Chapter 3

Two Months Ago

Glorious sunshine rained down upon Julia as she lay back on a large checkered blanket, staring at the fluffy clouds that traveled across the sky over the clearing. This was her favorite thing to do when she had time off from the administrative work she helped her pack with. Nothing made her long for the outdoors more than sitting in her tiny office/closet pouring over order forms for chicken breasts and light bulbs. How she got stuck doing the ordering and shipping for the pack she didn't really know, but it wasn't her main concern right now. Because today was Friday, and Friday meant only having to work until noon. Regularly it also meant she could sneak away from the pack's estate and do whatever she felt like for six or eight hours.

So from the time she got off of work until now, she had spent her afternoon lounging on the ground beside a thirty-foot waterfall in the nature reserve. She had always loved the mist that hovered around the small lake; it was brisk and refreshing. Plus the constant rumbling due to the cascading water soothed her in a way that helped clear her head when she was making tough choices. Like after her mom died and she made the decision to stay at home instead of going to college like her sisters or the few days after she met Connor and had to make the choice to betray her father by seeing him again.

Today she was contemplating pushing that betrayal even further. Over the past couple hours she had come to the conclusion that she was going to sleep with Connor, and she was going to do it today. They'd been seeing each other intensely for about two months. As often as they could manage they'd sneak off to be together, usually meeting up at the nature reserve because it was neutral territory. It only took them a day to start kissing each other, and only five to start intimately touching each other. But Connor was well aware of Julia's virginal status and was cautious to push her any further.

So Julia knew that it would be up to her to get things started. Unfortunately, her sisters cast a shadow over sex after they lost their virginities in high school. They went on and on about how awkward it was and how they had been sore for days after. They bitched about it constantly, saying that the three minutes it lasted wasn't worth three days of soreness. Cilia had even told her that at first the guy couldn't fit, and they had to keep trying over a span of days before they managed to do the deed. Soon after, he'd dumped her and moved on to another girl who didn't have her 'difficulties'.

Her sisters had done a solid job of freaking her out enough to get her to overlook the sexual aspect of her life all together, and she'd happily ignored it until Connor came along. Now thoughts of sex with Connor consumed her and made her warm and tingly all over. She couldn't get her mind off of it, and the more she thought about it, the greater her yearning for him became.

She had called Connor from her cell phone, and he was on his way to the nature reserve. He had just finished a meeting with his father, and was going to change into more comfortable clothes before driving over to meet her. Julia was excited, anxious, elated, and nervous to the point of being sick all at the same time. Every snap of a twig or rustling of a bush made her jump in anticipation. It had been thirty minutes since she called him, and she felt the weighted angst of every passing minute. She contemplated calling him again, to make sure he was on his way, but every time she grabbed her cell phone she'd throw it back into her purse before punching in his number.

She'd never lost her cool like this before. She was the level headed one in their relationship, always managing to hide how deep her feelings for Connor truly went. He knew she loved and cared for him, but he had no idea that just being around him made her giddy to the point of euphoria or that when he kissed her time seemed to stop.

He was truly mate-worthy material. If she had to choose one male to have babies with, share her thoughts and emotions with, it was going to be him. Even more, she was starting to think he might be her destined mate, the one 'true love' that each lycanthrope apparently had someone in the world. She used to read about destined mates in the books given to her as a child, but she had always brushed that off as make believe like the Disney stories for human children. Apparently they were real, and she had one.

In the stories, the joining of destined mates was a powerful thing, and the pair actually shared a vital part of their soul with one another. While normal mates would be uncomfortable if separated before they could finish both mating ceremonies, destined mates could actually die if kept apart for too long after the initial bonding steps. It's like they gave away their hearts and then had to wait for a transplant.

Julia had already given her whole heart to Connor, and she was pretty sure he was more than willing to give her his in return. That was why she was determined to be with him. It was more than just a sexual lust for his deliciously sculpted body; it was a driving need that screamed in her mind and pulled at her core to make him hers. Even the wolf within her craved a sexual connection with Connor. It was like her inner beast recognized his, and wanted it just as much as she wanted the man. She almost felt like howling when she thought of their naked bodies grinding against each other. Julia was already getting herself work up over the thought of them being together. She needed to relax.

A breeze blew through the small clearing and rustled her hair, tickling her bare shoulders exposed by the green halter top she was wearing. The cool, flowing air did a lot to calm her. Right now she wasn't acting like a graceful wolf, but a puppy impatiently waiting for her owner to come home. If she let her feelings get the best of her, she'd most likely pounce on Connor the moment she sensed him and lick all over his face.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, concentrating on the feel of the warm earth supporting her body. She inhaled slowly and held it for a few seconds before exhaling, willing her other half to calm as well. She repeated that over and over until all other sounds dropped away but the steady rhythm of her breath and the beating of her heart. Her pulse started to slow, and her muscles started to loosen. Tension drained from her body and she allowed herself to just drift in a state of semi-consciousness.

She could have stayed like that for hours, but she was startled out of her wits by a dark muzzle bumping against her face and a loud bark piercing through her eardrum. Julia's eye's snapped open and met the stare of Connor in wolf form. Her wolf gave a jolt of recognition, and urged her to change forms so it could join him. His intense blue eyes at first were filled with concern, but that soon faded into relief and happiness. Julia felt like she had been shaken from a deep sleep, but quickly sat up and stroked his coat, thrilled to be able to touch him after hours of waiting. He wagged his tail and tried to lick her hand, causing her to smile. After a few moments though, Julia was ready to greet Connor as a man.

"Change, so I can punish you properly for scaring the shit out of me," Julia jokingly reprimanded.

Connor responded with a high-pitched whine and then sat back on his muscular haunches. Soon where the black wolf once sat, was a dark-haired man, a very naked man, who leaned over and unhesitatingly kissed Julia's lips. His mouth were sensuously soft, and the way he alternated pressures with such gentle passion, made Julia melt into him and press her hand against the side of his face to hold him close to her. She could taste the flavor of the Altoid he must have chewed on his way there. It made her smile against his lips to know he'd been thinking about this moment too. All too soon, Connor pulled back and dragged her closer to him so they sat side by side.

"You had me worried, Jules. I called you fifteen minutes ago to make sure you were still here and then again five minutes ago when I arrived, and I still couldn't reach you. I knew you wouldn't have left without telling me, so I changed and ran here from my truck. When I saw you in the grass just lying there ... what were you doing anyway?" Connor put his arm around her and snuggled her closer into his side. Julia blushed as she thought of the truthful answer. I was trying to keep myself from stripping you naked and licking you from head to foot before you could say hello.

"I was meditating. It's so peaceful out here. It seemed like a good thing to do while I waited for you. Plus, my phone's on vibrate. That must be why I didn't hear your call." Connor accepted her answer, and pushed them both back so that they were lying down on her blanket.

"It is peaceful out here. It could easily put me to sleep if I didn't have such a beautiful girl here to keep me stimulated." Julia grinned and then turned so that she was on her side, facing his outstretched body.

"I keep you stimulated, huh", Julia asked, running her hand down his clothed chest. "Well the feeling is mutual. You seem to be able to stimulate me even when you're not with me." Connor cocked one eyebrow.

"Really? Are you sure all you did this afternoon was mediate. I don't judge you know." Julia playfully smacked his chest and scoffed at his insinuation that she's been getting off to the thought of him, but it didn't escape her attention that she'd come very close to doing just that. Before responding to him, Julia leaned down and kissed his neck, and then trailed kisses up to his ear. There, she lightly nibbled on the lobe before breathlessly whispering,

"Why waste time imaging making love to you, when I can feel the real thing?"

Connor instantly stiffened and pulled back so that he could look Julia squarely in the face. "Are you saying what I think you saying? I'm mean I want to; don't get me wrong. God, do I want to, but ... Are you sure?" Julia didn't hesitate to answer him.

"I've never wanted anything more in my entire life. I want to be with you Connor." Connor's face filled a heated lust before he pulled her down into a scorching kiss and rolled her onto her back. He deepened the kiss, caressing her tongue with his own. Julia eagerly returned the favor, loving the taste of him. As things became more heated she threaded her fingers through his hair and wrapped one leg around his. She wanted to feel every inch of him. She loved the heat that radiated off of him, and yearned to feel how hot he'd be when she got him out of his clothes. She broke away to start the process of stripping him, but Connor grasped her hands, stopping her. She felt how hard he was breathing, and knew his heart must have been racing as fast as hers was.

"Julia, if we do this, I plan on mating you. I won't claim you tonight because I want to be gentle with you, but you've got to know how much I want you. We'll work this thing with our families out. I'd fight a war for you, baby. Just tell me you'll be mine." Connor's vulnerability was clearly evident as he waited for her response. Julia snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer.

"I couldn't image loving someone more than I love you. I want you more than I thought possible, and being your mate would be a dream come true. " Julia made sure to let him know she was serious and then said, "Now shut up and take off your clothes before I rip them off with my teeth." Connor smiled and then laughed when she bared her teeth at him, showing her willingness to go through with her threat. He pulled back from her, resting his weight on his knees. Then he peeled off his black t-shirt to reveal the sexiest torso Julia had ever seen. This wasn't the first time Julia had seen him shirtless, but it might as well have been based on the enthusiasm in her response to it. He was perfect. His tanned skin was pulled taut over ripples of muscle, while a collection of brown hairs was scattered over his abdomen. They were sparsely numbered near his pecs and then coalesced into a dark trail that disappeared beneath his jeans.

Wordlessly Julia sat up, and pressed her lips against his stomach. She lightly feathered kisses against his hard abs and let her hands revel in the feel of his skin beneath them. She continued to caress and kiss him until she felt him touch her as well. His strong hands roamed over the side of her shirt and then moved higher across her exposed back to the small bow that held the top of her halter up. Resting her chin against him, she looked up into his eyes as he pulled the string, untying the bow. She slowly sat back, and pulled the top up and off. His face was filled with approval as he saw that she wore no bra underneath her shirt. Connor stared at her bared chest, and passed his hands over her breasts, causing her nipples to instantly harden.

"I'll never get tired of looking at you, Julia. It shouldn't be legal for you to look this good." The timid Julia who had been wary of sex was starting to morph into a sex kitten, who wanted nothing more than to please the man in front of her. Julia leaned back on her hands and pushed her breasts out toward him.

"Well we can't let a crime go unpunished, now can we?" Julia widened her eyes and batted her lashes, feigning innocence. "I hope my punishment's not too harsh." Julia let out a sound between a scream and a giggle when Connor suddenly growled, grasped her thighs and tugged her so she fell onto her back.

"I'm sure I can think of something that will have you begging for mercy." He followed her down and latched himself onto her left nipple, all the while a contented rumbling vibrating out of him. If he was a were-cat of some kind Julia would have sworn he was purring. Julia moaned as pleasure bombarded her. She placed one arm across his broad shoulders, and the fingers of her other hand slipped through his silky brown hair. She clung to him, encouraging him to continue. If this was her punishment, she planned on being bad as often as possible.

"God that feels amazing, baby. You've always been so good at that." Connor released her nipple and then broke into a grin.

"Ready to try something new," he asked while moving his hand to the button of her jeans. "I'm dying to taste you." Julia tensed at his suggestion. She'd only let him use his hands there before. Could she really let him do that? Was she ready for it? Connor readily picked up on her angst and tried his best to ease her fears.

"Don't worry. I promise you I'll enjoy every second of it. You can trust me, and if I freak you out just hit me or something and I'll stop." Julia couldn't help be feel her anxiety ease a little. This was Connor. And he was right, she could trust him. She was pleased when he leaned down to kiss her. He knew her so well after such a short amount of time. Using his wonderful kisses was the perfect thing to make her disregard the fingers that were pulling down the zipper of her jeans and pushing underneath the elastic of her panties. What they found was a sculpted mound of curls that lead to a pink slit that was quickly misting over like it was the lake behind them. Connor groaned when he felt her dampness and delved deeper so that he could push his finger into her. He gathered more of her juices and spread them around her clit, eliciting coos of enjoyment from her.

"Fuck, Jules. You feel so good." With his free hand he began to pull her pants and underwear off. The task proved difficult to complete one-handed so Julia helped him out by lifting her hips and shimmying out of the garments. Connor showed his gratitude by moving down her body and replacing his hand with his mouth. The moment his tongue found her clit, her hips bucked upwards.

"Yes. Oh my yes." Julia's exclamations egged Connor on who gently held her in place while he surrounded her bud with his mouth and sucked on it. She had never experienced such a sensation in all her life. It was like lightening raced through her entire body. She felt electrified, and had no intention of asking him to stop. In fact she might hit him if he did. Julia's back started to arch, and her moans were reduced to a repetitious 'Oh my God' as Connor continued to swirl and suck her clit. When he pushed his fingers back into her and started to thrust, she lost it. With a wave-like bodily spasm, she came, hard.

"Fuck, Connor. I'll never doubt again. That was incredible," Julia manage to voice once she could speak again. Smiling like the Cheshire cat, Connor replied,

"That's just the beginning baby. There's so much more I want to show you." Connor then turned his attention to getting just as naked as she was. It didn't take long for him to free himself from the confines of his pants and boxers, and Julia's heart started to pound in her chest as the sight of his magnificent erection came into view. She had seen him during their earlier rounds of experimentation, but knowing that his cock was going to be inside her at any moment made her appreciate it in a whole new way. He was so big, so thick, that she feared she might be just like her sister Cilia. How embarrassing would it be if he didn't fit inside her? She knew he would be kind about it, but would he be disappointed in her. She knew she would be upset. It was now a personal challenge to take all of him, and she refused to fail.

Without further hesitation, Julia reached out and began to stroke his long shaft. Connor fell down onto his knees after having stood to remove his clothes and edged closer to her. She marveled at the warmth, the weight, the texture of his cock, and hearing his pleasured sighs as she held him in her hands made her even hotter than she already was. It empowered her, strengthened her, and her need for him was overpowering.

"I want you Connor. Please, I don't think I can wait much longer." Julia rose to her knees as well, and clasped his face between her hands. She looked straight into his eyes as she said, "I love you so much. I want this. I've waited for this, and experiencing it with you is more than I could have imagined." As she captured his lips with her own, Connor ran his hand over her cheek, caressing her temples with his thumb.

"God, I love you too, Julia. I promise to be as gentle as I can, but my wolf is going nuts here. He's begging me to take you hard and fast. It's like holding back a charging bull, and I'm afraid I'm going to hurt you." It was obvious that Connor really was worried about causing her pain, and that was the last thing Julia wanted him to be thinking about. She wanted him to feel and experience this fully, without distractions.

"I'm old enough to know that this will hurt. But I don't care, because I also know that it won't always be this way. So let's hurry up and get it over with." Julia moved so she was lying flat on the blanket, and stretched her arms out for him to come to her. He took a moment to just look at her, as if memorizing the image of her reaching for him, then maneuvered himself between her open thighs. He placed his weight on one hand by her right shoulder, and then, brushed the tips of his fingers on his free hand down her abs and toward her awaiting pussy. Goosebumps broke out across her naked flesh and she squirmed beneath him, attempting to coax him closer to her dripping core.