by Piper Fox
She wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning on him. “Okay.”
His wolf was practically howling at her touch, at her trust.
Sierra jumped out of the car before he could even put it in park and ran into the hospital.
Leaving Merrick to decide whether to follow or leave. His wolf knew which choice he’d make.
But the crackle of the police radio had other plans. “Sheriff Davis, we have a report of a wild animal on the southern end of town. I already sent Dom in, but you might want to head on over, give your deputy some back-up.”
“Ten-four, dispatch. On my way.”
“Wild animal” was almost always code for Bellemare wolves. Occasionally, a coyote or a bear wandered into town, but in those instances, Merrick’s howl could chase them off.
Bellemare wolves meant the pack came looking for retribution. Or looking for Sierra.
Merrick scented the rival pack within a couple miles, and he pulled over to strip down and shift.
Dom and a few other Ironhaven wolves were already in the fray, but everyone paused when Merrick’s howl cut through the night. Even rival wolves reacted when an Alpha called.
The respect didn’t last long though as a large grey wolf lunged at Merrick, teeth bared.
The fight was quick, dirty, and brutal. No one came out unscathed and it was hard to tell whose blood was whose when Dom and Merrick took down the last Bellemare.
The growl that rumbled from Merrick’s throat was animalistic, nearly feral, and enough to send any Bellemares that could still walk out of town as fast as their paws could carry them.
Dom’s head tilted toward the woods, and Merrick followed, panting, even though his wolf really wanted to run straight back to the hospital.
Once Merrick was back in human form, Dominick glared at him. “No matter how much blood you’re wearing, you can’t hide the scent of a human all over you.”
Merrick snarled, his claws and teeth still exposed. “So? This whole town smells like humans.”
“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. You fucked a human. Tell me you didn’t mate her.”
“No, I didn’t mate her. I know the damn rules, Dom.” Merrick snarled, baring his teeth at his second. His wolf hated being this far from Sierra, hated knowing she didn’t wear their mark. “Now, are you going to challenge me out here or can I head back into town, and take care of all this blood, make sure the Bellemares make it back to their territory? Or are you forgetting that we’re still the law in this town?”
Dom poked Merrick in the shoulder with two fingers, getting close, standing with his full, imposing height. “Don’t ever doubt my commitment to this town or to this pack. I just don’t want to see some young pup getting any ideas on being Alpha. Whether you believe it or not, you’re the best damned Alpha we could have right now. And I don’t want to see you overthrown or challenged just because you went out and got laid. Break it off, Merrick, before it goes any further.”
Merrick wanted to argue. His wolf demanded it. But pack law was pack law, and no matter how tempting Sierra was, no matter how much she’d infiltrated his thoughts, no matter how much her kiss was seared in Merrick’s mind, she was still human.
“I’m not going rogue like Leo did.” Merrick scowled, thinking about the way Sierra tasted. The way she felt naked in his bed. “It was one night. Don’t act like you’ve never bedded a human.”
Dom shrugged. “Let’s go chase those wolves back to their territory and call it a night.”
Merrick shifted, and it took every ounce of control he had to not follow his wolf’s paws back to Sierra. He wanted to nuzzle her, to make sure she was okay, that her mom was okay. And then he wanted to take her back to his place and leave his bites all over her.
Pack law be damned.
But he couldn’t. Not if he wanted to keep what little standing the Ironhaven wolves had left.
Bite, or get Bitten
Sierra paced outside her mother’s room, unable to even sit in the waiting room until she knew what was wrong.
Why were there never more doctors available when they needed them?
When she got Dr. Carter’s call, all she could focus on was getting there, getting to her mother’s side.
And now, they were making her stir-crazy waiting.
Merrick didn’t follow her in. She didn’t even have his phone number, no way to reach him. She was alone.
It wasn’t like she expected him to be by her side. But something deep in her gut craved his nearness, craved his touch.
“Ms. Vance? I’m Dr. Carter. Can we go into the waiting room to discuss your mother?”
Sierra recognized the doctor immediately. One of her best friends in high school was his little sister, and even though Ethan was more than ten years older, he still looked like he could still be twenty-five. Not even a hint of crow’s feet wrinkled his face. As they walked to the waiting room, she said, “I think we know each other well enough that you can me Sierra. How’s Addie?”
“Addie…” Ethan paused, looking down. “Addie’s never been happier. I miss her, though.” Ethan focused on Sierra again. “But we’re here to talk about your mom. And, if I’m not mistaken, we’ve got a few other things to talk about too.”
Sierra tilted her head, confused. “Okay.” Ethan’s eyes looked different than she remembered, icier blue. “What happened to Mom?”
His posture changed, shifted so slightly she might not have noticed if she didn’t grow up with him. But somehow, he seemed more professional, but still compassionate. “She had a dizzy spell. She got disoriented and fell down the stairs. Her arm’s broken in two places, and she’s pretty bruised up, but otherwise she’s okay. I’m more worried about her mental state. She couldn’t remember the last time she ate, and her blood sugar was low, which is probably what caused the dizziness.” He reached over and took her hand. “I want to monitor her and run some tests to see if this is a sign of something bigger. She’s going to need some help, Sierra.”
“Is it dementia?”
“It’s too early to say. But for now, she needs someone here, in town. Someone to watch out for her. Make sure she eats, make sure she takes care of that arm.” Ethan shifted again, and this time, when Sierra looked into his eyes, they were almost glowing. “Now, I think we need to talk about the wolf in the room.”
Sierra blinked, staring at him. “What? Are you…?” Her mind raced through everything she knew about him and Addie. Who wasn’t a wolf in this town? “Is Addie a wolf?”
“The whole family is.” He smirked. “What’s going on with you and my Alpha?”
She ran her fingers through her hair, shaking her head. “Merrick’s the Alpha. Of course, he is. Bossy jerk. He picked me up on the side of the road. Gave me a ride into town. That’s it.”
“I can smell him all over you, Sierra. You can deny it all you want. I know he will. But I always suspected there was something more between the two of you than just high school rivalry.” Ethan sighed. “He probably felt it the moment you kissed. And a lesser wolf wouldn’t have been able to resist claiming you.”
“Claiming?” Sierra’s eyes grew wide.
“When a wolf finds his or her mate, the urge to claim, to bite and mark, is almost unbearable. The longer they go without claiming, the harder it is to resist. You’re not a wolf, but even you felt the ache to bite, didn’t you?” He didn’t wait for her answer. “But taking you as his mate would threaten his position in the pack. Wolves don’t mate humans. It’s against pack law.”
Sierra shook her head. “Then whatever we had was just sex.” Her heart fell to her toes. Even though she wasn’t entirely sure she was ready to just be claimed, no part of her liked the idea of what happened with Merrick being just sex. It felt more intense, more connected than just a quick fuck. She hadn’t been able to process it all with being called away, but she couldn’t deny old feelings and new rising to the surface.
“Merrick’s probably trying to convince himself of
that, but I can smell it on you. And I’m sure if he were here, it would be that much more obvious.” Ethan stood, looking down at her. “He’s going to fight it, but it’ll kill him. If you care for him, if there’s any chance you want to be his mate, you have to prove to him that you’re more important than pack law.”
Sierra’s brow furrowed and she stood. “What does that mean?”
“The pack’s in danger. Addie barely found her own mate before the curse hit, but she’s afraid to come home, afraid to even cross into Ironhaven territory, in case the curse takes more than just the first wave. Merrick doesn’t see it yet, but we need to adapt, to change.” Ethan clapped her on the shoulder. You can prove to him that we can. That ancient pack law doesn’t have to stand, just because tradition made it so.” He glanced at the clock. “I have to get back to rounds, but I’m here all night if you have more questions, or if you need car keys to get back to Merrick’s place. I have other ways to get home.”
“I have just one question.” Sierra bit her lip. “If I accept the claiming, what’s going to happen to me?”
“I’ve only seen one human mated to a wolf. I haven’t been able to run as many tests as I wanted, but she no longer gets sick. She heals faster, and as far as I can tell, she’s all but stopped aging. She doesn’t fully shift, but she can hold her own, with teeth and claws.” Ethan paused. “If you accept Merrick’s claim, you’ll live as long as we do, more than twice the human lifespan. And you’ll have a mate who is bound to you, a loyal partner in all things.”
Ethan walked off, leaving Sierra alone in the waiting room with her thoughts.
Why hadn’t Merrick explained all of this? And if she really was meant to be his mate, why did he resist the bite?
The next morning, Sierra woke to Ethan gently shaking her shoulder. She must’ve dozed off, draped across the foot of her mom’s hospital bed.
Putting a finger to his lips, Ethan gestured for her to follow.
Once they were in the hall, he pulled out his keys and handed them to her. “Go home. To Merrick’s, your mom’s, wherever. But go. Get some real sleep. We’ll take good care of her in the meantime.”
“Ethan, is there anything you can do for Mom if she is losing her memory?”
“Medically, not really. I won’t make any promises, but there might be ways to help her. If you trust me.”
Sierra nodded. “I just want what’s best for her.”
“What about Merrick?”
“He’s got my clothes and my knives. I guess I’ll decide when I see him.” She shrugged and pocketed the keys. “When you have a night off, let me cook you dinner. For everything you’re doing for Mom. And for me.” She’d spent half the night going round and round in her head. Just when she thought she’d convinced herself to walk away, the urge to be claimed, to accept what Ethan said, what Merrick was, circled back around. But still, she didn’t think it could be that easy.
Ethan shook his head. “I won’t let another wolf’s unclaimed mate into my house. Not unless I want him to rip my head off.”
The gravity of the situation felt like a wet blanket over Sierra’s head as she followed Ethan’s directions to the staff parking lot and his waiting car. If he could smell Merrick on her, any other wolf in town could too. Any wolf anywhere she went would be able to smell it. Even if they couldn’t, she couldn’t leave her mother. Not if she really was sick.
And the only person she wanted to fall into was Merrick.
When she pulled up to the cabin, he was standing on the front porch, shirtless, barefoot, and drinking a cup of coffee. Just seeing him soothed the unrest deep inside her. But she wasn’t ready to give in that easy.
“How’s your mom?”
Sierra walked up the front steps and put her hands on her hips, staring him down. “You should’ve been there to find out, don’t you think? What the hell happened with you?”
“Bellemare wolves were in town. I had to do my duty.”
“As sheriff? Or as Alpha? Ethan Carter told me a few things. Some details you neglected to share.”
Merrick scowled. “And?”
“Mer, I’ve had my fill of bossy boys, who think they know what’s best for me, or that they’re somehow better just because of biology and anatomy. And I’m sure as hell not going to walk away just because some damn tradition says so.” She moved closer until they were nearly toe to toe. “I might not have understood it, but I bit you. I claimed you. And I might not have wolf teeth or whatever magic binds mates together, but—”
Sliding his hands around her waist, Merrick leaned down and captured her mouth with his, silencing her until her words were nothing but a moan.
When he pulled back, he bent down, so that she could clearly see his shoulder and the half-moon shape that wasn’t there before. “You might not have wolf teeth, but I think you made your claim last night, Sierra. I found it when I was washing off Bellemare blood.” He scooped her off her feet so quickly, she let out a gasp and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on tight as she curled into his chest. “And now I’m going to make mine.”
“Wait, what?” She skimmed her thumb over the mark. “Just like that? Ethan said…”
“I don’t care what Ethan said. I don’t care what the pack says. I’m the Alpha. If they want to challenge me or threaten my mate, I’ll rip them limb from limb.” He carried her into the bedroom and set her down gently. “I won’t force my bite on you, and I couldn’t do it last night, not without you knowing what it meant. But you’ve claimed me, mate. It’s time I claim you too.”
As Merrick stripped out of his jeans, Sierra couldn’t help but ask, “Why me?”
“You’re just what an Alpha’s mate should be. Strong. Powerful. A leader. And nurturing, caring.” He tugged off one of her boots, and then the other. “I’ve always been drawn to you. To your independence. Your willingness to stand against the norm, to question it.” He continued stripping her, more careful this time, more purposeful in his motions as he pressed feather-light kisses to her skin. “And the fact that you’re so gorgeous, it’s taking everything I have not to just rip you out of these clothes and fuck you so hard you scream. You make my wolf howl, Sierra. And I’m going to make you mine.”
Sierra reached for him, tugging him down onto the bed with her. As her lips crushed against his, she pushed him over onto his back, straddling him.
Merrick groaned into her mouth. His hands slid down and gripped her ass as he ground up against her wet heat. He was already rock hard, but he didn’t make an effort to thrust into her.
The teasing was driving her need higher. She broke their kiss, pressing her palms to his chest as she looked down at him. “What do we need to do in this claiming?”
He licked his lips as his hands slid around to cup her breasts. “We’re off to a good start.” He shifted his hips, teasing her in all the right places, before settling his tip at her core. “The claiming will be easier on you if you come with me.”
Sierra reached down, positioning him as she took him into her slowly. “Then I think we should get to it.”
She stayed close, riding Merrick slowly as she watched his coffee-colored eyes grew red, like fire dancing into his pupils. A sign she now realized was his wolf. Everything about him was powerful, strong. And the fact that her bossy man, the guy who barked orders and demanded things without a second thought, was giving her the power here, just made her that much hotter.
It didn’t last long, though, as Merrick grabbed her ass and rolled them, taking control as he sped up his thrusts, riding her harder, rougher. He tugged her hair as he kissed her hungrily, fiercely, as if he needed to fill her, to possess her everywhere.
Just as Sierra’s body started to tense, to fall into that sweet bliss of orgasm, Merrick let out a growl, and she cried out as he bent and sunk his teeth into her shoulder hard.
The pain faded quickly as her pleasure intensified, the power of the claiming and the power of coming with Merrick so incredible, she saw stars and the full moon
.
Sierra didn’t know how long she and Merrick stayed locked together. When he finally pulled out of her and rolled them again so that she laid across his chest, she looked up at him and smiled softly. “I guess that means we’re what? Married? Mated? Claimed?”
Merrick ran his thumb over her shoulder, over the spot he bit into, and grinned. “I’ll marry you any time you want. But this is so much more than a human ceremony. You’re mine, and I’m yours. Bound together, as long as we live.”
She traced the half-moon he wore, the sign of her bite. “Just like that? What about the pack? You broke pack law for me. You never were much of a rebel, Merrick.”
“Good thing my mate is.” He chuckled. “I think it’s time pack law changed. You might just be the salvation our pack needs.” He smirked and kissed her again. “You’re everything I needed. And so much more.”
Sierra curled into his chest, a calm sense of security settling over her that she knew couldn’t last.
But with Merrick, she felt like she could face whatever the future brought, as long as he was by her side.
Epilogue
Dominick
The news of Merrick’s new mate tore through the pack like wildfire. It was strange enough when Leo and Maya ran off in the night, the scent of their mating still lingering in their house.
But Leo wasn’t the Alpha.
Merrick didn’t just break pack law. He obliterated it.
And now, all Dominick can think about is the woman who has haunted his dreams since she was sixteen, and off-limits in more ways than one. Not only is she human, but she’s also his best friend’s little sister.
With pack law changing, Dom’s having a harder time resisting. With his wolf salivating at the idea of biting her curvy ass and making her his, will he betray a trusted friend and take what he wants, or will he fight the urge and avoid her, avoid letting his lips touch hers, and hope someone else came along who tempts him more?
