In the Heat of the Night Read online

  “Get going, girl. An we ain’t waiting for yer boss. Son of a bitch can pay us to watch another time.”

  Straightening, Serena waved her hand and gestured forward. “The gate is on the other side of this stand of pine trees.” Pushing the fragrant, supple boughs out of her way, she disappeared into the pines.

  When the Hadley brothers forced their way to the other side of the pines, Serena was nowhere to be seen. Neither was a gate.

  Daryl pushed his belly up against the fence, swinging his head from right to left. “Hey, where’d she go?”

  Fred stared through the fence. Then he threw his hat to the ground. “Son of a bitch. Fuckin’ whore tricked us.”

  When the hand clamped over Serena’s mouth, she bit it.

  “It’s me, damn it,” Kearnan growled in her ear as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back against his naked body.

  After he dropped his hand from her mouth, Serena hissed, “Why didn’t you come in from upwind? I’d have known you were here.”

  The crisp hairs on his legs teased the backs of her thighs.

  “Because I didn’t know what I was going to find. I just got here as quickly as I could. When I saw where you were leading them, I slipped into the pines and waited. What the hell do you think you’re doing letting them see you naked? You know what those two are like, what they’ll do to you if they ever get their hands on you.”

  “What else was I supposed to do?” Serena hissed. “They were going to keep shooting into the underbrush until they hit something. I knew they couldn’t get through the fence; and, once they got a look at me naked, I could talk them into following me anywhere. Besides, I knew you’d come.”

  Kearnan nipped the back of her neck. “That sure of me, are you? What if you had reached the gate before I got here?”

  Serena shivered. “I’d have thought of something, and there’s a lock on the gate.”

  “They could have shot it off,” he murmured against her shoulder.

  She pushed at the arm wrapped around her waist. “Damn it, what else was I supposed to do?”

  “Shhhhhh. I’m sorry. I know you were trying to save the cubs.” Kearnan tightened his arm around her waist. “So, your boss likes to watch you having sex?”

  “You heard that?”

  “I heard everything. And I do enjoy watching you have sex—alone. If another man ever touches you, he’s dead. You’re mine.” He caressed her side then cupped her breast, flicking her nipple with his thumb. After squeezing her breast gently, he slid his hand down her ribcage and caressed her stomach. “Did you drink any aconite tea before you came up to the house?”

  “Aconite tea, no why… Oh.”

  Kearnan wrapped his other arm around Serena and hugged her. “Do you mind?”

  A baby. I never thought … Serena leaned back against Kearnan, absorbing his warmth and his strength. “No. No I don’t.”

  Kearnan kissed the side of her neck. “I’m glad. I love you, Serena.”

  Even the two armed men only a few hundred yards away didn’t stop the shiver of anticipation from skipping down her spine as Kearnan’s warm breath caressed her neck.

  His cock stirred against her ass.

  A shotgun blasted off to their right.

  His voice low, Kearnan cursed. “Later, sweet.” He dragged his tongue down the side of Serena’s neck and along her shoulder.

  After she shivered, he dropped his arm from her waist and gently pushed her away.

  Kearnan turned his head towards the fence. His voice hardened. “I’ve tolerated those two long enough.”

  Serena’s stomach rolled. “What are you going to do?”

  “Get rid of them once and for all.”

  She grabbed his arm. “You can’t. When their mangled bodies are found, the authorities will come straight here, and the wolves, not you, will suffer.”

  Kearnan jerked his arm free. “The bodies won’t be found.”

  Screams erupted on the other side of the pine thicket.

  “Don’t you dare change,” Kearnan commanded. Silvery mist formed and floated and floated through the pines.

  “Don’t change,” Serena muttered. “As if I’d purposely take a chance on hurting the baby. I can get there faster on two legs anyhow.”

  A shotgun thundered again.

  Shoving pine branches out of her way Serena sprinted the last few feet. Once clear of the trees, she slid to a stop beside Kearnan.

  He stood ten feet from the fence, fists planted on his hips.

  On the other side, the Hadley brothers were battling a grizzly bear. With one swing of its paw, the bear knocked Daryl’s shotgun from his hand. It slammed into the chain link fence, jamming itself halfway through.

  Fred aimed his gun at the bear only to have it knocked to the side.

  Kearnan shoved Serena to the ground and covered her body with his as buckshot flew above their heads. “Buckshot. They were going to shoot the wolves with buckshot so they’d suffer,” he growled and pushed himself to his feet. “I’ll rip out their hearts.”

  Serena tackled him by wrapping her arms around his knees. “Not even you can fight that bear.”

  Fred screamed.

  Kearnan and Serena jerked their attention back to the men and bear.

  The bear had both men in front of him, his paws on their necks. Then it slammed their heads together. Daryl and Fred dropped to the ground and lay still.

  Brown mist swirled, and George TwoBears stood before them.

  “A werebear,” Serena sputtered. “You’re a werebear.”

  George nodded through the fence. “Yes.”

  She gawked. “Yes? That’s all you have to say?”

  “Your grandmother has called the police. Perhaps it is best if I take them back to the house and tie them up before they regain consciousness.” With those words, he grabbed both men and hefted one onto each shoulder. “How far to the gate?”

  Kearnan paced along the inside of the fence. “This way. Only another hundred yards. Do you want any help?”

  “No.”

  George trailed Kearnan along the outside of the fence until they reached the gate. There, Kearnan wrenched the lock from it’s bracket. “I’ll get another one.”

  George stepped through the gate and readjusted his load. Then he strode away towards the house.

  Kearnan raked his fingers through his hair and stared after George TwoBears. He’d been so intent on Serena and Alex’s challenge, he hadn’t paid any attention to the man at Alesandra’s side. Propping his hands on his hips, Kearnan watched TwoBears progress until he disappeared through some dense brush.

  He never saw Serena launch herself at him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she tackled him, tumbling him over. When they finally stopped rolling, Kearnan was flat on his back. Serena straddled his waist with her knees and lower legs hugging the sides of his body. Her hands pressed his shoulders to the ground as she glared down at him.

  “Damn it, Serena, you could have hurt yourself.”

  She lifted her hand and stabbed a finger into his chest. “Just shut up and listen to me, Dr. Kearnan Gray. I want you to understand something just in case you get into another funk about having a wolf for a mother. I’m not leaving. You claimed me, and I agreed to your claim, so you’re stuck with me. I don’t give a damn about who your mother was or how much wolf you have in you.”

  “Serena…”

  She leaned closer until her face was only inches from his. “Don’t interrupt. I’m a werewolf. You can’t hurt me during mating. Not only am I strong enough to handle it, I wouldn’t let you do anything I didn’t enjoy. No matter how feral you get, I could stop you.”

  One quick twist and Serena was flat on her back. Kearnan settled himself on her, cradled his erection against the soft curls of her pubis, and smiled down at her. He dipped his head and nipped her neck. “Now what are you going to do?”

  Her chuckle was low as she danced the fingers of her left hand down his spine. When she wrapped
her right arm around his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers, Kearnan didn’t fight her.

  He covered her mouth, sighing, as Serena’s tongue mated with his.

  Her left hand caressed his ass then slid along his hip.

  Kearnan shifted and spread his legs wider when she slipped her hand between them. With a contented growl, he shifted more when she slid her fingers around his cock and pumped him twice.

  When she dug her nails into his cock, he yanked his mouth from hers.

  “Serena!”

  She grinned. “So you could do anything to me, huh? Get off.” She dug her nails in a little deeper.

  Eyes narrowed, Kearnan rolled off her, content for the moment to see what game she played.

  Serena followed, straddling him again. This time, though, she sat further back on his hips, his cock between her thighs. Before he could comment, she slid back his legs, dipped her head, and sucked him into her mouth.

  “Jesus,” he gasped as his back arched and he shoved his cock deeper into her mouth. He grasped her head with both hands and began to pump. The hell with being gentle.

  Serena opened her mouth wider and relaxed her throat muscles. She had him just where she wanted him.

  Kearnan’s breath came faster. He pumped harder.

  Serena’s nipples ached, and she could feel moisture trickling down the inside of her thighs. But, she had a point to prove. Bracing her hands against his hips, she waited until he’d pulled his cock most of the way out of her mouth and clamped her teeth around the head.

  Kearnan froze and snarled. That hurt! “No games, Serena. Submit.”

  “No,” she mumbled, her mouth full of his cock.

  Trembling with frustration and anger, Kearnan released her head. “You bitch.”

  Serena immediately opened her mouth.

  Pulling himself free with a curse, Kearnan tackled Serena, dropping the full weight of his body on top of her. “I’m tired of your games, Serena,” he snarled. “You want me, you take me as I am.”

  She raised her chin and stared into his eyes. “Are you going to beat me?”

  Shock replaced his anger. “What?”

  “Are you going to beat me? Or rape me?”

  Anger returned. “I do not beat or rape women.”

  “Then why,” she continued in a gentler voice, “do you think you could ever hurt me? I certainly just provoked you enough. At least three members of my old pack would have backhanded me off their cocks if I had done that to them.”

  Head lowered, stormy gray eyes unblinking, Kearnan stared down into her face.

  Her voice was quiet. “I did a lot of thinking before the Hadley brothers started shooting. The fact that your mother was a wolf makes you better than normal werewolves.”

  Kearnan shifted some weight off of her and cocked an eyebrow. “Really?”

  Serena’s temper began to flare. Why did men have to be so damn obtuse? “Damn it, Kearnan, you’ve been studying wolves for how many years now? Have you ever seen a mated pair separate? Either the male or female hurt each other?”

  An arrogant expression on his face, Kearnan stared at her. “No.”

  “Well, then, what the hell is your problem with your heritage? Werewolves are mostly human, with human faults. We make a big deal about lifetime bonds with our mates, but there are werewolves who are unfaithful, who shame their mates by having sex with others. Males who beat their wives or children. Mothers who run out on their children. Wolves don’t do that. Your wolf mother’s blood is a good thing, Kearnan. I’ll be proud of any children we have, knowing that they’ll have a stronger pack instinct than many “pure blooded” werewolves.”

  The corners of his mouth twitched. “So going down on me was just to prove a point?”

  Serena grinned, “Well, I do enjoy sucking on your cock, but I had to prove you’d never hurt me.”

  Kearnan shifted more of his weight from Serena. She’d certainly managed to prove her point. He’d never hurt her. How had he managed to get so lucky? Two days ago she was trying to run away from him. Now he couldn’t drive her away. Smiling, he pushed himself to his feet and held out his hand.

  Serena ignored it and launched herself against his chest.

  Kearnan wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. “I’m glad I chained you to the bed.”

  She pushed free and sank to her knees before him. One kiss had his cock fully erect. She looked up into his eyes. “So am I.”

  Chapter 13

  Leaning back in his chair, Kearnan watched as Serena rocked back and forth, cooing gently to the baby cuddled in her arms. Fingers laced behind his head, he smiled as she pulled her tee shirt up and guided their daughter’s mouth to her distended nipple. Hand fisted against her mother’s breast, Morgan sucked noisily.

  Kearnan felt his cock stir. Serena’s breasts were larger now that they were full of milk for the baby. Early in her pregnancy, when her breasts had first filled out, he’d been delighted and spent many enjoyable hours kissing and sucking on them. And now that Morgan was born and nursing, he found Serena’s breasts even more fascinating.

  Her nipples fascinated him more than any other woman’s ever had. A warm tan color, they were always hard and pebbled now. Of course, that was because of Morgan nursing, but Serena’s breasts didn’t just supply nourishment for their daughter. They also provided Kearnan enough sexual stimulation to keep him hard and aching for hours.

  With a yawn, the baby let go of her mother’s nipple and drifted into sleep.

  Sighing contentedly, Serena rose from her rocking chair and laid the baby in her cradle. Then she turned back to Kearnan.

  His groin tightened.

  Her shirt was still pushed up over her breast.

  As Kearnan watched, a drop of milk welled from the exposed nipple.

  Grinning, Serena cupped her breast. “You’re staring at my nipples again. Are you thirsty too?”

  Leaning forward, Kearnan grabbed her waist and pulled her between his legs. His hands slid up her sides and pushed her shirt up over both breasts. When the drop of milk fell from Serena’s breast, he caught it on his tongue.

  Serena wrapped her arms around Kearnan’s head and hugged him. He nuzzled her breast and excitement shot through her.

  His hands began to knead her behind.

  Serena shivered, but there was no time for this now.

  “You have to feed the wolves, my love,” she breathed into his hair.

  He slid his hands down to her hips, tilted his head back, and stared into her eyes. “I know. I just couldn’t resist, especially when you tease me the way you do.”

  “But you like to be teased.”

  Kearnan grinned. “No, you like what I do to you when you tease me.”

  Serena chuckled and cupped his face between her hands. “Have I told you how much I love you today?”

  “Only once,” Kearnan answered as he raised his lips to hers.

  Some moments later, Serena pulled away. As always, his mouth drew the soul from her body. Resting her forehead against Kearnan’s, she said, “You really have to go. The cubs need to be fed, or they’ll gnaw their way through the fence.”

  With a sigh that was half moan half chuckle, Kearnan released Serena’s hips. After she stepped back, he rose. The bulge in the front of his jeans was quite noticeable.

  Serena grinned. “I could take care of that for you.”

  He grinned back. “Later, I’ll make you eat your words. But for now, you’re right. Those wolf cubs will start gnawing on the fence if I don’t feed them.”

  After a quick kiss on her forehead, Kearnan leaped from the porch and headed towards the shed where the dog food was stored.

  Settling back onto her rocking chair, Serena smiled. Regular dog food for the wolves tonight. Kearnan was in a hurry to get back to her. Having a baby certainly hadn’t diminished his sexual interest in her. If anything, he was even more insatiable than before, thank all the gods.

  Pushing against the floor with her toes, Se
rena set the rocking chair in motion A gentle May breeze swirled around the corner of the house bringing with it the scent of newly washed pine forest and fragrant spring flowers. The baskets she had hanging from the porch rafters swayed as the softly swirling air embraced them. The spicy fragrance of herbs was added to the spring scents billowing around her.

  Serena inhaled deeply. How she loved the fresh perfume of spring.

  The old wolf at her feet stretched and whined.

  She reached down and scratched him behind the ears. “You like spring too, don’t you, Bard. The warm sun feels good on those old bones, doesn’t it. Now aren’t you glad you let my grandmother talk you into coming here to live? It’s so much better than spending a freezing winter in snowy woods.”

  The wolf whined again and laid his hoary head on his paws. In his youth, he’d been a dark gray, almost black. Now, his coat had faded to a dull gray, and his head was white with age.

  Serena smiled. When her grandmother had asked if Bard could come to them, both she and Kearnan had thought she’d been talking about a much younger male. But Bard was old, well past his prime. His mate had died, and he’d given over Alpha status of his pack to a younger son. Alesandra had found him wandering in the woods, cold, alone, and hungry. She’d convinced him life still had much to offer.

  When George TwoBears had arrived with Bard, Kearnan had taken one look at the old wolf and declared that he would spend the cold winter months in the house with them. Another winter outside in the cold would be the death of him. And, with the birth of Morgan, it was inside the house that Bard had found his reason to live. The old wolf had taken one look at the blue-eyed, silvery-haired child with far more wolf blood than the normal werewolf and immediately declared himself her protector. Bard would have to be dead before he’d allow anyone to touch her.

  Serena leaned over and stroked the old wolf’s head. “You make a great baby-sitter, my old friend.”

  Bard licked her hand and closed his eyes.

  Smiling, Serena glanced over to the old, wooden cradle rocking gently in the breeze. Complete joy welled in her heart. She’d never been so happy and content in her entire life. Morgan had been born three months ago, and Serena didn’t know how she’d ever existed without her. Kearnan was just as happy, doting on Morgan to the point where their daughter reached for him as often as she wanted her mother. Nor did Bard’s toothy grin intimidate her. She cooed just as happily to the wolf as she did to her mother and father, and now that she had some motor control, would grab whatever hunk of his fur was closest to her.