Something was definitely wrong, and I thought I knew what it was. I still hadn’t told them what I was planning to do, and the closer we got to Silver Grove the less time I had to choose. The moon was getting fuller by the day, and being back in the Pack would likely make things more complicated, not less.
Part of me wanted to talk to Gram about it all: the ceremony, the men, the idea of me being Queen. She was so wise, she would know what to do. But I did feel like I owed it to my guards to at least tell them what I was thinking now. They had come this far with me, after all, and they had all been so kind, each in their own way.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Beau asked, smiling at me.
“We’re getting closer to Silver Grove.”
He nodded. “It must be strange after being gone so long,” he said, neatly sidestepping the real issue. I could tell he was hesitating, holding back another question, but I was glad he didn’t say it out loud. “I bet your grandmother will be so happy to see you,” he said instead, and I smiled.
But as I began to reply, I fell silent. I could have sworn I heard something.
Beau froze beside me, every muscle tense, listening.
There it was again: the unmistakable cry of a wolf yelping in pain.
* * *
Beau and I both dumped the backpacks off our shoulders in one swift motion and set off at a dead run in the direction of the noise. I couldn’t tell who it was from this distance, but the pain in that yelp tore at my heart.
I stumbled over a tree root and crashed to the ground. Beau hauled me to my feet. My jeans had torn and I saw the skin on my knee speckled with blood, but I ignored it, didn’t even feel it. All I knew was that I had to reach them.
A strange, heavy scent hit my nose: a musky smell like wet dog. And under it, the unmistakable copper scent of blood. I ran faster, and we burst through a thick line of bushes and into a clearing.
Jasper was on the ground, his side torn open, blood pooling under his body. A full-grown bear was standing over him, and at the sight of Beau and I she reared up, displaying her full height.
I screamed Jasper’s name, and he didn’t move, but I could see the rise and fall of his chest to know he was breathing. Beau shoved me hard, back through the bushes. “Run,” he snarled, his mouth already lengthening into a muzzle. I landed hard on my ass, just in time to see Mal leap past me in a blur of copper fur.
The sound of snarling wolf and grunting bear told me that Beau and Mal had leaped on the beast. I looked around wildly for something, anything to use. I found a fist-sized rock half-buried in the soil. I pried it loose, scrambled to my feet, and lunged toward the bushes.
Mal and Beau were lightning fast as they circled the bear, dodging the punishing claws, but the bear wasn’t retreating. I took careful aim and flung the rock as hard as I could.
It sailed through the air and crashed into the bear’s face just below the left eye. With a grunt of pain, the beast wheeled back and lumbered off. Mal and Beau ran after her, snapping at her heels.
I ran forward and fell to my knees beside Jasper, lifting his head and pillowing it on my lap. His golden eyes were dark with pain, but his tail thumped weakly when he saw me. Tears stung my eyes, and I gently stroked between his ears. “You’ll be all right,” I whispered, my voice choked by my constricted throat. “I’ve got a first aid kit in my backpack.” I looked down, wincing at the sight: the gash from the bear’s claws was bright red, vivid against his dark fur. Still, even as I watched, the bleeding was slowing. Werewolves had remarkable healing powers, and Jasper was no exception. But there were limits to the power, and if we hadn’t come along when we had, we might have lost him.
One of my tears rolled down my cheek and landed on his head, and he licked my hand. There was a rustling in the underbrush, and I tensed myself, but relaxed when I saw Mal and Beau leap into view.
“Did you run her off?” I asked.
They both nodded in unison, then quickly turned to Jasper.
“He’ll be ok,” I said. “But we need to get him to a safe place so I can treat the wound.”
Beau immediately shifted back into human form, and for once the casual nudity didn’t phase me. My thoughts were only for Jasper. Beau carefully bent down and picked him up, and Jasper’s eyes squeezed shut, but he didn’t make a sound. That one gesture from someone so strong tore at my heart.
“I can help,” I said, but Beau shook his head.
“I’ve got him. Let’s get him back to where we dropped the stuff.”
Mal circled us, his pale blue eyes anxious. I reached down and scratched between his ears. “He’ll be ok,” I said. “He’s already healing.”
I stopped to gather up Beau’s clothing, or what was left of it: he’d managed to shed his jeans and shoes before the shift took him, but his shirt was a torn up mess. Then we all made our silent way back to where Beau and I had dropped our backpacks.
* * *
Back at the camp, I unrolled my sleeping bag and Beau carefully laid Jasper down. I tossed Beau his jeans and shoes and went to my pack, rummaging around to find my first aid kit. Behind me, Jasper was shifting back to human form. He lay silently, watching me, but the tension in his jaw and his irregular breathing betrayed his pain.
I brought him my pillow and slipped it under his head, folded the sleeping bag so that it covered his nakedness, then bent down to check out his wound. The bear had raked his side, but the cuts weren’t too deep; he must have dodged the worst of it. “I still can’t believe you let a bear get the jump on you,” I said, hoping my teasing would distract him.
He shook his head, then winced. “Got between her and her cub,” he rasped. “Stupid of me. I wasn’t paying attention.”
Now that surprised me. Jasper was always the one on alert for the slightest hint of danger. What could have distracted him so much he would not see a mother bear until it was too late? I could tell he felt bad enough about it, though, so I decided not to push the issue.
“You’re healing already,” I said, relieved. “I’ll get the dirt out so it heals cleanly, and then you can rest.”
“You don’t need to do that,” Jasper said.
“Well, bear claws aren’t exactly the cleanest.”
He smiled, although it was more of a grimace. “If I die from an infection I deserve to go.”
“Don’t even joke about that,” I snapped. “This isn’t the time to play macho. We all know you’re a big badass werewolf. This is a precaution.”
“It’s unnecessary.”
“I feel like I have to do something, ok?” My voice rose, making Beau and Mal glance over at us. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my pounding heart. “Please,” I said, softer. “Let me do this for you, Jasper.”
His eyes found mine, and whatever he saw there made him nod. “Ok.”
I used the antiseptic wipe from the first aid kit to dab at the wound, getting out the dirt as gently as I could. We were both silent, but I could feel him watching me, and it made me conscious of every move.
Now that my adrenaline was finally ebbing, I realized he had gotten off easy: mother bears were known to kill when they thought their cubs were threatened. What if we had lost him? The thought tore at my heart, and I couldn’t stop my eyes from filling with sudden tears.
At first, I’d thought Jasper was a hard-ass with no feelings, just focused on accomplishing a goal. But the more I’d gotten to know him and see past the armor, the more I realized he cared deeply about all of us. He came across as cold sometimes because he devoted all his thoughts into worrying about our safety.
“Hey,” he said softly. He reached up and caught one of my tears with his calloused thumb, gently brushing it away. “I’ll be ok. You said so yourself.”
It was the first time he’d touched me so deliberately, and despite my stress and worry, I felt a little shiver of awakening as his fingertips rested lightly on my jaw. Instinctively, I leaned into his touch, and he smiled up at me.
Jasper was a handsome man, b
ut his usual seriousness made him seem a little cold and distant. But when he smiled, those golden eyes seemed to glow from within. He looked like a dark-haired angel lying beside me.
His thumb brushed lightly along my lower lip, and I felt a flicker of something darker run through me. He was still smiling up at me, but there was a tension in his face, like he was waiting to see how I would respond. And, although I knew it was stupid, and I knew I probably couldn’t keep him, I didn’t care. I bent down and kissed him.
He inhaled sharply as my lips brushed his, but he arched up to meet me, deepening the kiss. Heat blazed through me as he claimed my mouth, and I could feel his fingers sliding into my hair, raising goosebumps of pleasure as they grazed my scalp.
My logical side was trying to get me to pull away, to stop while I still could, but it was immediately silenced by the soft teasing flick of Jasper’s tongue. I opened for him and he swept his tongue against mine, teasing and tasting like I was something to savor.
His hand tightened slightly in my hair, pulling a soft moan from me. His other hand skimmed down my side to find the curve of my ass, and he gave me a soft squeeze. The strength in his fingers made me shiver. “God, you have a perfect body,” he murmured, before claiming my lips again.
Two could play at that game. Carefully avoiding his side, I skimmed my fingertips down the taut line of his abs and slid my hand under the sleeping bag. He was rock hard already, and when my hand brushed his cock he gasped against my lips.
I couldn’t stop myself from wrapping my hand around his thick shaft, loving the silky warm feel of him as I stroked lightly up and down. “So good,” he growled. “Fuck. Yes.”
Making the badass Lead Guardian unable to form a complete sentence made me feel powerful. But it wasn’t enough. I craved more. I wanted to show Jasper what he meant to me. I pulled back from our kiss, ignoring his murmur of protest. His eyes followed me, the gold blazing with lust, as I arranged myself between his thighs.
When I took his cock into my mouth, he groaned. I flicked my tongue over the tip, savoring the salty-sweet taste of him. But when I glanced up, I thought my heart would stop.
Mal and Beau were sitting next to the tent, watching us. I realized that they had been there the whole time, but I was too preoccupied with Jasper to notice. I felt a rush of heat to my face, but the realization that they were smiling sent an equal rush of heat between my thighs. Mal winked at me, and Beau just grinned.
Jasper lifted his chin and glanced back at them, then chuckled. “Would you rather they didn’t watch?”
My heart was pounding, but I shook my head. “It doesn’t bother me,” I murmured. In fact, it was strangely exciting, and to my surprise, I didn’t feel any embarrassment. The fact that none of the men acted like it was strange or shameful was an incredible turn on.
Jasper laughed softly. “You are a true wolf and a true Queen. I don’t give a damn what anyone else says.”
I didn’t think anything else could surprise me that day, but his words truly shocked me. To save myself from saying something silly in response, I bent my head and ran my tongue up the length of his shaft.
He hissed out a breath, and I took him into my mouth again, wrapping my fingers around the base of his shaft. He was so thick it forced me to open wide, and I wondered what his cock would feel like between my legs, spreading me open.
I could feel my own wetness and tingling need driving me on, but I wanted to feel Jasper come first. I fell into an easy rhythm, moving my hand in time with my mouth as I glided up and down the shaft.
Jasper’s breathing became faster, more erratic, and I could see his fingers dig into the sleeping bag. When I glanced up, Beau and Mal were watching, motionless. Even from here, I could sense their desire, and I could almost feel the weight of their eyes like caresses on my skin as they watched my every move.
“Allie,” Jasper rasped, dragging me back to the moment. “I’m close.”
I couldn’t speak with my mouth full, so I just tightened my grip and increased my speed. It only took two more strokes before he snarled, bucking his hips up to meet my lips. I felt the hot spurt of his cum flood my mouth. I swallowed as much as I could, milking him dry.
When he was spent, he reached down and pulled me gently up. “That was amazing,” he murmured. “You’re amazing.”
“I wanted to show you what you meant to me,” I answered, and his smile warmed my heart.
I was still painfully turned on, and as he came back to himself his grin took on a wicked edge. “You know, Allie, I want to return the favor, but I can’t with my injury…” He trailed off, then chuckled softly. “But they can.”
My heart skipped a beat when I realized he was talking about Mal and Beau. Both of them at once?
16
Allie
The idea of them sharing me wasn’t as shocking as I had expected. In fact, in a strange way, it felt right. I realized that we had come this far and there were no secrets between the four of us anymore. I trusted them, and I wanted them, even if I couldn’t keep them.
Beau hadn’t bothered to put clothes back on after his shift, and I couldn’t help but stare at his beautiful body when he stood up. He reminded me of an Olympic swimmer: leaner than Mal and Jasper, but well-muscled. His cock was already hardening as I watched. I bit my lip, unable to tear my eyes away.
Mal peeled off his shirt, revealing his broad chest. “What do you say, Princess?” He slid his jeans down his thighs, letting his own erection spring free.
My guards. My own little Pack. Even if I couldn’t keep them, I wanted this. They were so beautiful, and for tonight, they could be mine. “Yes,” I murmured.
In half a breath, they were beside me. Mal held out a hand and pulled me gently to my feet, leading me to one side of Jasper where he still lay, watching us with a heat in his golden eyes.
Beau came up behind me, and his hands found my hips, then slid around to unfasten the button on my jeans. While he tugged them down, Mal peeled my shirt over my head and tossed it to one side. They did the same with my bra and panties, working together as they stripped me bare. Mal tipped my chin up and kissed me, and Beau nipped and nuzzled my neck from behind, raising goosebumps all along my skin.
I lost track of whose hands were where, but they seemed to be everywhere at once: cupping my breasts, sliding down my back, tangling in my hair. Teeth grazed my neck, and a hot tongue found my nipple. I felt like I was being devoured, and I gave myself over to it completely.
Gently, the men guided me down until I was kneeling on the soft earth. Beau’s hands found my hips, and he tilted them, urging me forward onto my hands and knees. I went willingly, the heat between my thighs driving me to distraction. Mal’s fingers were tangled in my hair, and he gently drew it back away from my face so he could see me. I found his gorgeous cock right at eye level, and so I took him into my mouth, savoring the groan it tore from him. I’d wanted to return the favor ever since our night together, and I swallowed him as deep as I could take.
Behind me, Beau slid the head of his cock teasingly up and down my pussy, and I moaned around Mal’s shaft. Taking care of Jasper had left me soaking wet and achingly sensitive. I tilted my hips back, silently begging him to give me what I needed.
When he slowly slid into me, it felt like the heat that had been building between Beau and I for all these years burst into flame. He was big, like all Alphas, and I could feel myself stretch around him as he sheathed himself inside me. “Fuck, Allie,” he breathed. “You feel so good.”
“So sweet,” Mal murmured, his breath catching as I swirled my tongue around the head of his cock. “Just like that. Mmm.”
I loved this, loved being filled by them both. I glanced to one side and saw Jasper watching, loved the heat in his golden eyes. Being like this with first one, then two of them should have felt strange, but it was the opposite. For the first time in my life, I felt complete.
Beau must have sensed that I had adjusted to his size, because he pulled out, then
slowly plunged back in. His hands slid down, squeezing my ass, caressing my thighs.
I fell into a rhythm, using Beau’s thrusts to move back and forth on Mal’s shaft. We were all connected, moving together as one now. I was so sensitive I knew I wouldn’t last long, but I couldn’t bear to hold back. It was like a floodgate had opened and I was greedy for it, for them.
Beau’s fingers found my hips, holding me in place, and he began to speed up. His hips snapped against me, his heavy balls slapping my clit with each thrust. I moaned, the sound muffled by Mal’s thick cock, and I could feel his fingers tightening in my hair. It was too much, too good. I couldn’t hold on.
The delicious tension inside me built and built and then exploded in a fountain of stars. I cried out as Beau and Mal both drove into me, the sensation overriding me completely. Mal went first, throwing his head back and flooding my mouth with his cum. Beau followed a split second later, pulling out to spatter all over my back. Time stopped as we came together, and nothing mattered but pleasure.
The tent was standing, but none of us bothered with it. As if with one mind, Mal, Beau and I lay down next to Jasper under the open sky, curled around each other in a tangle of limbs and exhausted bliss. It was the happiest I had ever been, and I tried to stay awake to savor the warm press of their bodies. But sleep found me, and my eyelids fluttered closed at last.
* * *
Gram and I were walking in the field outside her cabin. It was late afternoon, and the light was golden as the sun was just beginning to sink below the trees. The long grasses swayed, rustling softly, and the light breeze sent the magnolia petals swirling in gusts around our feet. She looked happy, laughing in the sunshine, her waist-length white braid studded with white flowers. “I’m glad to see you so happy,” she said, taking my hands in hers. Her eyes, grey, like mine, crinkled as she smiled at me. “Your guards are a blessing from the Goddess, and you should treasure them.”
Princess of Wolves: A Reverse Harem Romance Page 9
