She dug her nails into his skin and rocked with him. Everything blended. Passion, love, hunger—it combined and mixed with the tightening of her body. Spasms started, deep in her womb. Her inner muscles quivered. The thumping pulse in her clit grew. Her orgasm hovered before her. So close. So far. She needed to reach it. The delicious tightness of Nic’s cock in her body slipped from exquisite pleasure to the point of pain. Still, he fucked her.
“Nic.” A plea, a command, a question. She couldn’t be sure what she asked. She only knew she never wanted the moment to end, yet the peak he raced her toward offered her a glimpse of heaven. Only Nic could take her there. She wanted it.
He shortened his thrusts and pounded into her, hitting the end of her over and over in quick drives that stole her breath. She scratched at his back and writhed, trying to escape the intensity of her building orgasm. Dots spread over her vision. Sounds dimmed. The black nothingness where only passion ruled crept over her. The first wave of her orgasm hit. Her name moaned in Nic’s rough voice followed.
He thrust deep once more and let go. The splash of his hot seed fed her release. More rolling waves rushed over her. They spread outward to encompass her body. She trembled, shook and broke apart. And Nic kept pounding into her, spilling more of his seed, in an endless cycle of ecstasy.
Finally, the tremors slowed. Sounds returned along with the reality of what they shared—heaven. It was theirs alone.
Peace gripped her. Sleepiness followed. She didn’t get the chance to enjoy the moment. In one quick move, he flipped her and yanked her bottom into the air. His cock poked at the seam of her ass. She scrambled to lift her bottom. A push of his hand between her shoulder blades stopped her. He pressed his other hand against her lower belly, holding her ass up. With his knee, he spread her legs, exposing her wet center. Cool air bathed her wet lower lips. She shivered but couldn’t move otherwise, not to impale herself on him or get away.
He bent closer. His erection slid along the crack of her butt. He tilted his hips and stroked along her swollen cleft, reigniting her passion.
“Yes, please. Fuck me again. Just like this.” It was his favorite position. For that reason, she loved it. He almost always started their lovemaking with hers first, the way he just had. Kissing Nic and holding him close while they had sex offered her everything.
Nic, though? His wild nature demanded more than a sensual encounter, although she knew he enjoyed gentle ones as much as she did. It simply wasn’t all he desired or craved. Kneeling behind her and holding her immobile for his wild possession gave her shifter what he needed, a sense of domination. His primal side demanded it. She was his—to love, to protect, and to use…however he wanted.
No matter how he took her, though, she trusted him to make it good.
He licked along the length of her spine while he teased her with the stroking of his erection along her cleft. The tip of his length pushed against her clit with each pass. She whimpered and uselessly tried to lift her chest.
He pushed her hair away from her ear with his chin. Mouth at her ear, he growled. Her inner muscles clenched hard in response to the raw sound. More of her welcoming arousal spilled, bathing his penis and coating her thighs.
Frustration gripped her. Tears filled her eyes. “Dammit, Nic. Don’t tease me. Stick your cock into me. Fuck me.”
A low rumbling snarl answered her. He slowed the back-and-forth caress of his length over her lower lips. She whimpered but couldn’t do more. Her eyelashes lowered as her focus centered on the slow drag of his cock.
He nibbled his way down her neck, across her shoulder, to the mark he’d left on her four years ago. After today, it would no longer be a scar but a sign of his love she wouldn’t have to hide.
A sob shook her chest. Pleasure, frustration and love fueled it. He latched on to the spot at the same time as he joined their bodies. He set a hard pace, not building her passion but demanding it. Over and over, he pounded into her, taking her back to the peak she’d crested minutes before. His fangs lined up to the raised points. The pressure of his mouth matched the tightening in her core. Sharp pain radiated outward. She would’ve scrambled away if he hadn’t held her down.
“Nic.” The agony, both from her building orgasm and the grinding of his teeth into her skin, made his name come out on a squeak.
He slid his hand lower and brushed his thumb over her clit. He wanted her to come before he opened the pathway between them. She understood the mechanics of mating. Her release was necessary along with the pinch of his bite. He rubbed the bundle of nerves. Her orgasm didn’t just seize her. It crushed her. Her heart stopped. Nothingness whipped over her, dropping her into a sea of black.
She floated, lost to the sensations of her release. The thump of Nic’s heartbeat echoed within her, urging hers into the same rhythm. The soft slide of his soul along hers followed, and the same sense of rightness she experienced once before slipped over her. She had found her home. It was here, in Nic’s arms.
Warmth spread from the center of her chest. She squirmed, the sensation bordering on pain. Fear gripped her as the feeling intensified, but she shoved it away and waited for the tug on her heart as he claimed a piece of her soul.
Utter agony followed by sheer bliss—that was how other mated females explained the process of soul-bonding. It was beautiful and ugly, and meant to be that way. Both halves suffered to enter into the ultimate bond, one that would guarantee them an eternity together.
Before it gripped her, the sound of pounding reached her ears, followed by splintering wood. Nic jerked, releasing her shoulder and the piece of her soul he’d been about to claim. She slammed back into her body. Her breath rushed out. Emptiness and confusion settled over her. She didn’t get the chance to process either.
Nic slipped from her body and jumped off the bed. He had his pants pulled on and had tossed a blanket over her naked body before she could do more than relearn how to breathe.
Her bedroom door flung open. Hannah rushed in. Tears streamed down her face. “He’s dead. Our alpha is dead.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Nic’s heart stopped. His first instinct was to deny his sister’s words. Their alpha, the Nicholas Kagan he’d looked up to as a child, wouldn’t allow anyone to kill him, not while his pack still needed him. His reign had passed, however, and he’d left hell behind.
“What happened?” Nic asked.
“The Tanner protector was having seizures. I was at Sean’s house when the dominant who was guarding him called. He needed help restraining him. The Tanner wolf kept begging for someone to kill him.” Hannah choked on a sob. “I don’t know what happened after Sean got there, but the Tanner male stumbled outside covered in blood, saying he was sorry. Before anyone could get to him, he slit his own throat.”
“And Sean? Is he dead?”
Hannah shook her head. “No, but he’s hurt. Nona and Jenna are working to stabilize him. They said he’ll be okay.”
But not soon enough to save Nic.
“Oh God.” Riley’s voice came from right behind him.
Not taking his gaze off his sister, he held his hand out to Riley. She stepped next to him but didn’t link their fingers, probably unsure of what role she should play. He twined their hands and drew her into the shelter of his body. They were long past pretending they weren’t involved. A sheet covered her nakedness, but it did nothing to hide the blood on her shoulder.
“Who knows?” he asked.
Hannah scrubbed at her face. “Other than those at the clinic, one of our betas. He’d gotten into a fight the night before and had just pulled into the lot to get patched up.”
Nic cursed. The bloodbath he’d tried to prevent by handing the pack over to Sean would happen anyway if he didn’t act quickly. “We need to contain this. Order everyone into silence until I can figure out who I’m going to have enter the circle tonight.”
; Hannah glanced from Riley’s shoulder to his face. “It’s too late, Nic. Our dominants were watching over the clinic, not our protectors. You’d sequestered them here, don’t forget. Quinn and Jared have already gotten up into each other’s faces, saying they would both enter the circle and fight.” She shook her head. “They’re young and stupid. They think they would make a better alpha than any of their elders.”
Quinn, Sean’s younger brother, and Jared, Nic’s younger cousin, were best friends. At least, they used to be. Nic had no doubt they would be again, if Nic could stop them from killing each while trying to prove their worth.
He groaned. Quinn and Jared wouldn’t be the only ones at each other’s throats. Images flashed across Nic’s mind. His other cousins, childhood friends, elders—all dominants. All males who’d be instinctually driven to fill the void their alpha’s death had caused. Whether they wanted it or not, they’d feel the urge to act. Many would resist, especially the mated ones. The others? They’d get caught up in the influence of the new moon and the powerful drives of their wolves.
Nic knew firsthand how hard it was to contain his primal half. Only Nic’s love for Riley had stopped him from giving in. For those males who hadn’t found their true mates, they’d be swayed with the whispers of power Nic himself had experienced when he’d visited the ceremonial circle.
Those dominants would feel invincible.
They’d fight.
They’d die, all except one.
Dear God, Nic didn’t want that.
Riley squeezed his hand, drawing his attention. He glanced into her face. Worry formed tiny lines around her eyes. She brushed her knuckles over his cheek. “Nic, you have to accept the spirit of the pack.”
“No.” He felt his wolf’s agreement. Ever since he’d made love to Riley, he’d been more in sync with his animal spirit than he’d ever been before. The beast loved Riley too, not the same way Nic did, but its respect for her was strong. She’d saved them. “I’m not becoming alpha. I can’t.”
She stepped in front of him and pressed her palms to his chest. He automatically linked his hands around her waist, holding her close. “Yes, you can. You must.”
“I won’t take a shifter mate. I love you, only you.”
She slid her hands over his chest and clasped them behind his neck. “And I love you, but we have to do this. You’ll feel horrible if any of our pack dies tonight taking the position meant for you.”
“We?” He shook his head. “We can’t happen if—”
“We will happen, and once we’re mated, we’ll try to conceive a child. I think I’ve found a procedure that’ll help us. It’ll turn me into a surrogate. The child I’ll carry will be yours and Jenna’s baby. I’ve already asked her. She agreed.”
“A baby”—he swallowed hard—“with Sean’s mate? How? I won’t touch her, Riley. I don’t know—”
“A doctor will harvest her eggs and implant them along with your sperm into my Fallopian Tubes. Our baby will be conceived within my body during the night of the full moon. He just won’t carry my genes.”
Nic let her words repeat in his head. Hope rose, but so did disbelief. “I know of a male with a human mate. I’d spoken to him, hoping to figure out a way to be with you. They tried all the traditional infertility treatments. Nothing worked. They even used a shifter female’s egg.”
“Are you talking about the couple from your cousin’s pack in Ohio?”
“Yes.”
“I read over their records. They didn’t try GIFT. They also didn’t use a pack doctor. A human doctor wouldn’t understand the restraints of a shifter conception.”
He shook his head. “But they’d paid extra to bring doctors in on the full moon to perform the treatments.”
“Yes, but they all overlooked one aspect, the most important one that ensures shifter females aren’t impregnated by anyone besides their mates.”
He went over her words and groaned at the obvious answer. “That conception must happen naturally.”
“Yes. GIFT allows that. It just brings the egg and sperm together. Nature takes over afterward. Biologically, my womb isn’t different from a shifter’s. Only our eggs are.” She rose on her tiptoes and pulled him closer. He bent, bring them eye to eye. “I can’t guarantee that this’ll work, but I truly believe it will.”
The hope in her eyes compounded his. He brushed his fingertips over her cheek, awed by how far she would’ve gone to win his wolf’s commitment. He was glad she hadn’t mentioned her ideas earlier. After the pain he’d caused her, he never wanted her to think he was only with her because of a child she may or may not conceive.
Hannah stepped next to them. “But what if it doesn’t? You’ll eventually be killed unless your wolf allows you to transfer the spirit. You said it wouldn’t. What makes you think now will be any different?”
“Because Nic’s wolf has accepted me.” Riley turned cautious eyes on him. “Hasn’t it?”
He reached inside himself and touched the wolf who’d remained watchful yet quiet throughout the conversation, exactly as his baser half was meant to be—his complement. They were one, bridged by Riley’s love, and both would offer their strength to accomplish the same goal. God, it felt good to finally be at peace.
“You’re our mate, baby.” He cupped her face between his hands. “We’ll do anything to keep you.” She grinned. He pressed his lips to hers. “I love you, and I will mate you. First, I must accept my destiny.”
She kissed him, not passionately but so damn sweetly his heart did crazy things in his chest. A weight lifted off him while his emotions mixed. He wanted to lay her down, fuck her hard until she came apart around his dick, and tell her he loved her over and over until happy tears filled her eyes. He pulled back, not because he wanted to but to avoid giving in to the urges she evoked within him.
He looked over Riley’s head and caught Hannah’s gaze. “Take Riley to our house and put Chris and John on guard over her. I’m going to assert myself as the rightful alpha and knock my competition down. I don’t want anyone to step into the circle with me.”
The idea of fighting and injuring his pack members left a sick feeling in his gut, but such was the fate of an alpha. He’d never be free of the tests from other dominants. Like a true Kagan, he’d prove his worth outside the ceremonial grounds, leaving his friends alive but wounded.
Riley tightened her grip on him. “Be safe and come back to me.”
“Always, angel. I’ll always come back.”
And she’d be there to welcome him with open arms.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Blood dripped from Nic’s clawed hands onto the wet forest floor. The howl of another pack mate broke the quiet of the night. Nic ignored the call for a moment. The other wolf wanted to find Nic, to fight with him, most likely. Nic would deal with him if it came to it, but first he had to put the kid he’d taught how to throw a fastball in his place.
He led Quinn, Sean’s younger brother, to the clearing next to the pack’s sacred grounds, then circled him, looking for the right opportunity to pop his kneecaps. Nic didn’t want to inflict the injury. It was as painful for a shifter as it was for a human, but it was the quickest and kindest way to take Quinn out.
Although newly matured, he was strong. In a few years, he’d probably end up third or fourth among the dominants. For the sake of the pack, his strength was a blessing. At the moment, it made Nic’s job harder. The deep gouge he’d left on Quinn’s chest would’ve killed a beta or a human. It hadn’t even slowed the young shifter down.
“Why don’t we take this fight to the circle?” Quinn matched Nic’s steps, keeping a taunting distance between them. “Or are you afraid to lose?”
Nic ground his teeth. He knew better than to engage the other shifters in a verbal battle they’d both regret later. They were running high on adrenaline and their natural-born instincts,
which were intensified by the full moon. Quinn also had the cockiness of youth pushing him to assert himself. At twenty-nine, Nic wasn’t exactly old. A lot had happened to him since he’d matured, however. He sure as hell wasn’t wise, but he’d lived, suffered and hurt.
I’ve also loved. Damn if that wasn’t the only thing keeping him sane in the face of the same adrenaline and aggressiveness fueling Quinn. No way would Nic allow the fight to take him over, however. He had something to go home to that didn’t involve only power. Riley.
“What?” Quinn chuckled. “Not going to accept my challenge?”
“You can’t challenge me, kid. I’m not alpha, not yet, at least.”
Quinn growled. “I’m not a kid.”
“Really?” Nic raised a brow. “So you have a female ready to accept you as her mate?”
Quinn stopped circling and sneered. “Sure, I’ll just take the one you’d planned to mate. She doesn’t care about love.”
“Maybe not, but you should. Talk to your brother about it. He’ll tell you it’s important.” Nic took a couple of steps closer, watching the younger shifter’s body language. “So will I. Love is more important than anything, power included.”
Quinn frowned. His tightly fisted hands loosened. “You love Maria? I didn’t think you even knew her.”
Nic took another step. “Do you?”
“It doesn’t matter, does it?” Quinn shifted his gaze to Nic’s nose. “She picked you.”
Nic snorted. “She didn’t pick me. She wants the strength I can offer her.”
Quinn snarled. “She’s a fool.”
“No, the male who loves her is a fool to let her throw her life away.”
Quinn studied him, but remained quiet.
“Her true mate would fight for her love, not the right to force a claim on her.”
Quinn straightened. “She’s stubborn. She thinks the only way to save her pack is through power.”
“Oh, she’s right, but”—Nic matched the other shifter’s less aggressive pose—“strength isn’t only physical. Look at Hannah. Would you call her weak?”
Bridged by Love Page 18
