Chapter 24: Behind the Mask

Daybreak found Natalie outside in Blake’s backyard playing with Caesar as she walked the stones of his garden again. She seemed to have healed nicely and was finding herself growing comfortable again in his presence and it made him happy knowing that he hadn’t completely ruined things with his secrets. Yet he knew her time here was short lived. Natalie still had not contacted her parents to let them know she was safe. He figured she was too afraid of being thrown into a room and locked away again and wanted to enjoy her freedom while she could.

It had been eight days since she disappeared while on her jog and her parents’ worry grew everyday there were no demands made. Blake kept watch of them, hoping that they wouldn’t figure out that she was at his place; although Riley was no huge help in that department. He’d again planted the seed in their heads about the strange man from the masquerade and the possibility that Natalie had been taken by him; citing her attack as he called it on his person as her being not of sound mind when it came to Blake.

Watching that silver tongued weasel work enraged the animal within Blake and he quickly retreated from the family’s property to keep from ripping the man-child’s head off. Then there was Natalie. She hadn’t said as much but he could tell being away from home and somewhere she was not judged was exactly the medicine she needed. He enjoyed having her around as much as she loved being in his home. It was nice having someone to talk to. Plus she was the only person to ever admit to enjoying his cooking. Finishing up the dishes, Blake turned out the light in the kitchen and went in search of his houseguest. 

He found her in his studio looking over his artwork and helping herself to his paints as she tried to create a masterpiece of her own. He watched the glow on her face as the first splash of paint touched the canvas and the way she giggled in excitement when the squiggly line she drew finally made a distinguishable shape, sort of. 

He came up to her, watching closer and she motioned him over. Taking her hand in his, Blake guided her tiny fingers around the handle of the brush properly and down the canvas until the face of a young girl began to form.

Amazed, Natalie took a step back to look at what she recognized as a rendition of the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. She turned with a smile and Blake simply shrugged. Reaching out, he brushed some hair out of her face, feeling her breath drift over his already frazzled nerve endings. 

Blake imagined slowly leaning in and gently touching his lips against hers. Pressing his mouth just a bit harder until her soft tongue flitted out to touch his. He could hear the sound of her sweet, feminine moans as the kiss deepened and her body responding to his touch. A tremor went through him and he sucked his bottom lip into his mouth as he stared down at her. “What are you thinking about?” Natalie asked, putting a swift end to his fantasy.

Several different emotions surged through him and he paused in thought for a moment to figure out the best response. “You,” he answered truthfully. “Always you.” he smiled and watched the brilliance in her eyes grow. Slowly Natalie backed away and started for the door. Blake watched her disappear around the corner before following her out into the hall.

She barely peeked over her shoulder, a come-hither glint in her eyes as she entered his bedroom. Blake swallowed hard as she climbed onto his bed and lay there as if she owned it. Leaning against the door frame he tried to reconcile his thoughts with what was happening; separate reality from fantasy but it was all blending together in one long magnificent blur.

Natalie’s fingers danced around the curves of her body and Blake felt an aching in his groin as he watched. She knew what she was doing and he wondered how long she had been planning this. Her fingers disappeared down the waistband of her jeans, slowly slipping them down her hips and Blake groaned aloud. It was enough to smooth out the sharp edges of his arousal to keep himself from ravishing her where she was. But to deal with the rumblings of his wolf too was becoming a much harder task. 

Too much time had been spent denying these urges. He’d pent them up behind an impenetrable brick wall that was now tumbling down as he watched her and the intensity of those emotions had him helplessly clutching the reins of control as they slid free of his grasp. He knew he couldn’t endure much more. He had to have her…now. With an abruptness that made her gasp, he started forward, slamming the bedroom door behind him.

“Just breathe,” she sighed to herself not really intending for him to hear her but the knowing smirk on his face told her that he had. Blake drew closer, watching Natalie carefully for any change in character that suggested she wanted to back out of this situation. Crawling to her knees she rested on the edge of the bed for him to meet her and shivered when the feeling of his warm, strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her forward. Slowly Blake began unbuttoning the front of her sweater, all the while listening to the overpowering beating of her heart. 

Quickly he lowered his mouth to her throat planting sweet, seductive kisses along her collarbone and chest. Natalie swallowed hard and closed her hands around his shoulders as his lips moved to her ear. A ragged moan escaped her partially opened mouth and Blake repeated the action to hear it again. Cradling her tighter against his body, Blake slowly lowered Natalie to the bed pushing his knee between her legs to spread them.

Keeping his eyes on hers, he scooted her up into the pillows and waited for her to get comfortable beneath him. Closer he fell until his lips lingered a tiny breadth away from hers. Natalie reached up carefully as Blake rested his weight on top of her and gently tugged at the mask clinging to the right side of his face. Blake jerked once and Natalie smiled warmly and he reluctantly allowed her to remove the mask from his face. Blake’s eyes closed as her fingers curled the errant tendrils of hair behind his ear and she lightly traced the scars on his right cheek.

When they opened, he noted the look of concern laced with inquiry on her face before her fingers found their place on his shoulder once more. Blake gave her a look as if he wanted to explain but now was certainly not the time. Instead he smiled at the fact that she took interest, slid his hand down her side fully removing her pants and traced the top of her panties. He watched her eyes shut as her breath caught in her throat and gently kissed her eyelids. Finding a small amount of courage, Natalie slid her hands down Blake’s back, cuffed her fingers beneath the hem of his shirt and pulled it off over his head as Blake made short work of hers as well. The instant feeling of warmth from their skin-to-skin contact made them both moan. 

Licking his lips as he watched her suck on hers, Blake thought back to the almost kiss they shared at the masquerade and was determined not to let her mouth escape his a second time. Those intense, light green eyes focused on her lips and the shimmering pink gloss that perfectly highlighted the soft, plump cushions he longed to taste. Leaning against her, Blake felt her breasts push against his nude chest and finally their lips touched as he locked his mouth against hers. The connection brought with it a flurry of emotions he hadn’t felt in over four years and he felt the warmth of a single tear trickle down his cheek.

A thousand tiny shocks of pleasure coursed through Natalie’s veins and she suddenly became less aware of anything except the feel of Blake’s hungry lips devouring hers. Everything about the kiss she was cheated out of that night was paid in full with his tongue. Blake was an expert kisser and for every passionate flick he moved against her mouth, she met with a gentler, sweeter response. Blake moaned as he felt her hands work into his hair and deepened the kiss. He wanted her to know how much she was desired. He needed to show her how far his love for her extended and his body was the perfect conduit to make that statement; his heart, much like his lips, never wanted to let her go.

Blake finally broke the kiss but he didn’t move away from her lips. Looking deeply into Natalie’s eyes, he slowly worked his hand down the valley between her breasts and beneath the soft, round flesh of her right breast. Natalie lifted herself into him as she realized what he was doing and felt his fingers work the clasp until the lace material became looser and he rolled the straps down her arms and tossed her bra over his shoulder.

Blake brought his right hand back across her arm and beneath her breast, squeezing and pinching her nipple between his middle and forefinger. The faint moan that escaped through her nose as he did so encouraged him; egged him on further but the gasps weren’t enough. Blake applied more pressure until Natalie made the sound he sought and a full blown moan of pleasure so powerful that he felt it vibrate through him forced its way from her throat. To him, she liked it. Everything he did to her body, she liked it. No matter how much fear she’d shown through the trembling of her body when he drew near, he was sure she was enjoying this as much as he was. Her body was his unrestricted playground.

Blake gradually kissed his way back towards her lips. Those plump, sweet morsels swollen from his mouth’s caress called to him. He slipped his bottom lip gently down her nose and planted a passionate kiss directly on her mouth, like before he made sure that his ardor was conveyed when his lips touched hers. Before he became too lost in the taste he quickly pulled back and continued his journey, tracing his lips along her jaw line before dipping down the insides of her neck. He kissed up and down the soft, smooth skin of her right arm leading his way towards her heaving chest.

With precise movements his mouth played in between the valley of her breasts before settling around each hardened nipple; his hands a tool for squeezing the soft flesh again. Blake’s mouth replaced his fingers. Taking her breast into his mouth he bit lightly at first over the erect flesh of her nipple, applying more pressure until her moans were echoing throughout the room. Wanting more, with his other hand, Blake slowly moved down her stomach towards her waistband again slipping the thin material off her hips until he touched her most sensitive place.   

Without hesitation he found the delicate nub of her sex and worked his finger in a quick circular motion feeling as she arched her back, plunging her nipple deeper into his mouth as her breathing picked up. The long flicks with his forefinger shot her into another level. Natalie clutched his shoulders tighter, her grip in his hair growing firmer as she writhed against his hand and mouth, the raw ecstasy almost too much. Her hips moved with the circling of his finger and the tension inside her body was increasing at a fast, steady rate.

When his finger penetrated her, Natalie felt the pressure overwhelm her. She arched harder off the bed, her lip caught between her teeth as her body lost all control. “Oh…oh…oooh,” she moaned incapable of putting simple words together once the intensity hit its peak. Never in her life had she felt something like that but she knew she wanted more.

Blake savored the way her body reacted to his touch. The whispered sounds of satisfaction that rolled off her tongue pleased his wolf and he trembled with the unstated passion behind them escaping her soul. Her climax brought out the sharp tenor of her voice that echoed throughout the room resonating through his body.

Natalie felt alive as she soared with the orgasm that wracked her entire body. The intense pleasure made her cry and shiver. Her body jerked slightly as his thumb stroked her faster in time with her breathing and she felt a second finger plunge within her. The attack to her senses left her overwhelmed and breathing hard. While she tried to calm her heart, Blake saw this as an opening and crawled back over her body removing his pants as he did.

Quickly he rubbed the tip of his manhood against her still very tender bud loving the way her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She looked up at him, noting the cocky smirk that tugged at the corner of his mouth, and rolled her hips into him. “Please,” she begged much to his surprise. There was no going back now. This was happening; this was really happening and both of them were in it until the end.

“Just breathe,” he repeated her earlier mantra with a grin. Gripping the back of her right thigh, Blake positioned himself at her entrance and pressed into her slowly, stopping with every inch to allow her to adjust. The velvety soft walls of her silken treasure quickly consumed him and he fought for control of his wolf to keep from losing himself. Tonight was about her. As much as he’d thought about this moment and dreamt of what it would be like to finally be with her, he didn’t want to lose it too quickly and leave her unsatisfied; it had been too long.

Natalie arched her back at his invasion and was filled with intense pleasure as she felt Blake pull out and push in once more, waiting for her body to open for him. She heard him let out a hoarse yell of satisfaction once the tight constraints loosened just barely and he looked down at her, remaining perfectly still until he felt the beast relax but it was a battle he was quickly losing as he started moving again.

A deep rumble vibrated through his chest and he shut his eyes tight trying to calm down but failed. “Blake!” She gasped as he pulled out and pushed his way into her in one long, hard thrust. As far as her body would allow he submerged himself, plunging deeper and deeper swaying his pubic bone into her continuously to the rhythm of her breathing. She whimpered little moans as Blake plummeted to her depths roughly with excitement.

Hoisting her leg up higher, he slammed his hips into her harder as he surrendered to the carnal waves of pleasure washing over him and the bestial desires of his wolf. Natalie screamed, releasing a moan that had her head spinning. Keeping his eyes locked on hers, he flexed and drove into her with a long groan that had his mouth locked in a growl and her lower lip tucked between her teeth.

His eyes bore into hers watching every nuance and every detail of the expressions her face made. Blake needed to see that she was happy and satisfied before moving on to a new position. It was as if his entire existence depended on her pleasure. A ragged breath rushed through her lips as he poured over her. Blake growled pulling out of her roughly and breathed in deeply. Her raw, lustful cries plucked against the strings of his own building arousal pushing him over the edge. “Oh Natalie,” he breathed out in amazement, as he drove in and out, his groin filled with tension and hot exhilaration.

Leaning forward he pushed his tongue into her mouth. Sensually and skillfully he massaged hers releasing a low growl as the taste of her lips broke the control he’d finally regained. Blake had become so focused on the task at hand that only now he felt the rise of his own desire growing thunderously in the pit of his loins.

Natalie felt like a ball of raw nerves just aching to break free. The building pressure within her hips was becoming too much and her skin felt tighter against her body as everything in her throbbed with a delicious ache from every touch. Finally her body shivered as the dam broke and her breasts shook with the shuddering breath she took as she writhed beneath him in ecstasy.

All too soon he felt himself getting lost within her again. Holding steady momentarily to allow her orgasm to subside, he gripped Natalie by her hips, felt her dancer’s legs wrap tightly around his back and thrust deeper with each moan. Blake gathered both of her hands with one of his pinning them above her head as he continued driving them both towards an explosive end.

“How’s that?” He asked as he tenderly drove himself forward suddenly unsure of his motion. Natalie’s gaze softened when she saw just how vulnerable and sincere he looked right now and she couldn’t help but smile. Her eyes followed him curiously as he settled into his new position, and she reveled in every gentle thrust he made.

“It… it feels so good!” She let off a soft whimper as he hastened his pace and wrapped her legs around his waist to allow him just a little deeper. This tactic proved effective for both of them and a small, incoherent noise escaped Blake’s lips. His movements grew more erratic and with each thrust, she could feel a sweet tingling sensation spreading throughout her limbs. It resulted in Natalie finding herself incapable of keeping her knuckle out of her mouth and her small fist lingered near her face as Blake again repositioned himself.

“Are you close?” He managed between breaths.

“Mmm mmhmm,” she sighed dazedly against his shoulder. He reached between them, placing his fingers against her stiff bud to help her along, and began tracing delicious little circles with his thumb. The result was a feeling so incredible Natalie knew she wouldn’t last much longer if he kept it up and with each thrust, another soft gasp escaped her.

Bending down, his mouth found hers once more; this time more desperate and fervent than before. Her back arched into him, and amid their mix of shallow breaths and deep kisses, she could swear she felt him throbbing inside of her; he must have been just as close as she was. Either way, the feeling of his body pumping against her broke her and with a soft cry, her body began to tremble again and she clung to him desperately.

Natalie’s body tightened against him and he could feel her muscles clenching and pulsing around him and now he wasn’t far behind. Blake moaned louder as thrilling ecstasy crashed over him and every muscle clenched to its ultimate tension. The once focused and controlled man was now reduced to heavy panting and moaning as faster and faster he worked his hips until the muscles of her body gripped tighter than ever before. Natalie cried and leaned into him now feeling his manhood swell inside her as he came closer to climax.

It was fire; it was electric. Blake made her feel beautiful and wanted in a way Riley never could. He was breathing harder in her ear now and Natalie wrapped herself tighter against him. Blake leaned forward and she could feel him take himself out of her. The instant feeling of emptiness made her body cry over the loss but she relaxed as he leaned closer, possessing her lips with the same passion that had consumed them over the course of the last moments in his bed.

Blake’s abdomen clenched tight; he shuddered, his breathing in rapid spurts. He closed his eyes and moved his hand towards his shaft and she could feel him swiftly jerking himself, he was close to the edge. He threw his head back, his bottom lip again caught between his teeth and he looked at her and the sex glow that overtook her beauty. She was drenched in a light sheen of sweat from their heated encounter, glowing and perfect. 

Blake was shaking, breathing at a fast pace with his eyes closed tight and his hand moving swiftly up and down his shaft. He was about to release all over her body. Natalie reached her hand up and gently caressed his cheek and Blake turned his head to give her fingers a light kiss and suddenly, the explosion. His orgasm ripped through his loins in three powerful blasts and a few smaller ones as he finished off on her belly, cleavage and the valley between her breasts. The sticky fluid was warm on her skin and she smiled up at him when he growled, his eyes flickering red briefly. Quickly grabbing a rolled pillowcase, Blake wiped Natalie clean and tossed it off to the floor. Exhausted, he sought refuge in the crook of her neck, but was intercepted by her soft hands pulling him in for a kiss. 

Blake rolled onto his back to catch his breath bringing Natalie against his chest as he did. Quietly her head pillowed into his extended arm and her eyes closed. He lay there listening to the sounds of her breathing, feeling the rise and fall of her shoulders as he held her and smiled. “It’s been a while,” he remarked quietly, rubbing circles into her arm as he let his eyes lazily close.

“Mmm. Well no matter how long it’s been, you’re certainly not out of practice,” she giggled and playfully bit his chest.

“Good; that’s good to hear.” He sighed relief and gripped her tighter against him. Natalie giggled hearing the scratching at the door and realized Caesar was trapped on the other side of the room. “He’s gonna do that all night isn’t he?”

“Yep! Until you get up and let him in,” she laughed as her purebred barked his commands to the two ignoring his earlier demand.

“This isn’t gonna become an issue for us is it?” Blake asked lying still beneath her.

“Well technically he was my dog first.”

“And I’m a wolf, not a dog,” he beamed and projected his eyes again as he gave Natalie’s nose a quick peck and watched her roll over. Breathing heavily, he got up to finally meet the needs of the other animal in his home. “Rest up Natalie.” Watching her for a moment, a feeling of wholeness consumed him and for the first time in a long time Blake felt utterly satisfied.

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