We stood on the docks, panting. The moon glowed silver over everything, making the moment feel almost surreal. I could feel Leila literally all around us. She approved. Of course, she did. She gave him to me, so of course she approved. Plus, I'd made it past my eighteen birthday. That was the only thing we were really waiting for here. I'd asked to see her many times to confirm we weren't doing something wrong, but she had yet to appear or speak. Instead, I just felt it. I felt how right this really was. My neck throbbed where Teddy had marked me as blood seeped from the fresh bite. He had really bared down. I could feel how much he held back even then. Together, we pressed our entwined hands against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.We just stood there panting. I wasn't sure what to say. "Il saigne encore (It's still bleeding)," he said softly."I know," I replied, looking up at the moon. "It'll take a few days to heal completely. It's not a full moon, so it won't sto
He leaned down on his elbow, wrapping his fingers in my hair as I slowly guided him inside me. He thrust his hips as I released him. I allowed my fingernails to drag against his lower stomach as I pulled my hand away. A guttural growl filled the small room as his entire body tensed up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and held him still as the bond snapped into place with a force that surprised us both. It was so intense, a potent combination of pleasure and a little pain, but I welcomed it. I had wanted to feel him inside me for so long now. To feel his muscles trembling against mine. "Don't stop," I moaned. He started rolling his hips slowly. He really didn't have much idea what to do. I grabbed his hips and began guiding his movements. It was half to help him loosen up and half so I could keep touching the perfect muscles on his lower stomach as they flexed and moved. I started tracing my thumbs up and down the lines as he found a better rhythm. I could feel the emb
(TEDDY POV) We were in one another's arms in my old bed in the beta house. The one Phin would eventually take over if he ever calmed down. I was relieved Cassy decided not to let him out tonight because I sensed he would have done something to mess this up. He was jealous as hell that I was steps ahead of him. At the end of the day, he was acting out because he was envious that he had been trying everything to find his mate while mine walked into my life, saved my life, and then took over his life when he couldn't hack it.Tonight had been perfect. Absolutely perfect.Cassy leaned up and kissed my cheek."Happy birthday, Teddy. Now I understand why you said you wanted me for your birthday."I chuckled, feeling a new warmth spread through me. She didn't seem to mind or even dwell on the fact that I had essentially just admitted my virginity. I loved feeling her like this now.I couldn't help but think about how odd my situation was. In a pack where everyone was so free with their de
Sitting on the porch of the pack house, I watched Teddy grilling alligator gar on the old bathtub grill he had converted and welded himself in high school. He'd killed the fish on our first outing with the fishing rig crossbow without ever having used one before. Then he cleaned it. Now, he was cooking it for the pack as they all danced around him happily. I couldn't take my eyes off him. He moved with such confidence, so in tune with this world. His tattoos were mesmerizing, tribal designs snaking around his torso, ancient script down his flank. Each time he used his shirt to wipe his face, holding it in his teeth for a moment after, my mark tingled. I knew he was teasing me and could feel it through our bond. I loved it. I loved him. He was just so perfect. Sure, he was a virgin before we finally completed the bond, but I was fine with that. His lack of experience made him want to learn to please me perfectly. He loved that he would never focus on anyone else's pleasure but min
I made sure everyone was invited to the movie night. Farris was sent to the swampier areas to ensure everyone got the message. I equipped him with a backpack full of movie theater-style candy boxes, microwave popcorn, and cute invites I had printed. It took me only five minutes to put everything together, but the looks on the kids and even the adults' faces as I handed out the 'invites' made it seem like I had planned it for years. The joy and surprise on their faces were priceless. No one ever put this level of effort into anything around here.Farris, always enthusiastic with my instructions now that I knew his name, made a big deal out of both me and the movie night at the omega camps. His excitement was apparent to even the most reluctant omegas, and as a result, more pack members showed up than I had ever seen. Even a few past deserters appeared at the gate, cautiously asking if they could participate. I hoped I could convince them to stay by the end of the night.As the sun
I could tell he was fighting the usual demons. "You have to stay in control here, Phin. Sex is another one of your vices, and you know it. I'm not saying having sex is wrong, but don't trick her, okay? Treat her like she's treating you. Then it isn't a vice." "Do you have a condom?" he asked quietly. "Ask Teddy where he put your stash when we cleaned out your room," I replied. "I'm happy to see you were being somewhat smart about it." Phin kicked the dirt. "I didn't want to bring a kid into the world like I was. I want my kids to know both their parents, like you do." Being his alpha meant that even though he'd wronged me, I still felt the depth of his despair. It was hard to stay mad at him, feeling how strained and conflicted he had always felt. Teddy wasn't handling how I was going about it well, but I knew I had to trust my intuition here. Phin wasn't a bad guy. He just never had a good person directing him and teaching him right from wrong. I knew he needed something more
The airboat sped across the water. Cassy clung to me for dear life, her ear protection banging against mine every time we hit a bump. It was starting to get dangerous, so I shifted her away from me to prevent it from happening again. She panicked and pulled me closer."Stop, or you'll make us crash," I said through the mind link."Slow down!" she pleaded."You know I can't in one of these," I replied, feeling the boat's powerful vibrations under us. But she was genuinely scared, so I had to do something. I pushed her down to the lower seat as she protested. "Just trust me," I insisted.Reluctantly, she moved to the second seat. I draped my legs over her shoulders to keep her steady, pinning her back against the seat. She wrapped her arms around my calf muscles and gripped tightly. Strangely, this seemed to calm her down a little. It probably looked strange, and we couldn't do it with more of the pack members around, but at least I had figured out how she could handle the airboat bett
He gripped my hips as he thrust into me on the old wooden table in the shack. Every push sent a new kind of intense pleasure through my body, but something was missing."This isn't under the moonlight," I gasped.Without missing a beat, he lifted me effortlessly, my legs wrapping around his waist as he carried me outside. The night air was cool against our heated skin, and the moonlight bathed us in its ethereal glow. He laid me down on the ground, and we were lost in each other instantly.The passion driving our movements changed constantly, alternating between rough, primal need and sweet, tender love. His rhythm was relentless, driving into me with a force that took my breath away. I loved it, how rough he was being. I craved the way he dominated me, holding me down as he took me. Claimed me. "Harder," I begged, my nails digging into his back as he complied, each thrust more powerful than the last. "Yes, like that."He growled against my mark, his accent slipping through. “Tu l’