Wolf Tracks - Bianca D'Arc Page 0,78

until he, too, joined her in climax.

Jim’s inner wolf growled as he came, setting off more aftershocks inside her body. It was like fireworks and lighting all at once. Rain poured down around them, but it didn’t douse the flame. It only fed the sensations as the orgasm they shared went on and on.

Eventually, she was able to catch her breath, and Jim just held her, his arms looped around her back, holding her steady. Her legs were beginning to cramp, so she moved off him, and he helped her stand. She wavered a bit, unsteady on her feet at first after the blue haze of pleasure that had caused her to nearly black out for a moment.

As she came back to herself, she realized something amazing. Her internal energy levels were not only restored, but overflowing with life energy. Being with Jim had done that. She had no doubt in her mind.

She leaned down to kiss him and smiled as she drew back. “You restore me,” she said simply. “My energy is back, even better than before.”

“You’re kidding.” Jim looked unconvinced.

“Nope,” she told him, smiling as she stood and rinsed off in the continuing warm rain of the shower. “Both times we’ve done this, I’ve come out of it reenergized. I think it’s you, lover.” She sent him a smile over her shoulder and was gratified by the dazed look in his eyes as he watched her body.

He cleared his throat before he replied. “Wherever you’re getting the energy, it’s not from me. I feel fine. Better than fine, in fact.” He frowned a bit. “Do you think we could be creating the energy between us, somehow?”

She touched her nose and winked playfully. “I think that’s exactly what’s going on,” she told him. “We’re not draining each other. We’re creating life energy between us and sending it out into the universe, keeping some for ourselves, of course. It’s a beautiful thing.”

“Speaking of beautiful things…” Jim stood and took her into his arms from behind. “You are amazing, Helen. Have I told you that lately?”

“I think you just did,” she replied, feeling young and carefree in a way she seldom had in her life.

“Good. Let’s dry off, and we can make some more universal energy. In a bed, this time.” His growl was the sexy key that started her engine, all over again.

“You’re on,” she told him, reaching for the door and preceding him out of the shower.

They dried off and spent the rest of the night making love then eating some of the extra desserts Joe had sent over. Then, they made love, again, finally falling asleep in each other’s arms.

The next morning, Jim’s wolf woke him with a snarl. It wanted him to claim Helen as his mate. The night they’d just spent together had clinched it as far as his wolf was concerned, but the human half of him still had doubts. Mating was about more than the physical. It had a spiritual component, as well, but there was also the nitty-gritty details of everyday life to be considered.

Helen was so young and innocent compared to him. She was human. Okay, she was a magical human, but still human. How would that work? He knew, theoretically, that humans and shifters had been mating for centuries, but what about magical humans, like Helen? And what would her family say? Would they flip out about getting yet another shifter in the family?

He didn’t know exactly how Kiki’s mate, Jack, had been received, but Jack was a bear and had a lot more magical power just by his very nature. Bears were like that. Jim was a wolf. A shifter, but nowhere near the magic rating of a bear. Would Helen’s folks turn up their nose at a mere wolf? He had no idea, though her distant cousin had reportedly mated with a wolf, but still, these thoughts plagued his mind.

He got out of bed before she woke, unable to face her while his mind was in turmoil. Besides, she deserved to sleep in after the excitement of the day before. Jim tiptoed out and closed the bedroom door behind him. He had to check in with Joe and his current employers.

Which was another problem he’d have to overcome if he wanted to convince Helen to be his mate. He’d been living a rather vagabond existence up ‘til now, taking jobs as they came along, never really staying in one place for long. If he had a mate, that would