To Catch His Mate (Crescent Moon Series Book 5)

by Savannah Stuart

  Her inner walls tightened, wanting to be completely filled by him. As shifters they didn’t worry about diseases so condoms were a non-issue, especially since she wasn’t in heat.

  Slowly, he pushed inside her, clearly taking his time. There was a slight giving sensation but no pain like she’d worried.

  “Alyssa,” he groaned as he slid fully to the hilt.

  She lost her breath as he stretched and filled her. It was a foreign yet perfect sensation. He paused as his cock pulsed inside her. He stared at her, his breathing harsh. “Are you okay?”

  “More than okay.” Moving on instinct, she cupped the back of his head as she rolled her hips against his.

  Just like that, he ate at her mouth like a man starving, though his thrusts weren’t as wild as she thought they could be. They were unsteady and uncontrolled, so unlike the man she’d gotten to know, but he was holding himself back, she was sure.

  She didn’t want that, not now, not ever. She drew back, nipped at his jaw. “Come inside me,” she murmured.

  He lost it then, a savage growl tearing from his throat as he slammed into her. She tightened her legs around him, meeting him stroke for stroke as he lost himself inside her. As his heat filled her, another unexpected orgasm shattered through her.

  Without thinking, she bit down on his shoulder, needing to mark him, to claim him in the most primitive way. It wasn’t the mating mark, but she couldn’t seem to control herself as she sank her canines into him.

  Before she could think about the loss of control, he did the same to her, biting her shoulder. She lost it, the bite of pleasure-pain too much to bear. “Reece!” His name sounded like a prayer and all she could focus on was the mind-numbing pleasure overriding everything.

  The orgasm seemed to go on forever until finally, they both somewhat stilled. His face was buried against her neck, his breathing erratic as he gently nipped and kissed her. She ran her hands up and down his back. His muscles clenched beneath her fingertips.

  “That was amazing,” she murmured, glad she could find her voice. Though she sounded drowsy and knew she was going to sleep soon. She hadn’t thought sex would make her tired.

  “I’m not letting you go.” His voice was just as drowsy and she wondered if he meant for good or just right now.

  She hoped he meant for good, but was too afraid to ask.

  “Was that…did I hurt you?” He lifted his head as he asked, but didn’t move off her.

  His erection was half-hard inside her. “Not even a little bit.”

  His frown deepened. “I should have been more gentle.”

  She shook her head. “You were perfect.” She was glad he hadn’t treated her as if she was made of glass.

  “Saying thank you feels wrong, but I’m glad you trusted me enough to be your first.” A mix of emotions rolled off him as he kissed her gently, almost reverently before pulling out of her. She wanted to protest, to tell him to stop but couldn’t find the words as he slid off the bed.

  When he returned with a wet washcloth and started cleaning between her legs, she realized that she hadn’t just fallen for the male, she’d jumped right over that edge and there was no coming back.

  Reece O’Shea was hers.

  * * *

  Even though moving was the last thing she wanted to do, Alyssa rolled over at the buzzing sound. Reece’s phone vibrated across the night stand, insistent and annoying. Pushing up, she glanced at it, saw Sybil’s name on the caller ID.

  For a moment, insecurities flared inside her, but she shoved them away. The female was a packmate, of course she’d call her alpha. But…it was barely five in the morning. Frowning, Alyssa flopped back against the bed, glad when it went silent.

  Reece was in the shower, the sound of the running water and the thought of his naked body tempting. But she was too sore for more and not ashamed to admit it. Shifters were different than humans in so many ways, but after they’d made love two more times over the course of the night and early morning, she was done for a couple more hours at least.

  When Reece’s phone rang again, this time Ben, Alyssa got out of bed and picked up Reece’s discarded shirt. Slipping into it, she buttoned it up and made her way to the kitchen. She knew she shouldn’t be annoyed, but Ben was probably never going to be her favorite person so she figured getting distance from Reece’s insistent phone was the best thing right now.

  The coffee maker was easy and thankfully Reece was a coffee person too, so she started a full pot for both of them. As it brewed, she inhaled the rich, enticing scent. There was nothing like that first sip of coffee in the morning. Not as good as an orgasm, but it was close. She grabbed a banana, headed to the porch while waiting on her caffeine.

  Waves crashed against the shore, steady and soothing. She was going to miss Charlie when she left, but knew it was time to head home soon. She’d already started to miss her pack something fierce. While she had no clue if humans experienced that with their families, it was hard being too far from her pack—even if they did drive her crazy with their overprotectiveness.

  At a shuffling sound she turned to find Reece stepping out onto the patio—in wolf form. The male was huge and beautiful, the pulse of his power even stronger in this form. His coat was a rich brown with faint reddish patches streaking through in random places. He approached slowly, his dark eyes steady on hers.

  She’d know that gaze anywhere and it touched her that he was coming to her like this in his animal form. Unless she was wrong, she knew what he was doing. Even as she had the thought, he nudged her hands with his nose and shook his head slightly—asking her to pet him.

  “You’re shameless,” she murmured, rubbing his head.

  He let out a pleased, growling sound before he bared his neck to her. It was unlikely she could hurt him even now, but the baring of his neck was a huge thing. He was showing her that he could be vulnerable with her, let his guard down. It was more important than anything he could have said to her in an attempt to gain her trust.

  She knelt and hugged her arms around his neck, inhaled his scent. He even smelled the same in wolf form, all masculine and earthy. As she embraced him, he underwent the change faster than almost anyone she’d ever seen. It always took her a little time and held a hint of pain during each shift as her bones realigned. But Reece shifted with the grace and fluidity of a true alpha, the sight breathtaking.

  “Thank you for showing me your animal form,” she murmured when he was crouched in front of her.

  Completely naked and the most beautiful man she’d ever seen, he brushed his lips over hers. “I’m ready to head home. Come with me?” The hint of insecurity in his dark eyes sliced through her.

  In that moment she realized she never wanted to see him anything but happy. The sight of her sweet alpha becoming insecure had her wolf nudging at her, gently swiping with her claws to make it better. She cupped his cheeks and even though she wasn’t sure if he meant for good or just for now, she smiled. “Yes.”

  She tried to shove down all her insecurities about what would happen when they returned to South Carolina, but it was hard.

  Chapter Nine

  Alyssa unwrapped the towel around her damp hair and hung it up on the rack in Reece’s bathroom. This morning they’d been in Orange Beach and now they were in South Carolina. She’d texted her dad to let him know she was back in state but that she wouldn’t be heading to Oak Falls until later in the week.

  She wasn’t certain what the plan was for her living arrangements but she planned to bring it up to Reece tonight. He hadn’t been very vocal about that and she’d been too insecure to ask. She couldn’t put it off much longer.

  After food though. She was starving and couldn’t think straight on an empty stomach. Grant had let them use his private plane and Reece had hired a company to drive their vehicles back so their flight had been short and easy—and all they’d done was have sex in the private plane. Now she needed sustenance.

  As she finger-combed her hair, she heard the
faint sound of raised voices coming from downstairs. Worry punched through her. She knew Reece could take care of himself, but still. Slipping on a robe Reece had bought for her, she cinched it around her waist and hurried downstairs.

  The voices grew louder and she scented at least four…maybe five other wolves in addition to Reece. Her feet were silent as she moved toward the living room. In the entryway, she paused to see Reece and Ben—ugh—standing toe-to-toe near the fireplace. Sybil sat on one of the couches looking annoyed, along with three other male wolves she vaguely recognized. One she knew though; Andrew Reid, Reece’s second-in-command.

  The others nodded politely but he grinned when he saw her. “Congrats on the mating,” he murmured, holding out his big arms for a hug. He’d only been in town the first couple days when she’d been in their territory, but it was hard not to like the huge wolf.

  He wore a blue plaid flannel shirt rolled up over his massive forearms, jeans, boots and sported a full beard. The man looked like he should be carrying an axe and chopping down trees.

  “Thanks.” She stepped over to him, accepting his surprisingly gentle embrace. “What’s going on?” she asked the room in general as she stepped back, because Reece still hadn’t looked in her direction.

  She understood why though, it was clear that Ben was challenging him and he wasn’t turning away from the male. His alpha side wouldn’t let him back down. “Everything’s okay,” he murmured, his voice tempered.

  “My brother’s just being a dumbass as usual,” Sybil muttered. “And for the record, I’m sorry for his jack-assery.”

  “I’m not being a dumbass and you deserve better than—”

  “Than what?” Sybil shouted, jumping to her feet. “God, you’re such a dick you don’t even think to ask me what I want. Even if Reece wasn’t mating someone else, guess what, I still wouldn’t hook up with him. No offense,” she said quickly, looking at Alyssa, “but he’s not even my type.” Her voice was laced with the type of frustration that made it clear she and her brother had had this argument before but the male just wouldn’t listen to her.

  Alyssa understood that perfectly, gave her a small smile. And okay, she was relieved that the other female wasn’t a threat.

  Ben wasn’t listening though. “With the blood pact in place, he doesn’t have to mate her—”

  Reece moved lightning fast, wrapping his hand around Ben’s neck and lifting him off the ground in a fluid, deadly move. He slammed him against the stone wall outlining the fireplace. She instinctively winced at the cracking sound.

  No one else moved to help the male. This guy had challenged the alpha, in his own home, in front of others. No matter what, even if Reece wanted to let it go, his wolf side would never let him. Alpha’s had to be in control at all times. If not the others in the pack would grow restless, question his strength and leadership abilities and fighting would break out. Shifters could be savage.

  “Let’s get something straight right now,” Reece growled at him. “I’m alpha. Period. Alyssa’s going to be my mate because I love her. Not because I want to strengthen the packs or any other reason you can come up with in your head. You and I are childhood friends and that’s why I’m not throwing you out of my pack right now. But I’ve never been so tempted. Alyssa’s mine. You say anything about her, hell, think anything negative about her I’ll rip your heart out and feed it to wild coyotes.” Reece’s voice was savage, more animal than man.

  Alyssa was going to go back to the “I love her” confession just as soon as possible, but until then… She hurried over to Reece’s side and touched his forearm. “Let him go.”

  His muscles flexed underneath her fingertips but he didn’t loosen his grip, didn’t break eye contact with Ben. “Understand that she’s my mate, that nothing will ever change that, and if you fuck with her, I’ll end your life. Nod if you understand all that.”

  Wide-eyed and gasping for breath, Ben nodded.

  Only then did Reece drop him. Ben collapsed onto the hearth, sucking in gulps of air as another male strode over and hauled him up unceremoniously.

  “I’ll take care of him,” the male muttered, shaking his head in annoyance.

  “Everyone else get out,” Reece snarled, angrier than she’d ever seen or heard him. He wouldn’t look at her as he pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

  Not that she was worried he’d hurt her. Never that.

  She didn’t look at the others as she heard them hurrying out, just slid into Reece’s embrace, wrapping her own arm around his waist and rubbing a soothing hand up and down his chest. She could feel his wolf rippling beneath the surface, his animal wanting free to hunt and make Ben pay for disrespecting her.

  “Can we go back to that ‘I love you’ thing you just said?” she asked, shifting so that she was in front of him, her hands on his waist now.

  He looked down at her, his wolf raging in his eyes but when he met her gaze, he blinked and it was just Reece again. “I shouldn’t have told you like that.” His voice was still raspy but she could see he was calmer now as he pulled her close.

  “I…love you too. So much.” Saying the words out loud was a little terrifying but she loved him so even if he’d just said that in the heat of the moment she wasn’t going to hold back. Not with something like this.

  “Thank God.” He made a sort of growling relieved sound that made her laugh. “I want you to live here with me. Permanently. If you need time to officially mate that’s…not fine, but I’ll deal with it. I know you do a lot for your pack but they’re just going to have to live without you because you’re going to be part of my pack—our pack—now. You belong by my side and I don’t want to be alpha if you’re not my mate.”

  She blinked, digesting everything he’d said. “I want to live here too and I want to mate soon. Maybe not tonight, but I—”

  His mouth crushed over hers in a brutal, fast claiming that was over way too fast. She sucked in a breath when he pulled back.

  “Just needed to do that,” he murmured. “You can continue.”

  She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “I don’t even remember what I was saying.”

  “I think you were going to say you’d be moving in here now. For good.”

  Her lips curved into a grin as she stepped closer against him, linking her fingers together behind his back. “Oh, is that what I said?” Excitement slid through her at the thought of waking up to him every morning, her earlier fears falling away.

  “Yep. And you were also going to get naked in the next sixty seconds. I’m pretty sure that’s where this conversation was headed.”

  Laughing, her heart feeling lighter than it ever had, she hugged him closer. “God, I love you.”

  “Good because I’m not letting you go.” His dark eyes had that possessive glint to them that made her toes curl.

  That was fine with her. Now that she’d found her mate, she wasn’t letting him go either.

  Epilogue

  Two months later

  Alyssa nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the sound of the front door opening. She shouldn’t have been surprised though, not with all the packmates that had been coming in and out all day to steal food before the big Christmas Eve party.

  They were shameless. Which was why she, Sybil and Andrew had cooked for an army. Well, she’d mainly baked, the other two had done most of the heavy cooking. That was definitely not her area of expertise.

  Reece had told her he had a last minute errand to run before the big party tonight and mostly everyone had cleared out to get ready. Not wanting anyone to see what she’d been looking at, she shoved the pregnancy test into her apron pocket—then smiled when she scented Ember and her dad. It had been a little weirder than she’d expected seeing them together at first, but she was over it now.

  Stepping out of the kitchen, she met them in the hallway. “You guys are early!”

  Ember, wearing a black T-shirt that said OCD—Obsessive Christmas Disorder—on
the front, jeans, boots and fake reindeer ears, made Alyssa burst into laughter as she hurried toward them.

  “We brought presents,” Ember said, pulling her into a big hug before her dad did the same.

  “And alcohol,” her dad said. “I’ve missed you,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head.

  She didn’t remind him that they lived about an hour away and she’d seen him literally a week ago because the truth was, she missed him too. It had been an adjustment moving away from her pack, but being with Reece cancelled out most of her sadness.

  Not to mention she’d been so busy taking over a much needed role—party-planner for the O’Shea pack. Stepping into that position had been perfect for her and she was glad she got to do what she loved.

  “I’ve missed you too. Both of you.” She looked between the two of them, not surprised to see that Ember was practically glowing. Every time Alyssa talked to her, she was giddy about being mated. “You want to grab your bags from the car or get a drink? Most of the cooking is done, I’ve just got to get changed for the party.”

  “Reece said he’d put us up in one of the guest houses,” Ember said, her cheeks tinging red.

  Alyssa snickered. “That’s probably better.” They were staying for a few days and she so did not need to hear what the two of them did in their room. That was the only downside to supernatural hearing.

  “We’ve got news,” Ember blurted, fear and elation an odd mixture on her beautiful face.

  When Alyssa looked at her dad, she saw the same mix. Her gut twisted because she couldn’t ever remember seeing her dad afraid. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. Well, not wrong, it’s just scary and awesome. We’re pregnant.”

  Then suddenly she understood the fear from her father. Her mother had died giving birth to Alyssa, and he had to be afraid for Ember’s safety. Ember was probably afraid because she was going to be a new mom.