by Sky Corgan
“People are starting to talk.”
“Let them talk.” Carter flicked his wrist dismissively.
“Are you really going to be willing to throw everything away for this woman?” Kenny sighed.
“It's not going to get to that point, Kenny.” He let his head fall to the side in annoyance.
“Then you're going to send her away?”
Carter traced his bottom lip with his tongue, wetting it. The thought of sending Karen away had never crossed his mind now that he had an excuse to keep her. If she stayed with him, she'd be able to shift every full moon, he was convinced. She'd be more lycan than she ever was before. He had even told her brother that to keep him from coming to retrieve her. And while it was true, it wasn't the real reason he wanted her to stay with him. Carter just couldn't get enough of her. He was infatuated with her.
“Not yet.” He shook his head, lowering his gaze so that he wouldn't have to see the disappointment on Kenny's face.
Kenny pointed a finger at him. “I've seen better men than you fall because of their arrogance, thinking they could get away with this or that. The council always finds out, Carter. They always do. And the consequences are rarely just a slap on the wrist.”
“What do you care?” Carter's anger flared, his eyes going full-blown amber in less than a fraction of a second. “Most likely, you'll be the one to usurp me. Don't you want that?”
All the life seemed to drain out of Kenny as he slumped back in his chair. The man looked hurt, like Carter had just punched him right in the chest and stole all of his breath.
“You're like a little brother to me. All I want is to protect you. All I've ever wanted is to protect you.”
The wolf died down in Carter as regret took over. “I know. I'm sorry. I just...I just don't know what to do. I don't want to give her up. I...”
“I know. I can see it in your eyes when you talk about her.” Kenny offered him a weak smile. “You can't be with her if you're dead though.” His gaze fell, as if he was trying to search for something to say to help Carter's situation, to make things better. They both knew there was no way to win this though. Carter couldn't have his cake and eat it too. The price was too high. “You're playing a dangerous game.”
“I understand that,” Carter's voice softened. “It's my game to play though.”
“You need to remember that she's just a pawn on your chessboard. Pawns are a dime a dozen. You need to save yourself for a queen. A queen will rule by your side and protect you.”
A smirk creased the corners of Carter's lips. “Ah yes, but you forget, good sir, that a pawn can also become a queen.”
Karen stared at her bedroom door, her heart drumming with anticipation. This was her favorite part of the day, the part where Carter sneaked into her bedroom and made love to her before any of the other werewolves woke up. It was excitingly taboo and forbidden, the king with the peasant—the regional Alpha with the woman who was barely even lycan. To Karen, it was like a fairytale.
But in real life, there aren't so many happy endings.
Eventually, he would stop coming to her. Or worse, he'd send her home, signaling that their tryst was over. She dreaded that day more than anything. The day when he broke her heart and destroyed her completely.
That day hadn't yet come though. Carter was reliable, showing up on her doorstep every morning like clockwork. His hunger for her was apparent in his eyes, and his passion hadn't even fallen one notch since they'd first coupled. If anything, it seemed like his lust for her was growing more intense. They needed to be in each other's arms, just like they needed air to breathe.
Yet today, he was late.
Karen chewed on her bottom lip and fidgeted with her nails as she sat with her gaze fixed on the door. Every sound on the other side made her pulse race, thinking it might be Carter coming to claim her body again. He was a beast in the sack, rough and carnal and oh so satisfying. The thought that she'd one day have to give him up made her intestines curl into a tight knot of despair.
Time marched on. Soon, her eyes were flickering from the door to the clock on her bedside table. The other lycans were waking up, which meant the window of opportunity where Carter could come to her was closing quickly.
The sound of footsteps in the hall made Karen's wolf perk up. She inhaled deeply, trying to catch the scent of the approaching person. It was no use though, her wolf was too weak. Just when hope overtook her that it might be Carter, the footsteps continued down the hall, away from her room. Soon, another pair followed, and Karen knew her chance to be with Carter was lost. He hadn't come for her. Perhaps the day she feared had finally arrived.
Depression raced through her, infecting every cell as Karen realized she'd have to start her day without Carter's touch. While he never promised he'd return to her, he had always been there. What did his disappearance mean?
She'd like to think she didn't have much time to dwell on it, but there was really nothing to keep her busy here. In the mornings, she'd go to breakfast, where she'd sit alone under the watchful, disapproving eyes of the rest of the pack. Some days, she could almost feel the hatred coming off of the other females. They rarely bothered to hide their disdain for her—only when Carter was around, which wasn't often.
After breakfast, it was back to her room until lunch, then back to her room again until dinner, only emerging for socialization during the nightly bonfire, where she was shunned yet again. The first time she attended, Carter came to keep her company. Now, he did his best to stay away from her. It was like her only purpose in staying at Sky High Ranch was to be his secret lover in the mornings. She knew that wasn't true though. This was werewolf reform. This was helping her to become a better lycan. This was absolutely driving her crazy.
The day dragged on with all of its lifeless wonder. Shunned here. Ignored there. Sitting alone at the bonfire while everyone else drank and had fun. Watching Carter from a distance as he hung off of Kenny, laughing and making merry with his boys. The fact that he wouldn't even look at her made Karen feel like a ghost. Perhaps the curt greeting she had received from him when he handed her a beer an hour earlier was the only pleasantry she should be expecting from him from now on. Their time together was most likely over, and that made Karen miserable. Made her want to leave Sky High Ranch.
The night came to an end, and Karen returned to her room emotionally exhausted, even though her body was far from tired. As strange as it was, she had come to rely on her romps with Carter to drain her energy stores. Considering that she did a whole lot of nothing during the daytime, he was the only real physical activity she got.
She scowled at her bedroom door before grabbing her night clothes and trudging into the bathroom to take a shower. It would likely be a long, sleepless night, spent going over the miserable what ifs. What if her and Carter were over? How would she manage to stay at Sky High Ranch among all the negativity if he wasn't by her side? What if he took another werewolf to bed with him? The more she thought about it, the more she died inside. Perhaps she should run away before things got that far. It might be the only way to save her heart.
Karen stood under the showerhead and let the water wash her silent tears away. Carter certainly wasn't worth crying over. Not the heaving type of crying that was threatening to break through to the surface at any moment. He was the regional Alpha. She was barely even lycan. They could never be together. Not really.
She stayed in the shower longer than normal, allowing the warm water to caress her body like an embrace. It was certainly the only warmth she would feel here, now that Carter had abandoned her. Karen couldn't soak under the water forever though. Her feet and hands were turning into prunes, and the steam was beginning to feel suffocating.
With a sigh, she turned off the shower, then reached for her towel to begin drying off. When she opened the shower curtain, and her eyes landed on the imposing frame of a male figure, she thought she might have a heart attack. The man lurched forward, slapping his palm over her mouth to suppre
ss the scream that had crawled up her throat.
“Shh. They'll hear us.” Carter pressed his nose against Karen's cheek, inhaling her clean scent. “You look so stunningly beautiful right now, like something out of a wet dream.”
She rolled her eyes and shoved him away, nearly losing her balance as her foot slipped on the tile. Within half a second, Carter had her in his arms, holding her against him, making her...
“Get off me. You're filthy.” She slapped at his chest but couldn't help smiling. After taking nearly an hour to wash off all the werewolf stink from her body, he had undone everything with just a touch. Now she smelled like the bonfire again—smelled like him.
“I plan to get you filthy too,” he growled into her ear before nipping at the lobe.
“Where were you this morning?” She pulled out of his grasp, sidestepping him to stand in front of the mirror and towel dry her hair.
Carter looked over her shoulder, staring at her reflection appreciatively. His expression was one she had grown accustomed to, that of extreme desire. Sneakily, he slipped his hands around her, grabbing her breasts and pulling her back against the hard wall of his chest, pinching both of her warm nipples at once and tweaking them until they beaded, sending shivers of need straight to her pussy.
“I got detained.” His large hands kneaded into her soft flesh, his fingertips twisting and rubbing her sensitive peaks.
Karen tried to resist, but she could feel her wolf rumbling up to the surface, telling her to give in. It was easy to acquiesce. Carter's touch felt so amazing. She tipped her head against him, inhaling his earthy scent, allowing it to intoxicate her. To tease, she pushed her ass back, and she could feel his cock respond, trying to match the pressure as it strained through his jeans.
“You're very bad,” she purred.
“You haven't seen very bad.” He grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around so abruptly that she gasped. Karen barely had time to suck in a breath before Carter's lips were crashing down on top of hers. Euphoria flooded her as her wolf came to life and internally howled its approval. Being with Carter just felt so natural, so right.
Greedily, she reached for his zipper, pulling it down and sliding her hand inside his boxers to free his throbbing member. It twitched crudely in her hand, and she tightened her grip, feeling the sheer firmness of it beneath her palm. God was he hot. She wanted nothing more than to sink to her knees and take him into her mouth, but he wasn't done kissing her.
He traced her top lip with his tongue before slipping it into her mouth, entwining their tongues and tasting her deeply. His arm slid back around her waist, and he drew her to him, her breasts pressing against the starchy material of his shirt, her nipples budding hard with her arousal. Karen moaned into the space between them, moving her hand back and forth on his erect manhood, enjoying the velvety feel of his skin beneath her fingertips.
He pulled free from the kiss, licking her taste from his lips as he pressed their foreheads together and began guiding her back against the wall. Karen squeaked when her back hit the cold paint and seemed to stick there. The look in Carter's eyes made her blush. She could see the faintest glimmer of amber, his wolf just beneath the surface, threatening to consume her.
“I've been waiting for this all day,” he growled, nipping at her bottom lip.
“Then don't wait any longer.” She pulled away and affectionately nuzzled his cheek with hers.
“I don't think I could if I wanted to. I need to be inside of you.”
Karen let out a small shocked sound as Carter wrapped his hands around her ass, grabbing two fistfuls before hoisting her up. His strength was staggering, the way he was able to lift her so effortlessly, like she weighed nothing at all. It was a benefit of being the regional Alpha, the ability to draw strength from the wolf, and it worked marvelously in situations such as this. Situations where he was about to...
“Oh my God,” Karen gasped as she felt his thick helmet sliding between her pussy lips. He was angled perfectly for penetration, and when she saw the sly smile overtake his expression, Karen knew she was in trouble.
His grip faltered for a split second, just enough to allow Karen to fall several inches, impaling herself on his dick. She winced at the sudden intrusion, the way he speared up into her, spreading her uncomfortably wide. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he sank his teeth into the soft flesh of her throat as he began thrusting, filling them both with all the pleasures they'd been denied.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Cock blocked again.
Kenny intercepted Carter's path to get to Karen the next morning, just as he had done the previous day. Carter would have been pissed if not for the fact that Kenny had a damn good reason. Carter had been betrayed by his pack a lot sooner than expected. Apparently, someone had been leaking their suspicions to the council, and they had decided to make an early morning visit to Sky High Ranch, trying to catch Carter in the act.
If not for Kenny coming to warn him, it would have worked. By breakfast time, the council would have found him guilty beyond a doubt, and probably would have had him executed.
That's not how things played out though. Kenny had come to the rescue, saving Carter from himself, and by the time the council arrived, they were both seated in Carter's office, talking casually as if everything was running smoothly as normal.
Unfortunately, when Carter was called to the meeting room, Kenny couldn't follow. All the betas had to remain outside like good little sentinels. Carter would be on his own among his peers, but he wasn't too concerned. They hadn't caught him doing anything illegal, so what action could they really take against him?
“I'm surprised and honored by your visit, gentlemen. I do wish you would have called ahead though. I could have had a breakfast banquet prepared for you,” Carter began pleasantly, gesturing for everyone to take their seats around the long wooden table before he seated himself at the head.
“We thought we'd drop by and surprise you,” Frank Benson, the regional Alpha of Maine said, smiling across the table at Carter as if there was no ill intent at all behind their visit.
Carter knew it was a bold-faced lie. The council rarely did anything unless all the members were on board, and he was one of the members. Perhaps if it had been Carter's birthday, this surprise visit would be more understandable. As it was, they had no good reason to be here.
“You don't actually expect me to believe that bullshit, do you?” Carter leaned forward in challenge, narrowing his eyes.
“There's no reason to become uncivil,” Elliot Williams, one of the older regional Alphas, butted in before directing his full attention to Carter, his voice calm and steady. “You're right. That's not why we're here.”
“Then perhaps one of you fine gentleman could enlighten me.”
Elliot took a deep breath. “You're currently housing a non-solid shifter here.”
Carter nodded. “Karen Needham. Her brother dropped her off for reform.”
“And you mated with her.” Elliot's expression deadpan. All business, this one was. Carter liked that.
“As was my duty.”
“And she's still here.”
“Yes.” There was no point in lying. Karen's scent, as weak as it was, lingered on the premises. They could sniff her out easily enough.
“Why?” Elliot quirked an eyebrow.
The room was silent as the rest of the regional Alphas waited for Carter's response. He might have been nervous if his excuse hadn't been legitimate. In truth, Carter had every right to keep Karen, for as long as he saw fit.
“I wanted to see if being around purebloods would help to facilitate her shift.”
“Why does it matter? She's muddy-blooded.” Frank threw his hands up, saying what Carter was certain the others were thinking.
Elliot cast a warning glance in Frank's direction, quickly shutting him up before turning back to Carter. “I'm assuming that it did help her shift, otherwise she wouldn't still be here.”
Carter loved how
Elliot was making a case for him. It was like he didn't have to work at all to explain why Karen should stay.
“Yes. Well, I'm pretty sure it did.” He thought back to the night of the full moon and all he had learned about Karen up to that point. “Prior to coming here, she was able to shift on her own sometimes. It could have just been a fluke that she shifted this past full moon. That's why I'd like to keep her here for a bit longer.”
“That's not a good idea,” Greg Roosevelt, Texas' regional Alpha chimed in.
Carter opened his mouth to reply, but Elliot spoke instead. “Greg is right. You've already done your duty to her. Whether she can shift on her own or not is not our concern.”
Carter fought back the anger raging through him. “She's a lycan like the rest of us. The wolf in her blood should be a concern to us all.”
“She's muddy-blooded.” Frank sneered. “One step up from human. Let her pack die out or revert back to human as they're meant to.”
“I can't believe I'm hearing this.” Carter balled his hand into a tight fist, digging his nails into his palm. It was taking everything in him to keep his wolf at bay. As it was, his eyes were flashing with amber from the intense emotions tormenting him. “What if it was your own bloodline?”
“It's not.” Elliot shook his head. “It's not, because we work to preserve our bloodlines. Once a lycan mates with a human and bears offspring, it's all downhill from there. We're all dedicated to keeping our bloodlines pure. That's why we're regional Alphas. The other packs that have let themselves go, that have crossbred to the point that their wolf is weak, we can't help them. They've done this to themselves.”
