Awakening (The White Stealth Clan Book 1)

by Sarah Stein

  There was no answer as she finally witnessed a bulk of a man strapped to the largest tree trunk she’s ever seen. Never had she traveled this far into the woods, and witnessing a man secured to a tree was beyond what she expected. She inched closer to get a good view of him, but all she saw was his head shaking in a ‘no’ manner. For some unknown reason, he didn’t want her around him. Well, that irked Analyse because he clearly needed assistance.

  “I can’t help you if you don’t let me near,” she advised.

  Stopping dead in her tracks, she noticed his eyes. They were bright green with flecks of brown adorning the edges, almost as if he wore contacts. They were freaky if you stared into them for too long. His black hair was mid-length and covered half of his face. The shirt on his torso was ripped in many places but still hung to his body, displaying every inch of it. His physique wowed her.

  As she gawked at him, her lips became parched. Grabbing for her water, she took a large swig.

  “I told you to leave,” he interrupted.

  “I’m going to help you out. Who tied you up?” Analyse asked as she ignored his plea.

  Her hands began working on the knots to loosen the thick brown rope across his body, which was pinning him to the tree.

  “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is you leaving this place. The moon is almost full and it isn’t safe out here. I beg you. Please leave,” he seemed remorseful.

  “I can’t help you out if you don’t explain why you are tied up? Why would they leave you here knowing it isn’t safe?” she needed answers but he wasn’t giving any.

  Her hands roamed along his forearm to snatch at the knot on the rope. Electricity sizzled through her fingers, igniting a longing within her body. That instant, her instinct urged her to trail her fingers towards his biceps, massaging against his skin. He groaned from her touch. She couldn’t blame him, the skin on skin contact felt pleasurable.

  Never in her life had she felt a connection such as the one she was feeling between herself and this beautifully crafted stranger tied before her. Wicked thoughts crossed her mind at what she was capable of doing while he was strapped to the tree.

  Her brain was fogged at the feeling of being next to him. Terrified of her connection with him. She needed space.

  “I need you to leave. Now!” he growled as she halted her progress with the knot.

  Her stomach clenched from the sound of his voice. It didn’t sound human. All she wanted was to help him. Her instinct hinted that it was the right thing to do, but just once in her life, it failed her. She had to fight it, and boy was it painful.

  “Are you threatening me?” her lip quivered.

  “I’m warning you. I can’t stop this. Once it happens, there is no turning back,” he promised.

  She had no clue what he meant but turned tail and ran. If he wanted Analyse gone, then there must be a reason for it. There were too many questions running through her head once again. If a large man like that wasn’t safe, then who’s to say that Analyse was?

  Her legs couldn’t carry her body quick enough. Her thoughts swam in her head as she tried to fight her instinct to return to him, help him out. She refused to listen. There would be no returning, only fleeing the unknown of what he warned her about.

  A few minutes after leaving his side, she braved a glance backwards. Her heart almost stopped at what she viewed. It was the guy she’d left tied to the massive tree. He was running straight for her. She didn’t know how he’d escaped the ropes, or why he pursued her, but she wasn’t sticking around to find out, her feet picked up the pace. Heart pounding, ears ringing and terrified for her life, she didn’t know where to turn. Her eyes darted every which way but couldn’t remember where she was or how far into the woods she’d trekked.

  Tears started to cloud her vision as her body had a hard time catching its breath. She chanted to herself to be brave. She had to stop and take a breath before she passed out but was too petrified he’d catch her. His steps were gaining on her as she darted left and right to try and lose him.

  It didn’t work because he seemed to be right on her tail. She risked a glance backwards once again and laid eyes upon the whitest wolf she’d ever seen. It shocked her, causing her feet to stumble. It had to be him, the guy strapped to the tree. There was no way a man was chasing her, and then a wolf. It was too sudden of a change.

  Her instinct forced her to slow down, but she fought it with all her might. There was no way she’d allow herself to be prey, not tonight or ever. From the looks of it, he was either angry or stalking her. The snout pinched his face in as he bared his sharp teeth, eyes focused and wild, and ears were alert.

  Her only hope was to dart behind a large tree limb, expecting him not to follow her. He would have to give up eventually. No way was he going to keep the chase on.

  She didn’t know why he was hunting her considering all she did was offer assistance. Instead, he repaid her with fear. That was no way to make friends. It was such a terrible first impression.

  She waited in silence behind the large tree limb hoping he wouldn’t find her. Her heart raced and her breaths were uneven as she crouched low. There was nothing, not even a sound. Was he gone? She was too terrified to find out but knew she couldn’t hide in the forest all night.

  She slowly peeked out from behind the limb and came face to face with the black snout of the white wolf. Her instinct told her to stay and heel, but her mind was screaming for her to bolt away. It’s not safe and wouldn’t be until she was home.

  It was the strapped guy. The same eye color, shape, and size were shown on the wolf’s face. The flecks of brown mixed with green, peered out at her with hunger. She would never forget those eyes.

  He sniffed at her but didn’t move any closer. If she weren’t staring into his face, she wouldn’t have noticed how the wolf tried speaking to her.

  “Run as far from me as you can!” he strained past his muzzle.

  Who was she to deny orders? They were to save her from ill will, and she wasn’t going to disobey. She bolted the minute his face turned sideways due to an unknown noise in the distance. She wasn’t sure how he would let her go considering he continued after her once he realized she had started running again. It was as though his wolf side and his human side were in a battle for dominance. The wolf wanted to catch her, while the man wanted to save her.

  Many minutes had passed before Analyse started to feel dizzy. She wasn’t sure when was the last time she ran this much. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her final thought before she fainted was, who was he?

  Chapter Three

  Many years without a mate to call his own and yet Worwick led his pack without issues. Numerous men thought they could uncover his weakness by challenging him, but to no avail. He would be their alpha for years to come or at least that’s what he hoped.

  One problem remained; you couldn’t continue the leadership without your mate beside you. It was a rule of the packs in the Northern territories. They frowned upon an alpha that continued to lead knowing the rules. Worwick was almost at the end of his term, and if he didn’t find his mate soon or be near her, everyone knew what that meant. A male wolf past a certain age that wasn’t anywhere near his mate eventually ended up a rogue. You didn’t have to claim her, only be near her. Everyone knew it was about time he found his mate, or be challenged once again.

  In came his second problem, he didn’t know where she was. Hadn’t scented her and didn’t ever expect to find her until that fateful day where he’d traveled further from their camp than he was used to.

  The winter was long and cold, and the group was short on food. Worwick gave orders for his second in command to load a backpack and go hunting. He couldn’t give orders without pitching in as well. So he had filled his own pack and traveled an unreasonable distance for prey. He was known to put his pack first even if it meant not returning for weeks on end, until he found sustenance for the clan.

  That’s when he came upon her scent, sweet and rich like D
affodils. What surprised him the most was how she smelled of pack, mainly wolf. Granted he’s never been to that particular area of the woods before but he didn’t expect to find another wolf like himself.

  To top it off, she was gorgeous. Her hair was stuck behind the hood of her parka, but her eyes were a swirling sea of blue. He had a difficult time turning away; it was as if he gazed into the bottomless ocean, captivated by their color. Her complexion was pearly smooth with minor blemishes. He craved to see more of her, but the full moon had to fuck it up.

  He kept an eye on her for roughly two days, watching her every move. His chest tightened at first sight when realization struck that she was his. The ache in his groin intensified with every movement she made in her home, and when she visited her parents he yearned to be the one spending time with her instead. She was definitely a family-type kind of woman.

  The shock of finding his other half had almost allowed thoughts about the oncoming full moon to slip from his mind, when he remembered, he had to strap himself to a tree. His reasoning was because he knew the pull of the full moon would bring out the madness, and need to hunt for his mate. By strapping himself, he tried to protect her as much as he could. It was hard work, but he managed. Regardless, it didn’t last. Mate. That’s what his instinct shrieked to him. He only gave her a minor warning before he chased her down as if prey.

  Oh, he could smell the fear, the curiosity, and the anxiousness from his mate. His. All his. She would do well to remember as soon as he claimed her. There was no denying it. She would be his. It was only a matter of when. Then he could continue as alpha of the pack with his mate by his side.

  He knew finding food for his pack was imperative, but this was as equally important. Without his mate, he couldn’t continue to lead. He never intended to give up command because of their ancient rules from previous and current alphas of the North. Finding his mate did help lessen the problem he would’ve soon had to face.

  He warned her to run but shouldn’t have. It only caused him to chase her without abandon. He needed to claim her fiercely, and it caused his beast to rise. His instinct forced him to follow her. He knew if she were claimed, he’d hurt her in the process. She wasn’t ready for that. The ritual didn’t take much, just a penetrating bite to any part of the body, and she would be his for life.

  Instead, he gave her one final warning before looking away and pretending he heard something in the distance. It didn’t matter that all he had to do was be near her to continue being a leader; he needed her for himself. The spark of electricity flowing from her touch meant that he would never let her truly be free without him, not now that he’s found her after all these years.

  He closed in quickly. Each stride her feet took he doubled with his paws. There was no escaping, yet he made her think she could. It was misleading, but he relished the chase.

  It didn’t take long once he gave her the lead to catch up. Before he appeared near her, she fell face forward onto the rough ground. His breath hitched, and he ran even faster to her side changing back into human form mid-stride managing to maintain his tattered clothes after the change. Thoughts of mating far gone regardless of the full moon, her security was of utmost importance.

  He needed to know what the cause of her sudden fall was. Once he was upon her, he turned her onto her back. He moved his index and middle finger along her neck and felt for a pulse. Still breathing. He checked for other abrasions, but there was none other than the scratches on her cheeks from the fall.

  She must’ve fainted from the adrenaline of the chase, nowhere to run or hide and fearful for her life. Guilt sat on his chest at the thought of her discomfort because of him.

  He lifted her lifeless body and cradled it within in arms as he sniffed his way towards her home. He knew they weren’t much further considering he knowingly forced her to run back towards home. She was lost, and it showed. He wanted her safe even if it was from him for the moment.

  The trek to her home wasn’t long. He stole the time he had alone with her before she awoke, studying her closely. Her lashes fluttered against the paleness of her skin, and her pale pink lips trembled from the cold. He knew his chances were limited, so he stole a kiss. She would be pissed, but he couldn’t help it.

  It wasn’t a deep, romantic kiss considering she wasn’t coherent. It was a kiss to sample her essence. Worwick ran his tongue along her bottom lip telling himself he was doing it to calm the shivering. She tasted of the sweetest strawberries. Never in his life had he sampled someone so delectable.

  She moaned but didn’t awake. Worwick wanted to see her eyes up close with no fear in them. The sound of her whimpers awoke his beast once again. It was forefront but made itself known. Her body cushioned in his arms didn’t settle the wolf one bit. It wanted to make an entrance, or at least run the show. However, he refused to scare her anymore, he would protect her, even if it was from the beast inside. It fought to take over. Worwick never faced this need before to mark someone else. He had to take control otherwise, he would lose all chance with her.

  Finally making it to her backyard yet still yards away from her house, he removed the hood from her hair and gazed upon her reddish auburn locks, which flowed gracefully, around her shoulders. Her entire being was more than he expected of a mate. His cock twitched at the sight.

  She stirred and the moon crashed upon him once again. Craving to mark his mate, he tried his best not to let it affect him, but it was nature. There was no fighting the effects of the moon. With every bit of movement, her body made his ached to claim her.

  Her body nuzzled closer within his embrace, making it difficult for him to let her go. If she didn’t wake soon, he’d take full advantage of her. There would be no stopping the force of the moon’s strength on his beast. He didn’t want her to think him a monster because of his nature. She must awake, even if it’s to run from his arms once again.

  “Wake up.” Worwick cooed into her ear, the smell of her essence permeating the air around him. He nestled his nose between her neck and lobe, inhaling deeply. His body responded from her scent alone.

  “I’m still tired. I’ll be up in a minute, Dad,” she responded incoherently.

  It didn’t seem like she knew what situation she was in.

  “You need to run. Leave now,” Worwick stated urgently, “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Her eyes opened swiftly and connected with his, “Why? Would you hurt me?”

  He had but only one answer, “It’s in my nature.”

  Analyse twisted in his hold trying to be free, but he held tighter. No longer able to release her, his cock hardened from her struggle.

  “Release me!” she yelled.

  He couldn’t see reason. Her tiny fist pounded into his chest before he leant down, sealing her lips with his. There would be no screaming. She was his for the taking. The moon had wound its spell upon him.

  Compliant was what she became, burrowing her fingers against his scalp. She maneuvered her body to move against his, struggling to connect the right parts. There was no room to argue when the need called to him. As much as he warned her to leave him, run far away, it was inevitable. She was going to be his.

  While her tongue provocatively slid against his, and her taste enveloped him, he quickly shed his clothing. His hands roamed her body, stopping at her pants’ entrance. The heat of their want warmed them against the cold. There was minor shivering when he unbuttoned her jeans next.

  He thought she would put up a drawn-out fight; instead she nestled perfectly against his body.

  Her moans echoed around them as she urged him to touch her. It wasn’t enough. He needed to graze bare skin and couldn’t hold back any longer.

  He ripped open her parka and raised her shirt before unbuckling her jeans and sliding them down. Lifting her atop him and cradling her ass, he picked her up and shifted towards the large tree near them, its bare branches coated with a white sheen of snow. There was no patience to prepare her to receive him, the need to mate forced l
ogic away. He placed her back against the hard bark before sliding his cock into her abyss.

  His breath hitched. She was willing and ready to receive his member. The feel of her tight core didn’t stop him from maneuvering against her. He wanted more but feared he’d come undone before she’d finish. His left arm held her in place as he pounded inside her. The right hand moved along her smooth skin before settling on her breast. The nipples perked from the frigid air and caught his attention. He rolled it between his fingers before raising her shirt higher.

  His head bent slightly before suckling them. He licked and nibbled as if he couldn’t get enough.

  Chapter Four

  His tongue lashed out continuously against her breasts before nipping roughly. Analyse’s head thrashed left and right as he continued his onslaught. Her body scraped against the harsh surface of the tree, tearing a painful howl from her lips yet she wanted more. Her pussy felt full, heavy with his member lodged inside.

  She hooked her arms around his neck and refused to let go. Her screams echoed in the night from his beating. She didn’t care if her pussy was sore in the morning. All she cared about was the feeling of submitting to him.

  “Ah fuck!” he yelled out.

  He kept her lifted and pounded uncontrollably inside her. Her nails raked against his skin, causing minor scratches on his back near the neck. Analyse yelped with each thrust as her hands continued grasping his body. He bit hard on her nipple causing her muscles to tighten against his penis, forcing her orgasm to rise.

  Her mind was in turmoil as she howled to the moon, her body ablaze with the intensity of their fucking. Her first mistake was assuming he was done. She came, and God help her, she wanted more.

  He removed her from against the tree and sprawled her atop the snow on the ground. Did she care? Hell no. Her pelvis arched for the continuous beating. Not once did he remove his cock while placing her on the ground. He lifted himself above her and proceeded to pound inside her with everything in him. With each tap of his skin against her clit, her pleasure rose. Their bodies sunk within the small amount of snow layered upon the terrain.