Primal Instincts Read online

Excitement coursed through him. “Hit me. Is she a wolf?”

  “Nope. Well, I don’t think so. To be sure, I need to have a blood sample. If I can get that, I can run some tests and find out what her background is.”

  “So, what do you actually have to tell me?”

  “The alternative is something even rarer than a shifter. And what she could mean to the pack and to you is probably more important than her being a wolf.”

  Anticipation unfurled in his blood, and he tried to keep his excitement under control. He didn’t care either way, but he knew there was something different about her. When most of his instincts had told him not to hire her, then to stay as far away from her as he could, he had ignored them. That had been his human mind, his other half. His wolf had known. It had sensed that Alex was his mate, his partner.

  “Tell me.”

  “She’s Native American, yes?” Caleb asked.

  “I’m assuming. She’s definitely got some blood in her. You can see it in her skin tone.”

  “Not to mention that hair and those cheekbones and her name. I did some research online, then I had to call in someone.”

  He thought about the one person who could help Caleb with something like this. “You called Fi, your arch enemy? The woman you said embodies everything that you can’t stand? Didn’t you say you would rather mate with a werecougar than talk to her? My, you must really think this is important.”

  “If you don’t shut up, I won’t tell you.”

  He chuckled. “Okay, okay. Spill.”

  “You know Fi likes history and bloodlines, and she knows a lot about the Native American tribes who lived in the area. She has a little blood in her too. There was a faction of the Tonkawa tribe that was considered as sort of familiars to wolves.”

  He understood the words, but his brain was just not making sense of them. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I’ll email you the information. But, they were related to us in some weird way. They were healers and protectors of the pack. They helped protect us and fought beside us. They had medicine men and women for us, as they did for their own people.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them. Hell, I don’t think I’ve ever heard the word familiar used.”

  “Not sure if they used that word. That’s Fi’s word for it. And, there’s a good reason you haven’t heard of them. They were hunted by our enemies and their own. They scattered, just as the other tribes did. There might be a few left here and there, but I doubt very much that they know who they are.

  “Humans,” he said, disgust easy to hear in his tone.

  “Yes. They seemed to understand the tribe’s connection to us, and they wanted to make sure we didn’t have any help. Their healing powers were legendary…as was their ruthlessness in the protection of our pack. Fi claims many of them intermarried into our pack, and vice versa. There’s an excellent chance Alex is one, and that’s why you’re drawn to her.”

  He remembered the vulnerable look on her face when he’d asked her about the shooting. There was more to it than some kind of primal thing. He understood that there was only one mate for him, but it was more than that. Yes, a connection he felt with his pack mates that he did not feel for ordinary humans. He had that same feeling whenever he was with her. The underlying current between them was sexual, but it was also based in their past.

  “Jacob, are you there?”

  “Yeah, sorry. If you find out anything else from Fi, let me know.”

  “Sure.”

  After hanging up, he grabbed Alex’s clothes and headed to the bedroom. He turned the handle and was relieved to find it unlocked. Jake had no intention of lingering, but the moment he stepped into the room, he scented her. The pungent scent of woman filled his senses, and the underlying knowledge that she was his mate had his blood heating. His nostrils flared as he took that in.

  Without being aware of what he was doing, he dropped her clothes and prowled to the bathroom door. He tried to grab on to some of his sanity, but his body ignored him. His primal beast needed to be appeased. The worst thing about it was, now that he had identified his mate, nothing else would do. He couldn’t even take the edge off himself…and no other woman would ever do either. He was fucked until he got her into bed.

  The shower stopped, and he knew that she was stepping out and toweling off. His cock pressed against the zipper of his jeans, and he licked his lips. He grabbed hold of the doorknob and turned. Relief filtered through him when he found this one unlocked too.

  Opening the door, he found her with a towel wrapped around her, as she dried her hair with another towel.

  Mine.

  The primitive need to take, to conquer, to mark her with his scent took over. He stepped into the room and she stilled in her motions. She removed the towel from her hair and looked up at him. Her eyes widened. He was sure, normally, she would tell him to get out, but he was also sure she could feel the energy in the air.

  She shivered. Not from cold, because the bathroom was filled with warm, humid air. He said nothing as he stepped toward her. She didn’t back away. He reached for her, tearing away the towel she had wrapped around her body. A gasped filled the silent room, and he reminded himself to take his time. He knew Alex wasn’t a virgin, but she had never mated with a shifter—or at least, he was pretty sure she hadn’t. It was more intense than with two humans, and it definitely was overwhelming when dealing with a true mate.

  His mouth went dry as he reached out to brush the back of his fingers against her nipple. She shivered again, causing her breasts to sway. God, he was ready to mount her right then, but he knew better.

  He reached out and grabbed her.

  For a moment, a bit of his sanity took hold. Jake ground his teeth but he said, “If you’re going to say no, do it now.”

  She shook her head as she looked into his eyes. “I should say no. I know I should. But I can’t. I want it too much.”

  He groaned and bent his head. He didn’t try to coax, or even romance her. He took her mouth in a carnal, open-mouth kiss, slipping his tongue between her lips and tasting her. He slid his hands down her back to her ass, cupping it and lifting her up against him. She moaned, causing small vibrations to dance over his tongue that he could feel all the way to the soles of his feet.

  She wrapped her legs around him and he walked over to the counter. He set her down and pulled back. With frenzied movements, he kissed his way down her body, then spread her legs wide. The scent of her arousal hit him like a good right hook. Damn, he could barely think straight at this point.

  He pressed her legs farther apart and leaned in to give her one long lick. She moaned again, her legs quivering against his hands, but he held them in place. Her pussy was dripping with need, slick with desire for him. His need escalated to new heights. Quickly, he plunged his tongue inside of her. She grew wetter, and the scent of her passion filled the thick air around him. It added a dangerous edge to his arousal, pushing his limits.

  Her fingers slipped through his hair, and she pressed him closer as she moaned his name again and again. As he pulled her clit into his mouth, he slid a finger inside of her. It took only a couple more seconds and she was coming apart. She bucked against him as she screamed his name.

  Moments later, he pulled back and lifted her in his arms. The smell of sex hung heavy in the air, overwhelming his every sense. The only thing his body cared about was consummating what he had started. He carried her into his bedroom, settling her on the bed. The same sense of rightness he had felt when he’d brought her home the night before washed through him. This was the woman, his partner, his mate. He grabbed some condoms out of the drawer, then tugged off his clothes. He tossed them on the floor behind him, not paying attention to where they fell. She watched him with interest and licked her lips when she saw his erection.

  He could almost read her thoughts. “Nope. Not this time. The first time, I want to be inside of you when I come.”

  She said nothing but wait
ed for him to join her on the bed. He climbed up beside her, kissing her deeply.

  “Roll over.” She hesitated, then turned over. He didn’t blame her. The dark thread of arousal in his voice surprised even him. He opened the condom package and rolled it on quickly. Jake knew with his need racing the way it was, he wasn’t going to last very long.

  He sighed when he trailed his fingers down her spin. Perfect. Golden…with a hint of red from her Native American background. The only thing marring it was the tiny scar on her right shoulder. He bent and kissed it, pushing her long dark hair aside. He kissed down her spine, enjoying the sweet taste of her flesh, and the way she shivered as he made his way to her ass. He pressed his hands against the mounded flesh. She wasn’t a big woman, but damn did she have an ass. All that hard work from her job, no doubt. He grazed his teeth over one cheek then the other.

  “Jake,” she said, his name sounding more like a plea than anything else. He smiled. He loved hearing his name on her lips…and with that note of desperate need.

  “Something wrong, Officer?”

  She sighed. “You’re driving me crazy.”

  “I thought we should both be at the same destination.”

  He pulled her up to her knees and rose to his knees between her legs. Grabbing his cock in one hand, he entered her from behind in one hard thrust. They both groaned. Her inner muscles contracted against his cock.

  He pulled out and drove back into her again. With measured movements, he thrust in and out of her. Soon, he felt his orgasm approaching. He didn’t want to be alone. He reached around and pressed against her clit.

  “Come with me, Alex. Please, baby.”

  She did as he requested, bucking against him and yelling his name just as loudly as before, all those inner muscles rippling against his cock. That was it. He could no longer hold on. He thrust into her one last time. His orgasm hit hard, pulling a shout from him. The force of it left him dizzy.

  Long moments later, they both fell onto the bed. He could barely move. So much had gone into the mating, something he had never been through before. He’d had sex, but making love with his mate was…he didn’t have words for it.

  Before he could fall asleep, he rose from the bed, got rid of the condom, then rejoined her back on the bed. With some maneuvering, he got them both under the covers. She came into his arms easily, willingly, and his heart warmed. She might not know she was his mate, but her body did.

  He just had to convince the woman in charge of that body that they were meant to be together.

  Chapter Twelve

  Alex snuggled closer to Jacob. Every muscle in her body felt like mush. There was a good chance she would never be able to move again, and she didn’t give a damn. Drawing in a deep breath, she enjoyed his scent and body heat. He made a noise that sounded more like a growl and she smiled. She liked the way the sound of it vibrated against her ear.

  “What are you laughing at?” she asked.

  “Not laughing, just enjoying the moment.”

  His voice was lazy as if he were half asleep. She knew better now. It was easy to mistake him for being laid-back. No one made love the way he did without some kind of predatory instincts.

  “What moment?” she asked.

  “I would have never guessed that Alexandra Lightfoot would be such a snuggler.”

  She shifted so she could see his face. His eyes were closed, but there was a self-satisfied smile curving his lips.

  “Maybe my bones just melted so I can’t move.”

  He chuckled. “I can deal with that. Makes me kind of a stud.”

  “Hmm.”

  His eyes opened a bit more. “Now, what’s that for?”

  “I didn’t expect you to be much of a joker in bed.”

  “What did you expect?”

  She shrugged as she licked his nipple. “Not sure, but not this.”

  “So, you’re saying you fantasized about my lovemaking style?”

  She laughed as she slipped over his body to straddle him. God, he was gorgeous. He was all muscle and golden skin, as if he ran around outside naked. The hair on his chest dwindled down to a thin line that bisected an amazing set of abs. There was no way he got those from sitting behind the desk. He vibrated with life. She didn’t think she had ever met another man like him, and Alex knew for damned sure she hadn’t made love with one.

  “Maybe. I’m just surprised you thought of me that way.”

  He lifted his hand and toyed with the ends of her hair. “I had a few bad moments during some council meetings.”

  “Yeah?” she asked as she moved her hips. His cock was hard against her sex. She was sensitive from their previous lovemaking, but she was already growing damp. Her sex quivered, as she anticipated another bout with Jacob.

  He closed his eyes and hummed. Emboldened by his reaction, she pressed closer.

  “Playing with fire there, Littlefoot.”

  She laughed as power pulsed through her veins. “Maybe I like fire.”

  He growled, the sound so primal it sent her pulse hammering in her throat. It added another layer of anticipation…of excitement. He tried to sit up and roll them over, but she pushed him back down.

  “Nope. I wanna play.”

  He gave her a suspicious look, but he did as she said. She leaned forward and took his lower lip between her teeth. His chest rumbled again and she released his lip. Slowly, she worked her way down his body. It was incredible that he was in this good of shape. They lived in a small town, but even so, the mayor spent most of his days working behind a desk, attending meetings.

  She glided her tongue over his nipple, then continued down his stomach. She nipped at his flesh all the way down until she reached his cock. Settling between his legs, she wrapped her fingers around his shaft and looked up at him. His eyes were still half closed, but they darkened as she began to move her hand. She continued moving it as she leaned forward and licked his sac. His quick indrawn breath encouraged her even more. She dragged her tongue to his cock, licking up one side of it before she took him fully into her mouth. The salty, sweet taste of him hit her taste buds first, sending heat spiraling through her. Her nipples tightened and her sex clenched. She kept her hand wrapped around him as she took him in and out of her mouth.

  Apparently not happy with the pace, he planted his feet on the bed and lifted himself into her mouth. Over and over, he thrust into her, fucking her face. His fingers clenched in her hair. A moment or two later, he was pulling her up and over him.

  As he lifted her up, he cursed. “Fuck.”

  He set her on his abdomen and reached over to grab another condom. He had it open and on before she could even think straight. Her body was shimmering, shivering with need. Never in her life had she wanted to connect, to make love on this level. It spiraled through her, over her. She lifted up and slowly slid down on his shaft. The moment he was completely inside of her, she felt her world shift. She’d had great sex before, but this was something more, something that enthralled and frightened her at the same time.

  It was too intense, too…something. While her body begged for the joining, her mind was telling her to get out of there. She needed something between her and all the emotions he was pulling from her. She couldn’t handle them.

  Jake must have sensed her reaction.

  “No, Alex. Look at me.”

  She shook her head and tried to mentally untangle herself from the situation. She could enjoy the sex, have fun, but something was churned up inside of her, a feeling that tugged at her soul.

  “Alexandra.”

  She shook her head again, intent on just enjoying the way her body was heating, the slick feel of him every time he entered her, but he would not have it. He rolled them over his massive bed and reversed their positions.

  “Look at me,” he ordered her again. When she didn’t respond, he pressed his mouth against hers. “No. Don’t hide from me. I want to see you. Just you.”

  She looked at him then—and saw the same excitement
she felt and that same fear tingeing the edges. Knowing that he felt it too helped her let it go. Still, as he thrust in and out of her, harder, deeper with each move, she felt as if her soul was cracking open.

  “You are mine and I am yours. Together we are one.”

  He chanted it over and over as if it were a prayer…or a curse. The bed shook harder and harder as he continued to thrust into her. Her orgasm slammed through her, pulling a scream from her. By the time she was finished, she was exhausted, but Jake wasn’t done with her.

  Again and again, he pushed her over the edge. Finally, as he wrestled one more orgasm from her, he followed her, shouting her name as he shuddered.

  Moments later, he collapsed on top of her. She didn’t mind the weight. There was a good chance she was already dead.

  He leaned up and looked down at her. His hair was wet with sweat and he looked…magnificent. It was as if he had been given a supercharge. Knowing her luck, she looked horrible.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked.

  She shook her head, trying to avoid eye contact. She was never that good at sharing, and she especially didn’t want to tell him she had been so worried about her looks.

  “Come on.”

  “I was just thinking how pretty you are,” she said.

  He said nothing for a second, then he cleared his throat. It was dark thanks to the heavy curtains, but she could see that his cheeks were ruddy. She realized she had embarrassed him.

  “Are you blushing?”

  “No. Men don’t blush.”

  “You are.” A bubble of laughter slipped out of her before she could stop it.

  He stilled completely and looked down at her.

  “What?”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like you were happy.”

  It touched something too close, and this morning had been too much already.

  He leaned down and kissed her nose.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t push anymore, right now. But I will sometime.”

  “Don’t push too hard, Jake.”