The Author's Challenge Read online

  It would have to wait.

  “My wolf. My fucking wolf. In every way. Mind you, I’m not sure I’ve forgiven you. Not yet, not…hold on.” He held his hand up in the universal “stop” gesture. “You helped me. I remember now. You sat under my desk, and helped me write. Fed me cheese sandwiches and coffee. Why didn’t you make me shower?”

  She laughed, a growly, howly laugh that sent sensual shivers down his spine and into his dick.

  “I tried, believe me, but no dice. I practically had to force-feed you the sarnies. Dragging you to the shower in my condition was a no-no.”

  Hell. He remembered her condition. “You’re pregnant. Should you be doing this?”

  “Oh yeah, even more so now. You see, this is my heritage. Three bites and you’re mine. Well, that’s a bit simplistic, but it’s the general idea.”

  He snorted. “Sounds like the name of a horror story… no, don’t look like that.” She’d gone ashen, with only her eyes providing any color in her face. “It does. But it isn’t.” At least, he hoped not.

  So it’s a yes?”

  This was it. Rob took a deep breath, and slid to his knees. Why, he wasn’t sure, but Jenissa—Ma’am had to know he meant what his said.

  “It’s a yes, Ma’am. Bite me and make me yours.”

  “So be it.” The wolf’s eyes gleamed as it padded forward, bent its head, and bit Rob’s neck. Blood spurted everywhere. The wolf growled and began to lick the droplets, its tongue rasping over Rob’s skin.

  Rob looked down, gulped, and swallowed hard. Black dots swam in front of his eyes and there was a ringing in his ears, which got louder and louder. He never had liked the sight of blood.

  Rob opened his mouth to speak. He didn’t manage it. Instead, he gulped in air, knew he wasn’t able to speak, and fainted.

  Chapter Eleven

  Oh, bugger.

  Jenissa took one last mouthful of blood and swallowed. It was no wonder other packs called the Kinfoyle pack “the vampires.” For them, the blood of one’s mate was essential to ensure they were in harmony. How on earth was she going to explain to Rob that now he’d begin to shift until eventually he’d bite her as well and be fully integrated into the pack? A new member, and one aligned to the leaders? What if he wasn’t prepared to take that final step?

  He has to. However, she knew the final decision was his. After all, it wasn’t really the norm elsewhere, was it? To shift, and run about as a wolf.

  As his blood mingled with hers, Jenissa gained strength. Time to shift back and see what she could do to bring him round. Then the explanations would be needed. She gathered her mind and…a weird flutter in her tummy made her stop. It wasn’t her tummy.

  Our babies, it’s our babies moving. Even though she accepted those faint flutterings were so gentle Rob wouldn’t be able to feel them, she still put his hand on her furry stomach.

  This is your daddy. Gah, how stupid can I get? Shifted, holding a comatose man’s hand and talking to my unborn children. Nevertheless, she knew they would hear and understand.

  However nice as it was to be all gooey and no doubt have a sappy look on her face, if wolves could have that expression, Jenissa knew she needed to shift and revive Rob. She concentrated.

  Half an hour later, she was more than a little worried. He hadn’t opened his eyes. His color had returned and he breathed easily, but he still hadn’t said a word, or even groaned.

  Jenissa switched on the kettle. Didn’t people say tea was good in a crisis? If he still hadn’t come round by the time the kettle boiled, she’d call Ari for advice.

  A faint noise came from behind her and she swung around so fast her hair stung her nose. She crouched down—how much longer would she be able to do that with ease—and shook Rob.

  “Rob?”

  He snored.

  The bugger is asleep.

  Jenissa sat back on her heels and laughed until her sides ached. There she was, ready to explain all, grovel if necessary, and he was stretched out on the kitchen floor, snoring. That put her in her place.

  She stood up, found a blanket in the airing cupboard in the hall and took a cushion from the lounge, rested that under his head and covered him with the soft woolen throw. Then she made herself a cup of tea, kicked off her shoes, and curled up in the basket chair in front of the window, which overlooked the estuary.

  The tea was hot and revived her. As ever, after shifting, Jenissa was hyper. Normally, she’d go for a run and then, when exhausted, given half the chance, sleep the clock round. Ari had confessed that after-shifting sex was the best ever, but never having had it, or before those two precious occasions all those months ago, pre-shifting sex, Jenissa couldn’t say if it was true or not.

  It looked like she wasn’t going to find out now, either. Rob snorted, sighed and turned on his side, one hand pillowing his cheek.

  “Jen…” he murmured her name. Jenissa shot out of the chair and knelt next to him.

  “I’m here.”

  “Jenissa.” He sighed again. “My Lady, my Ma’am. My Jen.” He grabbed her arm with his spare hand and pulled her on top of him.

  She sprawled inelegantly over his cock, which she noted wasn’t asleep, even if the rest of him was.

  “My Jenissa…” He snored again. Jenissa couldn’t help but giggle. She wanted to get up close and personal, it was true, but hadn’t expected it to be on the kitchen floor. At least bits of him were softer than the floor.

  Not the bit digging into her tummy, though. If anything, that got harder the longer they stayed as they were. Luckily, her babies were safely cocooned inside her. With a happy sigh, Jenissa wriggled around to get more comfortable and move his cock from her belly to her side, rested her cheek on his chest, and dozed off.

  She woke up to the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans perking.

  Jenissa stirred, sniffed and waited for the familiar nausea to hit her. Ten seconds later, she sniffed again. The coffee smelled fantastic.

  As she wriggled, something else hit her. She was lying on soft, smooth cloth, which was reminiscent of lavender and sunshine. Cautiously, she opened one eye and looked around. Underneath her was a pale blue cotton material, and above, a pale grey ceiling. No rock-hard cock or snoring male in sight.

  Not the kitchen, then. With almost exaggerated care, she sat up, heedful of her mind-of-its-own upchuck reflex. Evidently, it had decided to take a day off. She felt as good as the coffee smelled. Sure that she wasn’t going to have to make a mad hunt for a loo, Jenissa got out of bed leisurely, and shook her head at her crumpled dress. Obviously, he hadn’t bothered to take that off her. She headed slowly for a door she assumed was the en-suite and reveled in her normal “not rushing to be sick” pace.

  A few minutes later, having relieved herself, she hung the crushed dress up over the shower to try and steam some of the wrinkles out and used the shower herself. She felt a bit like a snooper as she rummaged in the wall cupboard and found a toothbrush still in a wrapper. Ah well, she thought as she cleaned her teeth, needs must, and hey, she could always buy him a new one. She refused to meet Rob with bed breath. Her hair would have to stay like a bird’s nest. She couldn’t find anything to go through her curls and as far as she knew her overnight bag was still in the car.

  Jenissa headed back into the bedroom and looked around properly.

  The room was obviously not used very much. It had the scent and atmosphere of somewhere, not exactly unloved, but unnoticed. It was clean and tidy, with nothing to show who used it, if anyone. It was, she decided, sterile.

  The sense of disappointment that hit her was a surprise. So he’d lifted her from the kitchen floor, but decided she wasn’t worth sharing his bed? Even without him in it. The second set of pristine pillows very obviously indicated that. If she had more of her mum’s special talents, she’d be tempted to try the “turn into a toad” spell on him. As she hadn’t, the spell-bound one was all she had, and look where that had gotten her. Jenissa contented herself with a few choice epith
ets under her breath, plumped her pillows up, and got back into bed. After all, where else should she go? She was naked as the day she was born—and decided what to do next.

  A knock on the door made her jump. She’d been so busy feeling sorry for herself that she hadn’t heard anyone approaching, and that was unheard of. Her hearing was usually super acute, even more so since she became pregnant. If she concentrated hard, she could hear her babies’ heartbeats.

  The knock sounded again.

  “Come in.”

  There was a thump and a rattle and then the door opened.

  “Hold on.”

  She got a perfect picture of a denim-clad ass as Rob bent down to pick up a tray. He turned around and her mouth watered, the hairs on her arms stood on edge, and her pussy shouted “come to me!” as her juices gathered and showed just how turned on she was.

  He wore only low-slung, faded denims, unsnapped and with the zip half down. His neck had a bruise on it, and a red scar in the shape of a heart showed between the hairs in his chest.

  Mine.

  “I hope you don’t go out like that,” Jenissa said, and sniggered. “You’ll stop the traffic if you do.” The tip of his long, hard cock showed where the material of his jeans parted.

  “Nah, I was in a bit of a hurry.” He grinned, but the expression on his face was wary. “I wanted to bring this up for you as soon as I could. How are you feeling?”

  “All the better for seeing you like that.” Jenissa waved at his groin and was enchanted when he blushed.

  “Yeah, well you do that to me. So what do you want?”

  You? Ah…sheesh, nearly put my feet in it, then.

  He’d nodded to the tray. Jenissa counted five mugs, with steam rising from their contents, three glasses with different contents and two plates. One held what looked like crackers and one dry toast. Luckily, she spotted some butter in a dish.

  “You expecting more visitors?”

  Rob blushed again. “Well, I didn’t know what you’d want, and Ari said if you have morning sickness, dry toast or crackers work. And, well, I had no idea if ginger tea, earl grey, water, or whatever worked best for you.”

  “You rang Ari?”

  He shook his head and put the tray on the bedside table. Jenissa salivated as she picked up the mug of coffee.

  “That was for me,” Rob said.

  “Tough. I seem not to feel sick, so I’m going to make the most of it.” She took a long, welcome mouthful and savored the taste. “Have the ginger tea.”

  “No way, it’s awful.”

  Jenissa nodded. “Exactly.” She sipped the coffee and closed her eyes to savor it the better. “Ah, bliss.” Then she remembered something. “Ari?” she prompted.

  Rob picked up another cup, smelled it and sipped, caution in every movement. “Earl Grey. It’ll do.”

  “Rob, do you like it when I call you ‘my heart’?”

  He blinked at what she assumed he would think was a change of subject. It wasn’t, not really.

  “I did. Now, well, I’m not sure.”

  Her heart sank. She had fucked up. “Why?”

  He raised one shoulder. “Because you cheated me of something I might have said yes to anyway. You might be my Domme, but that was underhand.”

  “Yes, it was.” Jenissa chose not to comment on his remark about her being his Domme, present tense. “I’m sorry, but I had my reasons, which, once you’ve answered my question about ringing Ari, I’ll explain. If you want me to?”

  Somewhere, the deep, sonorous chimes of a clock sounded.

  Damn, I hope it’s not a death knell for my hopes.

  Chapter Twelve

  How on earth did he answer that? Little by little, he guessed. And honestly.

  “I didn’t get a chance to ring Ari,” he said. “When I woke up and decided the floor wasn’t the best place for you, I brought you up here. It’s the only tidy room upstairs. My study looks like a bomb’s hit it, and my bedroom, well, you saw that. It looks like a jumble sale’s been held there. Anyway, I wasn’t sure you’d want me with you, not after I held you hostage on the kitchen floor.”

  “I would.”

  That was good to know. However, he needed to finish explaining first.

  “Yeah, well, I was going to risk it, but I decided I’d better lock up first. Then my phone started ringing.”

  Ari?”

  Rob shook his head, and Jenissa’s eyes widened. Then her mouth dropped open.

  “Oh, fuck, not Jacob?”

  “Oh, yeah, and oh, fuck. Your brother. My ex-friend.”

  “Ex?”

  “I guess so.” Rob raised his eyebrow. “After I told him to fuck off and butt out. He wasn’t best pleased and began to sprout some crap about how he was my Alpha or some such shite. Then, when I told him to stop eating magic mushroom, he started on you. Something about how you’d not sorted it all, and you better get on with it. I’m afraid—no, actually, I’m not afraid, I’m fucking glad—I lost my rag and told him where to go. Then I slammed the phone down, texted Ari to say you were safe and well, and if Jacob butted in again I’d have his balls on toast.”

  He took another mouthful of tea and put his cup back on the table. “Then, well, I was so bloody mad, I was wide awake and thought I’d best let you sleep without me muttering and cussing in your ear. So I tidied the house. Well, except Hoovering. I didn’t want to wake you up.” He grinned and went for his best, engaging, little-boy grin that he prayed crinkled the sides of his eyes up. It was, Ari had once told him crossly, one that made women forgive him anything. He hoped that still held true. “That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.”

  Jenissa stared at him, and her cup tilted. He grabbed it and put it down on the table before she spilled hot coffee on her bare…

  “Ah, you’re naked.”

  “Well done, Sherlock. It’s difficult not to be when your dress looks like a rag, and the rest of your clothes are in your car, which is half a mile away in the public car park.”

  He grimaced, shame-faced. “I daren’t take it off you. I would have woken you up and demanded answers if I had. Or fucked you senseless. Dammit, Jenissa, do you know how you hurt me? Talk about emasculation. I came down here to hide like a wounded animal.” He snorted. “Quite apt in the circumstances, I guess. Except you’re the animal. I think. Somehow. Sort of. Hell, maybe you better start at the beginning.” He paused and ran his finger down her cheek. “If you want to. Then maybe we can start the ‘us’ bit all over again?”

  Rob watched, fascinated, as, very slowly, Jenissa slid the covers down to her waist. Her belly showed smooth and rounded and proud. She rested one hand on it.

  “You said ‘babies,’” he said as he remembered her earlier words. “Babies as plural. I thought Ari was the one having twins?”

  Jenissa grinned and nodded. “She is. We’re having triplets.”

  Rob saw stars once more. He held onto the edge of the bed and took several long, deep breaths until his vision cleared. “Triplets? Three? And you drove all this way. Woman, are you crazy?” He roared the last words.

  To his amazement, she wasn’t at all fazed by his outburst. She sat calmly until his breathing slowed and then stroked his shoulder. “Of course I’m not. Why do you think I waited for so long to come and see you? I spoke to my doctors, and held on until I was past the three-month stage. Then I double-checked with them, got the nod, and split the journey. Once I was here, I did the look-after-Rob bit and waited. And I tell you, you’re a nightmare. I’ve had about six hours’ sleep a day in two-hour chunks ever since I got the ‘hell, I need you’ thoughts. It’s hardly been worth the apartment rental.”

  “How?”

  “It’s what happens.” Evidently, she understood what he meant. “You’ll get used to it, and it’ll be a good early warning when our babies tell you they want to be born, now. Rest assured, our children are safe and well and doing everything they should inside me with six months to go before they’re due to pop out. Mind you, to
be honest, they probably won’t go the whole six months, and I was as gobsmacked as you to find there were three. I guessed it might be two, but three? Not a scooby.”

  She put his hand on her tummy. “Say hi to them.”

  “Hi.” Rob inscribed circles over the soft swell, and then bent his head to rest oh-so-lightly on it. “This is Daddy, and I have no idea why I don’t feel stupid talking to a tummy. Anyway, thank you for not making Mummy sick this morning and forgive us for ignoring you for a while. We have a lot to discuss.” And ain’t that the truth? He straightened and sat up.

  “Over to you.”

  “Did you know that sex is good for you when you’re pregnant?” Jenissa asked him. “Gentle sex, of course, especially in the second trimester. Which I reached a few days ago.”

  He blinked as she slipped her fingers under the covers and then lifted them out to put them to his lips. He licked and tasted her. Her excitement, her juices, all for him.

  “It’s also said that in the second trimester, a woman is horny, needs to come and feel her man come inside her.” She licked her lips, her pink tongue a beacon to draw his gaze. “It’s considered by a lot of people to be the best sex ever. There’s no worries about harming the babies or falling pregnant.”

  “Is it now?” Rob wanted to high-five. Yeah, they had a fucking lot to sort out. However, she still wanted him. Okay, she’d been in the wrong first, but—fucking stop apportioning blame—he wasn’t exactly snowy-white himself. “Good, but no go. We need to talk.”

  To his surprise, she sighed and nodded. “Then I’ll save my horniness and jump you later.”

  Oh, how he hoped so. Having had one taste of Jenissa, his Ma’am, he wanted—needed—more. But they needed to talk and resolve everything first.

  “I’ll count on it.” He hesitated. He had done more of that in the last few hours than he ever had. Oh, sod it, I’ll give her a little encouragement. “I’ll count on it, Ma’am.”

  Her smile lit up her face. It was all he could ask for, and more.