by Raven Willow
Alistair sat down beside her in the bed, and for the first time she did not flinch or skirt away from his closeness. He sighed, taking her hand and squeezing it in his own.
“I cannot allow you to do that again, Riona. The humans set traps in these woods, it’s not safe. Thankfully we are far enough from the village where we’re out of harm’s way, but it does not mean it isn’t a threat.”
Riona nodded slowly, listening to him.
“Understand that it is my job as your mate to protect you. Not because I do not think you can learn how to protect yourself, but because my kind are driven by a need to protect what is ours. If any harm were to come to our mates...” Alistair could hardly finish his sentence, his anxiety rising at even just the thought.
“It would surely mean death for the survivor.” Riona somberly looked out the window at his pack members, happy and together. The way it was supposed to be.
“Yes... without our mates, we would not be able to survive. Eventually the grief would consume us and...” Alistair rubbed his temple with his hand, unable to think about such a happening.
“Look at this pack, look at what we have built. Now think about how many others of us are out there in the world. It may not be the way it was many ages ago but we are still a strong species, we always have been. It is because we safeguard what we have. Our mates, our young, our home is the pack.”
Alistair reached out to cup her chin, staring deep into her eyes.
“Do you understand why I need you? Why with every fiber of my being I wish to shield you from danger?”
“You mean to tell me that I have reason to be afraid of... something else.” It was not a question.
He couldn’t tell her the truth about Cinead; Alistair knew she had no idea he was after her. She would have been oblivious as a mortal female when he made contact with her, not realizing what his intentions truly were, and she never would have been the wiser.
“No more talk of this. You are safe with me now and that is all that matters.” Alistair stood up, pulling her with him slowly so she would not become dizzy and fall over.
“If you would allow it, may I carry you to the river?”
Riona didn’t protest as he picked her up and carried her out of the house. Alistair walked them outside of the den, a few minutes away until they happened upon a peaceful little body of water.
He sensed her anxiety as she looked around, knowing she was thinking of who could see them.
“No one will happen upon us here, my dear, it is quite secluded and my pack knows better than to disturb us.”
Alistair gently set her down, unlacing her bodice and peeling the dress from her shoulders and arms. She nervously hugged herself as he tugged down further, preventing him from revealing her breasts.
“Riona, please remove your arms, now.”
His stern order was enough to make her reluctantly obey, and Alistair was able to slide it down her stomach, over her backside and legs.
She stiffly stood there as he moved in front of her, gazing upon her bare body.
“Gods, Riona...” Alistair was unable to hide his arousal as he ran his hands through her hair, gently pulling Riona’s body toward him. He passed over her sore bottom, where she jumped a little at the tenderness.
The wolf in him was pleased. She wore his punishment marks and his mating mark. All was as it should be.
“Do you have any idea how mesmerizing... how beautiful you are, my love?” He trailed one finger down her chest, between the valley of her full breasts. Her rosy nipples puckered at his touch, a tiny gasp from her full lips made him growl.
“Do you like when I touch you this way?” Alistair leaned in close and whispered in her ear as his hand made its way across her lower back, right above her ass, pulling her in further as Riona braced her hands on his broad shoulders.
“I believe you do.” The grin that spread across his face sent a chill he could feel up her spine, but also warmth that she could not deny.
Riona blinked up at him innocently as he continued to explore her body with his hands, dipping his head to give her a claiming kiss as Riona whimpered and moaned at the touch of his hands.
She surprised Alistair by raking her nails down his arms, causing goosebumps to spread across his skin. She lit him on fire with her delicate little touch as he picked Riona up, walking her into the cold river. She jumped when her toes made contact with the chilly water.
“I know, I know. It will get better.”
Slowly, Alistair lowered them, the cold having little effect on him, but instantly making her shiver.
“Shhh. Shhh. I know, just hold on to me, you’ll be warm soon.”
He held Riona close as he wet her long tresses and washed her face clean of any dirt, paying special attention to any cuts that marred her flesh. Riona winced as his hands grazed along an especially angry cut on her cheek.
“I’m sorry, dove, but it must be cleaned.”
Alistair kissed the wound gently as he ran his hands up her back. She was so much smaller than him, but to be so close to her, looking down at her in such a vulnerable state, she truly was so small in comparison to his towering height. Alistair loved how easily he could just envelop her in his arms, how much more it made him want to pluck her up and guard her, snarling at anyone who dared come within arm’s reach of her.
Riona looked up at him curiously, furrowing her brows as if she were trying to decipher what he was thinking. She would not develop that ability until she would shift for several times, and she was still some time away from that.
She kept her arms crossed instinctively over her breasts once more. Alistair pried them away just as quickly.
“Why do you continue to hide yourself from me?”
“I-I’m frightened,” Riona shakily stammered as she looked down at the ripples of water they created around them.
“Riona, please look at me.” He took her chin, forcing her to look up at him, where tears began to swell in her eyes. She frowned as she met his, but didn’t shrink away.
“I only care for your happiness, and while I do wish I could see even a glimmer of the smile I came to know, I understand your fear.”
Riona’s shoulders seemed to decrease in tension, her stiffness gradually disappearing.
“But I must know everything as your mate, to better protect you. I must know you in every sense; I wish to look upon your body because when it so much as even crosses my mind... I feel as if I lose all sense of reality...”
Alistair’s hand moved across her stomach, cupping her breast as he rubbed her nipple with his thumb. Riona gasped as his fingers kneaded her soft skin, unable to hold back her whimpers. One day, they would swell, providing sustenance for the pup he had placed within her.
Yes... she will conceive soon.
“Even just looking at you... I cannot look away. I fear it. Because if I turn away for even a moment, I feel deprived of you. I’m alone again. Every move you make, every sound that comes out of this perfect little mouth... I cannot miss a single moment of it. I won’t.”
Alistair brought a thumb to her bottom lip, caressing it as their foreheads touched, which she allowed.
“I know nothing of this world. How can you know that this is what I was made for?” Riona moved her head away.
“This is your home now, sweetheart. I know it does not feel like it but you will grow to love it, and the pack. For they already have a liking for you and they wish more than anything for the pups you will undoubtedly bring us.”
Riona tensed and tried to turn away, which Alistair quickly subdued, her back now pressed against his chest.
“How can you be sure my pup isn’t already nestled inside you as we speak, Riona?” He brought a hand down to her tummy, gently pressing there as the image of Riona growing swollen with his pups entered his mind.
“I-I am not...”
“But you will be. Without a doubt, you will help bring new life to my pack. Our pack. You and I will lead as one for many decades to come.
I have only dreamt of having a true mate to share this life with, Riona. I only ever imagined what it would be like to teach our young. My entire life on this earth, up until you were revealed to me for the first time was but a waste. Because now that I have you... nothing, not a creature in this world will stop this from happening. Not even you.”
Alistair’s hand wrapped around her throat, applying slight pressure as he turned her head to meet his. He kissed her with earnestness, taken with her warmth as their movements in the water caused small splashes around them.
Riona resisted the kiss, only allowing him entry into her mouth when the hand on her stomach made its way down further to her pussy, cupping her womanhood as she became lost in his lips. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, earning her a dark chuckle.
“Is this what you desire?” Alistair spread her lips with his fingers, the mixture of the cold water and his touch making her gasp and break the kiss.
“Ah! Oh... yes!” Riona moaned as the hand around her throat moved to her breast, squeezing as he moved his lips to her ear, his breathy moans all he could hear as she bit down on her lip to silence her cries.
“Do not fight it, little girl. You know what you want, and I can give it to you if you but let me in. Let me see that little goddess I saw writhing about late that stormy night.” Alistair’s voice became raspy as he held back his animal inside him. It cried to be released from the fleshy form he stood in, to let Riona run through the woods naked only to catch and subdue her and take her where she laid. He would give her another sound spanking if he wished.
“Oh, Gods! Alistair...”
He bit her earlobe as he pushed two fingers inside her tight cunt, relishing in the feel of her squirming against him. As Riona cried out in pleasure, he could feel the tiny hairs on her body stand up; she was beginning to grow hot to the touch.
“Tell me who this belongs to; tell me who owns this now, Riona.”
Her cute little moans were his only response until he held on to her tighter and pressed the flat of his hand against her clit.
“Right now! Tell me! Who does this little cunt belong to?”
“You! It’s yours, Alistair...”
Mine... all mine...
Chapter Ten
The red, shadowy creature that watched the two figures in the lake dug his claws in the earth as he bared his teeth, saliva dripping onto the ground as he fought every thought screaming at him to pounce.
His cloaked scent allowed him to come by Alistair’s den undetected, but had he known that this was the sight he would stumble upon in his search for the female, he would have abandoned all rationale and simply waited until the fool had left her alone and seized his chance to take her then.
He had been tracking the little female’s scent for weeks, happening by her when she caught his eye in the village working in that dingy tavern. As he sat down alone, her immaculate scent grabbed his attention, causing his cock to stir in his breeches as she bent over slightly to clean off a table.
The wolf surveyed her curvy little body, smaller than most mortal women he had experienced in his lifetime, but no less beautiful. Her hips swayed in her dress, perfect to grab hold of when you fucked a screaming little wench. They always screamed louder when he grasped their hips and thrusted himself into them harder, deeper as he pounded their cunts raw.
The image of her thrown over his shoulder as she shouted and clawed at his back entered his mind. She would likely do anything she could to wriggle free of him, even run if she had succeeded in doing so. But he would find her. That scent was unmistakable.
He thought about how she would look beneath him in the cold dirt, fighting him tooth and nail as he ripped that filthy dress from her body. She’d call out for help, which he would stop by clamping a large hand over her mouth. Shame really, he would not be able to have those sweet plump little lips, biting down on them to draw forth the deep red blood he was aching to taste.
She could be all his, confined to his cave until she grew swollen with his pups, where they could build an empire. A pack he could call his own where no one would question his authority. He would breed her little cunt until she bore him pup after pup, his mate all his to do with as he pleased.
The female’s name was a mystery until he followed her one night to her home, where a neighbor had called out to her good night.
Riona...
Boldly, he swooped next to her, bowing his head politely, bidding her a good evening while striking up conversation.
“You as well, sir. If I may ask, I do not recall seeing you in town before? Are you a traveler?”
“Of sorts, my dear, of sorts. Men like me never stay in one place for too long.” In the blink of an eye, he had jerked her arm to avoid her being hit by a passing carriage whose driver was not paying attention. Riona gasped, bringing a hand to her chest as she caught her breath.
“Many dangers in the world...” Cinead did not release her arm, prompting her to look up at him and meet his eyes.
“And one can never be... too careful.” She did not appear to be entranced by his eyes as he had hoped, but the contact necessary for a mating had been established. For in fact she looked terrified. Only now he did not want to release her.
“Excuse me I must... be going home...” Riona hugged her shawl around her body tighter as Cinead’s eyes drifted to her cleavage, then turned to walk away as quickly as she could.
“Get there safely now, my dear, cannot have you getting hurt.”
* * *
The red wolf licked his lips obscenely as he continued to gaze upon Alistair and the woman he wanted to claim as his, naked in the river as he touched every inch of her body.
She moaned and gasped at his touch, the way she would have for his own had Alistair not found her. He did not dare growl, or even exhale loudly, sure Alistair would pick it up. But the mixture of relief from finding her, and anger at finding her in his nemesis’ arms was almost too much to bear. But he would not have found them at all had his old pack member not informed him of her location.
* * *
“Cinead... it has been how long, my friend?” The mysterious figure stalked in circles in the darkness as Cinead fed upon a beast in frustration. Snout deep, his ears perked as the familiar voice permeated his space.
“You... what are you doing here? I suppose they sent you to kill me.” Cinead expressed his claws in preparation.
“No, old friend. I wish to talk, only talk.” Cinead searched the wolf’s face, not sensing any deception in the words. He licked the blood off his paw, silently gesturing the wolf to proceed.
“I know why you have come back.”
“You know nothing about me!” Cinead snarled, not wishing to bring up the subject.
“I know you are alone in this world, exiled. The battle between you and the alpha, Alistair’s uncle? It has done... changed you.”
The wolf gestured toward Cinead’s permanently scarred eye. The matted hair and bloodshot good eye always gave him away. He could not hide it even if he tried.
“That bastard was a fool. He did not know what the pack needed. They needed order! Discipline! They roamed free and wild, more and more of us being murdered by the humans!”
Cinead growled and buried his snout in the animal’s innards once more.
“I know. I was a young pup then, but I remember everything. But what if I told you... that I could give all of that back to you? A pack, a home, even... a mate.”
The wolf leaned in close, the soothing brogue filled with promise and desire. Everything that Cinead had desired.
“What do you speak of? I am banished! That cannot be!”
“Oh, my friend, there are ways around such things. Alistair has more than proven to be a failure as an alpha, not to mention a poor excuse for a mate.” The word made Cinead freeze.
“Mate? He has chosen a female?”
“Not just any female. His true mate, the predestined lover. A human woman by the name of... Riona.”
&n
bsp; Riona... that name. It couldn’t be...
“What... did you say?” Cinead’s claws dug into the dead flesh he was currently clutching.
“Oh? It seems you know of her?”
“Know of her? I’ve been tracking the wench for weeks! My scent is on her! She was supposed to be mine!”
Cinead flew into a rage, howling and picking up the dead animal, using his brute strength to rip the carcass in half as he wrung out what little blood was left in the creature.
“You came here to taunt me, you bastard!” He pointed, more than ready to attack.
Calmly, the wolf tilted its head, waiting for the tantrum to subside.
“I came here with a proposition.”
“Oh, what proposition, damn you!” Cinead grew impatient.
The wolf stepped forward, picking a few pieces of entrails from one half of the animal and chewing on them casually.
“As you know, we trust one another in the pack. But we are a shrinking clan, we lose more each year and fewer and fewer pups are being born as a result. Pretty soon we will be nothing. Not even a memory in the wind.”
“This is not news to me!” Cinead impatiently snapped.
“Then if you know it to be true, you will help me.”
“How?”
“Tell me, Cinead, how much do you want the female? How much do you want those legs wrapped around you? That hair billowed on the pillows beneath you while you use her? What are you willing to do?”
Cinead had inquired as to why her being found was so important. What was in it for this wolf? But the old friend merely smirked.
“The woman you seek is there, in his bed, in his arms, being filled with his pups. I know you found her in that tavern, but if you were smart you would have taken her then.”
“You do not understand—”
“Silence.” The wolf held up a clawed hand, growling in warning.
“I will help you, but in turn you will help me.”
Cinead’s ears drooped as he wiped the blood from his snout, feeling himself calm as he shifted. It had been a while since he let another wolf see his human form.
