Lastly, she looked to me, and when our eyes met, she slipped that thin sliver of fabric off her body and bared herself to us and to the shifters watching. This would be all they would see of her. The rest would be ours, hidden in the forest.
My wolf stirred within me, and I let him out, bending over as I shifted. My spin cracked and reshaped itself in a matter of seconds, a thick black tail sprouting from my tailbone. Claws erupted on both my fingers and my toes as everything about me morphed into that of a wolf. Long, muscular snout, teeth that could tear flesh from bone. I was a wolf almost instantly, breathing through my mouth as my head lowered to the rocky shore.
The others followed my lead. Maze, Dylan, and Landon shifted into their wolves. The twins were a dirty blonde duo, while Landon was a messy dark brown beast.
It took Addie a bit longer to shift; she was still having some trouble. I could only assume it was because she had not turned when she was younger, when I normally made the others in the pack have their first shift. She was a bit older, though I did wonder if the magic from her father’s blood had anything to do with it.
Tonight was definitely not a good night to think about that guy.
Addie bent over, the changing finally taking hold of her. It still happened slowly, and watching her human form morph into that of a wolf was not pleasant. We did not shift magically; our bodies changed each time, so watching her do it slowly was almost cringe-worthy. I really wished I could help her get the hang of this, but it was something only she could work on. Something only she could get better at with sheer determination.
Her wolf was a lithe, limber thing. Small in stature, as she was in her human form, with long legs and brown fur that was now tinged with violet and purple streaks. Not a typical look for a wolf, but Addie was anything but typical. We all knew that by now.
Her upper lip lifted, as if she was grinning, and within another second, Addie took off in a run, a mad dash between us. She headed around the lakeshore, away from the group of shifters watching, and into the wild lands on the other side of the lake.
I let out a short bark, telling the others it was time to give chase. As a group, we took off. I doubted the chase would last forever; Addie was not as spry or as coordinated on her wolf feet yet as she should be, so I knew we’d catch her sooner rather than later.
The shore of the lake disappeared behind us, trees blocking it out as we darted into the forest. I led the group, hungry for our mate, but I knew once we caught her, we would each want to claim her first.
We couldn’t, though. One by one it would have to be, and I’d already decided that I would let the others claim her, first. They were the ones she should’ve been mated to. They were hers before she’d even stepped foot in the pack. Me? I was…I was an addition. My wolf had connected to hers somehow, even though we’d both fought against it.
Our connection was instinctual. I’d wanted her from the beginning, even if I hadn’t shown it. When a wolf met a mate, the wolf just knew. I’d tried to hold myself back from her, tried to do the right thing and simply be the alpha she needed, but I couldn’t. I could not keep myself away no more than I could shut my mind off when it wandered to her.
She had been dominating my mind ever since stepping foot in town.
Addie ran not too far ahead of us now, her purple and brown form leaping over fallen trees, her paws pounding in the dirt. Within the next minute, we’d run before her, circling back to stop her in her tracks.
She skidded to a halt, panting, her ears tucked low against her head. Even as a wolf, she was gorgeous. Addie lifted those bright, metallic eyes to me, and I felt myself cave. I wanted to claim her. To have her, to feel her, to own her. I wanted all that and more, but I managed to hold myself back, yipping at the wolves near me.
Maze and Dylan left my side, trotting closer to her. They rubbed themselves against her sides, and Dylan gave her a good lick on the face before stepping back. It would seem the first one to claim her would be Maze. As the first twin got ready behind her, Landon started to pace back and forth.
Trust me, I knew the feeling.
The claiming was another word for mating while in our wolf forms. Our wolves could connect all they wanted while we were in our human shape, but until they were united in their most primal, basic forms, we were not truly mated pairs. Humans could have sex all they wanted, as could shifters…but this was more than that. Claiming Addie, and Addie being claimed by us, would forever cement our connection with her.
Addie lowered her front, her backside in the air. Maze leaped up behind her, and I knew the moment he pushed into her, for she let out a whimper. It was something that was hard to get accustomed to, a feeling I imagined was unlike sex. Wolves knotted, you see, so it was a little less straightforward than sex.
I could feel my own knot start to form, but it would go untouched for a while, at least until the others claimed her. Until her body took theirs in the only way it could while shifted.
The air filled with sex, howls and yips as Maze finished himself, only able to pull out of her after his erection subsided. His twin took his place soon after, and Maze lowered himself to Addie’s level, rubbing his face against hers as if wordlessly telling her good job.
Dylan now took the helm, though he did fumble a bit more than Maze had, since his vision was not as good as it should’ve been. Not many shifters were born with physical issues; our genetics had lent us to a healthier gene pool than humans. Dylan had simply been born one of the unlucky ones.
When Dylan pushed into her, Addie was not as startled as she had been when Maze claimed her. Her paws dug into the dirt, no sounds escaping that snout of hers. I stood a few feet away, watching, while Landon continued to circle the group like a vulture, a stalker, impatiently waiting for his turn.
All in all, the claiming lasted quite a while. Dylan did not last as long as Maze, which allowed Landon to finally jump in. By the time we would be done here, the shifters who had gathered along the shore would all be snug in their beds, in the arms of their mates, sleeping soundly. Hell, I bet the sun would be damn near close to rising by the time my wolf was finished with hers.
Dylan was panting as he laid beside Addie. Maze had laid near her head, keeping an eye on her, as if him being so close was a comfort to her during this time of claiming. Landon’s dark brown form was on top of her, his haunches going at her wildly.
Inside, I could feel my nerves were on fire. I was dripping for her, ready to know what she felt like, ready to have her body take mine in.
The minutes dragged by, turning into what felt like hours. It probably was more like hours; time didn’t matter when we were wolves. Trying to tell it, trying to gauge just how much time had passed since we’d first left the rocky shores of the lake was futile.
I had one thing on my mind when I watched Landon disentangle himself from her, and that was an urge so carnal I could not put it to words.
Finally. This girl, this wolf, would be mine.
Chapter Three – Addie
Being claimed was a…let’s just say a very strange feeling. Like being full of something that should not be there, but at the same time, wanting to be that uncomfortably full. Desperately craving more, anything and everything the wolves around me could give me. I’d known I’d desired them, of course I had—they were my mates—but this was on another level entirely.
There was no describing this. No explaining how it felt inside to be taken hold of and claimed so wholly and completely. There was no way I could ever explain how badly my wolf wanted this, needed this, with every fiber of her being.
Until tonight, I’d never been whole. My mates completed me in ways no one else ever could.
When Landon’s body pulled away from mine, I panted hard, my snout in the dirt. They hung close, even after they were finished, for there was still one wolf who had to stake his claim upon me—Forest. The alpha whom I so valiantly wrestled against my feelings for. The one who would’ve been my mom’s mate had she never fallen for Arthur an
d left the pack.
He was kind, sweet, gentle unless provoked—the exact kind of alpha who should watch over every shifter pack. He would sacrifice himself for his pack without a second thought, and never wanted anyone else to ever have to make that sacrifice.
Honestly, Forest was everything any alpha should strive to be.
When he positioned himself behind me, when I felt his thick, huge knot push its way inside me, I could not hold in my bark of shock. He was thicker than the others, his knot larger. It hurt, but at the same time, it felt good.
How messed-up was that?
My wolf was practically in heat, begging for more. Forest jerked his hips behind me, and I was a slave to the blood pumping through me, the passion and hunger gnawing inside. I wanted this and I wanted more.
Animals went at it so differently than humans, although I supposed humans could get rough, too. I hoped the guys wouldn’t be too rough with me after this, because I had the feeling my body was going to be ridiculously sore after this. Probably for a while, too.
Oh, well. The claiming was necessary. It united our wolves and brought us together in a way nothing else ever could. After tonight, I was officially theirs, and they were mine. There would be no more coyness, no more shyness, no more dancing around the bush.
I had no idea how long it took Forest to unleash himself inside me, for his knot to lessen enough that he could pull out, but it was a while. Once he did, once Forest had claimed me, his seed inside me along with the others, I could no longer hold my backside up. I felt full, their cum too much for my body to take. Some of it seeped out; I could feel it oozing out on my inner thighs, mingling with the fur there.
God, I was suddenly so very tired. So very tired that I wondered if it was even possible to do anything more tonight. Or today. I couldn’t tell whether it was before Midnight still or after. It’d felt like an eternity since we’d run from the shore of the lake.
Or, rather, since I’d run and the guys had chased after me like they were on a hunt.
Forest walked around me, lowering his snout against mine, as if he could lend me some of his energy. I didn’t really need it. I just needed a bit of time…maybe.
Or maybe not.
Before I knew what was happening, I was shifting back into my human form, curled on the dirt below. The shifting actually made the ache between my legs, the soreness of being taken by four wolves with knots the size of fists, lessen quite a bit. Must’ve been that magical healing process I’d heard so much about.
Whereas I might’ve felt a little icky at laying on the dirty ground outside while naked before, I felt at home in the wild now. My skin felt hot, my breathing still hard. The night air chilled me, my fur-less form shivering a bit.
“Wow,” I muttered, slowly sitting up to look at the guys. They’d shifted back into their human forms, kneeling around me, waiting for me to say something. “That was…hell, I don’t even know what I was expecting.” I ran a hand through my hair and gave them a lopsided smile.
Maze grinned. “I think we can all say you did good, yeah?” He glanced at the others, though none of them so much as looked at him. They were all too busy staring at me, at my sweaty body, at the nakedness of it.
I noticed Dylan’s cheeks were flushed, as if he was embarrassed. Landon’s gaze held nothing but lust, and he didn’t even care to hide it. Forest’s blue stare was still a bit metallic, and he knelt before me, reaching for my arms before pulling me into his chest.
“How are you feeling?” Forest’s chest hummed with each word, and I could easily lose myself as I closed my eyes and basked in his muscles and his warmth.
“Tired,” I murmured.
Tired, but…but that didn’t mean I wanted to stop. I pulled away from his chest, gazing up at him. I ran a hand along his cheek, biting my lower lip—which he noticed. I could not help but remember how they’d each felt inside me, how their knots had filled me up, and I wondered what they’d feel like as humans.
I think I startled everyone when I said what I said next: “Let’s go back to the house.”
“I don’t think you’ll get any argument from us,” Landon muttered.
Maze hopped up. “I’ll get the clothes.”
“Me too, since I need my glasses to see,” Dylan muttered, squinting in the darkness.
Forest’s head tilted down, and he whispered, “Then let’s get you to the house.” Without another word, he heaved me up in his arms, cradling me against his chest, carrying me as if I weighed nothing.
Landon accompanied Forest and me while Maze and Dylan parted ways with us to grab the clothes at the lakeshore. I felt at ease in Forest’s arms, staring up at him, the heat not leaving my body as I imagined all of the things they would do to me once we got to the house, once I was laid down on the bed and spread before them.
The hardest part had already been done, the claiming. Now…now was the fun part. Now was the time when my mates would all get to know me intimately in our human forms.
Forest walked us through town. The moon hung low in the sky, and I wondered if that meant it was nearly dawn. No one else was awake right now in the pack, save for us. The streets were quiet and deserted, empty of all living things. It allowed Forest and Landon, and I supposed Maze and Dylan, to walk through town, naked, unencumbered by their hard-ons, without a second thought.
Then again, being wolves, maybe they didn’t care if they showed anyone their erections.
We ended up at the house I was sharing with Maze, Dylan, and Landon. As far as I knew, Forest planned on keeping his house, which was fine. The houses around here really weren’t that big, anyway. I wouldn’t mind having some sleepovers at his place.
Forest brought me to my room. The window had been fixed, no longer broken from that night I’d shifted and ran. The room was full of my stuff, things my mom had brought me or mailed to me. I still had a lot of stuff back home with Mom, but I’d worry about getting that stuff later.
He set me on the bed, giving me the hungriest look I thought I’d ever seen on another person before. His blue stare traveled along me, taking in every curve of my body, the swell of my breasts, the hardened points of my nipples. Forest sat on the edge of the bed, so close and yet so far. He ran a hand along my legs, starting at my hips, slowly working his way down to my feet as we waited for the others.
Landon looked like he could eat me alive, lust dominating his features. The way he stared down at me, the flexing of his arms and the hardening of his dick—it made me remember that day in my room, when I’d felt him get close to me, when we’d just barely touched. His touch had sent electric tingles down my spine. How would he feel tonight, getting to know every inch of me?
I lay with my head on the pillow, staring at the two males in the room. It wasn’t but a moment later when Maze and Dylan appeared. Dylan had put on his glasses, along with his jeans. His chest was bare, as were his feet. Maze had opted to remain naked, the rest of our clothes in his and his brother’s arms in bundles.
Maze tossed the clothes aside, while Dylan carefully set them down on a dresser. “So,” Maze started, giving me a wink, “is our mate ready for more?”
Forest’s chest rumbled. “I think she is.”
Cutting right to the chase, Landon asked, “Who gets her first?” He shot an annoyed glare at Maze. “Definitely not you.”
“What? Definitely not me? Why not me? What’s wrong with me?” Maze blinked, instantly concerned. He gestured to his cock, its length rock-hard for all to see. “Look. I’m raring to go.”
“We all are,” Landon growled out, eyes flashing metallic.
I laid there, watching my mates quibble over me. Okay, mostly Landon and Maze. Dylan was quiet, while Forest kept his mouth shut. The alpha probably wanted to be the last one again, since I bet he viewed this as stepping into the others’ territory.
Meaning me. I was Maze’s, Dylan’s, and Landon’s territory.
But that wasn’t how we were going to spend the rest of our lives. Forest was not
always going to be the outsider, even if he chose to live in another house.
“Why don’t you let Addie choose?” Forest spoke, causing the bickering to cease.
Me? Oh, great. Now all of the pressure was on me. Fantastic. Just what I wanted. I really hoped the ones I did not choose would not be upset with me for not choosing them—it’s kind of why I wished the guys would just make up their mind.
I dragged my gaze between them as I slowly sat up, swinging my legs off the bed. “Landon,” I said, causing him to perk up. “I have the feeling you’d be a little rough. Don’t take it personally, but…I don’t want my first time to be like that.”
Landon rolled his eyes, though he did not argue with me. “Fine. I’ll take you hard and fast after.” He folded his arms over his chest, puffing himself up.
I reached for Forest, touching his bicep and feeling the muscle under my fingertips tense. “And I have the feeling you would never let yourself be my first.” Which was just stupid, considering he’d already given me my first orgasm.
Forest gave me a small smile. Smiles were rare creatures when it came to the alpha, and that small flick of his lips made my lower gut warm in all the right ways. “You’d be right,” he said.
Yeah, of course I was. I knew these guys too well. It kind of felt like I’d known them my whole life, even though I hadn’t.
I drew my gaze to the remaining two shifters. The twins, the two brothers who might look similar but could not be more different underneath it all. Sliding off the bed, I walked toward them, watching as they both ate me up.
It kind of felt good to have the power here, to be the one able to decide where we would go from here. A girl could get drunk off this kind of power—not that I knew what being drunk felt like, but still.
What I ended up saying, who I ended up choosing…I didn’t think any of them expected it.
Chapter Four – Maze
Crystal Lake Pack: The Complete Series: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance Page 58
