Fire in the Smokies dw-2 Read online

  And additionally, she was doubting her sanity.

  She watched, blinking, as Jaxon stuffed his pants back into his pack. As though watching a horror film, her eyes remained pinned to him as he dropped to all fours and shifted. Small pops made her flinch as his bones changed structure. Fur pushed out of his skin. It lasted only a few seconds. A large gorgeous wolf stood before her.

  He glanced at her, cocked his head and nodded toward the narrow opening in the cave. Grabbing his pouch with his teeth, he led her to the slit in the stone wall.

  Brianna was stunned. Her heart beat rapidly, but she didn’t pause. There wasn’t time. The air was thick with smoke. She’d pass out soon if she didn’t move.

  With her headlamp pinned to Jaxon’s tail, she stayed right behind him, crawling through narrow gaps, some of which were barely wide enough to accommodate either of them. Finally, they emerged into a large space.

  Brianna breathed a sigh of relief. Oxygen filled her lungs.

  How long would it last? Would they have to venture even deeper?

  She plopped down on her butt and reached for the canteen attached to her center with all her other supplies.

  A deep gulp of water cleared her throat.

  She closed her eyes for a moment. They burned.

  A popping noise made her flinch and when she opened her eyelids, she found a naked Jaxon standing inches from her once again.

  “That’s amazing.” She didn’t take her gaze off his cock. Even under the stress of this crazy situation, he was aroused, hard and ready. And she found herself wanting to touch him. Feel all that maleness wrapped in her palm.

  What if this is real?

  “Thank you.” Jaxon chuckled and Brianna flushed to her toes.

  “Not that, you dolt. The wolf-shifting thing.” She waved a hand through the air.

  “I know. I was kidding.” He reached for his bag and then stopped. “You want me to dress or stay naked so you can enjoy the view?” He chuckled again. “I only ask because you haven’t lifted your gaze away from my dick since I shifted.”

  A new flush covered the old. She’d turn the color of the flames outside if he didn’t stop teasing her. She pulled her helmet off and set it on the floor. If she could stop aiming the light directly at him, it would help.

  Jaxon didn’t wait for her response. He simply shrugged on his jeans once more and even grabbed a T-shirt. She actually felt sad when he pulled the cotton material over his pecs.

  “Now what do we do?”

  “Now, we wait. Perfect time to get to know each other.” He sat next to her and tugged the sleeves of her jacket until he’d removed it. She let him, limp in his arms, unable to stop him from anything he wanted to do with her.

  Chapter Three

  Jaxon pulled his mate back into his embrace. He liked her between his legs, leaning against his chest. He could get used to it. He reached for the switch on her helmet and turned off the light.

  Darkness consumed them once again. He had the advantage in the dark. She could see nothing. He could see fine. “We need to conserve the battery. Never know what might happen next.” His explanation sounded good, didn’t it? It was certainly plausible they’d need the battery later.

  Brianna sighed. “So you’re a wolf. And I’m not dead.”

  “Correct.” He paused. “You okay?”

  “Me?” She laughed. “I’m not the one afraid of the dark.”

  “Now you’re confused.” Jaxon wrapped his arms around her middle below her breasts and held her tight. “I’m not remotely afraid of the dark, baby. I don’t even actually know darkness. I can see fine. It’s tight places I could do without.”

  “So, you’re claustrophobic.” She set her palms on his thighs and he had to work hard not to jump. Did she have any idea what she did to him?

  “Hmm, I guess so. If you tell anyone, I’ll deny it though.” He kissed her neck again while he smiled. Was this okay with her? Was she feeling the connection too?

  “That’s a laugh.” She tipped her head to one side, giving him better access to her neck. Her fingers bit into his thighs where she gripped him. “If I made a list of all the things about you worth mentioning, claustrophobia wouldn’t even make the short list.”

  This time when Jaxon laughed, his body shook enough to cause his hands to brush against her breasts. His amusement got cut off quick at the contact. He swallowed. The woman was all firm muscle, except her chest. His fingers grazed the softer flesh, not for the first time, and he wanted desperately to cover her entirely with his palms.

  She wasn’t wearing a bra. His dick grew hard thinking about the thin layer of her shirt between his hands and her nipples.

  Brianna squirmed against him. His cock stiffened further.

  “So, what do you do? When you aren’t out saving firefighters from caves.”

  “My brothers and I have a farm outside Pigeon Forge. We raise thoroughbreds.”

  “You live with your brothers?”

  “Yes, Sergius is one year older than me. Micah, two years younger. We’re very close.”

  “How close?” She grew rigid.

  The woman had a sense of humor. Well, actually, she was probably serious, but she made him laugh, nonetheless. “Not that close. We just don’t know any other wolf shifters in the area, so we stick together. We came here ten years ago, built our cabin, and love it here.”

  “Sounds lonely.”

  “Oh, we aren’t lonely. In fact, my older brother Sergius mated about six months ago. Juliana is fantastic. She lives with us now too.”

  “Your brother got married and you all live in the same house? Why doesn’t he move out?”

  “It’s a big house. Everyone has plenty of privacy. Besides, it’s safer for Juliana that we all stick together.” Now why did I have to go and mention that?

  “Safer from what?” Brianna turned toward him as though she could see him. Her lips were inches from his. It was the perfect time to put an end to this line of questioning. The last thing he needed right now was to explain vampires to her. She hadn’t finished swallowing the shapeshifter addition to her life yet.

  Jaxon closed the gap and set his lips against hers. Her warm, soft mouth forced a low moan from deep inside him. What the hell? He didn’t moan. Not even when having sex.

  Jaxon tilted his head to one side and took possession of her more thoroughly. She opened for him. He licked the seam of her lips and then reached inside for more.

  Brianna twisted farther and gripped his arms. She met him halfway, not showing any signs of stopping the mind-numbing kiss.

  And that’s what it was. In fact, Jaxon could feel his brother Sergius trying to communicate with him, but he couldn’t quite make the connection. He didn’t want to. Sergius would have to wait.

  Brianna pressed her chest against his. God, how he wanted their shirts to disappear into the ether.

  After long moments, his mate pulled back. She set her forehead against his. She’d squirmed her way sideways across his lap. Her thigh pressed against his dick.

  “You’re like a drug. I can’t even think.” Her words puffed out of her mouth as though she’d been running. “Who kisses a man she just met in a cave in the dark? What am I, twelve? It must be the stress of the situation making me lose my mind.”

  “I sincerely hope you aren’t twelve. That’s…ew. And you’re my mate. It’s controlling you. You wouldn’t be able to help the attraction you feel toward me no matter where we were or what the circumstances.”

  “Jaxon.” The voice of Serg nearly shouted into Jaxon’s mind.

  “What?”

  “Where are you? Why aren’t you communicating with me? You had me worried.”

  “Kinda busy right now is all. I’m in the cave. The smoke was overwhelming and we had to move deeper. We’re safe.”

  “You sound funny. What is making you ‘busy’?” Sergius laughed into Jaxon’s head. “Did you encounter more than a fireman in that cave? You sound out of breath as if… Wait… Don’t
tell me…” Now he laughed so hard Jaxon cringed.

  “Are you done?”

  “Me? I’m not the one screwing a fireman. Is he hot?”

  “He is a she. And yes, she’s hot. She’s my mate.”

  “Whoa… The fireman is a woman? Now why didn’t I think of that?”

  “Well, I didn’t either. And believe me I was worried when I realized she was my mate and still thought she was a man.”

  “I’ll bet.” Serg laughed again. “Okay. Listen. You are good and trapped for a while. The flames are really high and pressing against those caves with no end in sight. Thank God you got in there when you did.”

  “Yeah, I’m not sure my feisty mate truly needed my help. In fact, I’m probably holding her back with my aversion to tight spaces. But I’m not sorry I’m here.” Jaxon squeezed his mate and pulled her head onto his shoulder.

  “I’m laughing my ass off, dude. Mr. I’m-not-claiming-a-woman-in-this-lifetime.”

  “Go ahead. Get it out of your system.” Jaxon wasn’t laughing. He did, however, deserve any ribbing his brothers dished out. “Are you done yet?”

  “No. But we have more important things to consider. Guess who’s in town?”

  “Are you kidding? Now? Could that possibly be a coincidence?”

  “In my opinion, nothing Keeton McKinney does is a coincidence.”

  “How did you find out he was around? Has he hurt anyone?” Jaxon tensed.

  “No, we sensed him. He’s lurking around the area. But, I will say one thing, Micah and I have been taking turns following him and he isn’t going anywhere near that fire.”

  “Huh. Now that is interesting. Do you suppose he’s afraid of flames?” Could they have stumbled on a weakness in the vampire who thought he owned these mountains?

  “I’m hoping he’s a whole lot more than afraid of them.” Sergius’s voice was serious. “We’ll keep tabs on his location. I just wanted you to know. He isn’t approaching the fire, but he is watching like a hawk. He surely knows you’re in there, and he’s circling the area.”

  “Great. Thanks for the info.”

  Jaxon jolted when he realized someone was calling his name.

  “Jaxon? Hello? Earth to Jaxon?” His mate wasn’t just calling his name, she was practically screaming.

  “Yes?”

  “God, Jax. Where were you? I’ve been talking to you. You were in some sort of trance or something.”

  “Sorry, baby. I was talking to my brother.”

  “Your brother? Oh, telepathically. Were you serious?”

  “Yes, he was updating me on the fire. We’re stuck for a while. Surrounded by flames.”

  “Okay. We knew that. Besides, how long would it take to tell you that?”

  “He mentioned a few other details.” No way was he ready to share the vampire threat with her yet.

  Why was McKinney back today of all days? Was there a chance in hell the vampire just happened to show up now by coincidence? After Serg mated with Juliana, they’d had to chase the vamp off numerous times to get rid of him. Jaxon had known getting McKinney to leave town was temporary, but this was plain inconvenient. Did the forest fire have something to do with today’s appearance?

  “Jax?” The nickname she’d assigned him made him smile. It sounded so personal coming from her lips. “What other details?”

  “Nothing to worry about right now. All we need to concentrate on is staying away from those flames.” Or, perhaps, it would be better to stay near the flames.

  Jaxon reached for his pouch. He tugged the strap open and grabbed a bottle of water. “Are you thirsty? Do you still have water?”

  “I do. And there’s a pouch built into my jacket. We won’t go thirsty.”

  “Cool.” Jaxon took a swig and paused. His mate was a firefighter. She fought fires for a living. Dangerous fires. Could he live with that? Would she be willing to quit? How could he keep her safe if she was out in the open like this all the time?

  These were questions he would have to deal with later. Not today.

  “Jaxon?” Serg’s voice once again entered Jaxon’s mind.

  “Yeah?”

  “Update. Micah is following McKinney who is circling your cave. It’s weird. I don’t get it. Please be careful.”

  “And McKinney doesn’t realize he’s being followed?”

  “Doesn’t seem like it. Micah’s pretty far back, but I think he’s so focused on you, he isn’t paying attention to Micah.”

  “Wonderful.” Jaxon hoped his sarcasm came through as strongly as he’d intended. “Is there another entrance to this cave?”

  “We’re checking.”

  “Jax.”

  Jaxon tipped his head toward his mate. “Yeah?”

  “You left me again. Talking to your brothers?”

  “Yeah.” He didn’t even bother to keep the negative inflection out of his voice.

  “That bad?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you know any other words besides ‘yeah’?” She didn’t laugh.

  Jaxon held his breath.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” The woman was intuitive.

  Jaxon had an idea. He jerked his gaze to Brianna, knowing full well she couldn’t see him. “I need to claim you.”

  “Claim me?” Her eyebrows rose. “Dude, you’ve been laying claim to me pretty consistently since you first walked into my cave. Or should I say, bounded.” She laughed.

  Jaxon didn’t. “If we cement the bond, you’ll be safer.”

  “Safer from what? What are you talking about?”

  Jaxon took a deep breath. “There’s a bad guy on our heels. He’s circling the cave.” He hated telling her all this. And he hated even more how she stiffened as he spoke.

  “A bad guy? Jax, I don’t think you have all your marbles. Did you breathe in too much smoke? There’s a fire out there. Nobody’s going to get in here.” She said all that, but she still held herself rigid.

  “The fire is buying us some time, but this isn’t the kind of man I want to risk giving any leverage to.” Jaxon set a hand on her cheek, rubbed along her jaw with his thumb.

  Brianna swallowed. Her eyes grew large. She was scared. He could see it in her face and smell it coming from her pores. She was also aroused. Just cupping her chin made her clench her legs together.

  “Will you let me claim you, baby?”

  “What does that mean?” Her words came out as a whisper.

  “Mate with you. Make love to you.”

  “Seriously? Now? Here in this cave with a fire raging outside? You want to fuck?” She pulled back, but only enough to tip her head up toward him as though she were looking into his eyes.

  With a sudden jerk, Brianna yanked from his grasp and fumbled for her helmet on the ground. In two seconds, she’d turned the light on.

  Jaxon stared at her. He let her shine the light in his face. “You’re mine, Brianna. You know it deep inside. Normally, I would woo you for…well, for a while…but under the circumstances it would be better if we solidified our relationship now.”

  “Why?” She didn’t say “no”.

  “Once we mate, you’ll be able to communicate with me telepathically. Our bond will be stronger. If anything happens, you’ll be able to reach me through our connection.”

  Her brow furrowed. “You expect me to believe if we have sex, I’ll be able to get inside your head?” She shivered, her body shaking beneath his hands.

  “You will. And I yours.”

  “That’s even worse.”

  Jaxon smiled. “Why? Do you have any secrets you’d like to divulge before I claim you?” He leaned toward her and kissed her forehead.

  “No.” She leaned back. “Besides the ones I’ve acquired since meeting you.” She bit her lip and gasped. “God, did I say that out loud?” She lowered her gaze.

  Jaxon grabbed her neck and kissed the top of her head. “You did. What do these ‘secrets’ entail exactly?”

  Brianna moaned.

 
“Got a lot in your closet, do you?”

  She tipped her head back and looked him in the eye. “My closet is full. But it was empty until about half an hour ago.” She poked his chest, but he caught her finger with his hand and held her palm against his heart.

  “Intriguing. I can’t wait to see what’s inside that head of yours.”

  Jaxon took her lips. He tangled his hand in her hair and kissed her thoroughly. His intention—to wipe all memory she had of ever being kissed before.

  With the hand he held against his chest, she squeezed his shirt, balling it up in her fist and holding on as though her life depended on it.

  Without breaking the kiss, Jaxon laid Brianna on her back and held himself over her.

  Her blond curls spread out beneath her. Her eyes closed as he plundered her mouth even further. He didn’t want to take her choice away, but he did intend to make “no” a very difficult answer.

  He rationalized that it would have happened eventually, so he wasn’t really playing unfair.

  Brianna’s helmet lay on the floor a few feet away. It rolled back and forth on the rim, casting light in every direction. Every time it rolled their direction, he got a stronger look at her features. Even with soot smudged on her face, she was gorgeous. Her button nose was speckled with black from ash. Her round face fit perfectly in his palm.

  Jaxon placed his free hand on her stomach. His fingers spanned from her breasts to her pants.

  Pants was not even remotely close to being an accurate word to describe what Brianna wore. And they needed to go. Now.

  Chapter Four

  Brianna clenched her legs together briefly when Jaxon’s hand went to her waist. What the hell am I doing?

  This was so unlike her. And yet, she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anyone in her life. So what if she had sex with some man in a cave during a crisis. Didn’t people do strange things in situations of great duress?

  He smelled so good, like the outdoors, like a man who loved animals, like…Jaxon. And God could he kiss.

  Her brain cells were exiting her body one by one as he kissed her senseless.