All she could hope for was that she’d be able to keep her hormones in check long enough to get through the discussion.
The den was much smaller than what Mila had anticipated. Three large oaks stood sentry in front of the entrance, which was carved into the mountainside. Neither of them would be able to get in without ducking and they definitely wouldn’t be able to enter in their wolf forms.
Asch dismounted and pulled Mila down with him. Holding on to her hips, he turned her so they were face to face.
Nodding toward the den, he said, “This is where we’ll be staying for the next few days.”
Her eyes bulged. “Days?”
“I am tired. You should scout the perimeter before we retire.” Caim had shifted behind them. He draped an arm over Mila’s shoulders. “I will get her settled in.”
Asch’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Haven’t you taken care of it already?” He sniffed at the air. “Your scent is all over the area.”
Caim pulled Mila against his chest. She felt him shrug before he said, “I must have passed through while hunting.”
“Fine,” Asch said, his upper lip curling with displeasure.
Despite his disgruntlement, he leaned down to press a kiss to Mila’s cheek. His mouth brushed against the corner of her lips, sending an unexpected bolt of desire down her spine.
Eyes lingering on her lips, he said, “I’ll be back soon.”
Backing away, he shifted into a tall, coppery wolf and set out into the woods. Mila watched after him, but his large form quickly disappeared behind the trees.
Caim entered the den first, lowering his head as he entered the narrow passageway. Mila followed closely behind. Rather than going in a straight line, the passage dipped and curved and grew increasingly darker as she descended. She put her hand on Caim’s back and allowed him to guide her as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.
Mostly to make conversation, she remarked, “I don’t see why he has to go scouting the area when we’re still in the valley.”
Offhandedly, he replied, “He is making sure there are no cats.”
Mila laughed to herself, mentally picturing the giant wolf as he ran around the forest, chasing house cats up a tree. She knew Caim had a sense of humor, but he didn’t usually joke with her.
“That’s just silly,” she said as they came to a stop. The walls around her had opened up, and she presumed they were in some sort of small cavern, but she couldn’t see well enough to make out anything more than dark shapes.
She moved to feel her way around the room, but Caim’s hands shot out and grasped her hips. Before she could complete a thought, Mila found herself pressed up against the stone wall, trapped by Caim’s muscular body.
“What are you—”
Caim’s mouth came down on hers, hard and demanding. Responding instinctively, she immediately opened her mouth. He let out a grunt of pleasure and thrust his tongue deep inside her mouth.
She was only vaguely aware of the jagged wall biting into her back or the dull pain of Caim’s teeth as he handled her lips none too gently. Her physical perception expanded in the darkness, and she felt him in ways she never had before. The heat that radiated from his body into hers. The scratch of his facial hair as his mouth moved over hers. The sound of his powerful heart pounding against his ribcage.
Caim pushed her legs apart with his knee and settled his throbbing arousal between her legs. She let go of the pelt. Her greedy hands sought out the bulging muscles of his chest. With his huge body, he made her feel small and delicate in a way that was both frightening and addicting.
Most nights, Caim lavished attention on her breasts. He loved squeezing them in his hands, pinching and tugging at her nipples. He would take her nipple into his mouth, sucking and nipping until she was so tender that a single flick of his tongue could send her spiraling over the edge.
Tonight, he made no move for her breasts. Instead, his hands went to the fly of her jeans. She let out a small sound of protest as she felt him pop the button open. He ignored her, unzipped her pants, and then moved to tug them down past her hips.
Mila pushed at his chest, and when that didn’t work, brought her hands up to his neck. So far, it was the only way she had learned to stop him when he became too overbearing.
Caim pulled back from her face and let out a sharp breath through his nostrils. “What?” he seethed.
Still breathing heavily, she told him, “You’ve gotta slow down. There’s stuff we have to talk about.”
“I do not have the patience for your games.”
She clicked her tongue impatiently. “I’m not messing with you. Asch will be back soon, and then we can all sit down like three civilized adults that are about to commence in a life-long commitment to one another.”
Releasing her from his hold, Caim took a few steps back. She staggered forward and let out a sigh of relief. Her respite didn’t last long. Grabbing her by the arm, Caim pulled her farther into the room. She felt something soft between her toes before he pushed her back on a bed of furs.
With his usual air of entitlement, Caim said, “I need to be inside of you. We will talk later.”
He came down on the bed, moving to straddle her. Mila kicked her feet up and braced them against his chest. It was enough to give him pause.
“I said no.”
“You said we needed to talk. We will talk. Later.”
Stamping her foot against him for emphasis, she said, “I make the rules, and I say we talk first.”
“Talking will serve to do nothing but delay the inevitable.”
As always, he was right, but that didn’t mean she had to agree with him. She cursed and kicked at him as he removed her pants, seemingly oblivious to her struggle. Once her pants were off, he restrained her unruly legs with one heavily muscled thigh and then removed her top and bra.
Once she was naked, Caim blanketed her body with his, pinning her to the floor. At the feel of his bare skin against hers, the lust that she’d tried to shake off came back in full-force. Liquid heat pooled between her thighs, and her body throbbed with anticipation.
No matter how much her mind rebelled, her body hoped he would ignore her protests. She needed to feel him, thick and hard and moving inside her. When his mouth covered hers, Mila realized that everything else could wait, because the only thing she did know for certain was that she couldn’t deny him.
Caim positioned himself between her legs but made no move to enter her. On some level, she recognized he was holding back, though his control hung by a thread. Maybe he was waiting for Asch to return, or he was trying to be considerate of the fact that she had more or less told him to stop; she wasn’t sure.
She hooked her legs around his waist, reached between them to grasp his cock, and guided him to her entrance. A feral growl burst out of him, and without hesitation, he surged forward, burying himself to the hilt inside her.
She felt the desperation in his hard thrusts, and it spurred her on. Rational thoughts fled her mind as she capitulated to a lust that was more potent than any she had yet experienced.
Caim needed her. He needed her. None of the other females in the pack could satisfy his needs. They couldn’t do for him what she could.
5
Since the moment he had thrown Mila against the wall and pressed her soft body against his, Caim’s only thought was that he needed to be inside her.
While he had never experienced the thrall firsthand, he understood what it entailed, and he had fully prepared himself for the inevitable loss of control. Part of him had even anticipated it, excited at the prospect of fully surrendering to his baser urges.
But once he was finally inside her, he was faced with a new need, one which eluded his control and pushed him to the brink of madness.
The need for release.
The desire consumed him, and his cock strained within her as it swelled to the point of pain. Thrusting inside of her should have brought him a modicum of relief, but it only built the pressure. The
pain and sensitivity grew with each thrust, but as if he were possessed, he couldn’t stop. Before long, he pounded into her, snarling each time his swollen crown slammed against the back of her hot sheath.
He had never taken the human with such ferocity, but she gave no indication that he was harming her. If anything, she seemed to feed off his need. Her inhibitions burned away under the searing heat of the mating thrall.
She thrashed and writhed beneath him. Her nails scored his back as she cried out in ecstasy. Somehow, she was able to match his furious pace. Her hips met his, blow for blow.
At the height of her pleasure, she screamed his name and bit down hard on his neck; it was what he had needed. His eyes flew open, and he ground his cock into her one last time as every muscle in his body clenched.
Caim roared with the force of his release. His body was wracked with spasms as he poured his seed into her in waves. A deep-seated relief suffused him. It was more than pleasure and more than liberation from the pain. He felt fulfilled.
He stayed on top of her for a few moments, both of them panting. The air around them was warm and thick with the scent of their mating. He could smell sweat mingled with blood—his blood—from where his enthralled little mate had bitten him. His lips twitched at the thought of her bite leaving a mark, one that he could taunt her with long after the thrall had passed.
She squirmed beneath him and gave his chest a weak shove. He acquiesced to her unspoken demand, maneuvering their bodies so they lay side by side. Too greedy to give up any part of her, he made sure he stayed firmly planted inside of her wet depths.
In a throaty voice, she said, “I bit you.” He heard her swallow. “Am going crazy?”
Caim pulled her tighter against him, burying his nose in her hair. “It is the thrall.”
“Oh,” she croaked.
Seemingly of their own accord, his hips began moving again. Caim groaned. He had not even completely softened, and his cock was already hardening again. The walls of her sex tightened around him as he became fuller, and soon, the pressure was building up inside him again.
It was more bearable this time, though he still could not have stopped himself even if he had wanted to. His mate was more subdued as well. She moaned and whimpered as he rocked inside of her at an achingly slow pace. He took his time, running his hands over her supple body.
In that moment, everything about her was perfect to Caim. He gave her thick thigh an appreciative squeeze before he moved to the curve of her hips. On the way to her breasts, his hand stopped and lingered on her fleshy stomach. With atavistic conviction, he knew that after tonight, she would be carrying his pup, and the knowledge filled him with renewed purpose.
She came just before he did. Her body trembled in his hold. His second release came and was no less powerful. When his body finally stopped shuddering, Caim buried his nose in her hair once more and filled his lungs with her sweet scent.
He was already hardening again when he heard the sound of footsteps coming from the den’s entrance. He knew it was Asch and that he wouldn’t be pleased that Caim had taken their mate without him. It was Asch’s fault for naively trusting in him, though, and Caim was fully prepared to point this out.
But when he got his first glimpse at Asch, with his fangs bared and his face contorted in rage, Caim realized that what he hadn’t been prepared for was a fight.
* * *
Throughout most of the time when she was acting like a dog in heat, Mila was loosely aware that Asch would be back at any moment. He had been gone for a lot longer than she’d anticipated, though, and it was incredibly difficult to think about anything when her body felt like it was on fire. At one point, she was pretty sure that if someone had asked her if she’d rather climax or keep breathing, well, she would have died rapturously.
By the time Caim abruptly pulled out of her, she could hardly be bothered to remember her own name. That was why it was particularly jarring when she turned around in time to see Caim slamming his body into Asch’s.
Mila struggled to take in the scene as it unfolded in the dark room. They snarled at one another as Caim grappled with Asch and pinned him against the wall. He had one large hand banding Asch’s wrists together while the other was wrapped around his throat. Gasping, she jumped up, ignoring the ache between her thighs.
Her mind racing, she grabbed Caim’s shoulder and desperately tried to pull him off. “Stop it! What are you doing? You’re going to hurt him!”
“Get back, Mila,” Caim growled in response. She immediately complied, releasing him and taking a step back. He never said her name.
Asch snarled and kicked at Caim’s legs. She couldn’t see Caim’s face, but she could tell from the tension in his body that he was straining to hold Asch at bay.
“Please don’t hurt him.”
“He is not in control and he could harm you. He needs to calm down,” Caim said, directing the last part at Asch.
Mila realized she’d automatically assumed Caim was fighting Asch for her, when in reality he was trying to protect her. She took a step forward again, this time resting her hand on Asch’s arm. His skin was chilled from the night air.
She wet her lips, then said, “Asch, do you want me to warm you up?”
Asch eased in his resistance but still breathed heavily. Mila trailed her hand up his arm and past his broad shoulders. She placed her palm on the side of his face. She brushed her fingers across his hairline and lightly stroked him. He leaned his head into her touch.
“You’re mine,” he rasped.
She kept her voice low and placating. “That’s right, but I’m also Caim’s, remember?” She traced her finger around the shell of his ear and down his strong jawline. “I need you. Both of you.”
Mila felt the rigidity leave his body at her words. He leaned his head back against the wall. His shoulders slumped. With obvious reluctance, Caim released him but did not step back. After a tense moment, Asch shouldered past him and took Mila in his arms.
His hold was tight and possessive. Mila felt his erection straining against her belly. She wanted to touch it, to take him into her hand as she had Caim, but before she could reach for him, Asch lifted her up. She gasped as he tossed her over his shoulder and hauled her over to the fur pallet.
She saw Caim’s shadowy form standing by the wall. He watched silently and made no move to join them as Asch lowered their bodies on the furs.
Mila was grateful for Caim’s restraint. Asch was not in a compromising mood and she was in no position to mediate between them. The moment they were on the pallet, Asch flipped Mila onto her knees and sunk into her slick passage. When he was fully inside of her, he groaned, sounding almost pained. He needed her just as much as Caim had, and his desire was intoxicating.
As Asch wildly thrust into her from behind, Mila lost herself to the thrall once more. Entrusting her mates with her care, she didn’t bother trying to find herself again.
6
Day and night became interchangeable to Asch. Nothing existed except for desire and satisfaction—desire for his mate, and satisfaction when he took his release inside of her.
After his initial frenzy had worn off, Asch’s mind cleared, marginally. He recognized that Mila had other needs besides his cock, such as food and water. When they woke, after he had taken her at least once, Asch would go down to the river and collect water for her, which gave Caim time to take Mila for himself. The routine served to make Caim less temperamental when Asch took her first.
Once the supply of fresh food had run out, they hunted in shifts and brought back small game from the valley. For once, Asch took no pleasure in hunting. As he sank his teeth into his prey, all he thought about was returning to his mate and sinking himself back inside of her warm body.
The first morning when Asch didn’t wake up with a painful erection, he knew the thrall was finally over. Mila was nestled between the two of them, her head turned into Caim’s chest while her legs were laced with Asch’s. Even in her sleep, she tri
ed to spread herself evenly between the two of them.
Occasionally, he’d wonder if she had to, which one of them Mila would choose. As quickly as the thought came to him, though, Asch would discard it. She had chosen, and she’d chosen both of them. Now more than ever, he knew that.
When he’d seen Caim with her, smelled Caim’s sweat all over his naked mate, he’d nearly lost his mind. Caim had managed to restrain him, barely. Mila hadn’t needed to accept him, but she had.
Asch leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he stood to stretch his limbs. He rolled his shoulders, his sore muscles protesting the act. He needed a good run.
* * *
Mila lay still for a while after she woke, assessing the miserable state of her body. She had never known it was possible to be sore in so many places. Everything above her waist ached, and everything below it flat-out hurt. After managing to push Caim’s heavy arm off her, she sat up and stretched, trying to work a knot out of her lower back.
She felt around for Asch, but his side of the bed was cold. She figured he must be out hunting, and her stomach growled at the thought. How long had it been since she last ate?
More than hungry, she was thirsty. Her mouth was parched and she suspected some of her discomfort was probably related to dehydration. Crawling over to the far side of the bedding, her hands found the clay pot she’d been drinking from the night before. She picked it up, brought it to her lips, and tilted it back slowly. A scant amount of liquid, hardly enough to wet her cracked lips, dripped into her mouth.
Setting the bowl down, she crawled back over to where Caim was sleeping. She put a hand on his arm and gave him a little nudge.
“Caim.” When he didn’t respond she shook him a little harder. “Hey, wake up. I need something to drink.” He remained still, and if it weren’t for the sound of his heavy breathing, she would have thought he was a corpse. She considered reaching between his legs and giving him a hard squeeze, but decided that probably wasn’t the best way to wake an alpha werewolf. “Okay, well, I tried.”
Claimed by the Alphas: Complete Edition Page 17
