by Cara Wylde
ALPHA’S FEISTY MATE
ARCANE AFFAIRS AGENCY
Copyright © 2016 by Cara Wylde
All rights reserved.
This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
Arcane Affairs Agency Series
More Books by Cara Wylde
About the Author
CHAPTER ONE
The Mist was packed, as it always was on a Friday night. Not even the exaggeratedly high prices could convince the youth of Misty Falls to try some of the other clubs, considerably smaller and cheaper. The Mist was the best club in town, and those who really wanted to make sure they got a table on Friday night had to book it days in advance. As a regular, Skye Watson knew that, and she had done her best to get one of the good tables. Her sister, Nina, had avoided going out for the past two weeks, and now that she had finally agreed, Skye wanted to take full advantage of their night out. She had invited some of her friends, and now she was trying to convince Nina to quit sulking over her glass of wine and have some fun.
“I can’t believe you refused Jeremy!” Skye looked for said Jeremy in the crowd. Tall, handsome, and just a tad geeky, he could easily get distracted by some other girl and forget about her sister.
“I don’t feel like dancing,” said Nina. She pulled her red hair over her sparkling green eyes, and tried to make herself small in her seat. Why had she agreed to go out with Skye and her crazy friends? Oh! Because she was starting to lose it between the four walls of her room…
“He’s so cute,” said Skye. “Come on, I know you think he’s cute.”
Nina smiled and looked up at her sister. “I guess…”
“You should seriously start paying attention to him before he gets bored with your moodiness and looks for someone nicer.” Skye made a pause to check her sister’s reaction. When Nina didn’t seem offended, she continued: “Someone who actually smiles back, you know? And engages in conversation.”
Nina rolled her eyes and took a long sip of wine. Another sip, and she’d need a refill.
Skye sighed. She flipped her long, raven black hair over her shoulder and looked around the club. Her blue eyes weren’t searching for anyone in particular. She was just trying to take the pulse of the crowd, see if there was anyone interesting nearby. She hadn’t been with a guy in almost four months. Not that she lacked admirers and kinky proposals, but she was determined to wait for Mr. Right, this time. Okay, maybe not exactly Mr. Right, but at least Mr. Almost Right. The point was: she had made a promise to herself to stay away from bad boys, to whom she was naturally attracted, and try to go out with a good guy for a change. She hadn’t anticipated things to be so difficult. The second she spotted one of the nice, reliable guys, he usually ran away, too shy to even approach her. Skye eventually came to the conclusion that her sassy attitude was probably what scared them, but she wasn’t ready to give that up. It was who she was. She had worked hard to reach this point, when she loved everything about herself: her long, straight black hair, her heart-shaped face, her curves… She felt good in her own body. She never went out of the house without her smoky-eye make-up, red lipstick, tight dress, and high heels. Yes, she was aware that all of these details turned her into a magnet for tattooed bad boys in leather pants and boots, and scared the crap out of the nice, shy ones, but she wasn’t going to start changing things about herself in the hope that she’d finally score a serious, long-term relationship. Not yet, at least.
“You don’t know what you’re missing,” murmured Skye as her eyes fell on a hunky stranger leaning against the bar.
“And you know?”
“No, but I wish. If a guy like Jeremy looked my way, I’d fuckin’ marry him in an instant.”
Nina chuckled and followed her gaze.
“Right. That’s why you’re ogling Mr. Norse Tats over there.”
Skye blinked quickly a couple of times and turned to her sister.
“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”
Nina smiled, but dropped the subject. Her sister was really trying to change something about her love life, and this wasn’t the right time to point out how badly she was failing. She had other things on her mind, anyway.
“I think I’m going to drink another glass, then head home,” she said.
“What? Why? We just got here! Come on, sis, stop being such a major killjoy.”
“It doesn’t feel right.”
“What doesn’t feel right?”
“To be out having fun with all that’s been happening in the past weeks.”
The distress in Nina’s voice made Skye forget about the stranger at the bar for a minute. When he checked her out, she was busy looking into Nina’s eyes.
“Nothing has been happening in the past weeks.”
“You know that’s not true. People in Misty Falls have been behaving oddly. How do you explain half of our neighbors abandoning their pets? Mary took her old, deaf Labrador to a shelter! She loved that dog.”
Skye cocked and eyebrow and smiled. “That sounds so silly. You know that, right?”
“It’s not just that. Jane and Fred are fighting all the time. In their 20-year marriage, they never fought once, and now they’re talking about a divorce.”
“Wow! I had no idea you were paying so much attention to what our neighbors are doing. See? That’s why you need a guy like Jeremy: to keep you occupied and out of people’s business. You’re acting like an old lady.”
Nina rolled her eyes. “What about Harriet McBride? She killed her husband, Skye!”
A chill ran up Skye’s spine, this time. “Harriet McBride is crazy,” she said softly.
“No. No, she wasn’t before… before we…” She took a deep breath and gave up trying to find the right words. There were no right words for what she and Skye had done two weeks ago. “She loved her husband.”
“You don’t know that…”
None of them said anything for a while. The music was so loud that they could barely hear each other, anyway. Nina had tried to have this conversation at home, but every time she had tried, Skye had avoided it like the plague. Her sister insisted that whatever was happening in Misty Falls had nothing to do with them, but Nina had the impression Skye felt it too… the heavy tension in the air, floating like a veil above the mountains and rivers of Misty Falls. Everyone knew Harriet McBride loved her husband, so when she shot him with his own hunting rifle, the entire town was shocked. Now, Harriet was in a mental hospital, repeating over and over again that she had no idea what had come over her that day.
“Is that girl flirting with your Jeremy?” asked Skye, her head perking. She straightened her back, trying to see over Nina’s shoulder.
“He’s not my Jeremy.” Nonetheless, Nina turned around.
“Seriously, woman. Go get him. Now.”
Nina sighed, but stood up. Frankly, she did like Jeremy. She just wasn’t in the mood tonight.
“Finally!” cheered Skye. “You’re doing something!”
“Shut up.”
“Go have fun!”
Nina stepped on the dance floor, her hip
s swaying in the rhythm of the music. She was tall and slender, and the complete opposite of Skye. Bright red hair, white skin covered in cute, tiny freckles, and delicate curves… There wasn’t a man in Misty Falls who didn’t dream of going out with her. But Nina was hardly ever interested. She liked her books more than she liked the guys who asked her out weekly. Skye, on the other hand, was always quite available. It was as if they weren’t sisters. And, to be honest, they weren’t. Skye’s parents had adopted Nina after having Skye and finding out they wouldn’t be able to have a second child. Even though the girls grew up together, they were as different as night and day, both in looks and personality.
“I thought your friends would never leave.”
Skye’s heart jumped at the sound of the deep, husky voice coming from above her. She looked up and immediately lost herself in the man’s intense green eyes. The stranger at the bar… She gulped and plastered a smile on her face.
“They’re quite attached to me, yes,” she said.
“I can understand why.”
Skye cocked an eyebrow. She couldn’t believe the guy she had been eying a few minutes ago was there, so close to her, and totally interested. She could see his tattoos better. He was wearing a tight black T-shirt that revealed Thor’s Hammer on his left arm, and some of the Norse runes on his collarbone. She was sure there were more, lower on his chest. His black, disheveled hair, neatly trimmed beard, leather pants, and sturdy boots were right up Skye’s alley. Oh, he was so off-limits! She had sworn she would never date a bad boy again.
“May I sit?” he asked.
Skye’s brain screamed “no”, but when she opened her mouth, a soft, adorable “yes” came out. She cursed herself.
“I’m Aiden Ashwood, by the way.”
“Skye Watson. You’re new in town.”
He chuckled. “Is it that obvious?”
“No. I just know everyone, s’all.” She bit her lip so she wouldn’t add what she was actually thinking: “I would have noticed a hunk like you a loooong time ago.”
“And, let me guess, everyone knows you.”
Skye smiled. “I wish I were that popular.”
“Cute, interesting, and modest. I think I like the combination.”
Skye blushed. It wasn’t as if that was the best compliment she had ever received from a guy, but there was something special about Aiden. The way he looked at her, as though she was the only person in the room, the way he stared into her eyes, not at her boobs, when talking to her. It was nice, for a change, to meet a man who talked to her, not to her cleavage. He offered to get her another drink, and she accepted. One drink and some small talk wouldn’t hurt, right? When that one drink turned into two, then three, Skye started having trouble remind herself he was off-limits. He looked and acted like a bad boy. He was one-night stand material, nothing more. Then, maybe, just this once…
***
Aiden pulled down the zipper of her dress and rolled the thin straps over her plump shoulders. Skye threw her head back to give him better access to her neck. She had no idea how they had ended up in his hotel room. She vaguely remembered having one too many drinks and Aiden suggesting he should take her home. So, whatever was happening now hadn’t been his idea. She had clung to his arm and asked where he was staying in Misty Falls. He had taken the hint, though, and now there was no turning back. Not that she minded. She knew exactly what she wanted, and Aiden seemed to know, too, because he was currently removing her black lacy bra.
When the soft dress pooled around Skye’s ankles, Aiden stepped back to admire her gorgeous body. She only had her panties and high heels on. Her make-up was intact, except for the red lipstick, which was smeared all over her lips and cheeks. He knew he had it all over his face, too. She gave him a wicked smile, and something in his stomach flipped, something he hadn’t known was there.
“Like what you see?” she asked teasingly.
That was it. That smile, the naughty inflection in her voice, the way she placed her hand on her hip and stepped out of her dress… Aiden’s wolf growled inside his chest. He couldn’t remember his beast ever reacting so strongly to the presence of a woman. It scared him that the wolf threatened to jump out of his skin and cuddle with this beautiful human. He had been with many women before, both humans and shifters, but his inner beast had never showed this much interest. When Skye’s warm palms came to rest on his chest, Aiden closed his eyes and did his best to control the animal inside him. He couldn’t let the wolf loose, he couldn’t let Skye see the yellowish spark in his eyes, and he couldn’t risk shifting in front of her. She would run away screaming, and that was the last thing he needed. His mission in Misty Falls was to protect its humans from the paranormal, not alert them that shape-shifters existed.
Skye ran her hands up and down his chest and abs, then grabbed the hem of his T-shirt and started rolling it up. He finally opened his eyes and helped her get rid of the offending garment. Skye’s eyes grew wide with excitement when she saw all his tattoos. She licked her lips, then leaned in and started placing small kisses all over them.
The soft touch of her fingers exploring his body, the slight wetness of her parted lips on his skin… it was all too much. He loved how this woman wasn’t afraid to take the lead, but he needed to have her. Soon. Or he was pretty sure he’d explode. He could smell her arousal, and his cock twitched when he understood how wet and ready she was. He took her face between his palms and kissed her hard, pushing his tongue deep inside her mouth. She responded eagerly, her soft curves pressing against his taut muscles. When she wrapped her arms around his neck, he grabbed her by the back of her thighs and lifted her up, making her hook her legs around his waist for better balance.
Skye moaned when she felt his erection between her legs. Oh, how she appreciated a man who could lift her like she weighed nothing! They were hard to come by, unfortunately. She was even more impressed when Aiden was able to walk to the bed without bumping into anything, and without breaking the kiss or opening his eyes for a second. His undivided attention was on her. If he kept this up and proved to be a careful lover, he’d make it very difficult for her to leave in the morning. The thought saddened her for a moment, then she chased it away and decided to enjoy herself tonight, and think about the consequences later.
Gently, Aiden placed her on the bed, then crawled on top of her. She started pulling at his leather pants, and he peeled them off, giving her a nice view of his engorged cock.
“Oh my…” she whispered. Her pussy clenched in anticipation, but her better judgment told her it would probably hurt. “I’m not sure…”
“Don’t worry, Princess. It’ll fit,” he laughed.
She reached for the hard, swollen piece of flesh and ran her hand up and down, spreading the pre-cum that had gathered at the slit. It felt so nice and real in her hand, that she decided she didn’t care if it hurt. She needed his cock inside her.
Aiden pushed her onto the pillows and started removing her panties while his mouth attacked her hard nipples.
Skye closed her eyes and stretched her arms above her head, her hands looking for something to grab onto. When she found the headboard, she wrapped her fingers around the cold bars and allowed him to do whatever he wanted to her body. Every touch, kiss, and nibble felt amazing. When his tongue sneaked between her soaked folds and found her clit, Skye arched her back and moaned. This man certainly knew what to do to a woman. Until now, he had pushed all her right buttons, and she knew it was just the beginning.
Aiden sighed at the sweet taste of her juices. His wolf thrashed inside his chest, urging him to take her hard and fast, to claim her as his own. But Aiden wanted to take his time, worship her body thoroughly, enjoy her every moan, sigh, and scream. Skye Watson… She was nothing like the other women he had tasted, smelled, fucked. His wolf’s reaction told him she might just be the one. His fated mate. A human female… the last thing he needed. He had to keep his beast under control and take things slowly. He had to know for sure before he did an
ything stupid. Then, she screamed, squeezed his head between her thighs, and came on his tongue, and Aiden threw all reason out the window. He licked her clean, pushed his tongue inside her warm, wet pussy, then climbed on top of her. His cock was so hard that it almost hurt. He needed to be inside her, needed to fill her with his seed.
Skye’s eyes went wide with surprise when she felt the head of his cock stretch her walls. He was, indeed, bigger than any man she had been with. He was only halfway in, and she already felt completely full.
Aiden stopped for a bit to let her adjust. He pushed all the way in only when she wiggled her hips to let him know she was fine. He sighed at the amazing sensation of being enveloped by her warmth, and claimed her mouth in a deep, slow kiss.
“Move,” she whispered against his lips.
Aiden didn’t wait to be told twice. He pulled out until only the round, engorged head was inside her, then pushed back in roughly, making her yelp and close her eyes. The smile on her lips and the pure bliss on her face told him she loved every minute of what he was doing to her. Her walls were wet and flexible, but tight enough that he knew he wouldn’t last long.
“Faster, please,” she begged. “Oh God… I love your cock!”
Skye had never said that to a man, and had never begged, either. This time, it felt so good that she was not thinking straight. She didn’t care what he thought about her as long as he fucked her hard and good. She dug her heels in the mattress and lifted her hips as high as she could to meet his thrusts. She didn’t have much space to work with, but it was enough to let him know how badly she wanted him to lose control, to stop holding back. She could feel he was holding back, and she had no idea why. Her curves could take everything he had.
Aiden grunted and complied as best as he could without risking to hurt her. He couldn’t possibly use his shifter speed and power. That was one of the disadvantages of mating with a human female. As much as he wanted to abandon himself to the lust she instilled in him, he had to keep a leveled head. It was all the more difficult when his wolf kept thrashing inside him, pushing him to lean over and bite her neck. He couldn’t do that. It wouldn’t be fair. First, he had to make sure she was his fated mate, and secondly, he had to reveal his true identity. There was a long, long way to go until that would become a possibility, so he closed his eyes, furrowed his brows, and focused on giving her the best orgasm of her life without bonding her to him forever.
