The Alpha Wolf (Crystal Forest Lake Shifter Series Book 5)

by Ovidia Pike

  “We don’t have much longer before it starts. I got you something. It’s back at the hut.”

  “What is it?” I asked him curiously.

  “You’ll see. It’s in the closet. I’m going to stay here and help out, but you can go get ready.”

  “Okay...” I said to him hesitantly, slightly wary about what he had planned. He kissed me again and let go of my hand, and I left to go back to the hut. I opened the closet and saw a dress hanging there, pulled it out to see that it was green velvet and backless, with a halter tie and a skirt that would swish around my legs. I couldn’t help but smile as I pulled it off of the hanger, holding it against me. I felt giddy as I tried it on, hoping it would fit, satisfied when I saw how it draped across my breasts and hugged my waist. I looked in the mirror to see that it brought out the green in my eyes, made them sparkle with happiness.

  I slipped out of the dress again and got ready, showering and carefully doing my makeup, something that was rare for me. I had never felt so beautiful as when I was finished getting ready, and when I looked at the clock I saw that the party had already started. I slipped into my shoes and made my way toward the community building. The streets were filled with people headed there, and even from outside our hut I could hear music playing, upbeat and lively. I walked slowly toward the building, catching Gabriel’s eye, who stood just outside the door. When he saw me, he walked toward me quickly, surprising me by lifting me up by the waist and twirling me around as he kissed me. I giggled as he put me down, looking over my body.

  “Thank god it fits,” he said. “You look perfect. So beautiful. Do you like it?”

  “I love it,” I said. “Did you pick it out?”

  “I sent Lily,” he admitted. “I told her to get something green. It makes your eyes look...stunning.”

  “Thank you,” I said, kissing him softly on the lips. “How’s it going in there?”

  “Loud. The girls are dancing. People are bringing them gifts—I did not expect it. They’re having a blast.”

  “And Arthur?”

  “Drunk off champagne. Last I saw him, he was excited that Nathaniel was bigger than him. Nathaniel is also half-drunk and I think they’re about to shift to compare sizes.”

  “Oh, boy,” I said with a laugh.

  “They’re a mess,” he said, even as both men came through the door and took their clothes off. They both shifted, and I marveled at Nathaniel’s size, a wolf roughly the same size as the grizzly beside him. They started to race and I laughed as they disappeared, Lily coming out of the community center shaking her head. She handed me a glass of champagne and thrust one into Gabriel’s hand as well.

  “Cheers to you both and my ridiculous husband.”

  “Cheers,” we both said. The music changed inside to something slow, soft and melodic. Gabriel looked at me sheepishly and I blushed.

  “I seriously don’t know how to dance,” I argued as he took my hand and led me inside to where people were dancing and laughing, the girls in the corner surrounded by a massive pile of gifts. Gabriel led me to the dance floor and took my hand, wrapping his other arm around my waist. He pulled me close to him so that we were pressed together, holding my eye in the dim light.

  “You really are breathtaking,” he said. “I don’t understand how it’s possible that you get more beautiful every minute of every day.”

  “You’re not so bad yourself,” I said, bringing one hand up to trace the scars on his face before leaning in to kiss him. I was caught off-guard when he immediately deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue between my lips to taste and tease my mouth. My body started to tremble with desire so close to his, his hand gripping my waist. He pulled back to look in my eye and there was a heat there that threatened to swallow me whole. I brought my lips to his ear, fingers curled at the nape of his neck.

  “Will you bond with me tonight?” I asked him. “Please, Gabriel.”

  “You’re not ready,” he said gruffly in a quiet voice.

  “I’m ready. I’m ready,” I pleaded, kissing him again, and again, forgetting that we were surrounded by people. He breathed against my lips, his body shaking, both hands on my back, touching the bare skin there.

  “Hey, guys!” Arthur said, coming out of nowhere and wrapping Gabriel in a full body hug. Gabriel let go of me and Arthur lifted him into the air.

  “How’s it going?” he said, putting him back down, his words slurring.

  “It’s...going,” Gabriel said, running his hand through his hair, glancing over at me.

  “You should come over here and talk to the girls. They’re asking about you.”

  “Okay,” Gabriel said, not taking his eyes off me. We went to the girls and he finally turned away to smile at them.

  “Are you having fun, girls?” he asked.

  “Yeah!” Jane exclaimed.

  “I have presents for you,” Gabriel said, fishing in his pocket for two small boxes. He gave one to each of the girls and they exchanged an excited glance, then opened the boxes. Both of them gasped in unison, pulling out sparkling rings with gems wider than their small fingers. Jane’s was pink and Chelsey’s was purple. They both looked up at him with shining eyes and bright smiles.

  “Thank you, Mr. Gabriel,” Jane said, standing up, throwing her arms around him. Chelsey did the same and he spun them around, kissing the tops of their heads.

  “You’re welcome. I love you,” he said, and something fluttered in my stomach at the words. He turned and gave me a small smile.

  “We love you!” they both said. He kissed them again as Arthur joined us, thrusting champagne into our hands.

  “Bottoms up,” he said, downing a glass in a single gulp. Gabriel shook his head and drank his down as I did the same. I couldn’t stop thinking about the first time we tried the bond—how good it felt, how I’d been craving it again ever since. In that moment, I knew that if I touched him, we would become mated. I knew that I loved him, that I wanted to be with him forever. I leaned in to kiss him slow and deep, the whole room disappearing around us. Arthur stepped away without a word and Gabriel wrapped his arms around my waist, excusing us from the girls as he pulled me around the corner and into the hallway, hidden from view.

  “You’re not being very subtle,” he said with a smirk.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “I mean your bedroom eyes are absolutely fucking killing me right now.”

  “Does that mean you’ll bond with me?”

  “We shouldn’t,” he said hesitantly, even as he kissed my neck, nibbling just enough to make me squirm.

  “Gabriel,” I said as he kissed my bare shoulder. “I want you inside of me again. Please.”

  “God,” he groaned. “You like that? When I fill your little pussy with my cock?”

  “I want it. I want it all the time,” I admitted. He took a deep breath.

  “Go home and take that dress off. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I just need to say goodnight to the girls.”

  I nodded with a small smile, hurrying back to the cabin. I carefully peeled the dress off, feeling my pussy soak my thighs in anticipation over what was about to happen. I climbed into the bed and spread my legs, closing my eyes, hand slipping down to rub my clit. I whimpered as I thought about him, how he’d touch me, my fingers speeding up, unable to wait. The door opened just as I shuddered and let out a cry, hips twitching against my hand. I looked over at Gabriel, who started to undress, eyes fixed on my body.

  “Did you just make yourself cum without me?” he asked in an amused voice, slightly chiding.

  “Yes,” I replied with a playful smile. “Is that a problem?”

  “It is,” he said, climbing onto the bed with me, beginning to lick and bite at my thighs as he made his way up my body.

  “How bad do you want this?” he asked in a soft voice.

  “More than anything,” I said, reaching down, wrapping my hand around his cock. He let out a sharp breath and kissed me hard on the mouth as I tried to guide him
inside of me. He held back, pulling my hands away, pinning them beside me as he pressed his cock between my lower lips and started to grind back and forth over my clit.

  “Maybe since you already came, you don’t need to again,” he teased. “Maybe I shouldn’t let you.”

  “I’ll kill you,” I said through helplessly ragged breaths, grinding against him, trying to pull my hands out from underneath his. He chuckled and lowered his face, nipping and sucking on my bottom lip.

  “We’ll see,” he said, sliding his hips back, guiding his cock inside of me without ever letting go of my hands. He filled me up in a stroke that took my breath away.

  “Fuck,” he whispered against my lips. “Fuck that’s so good. Your pussy was fucking made for me.”

  “It was,” I agreed, beginning to lift my hips against his. He met my movements with deep, slow thrusts, still holding my hands still. I stared into his eyes, again feeling tears come to mine, blinking them back.

  “I love you,” he said. “I love you more than anything in this world or the next.”

  “I love you, too,” I promised him, watching as he smiled, then kissed me again. I could tell he was holding himself back as he fucked me, not going as hard or deep as he needed to. I tried to urge him on by speeding up the rhythm of my body, but he let go of my hands and held my hips instead, slowing me down.

  “You’re still healing.”

  “I’m fine,” I gasped, whimpering every time he filled me fully with his perfect cock. I had never felt anything better in my life as he fucked me nice and slow, my climax building up inside of me, boiling like hot water about to spill over. My pussy gushed over him every few seconds, and soon I started to feel something even better, a glow throughout my body that heightened the pleasure so that my hips started to buck, close to cumming.

  “What is that?” I asked breathlessly, groaning when he held my hips still again, pulling his cock away from me.

  “That’s the bond.”

  “Why did you stop?”

  “Because you’re in trouble. You made yourself cum without asking.”

  “Gabriel—”

  “You gotta learn, angel,” he said in a chiding voice, kissing my neck, then my shoulder, lowering his face to my breasts. He took a long time sucking and licking my nipples, occasionally sliding his cock inside of me for two or three strokes, just enough to make me need more, then pulling away before I could build up again.

  “I hate you.”

  “You love me,” he said as he pushed inside of me again, and I could tell he was beginning to lose control of himself. His hips sped up against mine as we glowed brighter and brighter, and I felt something shift between us, something that tied our bodies together. His body became urgent against mine and he kissed me again, reaching down to rub my clit with his fingers while he fucked me good and hard with his hips.

  “I’m sorry,” he said as I started to cum again, then chuckled as he pulled away from me. I didn’t let him go but wrapped my legs around his hips and flipped him over, beginning to ride him wildly, bouncing and writhing on his cock. I was glad when he didn’t try to stop me but rather took my hands and held them in his as he watched my face. I held his eye and bit my lip, squeezing his fingers, riding against him in the way that felt most natural. My body grew tighter and tighter, the bond between us building and strengthening. I reached down to rub my clit with my fingertips, pushing me over the edge.

  “Cum for me, Sophie,” Gabriel said, kissing the hand he was still holding. I did as he said almost instantly, letting out a soft scream as the glow burst inside of me like fireworks, filling me to the tips of my limbs. Gabriel groaned and I felt him cum inside of me, arms wrapped around my waist, pounding me from below until he was finished. I collapsed on his chest and kissed him deeply, feeling the bond like warm waves through my skin.

  “I love you,” I said. “Thank you.”

  “It was my pleasure,” he said in a soft voice, kissing my fingers again.

  Chapter 19: Gabriel

  It wasn’t long before I flipped Sophie onto her back again, slid my cock into her and watched her face as she took it. Her body was perfect, beautiful, but that face was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. My hips couldn’t help it—they sped up as they had before, eager to make her cum all over me, knowing that she liked it fast and hard and deep. She moaned as I made her cum over and over, holding myself back. I was close to the edge when a chorus of screams went up outside. I pulled away from her and jumped to my feet, glancing out the window to see smoke filling the streets, chaos and blood as people threw themselves at each other. I looked over at Sophie, who had scrambled out of the bed and was getting dressed.

  “Let’s go,” she said, slinging her shotgun over her shoulder, holding her handgun out in front of her.

  “Stay with me,” I told her, grabbing her free hand and pulling her out into the fray. I coughed and covered my mouth and nose with my elbow, peering around carefully through the smoke. I didn’t have time to assess the situation before I heard a loud growling, then felt something lunge at me from nowhere. A gunshot rang out and the dead wolf dropped before it got to me. Sophie gave me a grave look, looking pained at the sounds of screams going up all around us. I heard a roar and squinted through the smoke to see a lion backing a woman against one of the huts, the roof of which was burning. Sophie aimed and fired, not saying a word as she started to run in that direction.

  “Sophie!” I called out, gunshots ringing out around me. I was about to follow her, but I heard a shrill cry that made the blood run cold in my veins.

  “That’s Jane,” I said aloud to myself, shifting, beginning to run as fast as I could toward the noise. I pulled up short when I saw the girls, freezing in place for a moment. They both had determined looks on their faces, each with a hand held up as two fully-grown lions dangled in the air in front of them. Chelsey let out a howl and shoved her hand forward, and I heard a snapping sound, watching as both lions’ heads twisted on their shoulders, their necks breaking instantly. They crumpled to the ground and I ran toward the girls, wrapping them in my arms.

  “You need to go. Run as far as you can,” I said to them.

  “We can help,” Chelsey said confidently, gesturing over my shoulder. This time, one of the dead wolves hung in the air. She flung it easily aside and it crunched against a tree, its skull caving the moment it hit.

  “They’re saving lives,” I heard a voice come from behind me to see Lily jogging up, her arm covered in blood from a bite wound.

  “Was that a zombie?” I asked her urgently. She shook her head.

  “Lyle. He lives a few doors down from you.”

  I cursed.

  “She said she had people here. I didn’t even think about it.”

  “It’s okay,” Lily said. “But we need the girls.”

  “No,” I said firmly, but didn’t get the chance to stop them before I heard a deep growl, saw Arthur barreling toward me in bear form. He shifted and looked down at me.

  “Have you been in the village?”

  “Yes,” he said.

  “How bad is it?”

  “It’s bad. We’re outnumbered three to one. People are dying quick.”

  “Shit, shit,” I breathed. “I need to find Harley. Lily, please—”

  “We’re helping, Dad,” Chelsey said, exchanging a look with Jane. For a moment, I forgot the world around me, and my breath caught in my throat at the words. Then I touched both of their cheeks, kissed them on the tops of their heads.

  “Will you stay beside them?” I asked Arthur. He gave a solemn nod and shifted again as I turned around and started to jog back to the village, calling for Harley as I went. I didn’t know what else I could do to stop her, and only hoped that it wasn’t too late to end the battle before every single one of my people was dead.

  “Harley!” I yelled as loud as I could, entering the village. At once I was surrounded by three lionesses, each of them snarling at me through teeth even bigger than mine. I shif
ted and went after one of them without hesitation, clamping my jaw down on her throat and tearing into it. I felt another one dive on my back and bucked her off of me, my extra strength sending her flying against one of the huts. I had never felt more powerful as I went toward the third lion. I didn’t get there before Nathaniel appeared in wolf form, jumping on her back, crushing her to the ground beneath his massive body. He took off and I shifted back into human, running toward the center of the village where many of the dead had flocked. I could make out swift movement in the center of the circle, and I peered through the thick smoke to see Sam and Camilla back to back with their spears, taking the wolves out one by one with calm determination.

  “Harley, I’m ready for this. Let’s get it over with.”

  “But it’s fun,” came Harley’s voice behind me. I swiveled to see her gliding toward me, feet hovering above the ground.

  “You don’t have to do this. This is between us. Call them off.”

  “No. I told you, this village is mine.”

  “You always meant to wait until the moment we bonded,” I said. “You weren’t giving us time. You can’t kill me unless Sophie and I are bound, right?”

  “Finally, you figure it out,” she said with a slow clap. “Exactly. If you hadn’t bonded at all, I wouldn’t have been able to kill you. You did exactly what you needed to do, and now you’re dead.”

  “You never wanted a fair fight at all. That was just bullshit to get us to mate. And it doesn’t make any fucking sense.”

  “Sure it does. You, as Alpha, were so strong. Too strong even for me. Especially when Sophie was in danger.”

  “So? I’m stronger now that we’ve bonded.”

  “Ah, but you won’t be. Not after Sophie’s part of the prophecy comes true. Do you know how weak you’ll be if you lose the one you’re bonded to?”

  I felt a chill go down my spine and shuddered with horror, baring my teeth at her, about to shift and kill.

  “You’re not going to hurt Sophie,” I snarled, and lunged at her before she had time to react. I grabbed her by the waist and yanked her to the ground, throwing her down as quickly as I could. She struggled under my strength when I put my foot to her chest, then aimed a kick at her head. My foot bounced off of it and she growled, and all of the sudden I felt something wrap around my ankle, jerking me from my feet. I looked to see that I was dangling from a vine that had wrapped around my ankle. Harley climbed to her feet and I felt the familiar sensation of her invisible whip against my skin. I flinched but didn’t cry out as it hit me again, then again as I dangled there.