by Moira Rogers
"Pack," Blake scoffed. "That's what they call themselves, but none of the alphas are like Lucas. None of them have plans."
Lucas waved it away. "It's nothing. Not important right now."
Blake recognized that voice. It was the same one Lucas had used to warn him that he had to compete with Jud's charm. Along with that realization came another--he wasn't just including Blake in whatever plans he had for the night.
The plans were for Blake.
He wanted to be offended at his alpha's lack of confidence, but his growing need for Ashley left no room for wounded pride. Lucas could exert his power and dazzle Ashley's wolf, but he wasn't going to.
Which meant Blake had a chance.
If you use it, Lucas's expression all but screamed. The silence had gone on long enough to become awkward, so Blake cleared his throat and settled his arm around Ashley. "Yeah. Tonight you can just relax."
Her brow furrowed. "What's going on?"
So suspicious. Oddly, it eased the crushing pressure in his chest. "Sorry, Lucas. She already knows me better than this."
Lucas sighed and rubbed the side of his face. "The other pack didn't want to meet, they wanted to come here. Possibly because they know about you."
"Oh." Ashley stared at him, then down at her hands. "So this whole scene is about mating?"
Blake caught her chin and tilted her head back. "For him, maybe. Nothing's changed for me."
Lucas spoke, his voice gentle. "If you're ready, Ashley. It all depends on that. But other packs might not be--" He faltered, as if he couldn't choke out the words.
"It doesn't matter," Blake said firmly. "Even if we have to host the other pack, nothing will happen. No one will bother you, no one will hurt you. End of story."
Her frown vanished, and she threaded her fingers through his hair. "I know. You won't let them."
"Never." He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, sinking into the peace that came with her touch. Everything was clear like this. No more noise, no more confusion... She was focus, even if she wasn't his.
Yet.
"It's still better, though, isn't it?" she whispered. "If there isn't even a question of some stranger pursuing me."
Blake gave in and kissed her cheek, her temple, then nuzzled his way down to her ear. "Are you asking Lucas, or me?"
"I'm--" Her breathing hitched. "I'm just saying. It's easier if it's not an issue. If I'm already mated."
"Maybe," he conceded before closing his teeth lightly on her earlobe. He loved her gasp, the way her body arched. "But I meant what I said. It doesn't change anything for me. Nothing could make me want you more than I already did."
"Blake--" She wrapped her hands around his wrists. "I'm saying yes. Now."
As if it was that easy. If he knew how to mate her, he would have done it that morning, while he was sinking into her with so much giddy relief and longing. He didn't know the first thing about mating.
But Lucas did.
Taking a deep breath, Blake lifted his head and met his alpha's eyes. The man stared back at him over Ashley's head--and slipped his fingers through her silky hair. "That's good," Lucas murmured. "It's the first step. Wanting it."
"I do." Her eyes were locked on Blake's face. "I want it."
When she was looking at him like that, the words sounded like something else. Something seductive, too good to be fucking true. I want you.
He pressed the pad of his thumb to her lips, as if he could feel the echoes of what she hadn't said. "You're clearheaded right now. Will it still work, Lucas?"
"I don't know." His hand drifted lower, to the top of her spine, and energy crackled through the room. Ashley's head dropped back, and she exhaled on one long, shaky sigh.
Maybe the mating urge had already been there, and Lucas had been holding it back, giving Ashley a little peace. Or maybe he could turn it on as easily as he turned it off. Whichever it was, the result was undeniable. Blake could see the difference in her flushed cheeks and trembling body, could feel it in his bones.
It wasn't just want anymore. It was need, and he'd made her a promise.
With Lucas holding her head steady, Blake leaned in to kiss her. She met him with an open mouth, a hungry tongue, and a sharp indrawn breath that drove his own arousal higher. He groaned and pressed deeper, claiming her mouth the way he intended to claim every single part of her.
Her mind, her body, her heart...
And her wolf.
Lucas was holding her head, but her hands were free. She slid them around Blake's neck, beneath his collar to stroke his shoulders. He jerked at his shirt, tearing the fabric in his haste to give her room to explore, and ripped it over his head before reaching for hers.
But he didn't bare her body. He couldn't, because, for the first time, he wasn't the strongest wolf touching her.
Lucas made another soft, soothing noise and nudged her hair aside to nuzzle the back of her neck. His hands dropped to her shoulders, and he tugged on her tank top and bra until both straps slipped down.
The fabric clung to her full breasts, revealing enough to make Blake's mouth run dry. It wouldn't take much to coax the lacy edge free of her nipple, and the mere thought cranked him higher.
Maybe this was what had been missing--the patience to tease them both to a state of desperation.
Blake sank lower on the couch and dropped a line of kisses down her throat. "You thought my teasing was bad," he murmured against the swell of her breast before biting softly. "Lucas won't lose control."
"And you will?" A thread of longing trembled through her words.
He licked the spot where his teeth had marked her delicate skin before sliding even lower, low enough to tease her nipple through fabric. "Oh, yeah. Lucas will hold me back for a while..."
But not forever. Only he didn't have to say it, because their alpha was already moving.
Ashley shivered as Lucas eased his fingers under the top edge of her bra and pulled it down, exposing her nipple. It was already hard, a tight, tempting point begging to be sucked. Blake closed his mouth around the tip, reveling in her sharp gasp and the arch of her body. But his control was already slipping. It wasn't enough. He lifted a hand to her other breast and caught her nipple between his thumb and one finger.
Soft sucking. Hard pinching. Pain and pleasure, and enough of both to show Lucas just how hot she got from the combination.
Ashley's growl was nearly drowned out by Lucas's deeper one. "So fast," he muttered. "You could take her now, and she'd open right up for you."
"Ask her." Blake lifted his head just enough to catch Ashley's gaze. He held it as he pinched her nipple again, harder this time. "Ask her how wet she is. She blushes so sweet, but talking dirty just makes her wetter."
She lunged at him, nearly snapping her teeth on his lower lip before Lucas hauled her back with one hand wound tight in her hair.
"Bad girl," Blake chided, trying to keep a mock-stern expression. It was impossible. His approval crept into his voice, into everything. He loved her spark and her challenges, and she knew it. He could see his own delight reflected in her gaze as he pressed his thumb to her lips, silently daring her to bite him.
Instead, she drew her tongue over the pad of his thumb and gave him the barest hint of teeth.
A hoarse laugh rumbled up from Lucas. "Not so easily handled. Good for you, love."
"Oh, she's trouble." Blake edged his thumb deeper into her mouth. "I've been threatening to turn her over my knee and spank that beautiful ass from the first day."
"And you haven't?" Lucas's free hand drifted down to the waistband of her lounge pants. "I'm disappointed."
It would have been easy enough. Ashley would have let him before now, and he had no doubt she would have enjoyed it--physically. But for all her eager hunger, there was an innocence in her that Blake couldn't let himself forget.
Hell, it was still there in her big eyes, if you knew how to look. If he wanted to do this, she had to understand what it was, and what
it wasn't. Pleasure, not punishment. Possession, not jealousy. A promise of strength instead of a demand for weakness. Nothing he could explain easily with words. But he could show her, now--with Lucas's help.
"She wasn't ready," Blake said, teasing his thumb over her tongue before slipping free of her lips. "But I think she is now."
She licked her lips. "Ready for...?" The question faded as Lucas untied the drawstring on her pants.
Blake hooked his fingers under the waistband, catching her pants and panties both. "Letting go," he answered as he dragged the fabric off her hips and down her legs.
"You say that like I don't always," she told him breathlessly. "But I do. I can't help it when you touch me."
"Not like this." She looked debauched, almost naked except for the bra and shirt circling her middle and holding her arms trapped. Her breasts were bare, her nipples wet from his mouth and hard from his touch.
It was so tempting to slide to the floor, shove her knees wide, and lose himself in her. But she needed to be lost this time, coaxed beyond her boundaries until there was nothing left but her, her wolf--and the hunger for a mate strong enough to claim both.
So he caught her around the waist and dragged her from the couch. Lucas must have been planning something, because there were even more pillows than usual heaped on the furs in front of the fireplace. "Help me, Lucas."
The alpha dropped to the pillows and pulled Ashley down on top of him. He kissed her open mouth--quick, soft--then scattered the same brief kisses across her skin as he guided her bra and shirt over her head. Her bare skin gleamed in the firelight as she moved restlessly, tossing her head back with a cry when Lucas drew her nipple into his mouth.
Blake knelt next to them and stroked a hand down her spine. She shivered under his touch, and trembled when he reached her ass and smoothed his hand over the generous curve. She was primed already, shaking with anticipation.
Good. "On your knees, sweetheart. Lift this ass up for me."
"I don't know if I can." But she did, raising onto her knees while keeping her upper body low. Lucas rewarded her by switching to her other nipple, and Blake spent one moment admiring the sight of her--her lush body naked and quivering, her silky skin flushed, her gorgeous ass lifted in obedient, eager hunger.
Books weren't the only thing he'd picked up on that endless trip to town. Jud knew where to buy all sorts of toys the humans used to debauch one another. Many had seemed needlessly complicated to Blake, but he'd found a few things that appealed. Delicate steel plugs that would fill her ass and make her whimper at the fullness when he fucked her deep. Clever leather cuffs to bind her wrists and thighs and leave her beautifully vulnerable.
Interesting, enticing items, and his dick throbbed at the thought of using them to make her scream. But he didn't need them to drive her beyond herself. All he needed was his hand--and a little help from his alpha. "Hold her steady, Lucas. She gets impatient and grabby when she's close."
Her hands were on Lucas's chest, and he gathered them together, locking his fingers around both of her wrists. Ashley struggled for a moment, then relaxed with a soft sound.
A sound of submission.
"You can't touch this time," Blake murmured, rubbing his hand over her ass before squeezing lightly. Starting slowly would drive them both crazy, but the end result was worth it. "This is all about you."
"What if touching is what I want?"
Of course she wanted it, for all the reasons he did--because touching meant giving pleasure, and she would never be happy simply taking. Blake brought his hand down in a gentle swat, just enough to tease her. "Why do you want to touch us, Ashley?"
"Because..." Her fingers flexed, her nails digging into Lucas's skin. "Because I know how good it feels."
Blake slid his hand lower, biting back a groan when his fingertips encountered the slick warmth of her pussy. She was wet already--aching, no doubt. And he could make her so much wetter.
So he swatted her again, a stinging slap to each cheek that left her squirming, because it wasn't enough. "I give in to you too easily. You're so cute when you're begging, I can't say no."
"I can." Lucas gave her wrists a little jerk--just enough to assert dominance, but not upset her balance. Instead of letting her have a moment to recover, Blake smacked her ass again.
Ashley went rigid, as if she was trying to hold still, but she broke with a shuddering whimper. Blake soothed her with a wordless murmur, rubbing and petting until she was soft and boneless again before delivering another solid slap.
A growl rumbled up in Lucas's chest. "Does it hurt?"
"It--" She whimpered. "I don't know. Yes?"
The rumble melted into a laugh, and he smoothed his free hand across her cheek to cup her face. "It all gets mixed up, doesn't it, love?"
"Only one thing matters," Blake said, leaning to sink his hand into her hair. He tugged, forcing her head back so he could see her expression. "Do you like it?"
"Yes," she hissed.
Oh, there was fire sparking in her eyes. She wanted it, but didn't know why. Couldn't know why, any more than she could know that what she craved was to lash out and be put in her place. To know the security of order and the comfort of pack hierarchy.
If they'd had time, it would have happened differently. Playfully, without sex and the mating urge adding such a painful, high-stakes edge. But she had come to them hurting, twisted up in conflicting needs.
It was time to start unraveling the deepest one.
Blake bent lower, almost close enough to kiss her, and smiled. "How much?"
She lunged again, just like before, and this time her teeth scraped painfully over the spot just beneath his chin.
Just like he'd known she would. But fuck, he wasn't prepared for the bolt of lust, the heat streaking through him and straight to his cock. He liked the pain, too--the danger of it pinging his nerves and sparking adrenaline.
Taming her would take a lifetime. And he was going to start tonight.
Tightening his fingers, he hauled her head back with a growl. "I think that means she wants me to spank her harder. What do you think, Lucas?"
"I think it doesn't matter what you do," their alpha rasped. "She'll love it. Every second."
Daring another bite, Blake licked her lips before releasing her hair. She was still swaying at the sudden freedom when he planted one hand between her shoulder blades. He pushed her down against Lucas and held her there as he returned his attention to her ass.
Blake was finished playing. Her skin was already pink from his earlier attentions, but he struck her firmly, again and again, bracing himself against her rough, pleading noises. It would be too easy to give in, to let her up, let her touch and lick and give pleasure.
Not tonight. Tonight, she'd have to take it all.
And she did. Restlessly at first, tensing after each blow and squirming until Lucas had to secure her more firmly in place. By the time she relaxed into it, the scent of her arousal had grown so temptingly strong that Blake could barely stand the distraction. She was wetter every time he let himself stray between her parted legs, her pussy hot and eager, her thighs slick.
It wouldn't take much, just a few fingers plunging inside her, one quick lash over her clit. She would explode in a heartbeat, but Blake didn't let her. Instead, he returned to the reddened skin of her ass, falling into the hypnotic sound of his open palm on her soft flesh until she started to wiggle again--but into his touch, this time, struggling to get closer, arching in anticipation of each firm slap.
"That's right, sweetheart," he murmured, lifting his hand from her back to her hair. She wasn't trying to get away now--she was a liquid pool of quaking limbs and need, and she deserved a reward for such sweet submission.
He twisted his fingers tight in her hair just to revel in her moans, then pulled, urging her to sit up. "Show him," he whispered against her ear. "Show our alpha how wet you are for us."
She turned her face to his and kissed him, open and hungry. A heartbea
t later, she stiffened, shuddered, as Lucas caught his breath on a strangled groan.
Blake fought his own low noise and licked Ashley's lower lip. "How many fingers has he got inside you?"
She didn't answer. She moved instead, riding Lucas's hand, her fingers locked around his wrist so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Wicked, shameless girl. Fighting a laugh, Blake caught her arm and dragged it behind her back. Then he leaned in until his lips brushed her ear. "How. Many. Fingers?"
Her throat worked. "T-two."
"Only two?" He slapped her ass, and she lurched against Lucas's fingers with a whimper, driving them deeper. "I bet you feel so tight and hot around them, he thinks two is enough. But it's not, is it? Not for you."
Her gaze snapped to his, sharp and defiant. "So help him."
Oh, he wanted to. Work his fingers right into her, until she was so full the pleasure of it shattered her. But giving in would only give her the fleeting satisfaction of what she wanted, not the deeper pleasure of what she needed. "No. Lucas?"
"More?" the man asked softly. His arm flexed as he drew back, then thrust up again with a force that drove a stifled, hoarse shriek from Ashley's throat.
"Good girl," Blake whispered, squeezing her hip and rocking her against Lucas's hand. "He's the alpha. Your alpha. You'll take what he gives you, won't you?"
"Anything." A hot flush crept up over her chest and bared neck. "Please--"
And there it was. Surrender. Trust. She'd gone pliant against them, so Blake wrapped one arm around her for support and slid the other down until his fingertips grazed her clit. She squirmed, her hip rubbing against his cock. He fought the urge to grind against her and kept everything focused--on her pleasure, and on keeping his touch careful. "What do we give her next, Lucas?"
"That depends." He pinched her nipple, tweaking the hard tip with a rough twist, and growled when she shuddered. "So many possibilities. So many ways to make her scream."
"I'm still learning all of them." Blake nuzzled her ear and inhaled, dragging the sweet, hungry scent of her deep into his lungs. "So is she."
Lucas released her breast and traced her parted lips. "Then we should find a brand new one."