I'll make it worth your while. I have connections, you can control entire cities of wolves, not just a tiny piece of shit like Davenport, he pleaded.
You tried to kill my lifemate, Gareth replied. As the blood leaked slower and slower, it was getting harder not to think of Maddy, of her warm little body, the tight slit that was wet and ready for his member. He needed her now more badly than ever – his cock was already erect.
I didn't know, Kane whined.
You knew.
The rage coursed through him, and with a sharp wrench of his teeth, he snapped Kane's neck. The other wolf went limp in his mouth, and the blood stopped gushing as the heartbeat withered and died. Gareth released his throat with a soft sucking sound, licking his tongue across his lips and nose, smelling the intensity of the pack around him. They were all straining against the urge to rush towards him, to bury their noses in his fur, to display their bellies in submission and acceptance. But he wasn't ready for that yet, and they all knew it.
He turned to look at Maddy; she was beautiful through his wolf eyes, her disheveled red hair, her light blue gaze fixed on him in uncertainty. She was wearing his jacket, but her smell was still evident – she was ready for him, even in this violent place. He saw her squeeze her thighs together and knew she was uncomfortable. He would have to soothe that.
It was easy to change back to human – he felt his tail absorb back into his spine, his legs lengthen, his paws split into fingers and then hands. He knew he was entirely naked, that there was an ugly gash running down his side, that he was all but covered in blood – but he didn't care. He needed to be with her. Now.
She needed to be accepted by the pack, and this was the only way to do it. It was a timeless ritual, laid down by the ancients, a rule of the pack that was rarely invoked since it was so uncommon that a werewolf found a human lifemate. But here she was and the perfect situation had presented itself. He needed to take her now. Inside the circle. Surrounded by his pack and under the heat of the full moon. Only then would they accept her as a fellow wolf, without her actually having to become one.
He was standing before her now, inches away, and she looked up at him with wide eyes. He reached down, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. Then he grabbed the back of her head and kissed her fiercely, his mouth on fire, the pain of his wounds lost in the ecstasy of his arousal. He needed to claim her now and he wasn't going to hold back this time.
His tongue slid into her mouth and sensed her arousal immediately increase. She melted against him, so weak, and he pulled her close, allowing her to feel his erection.
“Mine,” he whispered against her mouth.
She gasped as he dragged her to the ground.
* * * *
He was wounded; the gash ran all the way down his side. Blood was smeared across him, decorating his tattoos, dripping down his chest and arms. He had wiped off his mouth, but there was still some smeared across his lips. Wen he kissed her, she could taste copper — but then his kiss had consumed her and she couldn't think anymore.
Her body had been humming since that morning, but now it a burning ache, her panties soaked, her nipples like small, hard cherries. They pushed against his jacket in aching points. She moaned in frustration and he stripped the material off of her, exposing her naked back to the surrounding wolves.
“Gareth!” she gasped as he drew her carefully to the ground, now in the center of the circle. “What are you doing?” She told herself she needed to care, but she felt drunk off of his kisses.
“I told you to trust me,” he growled back, and she was relieved to hear his voice. He looked so wild and feral that she needed to know he was still human. Still, something in his eyes told her that he was more animal than man at the moment. “They're not human now, babe. Ignore them. They're a bunch of animals consumed by the moon. They're not thinking.”
She knew he was trying to calm her, but even being naked in front of so many animals was unnerving. He pulled her close, sheltering her with her body. They were on the cold cement floor now, sitting next to each other. She felt the warmth of him, the energy that skittered across his skin and she was addicted. She needed to feel more.
“Touch me, please,” she whispered, dizzy with need. His hands went to her nipples and he pulled her into his lap, holding her like a child, his lips sucking on her throat and then down to her collar bone. She gasped. His hand trailed from her nipples to her stomach, then down to her hips, where he smoothly slid under her panties. She was dripping and ready for him. He played near her hole with his fingers, testing her, rubbing her fluid up to her clit. She groaned, whimpering as he rubbed her, pressing herself against him. “I can't think,” she gasped. Why was his touch so intoxicating?
“Good,” he growled, and pulled her on top of him so her legs were on either side of his hips, then he pressed her backwards. Her back was on the dirty, hard ground; he was hovering above her, removing her panties, already naked from the Change. She grabbed him around the neck, pulling him down to kiss, the exotic angles of his face made even more beautiful by firelight. His eyes were sparkling with a deep passion, dark and wild at the same time. His hair was tussled and she sank her fingers into it. There was a stiffness in his shoulders and a tension in his body that spoke of tight control.
“I'm sorry,” he panted, “if I hurt you.” And then his hands grabbed her hips. The power of him was terrifying for an instant and she felt him abandon his control. His cock slipped along her cunt until it was hovering over her hole, then the thick head pressed against her, pushing into her, making her cry out in surprise and pleasure. It was thicker than anything she had felt before — relentless, steadily opening her channel. At first it felt good, but then she started to feel pain as he continued to stretch her, forcing her unused passage to accept him. She felt nerve endings that had never been touched before, making her gasp and pant, her nails biting into his arms. A whimper tore at her throat.
He was halfway embedded inside of her. He paused briefly, waiting for her to adjust, then groaned, unable to wait any longer. He abruptly collapsed forward, sinking into her to the hilt. She screamed at the burst of pain as her barrier was broken, and he started moving in and out of her, kissing her face and neck, his teeth grazing her skin. He didn't wait for her to recover or adjust. His mouth lowered to her nipples and she felt a hint of pleasure, but mostly discomfort as he moved inside of her. He held her tight, his arms like vices, strong and demanding. She buried her head into his shoulder and clung for dear life – he was taking her, pushing his cock in and out of her wet hole, forcing her to moan, forcing her to breathe.
“Good girl,” he whispered against her, his voice hot and deep. “Move with me.” And his hips thrust against hers, teaching her his rhythm, showing her the dance of fire. She cried out when he sunk to the hilt again, feeling him deep inside of her, angling her hips for better penetration. Then suddenly he touched against something immensely pleasureful. She felt a wave growing, a shimmering, writhing pleasure that built in her body, centered deep inside of her. She moved faster, desperate, no longer in control; her hips pushed against his eagerly, rising to meet him, to take him back in with each thrust. Then the wave crashed over her and she screamed, her body clenching his, her hole finally having something to clamp down on. He kissed her mouth, pulling her cries into him, swallowing her whole.
And then he pulled out. She was wet, sweaty, and exhausted — but still unsatisfied. She frowned in confusion – he hadn't come yet. Then why...?
His hands grabbed her hips and flipped her onto her stomach, stretching her arms out in front of her, pressing her butt into the air. When he entered her, it was in one fast, smooth stroke, burying himself to the hilt in her heat. She screamed, her muscles complaining and tightening down on him, pleasure and pain mixing inside of her. Then he folding himself over her, pressing her towards the ground. She felt his teeth on the back of her neck, holding her as he moved powerfully in and out. His pace was fast and bordering on painful – she
was a virgin, after all, and her untried hole wasn't used to the abuse. She began to pant and whimper, submitting under him even as her spirit rebelled. She couldn't see him anymore – instead she was stuck staring into the eyes of dozens of wolves, all of which were growling and snapping, teeth glinting in the firelight.
Terror suddenly gripped her. She was naked, exposed, and being fucked senseless in front of these wild, rabid animals. They could tear her apart in seconds. Perhaps Gareth was their leader, but he couldn't defeat all of them if they decided to rebel. She shook her head and tried to twist him off of her, and he released her slightly, probably out of surprise.
“No!” she said, struggling to get away from him, though his arms held her immobile. “Stop! Please stop!”
He held her fast, and she could feel his heartbeat against her back, smooth and solid as he pumped into her. His balls slapped against her ass.
“I can't,” he murmured, his voice rough against her ear. “I have to finish. This is necessary.”
“It's not necessary!” she panted. “Please stop, please!” She felt tears starting to leak from her eyes.
“Shh,” he hushed her, and his hands went to her clit, teasing it until she grew wet again. She gasped as he kissed her, trailing his tongue across her lips, stroking them. She calmed down as his tongue entered her, but not by much.
“Please,” she whispered.
His arms wrapped around her harder, but he didn't answer. His teeth sank into the back of her neck, demanding obedience, and he pressed himself deeper into her hole. She was trapped, immobile, and then his hand reached down between them to stroke her clit, playing with her folds as he took her. The pleasure began to mount again, blooming inside her cunt, tendrils swirling up to her breasts. She panted, crying out, moaning as he shifted his position, his cock pressing against nerve endings she didn't recognize from this angle. It felt good. Really good.
She was still crying slightly, but now it was from the overwhelming mixture of fear and pleasure. He was using her body against her, making her shudder and whimper, groaning from his fingers. It hit her suddenly – her cunt tightened and she orgasmed, her body succumbing to his, fire coursing through her veins. She wanted to scream out her submission, to welcome him deeper into her body, deeper, deeper.... He kept thrusting and she came again, milking his cock, and she heard his roar behind her. With a hard, deep thrust, he spewed his hot seed into her, his thick cock throbbing inside her channel, pounding and jerking. She could feel the thick fluid against her inner walls. It made her own orgasm even more sweet.
Her senses soared. Maddy had been crying out, panting against the ground, but suddenly her vision changed. It was as though her mind had split into two bodies – she could suddenly feel the strain of his shoulders, the bite of the wound in his side, the stab of each breath. She could smell all of the wolves around her, their individual breaths and scents, hear their heartbeats, their excited yips and barks. She could feel her own body beneath her, warm and wet; smell herself in a way that went deeper than just the skin. It was as though she could feel what Gareth felt, sense what he sensed.
Then she was sucked back into her own body. They collapsed on the ground together, his deep, masculine groan tingling across her skin. He held her for a long, silent moment, his tongue lapping over the tiny cuts in the back of her neck where his teeth had punctured the skin. His arms wrapped around her, tight and possessive.
For a long minute all Maddy could do was breathe, then the world slowly began to filter back through her senses. The wolves were howling at the top of their lungs, as loud as when the fight had first taken place, and they were pacing and prancing back and forth, jittery and excited. She was on the dirty ground, her cheek smudged, blood smeared along her body, probably from Gareth's wounds. Her lips felt tingly and bruised, her hair wet with sweat. Somehow her senses still seemed heightened – her eyesight was better, her ears more sensitive, and every smell rubbed against her nose. She pushed up into a sitting position and Gareth followed her, his hand on her arm.
“Maddy....” She turned to look at him, his voice hoarse and tense. She met his eyes and the jade-green depths glinted at her in concern.
It almost broke her heart. Suddenly she couldn't breathe. All she could think about was that this man had just taken her virginity on a dirty floor surrounded by a pack of wolves. He hadn't even asked, he had just dragged her down with him. It had been terrifying and unexpected. He hadn't even warned her first.
Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him. Now that she had had sex with him, her arousal felt sated and calm and her thoughts were cold and clear. He had used her. Whether it was to ensure her place in the pack or not, it didn't matter. She was supposedly his lifemate and all he had ever done was lie to her.
“Get away from me,” she said, scooting away, seeing the sudden hurt in his expression. She had to stop looking at him or else the pain she saw there would make her forgive him, and she couldn't do that again. He would just keep stepping on her, and she needed him to know that it wasn't okay.
“Maddy, wait-” he reached out, but suddenly the pack of wolves surged forward, pushing her aside as they overcame him. At first she was afraid, thinking they would attack him, but instead she saw the waves of animals press up against his body, pushing their nose into his neck, licking his chin, lying down and displaying their bellies. Maddy didn't know what to think, but the wolves seemed fine with ignoring her. A few gave her passing licks and nuzzles to her shoulder. She continued to scoot away, picking up shreds of her clothing in the process. She grabbed his jacket, her panties, then finally dragged herself back to where her jeans were folded up against the wall. The zipper was useless but at least she wouldn't be naked.
Her whole body ached, but she dressed quickly, ignoring the pain between her legs. Finally she was able to stand up, and she backed along the wall towards the door at the side. She had to get out of there – the smell of the animals and the stench of spilled blood was beginning to make her sick. Finally she cleared herself of the wolves and walked quickly to the door. She looked back once she reached the long corridor and saw Gareth staring at her, his green eyes glinting. His hands were buried in the pack, touching their heads and pressing their noses. She could feel him through the new strange bond that they shared – she could tell that he wanted to come after her, but his duties as the new Alpha kept him tied to the ground. He had to establish his relationship to the pack while it was still fresh.
Maddy knew all of this logically, but she still felt an emotional stab of pain. She was running away, and just like back at Isak's house, he was refusing to follow her. He was busy with his pack, which was apparently more important. It was a selfish thought, but one that she couldn't help. She had done all of this for him, and in the end, he had used her.
Then abruptly another figure rose out of the pack, this one in human form. It took Maddy a moment to recognize her, but finally the moon glinted off of her white-blond hair, and Maddy's breath caught. Yvonne grabbed Gareth's jaw and pressed her lips against his, kissing him in a way that made Maddy's stomach flip.
Tears in her eyes, she turned from the room and fled, her bare feet flying over the hard ground. She didn't know where she was going or where she would end up, but she didn't care anymore. She just had to get away.
Somehow she found a door that led her into the dark night, and she kept going, not bothering with Gareth's car; she had dropped the keys somewhere back in the warehouse, anyway. She made her way off the lot and through the town, running blindly past street lights and around corners, empty of direction.
The moon continued to shine overhead, despite the approaching dawn. It was her beacon through the night.
Chapter 14
He could smell the fear and the hurt on her when she left the room.
Part of him knew it was the only reaction to expect; she was running again, just as she had run from her stepfather. And as usual, he would run into the forest in a few minutes – or in this case, into the
city – and find her. But for now he needed to focus on his pack, on the relationships between them, on his new status of Alpha.
The first thing he did was shove Yvonne to the ground and growl at her. The rest of the wolves backed away too, growling in unison.
“Idiot!” It was Isak that spoke this time. The man had changed back to human form and had managed to pull on a pair of pants before coming to wrestle with his sister. “He has a lifemate, Yvonne – is that too hard to understand?”
“She is human!” Yvonne snapped, her fangs still elongated. Gareth couldn't remember whether the woman had fully changed during the fight or not, though he didn't really care.
“I have done the Right of Claiming,” Gareth growled, and moved to his feet, realizing he was naked but not caring. “Are you purposefully disrespecting me? Because we can deal with this now.”
“Gareth, it's not like that, I swear,” she replied, her tone pleading, a high whine in the back of her throat. “Please, just think about it – we would make a powerful alliance! Our two families, united. The blood of the great Devon mingling with your own – our pups would be beautiful!”
Gareth felt sick at the idea of mating with this woman. He had been entranced by her when he was younger; she had been beautiful, alluring, the most sought-after female in the pack, and he had been dazzled by the fact that she'd wanted him. But now he saw through her facade, through her spoiled little eyes and into her dark heart.
He didn't have to put up with this anymore. She had given him the ultimate insult, kissing him in front of his lifemate. Any sexual contact would have been intolerable, but in front of Maddy... that was a threat to his status.