What am I saying? My wolf fucking loves the idea. I just have this itchy feeling about how this will all fall out with the pack. I'm up here in Flag when I should be keeping an eye on Eclipse and Garrett's businesses in Tucson. Have I forsaken my pack for a female, just like my father did?
But I can figure that out later. Right now, my babygirl needs me. I wrap my hand around her nape, pull her close, and kiss her.
We don't talk. We don't have to.
I'm not rough, this time. I give it to her sweet. Not quite tender-I don't know if that's possible for me-but as gentle as I can. I stroke my tongue into her mouth, suck at her lips. Pull her shirt off and drag down the straps of her bra. I worship her nipples, sucking, pinching, kissing. I move down her belly, divest her of her pants.
She starts begging for my cock the minute my mouth is on her core, and I don't have the heart to delay her orgasm. I stand up and yank off my clothes.
"You want this, baby?" I grip my cock.
"Yes, Tank. I need you."
I climb over her and rub my cock along her glossy slit. For once, I use some restraint, inching in slowly, doing my best not to turn this into another bed-breaking slam fest.
She arches and squeezes me tight.
Fuck. Maybe it will be another bed-breaker. I rock into her, holding her gray gaze, lacing my fingers over the tops of hers.
"Is this what you need, little fox?"
"Yeah," she chokes. She's popping her pelvis up to meet me on every stroke, rubbing her sweet spot over my cock. "Yes!"
I keep our bodies connected but roll over. Let her drive, for once. She straddles me, and I grip her hips, sliding her up and down the length of my cock. Her breasts bounce, color flushes her cheeks. She drops her hands to my chest and digs her nails into my skin. I let her take over the rhythm.
Her eyes glaze, lips part. She's already shot to outer space, but I don't make her stay with me. She needs this. "Take it, baby. Take what you need."
She rides me fast, making the sexiest little grunts until she comes. I hold her hips in place and jack mine up, fucking her deep until I go off like a firecracker.
She hums and settles on top of me, naked, her cheek cradled on my chest. I run my hand up and down her back, soothing her, listening to her heartbeat slow.
"Whatcha thinking about?" I nudge her.
"My kin."
"Ah."
Yeah, there are no words.
"At least I found them." It's an obvious attempt at a silver lining, and it makes my chest tighten for her. "And I guess we know why I'm such a freak."
"Don't do that," I say immediately.
"Do what?" She raises her head.
"Nobody calls you a freak. If I catch anyone calling you names, I'll make them pay." I waggle my eyebrows. "Even if it's you."
Her lips quirk with a reluctant grin. "You're going to spank me for calling myself names?"
"Yes."
She snorts, but I let her see I'm 100 percent serious. Not about punishing her, but about defending her. Because, despite my father's advice, I will choose Foxfire over pack, if it comes to it. Any one of my pack brothers judges her, and they're going to swallow my fist whole.
I roll on top of her, holding most of my weight while still covering her slender body with mine. She doesn't move, doesn't breathe, looking up at me like I hung the fucking moon. I want to bottle this feeling forever. The glory of being her lover, her protector.
"No one insults my baby." I nuzzle her neck, right over the mark I gave her. I haven't explained it to her yet. I still had to wrap my own mind around it, and she has way too much on hers. But I will.
She's mine, now, whether she likes it or not.
Foxfire
Someone knocks on the door. Tank and I are in a tangle of limbs.
"Go-way," I mumble.
"It's okay, baby. I got it," Tank whispers, the ghost of his fingers trailing down my back as he leaves the bed.
My mother's voice mingles with dreams of returning to the fox caves to meet my father, and convincing Jordy to dye her hair blue.
I jerk as Tank's warm hand covers my shoulder.
"Foxfire, we've got a problem."
I come awake. "What?"
"Someone slashed our tires last night. Your mom was out early this morning and found it."
"Oh no."
"The vandals didn't leave a note or a anything, but the tires' stink of fox piss."
I start to get up, and Tank presses my back. "You stay. I'll handle it. I saw a shop right around the corner."
"Why would the foxes do this?"
"Send a message. They don't want us visiting again."
"By making it hard for us to leave?"
"They may not be the smartest shifters out there. Your father must've been the exception."
"I'm sorry."
"Not your fault. Rest baby. You need sleep."
He's not wrong. The second he's gone, I'm falling back into my crazy jumbled dreams.
When I finally get up, Tank isn't back yet, so I shower and do my morning stuff. There are dark circles under my eyes, and I look like I've lost weight. Even my normally brilliant plumage droops a little. Maybe I should become a redhead. Or blue-maybe my dream was a sign.
My father's wallet lies on the bedside table, where I put it last night.
I open it.
"Hey," I tell my dad. "Look, Sunny says I didn't want to know you when I was growing up. That's not true. I wanted to know why the other kids had dads, and I didn't. I wanted to meet you. But whenever she brought it up, she's right, I denied it.