Sten’s nightly spars with Sylvestre had begun five years ago, shortly after Sten had joined his brother’s pack. He had lived among humans for years, picking up many of their mannerisms, and the wolves had no idea what to make of him. There had been no way to pretend to be hard, not with a young daughter who had desperately needed him to be gentle. It also didn’t help that Erik was constantly ordering him around, and it wasn’t long before the betas had thought they could do the same.
At least, that’s what Sten had been told. The first time one of the other males had tried giving him a command—something so frivolous and ostentatious that Sten didn’t remember what is was—he’d lashed out so fiercely that the male, Grell, had thought Sten was going to kill him. Grell had struck back as though fighting for his life, and so Sten had had no choice but to actually kill him. Though he had felt some remorse at the time, it had been the best thing he could have done. Since then, many betas had come and gone, but none had dared to challenge his authority.
“Do you really believe I would kill you?” Sten asked.
“I think you could kill me,” Sylvestre said. He flashed Sten a grin, one that Sten always thought looked slightly unhinged. “If I wanted you to.”
Sten sniffed. “It would be easy to kill you. Every time you strike me, or anyone you fight with, you always hesitate. It doesn’t matter how angry you are, either. It’s a small thing, barely enough time for your enemy to blink, but I know you too well to not take advantage of it.”
He’d been sparring with Sylvestre ever since killing Grell. He had been afraid that Grell’s friends might retaliate, and he’d needed to be prepared to defend himself, or Halley, if that happened. The fights had turned out to be beneficial for them both, as Sylvestre had had a great deal of pent up rage, and no one to fight with that was his equal in skill.
When Sylvestre didn’t respond, Sten decided to soften the blow to the other male’s ego.
“I used to hesitate as well,” Sten told him. He fingered one of the scars on his chest. “And my brother punished me for it every time.”
Sylvestre sighed and shook his head. “But you don’t do it anymore. You never hesitate. Sometimes I think you know what I’m going to do before I do.”
Sten considered him for a moment, before saying, “It wasn’t until after I had Halley that I stopped being afraid of becoming my father.”
He reflected on the first time he held his daughter in his arms, when fear and apprehension had briefly given way to the most overwhelming love he’d ever felt for anything. With it, had come the prevailing sense that he would never hurt her, and would do everything in his power to protect her.
Sylvestre laughed dryly. “So you’re saying I should have a pup?”
“Hardly,” Sten said, rolling his eyes.
Sylvestre’s face sobered. “I don’t think I’m like my father, not in the worst ways, but I didn’t think my sister was either. It’s apparent that my judgment is lacking.”
It had been less than a month since his sister Sabine had tried to kill Astrid. She had liked Astrid, Sten knew that was more than pretense, but she had snapped after Erik had taken Astrid for his mate. Killing Astrid would have been exceptionally futile, considering Erik had lost interest in sharing Sabine’s bed long before Astrid had stumbled into his life.
“I’m going to give the perimeter another sweep,” Sylvestre said abruptly. “You coming?”
Sten glanced up at the waxing moon. It had been night for some time, though the sun barely touched the land during this part of winter.
“I need to get back to the den.”
Sylvestre grinned. “Need to make sure the other males aren’t cozying up to that sweet little female of yours?”
Sten returned the grin, but his was more a bearing of teeth. His wolf didn’t want the other male even mentioning Indigo, let alone entertain the prospect of another male laying his hands on her.
Sylvestre saw right through Sten’s effort to control his temper. “Relax. Cute as she is, no one’s going to touch her, not while she’s covered in your scent.”
There was an underlying question in Sylvestre’s voice that made Sten want to growl.
“She’s going to stay that way,” he grunted, telling the other male in no uncertain terms that Indigo belonged to him.
Sten shifted before Sylvestre could bait him further. Sylvestre was always itching for a fight, and it didn’t matter that they had just spent almost an hour grappling. If they fought again, Sylvestre would find out just how far Indigo had gotten under his skin.
Chapter 19
As eager as he was to get to Indigo, Sten tracked Halley’s scent first. He’d expected to find her with Malina, but the trail led to the upper quarters, which were currently inhabited by the Siluit wolves.
Halley was in the first room he checked, sleeping peacefully among a group of smaller pups. Boaz lay asleep on his bed, but Tallow was awake, her blue and green eyes narrowing in scrutiny when she saw him. Sten had never met a more difficult female, or male for that matter. He was looking forward to seeing how she got along with Erik.
“I came to get my daughter,” he said, speaking softly so as not to wake the others.
“Indigo already asked us to watch her. Just let her sleep.”
“Indigo was here?”
Tallow propped herself up on her arm. “Yeah, she was here all afternoon, until she got called away to play nurse.”
It hadn’t been his intention to leave Halley with Indigo, but he was glad that she had been up to the task. From the brief interactions he’d seen between them, and the way he’d seen Indigo manage the other pups, he already trusted her more than Malina.
“Well, then I suppose I’ll come back for her in the morning,” Sten said.
Tallow sat up. “Wait.”
Sten arched a brow.
Her tone was pleasant and friendly. Too friendly. “It’s awfully difficult to have private, adult time when you have a pup. Boaz and I have hardly had a moment alone since before we left Siluit.”
“If you don’t want to watch her—”
“No.” A flash of irritation crossed her features, but it was quickly replaced by a forced smile. “I’m talking about you. Wouldn’t you like to have private time at night, and perhaps, sleep in in the morning? I can make that happen.”
Sten gave her a flat stare. “What do you want?”
“Meat.” When she spoke again, all pretense of friendliness had vanished. “I’m going to lose my mind if I have to keep eating this dry crap. I went hunting with your wolves tonight and we didn’t find shit. Your territory fucking sucks, by the way.”
Sten leaned against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. “Everything in storage is cured, and I don’t think I’ll have time to go hunting for another day or two.”
“All I want is a portion of the kills that your pack makes. You can arrange that, right?”
“Perhaps.”
She licked her lips. “And I want enough for the pups, too.”
Sten glanced at the loft, where over a dozen pups lay sleeping, and then back at Tallow. He could do what she was asking, but it wouldn’t be easy. Food was already tight, and Erik had been firm about Siluit not touching Amarok’s kills. He wasn’t so desperate for a babysitter that he would defy his brother, or put his own pack at a disadvantage, not unless the pups had nothing else to eat. Still, he thought there might be some solution that would satisfy her.
“I’ll see what I can arrange,” he said. “In the meantime, I want you and Boaz to watch Halley two evenings this week, mornings as well. But if my daughter starts picking up your indecent language—”
“I don’t curse around pups, asshole.”
“Good, then we have a deal.”
The den was quiet as he headed back to his room. There were only a few wolves sitting sentry in the main room, the rest were either on patrol or sleeping in their rooms. He half expected Indigo to be asleep as well, though he wouldn’t hesitate to wake her.
The
candles were lit when he entered the room. Indigo was on the couch, her head on the armrest and a book propped up on her chest. She peered over it as he entered, her violet eyes luminous in the candlelight. When she lowered the book, her lips were curved in a warm smile.
Sten stood in the doorway for a moment, just taking her in. It was a good feeling, to have a female waiting for him in his room. When Erik had been away, Astrid had slept in his room. She had never shared his bed, but having her soft, feminine presence in the evenings had made him aware of what he’d been missing.
He didn’t want to place any expectations on Indigo. Despite how insistently she’d pursued him, she was young, and apt to want to pursue other males just as doggedly in the future. That was the way it was among shifters, and he couldn’t expect her to stick around to fill the emptiness in his room.
But he knew better than to fixate on an undesirable future. He would enjoy this now, for however long it lasted.
“Halley is with Boaz and Tallow,” she said, setting the book down on her chest. “I only left her because she fell asleep, I didn’t—”
“It’s fine,” he said as he approached the couch.
She cocked her head. “Is that a cut on your lip? How’d that happen?”
Sten murmured a vague response as he climbed on top of her. She said something, but her words were lost against his lips.
The last time he’d kissed her, it had started off amusing, and had rapidly escalated to agonizing. He had never expected to enjoy her lips so much, and when her touch had grown bold, his resolve had trembled.
Tonight, her lips were every bit as soft and her mouth was just as inviting, but her hands didn’t stray below his neck. She stroked the sides of his face, traced around his ears, and threaded her fingers into his hair, her gentle touches steadily stoking the flame within him.
When he left her lips to trail his mouth down her neck, she managed to get out a few breathy words.
“I thought…we were going to talk.”
“You asked me today if I wanted you. Are you not satisfied with my answer?” He gave her neck a soft nip. His wolf wanted to bite her.
Indigo’s response was a throaty moan. Her scent was more potent at her neck, and each breath he took sent a sharp shock of arousal streaking through his body. He pulled back, far enough that he could take in her flushed face and kiss-swollen lips. If he’d had any doubts at all, they were extinguished as she brought her legs up to wrap them around his hips. She undulated against him, a teasing, coaxing motion, and before his mind could register a plan, he was picking her up by her rear and carrying her to his bed.
His room was cold and dark. With one hand holding her up, he used the other remove his wet pelt. Indigo was laughing, her arms around his neck. As he came down atop her on the bed, his lips found hers again. He grabbed her hips, thrusting his hard length against her as she pushed her tongue into his mouth.
There was nothing tentative about the way she kissed him. Her tongue moved in bold strokes, battling his for dominance. As much as he enjoyed her newfound aggression, there were other parts of her body that he wanted to explore. He broke away from her to run his mouth along her jaw and to suck the tender earlobe that she was always tugging at.
He avoided her neck as he made his way down her body. His wolf kept urging him to bite her there, and he didn’t trust himself not to give into the urge. He intended on giving her a night she would never forget, but he wasn’t going to brand her like cattle.
She was naked beneath her pelt. He hadn’t left her like that earlier in the day, and he knew she must have done it for him. Later, he would tell her that he rather enjoyed stripping off layers of human clothes, but tonight, he was glad that nothing obstructed his hands as they explored her soft curves.
Her breasts were small, but her nipples were long, stiff peaks that were perfect for sucking. Being mindful of his fangs, he teased the sensitive buds with his flat teeth and flicked the tips with his tongue.
Sten hadn’t given much consideration to what sort of lover she would be, but he had anticipated that she would need steady guidance until they were more familiar with one another.
She was nothing like what he’d expected. She writhed beneath his touch, her hands fisted tight in his hair and her lower body struggling to get him into position. If he didn’t have one of her knees pinned to the ground with his free hand, she would have already managed to have him inside of her.
And she was loud. After each futile struggle against his hold, she growled her frustration. More often than not, those same growls ended in purring moans as he found the right place to stroke, temporarily placating her.
The air was thick with the beguiling smell of her arousal, and his cock felt near to bursting by the time his mouth left her breasts. He was eager to flip her over and give her what they both wanted, but he knew that he wasn’t going to last long once he was inside of her. He’d be able to go again after a short break, but he needed to make sure she was thoroughly satisfied first.
As he drew his tongue down her belly, Sten glanced up at her face. She was biting down on her bottom lip, her hair in tangles, and her breaths coming in quick pants. He knew that if there was more light, he’d see her face and neck beautifully flushed, and pleading desire in her gaze.
She gasped as he trailed kisses down her inner thighs, first one, and then the other. Nudging his tongue past the nest of curls, he found himself dipping into a pool of juices. He lapped them up in two deep strokes of his tongue.
If he’d thought her scent was intoxicating before, now it was driving him insane. His hips instinctively bucked, thrusting his too hard cock against the bed furs. The female wasn’t making things any easier for him. He had to use both hands and a considerable amount of force to keep her hips pinned to the floor. Her struggling peaked as he sucked her clitoris into his mouth, giving it the same treatment as her nipples.
Hardly a moment had gone by before she was climaxing. Even through his own frenzied desire, he was able to appreciate how adorable she looked, clamping her hands over her own mouth to muffle her screams. He could feel her folds throbbing beneath his lips, and more sweet juices flooded her cleft. He resisted the urge to lick them up, knowing she would need them when he entered her.
Her body was still shuddering from climax as he rolled her over onto her knees. It was his wolf’s idea to take her from behind, and he couldn’t ignore the appeal. He ran his hand down her smooth back, while the other hand grasped his cock. He gave it a quick stroke, bringing his own moisture up to wet the tip. His eyes rolled back in his head as he positioned himself at her entrance. The cold air made her heated passage feel all the more inviting. Casting aside any notion of teasing her, Sten claimed her with one, hard thrust.
Blinding pleasure crashed into him, so intense that he thought he might have already come. After drawing in a shuddering breath, he realized that he was still hard and full inside of her. But as badly as he wanted to thrust, he couldn’t ignore the faint smell of blood, or how snugly he fit inside of her.
With a pained grunt, he rolled her over, carefully maneuvering her legs so that he could remain inside. She had the nerve to smile up at him, and he lowered his head so that she could see his narrowed eyes.
“Indigo…”
He couldn’t get past her name to admonish her. The word came out as a strained rasp and his hips were already moving of their own accord. He would have thought his wolf had taken over, for all the control he had over his body.
She hooked her arms around his neck, bringing herself up to press kisses to his neck and the side of his face. Her hips moved with his, setting a slightly faster pace, and subtly coaxing him to speed up. He fell willingly into her trap, and would have altogether forgotten his anger if not for how impossibly tight she was.
Sten tried to be gentle with her, as though it could make up for how carelessly he’d handled her in the beginning. She responded with growls of frustration, and then wrapped her legs around his hips, using the
leverage to deepen his thrusts. Caught up in her fervor, he seized her hips and began taking her harder, increasing his pace until she was screaming his name in climax.
He watched, fascinated by the way her arched back displayed her breasts, and how she threw her head to the side, exposing the smooth column of her neck. He wanted to bite her, to mark her as his own and have her as his mate. It was his last thought before his own climax tore through him, and with one final thrust he was pouring himself inside of her.
His mind hazed over, and the line between himself and his wolf blurred. The few times in his life that that had happened, it had led to violence and death. But when he came back to himself, he was holding her in his arms and gently nuzzling her still smooth neck. Relief flooded him.
He reached down to pull a fur over them, tucking it in around her slight frame. He was still hard inside of her, and he knew that he could already go again, but he brushed the thought aside.
Sten propped his head up on his hand so that he could stare down at her. It was difficult to make himself look displeased when he was so thoroughly satisfied.
“Why didn’t you tell me that you were a virgin?”
She shrugged. “It never came up.”
It was not lost on Sten that it was the same excuse he had used when she’d asked him why he hadn’t told her about Halley. Judging by her unrepentant smile, she knew it.
She shifted slightly, as though to get comfortable, but the small movement made him want to groan.
“Would telling you have made you change your mind about tonight?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said tightly.
“So you’re saying that I should have found another male to be with first, and then—”
Sten’s growl was a low rumble in his chest. Her smile widened.
“If I had known,” he said slowly. “I would have handled things differently.”
Had he known, he would not have slept with her tonight. At least, he didn’t think he would have. And if he had, he definitely would have gone slower and treated her more gently.
Chasing the Alpha: Shifters of Nunavut, Book #3 Page 16
