Summer’s Wolf

Chapter Ten

Cullen’s consciousnesses returned and it felt like he’d been hit by a Mack-truck going sixty miles an hour. He blinked twice and tried to figure out what was different this time about how he’d woken up. He rubbed his eyes a few times before it occurred to him that he was completely warm and there was a waterfall of blonde hair covering his chest.

Summer.

She was what was different. A major change to his wake-up routine. Her soul embraced with his own, just as her body pressed up against his. Her features looked soft, untroubled. He knew that would change as soon as she woke up and reality returned. He wished he could let her sleep until she woke naturally, but there wasn’t time. They needed to collect Gabriel from where he bunked at the hotel and start their trek down to Mexico.

He smiled at the memory of Summer cracking up at his announcement of the missing princess. She’d laughed so hard and carried on until Tristan ended the meeting in disgust. At least Cullen had gotten what he’d wanted. Tristan would be focused on other things now and he would able to run his operation without Tristan micromanaging him. Eventually, he’d have to explain to Tristan about the sister and why he’d kept her existence a secret even after Ashlee’s return. But, in his opinion, there were more pressing matters at the moment that needed to be handled.

Her plan to take down Kendrick and Claudius might work, with a little tweaking. Kendrick would have known Tristan and the others would demand answers about the flying demons. That’s why he’d sent them. If Tristan behaved like a different kind of Alpha, the kind of Alpha his father had been, Cullen would be dead right now. Banishment was a second option for betrayal. If he could pull it off, if he could make Kendrick think Tristan had banished him from the island, they could all be rid of Kendrick once and for all.

It would be some kind of poetic justice that Kendrick be killed by the man he’d trained to be an assassin.

Summer’s foot connected with his shin, hard. “You’re thinking so hard, I can feel it in my bones.” Cullen pulled Summer tighter and smiled into her shoulder. He had to find a way to keep her from trying to go to the Institute and after Claudius. If he’d been certain she needed to be kept safe before the mating ritual, he was even more convinced of it now.

“What am I thinking about?” He bit her lightly on her shoulder and she yelped. She rolled over in his arms until she faced him. Their noses were inches apart. He could feel her warm breath on his mouth. He bridged the small gap of space between them and gave her a gentle kiss.

Something between a moan and a sigh sounded in her throat and sent waves of pleasure down his spine. She pulled her mouth from his.

“You weren’t thinking about that. If you’d been thinking about pleasurable things, it wouldn’t have hurt my head to have channeled into your thoughts.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “You say that like it’s not a new gift and it doesn’t freak you out that you can do it.”

She shook her head. “It’s not a new gift. The telepathy might be new. The weird psychic dreams, they’re brand new. My ability to know what people are thinking, that I’ve always been able to do.”

Our mate is a very talented wolf. Cullen’s wolf wagged his tail in happiness and Cullen snorted. Summer made his wolf act like a puppy dog. His four-legged companion wanted to give her whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. Cullen did too but not when it came to compromising her safety.

Maybe he could just keep her nude and in bed permanently. The thought of the perfection of Summer’s naked form made his groin get hard. He recalled the way her nipples stiffened when she was excited and the little noises she made when she particularly liked something he had done to her body.

“I don’t have to be a mind reader to know what you’re thinking right now.” She reached down to stroke her hand up his rigid shaft and he sucked in his breath.

“Truth is I have no idea if we’ve time for this. It’s possible he could show up any minute.”

Her lips pressed firm against his neck. “Gabriel can wait. He’s a wolf. He’ll know what we’re doing if he gets close to the house and if he doesn’t have the good sense to wait outside quietly, I’ll kill him.”

She stroked him one more time and Cullen felt twelve years old. He wondered if he would be able to control himself from coming under her touch. “Summer, you’re going to destroy me.”

“I think you’ll survive.” Her eyes twinkled as she pulled back to look at him. “Tell me something, my Cullen, do you always wake up hard?”

He shook his head. “Today would be the first time in a very long time. I think it’s because I’m pressed up against your hot little body and surrounded by your addictive scent.”

Summer pulled the nightshirt she wore from her body exposing her breasts and the perfection of her nipples that had so enticed his memory earlier. Cullen needed no further invitation. He grabbed her left areola and gently pinched it with his fingers. When she gasped, he took the right one in his mouth and suckled it. He could taste the essence that was Summer alone and he wanted to lap it up like a puppy that finally found water after a dry spell.

Summer clawed at his scalp with her fingernails as she arched her head deep into the pillow behind her. He knew she liked what he did to her.

With her head flung backwards, she gave Cullen ample view of her neck. He wanted to mark her. It was a primitive urge and he knew it. He already owned her soul. Hell, he got to carry it around with him. He should feel satisfied with that. But it wasn’t enough. Unable to resist the urge he lifted his head from her breasts and bit down on her neck before he started sucking on it.

She squealed and pulled back from his mouth. “Did you just give me a hickey?”

He nodded as he stared into her blue eyes.

“Are you serious? You gave me a hickey?”

He nodded again. Was she going to get mad?

Might have been a dumb move. His wolf paced restlessly not liking the possible end to their lovemaking anymore that he did.

Thank you, like I needed you to tell me that right now.

Summer busted out laughing. For a second, Cullen felt stunned and then he too started to hoot. It was kind of ridiculous. What had possessed him to mark her? He had no idea but as he looked down at the red spot forming over the two small teeth marks where he had bitten her, he had to smile. He would like seeing the scar on her for a few days. He would love knowing he had put it there in a moment of pleasure.

Maybe it was some kind of primal instinct he hadn’t yet conquered. Perhaps all mates did this to one another. Although, he doubted it because he’d not seen any of the other women who had lived on the island scarred up by their mates. He guessed it was just something weird related to him.

“You know I’m going to have to repay in kind?”

“I know this about you. Yes.” He raised an eyebrow. Where was she going to do it? On his neck? He’d proudly wear her marking for everyone to see.

“But what you don’t realize is that I’m going to make you wait. You won’t know when I’m going to get you. It could be anytime or anywhere. I’m just going to bite down.”

Cullen propped himself on his elbows. “Are you threatening me?”

Summer nodded and he grinned. “That’s what I thought. You’re a gutsy little thing. First you take on Tristan in the pack meeting and now you threaten the boogeyman?”

She reached up to stroke his chest, which sent shivers down his spine. “You are no more the boogeyman than I am the tooth-fairy.”

Summer shifted her hips and, even though he wouldn’t have believed it possible, his erection got even harder. He could feel it straining against her stomach.

“Are you going to do something with that big boy or just tease me with it?” He loved the husky sound her voice took on when she thought she was being naughty.

“As my woman commands.”

He took a moment to thoroughly kiss her. She was wet, hot, and so ready for him. When he slid inside of her, she let out a sound that something between a moan and a plea. He smiled. Summer was nothing if not demonstrative.

They found their rhythm and Cullen couldn’t believe the perfection of it. Each one seemed to know how to please the other one. For two people who had known each other so little amount of time, they needed no words to communicate their desires.

Cullen felt her breath on his neck as she moved beneath him. He stared into her eyes, never wanting to lose eye contact with her. Summer’s eyes held all the there was in the world and the way she looked at him when he pleasured her was all the brightness he would ever need to fill the dark places in his soul.

He wished he could stop time and live in this moment with Summer forever. Cullen’s strokes became faster, harder and beneath him he could see Summer’s muscles clench in response.

What had he ever done to deserve this kind of happiness?

Cullen would swear he was burning up as their skin rubbed against each other causing even more friction in what was already an electric moment. Summer wrapped her legs around him more tightly and now it was his turn to groan.

He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold on. He plunged in and out of her, loving every second as her tight sheath convulsed around him.

“That’s it, Summer. Come for me.”

He felt her shatter and moments later, he followed her into heaven.

The pounding on the door disturbed his happy reverie and he opened one eye.

“Is that Gabriel?” Summer groaned and rolled over. “Where are my clothes?”

“Top two drawers.” Cullen pointed towards his dresser. “I put your clothes away for you when you passed out last night. You don’t have much. Just a few things Ashlee sent over. We’ll take you shopping when this is all over.”

“I can take myself shopping.” Cullen suppressed the grin that threatened at the tone in her voice. He had to remember that Summer liked to be very independent. She’d left her home when her parents hadn’t supported her dream.

“Alright, then you can take me.” She rewarded him with a grin. Finally finding where his clothes had been thrown, he pulled on his boxer shorts and went to the door.

Gabriel stood on the other side, his brow raised. “Took you long enough.”

“Sorry. I’m an old man. I move slowly.”

Gabriel snorted. “When did you get a sense of humor?”

“Just because you’ve never known him doesn’t mean he didn’t have a sense of humor.” Summer stood in the doorway wearing jeans and a light blue tee-shirt that brought out her eyes. He couldn’t help the tingle on his skin that came every time she stood up for him or most especially when she called him ‘my Cullen,’ which he wasn’t even convinced she knew she did.

“Maybe that’s true.” Gabriel looked down at his feet for a moment. When he looked up, any insecurity Cullen had seen there before was gone. This was the Gabriel who was as hard as steel. “Az wants me to inject the two of you with these locater beacons.”

Gabriel held up a tool that looked something between a needle and laser gun.

“You want me to let you tag me with that thing like I’m a dog or a bird?”

Gabriel nodded. “I know. I objected to it too at first, but after Tristan went missing Az went out of his way to invent something that would allow us to locate our pack members if they vanish. This was the solution. It goes under the skin and that way, if we can’t reach you, we turn on the locater chip, and boom—Az can find where you are.”

Cullen shook his head. “What if I don’t want to be found?”

“You’ll have to take that up with the Alpha.”

“You’re going to find her, Gabriel. She’s in the north. It’s dark and cold. She’s been waiting.” Cullen whirled around to look at Summer. Her eyes were lost and vacant. A vision, and it was just like the one she’d had in her dream. In fact, he suspected she had them all the time and didn’t discuss it with anyone.

Gabriel looked confused. “What?”

“I’ll explain later. Don’t bring it up.” Gabriel nodded although Cullen could tell by the look in his eyes he wasn’t satisfied with waiting.

“I will take it up with Tristan. I am not letting you inject me with some gadget of Azriel’s making.”

Summer stepped forward, her eyes clear. She was obviously not going to remark on what had just happened. “Okay, I’m not afraid of needles.” Summer gave Cullen a pointed look and Cullen looked down. Was he being overly difficult? If she wasn’t against getting the injection, should he not be?

Gabriel injected Summer and she didn’t even flinch. She turned to Cullen. “I don’t want to be lost.”

“Alright, Gabriel, get me too.” He held out his arm and the roof started to shake. He had a moment to look up and realize what was happening. He spun around to Summer.

The room was filled with a bright red light and four flying demons came through the ceiling raining shards of concrete down as they broke through. A large chunk hit Gabriel in the head and he crumpled to the floor.

“Summer! Don’t let them touch you with the top of their hands, they might have secreted the acid!”

It was the last instruction he gave her before his entire body filled with fire. Oh gods, what were they doing to him? He shifted into his wolf form and his eyes closed. He tried to force them open but they wouldn’t comply.

What’s going on? His wolf was as confused as he was.

Summer? He called out telepathically but she didn’t answer him. Unable to open his eyes, he tried to rely on his scent. He could smell her. She was there with him. He growled out loud ferociously. The demons would not take her, not while he was still alive. A piercing pain lanced through his body from head to two.

What is that?

His wolf sniffed the air. A spell. A bad spell.

What are they spelling us to do? He sniffed the ground in front of him, focused on getting to Summer. She was two feet in front of him but her smell was being blocked by the rank, sour pickle smell of the demons. He gagged from it. Why wasn’t Summer answering? Damn it.

He felt himself lifted off the ground. He fought and struggled for escape. If he couldn’t see, he wouldn’t know when their faces dissolved. He’d have no idea when he could attack. If he got out of this, he was going to spend more time with his eyes closed practicing his skills.

A third jolt of power hit his body and Cullen lost consciousness. His last coherent thought was of Summer and how he’d kill anyone who hurt her.