The rest of the evening was pleasant.
Alaric seemed to have dissolved into the crowd. But when I searched for him, he was easy enough to spot.
Surrounded by women.
They flocked around him. Clearly drawn by his beast, without ever being aware.
A predator is all the more dangerous if he can coax his prey to him. That immediately made me think of myself.
Am I any less prey?
The immediate answer was ‘no.’
Much time had passed since Alaric, and I had become secret lovers.
He wasn’t always vicious and possessive.
Much of the time. But not always.
Sometimes he was painfully sweet. And in many ways, that was even worse.
It was so hard to remember he was my enemy when we were connected at the stem and center. Warming each other. Finding pleasure in each other’s bodies.
Without even meaning to, I could picture his sleek body nude. Smooth, bronzed skin. Muscles
He’ll kill them. I realized. If I called for help and anyone came, he would shred them. His meaning was clear. Anyone getting between him and mating me would be in grave danger. Including me. He threw up my skirt and stepped next to the bed. He adjusted his footing on the dais in the chamber, so he was level with me. The back of the pretty dress ripped in his grip. The skirts going next. Until I was bare save for the corded belt wrapping my waist. He quicky gripped himself and aligned with me. “I only join with you because I need an assassin to protect me from the other ones.” I snapped. Defending that I wasn’t fighting him. Not because you don’t want to? A tiny voice in my mind asked. I stamped down the fact that my heart was racing. That my breath was ragged. And that I already ached from his nearness. He emanated power like a fireplace burning hot. He wasn’t fooled.
Never. I told myself. Even as I watched Alaric slowly easing toward me. His belly hardened and his arms flexed as he massaged along my belly. Stroking along the insides of my thighs. Eventually reaching down between us to pinch his thumbs along the outer edges of his cock. Pressing my soft lips against him a bit harder and intensifying the sensations inside me. I cried out and writhed over my bedding. Trying to escape me. “Oh no, Sweetheart. There’s no escaping me.” I tossed my head. Staring at a tapestry on the wall in an effort to hide from the fact that everything he was doing was more pleasing than any attempt my sweet old king had ever made to satisfy me. Any of Alaric’s simple touches set me on fire. The way he smelled was pure sex. Making me want him every time I caught a whiff. All of which made me hate him more. All wolf temptation would be gone if he wasn’t here. I believed I could truly separate myself fro
“I won’t ever go back to the pack!” I shouted. Jerking back from him and collapsing onto my back. Without missing a stroke, he framed my hips with his hands and began yanking me down to meet each stroke. “I didn’t say that.” He growled. I could see the tension moving through him and knew he was close. So was I, despite all my bitterness, hatred, and fury. The pleasure rippling through me would soon become impossible to hide. It was going to spill out of me. I wailed in frustration, self-pity and surrender. Clutching around him and slicking him with my lubricants as I vibrated inwardly. My muscles were flexing so hard they nearly hurt. Then quaking rhythmically until I’d sucked from him his climax. He gave a masculine shout that had to have been hard down the hall before he jammed into me to the hilt. Holding me down against him. Freezing there as he jerked raggedly. His arms twitching and his chest bulging with muscles which we
I slid off and onto the floor. Crouching in my thin chemise. Knowing that the meager light concealed very little. The wolf leapt forward and snatched at my shoulder. Teeth skimming enough to leave deep scratches along my shoulder and ripping open a scab along the side of my neck. Shredding one shoulder of my chemise. I turned onto my side and put two feet in its chest to throw it back. Fumbling on my nightstand for a weapon. The wolf lunged forward and caught the hem of my chemise near my thighs. Dragging it out and pulling me flailing from the bedstand. As it yanked me flat over the floor. I bit back a scream, worried about alerting the King’s Guard too early. My fear was beginning to make fur seep from my pores. Lifting the roots of my hair, as it ruffled in malcontent. My she-wolf badly wanted to come to the fore to defend me. I stomped her down. The wolf stepped over my legs and brought its fierce jaws down to look at me.
“What do you want to know?” “Oh?” He tilted his head in interest. “No fight? No loyalty. Poor bitch you are.” He grinned. “Who will miss you if I take you to toy with.” “The King.” “I’m not worried about him.” “Alaric.” I blurted. Saying the first name which might dissuade him. He laughed coldly. “The Alpha’s brother. You’ll have to tell him what I do to you. I’d love to see his reaction.” What’s he going to do? I was so terrified I was beginning to shake. “Who is the Alpha?” “Draven. You clearly already know that.” “I did. I wanted to see if you’d lie.” He said blandly. “What fortifications do they have?” “The wall. Everyone knows that.” “Good.” He stroked his rigid bit a little faster. Huffing as he got more excited. It was long and thin with a scatter of moles over it. It looked like poison. “Who are the Border Guards?” “Jaecar, the Hayden trip
That sickened me and made me tremble with fear. I can’t do it. Not after last night. We reached my chamber, and I hesitated outside it as he turned to go in. He took off his helmet. Exposing ruffled blonde hair and a sweaty brow. Which was currently furrowed. “What’s wrong with you?” I blinked at him. He caught my upper arm and pulled me into the chamber. I resisted, tugging away immediately and glaring at him. He snatched my waist and lifted me. Setting me inside the door. Which he was now closing. Sealing us inside. Alone. “I need to talk to-” He cut himself off as he tilted his head questioningly at me. “What’s wrong with you?” “What are you talking about?” I snapped. “Are you well?” He reached to put a hand on my shoulder. I dodged it. Ducking and moving out of reach in a long sidestep. He gave me an assessing look. “You stink of fear. Wha
My response to his comment was immediate in my thoughts. Just as cruel as every other wolf. But I bit my tongue and watched him leave. Promptly going to work on a plan to slaughter wolves. But I had one primary obstacle. Which was even more frustrating because I wanted that obstacle to remain one. My King. The kindest man I’d ever know. I wouldn’t be able to act on anything as long as he was alive. He wouldn’t understand why I wanted to slaughter a species. He wouldn’t condone me sending his knights to kill mass populace. Which means I can do nothing until he is gone. But that made my heart ache. I sat on the edge of his bed today. Hoping against hope that it would never happen. That somehow, he could be as immortal as I was. Wolves could live long lives. Though they could be injured or killed, if they weren’t they aged at a much slo
I could think of nothing but him. Alaric. I moved through the solar and down into the Parlor but no matter where I went, I could see his yellow eyes glowing in the dark as he ducked beneath a branch to crouch before me. He’d been out there. Doing whatever he does. And my wolf had ran straight to him. Why is it always him? Of all the places I could go, all the people I could seek sanctuary with, why is it always him? I could hear his voice in my mind. “Because I’m your mate.” I shook that away. Banishing that thought. I was leaning against the window frame. Staring out. I felt a warm presence. Freezing as I saw strong arms wrapping the outsides of mine. Hands covering mine so when I jerked, I couldn’t leave that windowsill. I could feel the hard press of his body all along mine. The rigid length of his root already against my backside. Ready to enter me.
He can do this all night. I realized in horror. Wondering how I’d ever survive it.I’d taken many wolves when I was the pack bitch but there had been breaks between the males then.Times for me to recover before the next awful interaction.Not now. As soon as he’d finished, he was taking me again.I could barely catch my breath. I was so tired that my body shook limply.But I knew what he was doing.He’s going to force me to change. Every time the pleasure climbed through me and exploded, I felt her closing in.I was realizing he could do this to me all night.He’s showing no signs of relenting.Nothing I can do. Nothing I can say will stop him.I realized the awful truth. Limply letting him take me.Even as I was thinking it, my core tightened again. Sending surges through me. Even more powerful than the last time. White hot heat burned through my be
His length was impossible. Seeming even bigger than the last time.His whole body was tight. Every muscle bulging as he resisted turning himself. Knowing that he might lose control entirely if he did.But the words that came from him next were the last I could’ve ever suspected.“Tell me, Lara, and I’ll go a bit easier on you.”“Tell you what?” I spat. Unable to focus on anything but my straining body and the sore spots and ached each time he brushed over them.“What broke you.”“Nothing!” I screamed. “I’m strong. You’ve never broken me.”He paused momentarily. Holding my narrow waist in his hands and staring down at me so long that I felt the need to twist and look back at him. “I didn’t say me.”I shook my head adamantly.“Tell me.” He caressed more slowly. Painstakingly pressing in and then easing that torrid length back out. Bit by bit. “What happened to you before the Asara. What destroyed you so badly that you fear
I woke to strange smells, too much heat and a hand cupped around my breast, pulling it further to the center. There was tugging on the little pink crest that seemed to have a direct line down to the center of me. Making it reflexively tighten there.Creating an ache and a tension that reminded me he was still there.He didn’t remove himself. We’d both fallen asleep with him still planted within my sweet hollow.And he’s not about to leave now. He moaned and became a bit forceful. Suckling that fleshy bit more roughly. Nipping it between his teeth and stretching it.Making me cry out at the shocking pleasure of it.I couldn’t see any light to gauge the time, but I could feel the lustful aggression still rolling off him. Indicating that it was obviously still night.Still the pink moon. The Mating Moon.He pulled harder and my fingers bit into his scalp, already tangled in his hair. Making him
He felt me tightening around him. I saw the triumph crossing his masculine features as he felt the telltale quakes that whispered, I was soon to shatter.Then my back arched. Exciting him further.He cupped my breasts, balancing them against his palms as he rode me harder. Feeling them leap against his hands. The small, hard nipple crossing the crease of his fingers as our pelvis’ joined again.I gave a wolf whine as the pleasure made my legs vibrate, my vision blur and my mind flood with pleasure, until I was utterly lost to the sensation.I soaked him when I climaxed. Slicking all around him and seeping out to dampen his sack.“Yes, mate. Come for me. Show me how good you are…”He was grinning as he thrust it in and held it, enjoying my surrender.I went limp, exhausted from the exertion of every muscle in my body jerking tight and then releasing until they could no longer tighten.But his next words made my heart sink."Now hook your ankles around the back of my thighs."He’s nowhe
I twisted to look at him but saw only conviction in his eyes. The hardening of his jaw as he slowly shook his head. Leaning back to give me a long, meaningful look as he purposefully stroked his hand down my spine. Making the skin tingle in a warm trail that I could feel even as his touch stopped.He wouldn’t.But his excited grunting and moaning, and the ferocious flexing of his biceps as he pumped violently combined with that steady look, he was giving me, indicated he wasn’t going to stop.I knew a moment of renewed panic.“Alaric, it could-”“You’re mine, Lara!” He growled as he tipped forward over me. His stomach tightened in a ripple that climbed through his chest.I felt him surge inside me.“Mine!” He roared.I could hear the animal inside him snarling as it overtook him. Wanting to possess me in every way that was physically possible.Wanting to own me.I was stunned at his sheer violence. Thinking that'd be the end.But it was far from.This was not the cruelty the NightHunt
I was always the one in control. And I wasn’t ready to give that up.I began struggling against him. My thighs thudded into the edge of the table, and my hips ground into it as I tried to escape him. Tried to slide away from him.Before I fully turned and welcomed him as a mate. There would be no turning back if I did it, this time.He’ll keep me forever. He was callous and relentless. He was grunting. Slamming harder and harder into me.The wood table scraped along the stone beneath it. Swaying slightly with each hard thrust. Rocking and creaking with his movements. Giving him just enough mobility to push forward and then bringing my own weight back to him.Offering him the next hard entry. Invading the center of my body as he speared into me with such force that I was losing my mind.All sense of thought was vanishing.My face was flushing. My hair was prickling. I clawed the table next to me. Digging in my fingernails so hard that they were snapping off. Only to be immediately re
He threw my skirt up. Forcing them under my stomach and shoving me down to pin them against the corner of the table beneath me. Then pulling the back of my skirts up over my buttocks. Exposing me to his lush perusal. I closed my eyes tight against the aching vulnerability of the situation. The burning humiliation that heated my face. He’s going to take me. I could feel his eyes roving my pale skin. I felt him palm one firm buttock. Squeezing it to fully appreciate its suppleness before turning his hand downward to palm all that sweet flesh. He groaned in pleasure. Pressing himself against me. Grinding himself along my crack in his hunger to have me. He’s already hard as a rock. I heard his buckle loosening again, feeling my body tightening in fearful response. “No!” I cried. Shaking my head wildly. Tossing my blonde hair around me like caught in a whirlwind. “I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want this.” T
I’d long ago vowed to never be commanded by any male. Not after they’d all owned me. Treated me like a hole to please them and nothing more. I’d spent hour after hour in a dark shack. With sweating males rutting away at me. Down on my hands and knees on a dirt floor. My body jerking upward. Occasionally they’d yank my hair. Or spin on their palm before they brutally smacked my ass. Sometimes, if they were particularly cruel, they’d push into my ass while they did all of those things. Trying to hurt me. Body after sweaty male body. Drowning me in that horrible moldy, blood-soaked odor as they took from me what I had no choice but to give. So, I’d become in control of who could tell me what to do. Until now. Until Alaric. In that moment I both hated him and desired him. "Alaric, please." I whispered fearfully as he returned to pin me against the w
Alaric was right. I was already wet for him, but my pride demanded I not admit that my foolish body was reacting even though I didn't want it to. Damn him. "Alaric, stop." I whispered it so weakly, even though I knew I didn't mean it. He laughed. "That's not what you want, is it?" He purred against my cheek. Making goosebumps rise on every inch of my flesh. Making bits of fur push at my pores trying to rise. A primal growl erupted from my throat. And I felt the tingling behind my eyes that told me they were changing to yellow. Suddenly every shadow in the black dungeon came to life. Blooming into hazy shapes I could now identify. "Are you ready to be treated like a true female, rather than a princess trying to demand what she wants?" He released my body, and I felt a chilly sense of loss combined with a great sense of relief. My leg dropped back down, and he took a step back. I'd withstood this onslau