I figured it was best to try Larissa first, and she answered before the first ring was done. “Where are you? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” My mind blanked for a moment. It wasn’t as though I could tell them what had happened, not without making sure that was okay since Zeke had said the existence of shifters was kept a secret from most people. I didn’t know if it was okay to share with my friends or family, and I couldn’t ask since Larissa would be able to hear me. “There was a little issue with the rideshare.”
She didn’t sound any less worried as she asked, “What kind of issue? Did it break down? Are there no more cars out tonight because of the snow? You should’ve been able to get another one by now.”
“Ah, no.” I widened my eyes at Zeke and grimaced. He stroked his hand down my back. “The roads were icy, and the car slid through an intersection and crashed into a traffic light. But I wasn’t really injured, just some bruises from the seat belt.”
“Where are you? At the hospital?” I heard the murmur of Calliope’s voice in the background. I was doing a crap job of coming up with a story that would make them less worried about me.
Staring up into Zeke’s face, I was struck by inspiration. I couldn’t tell them I’d met a guy who turned into a wolf, but Zeke’s job was sure to make them feel better about me not being back yet. “I’m not at the hospital. Like I said, I only have some bruises. The sheriff from a couple of towns over was nearby when it happened and stopped to help.”
“Oh.” She heaved a deep sigh of relief. “There’s probably a bunch of paperwork if the cops are involved. Will you be done soon?”
“Um, yeah...about that. It’ll probably take a while longer, so you guys should just head to bed. I’ll be good. The sheriff is a really good guy, and he’s taking care of me, so I’m more than okay.”
“More than okay, huh?” Any trace of concern had disappeared from her tone as it turned teasing. “Is the sheriff sexy, and exactly how is he taking care of you? Give me all the details.”
Calliope shrieked something about me meeting a hot guy in the background, and judging by the smirk on Zeke’s face, he was able to hear everything my friends were saying. My cheeks filled with heat as I said, “I can’t really talk about it right now.”
“Oh, my gosh! Is he there with you right now?” Larissa cried. “Get off the phone, girl. You can tell us all about it when you come back. Just don't have so much fun with him that you forget you have class tomorrow at eleven.”
The call disconnected, and I stared at my phone in shock. I hadn’t expected her to let it go so easily, especially since she knew I’d never dated anyone before. None of us had ever spent the night with someone, and it was kind of shocking she’d just assumed I wouldn’t be back tonight—let alone in time for my class in the morning.
Zeke wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest. “Your friends sound nice.”
“No, they sound crazy! I can’t believe she just assumed I was spending the night with you. I mean, maybe if she knew about shifters and fated mates, it might make sense. But she doesn’t.” I tilted my head back to stare into his eyes. “I’m guessing I can’t tell them?”
“No, I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “For now, you can't say anything, but I’ll talk to my alpha after he gets the chance to meet you and maybe them too. He might give me permission if he decides they wouldn’t be a risk to our pack.”
“They love me too much to risk my safety,” I assured him. “My parents will be more difficult to handle. Keeping a secret from my mom is almost impossible. It’s a good thing I got a hold of Larissa before she called them. They would’ve hightailed it here, and that would be bad. Very, very bad. She would burn Stewart to the ground if it meant she could find me.”
He laced his fingers through mine. “Then I guess we’ll get along since we have that in common. Because I’d set the whole world on fire if that’s what it took to keep you safe.”
There he went with the swoony comments again, but I was skeptical. “Yeah, probably not. My mom is a lot to handle, especially when it comes to me. She takes helicopter parenting to a new level, and the chances are probably around ninety-nine percent that she’s not going to be a fan of yours since she’ll see our relationship as you taking her baby girl away from her. You need to be prepared for her to do something crazy,” I warned. “If she decides you aren’t what’s best for me, she’ll try to tear us apart.”
“Then I’ll just have to do my best to convince her I’m perfect for you.” He flashed me a cocky grin. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.” I was shocked how easily my answer came out.
“Good, because I’ve got you, sweetheart.” He gave me a tight squeeze. “Get some sleep, and we’ll figure it out in the morning.”
8
Zeke
Waking up with my body wrapped around Allegra was the best start to a day I’d ever had, even with my balls feeling as though they were about to burst and my cock hard enough to hammer nails into a board. I’d spent the night dreaming about driving my dick inside her tight pussy, not that I was surprised since I’d been hard from the moment her strawberries and cream scent hit my nostrils. After spending thirty years never getting a hard on for another woman, I had a sneaking suspicion I was going to spend the rest of my days with one now that Allegra was in my life.
Her perfect ass was pressed against my dick, and the shirt she’d slept in had ridden up so her thin panties and my boxers were the only thing between us. I normally slept naked, but I’d kept them on when I’d stripped out of my jeans because I hadn’t wanted Allegra to wake up in the middle of the night and freak out over my nudity. She’d already taken everything I’d thrown at her in stride, but I didn’t want to push her too far too fast.
Not wanting her to wake up with my dick poking her in the ass, I shifted my hips back, but I was too late. Her curvy body rolled toward me as her eyes popped open. They were heavy-lidded and hazy for a moment before they filled with recognition, and she smiled. “Good morning, handsome.”
I shifted my arm so her head was resting on my bicep. “Hey, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?”
“Better than I have in ages.” She stroked her hand up my bare chest. “I like sleeping in your arms.”
I brushed my mouth against hers. “That’s good because you’re going to be doing it for the rest of your life.”
“The rest of my life,” she echoed softly. I searched her eyes for any sign that she was struggling with the idea of being with me forever, but they shone with happiness. “This fated mate stuff sure does take the guesswork out of dating. It would be awesome if my friends found shifters of their own.”
“You never know, stranger things have happened.” Her lips curved up in a smile, and I couldn’t resist claiming them in a kiss. It quickly turned heated, our tongues tangling together as her body pressed closer to mine. Her pebbled nipples poked at the thin material of the shirt I’d loaned her, and the heat from her pussy practically scorched my cock.
Wrapping her hair around my fist, I tilted her head back as I feasted on her mouth. When she was writhing in need, I tore my lips away to trail kisses down her neck. Tugging the shirt lower, I palmed one of her tits and lifted it to drag my tongue over the top of the creamy mound. “You’re fucking perfect, sweetheart.”
“That feels incredible,” she moaned, her hips shifting until her pussy was lined up with my cock.
The scent of her need was thick in the air, and I felt how drenched her panties were through my boxers. It would only take the smallest movement on my part for the tip of my cock to notch inside her pussy.
“Please, I need you,” she whimpered.
“Are you sure you’re ready?” It killed me to ask, but I wasn’t going to rush Allegra into anything she wasn’t ready for. “I can give you relief with my mouth and fingers instead if you want. I don’t want us to take this step unless you’re sure it’s what you want.”
Her brow
n eyes had darkened, and there was no mistaking the desire in them. “I was already sure, but the fact that you’re willing to wait”—she slipped her hand into my boxers and wrapped it around my cock—“when you want me so much makes me feel even better about my decision.”
That was all it took for my self-control to snap. I yanked the shirt over her head and pulled her panties down her legs, then I removed my boxers and tossed them onto the pile. I knew I needed to make sure she was ready so I didn’t hurt her, so I kissed my way down her body. I stopped at her chest and flicked my tongue over one of her nipples as my fingers tweaked the other side. Her back arched when I sucked hard, being sure to leave a mark because I wanted signs of where I’d been all over her body. Not that anyone other than me would see them, but it soothed me to know they were there.
I kissed across her chest and gently nipped at the side of her other breast, earning me a moan. “Fuck, I love that I’m going to hear those sounds every day for the rest of my life.”
My hands slid down to her hips, and I held her down as I kissed across her stomach to her pussy. Her legs parted, and I wedged my shoulders under her thighs. Breathing in her scent, I groaned, “Can’t wait to get my first taste of you.”
“Then it’s a good thing you don’t have to wait.” Her fingers dug into my scalp, guiding my face closer.
I slid one of my hands up and spread her pussy open. When I circled my tongue over her clit, her flavor burst on my tongue, and I couldn’t get enough of it. Licking lower, I stiffened my tongue and buried it deep inside her hole. Her body writhed beneath me as I tongue-fucked her until she flew over the edge, and her cries echoed around the room. Then I sank a finger inside and worked her back up and over a second time before rising on my knees and lining my cock up with her entrance.
I waited for her eyes to open and meet mine, and then I surged forward, filling her with one powerful thrust. “I’m sorry it hurt, sweetheart,” I murmured when she whimpered in pain. After kissing a couple of tears from her cheeks, I held still until she adjusted to having me inside her. My cock was crying out for relief by the time she wiggled her hips and I felt a gush of wetness bathe my hard length. “Are you ready for more?”
“Yes,” she gasped, her nails digging into my shoulders. “Please.”
I circled my hips, and her walls clenched around me. “Your pussy feels so fucking good, sweetheart. You were made to take my cock.”
I slowly slid out and then inched my way back inside. When I didn’t meet any resistance, I started out slow, keeping a steady rhythm until I could fuck into her hard with quick thrusts of my hips. She encircled my waist with her legs and held on while I pounded in and out of her.
Her tongue darted out to wet her plump lips, and I bent my head to nip at the bottom one. The needy expression on her face made it more difficult to hold onto my control, which was already hanging by a thread. “C’mon, sweetheart. Let me feel you fly apart around my cock before I come.”
“I’m close,” she panted.
I continued to pump my hips, aiming to hit her G-spot each time. My fingers dug into her hips, and the headboard was slamming into the wall from the power of my thrusts. Gliding my hand up her back, I pulled her toward me so I could wrap my lips around her nipple. When I gently bit it, her pussy clamped down on my cock, and she screamed my name.
My nostrils flared, and I dragged our mixed scents deep into my lungs as I lifted her and filled her to the hilt as my climax roared through my system. My cock jerked inside her, my come splashing against her walls. When my balls finally emptied, I collapsed against her soft body and buried my face in her neck. My canines extended, scraping against the sensitive skin of Allegra’s shoulder. “If I mark you now, while your pussy is full of my come, it will complete the mating process. There won’t be any going back. You’ll be mine forever.”
Fear shone from her eyes. “Will it hurt?”
“Not even close.” I licked over the spot I wanted to sink my teeth into. “From what I’ve heard, since you’re my fated mate, my bite will trigger another orgasm for you. It’s supposed to be stronger than anything you’ll ever experience.”
“Then yes, please. Make me yours forever.” She tilted her head to the side, giving me better access to her neck.
A growl rumbled up my chest as fur brushed the inside of my skin. My wolf was beyond ready to mark her and needed to be a part of this for the mating to fully take hold. With both sides of myself close to the surface, I sank my teeth into her flesh. It felt as though time stood still as my soul flew apart and came back together better than before. My fated mate was mine, and I was finally complete.
9
Allegra
Four incredible orgasms—the last of which was as mind-blowing as Zeke had said it would be—turned out to be more powerful than prescription strength sleeping pills. We fell back asleep and didn’t wake up again until hours later when there was a knock on the bedroom door. Zeke sprang off the mattress, a deep growl rumbling up his chest. “Do not come in,” he barked.
“Chill the fuck out, I’m not going to barge in there like I normally would,” an amused masculine voice replied.
“Meet me downstairs,” Zeke said as he grabbed a pair of sweatpants from the dresser and tugged them on.
I sat up, dragging the sheet to my chest as the other person commanded, “Bring your mate.”
“Who’s that?” I whispered-yelled.
“Kace, the alpha of my pack,” he explained, handing me a matching set of black sweatpants and shirt that was several sizes too big for me.
The clothes I’d worn during the road trip back to school and had on during the accident were beyond dirty, so I was going to have to make do with what he’d given me. “Alrighty then.”
After shoving a shirt over his head, Zeke padded over and rolled the waist of my pants up until the bottoms were at my ankles. He did the same with the cuffs of the sweatshirt until it didn’t cover my hands, and then he pressed a finger under my chin to tilt my head back. He brushed his lips over mine and murmured, “Don’t worry about Kace. He’ll be thrilled as fuck that I found you.”
I didn’t know the guy, so I had no idea what to expect. But I’d trusted Zeke so far, and it seemed silly to stop now. “If you’re sure.”
“You never have to worry about anything with me at your side,” he promised as he laced his fingers through mine. Opening the door, he led me downstairs to the living room where Kace was sprawled on the recliner. He stood when we neared and waited for Zeke to nod before he approached us.
He clapped Zeke on the shoulder and grinned. “See, I was right. You should listen to me more often.” My eyes widened in surprise, and he added, “Zeke was all grouchy about running an errand in Stewart for me last night. I was giving him a hard time when I told him he might meet you, but it turned out to be true.”
“Shit, about the liquor distributor,” Zeke groaned, running his hand through his hair.
“Don’t worry about it.” Kace waved off his concern. “If I can’t go over there myself today, I’ll just ask Tane to do it instead. Spending time with your mate is more important than that small issue.”
“It was important enough to interrupt my dinner and football game last night,” Zeke grumbled, giving me a squeeze. “But I’m not going to complain because it led me to Allegra—the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Hello, Allegra. I’m Kace Lowell,” he introduced himself with a grin.
I wasn’t sure what the etiquette was in this situation, so I returned his smile and replied, “Thanks, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Welcome to the Timber Ridge Pack.” Kace gripped my upper arms as he brushed the briefest of kisses across my forehead. He started to pull away, but then his hold on me tightened. “Your scent.”
I was starting to wonder what the heck was going on when Zeke wrapped his arm around my back and growled, “You might be my alpha, but I’ll still find a way to take you down if you don’t move away from my mate.�
�
Kace nodded and took a step back, holding his hands up, palms facing us. “Sorry, there’s something about Allegra’s scent that’s gotten my wolf’s attention.”
Zeke shoved me behind his back, and I peeked around his shoulder to keep an eye on what was happening between him and his alpha. “Stop smelling my mate.”
“You know I can’t just turn this off.” Kace tapped his nose. “And I didn’t mean that I thought she was mine or—”
“She’s nobody’s but mine.” Zeke’s body tensed, and I pressed my hands against his back in the hope that it would calm him.
Kace walked over to the recliner and sat down, and I felt some of the stiffness in Zeke’s body ease under my fingertips. He shifted me to his side—the one farthest away from Kace—and led me to the couch. Dropping down on the cushion at the far end, he pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around my chest. His possessiveness was incredibly flattering...and turned me on.
It was difficult for me to focus on talking when Zeke’s hard on was poking into my buttcheek, but I lifted my head and looked at Kace to remind myself we weren’t alone.
“I’m well aware that she’s your mate, Zeke. Your scent is all over her.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His dark eyes shone with sincerity. “I’m your alpha and best friend. Your happiness is important to me, and I’d never do anything to interfere with your mating. You know I wouldn’t.”
Zeke’s hold on me tightened as he grumbled, “I do, but your wolf’s reaction to her scent is confusing.”
“It is,” Kace agreed with a nod. His attention shifted to me. “Do you have any sisters? Maybe it’s a family connection he’s sensing.”
I shook my head. “Nope, I’m an only child. My parents are too, so I don’t have any female cousins either.”
“I’m not sure what it could be then.” Kace grimaced as he shrugged.
Her Wolf Page 4
