Alpha Next Door (Wolves Hollow Book 1)

by Natalie Kristen

  “Take more,” she rasped, winding her arms around his neck. “Take me...”

  Grayson's blue eyes darkened with pure hunger and lust. The back of her knees hit the mattress as Grayson tore her blouse open and tumbled her onto the bed.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Grayson stared down at Hayley, his wolf snarling and clawing impatiently inside him. The beast wanted to mount this beautiful female right now and take her.

  Grayson held his ravenous wolf back and stabbed his claws into the mattress on either side of Hayley's body. Her red hair fanned out around her, framing her angelic face. Her black lacy bra barely contained her bountiful breasts, which were rising and falling with her rapid breathing.

  He could scent her arousal but he wanted to savor the sight of her and enjoy her slowly. Hayley was so beautiful, and she was his. She was giving herself to him.

  No female had ever taken his breath away like this before. When he was taking a female, he was always in control, his mind always sharp and alert.

  Sex was a weapon. Grayson knew that too well. That was why he never relinquished control. He always gave his partners the most mind-blowing, shattering pleasure but he never gave them any piece of himself. He never allowed himself to be vulnerable. Sex was just a power play, an exchange, a trade.

  There was always a motive. When he fucked a female, there was always something to be gained. Bed partners could become allies, and he had taken a few female alphas to his bed to seal the alliance between their packs. It was a mutually beneficial exchange, a fair trade. Both took something they wanted, used the other's body for their own pleasure and release.

  But with Hayley, it was a gift. A precious, sacred gift that he never wanted to share with anyone.

  There was no motive and no thought. He was only aware of her body, her responses, how much he enjoyed touching her and hearing her soft cries of pleasure.

  Grayson pulled the cup of her bra down and slipped one erect nipple into his mouth. Hayley arched her back and panted, her eyes half closed. When Grayson pushed his hand into the waistband of her jeans, she raised her hips to him in a silent plea.

  Her legs were hooked around his hips, and Grayson ground his rock hard erection against her core. They were both still wearing their jeans, and the friction between them was driving him insane. He wanted to feel her soft, bare skin against his and bury himself deep inside her. He wanted to take her, claim her, make her scream his name.

  Grayson bent down to kiss her neck and shoulders. He nipped at her collar bone, resisting the urge to leave his mark on her. He pressed his mouth to the creamy swell of her breast and groaned. He needed to take more.

  Tearing her bra away from her body, Grayson suckled her greedily, tasting and licking her until she cried out. When he flicked her taut nipple with his tongue, Hayley arched her back sharply, her nails digging into the mattress.

  Panting, she speared her fingers through his hair and pressed him down to her, begging him to take more. Grayson pulled her sensitive, erect nipple into his mouth and sucked hard. He kneaded her other breast with his hand, tugging and rolling her pebbled nipple between his fingers.

  Hayley moaned as he pushed his throbbing cock against her core. Her hand moved to his belt but he caught her wrist and pinned it to the side of her head. If she touched him, he might lose all control. His wolf was shredding his insides bloody.

  Grayson growled and slid his hand between her legs. “Grayson,” she begged. “Please...”

  She was still wearing her jeans, and she looked so sexy with her beautiful breasts bared to him. He pulled her up and made her straddle his thigh. Hayley's eyes were wild with desire and lust, and she began to move mindlessly against him.

  Hayley rubbed her crotch against his muscular thigh, her body undulating as her muscles clenched tightly. He could scent her feminine juices pooling in her panties, and he gritted his teeth in agony.

  Grabbing her waist, Grayson licked and sucked at her breast, tormenting her dark, throbbing nipples with his tongue and teeth. Hayley's red curls bounced around her shoulders as she moved faster, rubbing herself against him.

  When Grayson bit down on her nipple, Hayley threw her head back and cried out. He held her trembling body and ground his erection hard against her crotch. Hayley whimpered and shuddered in his arms as her pleasure peaked. Her orgasm was sudden and powerful, and Hayley looked frightened and dazed by her body's response to him.

  Grayson grabbed her soft, quivering body and growled. He couldn't wait any longer.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  With his restraint in shreds, Grayson yanked Hayley's jeans and panties down her hips and legs. If he didn't bury himself inside her lush, hot body now, he was going to lose his fucking mind.

  Shedding his clothes, Grayson pressed her onto her back and pinned her arms above her head.

  Hayley undulated beneath him as she spread her legs for him. Grayson pushed her knees up and rubbed the head of his throbbing cock against her clit. Hayley gasped and cried out, thrashing her head from side to side.

  “Grayson,” she hissed, raising her hips to him.

  Her need was tormenting her out of her mind. Grayson gripped her ample hips and tensed for a heartbeat. With a powerful thrust, he penetrated her, pushing himself deep inside her body.

  Hayley clung to him, her body trembling beneath his. Her channel rippled around his cock. She was so wet, and so fucking tight.

  “Hayley...” he gritted out her name.

  Her sheath pulsed and squeezed him again. Grayson stabbed his claws into the mattress and stilled for a moment. The veins were bulging from his neck and temples. This was the sweetest, most exquisite, most agonizing torment.

  He had to have her now. He needed to fuck her, take her hard and claim her.

  Throwing her legs over his broad shoulders, Grayson roared and pounded furiously into her. He thrust deep and hard into her pussy, burying himself to the hilt inside her before withdrawing and slamming into her again.

  Hayley's eyes were half-closed, her head thrown back in ecstasy as he fucked her. Her generous breasts heaved and bounced with his thrusts. She looked so beautiful, so sexy and he wanted to see her like this every night. Naked, spread out beneath him, her skin hot and flushed with pleasure.

  Grayson bent down and took her mouth hungrily. He surged into her body again and again, but his strokes were slower, more languid this time. He wanted to savor her, enjoy her body thoroughly and prolong the pleasure for her.

  Hayley raked her nails down his back, drawing blood. Grayson growled and his eyes glowed feral at the scent of fresh blood. The realization that she had marked him made his wolf rise to the surface.

  Grayson grabbed the back of Hayley's neck and lifted her with one hand. She turned her head to the side, exposing her neck fully to him. It was an act of trust and surrender.

  Grayson sank his teeth into the soft curve of her shoulder as he thrust hard into her. Hayley shuddered in his arms and clung to him. She made a keening sound as she climaxed suddenly.

  Grayson held her in place and kept moving in and out of her body. Hayley screamed her pleasure as she came again and again.

  With a final, forceful thrust, Grayson released his seed deep into her and roared.

  Mine!

  She was his. Hayley was his female, his mate, his life.

  Grayson pulled her possessively to him and held her. Their bodies were still joined, and he could hear her heart thundering in time to his.

  “Hayley,” he said hoarsely.

  She sighed as she lay her head on his shoulder. For a long while, they just lay in each other's arms. They never stopped touching each other. They kept teasing and exploring, and each new discovery brought a part of their past to the surface. There was a story behind every hidden mark, faded scar and embarrassing tattoo.

  But those were just small remind
ers of their pasts. They were in each other's present now. And they were each other's future.

  They made love again. And again.

  Hayley lost count of the number of orgasms she had. Her mind had turned to mush, but she knew there was one small thing she had to do. She just couldn't remember what it was.

  “Oh.” Her eyes widened suddenly. “I knew I forgot something,” Hayley said, pushing herself up on her elbow.

  Grayson cocked an eyebrow, a smug, satisfied smile on his lips.

  “I forgot to make tea.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Hayley stood at her bedroom window and looked out. Grayson had just left after receiving a call from his Beta. The Sentinels had found something, something that might lead them to Strom's body.

  Before he left, Grayson had hugged her and promised that he would come home to her. He had seen the worry and fear in her eyes even though Hayley had given him a brave smile. Grayson was the Alpha of the Sentinels. As his mate, she had to be strong. She couldn't dissolve into a useless mess of tears and nerves every time he left on a dangerous mission.

  “Be safe,” Hayley whispered, pressing her hand to the window.

  She turned and stared at the rumpled sheets on her bed. Her breath hitched as the image of their entwined bodies flashed in her mind. Grayson had made love to her again and again. It was like he couldn't get enough of her. Their lovemaking was both tender and intense, sensual and explosive. They were so in tune with each other's bodies and responses. They fitted perfectly, like two halves of a whole. It was like they were made for each other.

  Hayley slid into bed and hugged her pillow tightly. She closed her eyes and pressed the pillow close to her chest. She wanted to hold on to Grayson's scent, have him close to her skin.

  She never thought that she would feel this way about any man. She had been married twice, but she had never felt this closeness, this connection, this searing intimacy with her ex-husbands. There was always a barrier between them. She realized now that the barrier wasn't imaginary. It was very real indeed. Her exes had built an invisible wall to keep her out and keep things from her. There were lies and deceptions, and there was no trust and love between them.

  She had moved to Wolves Hollow to get away from all that heartache. She had planned to live the rest of her life alone.

  But instead of starting a lonely, solitary life, she had met the most wonderful man, a man who truly loved and cherished her, and hid nothing from her. She had found her fated mate. That was what Grayson told her. She was his fated mate, the one female that he was meant to be with. “You are mine, and you own my heart, Hayley.”

  Hayley burrowed her face deeper into the pillow. She thought that she was used to sleeping alone, but now her bed felt so empty without Grayson. She missed him and ached for him. And she worried and feared for him.

  She remembered the horrifying, vivid nightmare that she had. She had woken up screaming when she saw Grayson being ripped to shreds in her nightmare. She had felt his pain, his strength, his fierce love and protective instinct.

  She cared for him. Her heart had recognized him as hers even though she didn't realize it then.

  “Grayson...” she whispered his name into the darkness.

  A shadow moved outside her window.

  Hayley jolted up and stared at the window. Gulping, she threw back the covers and got out of bed.

  As she neared the window, she saw a lightning-quick movement at the corner of her window. She ran to the window and looked out, her blood roaring in her ears.

  She thought she recognized the figure. It looked frighteningly familiar. For an instant, she actually thought…

  No, that was impossible.

  “It can't be,” she said aloud. “He's dead.”

  Hayley spun round when she heard a deafening crash. It sounded like her back door had been smashed in.

  She heard shuffling footsteps and a low growl. Someone was in her house.

  She took a step forward to lock her bedroom door but she was too late. She saw the doorknob turning.

  “No, no...” Panicking, Hayley stumbled backwards and stared around desperately.

  Her groping hands snatched the lamp from the table. It wasn't much of a weapon but it would have to do.

  The door opened and she stared at the terrible, monstrous, nightmarish face. Fangs glinted from the wide, leering mouth.

  Hayley screamed.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Grayson stared at the three she-wolves impassively. Alexa, Dannika and Holly lowered their heads, refusing to look at him. They had their hands bound behind their backs, and Scott was pointing a gun at them.

  “They're behind this, Alpha,” Scott snarled, his finger tightening on the trigger.

  Grayson nodded and stepped forward. His lieutenants, Ari among them, surrounded the three women and all looked like they were ready to tear those three traitorous she-wolves from limb to limb.

  Grayson regarded Alexa, Dannika and Holly for a long while. These three females had been the Betas of the Silverfangs pack. They had wielded absolute power and authority within the Silverfangs pack. Grayson had taken them to subdue them and spare their lives. But now he rather wished that he had just killed them outright. His old friend, Asher Ronski, was wrong. These she-wolves weren't worth saving.

  “Where is the body?” Grayson said.

  Alexa and Holly turned away, but Dannika met his gaze squarely. She said just two words. “Blair Morgan.”

  “Blair Morgan?” Scott spat. “No one has seen her in years!”

  Ari frowned and spoke up. “I've heard of her, but I can't recall what exactly happened to her.”

  Grayson glanced at his sister and said, “You were only a teenager when it happened.”

  Ari's eyes flared. She hated it when anyone brought up her youth. She was the youngest lieutenant, but she had earned her stripes. She hadn't taken any shortcuts. She wasn't given any privilege or special treatment just because she was the Alpha's baby sister. “So what happened?”

  Scott glanced at Grayson and saw him nod once. “Blair Morgan was the oldest and arguably the most powerful witch in Wolves Hollow. She lived away from the rest of the town. No one could find her cottage. It was in the middle of the woods, but the location seemed to change all the time,” Scott said. “When remains of wolf shifters were found in the woods, everyone suspected that Blair Morgan had lured the wolves into the woods and killed them. More and more wolves disappeared over the years. The wolf packs decided they had to put a stop to the murders. They managed to find her cottage but it was empty. Her cottage was razed to the ground but they never found the witch. This happened about twelve years ago.”

  “And no one has seen Blair Morgan in twelve years,” Ari said.

  Dannika smirked. “Oh you've seen her. You just don't recognize her.”

  Scott pressed his gun to Dannika's head. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  Grayson pushed Scott's gun down. “Take us to her.”

  “Sure. And then you'll kill us,” Dannika sneered.

  “No.” Grayson stared at the three she-wolves and said quietly, “I will let you leave. Leave the pack, leave town. We won't hunt you down.”

  Dannika exchanged a glance with Alexa and Holly. Alexa gave a quick nod.

  “Go to The Quill,” Dannika said. She gave a crooked smile and went on, “No, The Quill isn't just a dusty old second-hand book store.”

  Grayson frowned. That was exactly what he thought it was. The owner of The Quill was a young, wealthy widow who had set up the bookstore as a hobby. She didn't seem interested in selling books, and the store was closed most of the time. There were very few customers, and Grayson only had a brief glimpse of the reclusive owner. Madam Betty Morg kept to herself and didn't cause any trouble. The Sentinels had no business with her at all.

  Grayson i
nhaled sharply. “Madam Betty Morg is Blair Morgan, the witch.”

  Scott's eyes widened and he cursed under his breath. “Why didn't I see that?” he muttered.

  “No one saw through her glamor. It's a very powerful glamor spell,” Grayson said. He turned to the three she-wolves and saw a trace of fear on their faces. “How long have you been working for Blair Morgan?” he said.

  Dannika, Alexa and Holly cast furtive glances at one another and looked away. Finally, Holly sighed and said, “We might as well tell him everything. She won't let us off.”

  Holly looked up at Grayson and said, “Blair Morgan saved our lives many years ago. We were just junior lieutenants in the Silverfangs pack then. During a mission, we got lost in the mountains. No matter which way we went, we seemed to be just going round in circles.”

  Scott narrowed his eyes. “A looping diversion.”

  Holly nodded. “When Blair Morgan found us, we were literally hanging on to the very edge of the precipice by our nails. The terrain was terribly difficult to navigate and we'd slipped on some loose rocks.” Holly winced at the memory.

  “Blair Morgan saved our lives, but not before extracting a blood promise from us,” Alexa said. “We had to do her bidding.”

  “At first, her instructions were simple enough. Work our way up the hierarchy of the Silverfangs pack.” Holly swallowed. “She seemed so nice at first. We thought she was just a nice, grandmotherly witch who wanted us to fulfill our potential and what not. But that wasn't what she wanted.”

  “She wanted...something much more sinister,” Dannika said. “She wanted the heart and brain of an Alpha wolf. But before we brought her the Alpha of the Silverfangs pack, we had to destroy him.”

  She paused and stared Grayson straight in the eye. “What Blair Morgan really wanted, was the maddened brain and tortured heart of an Alpha wolf.”