On the Prowl by Kate Rudolph

26

Em didn't knowif her life was falling apart or if everything suddenly made sense. Was it possible for both of those things to be true at the same time? It had to be. Otherwise her brain might explode trying to hold in all the information she’d just learned.

She stared at the door. Vi had done her magic, but no matter how hard Em stared, it just looked like a standard hotel room door. It didn't sparkle with magic and it wasn't surrounded by smoke. Em might have thought Vi was screwing with them if she didn't believe with her whole heart that everything she'd said was true.

Everything.

Even about Andre.

Being her mate.

Mate.

Fuck.

It was a lot to take in. And Andre was several feet away, pointedly not looking at her. Em didn't like that. Everything between them had sprung up way too fast and burned way too hot, but she didn't want to back away.

She was rushing towards a cliff and ready to jump off on the promise that fate would make her sprout wings and fly. It sounded impossible. But so did werewolves and witches, and look where she was now.

"Are you just going to stand there all night?" she asked him. She could move over to him, but it turned out Em was afraid to move too.

"You're taking this well," Andre replied, remaining still.

She could practically feel the energy in the air, ready to explode with something. Would it harm them? Or would it do something she could barely wrap her head around?

It was a bad idea to make decisions in moments like this. Em knew that as well as anyone.

But her mind had been made up ever since the bus. Maybe even before then.

Two days in each other's company.

A month of acquaintance.

And she was more sure of him than people she'd known for years.

Sounded like fate to her.

"She didn't say much that we hadn't already guessed ourselves," and Em thought they deserved recognition for that. Even with little knowledge of magic, they'd managed to figure out the broad strokes of what they were facing.

"She used magic on you." It came out ragged, and Em realized Andre was only holding himself still because he was hanging onto his humanity by a thread.

She took a step closer and saw that his eyes had bled to their wolfish gold. Wolf and man warred for dominance. Another woman might be scared.

But Andre—and his wolf—were hers.

"She didn't hurt me." Em was a bit miffed about the magic, but was willing to let it go. For now. But if Vi did anything like that again, there would be consequences.

"Your scent…" He breathed deeply.

But Em knew there was nothing wrong with it now. "You fixed that. Rather well." Her body burned just thinking about it.

"I can still smell her in this room. Can still remember it." There was a threatening rumble to his voice.

No, not threatening. Full of promise.

Em took a step closer to him and laced their fingers together. "Come with me." She tugged him toward the bedroom. "Is her scent in here?" Em smelled nothing but the clean room, but Andre was the werewolf and he had the better nose.

He shook his head.

"Do you want to make sure?" she asked, her own voice going husky.

That was all the encouragement he needed. He tugged her close, burying his fingers in her hair as he crushed their mouths together in a searing kiss that lit Em up from the inside.

Her clothes were too tight. The room was too hot. Her legs were weak.

And it was perfect.

And it only got better as Andre's tongue swiped against hers and claimed her, imprinting his taste on her for good. It was the kind of kiss that took a person over, that made them know there was no going back. The kind of kiss that could be terrifying.

But the promise of it was exactly what Em wanted, what she needed. Nothing in her life was certain. And everything she'd once known was true no longer held. But she had Andre, and whatever force was pulling them together was more than right.

She tore at his shirt, probably would have actually torn it if she was just a bit stronger, but it was cue enough for Andre to pull it off and leave all those rippling muscles on display for her. She wanted to look her fill, but she wanted to kiss him more.

Kiss him she did. She kissed him until her jaw ached, and even then the discomfort was washed away on a wave of pleasure as his hands quested low.

Where had her own clothes gone?

One moment she was sure she was fully clothed, and then Andre seemed to weave his seductive spell and she was lying naked on the bed. This wasn't actual magic. They didn't need magic. Not outside what they could produce between their two bodies.

Andre took the rest of his clothes off and came down on her, kissing her again. She couldn't get enough of his lips. There was something joyous in it, like they were sharing a new discovery with one another, one she wanted to study for the rest of her life.

She knew it was too fast, but nothing in Em could regret it, not when his kisses made her heart speed up and think thoughts about forever.

She could learn everything about what Andre liked if they had forever. Already she could feel the way his body responded when she ran her hand up his left side, fingers trailing over his spectacular ass. What other spots would make him moan? She wanted to taste every inch of him and then some. She wanted to ride him and watch him as he came.

But it was Andre who trailed kisses down her body and began his own study of what made her shiver. And then his head was between her legs, and Em believed he really was a sorcerer from the spell he cast over her.

Her fingers curled into the sheets, and she couldn't help the hoarse cry that tore from her throat, urging him on. He seemed to know exactly what made her desperate for more, and Em didn't know if it was his special talent or some sort of mystical werewolf magic.

She didn't care, so long as he didn't stop.

He didn’t. He gave her more, his body worshiping her with his tongue and his hands. And when he had wrung every ounce of pleasure she thought she could give, she crested and came, calling out his name.

But Andre wasn't done.

And she could love him for that.

He kissed her again, wet and filthy and everything she wanted. And then he was at her entrance, his cock teasing her and making her beg.

He made her want to sing.

He thrust into her and Em moaned, clinging to him as her body pulled him further in. The fit was tight and perfect as her body adjusted.

They moved together. Em had waited an eternity for this moment with Andre, no matter how quickly attraction had flared between them. She couldn't pull away from it now, nothing in her wanted to.

This was where she was meant to be, who she was meant to be with.

And as her body surrendered and shuddered against his, she knew there was no going back.

There were words to say, but it was much too soon, so she said it with her body and her kisses instead. And if she was brave, she would think that Andre was telling her the exact same thing.

But Em wasn't brave enough to speak, and she'd already been asked to believe the impossible once today.

She let sensation take her, and when she came for a second time, she wished that it would always be like this.

Her and Andre. Together.