Trained by the Rogue Wolf

by Kristen Strassel

  “We’re not. We’re looking out for you, your mate, and her sister.” Carlos glanced at the screen, and the scroll had changed. “And if you say he’s our Marcus, we believe you. But if he’s not, the blood that’s spilled is on your hands.”

  “I’m Matteo’s brother,” Marcus said. “I wish I could still consider you pack, but you have to prove it to me. You cost Matteo a chance at playing in the Championship game. You know what that means to him.”

  The TV beeped, and the scroll at the bottom of the TV changed. Jasmine and Marcus Shaw have been found safe in Holiday Falls, Alaska, say sources from The Real Werewives of Alaska. There is no further comment at this time.

  It was pretty fucked up—after all those years of being invisible, my family was now considered breaking news.

  “We saw that video too. The one with the birds. That’s what brought us to Sawtooth Forest, and the shelter.” Carlos nodded at Jasmine and attempted a friendly smile, but she wasn’t having it. “But we met up with some guys in the Sawtooth pack, who said you weren’t who you said you were, and that they were unhappy with pack politics. Like it or not, you have an uprising on your hands. They might break off, team up with the rogue Montana wolves who have no leader. That led us here. I’m sorry it had to be this way. The last thing we wanted to do was get Matteo taken out of the lineup. No one’s cheering for him harder than we are. We had to act on the intelligence we had.”

  “And it was bullshit,” Marcus said. “Had you stuck around—”

  “Would you have waited if you thought there was a threat to Jasmine?” Carlos asked.

  “Not for a second.”

  “Your mate isn’t a wolf,” Rick said, his gaze flicking between Jessica and me.

  “She is.” Jasmine was about to sprout fur any second yet. “She just hasn’t shifted yet.”

  “What does it matter if she doesn’t?” If her wolf hadn’t shown by now, I had a feeling it might never show. The science about women like her was nonexistent. But none of it mattered. She was my mate.

  “Can she join us if we need her to fight?” Carlos asked.

  “The Sawtooth pack mostly has human mates,” Jasmine countered. “And it’s an advantage—”

  “Who told you that?” Javier asked. “I’m guessing it was them.”

  “Who killed your enemy?” she snarled, rolling from her seat on the couch to her feet in a way that could only be described as wolf. She wasn’t her pack’s alpha, but no one was getting hurt on her watch. “I did. And I know who’s in my pack, what their strengths are, as well as their weaknesses. Since Marcus and Matteo are too polite, or there’s some pack pecking order that I’m not aware of, you can tell me, why are you here? You say you’re here to fight, but you keep questioning my pack. So who are you fighting for?”

  Jessica whistled low. “Damn girl.”

  Carlos looked at Javier and Rick, and then finally to me. “Do we fight for the Sawtooth pack, or do we fight as the reunited Wyoming pack?”

  “You’re not Sawtooth pack,” Marcus said, rising to meet his mate. He put his hand on her back, and the two of them vibrated with power. I wanted that. It still didn’t matter if Jessica ever shifted, but I wanted to belong. That connection. That was what I was fighting for. “Like us, they’ve fought hard for what they have. They don’t trust easily.”

  “So then we fight by their side as Wyoming pack,” Rick said.

  “What about you, Matteo?” Carlos asked. “Will you fight with us?”

  “I’ll always fight with my brother.” I glanced around the room. “It’ll feel good to be pack again. I thought I found it with the Bloodhounds...”

  Jessica stood beside me, pressing her body against mine as she rose to her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. “Don’t count them out yet. They come together around teammates. They weren’t given a chance this time.”

  “I’ve asked myself many times this week what I would’ve done. If I would’ve put my career on the line for some rogue wolf I barely knew.” The answer never changed. “And I wouldn’t. Those guys have no reason to trust me, like the ladies don’t trust the wolves that saved my life. And like these guys questioning Marcus. We have to define what loyalty means and stick to it every single day.”

  “Our flight leaves for Idaho tomorrow,” Marcus said. “I’ll alert pack leadership what you told us about the wolves on the fringe of the pack. I won’t let them get blindsided, again. They’ll come up with a plan.”

  “You’re my brother. I fight for you before I fight for anyone else.” It was a controversial stance, but I didn’t care. The old pack rules were broken, and it was up to us, the rogue wolves who’d survived on nothing, to change them. It wasn’t pack vs. pack anymore. It was much more complicated than that. I turned to Jessica. “Up for a trip to Sawtooth Forest?”

  She hesitated, and her lips quivered before she answered. “I don’t want to be a liability.”

  “No.” I kissed her. It was supposed to be a quick peck but Jessica needed to stop worrying about those old rules. “You could be our greatest strength.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jessica

  I could be the pack’s greatest strength. Glad everyone else thought so. Right now, I couldn’t even say I belonged to a pack. Matteo had vowed to fight with these wolves who cost him everything.

  We put the game back on, and the guys hammered out their plan. Jasmine sat on the edge of her seat, challenging them when she thought something was bullshit. I envied the way she could participate.

  I stared at the TV as the Bloodhounds mounted their comeback. I was probably the only one watching, even though I was barely processing what was happening on the field.

  What did I have to offer a pack?

  Mom’s face flashed on the screen. So what would Mom do? She’d make the pack smarter, stronger, fill it with love, all in front of a camera, like we were doing now.

  “What if...” My heat pounded as everyone turned to look at me. My idea wasn’t fully fleshed out. It was mostly being fueled by feeling and emotion. “We filmed the pack? Like a Real Werewives of Sawtooth Forest type situation.”

  The new guys’ faces lit up. They weren’t the ones I expected to be my allies. But they were probably in their late twenties, early thirties and no one had mentioned having a mate. Things were complicated when it came to finding mates in Granger Falls, I knew that, but with a little production magic, we could find anyone their happily ever after.

  Jasmine and Marcus shared a frown. What the what?

  “Not everyone in the town knows the pack can shift,” Jasmine said.

  “But the pack’s in the videos for the animal shelter.” And they all seemed to be on board with that. It wasn’t just the pets that needed forever homes.

  “In their human forms,” Marcus added.

  “But viewers love The Real Werewives.” I wasn’t letting this idea whimper and die. Nope, I was going down with a bang. “I’m thinking it could be like that. Show the real lives of single and mated shifters. Jasmine said there were a lot of wolves looking for their mates, and there are hundreds of ladies interested in auditioning for the Alaska show. I don’t understand the difference.”

  “The Bloodhounds were introduced to the players as shifters, and pro football players are already larger than life.” Jasmine gave me a sad smile. “What would you do, if you suddenly found out your neighbor went furry on the full moon?”

  I didn’t want it to be me vs. them. Human vs. wolf. “Maybe Mom can think of an angle that will work.”

  “We’ve all put up with enough injustice,” Marcus said.

  “That’s exactly why we have to do this!” I was up and pacing in front of the TV. Behind me, in another world, the Bloodhounds scored a touchdown. “You’re always fighting over something, and every wolf I’ve ever met wants the same damn thing. Respect.”

  “She’s right,” Carlos said. “If we could prevent one shifter war, and keep these guys on the edge of the pack on their best behavior...”

&nb
sp; “Exactly.” I couldn’t shift and kick ass deep in the forest, but I could make the pack stronger. Just like Jasmine did with the shelter animals. I’d do it with love. Which gave me another idea.

  “Think of what it would do for adoption rates at the shelter.” The videos were doing amazing. “Maybe we frame it differently than this season of Real Werewives. Not all hot tub time. Maybe it centers around the shelter, and the videos you’ve been making. With this volume of animals finding homes, your boss must be thinking about expansion.”

  “She is, but right now, it’s about getting back to zero. The shelter operates on less than a shoestring budget. So she’s fixing things that were broken before we expand.”

  “Think of what all the advertising money and sponsorships could do for the shelter.” My sister had such a big heart, and I knew I could hook her with this rationale.

  “We can talk to Shadow about it. He’s the alpha.”

  I nodded. “I’ve already been working with Mom on the next season of The Real Werewives.” I sat, just in time to catch another Bloodhounds touchdown. Maybe they didn’t need Matteo to win after all. Which was fine, because I needed him. “Originally, I wanted to be in front of the camera, with Matteo. I’m not sure what they’ll do with this footage. But I think the TV show would be good for the Sawtooth pack. Maybe they won’t have so many challenges if they stop hiding what they are.”

  **

  “This isn’t how I expected to celebrate a Bloodhounds Championship win.” I leaned against the door of our bedroom, lightheaded from the exhaustion of the day and the champagne we drank after the game. Things got intense in the fourth quarter, and for those fifteen minutes, we came together as a pack, rooting the guys on. Cheering like they could hear us all the way in Milwaukee.

  With Jasmine and Marcus in the guest room, and three wolves camped out in the living room, it was finally time to get this party started.

  Matteo rumbled as he stepped toward me. He already had his shirt off, and he put his hand against the door, over my head, but stopped short of kissing me. Each breath was rough as he drank me in. My heart thundered, and the muscles between my legs pulsed like a double bass drum—and he hadn’t even touched me yet.

  “This is exactly how I expected to celebrate the win,” he said, the corner of his mouth quirking into a smile that dripped with anticipation. “Just me and my mate.”

  I ducked out from under his arm, taking a second to catch my breath. He was never wilder than in those few moments before we were together, and it did things to me that I didn’t have words for. I’d only thought I was attracted to Matteo before I slept with him. Now his body, his lips skimming over my skin, was this insatiable craving.

  “Let me get ready,” I said, digging into my bag.

  “What do you need to get ready?” He was right behind me again. The heat from his body made dew break out on my skin. His hand was on the exposed part of the small of my back. “All you have to do is take off your clothes, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

  I shuddered under his touch.

  “It’s a surprise.” It took everything I had to pull away from him and scoot into the bathroom. As I stripped and pulled my Matteo Shaw jersey over my head, I hoped this was the right thing to do. I’d picked it up in the pro shop before the rally to send the team off to Milwaukee. He’d seen me in it before, but not like this.

  The shirt was vented with holes, and apart from his name and number, pretty see-through.

  When I opened the door, I found Matteo lying naked on the bed, his head propped up with one hand, and the other on his already hard shaft. Which was a view I definitely appreciated.

  He squinted slightly when I came out, like he wasn’t sure what he was seeing. But then his face lit up, and his lips parted.

  “Are you wearing my game jersey?”

  “I am.” I scraped my teeth against my bottom lip and looked down. A quick flick of my gaze confirmed Matteo’s eyes were glued to my fingers at the hem of the shirt. I pulled it up to my hip and stopped, loving the groan that escaped his lips. “And absolutely nothing else.”

  “That is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen,” he growled. “Get over here.”

  “That’s not how you ask nicely.”

  “Jessica, I wanted to fuck you before, but seeing you in that shirt is making me practically blind with need. Now all I can think about is how those luscious tits will look as they sway in my jersey when you ride my cock. And if you don’t come over here, I’m coming to get you.”

  “I might like that.”

  He rose onto his knees. What a sight. Those muscular, powerful thighs, narrow hips, and the ripple of muscles down his abdomen. Broad shoulders, and those sure hands reaching for me as he approached the edge of the mattress. Grabbing a big handful of the shirt, right between the numbers, he pulled me to him for a hot and hungry kiss.

  If my knees had been knocking before, they’d turned to absolute jelly as the electricity from the kiss rocked through me.

  Matteo brought me onto the bed, his lips never breaking contact with my skin. He’d moved to my neck now, playing a game with my thundering pulse, while his grip was still firm on the shirt. He ran his other hand up my thigh, cupping my bare ass cheek and squeezing it so I cried out.

  If anyone in the house had been sleeping, they wouldn’t be for long.

  He parted my legs and moved to my slick folds. That electricity didn’t only come from his kiss. It shot into me from his fingers when he made contact with my clit, giving it a pinch before teasing my slit then coming back for more.

  I gasped for air. This man had been barred from taking the football field, but that wouldn’t stop him from claiming me in his own championship ceremony. I trembled as he moved in a circular motion around the sensitive nub, the rhythm hypnotic. His mouth had fallen to my breast, and he sucked my nipple to a hard peak through the fabric.

  I needed him inside me, now.

  Pushing those strong shoulders back on the bed, I took a moment to take in this beautiful man. His skin shone with a sheen of sweat, those silver eyes glowed like candlelight, and his chest rose and fell with each ragged breath. Earlier tonight, he’d said I could be the most powerful member of the pack, and I didn’t believe him.

  Not until now.

  He made me feel it, with every fiber of my being. Like I could make a difference to this pack of werewolves who’d known nothing but conflict and fear. They had it good now, but they could never stop looking over their shoulders, wondering what the fuck was going to happen next. Maybe I could put a stop to that. Maybe I could give them peace.

  As much as I wanted to shift, I recognized how good I had it. Completely human, right here, with Matteo. With a man who accepted me exactly how I was. A man who’d had nothing but his dreams for so long, and he wanted me. Even if I was only human.

  It was a huge responsibility, and I wouldn’t let him down.

  Straddling his legs, I took his cock in my hand. He closed his eyes as I ran my hand up and down the length of his shaft. It had been too long since anyone had made this wolf feel good. Safe. Loved. And I vowed to change that. I was up against a huge obstacle, making him forget about seven years of loneliness and pain, but that was my mission, and I wholeheartedly accepted.

  A moan escaped from his lips as I picked up the pace. Moisture shone on the tip of his cock. His hips bucked as I lowered my lips to lick it off. I loved the way he was willing to trust me with his body. Giving me control was a massive sacrifice for this wolf. Taking his shaft in my mouth, I savored the way his body shuddered, letting it vibrate through me.

  Matteo’s fingers tangled in my hair, guiding me, rewarding me. He was getting close, and I wanted so much more. We separated with a gasp, and he pulled my trembling body up.

  He knew I needed him as much as he needed me. Before this night, he’d called me his mate, and there was always this niggling voice, this raincloud of doubt that said no you’re not. You’re not enough. You’re only human. But toni
ght, we were one, and nothing could stop us. I was his as much as he was mine.

  And I didn’t want it any other way. When I was with Matteo, I didn’t need to be a wolf to feel my full power.

  His big, rough, sure hands grasped my waist. Positioning me over his cock, he held me in place just before he came inside. Our gazes locked, like he was giving me a way out. No way, wolf. I was in this for the long haul. Forever.

  Matteo entered me. Inch by inch, completing me. He held me in place, and I’d never felt so full, so complete. When I came to Alaska, I considered men playthings. But in him, I’d met a partner. Someone who believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.

  He showed me something I couldn’t see. And for that, I would do anything for him.

  Bracing myself on his shoulders as he lifted me, thrusting inside me, my face was over his. I had to kiss him. I wanted him to taste himself on my lips. All it took was that extra contact to send me over the edge.

  He wasn’t far behind. He lifted me off him. Tonight, we hadn’t used a condom. It was reckless, since both of us had big plans.

  At that moment, I realized how much we were like my parents. The wild, star football player on the rise, and the woman who thought anything was possible. It was a great way to grow up.

  Matteo smoothed my hair away from my face. His gaze was soft, and he trailed his fingers over my body, leaving goosebumps in their wake as he moved over my stomach, down to my mound. He came so close to my clit, but he didn’t make contact. My body was still trembling with the aftershocks of my orgasm, and I had no idea how much more I could take.

  He parted my legs and lowered his mouth to my clit. But this wolf was in no rush. The tickle of his hair against my mound made me whine.

  My wolf was close to the surface, and I writhed on the bed. I knew she was inside me, even if she never made an appearance. I could be a part of a pack just the way I was.

  He kissed my clit, swirling his tongue around, making sure those orgasm aftershocks weren’t going away anytime soon. Moving slowly, he cleaned me up, and finished with a kiss on the inside of my thigh.