“A little tender, but I’m fine.”
When he pushed down his jeans, she saw that he’d gone commando, and her pulse sped up some. Here was a mouthwatering specimen of manhood. His thighs were long and muscled, athletic, his calves nicely shaped. And his cock, oh, my God.
His staff, quiescent against his thighs and nestled atop an impressive set of balls, was fairly large even in that state. Under her scrutiny it began to awaken, and plumped some. While erect, it surely had to be a good eight inches. She had a fleeting moment of doubt, but knew he’d fit inside her. Mates were meant for each other.
“Have you looked your fill?” His lips quirked up.
“Not nearly. You?” By now her clothes were off as well, and she wondered what he thought of her body. Her figure was slim, but her breasts were on the lush side.
“Not even close, because, Christ, you’re beautiful.” Reaching out, he took her hand.
Her heart did a slow turn in her chest. “Thanks. So are you.”
“Guys aren’t beautiful,” he said, looking away and shaking his head as though suddenly shy. “Or at least this one isn’t. Come on, let’s run.”
Before she could protest his words, he stepped back and shifted. Dropping to his hands and knees, he let the change flow gracefully, reshaping his limbs and face, growing a luxurious brown coat and a full bushy tail. When he was done, he was a good-sized brown wolf, half again bigger than her coyote.
“You’re wrong,” she whispered. “You’re gorgeous.”
Then she let the change take her as well, and her coyote finally got to come out and play. His wolf trotted over and greeted her with a happy bark, sniffing and nuzzling all over her face. Then with another bark, he took off, glancing back, clearly indicating for her to follow.
She ran after him, exhilaration coursing through her blood. Joy. Especially in running with another. It had been so long since she’d enjoyed companionship of any kind, and her family had been gone for years. And now to feel the wind in her face and the earth under her paws alongside the wolf who would be her Bondmate?
Heaven. Pure and simple.
With his more powerful legs, she knew he could likely outrun her if he wanted, taunting her with his greater strength. Yet he made sure to keep his pace steady so she could run by his side. His actions toward her as a shifter said a lot about what kind of mate he’d be in human form as well.
They finally came to a small brook and stopped for a drink. After satisfying their thirst, they took off again. Once Micah flushed out a rabbit that had been hiding and looked to her in question, but she merely shook her head. This one could go free tonight—she was still stuffed from earlier. With a bark, he sped off again.
She wished they could communicate telepathically, but it wouldn’t be long. After they bonded, they’d be able to speak in each other’s heads and feel the other’s emotions. It was a definite perk of having a mate, though her mother had sometimes complained good-naturedly that it gave her father far too many ways to pry.
Shutting off the sad memories before they could form, she concentrated on the rest of their run. When they ended up in a pretty clearing farther down the stream, Micah stopped and shifted back to human form, then sat down on a soft patch of grass and held out his hand to her. Following suit, she shifted back also and took his hand, sitting next to him.
Putting an arm around her, he pulled her close. She snuggled into his chest, inhaling his scent, stronger than before with just a pleasant hint of manly sweat from their exercise. But damn, he wasn’t even breathing hard.
“I like this,” he murmured. “Never thought I’d have this. Not even close.”
“Why? Because of your scars?” Reaching up, she stroked his cheek. His reply was quiet.
“Yes, but not the ones on the outside.”
The words seared her heart. “Oh, Micah, who hurt you?”
For a long moment he was silent. Finally he said, “Remember Malik?”
“The Unseelie king.”
“Yes. For a while, he posed as a human billionaire and ran a company called Lifeline Technologies. Most of the company was legit, but it was also a front for a more sinister operation. Malik and a rich human, Orson Chappell, were kidnapping humans and shifters of all types, and sending them to labs all over the country. In those labs, the subjects were experimented on, their DNA messed with, spliced, whatever.”
“God, that’s horrible.”
“It gets worse. Dr. Gene Bowman was in charge of the actual testing of the subjects, and a more evil man never lived.”
“He’s dead now?” she interrupted.
“Very, along with the other two. Anyway, Bowman’s goal for them all was to create a breed of super-shifter soldier who would basically be invincible in battle, yet could be controlled by his master to do his bidding.” Micah gave a sad laugh. “I was kidnapped in an ambush during an Alpha Pack mission, and they thought I was dead until they got a tip that I might be alive and being held hostage in one of those labs.”
“Thank God they found you.”