TOL2 Kiss of the Werewolf Read online

  She narrowed her eyes, visibly fighting back tears. “How do you know he’ll come back? Why should I believe you?”

  He gestured again toward the car. “Because, my dear, he just killed in your defense. You’re mated for life. Where else is he going to go now?”

  Before the girl could answer, he turned, got into the passenger seat of the car, and shut the door. He kept watching her as the car rolled down the alley past her and her friend and then rounded the corner.

  * * * * *

  Jie kept running, driven by horror and shame. He’d done the one thing he’d vowed never to do in his entire life. But life had forced his hand, and now he couldn’t bear to stop and look.

  No matter that the entire situation was completely out of anyone’s control, his own included. He couldn’t face Meg right now, couldn’t slow down and let her see him like this, a horrid hulking killer beast. No matter how much she believed she loved him, he was cursed and he couldn’t allow her to be burdened with someone like him. In time, she’d remember watching him kill and be horrified. Just the way Su Lin had been horrified by his sympathies.

  The only benefit of what had just happened was that Meg was safe.

  He had to find a place to hide. He knew he didn’t look like any ordinary dog and would attract attention to himself running along the roads the way he was, threading through sidewalks of people, many of whom froze in their tracks at the sight of him, screamed or dropped packages they were carrying.

  The little lang ren had used words to goad him into the change, making his anger a tool for him to fight with. But how long would he remain in wolf form? He still did not control his own change.

  He had no idea where he was, but he kept running until the urban setting gave way to a more residential area. He ran a bit longer and there were actually patches of trees and woods here and there in what appeared a wealthier residential neighborhood with beautiful houses.

  He found a copse of trees and buried himself as deeply inside it as he could. Between two large tree trunks, he stood, his sleek black sides heaving, his head hung low and his tail drooping between his hind legs.

  Worst of all, the only thing he wanted was Meg. As shameful as he felt, he knew she would embrace him, holding him against her, offering all the comfort she was capable of while wishing him only to be happy and well.

  He shivered, shaking his entire body as if bugs were crawling on him and he wanted to get them off. His heart lurched and his need for her caused an ache deeper than any he’d ever felt. He resisted it the way he’d always resisted the change. A whimper escaped him and he lay down on the ground, his muzzle between his two front paws. What he was waiting for, he wasn’t exactly sure. He just didn’t know what else to do. If there was a definition of Hell, this was it.

  Only hours later, after the sun had long fallen down, and it was probably close to midnight, did he realize at all that at least part of the hell he was in was of his own making. No one had a gun to his head forcing him to refuse the refuge of Meg’s love. He couldn’t stay with her, but he was probably going to change soon and longed for the safety she made him feel. He wasn’t safe for her. He knew he’d have to return to China without her. He knew his desire to see her one more time was selfish, but he was as powerless to fight it as he was powerless to fight the change.

  He rose from the spot he’d been lying in for hours and hours and shook the dirt and leaves from his fur. He emerged from the copse of trees and searched the night for the direction in which he’d come.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Meg stared blankly at the television screen. Danny had tried to get her to watch a Jackie Chan movie, hoping it would at least distract her for a little while, but she could only let the images on the television pass mindlessly while she sighed and ached for Jie.

  Mei was curled up on her lap, purring.

  Dave, who sat on her other side, had driven around earlier for over two hours, searching for him, and had come back unsuccessful. But she’d asked him to pick up a few items of clothing for Jie in the hopes that he would come back, since he’d have hardly anything to wear when he did.

  Next to Mei on her lap she held Jie’s silk pajama pants, over which she ran her fingertips back and forth, letting the soft material he’d been wearing just before making love to her the night before bring her comfort. It was now almost one in the morning and she was beginning to despair.

  Danny leaned over and kissed her head. She looked up and gave him a weak smile. He and Dave had her sandwiched between them, comforting her, protecting her. She couldn’t imagine better friends.

  “I know he’ll be back, Meggie,” Danny said.

  She looked at him. “How can you be sure? I know that guy said the same thing. But if he feels that horrible, he might not.” She fought another wave of tears.

  “Danny’s right, sweetheart,” Dave said. “I’m not a werewolf, but as you know, I ran away myself a few months ago.” He sighed, conveying the regret he still felt over the one large fight he and Danny ever had. Dave had left, and it had seemed as though he wasn’t coming back. But he had. “If he loves you like I love Danny, he won’t stay stupid for too long.” Dave reached behind Meg and ruffled Danny’s hair.

  Suddenly the downstairs buzzer went off.

  Meg gasped and catapulted off the sofa. “That could be him!”

  Danny stood up, his expression hardening. “I hope so. But just in case, let me and Dave check first.”

  He and Dave went out the door and down the stairs. Meg lifted Mei off her lap and followed them, Jie’s silk pants clutched in her hands, her heart thrashing in her chest.

  Downstairs, Dave unlocked the door that led to the outside.

  Meg’s heart leaped in joy when she saw who was there.

  Jie was naked, crouched down, looking up at her.

  “Jie!” She pushed past Dave, who stood aside. Lunging forward, she crouched down, tears brimming in her eyes. “Jie.” She pulled him into her embrace.

  “Meg,” he whispered, his voice hoarse and thick. The fight and the transition from human to animal and back seemed to have taken a toll on him. His body was shaking in spite of the warm summer evening.

  “Meg,” he said again, burrowing his face in the hollow of her neck.

  Tears came to her eyes and she stroked his hair, rocking him like he was a child in her arms. As if they were connected by an invisible thread, she felt his pain and torment wracking her as though it were her own. It was her own, she realized. She shared it with him because she loved him and saw what a good man he was. She pressed a tender kiss onto his hair. “It’s all right, Jie. It’s all right.” She rocked him a few moments longer. “Come, get dressed and come upstairs. You must be tired and hungry.” Gently, she released him and helped him on with the pants.

  “Do you need help?” Dave asked. He had retreated up the stairs away, looking down at her with concern.

  She shook her head. “We’ll make it.”

  “I’ll heat up the soup you made earlier,” Danny said.

  She nodded. “Thank you.”

  Dave followed Danny back up the steps, leaving her alone with Jie.

  “You have good friends,” Jie rasped.

  Speech sounded difficult for him, and the catch in his voice caused her heart to squeeze. “You’re one of them, Jie,” she said softly. She took his hands. “Can you get up the steps?”

  He nodded.

  Slowly, step by step, they made it back into the apartment. She led Jie over to the sofa and put her small fleece throw around his shoulders. Danny brought over a bowl of vegetable soup and set it on the coffee table along with a spoon. Then he excused himself and Dave and retreated into the bedroom she’d given Jie the night before.

  “Danny and Dave offered to stay here ... so I wouldn’t be alone. And ... to help ... us ... when you came back.”

  He glanced at her with a sheepish expression in his eyes, and she sensed that he felt ashamed for having run away. To her, it wasn’t important. A
ll that mattered was that he was back and he was alive. She lifted the bowl and presented it to Jie. “You must be starved.” She couldn’t imagine Jie had eaten while he was away.

  He nodded, and she noticed that he was distinctly avoiding her gaze. He took the bowl from her and held it to his lips, sipping the broth straight from the bowl.

  She watched in amazement his Adam’s apple sliding up and down as he swallowed, never stopping until he drained all the broth.

  He set the bowl on his lap. “This is good,” he said, his voice sounding smoother after having the liquid.

  She nodded and picked up the spoon. She handed it to him, and he scooped out the vegetables, one spoonful after the other, as if he’d not had a bite of food in days.

  “Would you like more?” she asked when he scooped out the last spoonful of vegetables.

  He shook his head. “No, thank you.” He sat quietly, letting her take the bowl from his hands, which then fell into his lap.

  She set the bowl aside on the table and looked at him, her nerves painfully on edge. She wasn’t sure what to say to him, sensing that it was difficult for him to accept the comfort she offered even though he seemed to want it at the same time. “Would you ... would you like a bath?”

  He glanced up at her again, his almond eyes dark and shimmering even through the sorrow they expressed.

  She put her hand gently on his shoulder, feeling the muscle quiver in spite of the blanket covering it. “Come on, I’ll help you.”

  Obediently, he rose from the sofa and followed her through her bedroom to the bathroom. She flicked on the light and knelt down by the tub, busying herself with preparing the bath.

  As the tub filled, Jie leaned back against the vanity, his head bowed. He was the most sedate she’d seen him since they met, and Meg couldn’t help the nagging voice inside that told her he didn’t want to stay here with her and that as soon as he’d regrouped from this horrible event he would go back to China. Without her.

  The tub was full, and she turned off the faucets. “It’s ready.”

  He nodded and silently pushed away from the counter, slipping off the silk pants.

  In spite of the situation, she couldn’t stop herself from admiring his body, the sculpted curves and bulges of muscle and the way they flexed in various points as he moved. Sinfully, she also stole a look at his dragon, experiencing the most wicked desire to kneel before him and take him deep into her mouth. To her, he was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen.

  He lowered himself into the tub and sat huddled, his arms locked around his knees.

  She reached for a cloth and dipped it into the hot water, wondering as she filled it with soap what the fight with the Russian lang ren must have been like for him to leave him in this subdued, faraway state.

  She sensed it was not the time to discuss anything with him and quietly smoothed the soapy washcloth across his back, in as gentle movements as she could.

  “Thank you, Meg,” he murmured, surprising her that he’d spoken at all.

  She smiled, feeling hot tears collect in the corners of her eyes. “You’re very welcome.”

  She washed his back for several minutes, listening to the gentle dripping sound of the water each time she dipped the cloth in it. He leaned back, making her think she should continue her washing on his front, but when she did, he grasped her wrist lightly.

  “You don’t have to do this,” he said. “I ran away from you.”

  She returned the wide-eyed, intense gaze he was giving her. “You saved my life and then you came back.”

  He looked at her a moment longer, then released her wrist. He leaned back, his arms on the sides of the tub.

  She rubbed the cloth gently across his chest, over his shoulders, and into his armpits. Bathing him, she decided, was incredibly pleasurable, and she couldn’t help noticing the way his body responded, the erection that rose up under the surface of the water.

  “You saw what I become. A filthy beast.”

  The tone in his voice caused her to stop in mid-wipe across his chest. “Not filthy. A beautiful creature.” She looked at him, sensing he was trying to tell her something. Something she didn’t want to hear. “I don’t care.”

  “Maybe you will. It’s loathsome.”

  Her heart thumped. “No. Not at all.” Truthfully, although it was strange, the fact that he was a lang ren didn’t bother her in the least. “Please, let me decide.” She reached out and stroked his hair.

  His jaw tensed and a sheen of misery glazed his eyes. “I’m a killer,” he said between clenched teeth. His shame was painfully obvious.

  But Meg shook her head vigorously. “You were given no choice. It was self-defense. His life or yours. I know you would never have done it in a million years.”

  Jie was silent for several moments. He seemed to be absorbing her words. “Come in here with me, Meg.” he whispered finally, looking her in the eyes for the first time that night. His skin and hair glistened with droplets of bathwater.

  She couldn’t help stealing glances at the water beading off his chest, over his dark brown nipples.

  Her heart sped up and her stomach fluttered. She wanted nothing more than what he was asking. Without speaking she pulled off her t-shirt, sweatpants, and underwear and climbed into the tub.

  Jie opened his arms and spread his legs apart so she could fit between them. He pulled her against him with her back to his chest. His erection pressed into the soft crevice of her buttocks, immediately causing her body to begin its melting surrender.

  She leaned her head back against him and closed her eyes.

  He slipped his hands around her front, his fingertips sliding over her ribcage and up until his hands palmed her breasts. He squeezed the soft orbs gently in his hands, lightly pinching her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers.

  Meg moaned softly and rubbed against him, causing his fully hard cock to surge against her. He bent his head and dappled moist, warm kisses along the side of her neck, stopping every few kisses to nibble gently on her skin.

  The water sloshed against the sides of the tub, the tiny waves growing as they writhed against each other.

  Suddenly, she felt Jie’s hands close around her upper arms, holding her still. He stopped moving underneath her, and she felt tension fill his body. She stilled. “Jie? What is it?”

  “Not like this, Meg,” he murmured. “Not like a wild animal.” Slowly, he sat up, turning her around to face him.

  She looked at him. His dark eyes blazed and the small muscles of his jaw worked.

  She reached up and cupped his cheek. “It’s all right.”

  He covered her hand with his. “No, it’s not. Dammit, Meg. I’m a doctor, not a werewolf. I’m supposed to heal people, not kill them.”

  She leaned forward and put her arms around him, her heart aching. “Jie, I’ll help you in any way I can.”

  He seemed reluctant at first to return her embrace, but after a moment, his arms closed around her, holding her tight against him.

  She reached up and caressed his hair. “I promise, Jie. Please let me.”

  He pressed his face into her neck, and his back heaved under her hands. One hand curled into her hair, and he held her tight in his arms.

  She held him and rocked him gently, realizing that he was crying quietly, wetting her skin with his tears.

  The bathwater had begun to cool when Jie finally lifted his face and looked at her. Grief ringed his eyes.

  She brushed a tear off his cheek with her thumb. Another tear rolled down over his lip. She leaned forward, her eyes closed, and kissed the tear off his soft lips. She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “I want you to be part of my family, Jie,” she said softly. “You and Master Li.”

  His lower lip trembled slightly. “I would like that.”

  After a few more moments, she took hold of his hands. “You need some rest.”

  She reached over and pulled the plug from the drain. Jie stood up, reaching down to help her up.
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br />   She rose to her knees, intending to stand, but finding herself at eye-level with his hard member, she remained as she was. Gingerly, she reached out her hand and ran her fingertips up and down the silky hard length.

  Jie’s breath rasped, and his hand came down onto her hair, his fingers weaving into the wet strands.

  Encouraged, she leaned forward, intending to take him into her mouth, but Jie stopped her.

  “Megan, you don’t have to do this.”

  She gazed up at him, pained by the hesitation in his eyes. “I want to,” she breathed. She reached one hand around, bolding stroking his hard buttocks while caressing his rigid shaft with the other.

  His breath rasped again, and she felt his body surrender under her hands.

  Before he could protest again, she closed her eyes and parted her lips. Holding the base of Jie’s cock with one hand, she slid her mouth down onto him.

  He groaned softly.

  Anchoring herself with her hands on his hips, she took him in as deeply as she could, loving the feel of his cock against her tongue and lips. He tasted musky and delicious, and she savored him, suckling slowly in a rhythmic motion.

  “Meg,” he ground out in a hoarse voice, his hands winding into her damp hair.

  She tightened the suction of her lips, pulling a droplet of pre cum from the tiny opening in the head of his cock. She swiped it off with the flat of her tongue, swallowing it greedily, as if she could take him inside her, so he could never leave.

  “Meg,” he breathed again in a throaty whisper. Gently he pulled himself away and lifted her by the shoulders. His lids were heavy over his brown almond eyes and his face was flushed. “I was getting very close,” he said softly. “I want to be inside you.”