by Treva Harte
They heard a short yip and low howl outside. Great. The crowd was getting restless. All she needed was performance anxiety on top of everything else.
But Lowell touched her cheek and rested his face against her hair as if they had forever. As if it was just the two of them.
“Then let’s get to bed and see if this works.”
Nerves suddenly left as lust and love and need flooded her. Lin smiled back at her mate.
Because, you know, it was just the two of them. The only two that mattered.
Weird. The need and sweetness mixed when he saw Lin’s vulnerability had been good. Damn good. But being helpless before her was even better. Lust gripped him hard and twisted.
“I have my hands behind my head. They stay there, babe. This first time is your show.” Lowell managed to say the words clearly. The palms of his hands cupped his head, his hands weighed down and helpless. His cock throbbed at the illusion of his being bound.
“I get to do whatever I want?” Lin looked him up and down before she gave him that direct predatory look that had turned him on so much back at the bar. It still did.
“Whatever.” He wasn’t sure how much longer he could talk.
She leaned over to lick a bead of sweat from his lip. When she raised her head, he could see her teeth as she smiled. He thought he saw her canines growing.
“That’s just what I wanted. I’m in charge now.” She growled. Both of them felt his cock bob up higher at the words. “I think maybe it’s just what you wanted, too.”
Shit. Their first time and already she knew --
She deliberately raked her fingernails from his stomach down to his thighs and he forgot caution. Forgot everything but what she was doing to him and how he felt when she did. He howled.
Her pubic hairs tickled his cock as she moved against him. So close. He panted, close to transforming and fighting it. She was wet. She was ready ...
Not yet. Not yet. He had to let her take him this time. Had to stay human enough to let her.
And just the idea of her commanding him threw him closer to that dark, animal edge than he wanted to be. Stupid. If he wasn’t so ready to explode at her next touch, he’d laugh. The more excited she got by being in charge, the more excited he got about submitting -- and the closer he got to shifting. Once he changed, his beast would take over. That beast would demand to be dominant.
Mustn’t. Do. That.
He was hers this time. Submissive to her. His cock stretched hungrily, the pulse of his erection beating a harsh rhythm. Her hand circled the head of his cock, as if to test that pulse, and her grip tightened. She was almost too rough, but not quite. Instead, the slightest hint of pain was just right. Just too fucking right.
“This cock is mine.” Her voice was fierce, ragged. She leaned over and he sucked in a breath just as she sucked him into her hot, wet mouth. Her teeth scraped against the sensitive head and his hips rose up from the bed, following her warmth.
Want it. Want her. Want. His nails lengthened as he clawed them into the back of his neck.
“You taste ready for me.” She lifted her head, then rose and bit his shoulder roughly.
God, if this kept going on, he’d be a mass of scars from just one sexual bout with her. At the moment, the idea made him shiver with even more desire.
“I am.”
“Taste me and see if I am, too.” She pushed her cunt into his face and he almost cried over her perfection.
Instead he stretched his tongue deep inside her, sliding against her walls. Slick and welcoming, tasting of female. Yes. Perfect. He stroked her swollen nub and heard her gasp as if she had been hurt.
His cock was throbbing, going past that razor-like pleasure into pain. He had to come. But when she moved back, just long enough to slowly wriggle her sheath into place over his cock, he clenched his body, forcing himself not to spend. This was too good. He couldn’t keep from grinding his hips against hers, though, moving his cock from side to side rather than thrusting up deeply, claiming her the way he wanted.
He could hurt her, but he didn’t want to wound her. He’d rather be hurt himself. God, he was hurting. But this edgy torment was different. Even though the pain she inflicted was driving him insane, it was good pain. The best he’d ever had. Feeling each millimeter of her virgin channel stretch slowly open before his cock only increased the pressure of the pleasure-pain. Wet. She was wet and ready for his entrance.
He waited, forcing himself not to rush to the final conclusion. God, just the anticipation was almost enough to make him come. He licked his lips. When she reached out to flick the piercing in his nipple, he opened his mouth to soundlessly scream. He was beyond having enough air in his lungs to make noise.
“I wondered about your earring.” She could still talk, though her voice sounded thick. He could almost listen through the blood pounding in his ears. “I see you didn’t give up all your piercings.”
She twisted the bar in his nipples sharply this time. The sensation zinged through his body and shot to his cock.
“Jesus God, have mercy!” He managed words at last. “If you don’t, I swear I’ll split you in half.”
“Why do you think I’m doing this? Do it. Damn it, you wolf, do it. Hard.”
He bared his teeth. “Wait. A minute.”
He wasn’t sure if he was ordering or pleading and it didn’t matter. He paused, letting the sweat trickle down his spine while he savored. Virgin smell. Virgin feel. Sex. Lin. It was all Lin.
She half-whimpered, half-snarled.
That sound was too much for whatever self-control he had left. Lowell surged upward with all his strength, the last of Lin’s virginity gone with his thrust. She was so wet -- with blood and sweat and excitement. And, finally, with his sperm. He wondered how drenched she was with his mark. His mating with her. His cum shot up from the base of his balls and spurted deep, deep inside her. Deeper than he’d ever been with anyone .
He didn’t howl now. He roared, letting the world know as his whole body -- his whole world -- was rocked apart.
She opened her eyes, still panting. Dear Lord. If that was human sex with Lowell, what was the change going to be like?
“On your knees,” Lowell snarled.
Oh, man. She was going to find out. She could feel the shift before she saw it and began to shake. Now. More of Lowell’s words came out in a half-growl that she couldn’t understand. She didn’t need to hear the words when instinct told her what came next. She raised her rear up, obediently, crouched on all fours, completely vulnerable to whatever Lowell wanted next. Had she thought she wanted this?
God, yes. Despite the fear as she craned her neck to watch his face turn, his body transform. Hair. Teeth. Snarls. She wanted it. He was an animal, but he was her animal. Red heat rushed through her again, just when she’d thought there was nothing left after that last mind shattering orgasm. Her whole body burned.
The door opened.
The pack was there, answering Lowell’s howl.
And her mind blurred even as her senses grew keener.
She knew, she knew. It had never happened for her before, but she was changing. The prickling through her body was different, but somehow right. The mingled scents of excitement and curiosity and mating ... thank heaven, Lowell’s warm scent was strongest ... sharpened.
She was were at last. Fur covered what had been her arms. And she was covered not just by fur but by another strong were body. She was being penetrated by a firm, hard were cock. Her mate. Her alpha. The friction increased, first slowly, then faster. Faster yet. It burned, hot and fierce. It would burn her up.
Lin howled, too. And the door crashed completely open to let the pack pour inside.
Bodies crowded near them, but all she was aware of was the plunge of Lowell’s cock inside her. The howls and yips shivered through her, adding to the bubbling lust and savage need slicing through her.
When she felt semen spatter over her fur, she raised her head up and rejoiced. Loudly. Somethi
ng this powerful deserved recognition. The pack was here and they had responded to the strength of Lowell’s and her mating. Her mind swirled again, just barely capable of recognizing motion and pleasure and the erotic pain of a jaw gripping her by the ruff.
“Mine.” She heard the possessiveness in Lowell’s howl, dominating the rest of the pack’s noise.
And then the crimsoned sheen of her orgasm blinded her and the rise of her pounding blood deafened her as she shattered in front of them all.
Chapter Three
“You bastard! You couldn’t wait, could you?”
“Wait? When does an alpha wait to claim what’s his?” Despite mouthing an automatic response to the challenge, Lowell fought back the lash of guilt. He should have taken it slower. Should have ... should have done something different.
Wolves took their mates without waiting for permission -- in fact, often they kidnapped a female from another pack. Hell, they killed for the chance at a female. But he knew this pack. Even more important, he’d been one of them and sworn to defend the members of Lin’s family -- to defend Lin -- long ago. He should have respected her family more. He just didn’t know how to honor her family if he kept Lin. And damn it, he intended to keep her.
“She just turned eighteen today. Her mother has been sick with worry.”
Leila. Worried.
Jesus, no wonder he had let Lin twist him around her finger and make him ignore calling earlier. Now that he’d gone and done the right thing, everything in him was getting turned inside out. Old feelings somehow twisted and bled into the new. The smug joy of finally possessing his mate was being overbalanced by old guilt. Lowell felt his smile stiffen. He was much more familiar with the lash of guilt than the strokes of happiness.
But then Lin sat up in bed, lush curves spilling out of cool cotton sheets, her red hair trailing over his skin as she leaned over him to take the phone.
Lowell’s dark emotions paused, trembling. My God, she was so beautiful. So alive. No one could be ashamed of wanting Lin. The shame would be in ignoring her.
“It’s Daddy, isn’t it?” She smiled at him and everything settled down again. Lowell wanted to rest his face against that smile and absorb it. He wanted to crawl over her and lick the hair tousled around her face. Dear Lord, the spicy, sexed smell of her made him itchy. “Give up the phone, Lowell. I’ll talk to him. I can make it right.”
He licked the sweet spot behind her ear as he obeyed her and watched his woman quiver. If anyone could make it right, it was Lin. His world already felt steadied. Centered. Focused. He had a pack and a mate. This was what he’d wanted all his life, even before he could put a name to his longings.
“Daddy? I love you. I’m so happy, Daddy.” Lin curled her body up against Lowell and he let her warmth melt the last vestiges of cold fear inside. She was happy with him. “I want to come and show my mate off ... No, don’t growl at me. I do. I will.”
Was Dek making threats to his mate? Lowell bared his teeth.
“And don’t you growl, either, Lowell.” She pursed her lips at him in what could be a kiss or a pout. “Of course we’ll come by. It’s my birthday, right? We can all be sociable.”
Have two packs meet? At a civilized family birthday party? What did she think they were -- humans? Lowell almost laughed, but he knew Lin would take that as encouragement.
“No,” he mouthed.
She made a face at him.
“At eight. Just in time for cake. Can I talk to Mom, too? Oh. Tonight, then. Love you both.”
She clicked the phone down and bared her teeth back at him. And, God help him, he wanted to fall back down onto the bed, throat and belly exposed, and let her take a bite.
“Lowell, I can’t ignore my family. I’m not made that way. They’d probably come after us both if I did, because they’d know I had been kidnapped.” She crawled on his lap and nuzzled. “This way will be better. Trust me.”
It was an accident that she was on top of him. She was being affectionate and sweet, not demanding and sexy. But his cock stirred, just as if they hadn’t been making love all night. His hips arched, bucked against her.
Just like that, her gentle nose to throat nuzzle changed. She placed her jaw over his jugular, her teeth against the pulse of his neck. When she nipped, the blood raced to his cock and balls so fast, he thought he might faint, as if he were some stupid Victorian maiden in a story.
“Hours. I had no idea wolves could screw for hours.” Lin grumbled the words against his throat, the puffs of air tickling sensitive nerves. “And I had no idea you could get it up so many times as a human.”
“Complaining?”
“Praising. Now lay back and let me show you what we both want. Don’t move unless I say so. You owe me for that last hour session. I think I may be a little sore. I want you feeling the same twinges I have.”
She knew. She had to know what he was like. His cock was already leaking at the promise of what she might do. She crouched over him, like he was captured prey, and he sucked in a breath.
Lin wasn’t ashamed or turned off or scornful. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she turned to bite his shoulder.
“Mine.”
“Yours.” He said it like a vow.
He wanted her to use him, to dominate him, to enslave him even more. Seeing her snap at him as she mounted him enthralled him. But she wanted it just as much and that made the deep, hot, dark desire surge higher.
He might be twisted, but she didn’t care. He might be wrong, but she’d encourage it.
Jesus fuck. He’d stumbled across the one female in the world who was weak enough, strong enough, bad enough, good enough to be his mate.
She ground down, hard, pushing tight against his hips, so closely fitted against his cock that he could feel the pulsing in her veins, the hardness of her swollen clit, the wetness inside her channel.
He raised himself onto his elbows and sucked her nipples, already tight and ready. He whimpered, like he was a pup again, while he was waiting for ...
She squeezed, milking his cock, her thighs gripping him, and, just like that, he came. Climaxed with racking, hard shudders as the blinding hot shots of cum poured through him. He couldn’t wait, couldn’t hold off.
But when he heard her triumphant cry, he knew she hadn’t, either.
She collapsed on top of him as he sank against the bed, panting. Her hot body, the weight of her, pressed snugly against him and he wanted to do it all over again.
Perfect. She was perfect. How had a nasty little fuck like him found someone so perfect?
“Would you like to come along?” Lin looked at the two behemoths in front of her.
A long, deadly silence followed.
“No.” The one Lowell had called Slick spoke up at last.
She decided to overlook the silence and the curt answer. For now. “You’re welcome. My daddy would never do anything ... inhospitable ... to my pack mates. Lowell might enjoy the company.”
“Lowell, he can go,” the other one said. “Maybe he can handle another pack. But we’d be trouble.”
“You’d make trouble for my old pack?” Lin raised her eyebrows and sharpened her tone. Whatever their problem was, she wasn’t going to let that go.
Slick smiled, all teeth and glittering eyes. “We’re always trouble.”
“Well, sounds to me like someone needs to sit you down and teach you to do more than make trouble.” She eyed them thoughtfully. “Tomorrow we’ll start working on that. Maybe a few etiquette lessons. Maybe some face smacking. Whatever gets the job done.”
“What the fuck?” The smaller one gaped at her.
Lin fought a giggle at how she’d stopped their threat posture. She wondered what they’d do if she asked them to do something outrageous. The temptation to try itched at her, but she knew that wasn’t being fair. Alphas shouldn’t take advantage.
“Are you terrorizing the pack again, Lin?” Lowell was at her elbow, arriving so softly she hadn’t even realized he’d come up behin
d her. His breath tickled her ear, just the way it did when they made love. “Be nice.”
“Well, I could try nice, just for a change.” Lin tucked her arm into his elbow and snuggled closer to him. It was just like a married couple.
She fought showing another little burst of pleasure. Alphas didn’t go around presenting their emotions to everyone. At least, not in this pack and not these alphas.
The others had already stiffened and lost their befuddled look with Lowell’s arrival. She’d have to work on them when they were alone and more easily surprised. She would also have to figure out just why Lowell hadn’t developed more rapport with his own pack.
Sheesh. There was a lot of work for her to do here.
“Thank you, Leila.” Lowell took the plate carefully and placed it just as carefully on the table. Lin almost smiled, even while she felt suspiciously like sniffling with tears. The earnest politeness in Lowell’s tone was almost too much.
He was trying so hard. He was such a sweetheart. And he was so afraid things would go wrong with her family.
She knew it. She was starting to feel his emotions like they were her own. The only thing she didn’t understand was why he felt like he was so -- so imperfect. He was good, smart, capable, and damn amazing in bed. Lowell was frighteningly right for her. He was troubled when she was sure, reliable when she felt weak. Ying and yang, just like mates should be.
But doubt nagged at him. She would bet her first-born that Daddy never felt that way and Daddy was the only other alpha she knew. Alphas were difficult enough when they thought they were always right. But they might be even worse when they weren’t sure.
Damn it, whatever was happening inside him, she wasn’t going to put up with it. She’d make him feel right. As right as she knew he was.
She reached out to cup the small of Lowell’s back, letting her fingers dangle innocently down, almost to the crack of his ass. A millimeter more and it wouldn’t be quite so innocent. He tensed for a moment, then relaxed and accepted her touch. She could do that to him. For him. Once again she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Power seemed to spill effortlessly out of her. She was born to be this way, be with Lowell, to be-finally -- her adult self.
