by Sky Winters
“And what did you want?” she asked. “I guess you just wanted to come back here.”
“Not hardly. I wanted to stay. Life in Seattle was too much fun to want to come back. I’m only here again because my old man thinks I need to put down some roots and start a family.”
Her eyes flashed at this. “And what do you think about that?”
“Who’s got time for that? There’s a whole world out there, and I want to see it. Maybe staying in the same few square miles of forest worked for our parents, but I’ve got bigger things in mind.”
“Me too.”
He was surprised to hear her agree with him.
“You too? Aren’t you, like, betrothed and shit?”
She scoffed. “I’m getting married to Chad if that’s what you’re saying. And aren’t you doing the same thing?”
“Getting married? That’s the plan. But I’ve seen how Maddie’s been avoiding me. Pretty obvious she’s got the same lack of enthusiasm about it as me. And check this out.”
He put his hand on Lexi’s shoulder and led her through the crowd. They came to a stop on the far end.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Look. But don’t be obvious about it.”
Jason nodded toward the party, and after a few moments of searching, Lexi realized what he was referring to.
“Holy shit,” she said. “Is that Maddie?”
Maddie was tall and slender and pretty, with pin-straight brown hair.
She wasn’t alone. She was talking with Kurt Greatroar, another beta in the pack.
They were close. Very close. She had a big smile on her face as they talked, Kurt’s hand on the small of her back as he whispered something into her ear. Then she laughed.
“Those two...look like more than friends.”
“To put it mildly. That’s the girl I’m supposed to marry. And it doesn’t take a genius to realize she’s got her eyes on someone else.”
“Are you mad?”
“Not even a little. I want her and everyone else to be paired up with whoever they want. It’s bullshit we have to marry for convenience and not for love.
“Why doesn’t she just marry Kurt?” he asked. “They’re obviously into each other like crazy.”
As if to make her point, Maddie let out another chiming laugh.
“You know the answer to that —because there’s nothing more important than tradition. Come on, I’m sure your parents have been giving you the same business.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, you’re right. But damn, you’re going to be the omega of Chad himself. Come on—you’ve got to be a little excited about that.”
“Not at all. You really think I want to be tied down at this age? Why the hell would I want to do that? I want to go out into the world, learn about the things I’m passionate about. And when I settle down, I don’t want it to be because I’d produce shifter royalty or whatever.”
Jason was surprised at his reaction to her words. For a moment, he forgot about how much he wanted to screw her, how much he wanted to see her on top of him, her tits bouncing as she brought herself to orgasm again and again.
Instead, he found himself...admiring her. There was passion in her voice, a real fire that he couldn’t help but love seeing.
“Well, that might be a hard sell. I’ve known Chad since we were kids, and when he’s decided something’s his, he doesn’t back off until it is.”
“Believe me, I know. And he’s not too keen on other guys talking to me.”
Jason looked over to where Chad was standing across the party, laughing loudly at one stupid joke or another.
“Are you saying he wouldn’t like that this conversation’s happening?”
“Not at all. You should see what he did to Sam.”
“Sam? As in, nerdy guy with glasses? Don’t tell me he pulled some shit with him.”
“Punched him right in the face for daring to be a man and talk to me. And it’s not even...like that, you know? We’re just friends.”
“You think a meat-headed idiot would care about something like that? He’s all about claiming things for his—territory and women. In his little pea brain, you’re no different than an acre of land he wants to steal from some other pack.”
“Fucking prick,” she said, shaking her head. “He’s the last kind of guy I’d want to marry, let alone have his kids.”
“Well, have you ever thought about leaving it all behind?”
Her eyes flashed again. “Like, run away?”
“Like run away. Nothing’s stopping you.”
“Nothing other than the fact I’d be letting my family down. But yeah, I’ve thought about it before—shifting and running into the woods, not looking back until I hit Seattle.”
Jason found himself more and more loving talking to her. He loved that fire, he loved the way she thought for herself.
But the conversation didn’t have a chance to go on. Jason felt a heavy, meaty hand fall onto his shoulder.
“There a reason you’re talking to my woman?”
Jason didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. But he did anyway and was face-to-face with Chad himself.
“Oh, hey Chad!” he said. “Was meaning to come say hi. You know how it is, though—you come back and everyone wants to talk your ear off.”
He didn’t respond, instead looking over Jason’s shoulder at Lexi. “What the hell did I say to you yesterday about talking to other guys?”
“We’re just catching up,” said Lexi. “I don’t need to ask you permission to talk to people.”
“Yes,” said Chad. “Yes, you do.”
Jason looked over Chad’s shoulder and saw a small group of Chad’s friends watching. And as the conversation went on, they caught the attention of more and more people at the party.
“Hey,” said Jason. “I get that you want to keep a close eye on someone you care about. But people can still have friends, you know?”
Chad stuck a thick finger in Jason’s face, the digit reminding him of a big sausage. “I don’t want to hear a fucking word out of your mouth, you city pansy.”
“‘City pansy?’ Man, you go and get a little culture and this is how people treat you. Besides, anyone who knows me knows this is my home.” He swept his hands toward the woods. “Nothing’s going to change that. And how about you get this thing out of my face? Kinda smells like a dude’s ass—not going to ask any questions about that.”
Jason pushed Chad’s hand away, “oohs” sounding out from the crowd around them at his insult. Then Chad’s face turned a deep shade of red, rage boiling inside of him.
“You’ve always been a cocky little prick,” said Chad. “Ever since you were a kid. And you know what I think the problem is?”
“What’s that?” asked Jason. “I’m curious what that big brain of yours is coming up with.”
Chad grinned. Then, before Jason had a chance to react, he pulled back his fist and drove it hard into Jason’s stomach. The blow was powerful enough to drop Jason to his knees, pain radiating through his body, his stomach turning. For a moment, he worried he might throw up.
“There,” said Chad. “That’s better. And while you’re down there, you might want to get used to being on your knees. When I’m alpha, you’re going to be spending a lot of time on them.”
Jason caught his breath and looked up at Chad, a smirk on his face. “Getting guys on their knees in front of you?” he asked. “Didn’t know that was up your alley. Then again, you and your buds have always been kind of, uh, close.”
More “oohs,” this time mixed in with laughter.
“Man,” said Chad. “You might want to be really, really careful with what you say to me.”
“And why’s that?” asked Jason, getting up.
“Because things can change fast. And I might be your alpha sooner than you think.”
Jason noticed a strange confidence in Chad’s words.
It was almost like he knew something that every
one else didn’t.
But he didn’t have time to think about it. Chad pulled his fist back again. But this time, Jason was ready. He waited until the last second, right before chad’s massive fist would connect with his jaw. Jason pivoted back on his right foot, turning his body perpendicular to Chad, giving him a perfect view to watch him sail right past.
His fist stayed out, and Chad’s huge size meant his momentum was too much to stop. He flew forward as if pulled by his fist. And he connected with a jaw—but not the one he’d intended. Chad socked a man hard in the face, one as big and tall as him, one Jason knew was likely an alpha.
“What the fuck!” shouted the man, his hand on his face.
He squared up to Chad, who was clearly surprised by what had happened. Then the man recovered, pulled his fist back, and hit Chad hard in the face.
That was all it took for the fight to get on. Jason backed up, watching as all the guys took sides, dozens and dozens of pack members forming into a massive brawl. Fists flew, men hit the dirt, and all the women fled the scene, hurrying to the outskirts of the clearing where they’d be out of danger.
And Jason knew what he had to do. He turned and spotted Lexi, who’d been watching the events with an expression of total disbelief. Jason ran up to her, took her hand, and led her through the mayhem.
“What are you doing?” she asked as they fled.
“Getting you away from here!”
She tried to break free, but Jason held onto her tight—he wasn’t about to let her get pulled into the raucous. He liked her independent nature. But more than that, he wanted to keep her safe.
Jason spotted the shed where he’d literally bumped into Lexi before. The fighting continued on, and Jason hurried Lexi to the small building. Once there, he threw open the door, led her in, and shut it closed behind her.
The shed was small enough and packed so full of boxes and supplies that Jason and Lexi were nearly pressed against one another. She was so close that the tips of her breasts grazed his chest, his cock going stiff in his jeans at the touch.
“Fuck...fucking hell,” said Lexi. “That was...” Her eyes flashed as if she realized what had happened, how much danger they’d both been in. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that prick Chad shouldn’t be telling you what to do like that. Or me, for that matter.”
She shook her head. And Jason did his best to not think about how much he wanted her.
“That was stupid—really fucking stupid. Chad...he’s not very smart, but he could’ve smashed you into the dirt.”
“But he didn’t, did he? And we both got out of there without a scratch on us.”
Lexi looked hard at Jason’s face, her gaze fixed at his mouth.
“What?” he asked. “I know I’ve got nice lips. But don’t stare—it’s rude.”
She sighed, frustrated. Then she placed her fingertips on his lips. Jason’s body lit up at her touch. He was hard before, but now he was rock-solid.
“You’re bleeding.”
“Oh. I’m also a shifter, which means I’ll be healed in a few minutes.”
Another head shake. “That was still really stupid.”
“It was fun. I don’t know about you, but I had a great time.”
“And he was right, you know. Like him or not, Chad’s going to be the alpha of this pack. And that means he’s going to be in charge of you. It isn’t the smartest idea in the world to get on his bad side.”
Jason smirked. “But it was funny—you had to admit.”
For a moment, Lexi seemed like she wanted to smack him.
But she didn’t. Instead, she laughed.
“I mean, kind of. When you said the thing about his finger smelling like dude ass.”
Jason grinned. “See? It was pretty good. Worth the punch in the face, if you ask me.”
Lexi shook her head again. “But I don’t want to see you do anything stupid like that again. You’ve been back for less than a day and are already making powerful enemies.”
“You want to stick it to Chad even more?”
She was confused. “What do you mean?”
“I mean...if you want to do something that might really make him mad...”
He knew exactly what he was referring to, but couldn’t believe he was actually saying it.
“What?” she asked.
She stepped forward, close enough that Jason’s stiff cock through his jeans pressed against her thigh. Her eyes went wide.
“Jason! What the hell is that?”
He shrugged. “I guess I’m happier to see you again than I thought.”
“Wait a minute,” she said, grabbing his cock. “Is this what you were talking about? How I can get back at Chad?”
His knees nearly buckled at her grabbing him like that.
“I mean, he wouldn’t ever know. But you would.”
To his surprise, Lexi didn’t take her hand from his cock. Instead, she began stroking it slowly, caressing his head through his jeans.
“Such a stupid fucking idea.”
“Emphasis on the ‘fucking’ part.”
She chewed her lip indecisively.
“We do this, and it only happens once—got it?” she asked. “I don’t even know why I’m considering this. Maybe I just need something to take my mind off everything.”
“Or maybe you think I’m handsome.”
She laughed and shook her head one more time.
“Shut up and kiss me, you jackass.”
He didn’t need her to tell him twice.
CHAPTER 6
JASON
The moment his lips touched hers, Jason knew there was something special about Lexi. He’d kissed plenty of women in his life—not to mention done a hell of a lot more than that—but right away with Lexi, there was an electricity, a magnetism, that he’d never felt before.
And all he wanted was more, more, more.
He put his hands on her hips, squeezing her curves through her tiny jean shorts. As they kissed, the idea flashed in the back of his mind that they were doing something that they definitely weren’t supposed to. But that only made it hotter.
They kissed, Lexi opening her mouth and letting Jason’s tongue enter. She tasted like heaven, sweet and luscious and intoxicating. He was beginning to realize that what he’d intended as a little fling was something much more intense than he’d anticipated.
But that didn’t stop him. Or her.
“God,” she said, taking her lips from his, Jason’s mouth moving along the slope of her neck, over the outline of her collarbone. “This is such a bad idea. I mean, you’re supposed to be marrying Maddie.”
“Come on—you know me and her don’t have feelings for each other. Not to mention she’s probably with Kurt right now trying to figure out the best time to sneak off into the woods. Besides—bad ideas can be the most fun ideas,” he said, moving one hand down and squeezing her full, round ass.
“Or they can be the worst ones.”
“Gonna be honest with you,” he said, putting one hand on the side of her head and tilting her gaze up to him. “I’ve been thinking about this since the moment I saw you today.”
She grinned. “Is that right?”
“So right.”
“Tell me more.” As she spoke, she undid the button and zipper of Jason’s jeans, pulling them down enough to expose his black boxer-briefs. She continued stroking his cock, the sensation much, much more intense with the denim pulled away.
“I’ve been...” he groaned at the pleasure of her touch before going on. “Thinking about what it’d be like to shove my thick cock into you. What it’d feel like to have your lips wrapped around my shaft.”
“Oh yeah?” She chewed her lip again, but this time not indecisively—out of arousal. “What else?”
“Thinking about...” She reached down into his underwear, grabbing his shaft and stroking him. He was so hard, so sensitive, that he wondered if her bare skin on his like that would be enough to mak
e him pop right then and there. “Thinking about licking that little pussy of yours, feeling you come all over my face, licking up every drop of your juices.”
“Someone’s got an active imagination.”
He grinned, glancing down to watch her slender fingers dance over his length.
“What can I say? You inspire that in me.”
“I can see I inspire a lot in you.” She grazed her fingertips over his head as she said the words, rubbing the dab of precum at his tip and using it to lube up his cock.
He tilted his head back, feeling his animal rage inside of him. It was almost scary how much he had to struggle to keep his bear at bay. He wanted to let it loose, to mate with her like the animal he was.
Jason decided he couldn’t take any more. He quickly undid the zipper and button of Lexi’s jeans, hooking his thumbs under the waistband and pulling them down. She had on a silky blue thong underneath, the line of her lips visible through the fabric.
Her eyes went wide at this, as if she hadn’t been expecting him to be so bold, so forward. But he couldn’t resist, and it took all the resistance he was capable of to not rip the thong right off her body.
Jason rubbed her thighs, turning her around. Lexi placed her hands against the wall of the shed, her ass pressed against his cock. She ground against him, moaning softly as his head rubbed against her clit through her thong.
Her hand stayed on his cock, rubbing him, bringing him closer and closer to orgasm.
“You better not try to make me come before I’ve been inside you,” he said with a grin.
“Why, you getting turned on back there?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe.” He raised one palm and brought it down hard onto the soft, milk-white flesh of her ass, the impact rippling.
Then Jason reached around, slipping his fingers under her panties and feeling her wetness through the patch of thick hair on her cunt. He pressed his thumb against her clit, grinding it firmly, moving in circles. Lexi moaned, pressing her ass against him harder, begging with her body for him to give her what she wanted.
