Kenney, Laina - Vulfen Alpha's Mate [Vulfen Cadre 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Kenney, Laina

  “Rylek,” she panted. “Please, I need you. Don’t tease me.”

  It was too much and never enough. He was holding back from her. She was ravenous. If he continued playing with her body like this, she would go mad. She needed more of what he was giving. She needed everything she knew he could give.

  With a final feathery kiss on her swollen folds, Rylek rose from the water to stand between her thighs. Little runnels streamed down his wide chest, drawing her appreciative gaze. His roped muscles rippled and shone with wetness in the dim light. Her pussy cramped and spasmed around its own emptiness.

  He tugged her into the water to press her against his chest. Holding her eyes with the strength of his gaze, he settled the broad wet head of his cock at her pulsing gate and waited until she was writhing and trying to capture him. He lowered her weight and impaled her on his hard penis in one mind-stealing slow-motion plunge. Her inner muscles twitched and rippled as her body struggled to accommodate his size. Ellie screamed once and then again, clutching his shoulders for support as he set up a brutal surging rhythm.

  He was burning her, searing his presence into her soul. He built the urgency between them until they were both striving for the same goal, until she couldn’t tell his desperate need from her own.

  The force of his thrusts made her breasts bounce and rub against his hairy chest, tormenting her sensitive nipples unbearably. The water rocked around them. Waves splashed and sloshed against the sides of the pool and all the while he held her captive with his glowing regard. He was nothing human, but he was hers in a way that no one ever had been.

  He increased the tempo, slamming into her with shattering force. Her tight muscles clamped around him, and he snarled. His gleaming fangs descended and he pulled out.

  Ellie cried out at the loss and fought to recapture him, but he turned her in his arms and bent her over the side of the pool. Her fevered cheek pressed against the cool marble tiles and heavy curls fell over her gasping mouth.

  He pushed into her in a firm slide, his thick cock rasping over tender tissues with every savage penetration. He hit spots no one had touched inside her. His chest rubbed all along her back. The level of sensation was devastating.

  The pounding friction of his driving body tore through her like lightning, and when she felt his fangs sink into the nape of her neck and hold there, she screamed out her orgasm and thrashed in his arms. She stiffened then collapsed over the cool tile rim.

  Her pussy was pulsing around his thickness. With a few more vicious jabs, he joined her, pumping his blazing semen against the mouth of her womb. Every muscle in his body contracted. The shocks of his release went on and on, until his deep voice broke on a stifled yell. He gasped out her name before he fell to lie on her back.

  She couldn’t move. Breathing was an effort. Her muscles had the strength of wilted flowers. She felt limp with pleasure.

  An eternity passed, or perhaps it was only a few minutes before Rylek pulled out with a grumble. He somehow got them both out of the pool, but they only made it as far as the cushioned bench along the far wall. He fell more than sat and lay back with Ellie on his chest. She was draped over him like a blanket and content to stay there. The steamy heat in the bathing room made it very comfortable to be naked.

  Rylek rested his hands on her back and nuzzled her wild curls with his chin.

  “I love your hair,” he said in a quiet voice. “You were so beautiful sitting in my restaurant, so poised with your hair pinned up, but I could see curls escaping. I knew even then that there was a wild side to you. Your scent and that hint of wildness lured me in a way I could not deny.”

  She ran a string of kisses along his neck and shoulder.

  “There’s nothing wild about me. I’m an average woman.”

  Ellie jiggled and held on to her living mattress as Rylek laughed.

  “Ellie, you do not see yourself as I see you. You have a rare tolerance for those different from you. You have a curious mind. You accepted a man turning into a wolf in your apartment. You stood up for your opinion against that man whom you knew to be something other than human. And moments after you were attacked and shot at, your reaction was to give one of my seconds a hard time about his alarming driving habits. You are courageous and passionate. Not average at all.”

  She shook her head but she was smiling. His view of her was prejudiced, but she didn’t feel like arguing. She liked the way he saw her. She cuddled against her vulfen mate, just breathing in his wonderful scent until she drifted into sleep.

  Chapter 12

  Ellie stopped halfway down the long winding staircase and looked around. The huge atrium was lit by tall stained glass windows that captured the light of the setting sun.

  She and Rylek had napped and loved the afternoon away. Before coming downstairs they had shared a leisurely meal. She ate more red meat in one sitting than she had eaten in the previous month. She had almost seemed to crave it.

  Ellie was trying very hard not to think too much, since these people could smell fear, but her nerves were jangling. She took a deep breath and blew it out. It was time for her to meet the vulfen people.

  “My heart, there is no need for this terrible anxiety. My people will love you.” Rylek spoke softly in her ear. “At the first hint of a harsh word being spoken to you, I will put on my most forbidding expression and frighten the offending person away. I will bare my fangs at them and growl.”

  He teased her by growling softly into her hair until she squirmed away.

  He reached out, and she took his hand. He let her set the pace as they descended the stairs.

  When they were at the bottom, she stopped again.

  “Rylek—” She felt frustrated with herself. She didn’t know if she wanted to made a statement or ask a question.

  He seemed to understand her inner turmoil.

  “Ellie, I stepped forward as Alpha at a very young age, only months after my First Change. Some said I was too young, and in retrospect, they may have been right. There has always been an Alpha in the Russian clans, but not every Alpha has had a queen. My father was Alpha, and my mother was queen, but their reign was short and decades ago. My father lost his will and died shortly after my mother was murdered. I was young, but I challenged the council and became Alpha. Some members of my father’s Cadre supported me. Believe me when I tell you, the people will be happy to have a queen again.”

  Ellie heard more than the words. Rylek spoke of the death of his parents and of his own struggles to fulfill his obligations in such a matter of fact way. He had obviously worked to come to terms with the tragedy in his life. She already knew Rylek was not a man to sit around whining about his misfortunes. He was a man of action.

  Ellie was amazed at his strength of character. Wrapping her arms around him, she held on hard.

  He brushed a kiss on her forehead, trying to smooth away the frown lines she knew were there. She let him hold her and rub her back. It was a surprisingly good feeling and it took several minutes before she was ready to pull back.

  There was a tall, striking woman waiting for them a few steps away with the white-haired warrior Ellie recognized as Matsij Gabrov.

  “Ellie, here is Eva Sidarova, a Cadre member and my cousin, and Matsij Gabrov. They were unavoidably absent for the Cadre presentation earlier.”

  Ellie started to greet them when they stepped forward and went down on their knees. They bared the backs of their necks to her.

  Ellie sighed. Really, these warriors were too much.

  With a sideways glance at Rylek, she walked up and touched the tops of their heads. “I thank you for your protection,” she said. The simple statement had worked before.

  She didn’t even flinch when they jumped to their feet, slashed claws across their forearms and roared. Her first thought was that the sound was much more manageable with a smaller group in a much larger room. The blood salute didn’t startle her. It was nothing new. Maybe she could get the hang of this queen business.

 
“Thank you,” she said, and they bowed.

  “My queen,” Eva said. “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you. Please call me Ellie.”

  Eva’s eyes widened. She looked so shocked Ellie almost giggled.

  Okay, so maybe that wouldn’t happen right away, but Ellie was determined. She would stand with Rylek and be his mate and even perform the duties of queen, but she didn’t have to be called queen every five minutes. She was sure that with enough persistence she could get some of these people to call her by her name.

  Matsij inclined his head. “I regret that we missed the initial Cadre presentation, my queen. My team was hunting.”

  Eva stepped forward eagerly. “My queen, if you decide to recreate the Queen’s Guard, I would petition to be considered for membership. I will fulfill any challenge you require of me,” she offered.

  Matsij stilled. “Eva, you are a chosen member of the Alpha’s Cadre. Do you so easily renounce your vow to your Alpha?”

  Eva dropped her eyes and moved back.

  From Eva’s reaction, that remark was as bad as a slap. Ellie didn’t understand all the ins and outs of vulfen politics, but she wasn’t going to allow any bullying or intimidation. She straightened her spine and drew herself up to her full height.

  “Rylek, I would like to speak to you later about borrowing a member of your Cadre to be a Queen’s Guard,” she said in her best imitation of a queen’s voice. She tilted her chin and glared up at the white-haired warrior. “For now, though, we have a presentation to attend.”

  Eva stood tall again, a wondering expression on her face.

  Matsij looked startled by Ellie’s ferocious glower.

  Good.

  Rylek failed to conceal his smile. He offered Ellie his arm with a flourish, and she took it.

  “Of course, you may have your pick of my best warriors,” he said. “But keep in mind the Alpha will always be the first warrior in the Queen’s Guard. It is my honor to protect my mate.”

  She smiled up at him. Vulfen or not, he was the original alpha male. He really was too predictable.

  “Are you ready now to meet your people?” Rylek asked.

  “Yes, I am,” she said and found that it was true.

  Her nervousness had disappeared in the first flash of aggravation at Matsij’s comment. These warriors had everything their own way. It was time for a shakeup and Ellie decided she was just the person to do it.

  She let Rylek lead her into the crowded ballroom with her head high and a determined smile on her face.

  “I think your expression would strike fear in the hearts of my Cadre warriors if they even suspected what you might be thinking. As they are carrying out their duties in the normal way, I am certain they have no idea,” Rylek murmured as they walked through the center of the crowd and toward the dais where Valeri and Miros stood waiting.

  “I’m going to be your queen, Rylek. And my first act as queen will be to drag these warriors into the twenty-first century. I hope you’re ready for this, because I’m sure the Cadre will be surprised to learn how far behind the times they really are.”

  He chuckled under his breath and raised her hand to press a tender kiss on her fingers. “Ellie, I can hardly wait.”

  They reached Valeri and Miros, who bowed and moved to the sides so that Rylek and Ellie could stand center stage and face the gathered people.

  There were a lot of people. Ellie was surprised at how normal, how human they all looked. Well, of course, they had to know how to blend in to keep their furry secret, but she couldn’t detect a single thing to pinpoint the difference.

  The Cadre members moved into position in a semi-circle behind them. Rylek bowed to Ellie before turning to the audience.

  “My people, I present to you my mate and the vulfen queen, Elizabeth Sidarova.”

  Her name sounded so beautiful, so exotic when he said it with such pride. It sounded like a queen’s name.

  He raised their joined hands high, and when he lowered them, the people knelt.

  Ellie noticed that even though everyone went to their knees, some were slow to do so. She wondered if Rylek observed the discrepancy and made a mental note to ask him about it. Did some of his people object to a human queen? Did they feel that she was inferior and resent having to kneel to her?

  One of the last couples to kneel was a lean white-haired man and his companion near the back of the room. He was a tall man with broad shoulders, but he wasn’t part of the Cadre. Those warriors she had already met.

  The vulfen people rose to their feet and one by one, they filed past the low stage where Ellie and Rylek stood.

  Ellie liked this part of the presentation much better. The people introduced themselves, and some stopped to talk briefly with Rylek. Some of the women talked to her directly, but many just smiled. One or two of the younger females seemed cool toward her, but most of the vulfen people were very kind. She met so many people, the faces and names started to blur after a time.

  One older woman who bore a startling resemblance to Eva took Ellie’s hands in hers.

  “My queen,” she said, and kissed Ellie’s cheeks. Ellie could almost feel the warmth radiating from her gentle face. The woman sniffed discretely. “I congratulate you, Rylek, on your excellent choice. Your mate is healthy and your scents blend well.”

  Rylek bowed from the waist, honoring the woman.

  “I am Mura Sidarova. Rylek is my nephew, and my two children are in the Cadre.” She glanced sideways at Rylek with a wink and said, “But if the rumors are true, perhaps I will have a son in the Cadre and a daughter in the Queen’s Guard?”

  Ellie couldn’t hide her surprise.

  “How did you know?” she asked.

  Rylek laughed. “Do not ask how Mura knows anything. She knew whenever we were up to something as youngsters. Valeri and I did not get away with anything. We all believe she has eyes in the back of her head.”

  Mura raised her eyebrows. “I’m sure those boys did get away with one or two things I didn’t find out about, but assuredly not many.”

  Rylek nodded. “It is true. Mura is still in charge of training our young. She has many contacts among our people and always knows the very best gossip.”

  Mura patted his arm. “I promise you, I never pass on gossip,” she said. “But I do enjoy hearing it.”

  Rylek and the Cadre warriors near them chuckled at that, and Ellie laughed with them.

  The night wore on. When the individual introductions were over, one man pulled out a hand-held drum, someone else produced a curious stringed instrument with a mellow tone and they began to play music. Some of the vulfen people danced, in couples or in larger circles, but many just talked in small groups.

  Valeri grabbed Ellie’s hand and pulled her into the group of dancers. He whirled her around to the energetic beat until she was shrieking with laughter at his antics.

  Her laughter died in her throat when Rylek appeared over Valeri’s shoulder. With his black hair loose around his shoulders and his gaze warm and intense, he took her breath away. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen, and he was hers.

  “I would like to dance with my mate,” he said. His eyes were a brilliant black, not glowing yet, but close to it. His possessiveness in claiming her was clear for all to see.

  Valeri stepped back.

  Ellie walked into Rylek’s arms as if mesmerized and the music slowed to a beautiful waltz. He led her around the floor with smooth control. She found that in his arms she was a better dancer. Perhaps it was his warrior training that made him so light on his feet, or just the man himself, but he was an artist on the dance floor. Ellie enjoyed every moment of their dance.

  When the music ended, he leaned in for a slow brush of lips. The people stomped their feet in rhythm with each other. The sound was loud and somehow exuberant.

  Ellie wondered if that was the vulfen version of clapping, but she didn’t get the chance to ask. Rylek kept her in his arms and dancing until the wee hours of the m
orning.

  Chapter 13

  “I’ll never be able to remember all of this by the ceremony tonight,” Ellie complained. Her bite mark felt swollen and itchy, and she could feel a headache starting behind her eyes. She rubbed her temples and tried not to squint at Mura.

  The brilliant afternoon light shone in the wide windows of the west parlor where they had spent hours reading from a dusty old scroll. Well, Mura was translating and reading it aloud to her, since the scroll was written in Russian.

  They had spent most of the previous day doing the same until Rylek had stolen his mate away for some “quality time” in the bathing room, claiming he could feel her need and couldn’t stay away. Built to take advantage of a natural spring, the dim, cozy bathing chamber was quickly becoming one of Ellie’s favorite rooms in the house.

  Mura laughed. The sound was like tinkling bells. She poured Ellie a fresh cup of tea and passed it to her before pouring for herself.

  “Of course you’ll remember, Ellie. And if your mind goes blank during the ceremony itself, please remember that most members of the vulfen community have never seen a crowning ceremony. It has been quite some time, nearly sixty years now, since Rylek’s mother was crowned. You can make up some of it if necessary. The only one who will know is Rylek.”

  Ellie didn’t know if that was reassuring or not. As she sipped her tea, a frightening thought occurred to her.

  “Mura, is the ceremony in Russian?”

  “Goodness, no. We live in America, now. The crowning ceremony will be in English, of course, just as we have practiced it.”

  Well, that was a relief.

  “Rylek has given me permission to steal Eva from his Cadre to recreate the Queen’s Guard. Mura, do you know anything about the Guard? Is there some procedure I need to follow, or a certain number of people I need?”