by Desiree Holt
“That’s it, Hannah. Good girl. Just keep breathing in and out like that.”
His hips rocked in a steady tempo, his rigid cock sliding in and out, igniting her nerve endings and sending jolts of lightning through her. Every pulsebeat thrummed, her heartbeat raced, as he took her higher and higher to a plane she’d never reached before.
“Chafe your clit,” he ordered in a rough voice. “Do it, Hannah. Balance yourself and do it now.”
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Head down, she braced herself with one hand while using the other to chafe her clit, her motion increasing in speed as Derek increased his. The climax was growing within her, building and building, spreading its heat through every part of her. His cock seemed to fill every space inside her, driving her higher and higher. Icy heat flashed through her, chilling and burning her at the same time. Lost in a fog of desire, she could no longer think, no longer do anything except thrust her hips back at Derek to meet his motion and rub herself faster and faster.
Derek’s fingers dug into her hips with almost bruising intensity as he pushed harder and harder into her hole. Every muscle in her body was tightening as the climax grew and grew.
“Pinch your clit, Hannah. Hard.”
When she did the wave inside her crested.
“Now, Hannah,” Derek shouted and took them both over the edge. Hannah shook with ferocity of the orgasm, falling into a black space, fireworks exploding against her closed eyelids. She shuddered and shuddered as Derek emptied himself into her, the heat of his cum searing her through the latex barrier. Weak and spent, she collapsed forward, Derek following her, catching his weight on his forearms. She wasn’t sure if the thundering heartbeat shaking her was hers or Derek’s, pounding against her back. The only sound in the room was their breathing as they drew in great ragged gulps of air.
Derek’s lips brushed against her shoulder and his tongue licked the edge of her ear.
“You did well, Hannah.” His voice was raw and ragged.
“You too,” she breathed, her lips curving in a smile.
“We would make a great pair if we were meant to mate with each other,” he told her.
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“I know,” she sighed. “But I’ve learned since I was very young that the connection is either there or it isn’t. That we’ll know in an instant if someone is our mate and if it isn’t there you can’t force it.”
Derek nodded. “Very true. That includes mating with humans too, you know. Look at Alexa and Jesse. Liane and Charlie. And others in our group.”
“I just hope I find my own mate soon. Sometimes I think…” She stopped and bit her lip.
Derek raised an eyebrow. “Think what, Hannah?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. Just maybe wishful thinking. But I want to thank you very much for helping me reach a point where I’m ready to come out of my shadow. Ready to mate with someone.”
“I think the pleasure is mine.” His eyes darkened with lust. She grinned. “And I definitely think I’m ready to face the others tonight.”
He chuckled in her ear. “If not I’d be willing to work on this again.”
Hannah, laughed, a low, thready sound as she tried desperately to gather herself.
“Sacrificing your body, are you?”
“Any time.” He pulled out of her and rolled to the side. “However, I think we’d better think about getting ready. I expect this to be an intense meeting.”
And once again Hannah was plunged into the anxiety of her situation, one she had caused herself.
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Chapter Two
The pack was gathered in Derek’s living room, his house being the largest. There were twelve in all, eight shifters and their human mates, on the couch, in chairs and sprawled on the floor. The atmosphere might have been casual but the attitude was one of high alert. When the alpha called a meeting it was for something important. Maybe dangerous.
Rand Molina, Derek’s second-in-command, leaned against the wall, arms folded, body tense. Derek had given him no indication of the subject of tonight’s gathering and he was irritated for a number of reasons. They’d been very lucky to have a place to live at last, he and the other survivors of a slaughter of his former village. Most of them had found jobs, saving money until they could open a business of their own, maybe search for other orphan shifters. The humans who some of the pack had mated with were of great help and very supportive. He’d hate to find out it was all about to fall apart. Besides that, he bitterly resented Derek’s role in Hannah Raines’ life. A shy, sweet little red wolf, with little experience who Rand wanted for his own. He had been cautious about approaching her, aware that she was unusually inexperienced for a shifter. But before he could make his move, Derek had moved in as the alpha and assumed the role of trainer. It pissed him off even more, because he knew that Derek didn’t want to mate with her. He’d been matter-of-fact about the lack of mating attraction between them.
But Rand had felt it every time he’d been near Hannah, and he was sure she felt it too. Why had he been such a fool and waited so long? Why hadn’t he objected when Derek took her for training?
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Rand looked over at Hannah now, sitting on the couch, with Derek standing close to her, bending down to speak with her quietly. The rosy flush on her face was a good indication that they’d had a “training session” not long before this meeting. Jealousy flared through him and his cock hardened. He changed position to conceal the evidence. That was all he needed, for everyone to see that he had an erection. He had to hope the combination of scents in the room would be enough to conceal the scent of his arousal.
He’d made up his mind on the way over here. After the meeting he would speak to Derek, tell him how he felt. And then approach Hannah. It was long past time for him to do so. His lust for her had been unsatisfied for too long. As he slanted his gaze to her again, he noticed something else, a strain on her face that wasn’t usually there and a tension in her body. What the hell was going on? Had Derek asked something of her that she didn’t want to do? If he had, alpha or not Rand would take him on.
Before he could dwell on it any further, Derek straightened and raised his hand.
“Could I have everyone’s attention please? Thank you. I’m sorry to get you all out of your homes after dinner but we have something in the nature of an emergency to consider.”
Emergency? Rand frowned. What kind of emergency now, just when they were all getting settled? As he listened to Derek explain what had happened with Hannah at the convenience store, his gut tightened. Forget about the fact that the rest of the pack could be endangered. Hannah herself was at grave risk and that was all he cared about. He narrowed his eyes at Hannah, scrunched now into a corner of the couch, tensed as if waiting for retribution from the group for what she had done. He couldn’t stand it anymore. He pushed himself off from the wall, maneuvered himself into a place on the couch next to Hannah. He casually draped his arm across her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
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“So that’s what we need to do,” Derek finished. “We need to be hyperaware ourselves, especially when any of us are out beyond our little enclave here. At work, shopping, whatever. Check to see if anyone’s following you. If anyone’s loitering around where you are. If we see strangers in the cul-de-sac. And Hannah is not to be left alone for one moment.”
“I’ll take responsibility for Hannah.”
The words were out of Rand’s mouth before he realized he was saying them. He hadn’t planned to stake his claim this way but he didn’t want the kind of situation Derek was setting up. And did the alpha plan to keep her in his own house most of the time? Not if Rand had anything to do with it.
Derek turned to him. “I don’t think it’s your choice. Besides, as the alpha I d
etermine whose care she’ll be under.”
“Maybe you just want to save her for yourself,” Rand sneered.
“Stop it. Stop right now.” Hannah jumped up from the couch, tears running down her face. “I will not be talked about as if I’m not here, or as if I were a possession to be argued over.” Swiping at her wet cheeks, she looked around the room. “This was my mistake and I will not endanger anyone else. The best thing for me to do is to leave.”
She was through the front door and out of the house before anyone could stop her. Rand raced after her, shoving Derek away from him as he ran after Hannah. She was standing on the porch, arms wrapped around herself, the streetlight reflecting on her tears. He pulled her against his body, his arms tight around her, and stroked her back.
“Hush.” He deliberately pitched his voice low. “You did the right thing. Any of us would have. It was just dumb luck that a stranger happened to be there. We’ll make it right, though. You have my word. And no one blames you for this, I promise you.”
The front door slammed open and Derek walked up to them. “I told you I’d take care of her,” he told Rand in a tight voice.
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“And I told you I was taking responsibility for her.” He tilted Hannah’s face up so he could see her eyes. “I want you, Hannah. As my mate. I feel the tug. I didn’t want to have to tell you this way, but I can’t let you stay with Derek.”
Derek turned his gaze to her. “And you, Hannah? What do you want?”
She wet her lips nervously. “I-I want Rand.”
The alpha looked at the other man again. “Why have you never spoken to me of her? Why wait all this time?”
“I wasn’t sure she would want me and I didn’t want to claim her and force her to a mating.” His eyes raked Hannah’s face. “You’re sure this is what you want?”
The look on her face was a mixture of anxiety and pleasure. Did she want him? Did she feel the mating tug as he did? He held his breath as she looked from Derek back to him, wondering what she would say.
“I thank you for everything, Derek.” Her voice trembled as much as her body did.
“But I believe I am meant to be with Rand. He’s the one I was thinking about when we…talked…earlier. You’ve brought me so far, but now he’s the one to take me the rest of the way. For the rest of my life.”
For a long moment Derek said nothing, his face stoic. Then he nodded.
“Fine. I give you my permission as alpha. But be sure to keep her safe or I’ll be after your ass.”
“No problem.” Keeping his arm around Hannah, he walked her toward the steps.
“I think we’ll be leaving now. Tomorrow you and I can go over the rest of the details.”
* * * * *
Hannah stood in the middle of Rand’s house and looked around. This was the first time she’d been inside. She knew all the cottages had the same basic floor plan, but each person had decorated in his or her own style. Rand’s was very minimalistic, the furniture and the carpeting in basic earth tones, the furniture definitely masculine in design. But on the walls he’d hung prints of landscapes with vivid splashes of color. 19
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Rand did a walk-through checking all the locks, then came back to where she was standing. He cupped her face with his hands and studied it as if memorizing every detail. She could see the banked fires of lust flickering in his dark silver eyes.
“I want to be sure you’re okay with all this, Hannah. I didn’t mean to spring it on you so abruptly.”
Her cheeks burned where his hands touched them, the warmth spreading through her body. She wasn’t good at expressing her feelings or emotions so she needed to choose the right words.
“I have always wanted you,” she told him. “Even when we were still living in the grove. But I was so young when we all came here and totally without experience.”
“I would have helped you.” His voice was firm yet soft. “You didn’t need to go to Derek to teach you the ways of mating. You could have come to me instead.”
She wet her lips, her mouth suddenly dry. “I was afraid you would turn me away. You were so strong and powerful and others lusted for you. You should thank Derek, not be angry with him. If he hadn’t drawn me out of my shell I might still be afraid to make my feelings known. Even now, I worried…”
Her voice trailed off.
“Worried that I would reject you?” He brushed his lips against hers. “Never, my little wolf. I, too, worried that the age difference would be a problem. That you would think me too old for you.”
“Ten years is not so much now,” she smiled. “We are both older.”
“You know that lust drives our pack, but what I feel for you goes far beyond that. My cock only stands at such painful attention for the wolf I claim as my mate.” He dusted her face with light kisses that were like feathers on her skin.
“I feel it too,” she whispered.
He lifted his head and studied her face. “We didn’t get any of your things from the house you share with Sascha. Are you all right with getting them tomorrow?”
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“Of course.” She smiled up at him. “But let me call her and tell her I’m okay. We just walked out of Derek’s and I don’t know what he said to the group. She could be frantic with worry and I’d hate for that to happen.”
“I’m sure he’s told them you’re with me and you’re safe. But go ahead and call. You’ll feel better.”
By the time she finished speaking to her housemate, Rand had returned to the living room with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He set the glasses down on the coffee table, filled them and handed one to Hannah.
“To us.” He touched his glass to hers, his eyes filled with heat.
“To us,” she echoed.
The wine was mellow on her tongue and its warmth flooded through her veins. After all the times she’d hungered for him, all the times she wrestled with the feeling she now knew as lust, all the time she’d been so sure Rand would have no interest in her, she couldn’t believe that now she was actually in his home and about to be fucked by him. More than that, the mating signal between them was so strong she wondered how she’d ever missed it. Had he known and just been waiting all this time?
She was grateful to Derek for training her and bringing her out of her shell. Now she had to hope that what she’d learned was enough to please Rand and not make him regret his choice.
His fingers trailed down her arm and he linked them with hers.
“Come with me, Hannah. Let me love you. Let me show you how good I know we’ll be together.”
He led her down a short hall to a large bedroom, furnished as sparsely but strikingly as the rest of the house. An oversized king bed sat against one wall on a platform, a chocolate brown and navy quilt covering it. Above it hung another of the vivid landscapes. The rest of the furniture consisted of a nightstand and wide dresser in golden oak and a comfortable-looking chair upholstered in navy leather. 21
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“You didn’t bother with a lot of furniture,” she commented, twisting her wineglass in her hand as she took everything in.
“We have the most important piece,” he smiled, nodding toward the bed, and touched his glass to hers again.
Hannah watched him over the rim of glass as she sipped her wine. His eyes were like silver laser beams boring into hers. Emotion had deepened the lines on his rugged face and she could almost see the tension vibrating from his body. He reached a hand out to gently cup one cheek.
“Don’t be afraid, little wolf. I will guard you and protect you with my life. You will be safe with me.” He studied her expression. “I look forward to making you mine.”
He took the wine goblet from her hand and set it on the nightstand, along with his. Hannah stood rooted to the spot, trembling with anxiety and anticipation. Rand kissed her again, a kiss that began lightly but deepened as it continued. His tongue traced
the outline of her mouth then he licked her lips gently. As his mouth pressed harder his tongue pushed against the closed seam of her lips until she opened for him. He swept inside in a predatory thrust, licking every surface he could touch. His fingers tangled in her hair, holding her head in place as he fed from her like the hungry wolf that he was. Hannah couldn’t breathe. Her clothes felt too tight. Her skin felt too tight. Scorching heat consumed her, making her breasts tingle, her nipples harden almost painfully. Her cunt was wet and swollen. She wanted his cock inside her now!
“Easy, little wolf,” he said as she moaned into his mouth. “We have plenty of time. I want to enjoy every moment before we are finally and completely joined.”
His hands moved slowly from her head to her blouse, unbuttoning each of the tiny buttons with maddening slowness. He moved his lips over every inch of her flesh as he exposed it little by little, licking the upper swell of her breasts and the hollow of her throat where her pulse beat frantically. She clutched his arms to steady herself against the shards of heat blazing through her body.
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When the last button was released he pulled the blouse from her slacks and slid his warm hands up and down her back. His lips closed over one hard nipple through the fabric of her bra, the sensation more erotic than if he’d been touching bare flesh. She arched into the caress of his mouth, moaning low in her throat. It brought her body into more intimate contact with Rand’s and she could feel the outline of his hard, thick cock pressing into the soft flesh of her belly.
She didn’t even notice when her bra disappeared but suddenly the air was cool on her skin and his mouth was tasting her without the barrier of any material. Her cunt throbbed with need, her liquid dampening the crotch of her thong. She squeezed her thighs together to still the pulsebeat deep inside her but it was useless. The more he touched her, the hotter she became. Her blood raced in her veins and her heartbeat accelerated. She wanted him to do all the things with her that Derek had, and more. Hannah was so caught up in the touch of his mouth and the lick of his tongue she barely noticed him unfastening her slacks and pushing them down her legs along with her thong. Rand bent down to lift her feet from the pool of fabric at her ankles and slip off her shoes. As he straightened he licked his way up the inside of her thighs, drawing circles with the tip of his tongue. When he reached her cunt he pressed her lips open and lapped at her clit with the flat of his tongue. Hannah had to grab on to his shoulders to support herself. Her entire body shivered as he teased at her, his tongue a wicked thing torturing her hot flesh.
