Her gaze moved to his sleeping form. She wanted to go to him, kiss him tenderly and profess feelings for him that she shouldn’t have yet. Feelings that were too strong for a man she’d only just met. She resisted.
Brad still hadn’t moved, and she knew he had to be hungry. It was her turn to care for him. Before long, she’d secured some cash from one of the bags on the table and took the keys to the car. She was about to leave when she spotted another small bag. When she opened it, she found several handguns. Her father had taught her to shoot when she was young and had made sure she kept up on the skill. He was a big believer in always being prepared and able to protect yourself.
He’d be disappointed she’d gotten grabbed. She’d known better. She shouldn’t have been at that party without a buddy. And she certainly shouldn’t have been walking around at night by herself. Then again, Bart shouldn’t have been a giant douchebag who kidnapped women, so there was that.
Alice lifted the smallest of the weapons and slid it into the waist of her pants, using her shirt to cover it. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. If the creeps who had held her and Brad were still looking for them, she’d be ready. And she wouldn’t hesitate to shoot one. They would not touch Brad again. Not while she was still breathing.
He’s mine, she thought, gasping at the clarity she felt at the statement.
As she stepped out of the motel door, she had to squint, the sun was shining so brightly. It had been some time since she’d felt its warm rays upon her skin, and while she did burn easily and tended to avoid it as much as possible, sunlight was exactly what she needed. She made her way to the car and paused near the hood, her thoughts going back to when Brad had dry-humped her on it. Her body tingled with remembered pleasure.
She ran her fingers over the hood lightly and glanced to the side. She froze. There, near the edge of the motel, was a short man dressed like a pimp, and a tall man next to him dressed as a pirate. Both were staring at her. When she tipped her head, they turned their backs to her at once. They looked as if they were trying hard to appear normal and avoid detection.
They were failing miserably.
“Hello there,” she said loudly, making the pirate jolt.
The pimp glanced over his shoulder at her. “Just two guys enjoying an early morning stroll. Nothing to see here, Little Red.”
Little Red?
She continued to stare at the men, something tugging at her gut, telling her they were harmless and could be trusted. The feeling hitting her also made her want to walk up and hug them. She resisted.
The pimp began to wiggle in place doing what could only be described as a preschooler’s peepee dance. He looked up at the pirate. “I know you said to go before we left our room, but I didn’t have to go then. No. Don’t yell at me. You sound like the meanies back at headquarters. If I wanted someone to boss me around, I’d have stayed there.”
The pirate hadn’t uttered a single word, yet the pimp continued on with his one-sided conversation. “I know they’re worried about us. We’re fine. We’re not children. We can do things. We’ll show them. Then they’ll have to let us have a later bedtime.”
“Brad, you sure picked an interesting place to stay,” she said more to herself as she laughed and got into the car.
Chapter Twelve
Alice’s hands were full with the bags of food from the diner as she opened the door and stepped into the dark room. The minute she closed the door behind her, the hair on the back of her neck rose. Alice froze, fearful that Bart and Nile had found her again.
“I thought you left me,” came a deep voice she didn’t recognize from the bathroom area.
With the old, heavy curtains drawn and the lights off, Alice couldn’t see. She remained in place, fear coursing through her. “W-where is Brad?”
As he stepped out of the bathroom she made out his form. It had been Brad talking to her? But it hadn’t sounded like him. The voice had been so much deeper than Brad’s already powerful voice.
His wolf!
She stiffened, realizing Brad wasn’t in control at the moment. “I went to get food. I was worried about you and wanted to make sure you ate something.”
He stepped forward more and came into focus. Fur covered most of his body. His fingers seemed longer, and claws were visible from the tips of them. Brad had already been tall. Now he seemed downright giant to her.
“Brad,” she said softly. “You’re scaring me.”
“I can smell your cunt,” he said brazenly.
Alice wasn’t shocked by the words so much as his use of them to her. This isn’t Brad, she thought. It’s his version of an inner harlot. A really big, hairy and deadly version, but a version all the same.
He reached out and ran the tips of his claws along the wall nearest him. The wallpaper turned into shreds everywhere he touched, floating to the floor in a hypnotic-like motion, and she knew he wasn’t even applying pressure. If he could do that to the wall, she didn’t want to think on what he could do to a person with those claws. She could only imagine it wouldn’t be pretty or hypnotic in the least.
Her mind said drop the food and run, but deep down she knew that would be very bad. That whatever was happening to Brad wouldn’t be helped by kicking his prey drive into high gear. If she did, the thrill of the chase, of the hunt, could take control of him. It could cause him to hurt her without meaning to. That was something she certainly didn’t want to have happen.
She’d never been more thankful than to have a shifter father. He’d spoken of the blood lust before. Of the crazed state shifter males could enter. He’d said that when it came over men, they weren’t themselves, and he said what seemed to always be the trigger was their mates being in danger.
Her brows met. That didn’t make any sense. Was Brad’s mate in trouble? And why did the thought of him having a significant other bother her so much?
His nostrils flared. “You weren’t here when I woke. At first, I thought they took you and then I realized their scents weren’t here. Only yours was.” He moved closer to her. “You left me.”
The need to flee was still great. She held back, taking a deep breath and doing as her father had taught her once long ago. She was going to show no fear to the predator before her. At least that was the plan, if her legs would stop trembling at the sight of him. Even partially shifted he was magnificent. Scary as hell, but gorgeous all the same. Though, her strong love of children’s movies and fairytales did make her think instantly of the tale of Little Red Riding Hood. She very much felt like the main character now that she had her own big bad wolf to contend with. She just hoped hers didn’t want to eat her.
“Knock it off, Bradley,” she said sternly, hoping she wasn’t letting off any signs of fear. “I went to get you food. I wanted you fed. Now shut up and eat this food before I force feed it to you.”
He’s going to tear my head off.
He blinked and then looked around, seeming to come out of a trance. Lifting his hands, he stared at them and then leapt back. Shaking his head, horror stricken, he spoke, “Oh gods, Alice.”
She practically tossed the food onto the table before rushing towards him. She hated seeing the pain in his dark gaze.
He put his clawed hands up, his eyes wide, his body still partially shifted. “Run!”
Alice grabbed for him, mindful of the claws. “Bradley.”
“Run,” he ground out, going to his knees. “Can’t control the wolf.”
Alice went to her knees as well, and did the only thing she could think to do. She grabbed his face and kissed him. As their tongues wound around one another, she felt the fur on his arms fading away, replaced by smooth skin. Smiling against his lips, she kept kissing him. It felt too good to stop.
He broke the kiss and stared at her with wide, fright-filled eyes. “I could have killed you.”
“I don’t think so,” she returned, going for his lips again.
He caught her shoulders. “Are you insane?”
; She shrugged. “It’s been up for debate for years.”
He sighed, a level of tiredness in his voice as he spoke. “Alice, be serious here. If you ever see me in that state again, get as far from me as you can.”
Still on her knees, she raked her gaze down his naked form. The man had the best cock. She could still remember what it felt like, even with the succubus in control, holding his velvety smooth shaft in her hands. It took her a minute to realize he was still talking to her. From the sounds of it, he was upset.
“Are you even listening to me, woman?” he demanded.
She shook her head. “No. I was focused on your dick.”
His eyes widened. “W-what?”
“Your dick,” she repeated, wondering if shifting left him dazed and confused like her succubus sometimes did to her. “It’s a great dick, Brad. You should be very proud of it.”
He huffed. “Are you serious?”
“Very.” She grinned and then bit her lower lip. “I do not joke about cocks.”
His expression hardened. “Just how many cocks have you seen?”
She tipped her head. “Not sure. A lot though. And trust me, yours is awesome.”
He didn’t seem excited by the news. In fact, he looked like he might wolf out again at any moment. “Alice, if you know what’s good for you, you won’t ever mention seeing other men’s dicks again.”
She lifted a brow. He did not say what she thought he did, did he? “Know what’s good for me?”
He touched her cheek, and she could sense the restraint he was exercising. “Baby, please. I’m holding on by a fucking thread. From the moment I met you I’ve wanted to be in you. Hearing you talk about my dick is only making that worse. And the wolf is barely caged. It doesn’t like knowing you’ve been with other men. I don’t like knowing it either.”
“Bradley,” she said softly, her anger with him fading fast.
He met her gaze.
“Tell your wolf to either man up and fuck me or shut up and go lie in the corner. I’m not going to roll over and submit. It’s not really my style.”
He blinked, stunned. “Alice?”
“Yes?” she asked innocently.
“Your succubus isn’t riding you,” he said as if she wasn’t aware of this fact herself.
“I know.”
“You want me?” he questioned, appearing at a loss.
Her heart broke for the man. He didn’t see his worth. Didn’t see how much he meant to her. She put her hand over his which was still on her cheek. “I do.”
“Why?”
A tiny giggle erupted from her. “Hell if I know, but I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone in my life.”
She waited for his rejection. For him to take his ever-popular high road once more. The man’s moral compass pointed true north so much so it was annoying. It took her a second to realize his hand was shaking. She saw it then, him straining with all he had. He was trying to keep control of himself. She knew deep down that he was doing so out of fear of hurting her. She turned her head and drew his thumb into her mouth seductively. She sucked on it, making Brad moan and his cock twitch.
“Alice, baby, please don’t do this. I could hurt you. I can’t control the wolf,” he said, desperation coating his voice.
“Then stop trying to,” she replied, yanking her shirt off, leaving her upper half bare to him as they remained on the floor on their knees facing one another.
His gaze snapped to her exposed nipples. He swallowed hard and then closed his eyes tight.
She nearly laughed. “Bradley, enough. Give in to it. I don’t want to fight what is between us, why should you?”
“I could hurt you,” he said between clenched teeth. “I don’t trust my wolf anymore, Alice, and I sure as hell don’t trust him with you.”
“Tell me why,” she said, touching his cheek. “Explain what you’re feeling.”
When he looked at her, his eyes showed signs of swirling with colors. An indication he was on edge again. “I want to fuck you until you scream my name, until I spend my seed so deep in you that there is no question you’re mine and I want to sink my teeth into your pale, freckled skin as I claim you as mine.”
With a gasp, she stood and found herself putting her hand out to him. “Then do it, Bradley.”
“What?” he asked, looking up at her.
“Do it.”
“Alice, did you hear what I said? I want to fuck and claim you. Do you understand what that means?”
She put her other hand out to him as well. She did understand what a claim meant in the world of supernaturals. It was something she would have never considered allowing to happen before her capture—before Brad. But everything was on its head now. Nothing felt the same as it once had. There was no way she could return to her normal life if Brad wasn’t a part of it. She was linked to the man in a way she suspected had something to do with mates. Her parents had explained the concept to her at a young age, arming her with knowledge of their kind.
“Of course I know what it means. I’d be yours forever and you’d be mine. Don’t be boring about this, Bradley. Live a little. We’re free now. Why should we put our emotions in a prison just because it’s all so new? Unless you don’t feel the same for me that I feel for you.”
“Oh, I feel the same. Trust me.” He took her hand and stood, suddenly towering over her once more. His gaze returned to her exposed nipples and he swallowed hard. “But I’m a broken man now.”
“Hardly,” she returned.
“You could do much better,” he stated.
She gave him a hard look. “I swear you don’t see it, do you?”
“See what?”
“How important you are to me.” She went to her tiptoes and he bent at the same moment. Their lips connected and Alice reached down, her hands finding his cock. He gasped into her mouth as she stroked him. She wasn’t able to do so long because he grabbed her and carried her to the bed. He deposited her on it, making it squeak loudly. The mattress was far from luxurious or up to date. She didn’t want to think upon how many people had done the very same thing on the bed that they were doing now. No, her thoughts would remain where they belonged, on Brad.
He grabbed for her bottoms, the eagerness on his face spurring her onwards. The second he had her bottoms free of her, Alice opened her legs to him, needing him to understand how much she wanted and welcomed him.
Brad’s gaze snapped to the apex of her thighs. She grinned as he licked his lips and then lowered himself, his head going between her legs at once. He wasted no time as he spread her slit, his tongue finding her heated core. Arching her back, she writhed with pleasure as he eased his tongue in and out of her. He rubbed her clit with his thumb at the same time, adding to the passion building between them.
Alice ran her hands through his hair, liking the length on him. She tugged and held his head in place as her orgasm broke over her.
Chapter Thirteen
Brad lapped at Alice’s pussy like a depraved man. He’d never tasted anything as divine as her cream. As much as he wanted to spend forever sampling her, his cock was rock hard and ready to burst. He lifted his head from her center and kissed his way up her body slowly, loving the softness she had to her. She was as he liked his woman to be—soft. He had the hard covered enough for them both. He nipped playfully at the underside of her right breast. She giggled and he had to admit he loved the sound of her laughter.
You love more than that, he thought instantly.
He didn’t dwell on the feelings he had for her. There was no point. They were what they were and he strongly suspected nature intended for them to be that way. That greater forces than he could ever explain had pulled them together long before they met one another. How else was a headstrong alpha male going to end up mated if it wasn’t for Mother Nature’s assistance?
Planting a kiss on Alice’s throat, he paused, the wolf rushing forward, wanting him to do it—bite her. His breathing increased and he closed his eyes, trying to
gather his composure. After several tense seconds, he gained something nearing control and he opened his eyes, staring down at Alice.
She took hold of his cock and guided him to her wet entrance. Brad eased in, gritting his teeth at the tightness surrounding him. He fed himself into her, inch by painfully slow inch. Alice relaxed under him, her fingernails digging into his chest as he progressed. The wolf liked the bite of pain, wanting more than she was currently offering. He went as far as her body would allow and held there for a moment, letting her adjust to his size and girth.
Her jaw went slack as she tilted her head back, giving him her neck. It was such a submissive thing to do that his wolf went wild. It wanted what she was giving him. His teeth felt as if they were going to burst. Brad hooked an arm under one of her legs and lifted it, allowing his cock to settle even deeper into her wetness. When he was hilt deep, he began moving in and out of her, finding a rhythm that left her moaning in his arms.
Her magik peeked out again, coming out to play and join in the fun. Brad wasn’t surprised when it wrapped around them and he felt as if another rope was being tied around them. He had come to expect the sensation and welcome it. Feeling it meant he was pleasing Alice and seeing to her needs. He’d always be there for her, always give her whatever her body required.
“Mine,” he said, his voice deeper because of the wolf. He bit lightly at the tender skin of her pale neck as he drove himself in and out of her. The taste of her blood coated his tongue.
“Yes. Yours. And you’re mine.” Alice raked her nails over his upper chest, making blood well. He felt her mouth on the area and her magik increased tenfold, leaving Brad slamming into her, releasing deep, filling her as she hit her climax as well, her magik wound tightly around them.
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