by Renee Rose
He brought his palm down, watching her cheek flatten and spring back. He slapped the other side, waiting for the red prints of his fingers to stand out against her milky skin. She wiggled her ass for more. He bit back a groan. Knowing she craved his dominance sent a shot of pure lust rocketing through his body. Wolves were born to dominate, at least alpha wolves were. Having a female who offered herself up the way Ashley did fed some inner source of virile power.
“I think I may have to give you regular spankings,” he said, slapping one side of her ass, then the other. “I can’t have you acting out just to earn a punishment.”
She moaned wantonly.
He picked up the pace, spanking a little harder as he focused on slapping the low middle of her cheeks, just above her sweet little pussy.
“Oh!” she gasped.
“I expect your instant obedience and complete respect, or you’ll be spending all your time in the corner with your panties down and a bright red bottom on display.”
Ashley made a keening sound, as if she was about to come. He wondered if he could bring her to climax just through spanking. He picked up the intensity a little more, still spanking right over her sex.
Her fingers closed on the sheets, and she lifted her head, giving a throaty cry over and over again. “Rub your clit, Ashley,” he commanded, his voice thick.
She didn’t seem to understand at first, but he didn’t pause the spanking, still paddling her with a steady beat. After a moment, she reached a hand down between her pelvis and the pillows and immediately came undone. Her bottom clenched up, legs straightening as she arched.
He slid his own hand beneath her and shoved her hand aside, vibrating the pad of his finger over her sensitive nub.
She vocalized her release with a louder cry of pleasure, humping his hand as she came. Nothing could be more satisfying than pleasing his female.
“Beautiful girl,” he murmured. He caressed her heated cheeks, then slid his fingers between her legs and stroked her swollen, wet pussy.
He’d had her from behind the first time. This time he wanted to see her face. He shucked his clothes and grabbed a condom from his wallet. Rolling her over to her back, he pulled out the pillow and climbed over her.
She took the condom from his hand, ripping open the foil wrapper and rolling the rubber on his cock. He positioned himself directly above her honeyed slit, her heat pulsing against his sensitive organ. She rocked her hips and reached down to guide him in.
He pushed slowly, relishing the moment of entry and the dizzying effect of the walls of her vagina hugging his manhood like a glove. Her fingers tightened on his shoulders and he stopped, giving her a chance to grow accustomed to his size. After a beat, she began to move, lifting her hips to take him deeper.
“That’s it, baby,” he murmured, ignoring his body’s desire to celebrate their union and pound into her without mercy.
She arched, making sweet little moans each time he stroked into her. She lifted her legs in the air and wrapped her ankles behind his back, using them to pull him even deeper, hoisting her pelvis up to meet him.
“Oh, God,” he groaned. “I won’t make it long at this rate.”
Ashley closed her eyes, her hair spread out on the pillow as her head slid up and down with the force of his thrusts. She clutched at his arms, dug her fingernails deep into his flesh, and thrust even harder to meet him. “Give it to me.”
“What? Oh, gawd…” He slammed into her, losing all ability to regulate his need. Using one hand on her shoulder to pin her in place, he thrust over and over until lights exploded before his eyes and he came, shouting her name.
* * *
Even if her bed were on fire, Ashley couldn’t have moved. Every muscle had gone limp in the wake of her orgasm. Her pussy still throbbed from Ben’s invasion, stretched wide and punished with his rough lovemaking. Even her insides felt pounded, but she adored the sensation, wished to savor the sensation of being so well-used, so very much his.
He eased out of her and settled at her side, pulling her against him. “Are you okay?”
“Mmm,” was all she could manage to say.
“How’s your leg? Did I hurt you?”
“Shh,” she said, touching his lips. “I’m fine. I’m better than fine; I’m wonderful.”
“I love you,” he said.
She stopped breathing.
He looked uncertain. “It probably seems way too soon to say something like that, but it’s true. Wolves are different. We know our mates from almost the moment we meet them.”
She traced the line of his brow. “Does that mean it’s fate? Or destiny? I mean, do you think you have only one mate?”
He shrugged. “Yeah, I suppose so. I mean, not all wolves mate for life, but most do. It would have to be pretty bad to call it quits.” He frowned, looking lost in thought.
“What?”
He swallowed. “I was just thinking about my mom.”
“You think she chose death rather than divorce your dad?”
He nodded. “Divorce would never have been an option with my father. He would’ve hunted her to the ends of the earth. She was more of a possession than a partner. We all were.”
“What happened between your dad and that guy today?”
Ben’s face turned stony, as if the memory of her kidnapping angered him.
She stroked his cheek.
“Sandoval led a rival pack to my father’s in Caracas. He was a drug lord—filthy rich—and growing more and more powerful every day. My father felt the threat of a takeover and he summoned me back to Caracas to stand beside him in a fight. Leon had moved to the States and made a success for himself, so he wasn’t expected back. The idea was always that I would inherit leadership of my father’s pack, so it made sense for me to go, but I ignored the summons.
“There were threats—Sandoval issued a challenge, which my father ignored. When I didn’t show up, my father took a coward’s way out and planned Sandoval’s murder. He planted a bomb in his limo, only it exploded with his wife and daughters inside.
“Realizing the shit was going to hit the fan, my father called me back again, desperate this time. I made myself unavailable—I just didn’t answer his calls or messages. Leon went instead, and Sandoval killed them both.” Ben’s mouth twisted into a bitter expression.
“Ben,” she said, “their deaths are not your fault or responsibility. You chose not to engage in a fight that wasn’t yours and lacked honor. Your brother made a different choice, which was his right. It had nothing to do with you.”
“Yes, it did,” Ben said, the anger in his face causing her to stiffen. “If I had gone, Leon never would’ve had to make the choice.”
“That’s not true. He could’ve made the same decision as you did. And if you’d gone, he still might have chosen to go. He was his own man—you didn’t force him into anything.”
Ben’s eyes reddened and he fell onto his back, staring at the ceiling.
“Ben, we’re each in charge of our own destiny. You’re an alpha. A man who follows his own guidance and chooses his own path. You made the right choice. And if you hadn’t… then you might not be here today and we never would’ve met.”
Ben rolled back to face her, smothering her with a kiss. “You are my destiny,” he said, sounding choked. “After Leon—” He broke off and swallowed. “I couldn’t take it that I had lived and he hadn’t. He was the better man. He had a wife and children, a successful company, a pack that depended on his leadership. I had nothing—I was nothing. I would’ve given anything to trade with him—to give my life so that he could’ve stayed.” A tear escaped one of Ben’s eyes and rolled down his nose. “But maybe—maybe you’re right. Maybe I had a destiny that I just couldn’t see at the time.” He swiped at the moisture on his cheek. “A future with you.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yes. Your future holds all kinds of successes too.”
He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’re so preciou
s to me, it hurts.”
She blinked up at him, her chest swelling. “So back to this mating for life thing. Are you really my fiancé now, or was that just something you told the doctor to get him to let you into my hospital room?”
Ben grinned. “I’m whatever you want to call me. We don’t need human names for relationships. As far as wolves are concerned, I marked you, and you’re mine.”
She smirked. “Are you calling me a possession?”
He tickled her, causing her to squeal and press her elbows to her ribs in a fruitless attempt to protect herself. “I’m saying you can’t get rid of me now. If you need a ring on your finger to believe that, I’ll buy you the biggest diamond on earth, but you’d better prepare yourself—I’m not leaving.”
“Do you mean prepare my house or my life?” she teased.
“Hmm, that’s a good question. Shall I move in here with you, or do you want to move in with me?”
Her heart double-pumped. He meant it—he really wanted them to move in together. “Well… your place is probably a lot nicer,” she said.
He smiled. “Actually, it’s not. It’s just a stupid apartment with the very basics in furniture.”
She cocked her head. Why was a multi-millionaire living with the just basics? “Were you punishing yourself?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t feel comfortable spending Leon’s money.”
“Didn’t Leon’s wife inherit his money?”
“Yes, I mean my salary from Stone.”
“That’s not Leon’s money, that’s your salary, for working, dummy.”
“Uh oh,” Ben said, rolling her to her belly and pinning her down with a hand in the middle of her upper back. He delivered a flurry of stinging swats to her still-sore bottom, making her tummy flip like a pancake.
God, she loved his dominance.
“Rule number one, little wolfling. Never call me names.” He landed another five spanks, which left her moaning. “You may call me sir, or master, or Mr. Stone.”
The word master made her pussy clench. She would love to serve Ben Stone as his own personal sex slave.
He climbed over her. “Spread your legs,” he murmured in her ear.
She opened her thighs and his cock dived straight back into her pussy, without any guidance.
She sucked in her breath at the sting.
“Are you sore, sweet girl?” he asked.
She hesitated. It hurt, but she wanted him to go on. “No.”
He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her head back, growling in her ear, “Was that a lie?”
Her pussy gushed. “Please don’t stop,” she breathed.
He chuckled. “I might do this all night long if you’re not careful.”
Her muscles clamped down on his cock in a mini-orgasm. “I won’t stop you,” she gasped when she could breathe again.
“Let’s find a new place to live, together,” he said as he glided in and out of her.
Bliss swept over her in waves, long before he slid his hand under her and diddled her clit to set off another earth-shattering orgasm.
Chapter Twelve
He pulled up at the warehouse and turned off the engine. He saw both Zolla’s and Mark’s cars parked in the lot, which was filled with cars and motorcycles. At least he had two friends in there. He had called Stanley and requested a meeting with the pack.
He’d brought Ashley—un-blindfolded this time. She was his mate, so if he was going to be a part of this pack, they’d have to get used to her. Having her along gave him strength. Her very presence made him want to man up where before he had ducked his head.
They walked in and although the sound of conversations didn’t diminish, he sensed the attention of most wolves on him. Everyone was there—male and female wolves alike. He caught sight of Shayla across the room and experienced a moment of uncertainty. How would she feel about him taking Leon’s place? Lord knew he wasn’t half the wolf Leon had been. She gave him a small smile and lifted her fingers in a wave.
He waved back. Zolla came forward, his wiry frame making him look almost adolescent in comparison with the brawny wolves around him, not that human form necessarily correlated with wolf size. He pushed his glasses up on his nose and grinned, sticking out his hand.
Ben grasped his palm. “Thanks for coming. I hope it wasn’t awkward,” he said, wondering if anyone gave him crap because he’d left their pack.
Zolla shrugged. “I don’t care about that,” he said. “Hey, Ashley.”
Ashley moved in for a hug, and Ben was surprised to find he didn’t want to kick the wolf’s teeth in. Maybe marking her had eased some of the masculine aggression that had controlled him since the moment he first laid eyes on her. Or perhaps it had been her exquisite surrender the night before.
“How’s your leg?”
She grinned. “Doctor said it was miraculous—the bone didn’t need the reconstruction the first x-rays showed was necessary.”
“You’ve got good genes, there,” Zolla said with a wink.
Ben slid an arm around Ashley’s waist and pulled her against his side.
Stanley walked over and shook his hand. “The floor is yours whenever you’re ready. Do you want me to introduce you?”
“Nah, that’s okay,” Ben said, putting two fingers to his lips to whistle. The room fell silent.
“Brothers, sisters,” he said. “Thank you all for coming tonight. I came to thank you for standing by me yesterday—sticking your necks out and risking your lives for a guy who hasn’t offered this pack one thing. I didn’t deserve what you did for me.”
No one spoke.
“I haven’t participated with the pack as I should have. I know I’ve failed you and I’ve failed Leon.” His eyes sought Shayla and he found her in the crowd. She gave him a small, encouraging smile. “I want you to know from now on, I’m in, if you’ll have me. I’d be honored to be your brother, and serve in whatever way is asked of me.”
The room was silent.
“What if you are asked to be alpha?” Stanley asked.
The wolves all stared at him, waiting. He saw challenge in some of their eyes. He met their gazes squarely until one by one, they dropped. He couldn’t imagine why they would want him as their leader. He hadn’t proven he had any ability to lead. Sure, he was the biggest, strongest wolf, but that didn’t mean he had the ability to guide them.
Zolla gave him a nod of encouragement. For some reason, the omega wolf believed in him. And his friendship had saved both his and Ashley’s life the day before.
He bowed his head. “I will serve in whatever way is asked of me, for the good of the pack.”
“Leadership requires sacrifice,” Stanley said after another long silence. “Yesterday, I saw your willingness to sacrifice yourself to protect your mate. Would you be willing to offer that kind of protection to your pack?”
He looked out over the faces of the pack. They were his kind—his species—wolves living amongst humans. They took care of one another. If they didn’t, they risked exposing their secret to the world, which might trigger their extinction. Stanley had been right before—lone wolves were a detriment to all. He had weakened the pack by staying away.
He swallowed. “I would give my life for you, individually and as a whole,” he swore solemnly.
He sensed a ripple of approval, although still no one spoke.
“Wolves are not democratic by nature,” Stanley said, “but we are Americans, after all. Who here objects to this alpha’s rule?”
He scanned the faces. Some of the wolves looked dubious with their arms folded across their chests, but no one dissented.
“I don’t have any practice leading a pack,” he said, “but I promise to give it my best.”
Zolla lowered to one knee and bowed his head, holding his fist in his hand in the position of respect for their alpha. Mark and Stanley went down next. Shayla dropped, too, and strangely, she wore a smile almost like a proud parent might give their new graduate. One by one, the wol
ves dropped to the floor at his feet, showing their subservience to him.
When even Ashley copied the gesture, balanced on her crutches, a shudder ran through him—a sign of the rightness and importance of the moment.
Humbled, he mimicked the gesture, clasping his fist and bowing his head. “You honor me,” he said. “I will do my best to defend and serve you as your leader and your brother wolf.” He dropped his head back and howled in the direction of the moon.
The entire pack joined him, raising their voices to mingle with his, filling the metal building with the reverberation of their united song.
When the howls died down, he said, “I will take any old or new business in a moment, but first, I’d like to introduce you to my mate.” He reached for Ashley’s hand and helped her to her feet. “This is Ashley. She is part wolf and my salvation—the female who rescued me from my worst self. I know humans are not usually a part of these activities, and I know it’s unusual for an alpha to mate with a human, but I hope you will make her as welcome as you would a full-blooded wolf.” He hardened his gaze as he swept it across the crowd, showing them a hint of warning so they would understand he was giving them an order, not a request.
He squeezed Ashley’s hand, sensing her nervousness but knowing she would overcome any objections anyone had about her. Hell, she had won him over in about five seconds flat.
“Does anyone have business that has to be discussed tonight, or can we go straight to the food?” he asked with a grin. Wolf meetings typically included a potluck at the end, in which food was shared, along with socializing. For this meeting, he had told Stanley he’d provide the food, which he’d had catered by a local Mexican restaurant.
“Let’s eat,” someone called out.
He grinned. “All right, the food’s in my car. If a couple of you could give me a hand, I’ll get it set up.”
