Claimed by the Alpha (Shifters of Ashwood Falls Book 13)

by Lia Davis

  Her wolf flashed in her green eyes, and her sensual mouth curved in a smile. “Crystal.” Then she kissed him.

  His cock hardened and he deepened the kiss, temporarily forgetting about the others outside the tuck. The clearing of a throat broke them apart. Luna giggled while Rafe kissed her forehead, then closed the door.

  When he turned, Tanner was a foot from him. Rafe crossed his arms and waited for the hotheaded wolf to say what he had on his mind.

  “You hurt her, and I’ll kill you.” Then Tanner moved to the Jeep a few feet away.

  Sasha sent him an apologetic look before rushing after her mate.

  Tate motioned to Tanner and Sasha. “Elise and I will ride to the cabin with them. I’ll fill them in on the plan.”

  Rafe nodded, and Tate started walking to the Jeep. When Elise didn’t move, Tate growled, “Elise.”

  Scowling, the female followed Tate.

  Rafe chuckled and climbed into the Truck just as Luna said, “I’m glad I don’t have to ride back with her.”

  “I didn’t see it until now. I guess because she’s not my mate and I knew who my mate is. I ignored her advances.” He stared out the windshield.

  Luna placed a hand on his arm. “I know it’s not your fault. Does she know about the mating dance and that she could die if she messes with a claimed male?”

  He chuckled. “She should. She was raised in a pack until mutants destroyed it.”

  “Oh.” Luna got quiet for a long while, and Rafe decided to let it go. Elise knew what would happen if she messed with a claimed male. So the female was on her own.

  Just Rafe knew what would happen to him if he didn’t set a boundary with Elise. He’d be sure to do that as soon as they got back to the cabin.

  “We are going to need a bigger cabin,” Luna said when they parked next to the camp area.

  The scents of more of her wolves drifted in the air. Tanner said they’d get there later, but Luna wasn’t complaining. She opened the door to jump out of the truck, and Rafe was there before she could. Rolling her eyes, she let him pick her up and carry her inside the cabin.

  “I can walk.”

  “Sure you can, after Sasha heals your ankle,” Rafe smirked.

  He liked this a little too much, she mused. Whatever.

  When they entered the cabin, the twins, Brenna and Bryce, rushed to her. “What happened?” They asked at the same time.

  Luna wiggled for Rafe to put her down. When he did, she drew the teens into a tight hug. “I’ve missed you and the whole Pack.”

  “The kids miss you too,” Rhea said, coming up beside her.

  Luna let go of the twins and looped an arm with Rhea and pulled her toward the bedroom Luna and Rafe shared. She sensed that Sasha was already in there. “Where is Ana?”

  Rhea’s smile widened, and she waved the twins to follow. “Ana is in her heat cycle, and Kieran has her locked in their house.”

  Glee bloomed in her chest. The idea that Ana could be a mother soon excited Luna. “That’s great. She will be a great mom.”

  “That’s what we keep telling her,” Sasha said when they entered the room. “Sit and let me look at that ankle you insist on walking on.”

  The two people she didn’t argue with were her Healers.

  She sat on the bed, and Sasha pulled a chair into the room from the dining area to sit in front of her. Sasha lifted Luna's leg and rested it on her knee, then wrapped her hands around the ankle. Warming sensations instantly eased the throbbing pain that Luna had been ignoring.

  “So tell us about this stone and your plan to transfer the power.” Rhea leaned against the wall while the twins sat on the bed behind Luna.

  Pulling the stone out of her pocket, she handed it to Rhea. Brenna jumped up and went to stand next to Rhea. “That has old magic. Like Rhea.”

  Rhea frowned. “Yes, it does. The other one wasn’t this powerful.”

  “Rafe thinks his brother used some of the power in the other.” Luna watched Brenna hover her hand over the stone in Rhea’s palm.

  The stone started to glow, and after a few seconds, it levitated. Rhea glanced at the teen. “What are you doing?”

  “Studying it.” Brenna’s words were a matter of fact.

  Bryce sat up straight. “Bren.”

  Brenna’s eyes glowed bright blue as she fixed on the stone, then her skin seemed to spark with energy. Bryce cursed and shot forward and grabbed the stone, holding it in both hands, blocking it from view. “What are you doing?”

  Blinking, Brenna scowled at him. “I wasn’t pulling the power from it. Just studying how it works.”

  Luna reached out to her. “Are you okay?”

  Brenna nodded. “Yeah. But everyone out in the living room has a right to be concerned about you taking that power. It would kill you. I couldn’t take on the power, and neither could Rhea. It’s too much for one person.”

  Bryce grunted and added, “But four people could balance enough of it to bring down Faelin and his army.”

  Sasha let go of Luna’s ankle and scooted her chair back. “It had a few fractures. I’m surprised you could stand to walk on it like you were. I’ve healed them, but the ankle will still be tender for a little while. You should be back to jumping on it by morning.”

  “Thank you,” Luna said, then held out her hand to Bryce.

  He placed the stone in Luna’s hand. Standing, Luna tested her ankle, relieved that it felt ten times better. “Let’s go tell the others that the four of us will be using the power from the stone and form a plan to take down Faelin and his minions for good.”

  Chapter Eight

  Rafe faced off with Elise in the middle of the living room of the cabin. The crazy female liked to have an audience. And she had a death wish because she just tried to reach out for him again.

  Stepping back, he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. “There has never been anything between us, so you need to get it out of your deranged head that there will be.”

  Behind him, the door opened and shut. Then Hayden’s and Alec’s scents drifted around him. The two males walked around Rafe and Elise to sit at the dining table with Tanner and Kirk.

  “I don’t understand why you’re like this.” Elise stepped closer, reaching out again.

  That was when Rafe scented Luna coming out of the bedroom. Before he could react, Luna flew across the room and had Elise pinned, face first, into the wall with an arm twisted painfully at her back. “Because he has a mate, and it’s not you.”

  Rafe glanced at the four males at the table. They were talking among themselves, looking as if they weren’t concerned. Maybe they weren’t. At least not for Luna.

  “He only thinks you’re his mate because you used your Alpha power over him and claimed him without his consent.” Elise curled her lip and tried to jerk out of Luna’s hold.

  Luna laughed; the sound gave Rafe chills.

  Hayden spoke without looking at the females. “Elise, I’d advise you to shut the fuck up.”

  The Baker twins watched from the couch where they sat next to their aunt, Christa. Kasen and his Enforcers had gone outside, sending the message to Elise she wouldn’t have their support. Rafe knew they didn’t leave because he scented them close to the cabin.

  Luna let out a growl, and after a few moments, she backed off Elise and pushed her toward the door. “Get out of here and stay the fuck away from my mate.”

  Elise stumbled to the door before she steadied herself. Grabbing for the handle, she looked back at Rafe, who immediately averted his gaze, making his message clear that he would not give her any support.

  When Elise opened the door, she jerked to a stop as Kasen filled the doorway. He smirked at her, then nodded to Luna. “Tate, Chance, and I are heading back to Willow Glen. We’ll give Elise a ride back.”

  Rafe took Luna’s hand and drew her into him. “Thanks.”

  Luna hugged his waist and pressed her forehead to his chest, then released a heavy sigh. Her wolf was pacing u
nder her skin, and she vibrated with anger. Cupping the back of her head, he kissed the top of the head and held her.

  After he heard Kasen’s Audi drive off, Rafe said, “Let’s go for a run.”

  They never went on their run the night before because Nyla brought food, and then Rafe and Luna got distracted by marking each other.

  Luna lifted her head to meet his stare and gave him a weak smile. Her green eyes glowed, indicating her wolf was riding her harder than usual. “I’ll need to hunt. My wolf wants to kill something.”

  “That can be arranged.” He kissed her softly on the lips, not letting it linger. Her wolf was too moody at the moment. He had to wait for the beast to calm down.

  Stepping out of Rafe’s embrace, Luna turned to the others in the room. “We’re going for a run.”

  Hayden, Tanner, Alec, Kirk, Rhea, and the twins jumped up, ready to go. Their eagerness told him how much they missed running with their Alpha. After all, Luna has been away from the Pack for a couple of months.

  Nyla, who’d been curled up in an armchair, stood and stretched. “I’m making dinner.”

  Christa stood and moved to the kitchen. “I’ll help.”

  Nyla smiled. “Great.” Then she waved at the group. “Have a good run.”

  In wolf form, Luna stretched out on the cold grass under the crescent moon. Her belly was full from the deer she and Rafe shared. True to his word, he never once tried to be Alpha with her. Even his wolf seemed more than okay with being her beta male. Not to mention that he instantly confronted Elise when they returned from the mine to tell her to back off. The crazy bitch had a delusional mindset when it came to Rafe.

  Lucky for Elise, she left when Luna told her to. If she had challenged Luna, she would have died.

  Rafe’s wolf butted his head against hers, then nipped at her ear. He was a beautiful black wolf. The tops of ears were lighter than the rest of him—a charcoal grey with little strands of silver mixed in. Royce had the same coloring on his tail. When they were kids, it was the only way to tell the twins apart when they were in wolf form.

  An ache formed in her chest at the memory. She hadn’t let herself think of the good times. From when they were kids and before Royce turned rogue.

  Rafe shifted to his human form and sank his fingers into her copper fur. “What are you thinking that makes you sad?”

  Figures, he would sense her mood. The mating bond was starting to form. It wouldn’t be complete until she fully accepted it. She wanted to make sure Faelin was dealt with before she began making a future for herself.

  Shifting to her human form, she rolled to her back and scanned his features. “Sometimes, on rare occasions, I miss him.”

  Rafe frowned. “Royce?”

  She nodded. “I miss who he was before he became an asshole.”

  Rafe rolled to his back, taking her with him so she laid across his chest and their legs tangled together. If her sons walked up on them, they’d be scarred for life, seeing their naked tangled bodies together. So hopefully, they knew better and stayed away for a little longer.

  “Me too.” Rafe’s words were soft, and she swore she heard the sadness in them. “He was the right fit for you and would have been a great Alpha.”

  “He was a great Alpha before…” She let the words drift. One thing she never understood was why someone like Royce Raines had gone rogue. He and Rafe had a great childhood with loving parents.

  “Before he turned into a psycho.” Rafe traced circles along her hip. “I thought it was the death of my parents that triggered it, but the more I think about it, the more I believe that he’s always been bad. Royce hid it well, but I always sensed something dark hidden inside him. With you, he was better. That’s another reason why I didn’t pursue you. I had hope that you could keep the darkness away. Plus, you were happy.”

  At first. It took her about a year after their mating to see the darkness. Things went downhill from there.

  “Does it make me demented to miss a crazy rogue?”

  Rafe hugged her tight. “No because I miss who he was too.”

  She laughed, but it didn’t help to chase away her mood. “It took Sasha months to heal my mental state after I killed him. For a while, I thought I’d go rogue myself. My sons wouldn’t give up on me. They told Keegan, who came to see me at my worse.”

  “His telepathy helped heal you.”

  Lifting her head and propping it on her hands, she watched his features. Royce had always been jealous of her friendship with the leopard Alpha, who was now the Ashwood Elder. Rafe wasn’t jealous. He respected Keegan.

  “He didn’t give me a choice to accept his help. We formed an alliance between the Packs, and he bound us together as co-rulers.” A howl sounded close by, but it was a playful sound. Bryce. His sister answered him back.

  Rafe tilted his head to listen for a few before asking Luna, “I thought it was years after Royce died that the two-packs merged.”

  “Officially merged. I needed to heal and make sure my wolves were stable and were okay with the merger. During that time, Keegan and I mixed the packs with events and training to see how they’d take to the merger. I was surprised that, for the most part, they were okay with it.” Still, Luna hesitated. She wanted to be strong on her own and didn’t need rumors floating around that she was too weak to be an Alpha.

  “You did the right thing.”

  “I know.” She grinned at him, her sprints lifting a little. “But if it weren’t for the psychic link to Keegan, I wouldn’t be here. I’d gone rogue for sure. I was too broken.”

  Rafe framed her face and kissed her. “You are the strongest person I know. And everyone loves you.”

  She kissed him back and said, “One thing I learned from killing Royce and taking his Alpha power was that it hurt and almost killed me. I will not do that with the stone. Brenna says the power can be pulled from the stone a little at a time. Bryce suggested that he, Bren, and Rhea could act as buffers. The four of us could pull on the power and balance it between us.”

  Rafe pursed his lips, and he looked like he was about to argue. After a moment, he relaxed. “I could see that, but I want you to test it first. If it is too much for the four of you, then it’s a no go.”

  There he went again, being the supportive Alpha’s mate. “Agreed.”

  One side of his sensual mouth lifted in a wicked satisfaction. “Good. Let’s go back to the cabin so I can fuck you until you scream my name.”

  Chapter Nine

  They shifted back to their wolves and raced back to the cabin. When they reached it, Luna scratched on the door. Moments later, Nyla opened the door. Her features brightened, and Luna realized it was the first time Nyla had seen her wolf.

  Rafe moved in beside Luna, nudging her to go inside. Luna nipped at him playfully then ran to the bedroom. Once inside, Rafe shifted and stalked to her.

  Shifting to her human form, Luna stood still, watching him. He closed the space between in a flash, then pressed his lips to hers. Her senses fired to life as if she’d been shocked with electricity. Desire pooled in her abdomen and lower until she ached for his touch. Their connection and her desire for him was stronger and only getting more intense as they formed the bond.

  When Rafe’s tongue swiped across the seam of her lips, she opened, allowing him entry and meeting his tongue with her own. A groan rumbled from her as he tightened his hold on her and deepened the kiss.

  She wrapped her legs around him, drawing their bodies even closer together. Yet it wasn’t close enough. Need built inside her, driving her mad.

  Rafe’s desire darkened his eyes to a blue-green as he held her gaze and cupped her breast. She closed her eyes and moaned as he rolled her tight nipple between his fingers. Pinpricks covered her skin, and her pussy throbbed, begging for his touch, his caress.

  She felt Rafe wrap an arm around her back and move so he could lay her on the bed. She gasped as the cool sheets touched her bare back but didn’t take her eyes off the gorgeous male hover
ing over her.

  A low growl drew her attention back to Rafe as he dipped his head and pressed a kiss to one nipple then the other before he nipped his way down her stomach to the inside of her right thigh. He bit down gently, drawing a half-growl, half-moan from her.

  When he slid a finger inside her, she nearly came right then. He chuckled and held her gaze as he lowered his head and licked her from her entrance to her clit in a slow, lazy stroke. Pleasure overtook her as Rafe closed his mouth over her, sucking her lips as he slid another finger inside and pumped them in and out until she was drunk with pleasure.

  She fisted her hands in his hair and moved against him with each lick and thrust until a wave of an orgasm crashed over her.

  Rafe withdrew his finger and trailed his tongue up her flat stomach. She shuddered and let out a soft moan as he made his way up her body.

  When Rafe reached her breasts, he gave one nipple a slow lick before rising above her to peer into her heavy-lidded eyes. He smiled, and she reached up to cup his face.

  He captured her mouth with his and thrust his tongue inside to seek out hers. Luna laced her fingers in his hair and tugged. Her wolf whimpered in pleasure.

  He settled down between her legs and drank in the sight of her. She wasn’t super thin, but neither was she too curvy. She was just right and physically fit, as shifters generally were. He lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead then her nose. He didn’t get to finish his teasing, because Luna fisted a hand in his hair and tugged his mouth to hers for a kiss.

  She bit his lower lip, making him groan and open his mouth so she could sweep her tongue inside. She bit him again, this time a little hard, and made him jerk back.

  When he did, she flipped him on his back and straddled him, her core hovering above his cock. With a wicked grin, she scooted down his body, placing kisses and nips along the way. His blood rushed through his veins, and his cock filled even more.

  “Luna,” he growled in warning. He wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to control the urge to take her rough and hard against the floor.