~Kiki~
I sucked in a sharp breath, and I swear my heart was ready to burst. Can there be anything more embarrassing? I threw his shirt on the floor behind me and stood there like a statue.
Once I found my voice, I came up with a bullshit explanation.
"The omega who... who d-does the laundry wanted to check if anything needed to be taken out for la-laundry so that I could take them to the laundry for the omega who does the laundry."
Jeez!
"Okay, the omega will do the laundry. But why was my shirt pressed to your nose?"
He towered over me, wrapped in a towel, with beads of water clinging to his hard abs and taut chest muscles. More water dripped from his hair, but that was not where my attention was. I licked my lips at the sight of the hard-on tenting up under his towel.
"I-I didn't d-do that," I choked out. I was talking about the shirt, but my eyes were fixed on what was under the towel.
His eyes had turned stormy grey as he leaned in some more. Unable to handle all of my senses going into overdrive, I shut my eyes tightly. My breathing went extra ragged as a pair of strong arms wrapped around me, causing electricity to shoot through my body.
My knees turned wobbly when he pressed his lips against the sharp of my cheekbones. The realization that he was breathing heavily as well made me shiver.
Tipping his head to the side, he dipped his tongue in my mouth for a demanding kiss, groaning with such need and passion that it made me dig my fingers into his back. I had zero control over those fingers or my lips. I just wanted to taste him endlessly as he pushed his tongue against mine.
The throbbing between my legs turned unbearable, begging me to press into him harder. While holding us mouth to mouth with his hand at the back of my head, he pushed me against the wall. We continued kissing for maybe several minutes, or was it just two seconds? The swelling in his lower lip told me it had been minutes, not seconds.
Ah, the perfection of his lips! I placed my hands on his broad shoulders, pressing kisses down his neck.
"Kiki...!"
I sucked the pulsing vein in his neck and could feel his body shudder from the surge of pleasure that zapped through him. His eyes were now black from the dilated pupils as his wolf was clawing to come to the surface. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and tugged my head back to stop me from kissing him.
"Didn't I tell you to stay away from me?"
"I was just... you know, laundry..."
"If I see you again anywhere near this locker room, I will fuck you right here against this wall."
Did I mind that? Not at all. I rather have him do that now instead of waiting for the next time.
What was wrong with me?
He already chose his mate. Even if he hadn't, he would never choose me. Hell, if I was his mate, he would have rejected me three years ago.
What was the meaning of all this then? It was no longer a one-sided secret crush. He felt this crazy, unexplained attraction too.
Even now, when he was asking me to stay away, we were nose to nose, and he had his arm wrapped around my waist, fighting the tumultuous sensations that were wanting to take control.
Peeling me off his hard body, he squeezed my jaw and made it all look like my fault. "Why are you doing this to me?" He seemed to search my eyes for clues.
Letting go of his shoulders and moving my face to the side to free it from his grip, I put some distance between us. We both knew it wasn't my doing. I guess it's easier to pass the blame and get mad at me while I sputtered like a lustful idiot.
I couldn't help scowling at him before turning away and running out of that place. One second I was floating in the cradle of ecstasy and the next moment he made me feel like a lustful slut who's got the hots for him. Well, it was no secret my body craved for him, but it was equally his fault for initiating the kiss and losing control.
Stomping my way out of the training grounds, I walked back to my adoptive parents' home.
My breathing was still labored, and my chest was pounding like crazy. It was all because of his scent that lingered on my body, radiating a weird buzzing like feeling all over my skin.
Was this what everyone meant when they said 'tingling sensation'? But they said they felt it when their mate touched them. I wasn't even old enough to feel the mate bond, and only Alpha Kayden knew what the hell he was feeling.
I opened the front door and was greeted by a heated makeout session between a shirtless Benji and Megan who wasn't wearing anything except her panties. I was supposed to be at school and my parents were off to work, so these two were going all out with third base right on the plush leather couch.
Gross!
"Pinky, w-what gives?"
My face was flushed when I saw Benji's boner under the gray boxers he was wearing. They both were under eighteen and it was likely they would not be mates. But neither of them cared about it.
Benji was going to be eighteen a month after my birthday, and Megan might get her heart broken if he found someone else. She looked like she was chill with whatever the Moon Goddess had in store for them, but I knew deep down how she felt about Benji. She looked super pissed at me for interrupting them, but he looked concerned.
"Why do you look so pale? And why are you home at this time?"
"Not in the mood to go to school."
"Is that really you talking? Did someone say something? Why do you look so out of breath, by the way? Doesn't she smell different to you?" He asked my sister.
Ugh, this boy! Not sure what Alpha Kayden smelled like to everyone, but his musky, masculine scent saturated my senses right now.
"Are you here to be the third wheel?" Megan snapped at me and grabbed Benji's wrist, taking him upstairs to her bedroom.
I also walked up the stairs after a couple of minutes. If I wanted to feel better, I needed to wash this scent off my body and stop thinking about him. After stripping my clothes off, I stepped into the shower, letting the warm water fully caress my body.
It didn't help much. I wanted Alpha Kayden's large rough hands to do the caressing instead. My thoughts drifted off to his hard chiseled stomach, his savagely handsome face and bare chest, broad shoulders, the extraordinary feel of his back muscles under my palms, mmm...
I was touching myself again. The sounds from the adjacent room didn't help the situation either. I could hear the movement of the bed and imagine the mattress sinking in under their weight. I clawed at the wall and arched forward, conjuring up images of Alpha Kayden in my bed, with me writhing under his grip as his sensual mouth latched on my pebbled buds and suckled.
Pushing my fingers up through my moist folds and rubbing my stiff nub before dipping the tips into my entrance, I let out a soft gasp. Megan's loud moans from the next room drowned out my whimpers as my walls tightened around the finger, sending jolts of pleasure through my body.
I sunk down into the water, writhing in the bathtub from the need to feel Alpha Kayden inside me.
God. What was happening to me?
I needed him. And I wondered if he was imagining me right now as well.
~Kiki~ My adoptive parents were back before dinner, and they had some news for tomorrow. Twelve days from now, on the full moon night, Alpha Kayden's chosen mate was supposed to be sworn in through the Luna Ceremony. I was feeling quite apprehensive about it lately. His chosen mate, Sienna, has been his girlfriend for years. About five years, to be precise. When he returned to Thunder Bay Pack at the age of sixteen, he brought her with him. She was a White Warrior wolf, a wolf who wasn't bound by the mate bond or pack rules, unlike a common werewolf. White Warrior wolves were born fighters and loners who were exposed to rough, life-endangering conditions by their parents right from a young age. They were typically attracted to the alphas of various packs, probably because they are equals in strength and endurance. I had been jealous of her from the moment I laid my eyes on her. I was only twelve then, about to turn thirteen, when I bumped heads with h
"I don't care what happens today. Lexi doesn't stand a chance with me. Just stay alive and we should be fine.""Did you really not lead her on? Why is she suddenly after the luna title? You have been hiding something from me. Why don't you come clean? You fucked her, didn't you?" Sienna sounded pissed.Alpha Kayden let out a low growl before cupping Sienna's face."Ci, for the last time, I did NOT fuck her or anybody. Don't push it with me, okay?""Oh yeah? Whose smell was on your lips yesterday then? You think you can go around kissing others just because you are the Alpha? Tell me who it was and I'll stop asking."Alpha Kayden fell silent. I lifted my arm to my nose. What did I smell like to him? And to Sienna? He didn't deny kissing someone who wasn't his girlfriend."Who are you protecting, Kay? I'm going to kill that bitch after I'm done with Lexi."I heard him hiss, and I couldn't help feel scared and excited at the same t
~Kiki~'Luna Sienna!''Go Luna Sienna...'These words were ringing in my ears long after I left the arena. My mind knew this was inevitable. Alpha Kayden would mark her in front of the entire pack and then proceed with the mating ceremony. She will give him the cutest and strongest pups ever known. My stupid heart had a hard time digesting the inevitable.The only consolation to this whole thing was that I wouldn't be there to witness it if they banished me on the full moon night. I will become a rogue while Alpha Kayden begins his wonderful new life with the love of his life.From the way he kissed Sienna in the locker room and then showered her with love and affection after she had won the fight, it was obvious even to a blind person that he was very much into her.Whatever he did with me the last two times didn't make any sense. Why lure me in when he had someone like Sienna as his girlfriend? I just needed to keep my distance and not get
~Kiki~If looks could strip someone bare, I was buck naked in front of Alpha Kayden's hungry eyes. My stomach did several flips in response to the way his eyes raked my body before settling on my lips.I looked away in dismay, reminding myself that his one arm was wrapped around Sienna even right now. What kind of a man stares at other women with such lust when he has a beautiful woman right by his side? He was no good, and neither Sienna nor I needed someone like that.Benji and the others went over to greet him, and Leroy shared some inside joke with the older guys before we walked over to the bar area to get ourselves some appetizers."It's a bummer neither of you got one of these." Leroy pulled out a fake ID and handed it over to the bartender. "One Tom Collins."Clever. He ordered a drink that looked like water to someone who would question his underage drinking. I always wanted to taste the alcohol, but the smell never appealed to me. Megan d
~Alpha Kayden~"What's the matter. Don't like the pizza?" Sienna asked me as she stuffed herself with a big slice loaded with pepperoni, salami, and bacon."It's okay." I wasn't sure how many slices I ate so far, or if they tasted any good. My mind wasn't there at the moment."If it's the movie you don't like, it will get better, I promise." She nibbled on my ear before placing a wet kiss on my neck.I was in no mood for the pizza, movie, or her kisses. Something was terribly wrong with me. I couldn't stay at the club once Kiki left. Sienna suggested we watch a movie at her place and make out.I thought spending some time alone with my girlfriend would keep my thoughts from wandering in sinful directions. Those thoughts didn't give a flying fart what I thought about them.The sight of Kiki in her sexy black dress kept flashing in front of my eyes. When did that little twelve year old girl turn into such a beautiful woman?
~Alpha Kayden~Axel was delighted as I shifted back and put on my clothes to make my way to Kiki's. It was past ten o'clock. What was she doing at this time?Reading a book maybe?Or was she thinking about me?It was her birthday, so did she go to a different place to celebrate after the club we were at? This thought put me in unrest as I neared her home. If she dances with anyone in close proximity, it should be me, and only me.I was doomed!I tapped on her bedroom window gently to draw her attention. Her parents seemed to be home. I just needed a peek.Kiki had a unique scent of vanilla and coconuts, which was now mixed with her citrus body wash. The hairs on my back rose up high as her scent got stronger. My hands, which had a mind of their own, tampered with the window until it gave in.Sliding the glass up, I jumped into her bedroom before realizing what I did just now. Kiki ran out of the bathroom with just a fluffy towe
~Kiki~"What's what?" I was embarrassed by how husky my voice sounded."Your eyes... I think I saw them glow unnaturally bright for a second."He stopped kissing me and was looking deeply into my eyes as if waiting for something. Not sure what he was talking about."My eyes?""Yeah, they were bright gold or something."I couldn't help but laugh. My eyes were cinnamon brown and would look like honey in the sunlight from what Megan and Benji told me."I have seen them turn to something subtler than this before. When you drive around the training grounds before leaving for work, they change color when you look at me. But you always looked away and drove off quickly, so I couldn't notice them up close like this. They were almost glowing like you were possessed with something just a minute back."I should be worried about whatever glow he was talking about. Instead, I became conscious about the fact that all this while he knew I was
~Kiki~It was as if Kade left and Alpha Kayden came back. The handsome naked man standing in front of me threw accusatory looks at me as if it was all my fault; as if I plotted some kind of conspiracy to lead him to my bed.It was all apparent in his eyes. The guilt, the regret, and the blame."Alpha..."I covered my nakedness with the creased sheets and looked up at him with questioning eyes. What was he thinking? He quietly put his black shirt on and went back to looking expressionless, as usual, until he realized most of his shirt buttons were gone.He looked up at me as if I pulled those buttons out. He probably forgot how he yanked at his shirt and tossed it on the floor last night. All that felt like it happened a year ago. At least that's how distant this man seemed right now."Are you---""Hush, Kiki. How the fuck did I end up here? And why?""Why?""Why the hell am I in your bed?" I was taken aback by his harsh
~Kiki~ "Siren abode?" "Our home in the ocean. You've seriously been living under a rock, haven't you? No wonder we never saw you before." Her laughter echoed across the water, bouncing off the curious stares of the two sisters. "Do you remember the first time we met?" I shook my head as if a thick fog was obscuring my past. "Well, the siren abode is closer to where we first crossed paths," Haley continued, her voice turning gentle. Every full moon, sirens from all corners of the world gather there. It takes us just a couple of hours to swim from Storm Moon Pack, but for those farther out, the journey starts the night before. You see, not everyone can leave the ocean. We're the lucky few." "Um, so your mate is..." I trailed off, unsure if I was overstepping. A blush bloomed across Haley's cheeks, and her fingers unconsciously traced the pendant around her neck. "He's the Alpha King's nephew. I never knew sirens could feel such emotions until I met him. He's—" Eleanor cut in, he
~Kiki~The feeling of despair and hopelessness was soul crushing.Alpha Kayden had broken my heart countless times, every single time I saw him with Sienna, when he threw me into the dreary dungeons, and when he ignored the mate bond to choose Willow over me. But I had no control over those situations and could only hope for better days. Today was harder. It was me leaving him behind and choosing the ocean over him.The look on his face as I swam away from him would haunt me forever. I fancied believing so bad he actually wanted me the way he wanted his chosen mate.The only reason he slept with me was the mate bond. The bond was too powerful and it forced him to protect me from his pack and Victoria. He wouldn't have spared me another look if I wasn't his fated mate. He wouldn't have jumped into the ocean without thinking for a second if not for this pointless bond. None of these arguments eased the pain I felt when his face flashed through my mind. I had to do it. To let go of wh
~Alpha Kayden~"Kade!!! Fuck!!"I heard my Gamma's words before the howling wind took over, blowing my hair into my face as I made a nosedive to meet the raging waters below. Brilliant streaks of lightning blinded my vision while I strained to see if we were going to hit any sharp rocks that lined the rugged coastline.My heart was pounding in my throat, not out of fear of dying but with fear of losing Kiki. I was still midair with a plummeting feeling in my stomach when I heard a loud splash followed by a gasp as her body crashed against the water's surface.Frigid salty waves splashed and stung my eyes moments before my body collided with them. The currents were super strong, they pulled me down violently, tugging my body deeper and deeper. Peals of thunder now sounded distant as I tried to swim underwater, making my way to calmer deeper waters, away from the coast.I knew Kiki went this way because I would have easily caught her if she had managed to make it to the shoreline. It wa
~Alpha Kayden~Thirty Minutes EarlierMy meeting with Alpha Brandon went much better than I had imagined. Given that I already irked the Alpha King Kian, only a fool would go ahead and piss his loyal ally off as well. And I was that fool when I told Alpha Brandon that I could not go ahead with what my grandma had proposed.Grandma had pinned high hopes on this alliance and spoke on my behalf without consulting me. Once Willow left Thunder Bay weeks ago, I assumed it was over. But grandma and my Gamma Nash reached out to Alpha Brandon again and gave their yes before I even got to Dark River Pack.I expected Alpha Brandon to be furious for rejecting his daughter a second time. But instead of spewing angry threats and challenges, all he did was ask why I was turning her down. And when I told him I found my mate, he seemed to be completely convinced his daughter wouldn't be happy with me as my chosen mate while my true mate was around me.He just had one request for me: "Willow is very se
~Kiki~"Get some rest. We will do this again later tonight." Cel purred in contentment at her mate's words as he leaned in to kiss my forehead. I couldn't help pouting as he moved away, instantly missing the feel of his arms."I'll miss you.""I know, Kiki! Don't want to leave at all but I have to meet someone before the ball." I loved the way my name sounded rolling off his lips. He kissed me again and pulled the covers over my naked body.I watched his chiseled back as he picked his clothes from the floor. I wanted to memorize everything about him and about our time together. His delectable scent as he hugged me tightly, those gray eyes and the way they darkened so many times today, and that heavenly feeling when he was inside me.I closed my eyes, relishing every moment of the last few hours, about how Alpha Kayden let himself go. The sound of heavy footsteps slowly faded away as I drifted off into a blissful delirium.Not sure if it was the rumbling sky or the hushed whispers of P
~Alpha Kayden~Every day had been pure torture since the day I found out Kiki was my mate. I heard so many things about how powerful the mate bond was, had seen my dad wallow in grief for a good chunk of his life after losing mom, and had also seen how blissfully happy some of the couples at Thunder Bay were. Even the manwhore Alpha Blake was suddenly a different person. But nothing prepared me for when I found my mate. No amount of words came close to what it actually felt like once I knew Kiki was mine.My heart ached for her every single moment, and Axel was yearning to see her belly to be swollen with our pups. It breaks my heart that it would never happen. We would never know the beautiful babies Kiki could have given us. I wouldn't even know how she might have looked with my mark on her neck. This was agony. Pure fucking agony. My chest tightened every single time I thought about rejecting her.I have been desperately trying to keep myself together but failing. No matter how
~Kiki~ I cracked the window open to let the cool breeze in. It was right before dawn, and the sky was laden with dark rain clouds. Taking a deep breath, I closed my burning eyes. They were dried up of all tears after hours of crying and failing to catch some sleep. Despite the stuffy nose, I could still smell the pinecones and dandelions that were over a mile away. But it wasn't the smell of grass and wood I opened this window for. Cel was restless. The pain of being left high and dry by our mate was too much to handle. She couldn't feel his scent anymore. It was weak for the most part of the night, and now it was gone completely. Dark River Pack was huge and extended for several miles. Alpha Kayden was probably somewhere in the woods, running. Was he also not able to get any sleep? My wolf was pathetic. I tried so hard to convince her to stop thinking about him, but she kept me up all night, lying in the dark and getting her hopes up every time there was a faint noise in the hallw
~Kiki~"Oh no! Alpha Kayden will be furious. I'm not going to be the one telling him this news." Poppy started walking back and forth near the doorway, still holding the bags of chips she brought from Thunder Bay.It wasn't really my fault, was it? Did I ask him to break into my bedroom and sleep with me? He should be pissed at himself, and I should be mad at him too because that little bit of pain I felt moments ago was pretty bad when the heat hadn't even started. I could only imagine how much worse it was going to get when the actual heat kicked in.'Our mate is going to continue ignoring us. We don't have to wait for him. There are many others who would be happy to put us out of our misery.' Cel had turned rogue.She was the biggest fan of Alpha Kayden until he made out with Willow. She was so hurt she stopped saying good things about him since then. That didn't stop her from yearning for him all these days. But now she was just a lustful beast? It was scary that she wanted a mate
~Kiki~My mind was swimming in thoughts as we reached Alpha Blake's pack. How could the frail old woman be Moon Goddess's evil sister?Sibyl! Some things did make sense now.She disliked werewolves and never let Benji or Megan anywhere near her cottage when they had accompanied me in the past. She had also looked strangely disturbed when I showed her the mark on my back.She tricked Alpha Dimitri into believing that she was a seer. She was no seer. She was an imposter. Now I was pretty sure she was responsible for those rogue attacks she pretended to be foreseeing to make herself valuable to Alpha Dimitri and his pack. I bet she had a lot to do with Skinwalkers showing up in Thunder Bay pack lands too.Alpha Kayden was right about Skinwalkers. They weren't capable of attacking someone who had lost their mate. And yet, I found Alpha Dimitri fighting for his life when half a dozen of them were pitched against him. Sibyl brought them in and took care of their dead bodies before the warr