They raced to pull off their clothes and shoes, running toward the tree line before emerging on the other side in their wolf forms. Eli glanced back at the smaller wolf beside him with a silvery light coat. Light violet eyes turned to him, unmistakably Olivia. His own wolf growled in approval. Yes, their mate was beautiful as a wolf, too, he agreed.
In this form, his senses were heightened even more. Colors appeared brighter, and a hundred different scents assaulted him at once. Sounds were everywhere, too, but the only one Eli paid close attention to was that of the silvery white wolf’s paws pounding on the ground as she kept pace with his larger, black furred creature.
With a flick of her head, the female bolted forward. Eli’s wolf lunged after her without a second thought. She was fast, weaving through the pines, leaping over fallen logs and tearing through underbrush. He was bigger and had the longer stride, but she was agile, cutting sharp turns that sent him skidding on the pine needles. His wolf didn’t care about catching her. The chase was the point.
They ran for what felt like hours but was probably closer to twenty minutes, splashing through a creek bed, up a ridge, thenback down through a meadow with grass that went right past their heads. His wolf matched her stride as they looped back toward the lake, slowing from a sprint to a lope, then a trot. They emerged from the trees side by side, panting and their coats damp from the creek. Olivia’s wolf padded out onto the dock first and lay down in the sun, chest heaving. Eli’s wolf dropped beside her, pressing his flank against hers.
They lay there until their breathing slowed and the pull to shift back became stronger than the urge to stay.
Olivia shifted first. She was laughing when her human form returned, breathless and flushed, pine needles in her hair. “God, I needed that.”
Eli shifted beside her. “Yeah.”
She was still catching her breath, her cheeks pink, her eyes bright. The breeze pulled at her hair and she closed her eyes, tipping her face toward the sun.
He reached out to touch her face. Her eyes opened, the violet orbs softening, the corners of her mouth tugging up before leaning over to kiss him. Her lips were soft as ever, and sweeter than ever. She moved around, shifting toward him until she lay on top of him, knees sliding down his hips.
“Olivia,” he groaned as she reached down to stroke his now-hardening erection. “We’re outside, someone might come and?—”
She covered his protest with a kiss. “We ran for miles and didn’t see anyone. And yes, someone will definitely come.”
He held his breath as she sank down on him, her wet, warm pussy enveloping his cock. She rode him like that last time at the hotel, and now in the sunlight she really looked like an angel. Their moans filled the air, and Olivia shuddered with her orgasm. He grabbed onto her hips, pushing up deep and fast into her, coaxing one more orgasm before he succumbed to his own.
Afterward, they lay on the dock, basking in the sun. Olivia was on her back with her eyes closed, one hand resting on herstomach. Where she nurtured their pup. Dizziness struck him at the thought. It had only been over a week since they met again, and despite the time they spent alone, neither had brought up the fact that they were about to have a child. In a couple of months, there would a living, breathing being that would be half him and half her, tying them forever. The thought of being a father made him sweat buckets, but that didn’t compare to the other realization that struck him.
He was in love with her.
And he didn’t know what to do with that. Did she feel the same? She wanted him, that was obvious. Perhaps she even cared about him. But love was a different word. He’d never heard her say it and he wasn’t about to ask.
She opened one eye. “You’re staring.”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Because I can. And you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“Flatterer.” Yet, a blush bloomed over her smooth cheeks.
I love you.
He wanted to say it out loud to her, but something was holding him back. Nausea crept up his throat and churned the contents of his stomach. There were other things he needed to say first, things she had to know. And they had to come from him.
Namely, Margaux Featherstone.
Every secret he’d kept from Olivia had blown up in his face, and the pattern was obvious enough that even his wolf growled at him about it. But the coven was twenty minutes away by road and they mostly kept to themselves. Silke had said so. They came by to refresh the wards and that was it. As long as he and Margaux never crossed paths, Olivia never had to know.
He pulled her closer and told himself it was fine.
Chapter 12
The next day as Olivia and Eli were enjoying their coffee on the porch, Silke did not appear with pastries, but she called with an invitation.
“Morning,” Silke greeted as Olivia put her on her cellphone’s speaker. “How do you two feel about coming to the main lodge today? We’ve got no guests booked and I figured we could all use a breather. I need to get some maintenance done on the deck and the roof, but after that, it’s a free day for the boys and the rest of the staff.”
Olivia looked at Eli, who was leaning against the railing with a mug of coffee. He nodded.
“We’d love to,” she said.
