Around me, the battle continues, but I hardly notice them. I’m transfixed. I can’t take my eyes off of the man walking toward me.
He stops in front of me, unashamed by the fact that he’s wearing nothing. Suddenly, it feels like it’s just the two of us. Like we’re alone in the middle of nowhere and everything inside me is firing all at once. My skin tingles, my face heats, my heart races, butterflies fill my chest.
This man is doing something to me without even speaking a word.
I feel like I’ve known him my whole life.
“Are you hurt?” He asks.
I shake my head, unable to form words.
“Good,” he says.
I swallow and lick my lips, trying to come up with something to say. “Thanks for helping me.”
He smirks and I feel ridiculous. I should have said something better. My cheeks heat.
“You’re cute when you’re embarrassed,” he says.
A roar breaks our trance and we both turn to see a tiger running after a wolf.
“Shit,” he says. He gives me an apologetic glance, then shifts back into his wolf form and takes off after the tiger.
I take a breath, feeling like I just had a bucket of water splashed on me. What was that? There’s a battle going on around me and I stood and checked out a guy’s package? What is wrong with me?
I move a little closer to the bonfire and glance around, wondering if there’s somewhere I can go to get out of the fray. I’m useless in a battle of shifters. As a human, all I can do is get in the way.
The air shimmers and my brow furrows. I know enough to know magic when I see it. Suddenly, the huge brute of a man appears in front of me.
“Hey, little wolf, why don’t you shift?” he asks with a grin.
I run but he’s faster than me, grabbing hold of me.
“I’m not letting you go this time,” he says. “And Moria isn’t here to tell me I have to keep you alive.”
“Let go of me!” I kick and shift my weight in his grasp, trying to break free, but he’s holding tight.
He’s got my back against his chest, both of my arms pinned against him. My legs dangle in the air. I can’t even reach him to bite him.
“Look at your friends,” he says, turning so I can see the outlines of wolves and the tiger running through the dark fields. “None of them can help you and you can’t do anything to help them.”
He turns again and we’re facing the van now. I catch movement and look at the roof. Someone is up there.
“Shoot ‘em all,” the brute says.
I gasp as I realize the person on the top of the van has a rifle. The explosion of a gunshot cuts through the night air like a bomb. I turn toward the fight, my stomach in knots.
A wolf cries and falls to the ground. “No.”
I don’t know who was hit or what kind of bullet it was but I have a feeling these hunters are prepared. “You’re a monster.”
“You’re right, sweetie,” he says. “I am. And so are all of them. But I’m a good monster, making things right.”
“No,” I say. “You’re a coward. Hiding and running and shooting from a distance.”
I clench my teeth as anger simmers deep within. It’s an awful feeling, like rage is making my insides melt. I feel like I’m burning alive from within.
“Get their alpha, that’ll stop this,” my captor says.
I can’t let that happen. Something inside me snaps, the wild part of me is exploding and I let out a battle cry as the heat inside me grows to unbearable. Searing pain fills my veins and I push my arms away, feeling stronger than I ever have before.
The brute drops me and I land hard on the ground. My bones feel like they’re breaking, my body feels like it’s melting away.
Then, the pain stops and I growl at the brute. He’s so much taller than me now and I snap my jaws at him.
“Well, well, looks like you can shift, little wolf,” he says.
I’m pure instinct, the wildness finally unleashed. I jump, sinking my claws into his chest. He falls to the ground.
His body flickers as if he’s trying to teleport away, but I’ve got him pinned, I snap my jaws at his face and he lifts his hands to block my attack.
He’s crying now, whimpering like a baby.
I rip my claws out of his chest, making him scream as chunks of his flesh pull away from his body. Then I swipe across his face, tearing into his skin.
He screams, then manages to throw me off of him.
“Get her!” he shouts. “Shoot the bitch.”
I know he’s talking about the man with the gun. I don’t even care about him right now. I just want the other man dead.
A shot rings out and hits the ground next to me, sending a spray of dirt through the air. I bare my teeth, growling at the coward with the gun on the van. I can’t get to him, but I can take down the brute.
He’s on his feet now, but not for long. I lunge for him again, but this time he teleports away.
I see him a few feet away from me and I run toward him, but another wolf takes him down before I get there.
Another shot fires, nearly striking me again as I race toward the fallen brute. I arrive just as the alpha rips his throat out.
I stop in front of him, panting, my emotions a tangled mess. In this form, this wolf form, I can feel the bond.
This alpha is my mate.
6
Lucy
An engine revs and I turn to see the white van peeling away. Next to me, the alpha howls and several other howls rise up to meet it. I glance over at the wolves then I turn and run.
I can feel him following me, chasing me into the woods. It’s exhilarating, running free and wild, letting myself give in. All this time, the wild part I’d suppressed was my wolf. All this time, I was meant to run free.
I race though the trees and splash through a stream, not ready to slow down. I feel alive. Truly and fully alive for the first time ever.
The alpha is running alongside me now, our paces even. I can feel him with me, encouraging me to run. I leap over a fallen log and run past park benches, empty in the darkness. Following a gravel path, I finally slow when I see a pond up ahead.
At the rocky banks, I stop breathing heavy. The adrenaline and excitement has worn down and I feel at peace. The wolf, the wild part of me, seems to take a deep breath and relaxes. Suddenly, I’m sitting naked on the rocks.
I grab my knees, pulling them up to my chest.
The alpha looks at me, then rushes into the water. The wolf vanishes below the surface and when he breaks back out of the water, it’s the man staring back at me.
My heart is practically vibrating at the sight of him like that. His dark hair slicked back, his gold eyes locked on me. Steam rolls off of the pond in billowing clouds making him look like a god emerging from some enchanted pool.
He smiles and my heart melts to goo. No words needed. I know he feels it too.
Letting go of the self-conscious feeling clawing at the back of my mind, I stand and walk toward the water. As soon as my toe hits the pond, I know I stumbled onto something good here.
The water is as warm as a bathtub and I walk into its embrace until it swallows me, dipping my head under before surfacing. I push the wet hair away from my face and stare at the alpha.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
“Carter,” he says as he moves closer to me.
“I’m Lucy,” I say. “Thank you for what you did out there.”
He moves even closer. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
I shake my head. “You?”
He grins. “Not even a little.” He reaches his hand toward me, moving slowly. I hold my breath as his palm gently caresses my cheek.
“Lucy,” he says my name like a prayer and my knees go weak. “Tell me you feel it too?”
“I do,” I say, breathless. My whole body aches for him. I’ve never wanted to taste someone’s kiss more than his.
It’s like I don’t even have control o
f my actions as I glide through the water toward him. I’m not usually upfront about sex. I’ve never had a one-night stand. But there is no way I’m not going to jump on the sexy man in the water in front of me.
I can feel his heartbeat and the water around us seems to get warmer as he begins to close the distance between us.
“Lucy,” he says my name again and it sends a quiver through me, right to my core.
“Carter, I…” I don’t know what to say. My mind is a blur, the wild side still in control. Now I know it’s not just something off with me. It’s my wolf. She’s overriding my thoughts, making my brain feel fuzzy. She drives me forward, thinking only about getting his cock inside me.
I need him.
And I can tell he needs me too.
Our bodies crash together as if the water is pushing us toward one another. His hands wrap around me and slide up my back, past my neck. His fingers tangle into my hair as he moves my head toward his.
My hands move to his hips, sliding down toward his ass. It feels exactly as good as I thought it would and I squeeze his firm cheeks.
He growls and then moves in for the kiss, claiming me with his mouth. It’s forceful and hungry and oh my god it’s everything a kiss should be. Fire and passion that shoot through me, making my whole body come alive.
His erection presses against my hips and I moan into his mouth, desperate to feel every bit of him. The water moves with us, splashing around us as we explore each other’s bodies.
The night air is freezing and my nipples stand at attention, but I don’t care how cold it is. I don’t think I could ever be cold with Carter’s body against mine.
His hands slide down to my hips, pulling me closer to him, his kiss never breaking stride. The wild part of me that I’ve fought to keep contained drives me forward, making me act on pure instinct. I wrap one of my legs around his waist, opening myself to him.
Carter doesn’t need another invitation. His hands cup my ass, lifting me enough that his cock is positioned between my thighs. In a quick thrust he enters me and I gasp as he fills me completely.
It’s almost too much at first and I toss my head back, breaking the kiss. His lips find the column of my throat, kissing and licking while I moan.
The night sky looks like it was sprinkled with diamonds and the glow of the moon illuminates the water, making it shimmer as if we’re making love in an inverted canopy of stars.
With each thrust, the water pushes and pulls, moving along with our bodies. I turn my attention back to Carter’s lips, claiming them with my own. I slide my tongue in and his meets mine, our mouths moving in unison. Pulling away from the kiss I suck on his lower lip and he groans. I can feel a tiny tremor roll though his body.
When I break away from the kiss, he leans in, his lips finding my nipples. He sucks one into his mouth, toying it with his tongue before moving to the other one.
I moan again, my breathing rapid as the sensations bring me close to climax. Carter hasn’t eased up, thrusting in time with the water flowing around us.
I lean back and his hands catch me, supporting me while I arch away from him. The new position sends his cock right into my g-spot and I cry out as each thrust brings a rush of pleasure surging through me.
He’s breathing heavier and I swear I can feel his heart beating in time with my own. Carter leans forward, his forehead on my chest. I rake my hand through his hair as I fight for control. I can’t think, I can hardly breathe. Everything is sensation. My skin tingles, my body is a tidal wave about to strike. I’m crying out with each thrust until I can’t take it anymore.
In a rush, climax claims me and I toss my head back, my hair falling into the water behind me.
I feel Carter thicken in me before his own release. He grunts, then pulls me close to him, our chests pressed together as we both pant in unison.
He pulls out of me and we stand there, with his arms wrapped around me for several quiet moments. My ear is on his chest and I hear his heart beating. It’s like listening to my own heart.
I know he’s part of me. That I’m part of him. And I never want to let him go.
7
Carter
Lucy’s skin against mine makes me feel more alive than I ever have. Whatever I did in some past life to deserve her, I didn’t know but I am grateful. I feel the bond between us, connecting us effortlessly. I grew up hearing about what a mating bond felt like, but nothing could have prepared me for this.
It’s all encompassing. Every part of my body feels like it was made to compliment hers. She nuzzles her face into my chest and I lean down to kiss the top of her head. We just met. We don’t even know the first thing about one another, but I know I’ll spend the rest of my life with her.
“Carter? You out there, man?” Mikey’s voice calls just as he emerges on the bank of the pond. He laughs. “My bad. Sorry dude.”
Lucy lets out an adorable yelp and turns so her breasts are pressed against my chest, hiding her from Mikey. It’s cute to see a self-conscious shifter. Most of us didn’t flinch about nudity, but then again, she hadn’t registered as shifter when we first met.
“I’ll see you back at the fire,” Mikey called out. “Mr. Wolf is on his way to take care of the dead hunter.”
“Any casualties on our end?” I ask, feeling like an asshole for not checking in before.
“Just some scratches and bruises. Nothing a night in wolf form won’t cure.” He waves and turns away, walking back to the fire.
“I should probably get back or more of them will come looking for us,” I say.
“Right,” she says, pulling away from me. She’s covering her chest with her arms.
“Was this your first shift?” I ask, gently.
She nods. “Funny, my dad always thought I was a dud. He was so disappointed in me.”
I brush away a stray strand of hair that’s sticking to her wet forehead. “Want me to get you something to wear?”
“Could you? I’d rather not meet your friends for the first time while naked,” she says.
“Give me a couple minutes.” I walk away from her, my inner wolf fighting me every step of the way. It’s painful to leave her even though I know I’ll be back.
Quickly, I shift into a wolf so I can run faster and race back to the fire. A few people linger around the fireplace, most of them wrapped in blankets after having destroyed their clothes in the shift.
I shift into human form near my truck and pull out a spare pair of jeans and a tee shirt, tugging them on quickly. Then I grab another tee shirt and a blanket for Lucy.
Someone whistles as I run past the group. I’m sure Mikey told them what I was doing. Thankfully, he was there to step in while I was away. Mr. Wolf was the best in the business. He’d clean up any mess from the fight, eliminate the bodies and leave no trace.
It was almost too easy sometimes.
Lucy was still in the water when I returned, covered up to her shoulders. She stood when I arrived, her hands still over her breasts and my breath hitched. She was dripping wet and nearly glowing in the moonlight. My cock twitched, ready to take her again.
But I could tell she was feeling uneasy. The bond between us was already helping me feel her even though she wasn’t from my pack.
Since she’d been at the Dizzy Dragon today, I figured she was passing through town. Nomad, maybe. I hoped she was willing to join a pack now that she found me, but I had to consider if I was willing to go nomad with her if she wouldn’t join. The two of us had to be together but we didn’t know the first thing about each other.
She stepped out of the water onto the rocky shore, steam rising from her body. “It’s so warm in there and it’s freezing out here.”
I walked over to her and wrapped the blanket around her. “I have no idea why that pond is warm, it’s not a hot spring. Something magical, I suppose.”
“Whatever it is, I like it,” she said as she patted herself dry with the blanket.
I held out the tee-shirt. “Sorry I don
’t have any women’s clothes, but I think this will cover you pretty well.”
“Thanks,” she said, reaching for the shirt.
I get a full view of her gorgeous body when she drops the blanket. Her breasts are full, her stomach flat but soft, her hips curvy and perfect. She is like a goddess. Sensual and sexy as hell.
She tugs the tee shirt over her head and it nearly comes to her knees. “I think this’ll do.”
I pick up the blanket and hang it over her shoulders and she pulls it around her. When she looks up at me to smile, my heart melts and I know I’m a goner. I’d do anything for her.
8
Lucy
I remember hearing the tales of mating bonds when I was young, back when I still thought I’d shift some day. With each year that I didn’t shift, the thought of ever finding a mate like this faded.
Now that I feel it for myself, I know why everyone says you have no choice once you meet your mate.
Carter is perfect. Handsome, strong, brave.
He’s also the alpha of his pack.
I was raised by an alpha and I knew how things worked in my father’s pack. There was no way I was going to be someone’s submissive wife for the rest of my life.
What I feel for Carter isn’t the same as what I would have had with Jack, but it’s like leaving one prison for another. I’m not ready to make that kind of commitment.
But the thought of leaving him makes my heart ache.
I have no idea what to do.
We arrive back at the bonfire and we’re greeted with friendly hellos and a few curious, albeit knowing glances. My cheeks heat. Everyone knows what we were doing.
Carter jumps right in to the alpha role, but in a way that’s different from my father. He’s walking around to each of the members, asking them if they are okay. He checks on their wounds, laughs with them about the fight, and thanks then for stepping up to help.
Relief floods through me. He might be an alpha, but he’s kind and caring. Maybe I can stick around with him after all. The though sends a rush of butterflies through my chest and I find that I’m thrilled at the idea of settling down with him.
Captive Wolf Page 3