The look on here face is absolutely priceless. I know that the girl isn’t charmed. I know that she doesn’t want to kiss me. Not yet anyway. What I also know is that my little rabbit will do just about anything to get out of my hands at the moment. So asking her for a kiss right now isn’t out of the question. “Ivan?” she squeaks out, the uncertain look on her face looking utterly adorable. Something about my scent is working on her, but not enough that it can overcome her fear. I need to work on that. I move in close to her, so that much of our bodies come into contact with each breath that either of us takes. Goddess above do I want to scent her. She has to smell absolutely delectable. “I said, that I’ll happily take some of the whiskey on offer. But you have to kiss me.” A sly smirk comes over her face, one that nearly obliterates the apprehensive look in her eyes. “Of course.” She presses into me and Fang nearly
I do not like this feeling. Or should I say feelings. Because it isn’t just one thing that I’m feeling as the alpha runs may hands along his skin. Fear is a big one. It would be so fucking easy for me to fall in the water. For my descenting spray to wash off of me. For my makeup to wash off and my mark to be revealed. And then everyone would know that I’m a rogue. And I won’t be safe anymore. I’m also feeling a nervous excitement. I didn’t feel it before we touched, but now that we have, there is almost this electrical current moving from his skin to mine. It’s sending a need through me that I have never felt before and a desire to stoke it even further. It doesn’t help that my wolf is going insane inside of me, growling and wanting to come to the forefront to touch the alpha. The look in his eyes is intoxicating and, for a moment, I’m completely captivated. “Take my shirt off, Nova,” he whispers and that nervous ex
I had been pushed into the deep end, the pool floor ten feet below me. I’m trying hard to get my head above the water and I know that if I can relax I could probably figure out the floating thing. But I screamed as I fell into the water and I can feel my lungs constricting and burning for air. There’s no relaxing when you’re running out of air. But even I know this much about the human body: if your body needs oxygen desperately then there’s no way that you can stop it from taking a breath. You can put it off for a bit, but your body will eventually force you to take a breath. So, yeah. I’m panicking just a bit. I try with uncoordinated slices and slaps of my hands at the water to pull myself up as I continue to sink down into the water. I try to kick my legs like I’ve seen others do when they swim, but I’m too panicked. All I was doing was tiring myself out and burning the little bit of air that I still have in my lungs. It doesn’t take lon
SHIT! Goddess-damned, motherfucking shit! His eyebrows pinch and his eyes widen as he takes in my rogue mark. He’s distracted by what he’s just discovered and I use that to my advantage. Twisting from his grip, I take the towel that was in his hands and press it to my face as I move to stand and pull away. I’m winded and weak from nearly drowning and I know that my body right now is in fight, flight, or freeze mode. I am fleeing as fast as possible. The second that I’m standing, I pull the ponytail out of my hair, letting it down and pulling it to cover my face. Luckily, my bunny headband had fallen off in the pool, along with my heels. I don’t have to worry about that stopping my hair from falling across my mark. The next thing that I do is haul ass out of there. I don’t know how much of my mark is exposed and I’m sure that the descenting spray is gonna wear off soon. The other wolves will be able to scent me out. They’ll smell
I make sure that the partition is closed between me and Edie, my driver, before saying through the intercom, “Take us back to the packhouse.” I can’t having him scenting that she’s a rogue. I can’t have anyone figuring that out, but I need time to figure out what I’m going to do, so back to the packhouse it is. “Yes, alpha,” Eddie responds and then we pull away from the back entrance of the Warren. Obviously, Nova didn’t know how often I have snuck in and out of the Warren. I can’t have my pack knowing everything about my sex life. This is a routine thing for me, so I was able to mindlink Eddie and have him bring the car around when I realized that was where she was going. I had to use my alpha tone when I realized that she was almost out the door and that her rogue scent would be out in the air. I can’t have anyone else scenting her. It’s not that a rogue scent is a bad scent. But it’s very different from the scent of our pack. Each differen
The ride to the packhouse is tense, but at least it’s only about a 20-minute ride. She keeps my shirt fisted in her hands but hasn’t put it on yet. She just sits there coiled, ready to fight or run, whatever will get her away. Her eyes never leave me, though she’s not looking at my face. She’s watching my body. The movements of my face, the center mass of my body. Hell, she could give my warriors some pointers with how vigilant she is to make sure that she is safe and how she knows to watch me for any threat. It makes something in me ache that she knows to do that. I know every wolf that is in training as a warrior. I participate in the training of the higher-level wolves on a daily basis, but at least drop by every other training group two to three times a week. She’s never been in one.It means that she’s had to learn these survival skills the hard way.As an alpha, I don’t like to know that any of my pack members are going through something like that.
The sparks that flow over my skin at Nova’s touch have me closing my eyes and biting back a moan. I can easily see how this would be addicting, which worries me. Even if she joins the pack, can I accept her as my mate? How long as she been here? Why does no one else know? Is she a harbinger of something worse happening? The easiest way to find answers to these questions is to ask her, but I can’t do that until I get her to my room. We hurry up the stairs and make it to the floor of my gamma and delta’s families. Straining my ears and scent the air, I can tell that no one is in the hallway and I nearly sprint across the landing, Nova able to keep up with me easily. The stairway that we just came through is private, just for the leadership of the pack and their families. We use it as a way to escape in times of attack, especially to get the pups out. It’s not that it’s a secret, it’s just faster. What is secret is the stairwell that is behind
I don’t know how to react to the alpha. He scares me. He has so much power over the city. Over me and my fate. I could piss him off and he could have me killed with just a flick of his hand. But, so far, he’s protected me. Yeah, he chased me through the Warren, but it seems like he just did it so that he’d be able to get me out of there without anyone seeing. I’m not really that gullible to just believe what he tells me, but his actions seem to support what he’s said. Now he’s left me in his room alone. He didn’t even lock the door. He gave me clothes, told me to get comfortable, and said that he was getting me food. Taking a deep breath, I look around the room. His scent fills me nose and, now that it isn’t augmented by the scent enhancer, it’s very pleasant. More than pleasant. I almost want to roll myself in it. To envelope myself in it and never emerge. It’s spicy and very masculine. Fuck, it’s making me horny.
My mates and I are standing on a large floating platform in the center of the harbor. All the boats have been cleared for today’s ceremony, and the entire pack has gathered along the shore to witness the official welcoming of their Luna and Lune. The platform is made of strong, transparent plastic, giving the illusion that we’re standing directly on the water. Flower petals and floating candles drift both on the surface and around the edges of the platform. A camera positioned at the far end captures the event and projects it onto screens placed throughout the crowd so everyone can see what’s happening. Nova looks stunning in her midnight blue ball gown, her hair swept into a messy bun. Thin straps frame her exposed matemarks, and the dress is low-cut in both the front and back, revealing creamy swaths of skin. The bodice hugs her tightly, while the skirt flows freely into a long, lacy train that shimmers in the sunlight. Cody wears fitted pants and a tailored gunmetal gray vest—no
“I really don’t want to do this,” I murmur, tugging at the hem of my skirt again.“Girl, if you don’t stop messing with that skirt, you’re going to unravel it. Stop it!” Lucy punctuates the last word by smacking my hand.I stick my tongue out at her but stop fiddling. Honestly, I think the only reason Lucy isn’t as nervous as I am is because she’s too busy managing me.At least, she doesn’t seem outwardly nervous.But I know her butterflies are causing a full-blown tornado—just like the one twisting in my own stomach.We’re heading to the Hartwood Pack, where Lucy and Cody are from. It’s been two weeks since we brought Cody home.Alpha Timothy was pissed when he realized we had “absconded with one of his most valued packmates.” He threatened to call down the Council of Alphas, press charges against our pack, and even force Ivan to step down as Alpha.All of that might have been intimidating—if it hadn’t taken him four days to even realize Cody was gone. Add in the fact that the three
The second Ivan and Cody establish their matebond, a ripple of power, connection, and pleasure sweeps through all three of us. Bite howls in my mind, the sound echoed by two other wolves—Fang and Howl. Our bond is complete. The three of us are tied together, not only by fate, but by our marks. There is no one—and nothing—beyond the Goddess herself that could tear us apart. “Holy shit,” Cody says. Ivan chuckles. “You can say that again.” “Holy shit,” Cody and I both say at the same time. We all laugh at that. Looking at my mates, I can’t help the affection that thrums through my heart at the sight of them happy together. “Let me get you guys a towel,” I say, slipping off the bed. “And the wet wipes,” Ivan calls after me. I grab both from the bathroom and bring them back so Cody and Ivan can clean up. “Thanks, Estrella,” Cody says as Ivan leans forward to kiss the top of my head. I move to the head of the bed, watching them as they get themselves together. Ivan heads into the
I watch Cody—his chest rising and falling as he catches his breath, eyes glazed over from orgasm. His shoulder-length black hair is fanned out across the bed, giving him a dark halo. His bronze-colored skin shines with sweat, and those chocolate brown eyes are begging for me to touch him.So beautiful. I mean, fucking gorgeous. It’s why I called him lindo.I’d thought hard about what nickname to give him. Nova’s was easy. Seeing her that first time at The Warren in the bunny costume, all timid and shy—she reminded me of the little rabbit she was dressed as. She’ll always be my little rabbit.But Cody and I didn’t have that kind of “meet cute.” Not even close. Still, I needed a name for him, something that felt right.It was Fang who suggested lindo. Clearly, our mate has Hispanic roots, and using that in his nickname felt like a way to honor that.Look at him, Fang says in my head, voice thick with awe. Spread out and waiting for us.Let’s not make him wait, I reply, and lean down to
Howl is going insane inside of me. He wants Ivan. I want Ivan. And we’re finally going to get him.I suck at Ivan’s skin, making a hickey in the spot where I want to put his matemark—right next to Nova’s. One of his hands grips my hair, the other wraps around my back.“Bedroom. Lube.” The words come out strangled with need.Mate! Fuck mate! Bite mate! Make him ours! Howl’s words echo through my mind, getting lost in the frenzied need that pulses between us.I’m working on it, Howl. Calm the fuck down so I can focus on him, I snap back.He smells so good. Feels even better. Fuck, Howl moans, and I know exactly what he means.I know Ivan wants us in the bedroom, but I can’t make myself move. Can’t stop touching him, kissing him, losing myself in him.Thank the Goddess for Nova.“Come on, boys,” she says, grabbing both our hands. “Let’s get to the bedroom. I want to see the two of you laid out before me.”It’s her touch that finally breaks the trance. Her words remind me there’s more t
The desire in Cody’s eyes is hot enough to burn the clothes right off my body.His hands immediately go to my waistband, and his lips crash into mine. I hear the seams protest as he rips my clothing from my legs, his mouth dominating mine.But something I’ve learned in the short time we’ve had Cody with us is that, while Ivan likes it when I submit completely, Cody enjoys the push and pull—he wants to earn that dominance.So I give him as good as I get. Tongue, teeth, and lips collide at the same time his hand moves between my legs and finds me soaking wet.“Fuck,” we both moan against each other’s mouths.Cody’s eyes flick over my shoulder, locking with Ivan’s in a heat so intense I can practically feel it.“Get her shirt and bra off for me. I need to taste her,” Cody orders.I’m about to sass back—because I can take off my own damn clothes—but then two things happen at once: Cody uses his werewolf speed to drop to his knees, throw my legs over his shoulder, and suck my clit into his
“I change my mind,” I rush out, breathing heavy with anxiety. “I pick truth.”Cody cackles from the passenger seat. “Not how the game goes, Estrella (star). You picked dare, so dare it is.”I can feel Ivan’s odd mixture of amusement and worry through our matebond as he leans in through the window. “You’ll be fine, little rabbit. Just go slow. The brake’s on the left. Look where you want to go—your body will follow.”Why am I doing this?Oh yeah—because my asshole best friend and mate thought this would be a great dare.I’m sitting in one of Ivan’s cars in the packhouse driveway. Not only do I not know how to drive, but I’m also expected to drive for twenty minutes without hitting anything. Did I mention this is one of Ivan’s most prized possessions?A Ferrari 812 Superfast in metallic black.Not coincidentally, his favorite car.When his grandfather passed, Ivan got a modest inheritance and invested it in the stock market. He did well—really well. With that money, he bought all his car
It would be easy to let the kiss with Ivan get hot and heavy. Howl is—well, howling in my head, and the matebond is pressing on me to finish it. And damn, I love the texture of his skin against mine: the roughness of the day’s growth he didn’t shave this morning, the angularity of his jaw.It’s so different from kissing Nova—in an intriguing and mind-blowing way.And then there’s the feeling of his callused hands running up my arm and his muscled body pressing against me.Yeah, it would be so easy to fall deeper into this kiss than I think either of us is ready for.So instead of giving in to what I know we both want, I pull back, only to find Ivan staring at me with fiery desire in his gaze.That is doing absolutely nothing to calm the hard-on I’ve got in my pants.Or the angry wolf in my head.Why would you stop? Howl whines.Just… give me some time, okay? We’ll get there. I promise, I tell him.He grumbles but settles, lying down in my mind to watch our mates. He wants the bond com
Cody beat me to the clearing because of Nova’s trick.Normally, that would piss me off, but Fang and I both like that we have a mate who can best us. Occasionally.Plus, Nova gave me the consolation prize of seeing her tits. I’ll still count it as a win.Cody doesn’t gloat—he just has a smug-as-fuck grin on his face as we set up the picnic.I didn’t have much time to prepare, but I’m still pretty proud of myself. I brought all the foods Nova had told our omega, Amelie, that Cody liked, along with several things I know she enjoys too. It’s a mix of lunch and breakfast foods, so I packed orange juice and champagne for mimosas.I grabbed several blankets and pillows—anything to make it comfortable.This place, with its crystal-clear water and canopy of trees, has always been one of my favorite spots.My parents brought me here when I was a kid, along with Jude’s, Bryson’s, and Erick’s families. It’s where the guys—plus Jakobi and me—used to hang out as teens and throw parties. More than a