by Renee Rose
She grabbed the package from me and opened it, helped me roll it on.
Oh fates. She wanted this as badly as I did. That made me fucking crazy.
I tried to hold back--I swore I did--but it was impossible. Settling my hips between her parted thighs, I lifted one of her knees, lined up and speared her with a single thrust.
She gasped, eyes flying wide, her shoulders sliding up the bed.
“Sorry, I’m sorry.” I cradled behind her neck and lowered my head to kiss her. “Beautiful little human. My sweet mate. I don’t want to hurt you.”
She rocked up to meet me. “I’m not hurt. I’m not fragile. You were wild with me before here at the motel. In your bed at the ranch. Be wild again. Show me your stuff, wolf-man.”
I gave a pained laugh. She was so fucking cute. So cute it hurt my ribs. Made pressure in my chest, like there wasn’t enough room to breathe.
She reached back and braced her hands on the headboard, issuing a challenge with her eyes. Give it to me.
Challenge accepted. I eased out and thrust again. Her knees drew up on either side of me, an offering. It let me get deeper, and suddenly, I couldn’t get enough. Her inner walls rippled around me as if trying to get me deeper. I braced my own hand on the headboard and pounded into her, holding her in place by her shoulder.
The room spun. I was too hot. Flushed with fever. Need. Desire. Lust.
Her head went back, her eyes closed, her lips parted, and her breath came out in pants. A flush crept from her cheeks, down her neck and to her breasts. The small tips wobbled as I took her.
Nothing mattered except fucking the daylights out of my little mate. Seeking that finish that both of us so desperately craved. Nothing existed but her gasps, her moans. Nothing fulfilled me like the ecstasy of her expression.
“Marina…”
“Colton!” Her voice held thready desperation. She was on the edge. Ready to plunge over the other side.
Sweat dripped down my brow. “Come for me, sweetness. Let me have it all.”
It was as if she’d been waiting for me to allow her to do so because as soon as the words were uttered, she came. Because she’s that fucking sweet--coming on command.
Christ, I was going to have fun teaching her all the pleasure of surrender. Showing her how an alpha wolf took care of his female. Punishing and rewarding. Coaxing out all the naughty desires she might have lurking within her. We’d only had two days. A lifetime was before us.
And then I came. Lights exploded behind my eyes. I filled the condom pumping into her. Then I pulled out and waited, breathing, breathing, waiting for my vision to clear, so I wouldn’t make a mistake.
“Hold still, sweetness.” I brushed her hair back from her sweaty neck. The thought of scarring her perfect skin killed me. I’d hate for her to be self-conscious about the mark, not wear those little tank tops anymore. So I dragged my lips across her shoulder and rolled her to the side to kiss down her shoulder blade. She turned her head to look up at me, to watch. And there, below the shoulder blade, in the fleshy part of muscle under her armpit, I bit.
I came again, and the condom slipped off, so I jizzed all over her ass.
Fuck…fuck...FUCK. It was like one of those movie clips where scenes flashed across the screen one right after the other super fast. I’d thought of this moment. Heard about it from my dad. Boyd. Knew what to expect. I’d craved it. Needed it.
But nothing, nothing, compared to reality. The feel of her skin beneath my tongue, the way my serum seeped into her, the taste of her flesh, her blood. The knowledge that Marina was mine forever. Fuck. The orgasm was so intense, and my dick wasn’t even inside her.
I was in love with Marina. I was proud Marina was mine. I was humbled by the woman, that she gave herself to me. Me! I would spend the rest of my life trying to make her happy because nothing I could do would compare to what she just gave me.
Marina’s whimper brought me back to reality in an instant. I forced my jaws to unclench and eased my teeth out of her flesh. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I said, “Marina, sweetness. It’s over.”
I licked the wound closed. My saliva would provide antibodies to promote quick healing and prevent infection. “Tell me you’re okay.” I pulled a pillow case off one of the pillows and pressed it against the wound before I rolled her to her back.
Her face was a little pale, but she nodded. “Ouch.”
“I’m so sorry, baby. It will never happen again. I will never hurt you as long as I live. At least not intentionally. Or unless you like it.” I winked, and she relaxed, settling back into the pillows.
“Now I’m yours?” she asked, her voice soft.
“Now you’re mine.”
“Forever?”
“Until death do us part. I will always provide for you. Protect you. Pleasure you. I will spend the rest of my days making up for hurting you.”
“Will you… ” She bit her lip.
“Say it.”
“When can I see your wolf?” She looked almost shy, as if the words weren’t right.
“My wolf?” I cleared my throat.
She nodded, and I smiled.
“Fuck, yeah. It’s big. Bigger than a normal wolf. Do you want to see it now?”
“Yes!” She sat up and put a hand over the bite wound.
I was still on my side, so I leaned forward, kissed the spot, licked it again to get it to heal faster. It would be sore, so showing her my wolf would be a good distraction.
“Don’t be scared, all right?” I looked into her eyes, searched for a depth of concern that she might freak out. She’d seen little Liam shift earlier, but seeing her man turn into a wolf for the first time could push her over the edge.
She took a deep breath, nodded.
Pushing off the bed, I stripped off my clothes, let them drop in a pile on the floor. My cock was hard again, but I ignored it, only looked at Marina as the air around me blurred, and the room filled with the sound of cracking joints.
Marina stifled a scream. I’d warned her. I was huge. And a wolf.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, staring.
I jumped onto the bed, sank to my belly and lowered my head to her lap.
She held her hand out, and I licked it. “Wow,” she breathed, studying me. She stroked my ears. “You’re so soft.” She buried her face in my fur. “You’re magnificent, Colton.”
I let my wolf take a moment to revel in her attention, then shifted back. With my head in her lap still, she stroked my hair. “Wow,” she said again.
“Not too freaked?” I asked, moving slowly, so I settled her on the bed in my arms. We stayed like that for a while, quiet. I’d thrown so much at her, I wanted her to think, to work through everything. I’d wait for her questions, and I’d answer them all. No secrets.
When I thought she’d fallen asleep, she drew in a long shaky breath. “What now?”
“Whatever you want, Marina. Whatever is best for you.”
“I don’t want to go to LA” She sounded surprised, but sure. “I don’t even like college. I hate engineering.”
I stroked my thumb across her cheek. “I didn’t want to fuck up your career path, little girl.”
“You didn’t. I did that--by choosing the career my dad wanted for me. I don’t know--maybe I’ll finish online or something, but I’m definitely not going back. I’m going wherever you go. North Carolina. Here. I don’t care. I needed a fresh start but didn’t realize it was with you. Hell, it is you.”
I stopped to feel the resonance of her words. To notice how my wolf had quieted. The intensity around Marina was the same--the need to focus all my attention on her, to give to her. To protect her. But that crazy, gnawing need had diminished. In its place was warmth. And something else--something I hadn’t experienced before.
What was it?
Fuck. It was contentment.
I was Marina’s fresh start.
And she was mine.
It was fucking perfect.
Ep
ilogue
MARINA
* * *
We walked in the back door of the main house the next day. Late. It had been close to two in the morning when Colton found me at the motel and even later when I’d fallen asleep. No, I hadn’t fallen asleep. I’d passed out from too many orgasms. We didn’t stir until after eleven when housekeeping knocked on the door. While the motel was like a little sex cocoon for us, we didn’t need to stay any longer. Reality was A-OK with me.
The bite on my side didn’t hurt, but I could feel it. When I’d put my fingers to it, turning to the side and lifting my arm up in the bathroom mirror, I’d seen the wound was closing. I’d grinned at the mark because I knew it wouldn’t disappear. They would be small scars from Colton’s teeth.
It didn’t scare me. It thrilled me. For the rest of my life, I’d have his mark to remember what we’d just shared, that it would last forever.
Colton drove us back to the ranch in his big truck. He said he didn’t give a shit about the rental, that the company could come pick it up for all the good the thing could do in Montana. I wasn’t going to argue because I agreed. They needed to give it back to the circus where they’d found it. Secretly, I thought he didn’t want me out of his sight, or away from the ability to touch me. Again, I wasn’t going to argue. I didn’t want to stop touching him either.
So when the screen door slapped shut behind us, we froze and stared, hand in hand. Sitting at the large kitchen table was… everyone. Rob, Levi, Johnny, Clint and the other ranch hands whose names I couldn’t remember. Boyd and Audrey were there too. In the middle of the table was the wedding cake, half decimated. Everyone had empty plates--coated with a few crumbs and dabs of frosting on them--and mugs of coffee.
We stared. They stared back.
Then Rob began to clap. All eyes turned to him, but when Colton pulled me into his side, and I looked up and saw his grin. So did everyone else. They clapped, too.
Boyd stood, came around the table and slapped Colton on the back. “Way to go, brother.”
“Oh, my God, are they clapping because you… because we--”
Colton looked down at me. Winked. “They don’t need to see the mark to know I claimed you.” He sniffed, blatantly, and I caught on.
Mortified that everyone was aware we’d had sex, and I’d been bitten by a shifter, I buried my face in his chest, face hot.
“Welcome to the family, Marina,” Rob said. I lifted my head, and he was right there before me. I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze, and I thought I saw the corner of his mouth tip up in a smile. He reached out, stroked my hair in a brotherly way, which made Colton growl until Rob went back to his seat.
I hadn’t ever seen Colton this relaxed, this… happy, even while doing his possessive growling. It was because of me, of us, of the bite. He didn’t have to worry about moon madness any longer, and we’d laid it all out. There was nothing between us now. And, apparently, I smelled like him.
I tugged on his shirt, and he leaned down. “If I smell like you, then does that mean you smell like me?” I whispered.
He grinned. “Abso-fucking-lutely. They’ll know I’ve been used and used well.”
My mouth fell open, and I swatted his rock hard abs.
He laughed, and I stomped over to the empty chair beside Audrey. “I want some cake,” I announced.
Clint picked up the large knife and sliced me off a chunk, placing it on a clean plate. He passed it around to me, and Johnny handed me a napkin and fork.
“Coffee?” Levi asked, rising and going over to the pot.
“Please,” I said.
I watched as Colton dropped into a seat across from me and was given a slice of cake as well. His eyes were on me as he took his first bite.
“The cake’s incredible,” Audrey said, wrapping her arm around my shoulders.
“I’m sorry the reception was ruined.” I looked to her, saw she was relaxed and smiling, just like Colton had been. That meant her wedding night had been a good one.
“I’m glad Colton found you. He came by looking for you. We were really worried.”
I glanced at Colton, but he didn’t say a word. He hadn’t told me he’d bothered Audrey and Boyd after I’d left. “He did.”
“I don’t have to ask if everything’s okay.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Everything’s fine.”
Audrey made a show of sniffing the air. “Oh yeah, I definitely smell him on you,” she teased with a big smile. “Just kidding. My nose doesn’t work like that.”
I rolled my eyes. “God, what is it with all of you and sniffing?”
Glancing around the table, all the guys smiled, but didn’t look the least put out.
“I knew you’d been with Colton the second you showed up the other day,” Boyd said. “It surprised me because he hadn’t shown up yet, and you two weren’t supposed to know each other.”
I put a hand to my face. “Well, I guess I smell like him permanently now, so it’s not like you’ll be able to know every time we have sex.”
There, I said it.
“Oh, they’ll know,” Colton added. “Because I won’t be able to stop smiling.” He grinned, and my heart melted.
“Do you need me to look at your bite?” Audrey asked. “I should probably dress the wound.”
I shook my head. “No, it’s good,” I whispered, then shoved cake in my mouth. The lemon flavor was just right, and the sponge was moist. The frosting cut the tang, and I was pleased.
“You’re both here to stay?” Rob asked, taking a swig of his coffee.
Colton looked to me. “I’ve got papers to deal with. Some red tape. But yeah.”
“I’m going to finish school. Somewhere,” I added, so they all knew I didn’t plan to spend the next year in LA.
Colton nodded. “We’ll get here. Soon.”
“Good.” That was the extent of Rob’s enthusiasm about our moving to the ranch, but I was used to him being cool with his emotions. “We’ve got a barn to repair.”
I set my fork down. “I can help with that. The barn’s old so it wasn’t made with pre-fab trusses. I can work with the contractors to ensure the roof not only meets code but can withstand a hurricane.”
Rob looked to me, studied me quietly, but I could tell he was thinking. “There aren’t any hurricanes in Montana, but it would be best to rebuild as sturdy as possible. We’ll be sure to include you when we start the rebuild.”
I glanced at Colton, and he gave me a small nod. Maybe my engineering knowledge could be beneficial. I didn’t want to make a career of it, but it felt good to be useful.
“This cake is delicious, Marina. Can you bake me one for my birthday next month?” Johnny asked.
Colton growled, but Johnny was undeterred.
“Sure. What’s your favorite kind?”
“Chocolate.”
“My favorite,” Audrey said. “Clint, cut me another piece.” She pushed her plate into the center of the table.
“Why didn't you tell me that’s your favorite? I wouldn’t have made lemon poppy seed.”
Audrey looked at me and rolled her eyes. “Every flavor is my favorite. And since I’m eating for two, I get a double helping. Forget engineering, bake.”
No one argued with the pregnant woman. Clint pushed the plate back toward her with a huge chunk from the bottom tier. She turned to look at Boyd, fork raised as he dared to argue.
He held up his hands. “Whatever my girls want.”
I tugged on her arm to make her turn my way. “Girls? You know you’re having a girl?”
Audrey shook her head and shoved a piece of cake in her mouth. “No. Way too early to tell,” she said as she chewed. “He thinks we are.”
“We are,” Boyd replied, adamant.
Colton chuckled as he took a sip of his coffee. Boyd glared at him, then pointed. “You wait, brother. Your turn’s coming.”
Colton looked my way, and I got a little lost in his dark gaze. “Can’t wait.”
&n
bsp; I’d made it clear I wasn’t ready for kids, but the way he stared at me and the way my body tingled in response, and the idea of carrying his baby, made me think sooner than later.
“Also, I can’t wait to try your famous chocolate chip banana bread.”
“I’ll make some for you today,” I promised.
“Boyd got a text this morning from Shefield’s niece,” Rob said, changing the subject. Boyd nodded. “Natalie Shefield. She’s coming out.”
“Not to sell the place?” Colton asked.
“No,” Rob said grimly. “To live. By herself.”
“Why do you sound disgruntled about that?” I asked, confused. I knew nothing about the niece who inherited the ranch next door other than what Colton had told me, but I knew she’d be in the middle of a mess with Jett Markle and the entire Wolf family. The way Colton had spoken about Mr. Shefield, I knew they’d watch out for her.
Rob just shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of a single woman living down there by herself. She sounds young. Probably pretty. I just see trouble, especially with Markle.”
I managed not to roll my eyes over the probably pretty part. “Well, you all will look after her, I’m sure.”
“Yeah.” Rob scrubbed a hand across his face and stood from the table. And then I thought he muttered, “That’s the trouble.”
I shot a glance at Colton, but he just shrugged. I had to hope Rob would warm up to her… or anyone. Only time would tell. In the meantime, Colton and I had some planning to do. About the rest of our lives.
He winked, as if he could read my mind.
I couldn’t wait.
Ready for more Wolf Ranch?
Get Wolf Ranch: Feral next!
* * *
Pack Rule #3: The alpha must mate.
* * *
The stronger the alpha, the greater the danger.
Moon madness could claim me any time now.
I’ve looked all over the continent, gone to mating games, but I still haven’t found the she-wolf meant to be my mine. I’ve already become too feral in bed.
