by Olivia Arran
Well, I wasn’t going anywhere. Not anymore. We were already connected, my heart already lost and at risk. So, I had to protect it, and the only way to do that was to keep him close. Very close. At all times.
I don’t know what he read on my face, but he groaned, nuzzling into my neck, his breath hot and wet.
“I said yes. To us.”
His head shot up so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash, his gray eyes wide with amazement. “Us? You will? Really? Just like that?” he stuttered, blinking rapidly at me.
He would have given me all the time I needed, waited an eternity—I was sure of it. Just like I was sure I was making the right decision. I still love you, Max, but he’s good for me. Loves me. I hope you understand—I’ll never forget you. I sent the silent message spiraling up to the heavens, where I knew Max was watching and, hopefully, approving of my choice.
But what I realized now, it was my choice, my happiness at stake. So, I had to let Max go. Goodbye, my love. My wolf huffed her approval, her eyes sad but hopeful. She understood, we had mourned long enough.
“Did you want to chase me a bit longer?” I asked playfully. Having made my decision, contentment flooded me.
“Only for the mating hunt…” he growled, a big smile on his face.
The mating hunt… I shivered, anticipation firing through my blood. “So, who chases whom? I’m the Alpha—”
“Nope. Not going to happen, babe. I will follow you anywhere, do anything for you. But I get to chase you—this time.”
It had been worth a try, but really, I wouldn’t have it any other way. “Soooo…”
Anticipation flashed silver in his eyes, his body tensing against me. “Soooo…” he echoed, voice husky with need.
His lips claimed mine, mouth pressing and exploring, his hands tugging at my clothes, pulling them off and stripping me bare.
Then, there was silence. We stood facing each other, both naked, the clearing empty but for the birds in the trees. The dappled sunlight bathed him in glorious rays, casting shadows where each ridge of muscle dipped then rose. I longed to trace each ridge with my fingers, follow each dip with my tongue, working my way down to his thick cock which jutted proudly from between his legs. Remembering the feel of him moving inside of me, thrusting powerfully, sent a flood of heat cascading to my core, my pussy growing damp with longing, my thighs shaking with the need to drop to the floor, to offer myself to him.
He sniffed the air and went to take a step forward, before jerking back, his hands clenched by his sides.
“You need to run now, before I drag you to the ground and mate you here, now. Your scent, the bond…it’s driving me to the edge…”
His words sent another wave of lust trickling down my spine, pooling between my legs, and he groaned, a feral sound, his wolf riding close to the surface.
So, I ran, my wolf urging me on, daring me to lead him in a chase of naked flesh, to make him work for it—knowing that the reward would be all the sweeter.
***
Tarq
I watched her sprint into the forest, her body lithe and agile with curves in all the right places. Gritting my teeth, I willed my feet to hold still, determined to give her a head start. I didn’t want the hunt to end too soon. A little anticipation made everything sweeter. But my cock had other ideas, my hard-on tugging me toward her, lust fueling my battle of wills, until eventually, I threw my head back, letting an ear splitting howl fill the sky, and charged after her.
Faster! My wolf growled inside my head, as eager as I was that we claim our mate, make her ours.
My feet thudded into the soft leaf-covered ground with no care for silence or stealth, pure need driving me forward. Sprinting as fast as I could, branches snagged at my skin, but I didn’t slow, leaping over a fallen tree, my arms pumping by my sides.
Her scent floated before me, a delicious trail of tangy grapefruit and leafy green tea, all mixed with the heady musk of feminine arousal. She was hot, and she wanted me—that was all I needed to know.
Reaching out to the bond, I tugged, stirring the maelstrom of emotions toward fever pitch. I wanted her panting, begging for me to take her. On her knees, preferably.
And then, her scent disappeared. Vanished. I slowed to a halt, rocking back with confusion. Where had she gone?
Searching the now darkening forest, I looked for any indication of which way she had gone. Spying a broken branch on the floor, I walked over and picked it up, turning it in my hand. One broken branch did not mean— Then, I spied another, a few feet away, and after it, another. Her scent was faint, leading me in this direction, but fading.
My mate was leaving me a trail, but why was it fading?
Cautious of walking into a trap, I prowled parallel to the—now obvious—path, the hairs on the back of my neck rising with each step, worry seizing in my gut.
The path ended at a thick bush. Creeping to the right, I peered around, my mouth dropping open at what I saw.
Amanda was floating on her back in a small pool, the water bobbing over her breasts, the rise and fall both hypnotic and mesmerizing.
I checked the immediate urge to stalk down there and seize her. Two could play games, and moving as silently as I could, I crept around to the other side of the pool.
I could see that her eyes were fixed on the bush, where she had laid the path, her hands flicking in the water, waiting for me to arrive.
She didn’t hear me stalking up behind her.
I stood at the edge of the pool, watching her in fascination. This was a woman who would keep me on my toes. No boredom for me with her around. I could only imagine what any daughters we might have would be like. Little terrors, probably, twisting me around their little fingers.
I couldn’t wait.
Taking a deep breath, I launched myself at her, scooping her up out of the water before she could drown, and simultaneously drenching us both with cool water.
A startled scream escaped from her lips, which turned into a moan as I fitted my wet body to hers, wrapping her legs around my hips, grinding into her welcoming warmth.
“I thought— You took so long!” she gasped against my lips, opening herself up even wider, poised on the end of my cock.
“You led me on a merry chase, so I thought you deserved it,” I grunted, wasting no time and pushing into her, savoring the feel of her sliding down over me, her muscles squeezing me tight.
Her eyelids fluttered closed, her head falling back as she tilted her hips to take me deeper, digging her heels into my back in rough possession. “I thought—mmmm—I thought you— When you didn’t immediately follow…”
It hit me—she had been scared, worried that history was going to repeat itself. This proud woman was admitting that I could hurt her, that I could destroy her. “Amanda, I’m not going anywhere. Ever. You don’t have to worry about that. No one will ever take me away from you.” I brushed her wet hair back off her face, tilting her chin so she could see my eyes, see the conviction I knew burned there. “I love you…”
She shuddered, I couldn’t tell if it was with relief, or a primal reaction to me being buried deep inside of her, but the shudder vibrated, rippling up and down my cock, spurring me forward.
“Thought…you…might…need…a…bath…” she managed to say, her voice breathy, punctuated with moans, driven by the force of my cock sliding in and out of her.
I splashed some water onto my face, shaking my head and spraying droplets everywhere. “I’m all clean now, shall we take this onto dry land? I need a better grip…”
Giggling, she nodded, pulling my lips back down to hers in a kiss that left me gasping.
Holding her tight, I strode out of the pool and laid her down on a soft bed of moss. Blanketing her, I thrust back inside, that short moment of separation already too long. She cried out, her body accepting me, her hands clawing at my back in urgent need.
I knew what she wanted, I needed no urging.
I started to thrust harder, faster, my hips sw
iveling and pumping, her groans spurring me to move even faster, to rotate a little more, to build the friction, to push her higher.
Her pert nipples taunted me, begging to be tasted. Begging to be sucked. But I knew by now, my mate didn’t just like gentle sucking…
***
Amanda
Tarq’s teeth sunk into my flesh, his warm mouth sucking my nipple tight against his tongue, and it was like he had connected a line straight to my pussy, the sensations rolling through me, churning inside me, carrying me…
His cock thrust deep again, his powerful hips pounding into me, his thickness spearing me, thrilling me.
And then he bit again, his hands cupping my hips, holding me to him, holding me still for his attention.
“Next time, I’m going to slide down your body and tongue that pussy of yours.”
I moaned, his words painting a vivid picture in my head.
His hands were spread over my hips, his thumb gliding over my sensitive lower lips, parting them to graze over my distended clit, the light pressure rocketing me up off the floor, my back arched in supplication.
“I’m going to bite that juicy clit of yours, then suck it all better.”
His growl rang in my ears as his thumb circled, building the pressure, grazing the edges, teasing and taunting.
He thrust deep one more time and flicked his thumb over my throbbing flesh, and I erupted, pleasure screaming through me, tearing itself out of me into the sky.
“I take you, Amanda Smithrock, to be my true mate. I will run with you, live with you and love you—only you. I swear by the Mother of All,” Tarq growled, punctuating his words with shallow thrusts, strain etched into his face. Then he surged forward, this time biting down into the soft skin above my collarbone.
I didn’t wait for him to finish. “And I take you, Tarq Colstone—”
“—Tarq Smithrock now, my love,” he murmured, his tongue laving the mark on my neck.
“—Smithrock then, to be my true mate. I will run with you, live with you and love you—only you. I swear by the Mother of All!” And I sank my teeth into his neck, pressing hard enough to leave a mark, piercing the skin.
The bond completed with a force that rocked me to my core. What had once been two bonds, one between Alpha and Beta, the other linking us as prospective mates, now formed one large circuit, our emotions and powers swirling and meshing, our souls linking together. Our hearts beating as one.
“Whoa! That might explain some things…” he exclaimed, his eyebrows so high they nearly merged with his hairline.
“Yeah, but surely you don’t want to talk about it now?” His still moving hips had already distracted me, the buildup of his lust, his desperate need for release that I could feel echoing through the bond sending me ricocheting toward a second orgasm, this one giving me no chance to catch my breath, only to feel.
“Fuck that,” he muttered, picking up the pace. I could feel what he felt, the slide of flesh against flesh merging with my own, multiplying, replicating through the bond, pushing us higher until he tensed above me, his jaw tight, neck strained, growling, “I love you.”
And we fell over the edge together, him coming deep inside me as I gripped him tight, milking his orgasm, until he finally collapsed on top of me, hot and sweaty, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath.
“That was fucking—”
“—Amazing,” I finished for him, then added, “I love you, too.”
“I know. But it’s nice to hear it.” He brushed my damp hair away from my face, cupping my cheek gently. “You’re my life now, my love, my mate. And I can’t wait to give you all the pups you ever dreamed of.”
My heart clenched inside my chest, then the tightness faded, leaving only contentment. I had finally found the man who would support me, never leave me, and give me a family of my own.
Someone who would never reject me, would always believe in me.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Amanda
A couple of days later…
I sagged back into the leather chair, a sigh of relief escaping when I flicked to what looked to be the last page. Another ledger down, only…I counted, flicking the tall stack with a finger…twenty-seven more to go. This Alpha business was turning out to be a whole lot of paperwork and no play. At least the pack were starting to talk to me now, really talk—no longer watching what they said, scared of repercussions.
The door to the office opened and my mate strolled in, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. I would never grow tired of looking at him, marveling that this handsome man was really mine.
“What?” I half-snapped, fatigue riding me, but damn him for being in such a good mood while I had been stuck balancing figures.
Tarq held his hands up, mock backing away, his grin widening. “Hey, hey! I offered to help, do it for you. But you said—”
“—It’s an Alpha’s job to understand pack finances.” Damn him, he was right. I had said that. But that was before I’d realized how much of a headache they were going to give me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” I rubbed at my bleary eyes, my head falling onto the desk in surrender.
“You should let me help, or better yet, forget about pack finances. Start fresh. Burn them all.”
“But then we wouldn’t know how much we have, who owes us what, who we owe!”
“If we owe, I’d imagine they’ll let us know. As for who owes us, just let it go. Act all generous as new pack Alpha, if anyone asks.”
I squinted at him out of one eye, my cheek still pressed to the ink dotted journal. “Tarq, babe, the pack needs money. Otherwise, how will we—”
“We have money. Enough, anyway.”
I peeled my other eye open, this time narrowing them at him.
“What do you mean?”
He shuffled his feet, looking decidedly uncomfortable. “I don’t want you to make a big deal out of it, I just thought you should know, especially since you’re hating doing these books, and if you found out later—you’d probably kill me.”
He was babbling. And he never babbled. “Tell me…” I growled, straightening up to give him my best Alpha look.
“Doesn’t work with me, babe,” he chuckled, throwing himself onto the couch and assuming his normal pose, arms behind head, t-shirt sliding up.
I shook my head, determined not to let him distract me. If there was actually a way I could get out of doing these books… I growled, the sound low.
“I have a lot of money. And I mean a lot,” he mumbled, hiding his eyes with an arm.
“How? Why?” He’d lived with the pack, his clothes weren’t anything special, and the man didn’t even own a car!
He mumbled, the sound unintelligible, even to my keen hearing.
I pushed back the chair and stalked over to him, shoving his arm out of his face. “Spit it out, buster,” I ordered, placing my hands on my hips.
He pulled a pained face. “Drawings. There. Now you know.”
“Drawings?”
“Ever heard of T Arq?”
“Of course I ha— Shit! That’s you?” T Arq was a reclusive artist, sketching wildlife in coal and pencil. Their work sold for a lot of money, that’s when you could find any. Showings always sold out. But nobody had ever met the artist, or knew whether T Arq was a man or a woman!
And T Arq was my mate.
I sat down on top of him, stunned into silence. He really had meant it when he’d said he had some money.
“I like to sketch. I only started as a way to keep calm, and to get my wolf to connect with the real world—to grow up a little. He was pretty messed up when we found out about Mom, and, well, you know. Didn’t think I was any good until one I did for a friend caught the eye of an agent. It went from there. ” He shrugged, his cheeks flushed. “No one knows, and I’d prefer it if we kept it quiet. But as I told you, you don’t need to do the books. We can afford to start over, support the pack.”
“You’d do that? It’s your money!”
“Our m
oney, babe. And this is our pack. The Shifter Council made us a permanent Alpha pair, remember?” He dragged me into his arms, tucking me against his chest.
I remembered. I don’t know who had been more surprised, him or me. Turned out our bonds were unique, something to do with Tarq already being my Beta when we joined, and made us one of the most powerful pairs this side of the ocean. So, we got to keep Smithrock.
“They’ve started to accept us, haven’t they?” Tarq knew I was talking about the pack. Ever since our mating, there hadn’t been as much hostility in the air, as though our pairing had brought a stability and calmness to the pack. Though, there were still a few who thought they should have had a chance, resenting Tarq for pipping them to the post, as if I were a prize or something.
“They have. Give them time.” His voice rumbled through his chest, vibrating against my cheek, reminding me again why I couldn’t wait to retire to bed. Ferocious and inventive, Tarq was a perfect lover, his stamina still unbeaten, although we had tested it…quite a few times.
“How long until bedtime?” I whispered, knowing he could hear me.
“What’s wrong with the office?”
Absolutely nothing! I reached up, sliding up his body until I straddled him, rocking against the growing hardness, tugging his t-shirt off over his head.
He reached for my top as I tugged at his jeans.
A loud banging vibrated on the door.
Our hands froze. I held my breath, hoping whoever it was would go away, come back later.
The knocking sounded again, this time a little harder.
“I know you’re both in there. Open up or we’re coming in anyway.”
I would recognize that voice anywhere. “Come in, Cole—” The door was thrust open, and a tall man strode into the room, his eyes quickly taking in Tarq’s half nakedness and my dominant position.
“So, that’s how it is?” He smirked at Tarq, his eyebrows raised in question, green eyes glinting with amusement.
