I’ll need you to go with me to turn down Thanasis’ offer. We need to look united and strong. We may get lucky and he won’t do something like attack the pack, but then again we are talking about Thanasis.”

  “I hear ya. And of course I will be there. But what about your mate?”

  A low growl rumbled Konrad’s chest. “I don’t want her anywhere near the son of a bitch. At a later date I’ll let her know that I’m aware who attacked her family, once I’ve had time to think about how to handle the situation.”

  “I’m impressed with your restraint.”

  “Oh, believe me. It’s taking a lot of will power not to hunt the motherfucker down and teach him a whole new meaning of the word agony.” He wanted to deliver a hundred-fold the pain he’d caused Tyra.

  Luken’s cell phone gave a sharp trill, and he reached into his jeans’ pocket to retrieve it. “Yeah.”

  Konrad patted his own pockets and bit out a curse as he realized he’d forgotten to grab his own before leaving the house.

  Luken nodded in his direction. “He’s here. We’ll be there in five.” He ended the call. “They need us at first control. Thanasis sent a messenger. And to be honest, I smell a rat.”

  Damn. “Let me borrow your phone.” He’d have to let Tyra know he’d be later than expected.

  * * * * *

  Tyra ran a brush through her wet hair as she sat on the edge of the bed. It had been a few hours since Konrad had left. She could still smell the scent of their lovemaking in the room around her. It had been incredible. Her heart swelled and ached. She was falling for him. And who could blame her?

  Her gaze went to the window that let the sunshine into the room. Only a matter of hours ’til the full moon. She remained nervous even though Konrad assured her he would be right by her side. It wasn’t fair that she felt so at odds with her animal side. But things had just been so much easier when she’d given in to the beast. It had been like going into survival mode. Only her basic instincts had rode the surface. All the hurt, doubt and fear were smothered by the need to live. She still wanted to live—to survive—but only now she didn’t want to lose the emotions she’d fought so hard to recover.

  A knock sounded at the front door and Tyra tilted her head to the side, wondering who had come to call. She stood and walked into the living room, her red sundress swaying at her knees. Her hand clasped the brass knob and gave a twist, pulling the solid door open to reveal a curvy b
runette of average height. But there wasn’t anything average about her looks. She had that sultry sexiness down to an art. A brilliant smile tugged at her lush lips.

  “Hi. I’m Hanna. And you must be Konrad’s mate.”

  Tyra clasped the hand the woman offered. “Tyra, and I guess I am.” It felt funny to admit it. It was like trying on a pair of shoes you really liked and really wanted, but the price tag made you wince. “It’s nice to meet you, Hanna, but Konrad isn’t here.”

  Hanna stepped through the doorway and into the living room with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Oh, I know he’s not here. I came to kidnap you.”

  Tyra lifted her brows. “Kidnap me?”

  “Yeah. Some of the other ladies and I didn’t get a chance to meet you at Javin’s last night, so we thought you might like to hang with us a for a little while.”

  Nervous butterflies dive-bombed inside her belly. “Sure. I’ll just get my shoes.” Tyra darted into the bedroom and quickly slipped on her sandals, pushing past her nervousness. If she was going to really give this whole mate thing a try, she needed to get to know the others in Konrad’s pack. Her pack. She paused, one sandal in her hand. This was her pack too. A well of emotions ran through her. But the excitement and fullness inside her chest made her wonder how in the world she thought she could ever do without this. Yes, the fear was still there, but she would choose not to focus on it. She slipped on her other shoe and stood, a smile spreading across her face. Resigned to having fun and not dwelling on the full moon’s approach, she stopped in the kitchen on her way back toward the living room. She quickly jotted down a note for Konrad, letting him know whom she’d be with. It would be better to pass the hours with something to occupy her mind than dreading the shift that would come tonight.

  Hanna stood by the door, smile still in place. “Come on. We are all meeting at the park so the little ones can play.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Konrad walked into the house searching for Tyra. Thanasis’ messenger had let it be known that Thanasis required the land deal to be settled tomorrow night, or the price would be increased by a thousand a day. Konrad grimaced. Little did the fucker know that Konrad planned to tell him to take the land and shove it up his ass. He’d nearly told the little prick messenger to deliver that message, but had refrained. Konrad wanted to look the son of a bitch in the eye as he refused the offer. He also wanted to plant his fist square in the asshole’s face. A war between the two packs would no doubt be in the future. He’d talked about it at length with his guard, the ten wolves that made up his inner circle. They all agreed to pursue justice for Konrad’s mate. The meeting on how to proceed was what had taken him so long to return home.