by Dawn Forrest
“That was a warning, my dear. I would rather not injure what is mine, but I don’t need your legs to work to fuck you.”
She took off fast, uphill away from him. Run, rabbit, run.
* * * *
In a small clearing in the forest, Hawke hit the ground hard but rolled to take the impact easily. He had used only the reserve parachute because it could be deployed closer to the ground, but it hadn’t had much time to slow his fall. Still, it gave him more vital minutes to find Khan and Katherine. He quickly tore off the straps and released himself. He was downwind of the cabin and inhaled through his nose as deeply he could.
It hit him like a bomb blast, a supersonic shock wave through his whole being. It was a scent so devastatingly wonderful that he reeled from the impact and the knowledge of it. Her, the only one, his mate. No, it can’t be. It’s just the scent of a female werewolf. He shook his head and inhaled again. It could only be Katherine’s scent, so like her daughter’s but a hundred times more potent. Great Spirit, he had felt something similar years ago and never really thought to do so again, but this, this was even more intense, something stronger and wilder, packing a psychic punch that couldn’t be ignored. And she wasn’t alone. Khan was near her.
Bang! He heard the distinctive crack of a gunshot. Dressed in the clothes he felt most comfortable hunting in—soft leather pants, tunic, and winter moccasins—he ran fast toward his future. Already a partial change was upon him, and as he came to a clearing where a cabin stood, he felt the first major muscle contractions. Good. He threw his pack onto the porch, sliced through the straps that held his knives, and tore off his clothes with his claws. He was no longer concerned about letting his ferocious beast free, about slaughtering Khan and then wildly taking an unwilling female. She wouldn’t be unwilling if she was his, and she wouldn’t be fragile because she was a werewolf. Will had realized long ago that conscious cruelty was not an animal trait. The pure beast was an elemental creature, and it was the human part of the werewolf that perverted its actions.
His change would come quickly and easily due to age and the adrenaline that coursed through his veins. He knew that Khan’s would be quick, too, and Katherine would be vulnerable. He felt his muscles spasm and joints pop as the moonrise began. He let his humanity plummet and the animal rise, no longer fearing what he would do to her. He trusted and embraced the animal instinct.
* * * *
She glanced over her shoulder and stumbled in horror. Although it was dark, she could see a large black shape gaining on her, fast. Oh god, that was quick. Khan was no longer in human form. He was a huge, jet-black beast, a short-haired, sleek predator, zigzagging through the trees. His scent was strongly laced with aggression and arousal. She stopped and bravely turned to stand her ground and took aim with the crossbow. At that moment she felt the full effect of the moon and could no longer deny the change. Pain exploded in her muscles, and she fell to her knees.
Khan, no longer fearing the arrows, loped directly to her. She heard him snort as he stood over her and saw hot breath escape from his muzzle into the cold night air. He leaned closer, grabbed the crossbow, and threw it against a tree where it smashed into pieces. She scrambled to find the arrows, because if she could just stake the bastard it might give her some time. He snorted again, grabbed the quiver and arrows, and tossed them far over his shoulder. Oh God, too late. Her body doubled over in torturous agony as the gravitational pull of the moon tore free her beast. He snarled, and his saliva-coated teeth glistened in the pale moonlight. He reached out and shredded the clothes from her body. His claws scratched and cut her in several places as she writhed on the ground, unable to stop the transition.
When it was finally done she lay, panting, catching her breath as he loomed over her. She tried to roll and scramble away, but he easily pinned her with his big body until she ceased to struggle and gave up at the futility of it. He intimidated her with a deep growl but then nuzzled and licked her face. She snarled and snapped at him. He snapped back and made a rumbling sound—laughter. He pushed up off her but kept her face pressed down in the earth with his big hand. Long, thick, sharp claws pinched around her neck. She kicked out backwards, trying to nail him in the balls, but he easily blocked her and smacked her hard on the rump. A strong arm worked under her hips and pulled her ass up high. Thick, muscular thighs pushed her legs farther apart as he positioned himself close up behind her.
Bastard. He waited, growling softly, clearly savoring the moment, and then—A deep, loud bellow full of rage thundered and echoed off the mountains. The thudding of heavy, long strides vibrated the ground on which she lay. One second Khan was behind her, the next he was gone, bowled over by a massive shape. Another werewolf, she realized with astonishment.
The two fought viciously, goliaths battling for the prize, for her. Limbs thudded against limbs and claws grated together as they clashed. She scrambled upright, preparing to flee, but something stopped her. The new male was the biggest she’d ever seen. His pelt was as black as Khan’s but longer, with a smooth mane that ran in a strip from his head down his back to his tail. It looked soft, and she wanted to run her fingers through it. Run? Run! The suppressed rational part of her mind yelled.
She backed away from the males who were now circling each other, but she didn’t leave. The new big beast held her attention completely, and his scent enthralled her. She astounded herself by making a noise unlike any she’d made before, a tentative, exploratory mating call, a yip of recognition. The unknown male stopped and looked straight at her, a piercing gaze that set her trembling and aching with need. A low growl emanated from deep within his huge chest.
At that moment, Khan moved swiftly and threw himself into an all-or-nothing maneuver. He darted down and picked up one of her silver-tipped arrows, and then he dove for the other male’s throat while also attempting to stab him through the heart. No! She wanted to cry out as the scene played out in slow motion before her eyes, even though in reality it was happening incredibly fast.
Seemingly with little effort, the other beast pivoted, and his arms shot out and grabbed Khan by the neck and wrist. He tugged him around, using Khan’s own weight to hold him off balance and keep him at bay while exposing his throat. It was a fast, fluid, economical movement that ended when then he reared back and swooped down to sink his wide, powerful jaws into Khan’s flesh.
For a long moment nothing happened. They were locked together like lovers in a passionate embrace. Then with a little twist and shake, the newcomer pulled free with a sizable chunk of Khan’s throat in his muzzle. Khan gurgled, and he dropped the arrow as his arms weakly flailed around, trying to grasp against his captor’s hold. His eyes were wide open in panic, disbelief, and shock. The other male spat and roared again. She could see that his muzzle was wet and dripping with blood as he opened wide his huge jaws and dove in for another bite.
Even changed and with the animal in ascendance, Katherine was stunned by such an utterly decisive act of violence, executed with no hesitation and no mercy in mind. Who was this beast? Like dry sand carried on a soft breeze, a thought whispered and worked itself into the smallest crevices of her mind. Mate. This time, the male’s head shook viciously, and his jaws crunched through vertebrae and snapped together. Khan’s body fell one way and his head dropped and rolled the other. As always happened when werewolves died in beast form, the latent energy in Khan’s cells, his life force, swiftly, spontaneously combusted and turned his body and head to ash. Ashok Khan was no more.
The victorious male stood up to his full height, threw his head and arms back, and let loose a powerful, triumphant roar from deep within the massive expanse of his chest. It declared him as the top predator, King of the Mountains, Lord of All Wild Creatures. She had to suppress the urge to join in, to affirm his Prime position. Even before the echo died, he turned his attention to her, pinning her like a butterfly with his hard and hungry stare. There was no mistaking the carnal need in his dark, fierce eyes, and she knew that there woul
d be no escaping this beast. Strange, though, she wasn’t terrified as she watched him lick his muzzle clean of Khan’s blood. He didn’t move toward her but issued a low, almost-gentle growl. He seemed to be waiting for something from her.
The mating whisper now became a roar as that low rumbling sound fizzed through her corporeal beast form and teased her human soul. As compellingly attractive as he was terrifying only moments ago, she understood why she hadn’t left when they had fought—she belonged with this male. As shocking as his actions had been, as lethally dangerous as he clearly was, she should have been concerned about her safety, but instead her beast was thrilled with this strong mate. She looked at him, sniffed, and issued a little yipping, growling sound…a come-on and a challenge. Was he waiting for her to come to him and submit immediately? No chance. Following instinct and intuition, she turned, swished her tail in what could only be construed as a flirtatious move, and took off.
* * * *
Yes! The chase. Adrenaline continued to course through his veins like liquid fire, charring all his petty human concerns and worries. The beast knew she was his mate, and she wasn’t a fragile human. It would not be denied, would not be suppressed. The hunt, the fight, the kill, had been but an exhilarating prelude to the running down of his mate and claiming her fully for all time. She wanted him, he could smell her desire, but he was going to have to work for it. Oh, it had been too long since he had let go like this, let his beast run free, unrestrained. He bellowed an irrepressible, exultant roar at the moon, the mountains, and to his mate. He was coming to ravish and claim her.
He pursued her as she ran fast through the forest on all four legs, her long loping gait eating up the ground. He stayed a little behind, but not so far that she wouldn’t be aware of him. She was a striking creature, over six and a half feet tall. Her coat looked to be oil black in color with an iridescent sheen in the moonlight. It was short at the front but long and luxurious on her head and down her back. Her muscular yet curvaceous haunches taunted him. Her tail goaded him like a matador’s red cape to a bull. Very soon it would be a white flag of surrender to him. He let her run and skillfully herded her, running her in a wide circle. When they came to a clearing, he would take her down.
* * * *
It was perfect, this chase, the excitement blended with a breathtaking, heady mix of danger and desire. She could smell his maddening fragrance, and it threatened her sanity and made her think about letting him catch her. She could hear his heavy footfalls and panting breath, close behind but not close enough. Suddenly she broke out of the tree line into a large clearing. The thudding rhythm of his paws ceased. Given up already? She was disappointed. A lesser male simply wouldn’t do for her. She began to cast a look behind. Something heavy landed up ahead, in front of her. No, by God, he had not given up, he had leapt over her!
She reared up onto her two strong legs and dug her paws into cold, hard ground, comically skidding as she tried to brake hard and backpedal. Earth scattered as it was ripped up under the force of her attempt to avoid him. It was in vain. She barreled into him and would have fallen hard if he hadn’t grabbed her, swung her around, and rolled to the earth with her. He moved with a flowing grace unlike anything she had ever witnessed in another creature. She fought him, ineffectually trying to escape. He was so very strong, more solid and muscular than even Khan or Connor. Their initial snaps, bites, and snarls were quickly exposed for what they were—mere posturing. Soon they were rubbing their bodies against each other, licking and nuzzling all over, transferring scent, preparing to mate.
When he pulled away and stood over her, she knew what he wanted—capitulation. She rolled over and went to her elbows and knees. He growled as he squatted low behind her on his powerfully muscular haunches. She felt his clawed hands run through her mane, and she whined with need as he gripped her firmly. In response to the tug on her fur, she arched her back more and stuck her butt higher into the air and held her tail firmly to one side. Her vagina felt swollen, hot and moist…ready. She whimpered and undulated her hips, urging him to enter her. He didn’t disappoint.
* * * *
Mine. She was ripe and ready to be mated. Her soft cunt had definitely swollen more since they had touched and stroked each other. He buried one hand in her long mane, gripping firmly, while he used his other to rub his cock against her opening. She was slick already, and he was leaking pre-cum on her nether lips, smearing it along the seam, mixing their secretions. She whimpered and wiggled her ass.
He didn’t need an invitation and immediately thrust forward into her soft-yet-supple snatch. It gave and welcomed him in a warm, tight embrace, the like of which the beast nor man had never known. He was stunned by this first physical connection with his mate and took a few moments to savor the sensations. He gripped her mane tightly and leaned over to cover her with his much-bigger frame. He held her to him with his free arm around her hips and jerked against her, sliding his hard cock into her muscular, velvet-like channel. His balls hung heavily between their legs, full and tight to their bursting point. She whined and slammed back against him, causing his big sack to swing and slap against her sex. Instinct and need raged through his being, and the beast had full control. Mine. He rutted in her long and hard under the spotlight of the full moon, their silhouette a bucking beast with two backs.
She panted, mewled, and growled as he went at her relentlessly, pounding into and against her. Her thoughts and feelings were bleeding over into his own, as surely as his were leaking into hers. This heightened awareness, sensitivity, and perception was a phenomenon particular only to true-mates. He had been denied this pleasure for too many long years, but no more. Never again would he run alone in a Pack. He bellowed his gratitude to the moon.
Her channel massaged his full length as it clenched and spasmed around his shaft. He knew what was about to happen, though he had never experienced it himself, not even with a male in a show of dominance. He’d never felt the inclination or the necessity to fuck another male werewolf in beast form. Close to the base of his cock, the flesh began to swell to huge proportions as her vagina clamped down. He sank his teeth into her shoulder and held her tight up against him as they both came hard. He grunted while she howled loudly into the night. Now that they were internally tied together, he released his jaws from her flesh and fur and roared in triumphant ecstasy as his seed continued to pulse from his cock and fill her womb.
Suddenly, with no warning, his spirit escaped its corporeal cage and soared high and free. For a moment, the man he was looked down upon the beasts, physically locked together, and then he felt her essence, her soul, warm and yielding. It came to him, accepted him, entwined and united with him. The solid mating bond formed, and he knew that it was indestructible, even by death. They would be forever connected. True-mates for eternity.
Chapter 16
Angela didn’t think she’d ever appreciated her mother as much as she did at this moment. She sat in the snug teepee with the tub of salve in her hand and felt tears of love and gratitude prick her eyes. The sun had just set, and in ten minutes the moon would rise, bringing forth the beast in her mate.
“You’ll be fine, my little love,” her mother cooed as she stroked her hair. “Finding and binding to your mate is a precious gift, and Mike is a good man. I’ll see you in the morning. I have to go now, your father will be waiting for me.” But her mom hugged her closer for a moment as if she didn’t want to release her.
“TMI, mom, too much information.” She tried to make a joke and gave her mom her best I’m-okay-really-I-am smile as she walked with her to the SUV. She watched her drive away until the taillights faded into the dwindling twilight. She couldn’t sit down and wait calmly as if for a doctor’s appointment, so she slowly paced outside the teepee, in front of the fire to stay warm. She was alone. A distant howl carried on the cold night air, and she shivered. Not for long.
* * * *
He was running fast, with a purpose, crashing through the forest because steal
th was not required for this hunt. He lifted his snout to taste and smell the air and detected her faint delectable scent. It riled the animal he was into a desperate frenzy to reach his goal, find and fuck her, to claim and fully bond with his mate. He threw his head back and howled his intent. He was coming, and she should be prepared for him.
He slowed as her scent became much stronger. She was close, and she was afraid. He was about to roar and seek out what it was that scared her so, but then he realized that there was no external threat, and that she was afraid of him. That revelation pulled him up short of his goal, and he stopped at the edge of the clearing. Even through the distraction of her presence and the clawing need he had to go to her, a part of him remembered the other Primes’ advice. Move quickly, get close, let your pheromones work, and get her ready. He stepped out and loped across the open space on four legs. He heard her gasp as he passed into the soft yellow light cast by the fire. She was shaking like an aspen leaf. When he was only a few meters away, he slowed and stood upright. From his seven-foot-ten-inch-tall perspective, she was very small and had to tip her head back to find his gaze.
She blinked up at him and sniffed. “Mike?”
Yes, no, it was, and it wasn’t. He growled softly and took a few long strides closer, his heavy steps audible above the quietly crackling fire and the otherwise-silent night. Her breath hitched, but the scent of fear lessened, replaced with rapidly blooming desire. She tentatively reached out and stroked his massive chest. He towered over her and gently pulled her into an embrace, nuzzling her head and shoulders, imbibing her fragrance and marking her with his.
