“I’ll be in touch, Father.” Jericho acknowledged his son but said nothing to her, and River counted that as a small mercy, having expected some ribald comment.
Jett ushered her outside and to a huge black SUV crouched at the curb. After tossing her case in the back, he handed her into the passenger seat and ensured she was belted in securely. Perhaps he thought she would make a run for it, or hurl herself from the vehicle going at top speed. If it weren’t for Cass, the latter might have been an option, but he’d offered the carrot of contact, and she was going to hold him to it. She recognized an honorable male when she met one, even if he was stuck in the pack mentality of believing in nature and destiny.
The powerful engine turned over and she leaned her head back against the leather seat. It seemed her mate had funds unless he was up to his eyeballs in debt. Time would tell. Emotionally drained, she hoped he wouldn’t lecture her the whole way, and peered out her window into the deepening dusk. She couldn’t possibly spar with him and fight the strengthening physical attraction at the same time. Her temples ached and her left leg jumped in place while her foot beat a tattoo against the floor mat.
Her entire body was extremely aware of him as a virile male—her mate—and her wolf was now wide awake, pacing, and clawing to escape. Her structured mind, an accountant’s, was somewhat up to the task of maintaining a reserve, but only if she could focus.
“If you can sleep, do so. We won’t be stopping for the night. I’ll find a motel for a meal and a few hours’ rest tomorrow. I know you are warring with your heat, but relax as much as you can. This isn’t the time or the place to consummate our connection.”
Her face heated in reaction to his clinical comment. Connection. Naturally, he knew she was unraveling, and playing the gentleman only made her more fragile. Why couldn’t he have shown up two days late? Or not at all? A tear escaped and meandered down the rounded plane of her cheekbone before drying in the cool air emanating from the vents.
She closed her eyes, carefully angling her face away from a casual glance. Pretending to drift off, she slipped deep into her head, creating and solving difficult mathematical problems. It served to distract her wolf a tad, and she worked at it fiercely. Giving a little thought to her punishment cooled her ardor as well. When she had thought about her dad not touching her, it included no corporal punishment, so she was actually pretty scared of what Jett planned to visit on her. She’d noted the supple black belt he wore, and his hands were huge.
The big engine powered them on into the night, as she did her math and worried, the quiet, formidable figure at her side a forever reminder of her so called destiny.
Chapter Two
Jett pushed the SUV hard, viscerally aware of the sweet bundle of she-wolf strapped in beside him. Her wafting scent was increasing infinitesimally, despite her clear efforts to resist him, and it was driving him insane. Had he ever desired a female in this manner, even before pushing his claim?
He’d obeyed his sire’s edict and attended his territory to appraise the suggested mate, not really believing she’d be suitable. And then River had appeared, a small, slight figure, dressed casually, the length of her body concealed. She’d done nothing with her hair nor used any makeup that he could determine, and yet she’d shoved past his defenses without effort—and apparently without knowing it. His reaction had been out of control, nearly annihilating the shield of the substances she’d ingested before he’d yanked it back in time to give them both space to breathe. And for him to ponder his decision.
Not that he’d considered refusing to claim her, not for a moment. He’d instinctively wanted to protect her from the wrath of the other males should they discover her perfidy, and to plan his strategy once he found out why she was so damn resistant. His father wasn’t any help when it came to supplying information, either. Jericho never looked past destiny, although if anyone should, he’d be the one, but that was an issue for another time. In the end, River’s father was simply elated that his daughter had caught the eye of an alpha with a good reputation, and Jericho was optimistic.
He knew his role and what was expected of him as Alpha. His father had left a council of six to teach and train him into that role, sometimes by dint of boots and fists. When he’d gotten older, he’d fucked a wide swath through all available females, both human and shifter, his sexual appetite little different than most of his peers. But none had stirred him the way River Fortuna did. Having seen clear and irrefutable evidence of destiny, her strong desire to avoid a predicted—and safe—fate puzzled him. And she viewed it as one sided. Whatever transpired between her father and mother obviously soured her on a claiming, and he wondered if that relationship had truly been unbalanced as she indicated.
Once they mated, he would be as bound to her as she to him, and that meant for life. Her father hadn’t searched out another mate after her mother’s death, and unless something vastly different had come to pass within Jericho’s pack, Jett could only interpret his future father-in-law’s reticence as an indication he remained devastated by his loss. So perhaps there was something else operating in River’s head.
The man had relatively little to share about his daughter, but not out of reticence. Indeed, Reginald appeared unable to offer anything other than the most superficial information. If there was a question about how connected the two were, the way she ignored him at her leave-taking painted a clear picture. Jett suspected she had scant use for males, but he was up for a challenge.
Squinting at a shadow hovering at the edge of a ditch, he prepared to brake if the deer broke for the other side, but it remained stationary until they flashed past. River stirred slightly and his cock pressed painfully against his jeans. He doubted they could wait until returning to his territory and considered the choices of lodging ahead. There were a few pleasant, even luxurious, places to stop, though he doubted she would care. Yet he wanted nice surroundings for her.
He couldn’t actually spare the time required for a proper claiming. As it was, the rogue wolves sniffing around his territory would have likely determined he was away and might press the advantage. But he’d never last until they got to his home, and more importantly, he doubted River would either, given that the supplements would be losing all effectiveness by now. A female’s heat could be excruciating unless relieved, so he’d take her and mark her, albeit hurriedly.
A bit of remorse that he’d caused her sexual distress flickered through his head before he dismissed it. It was how pack life played out, and one little female couldn’t change the eons of history. Once again he cursed his duty for interfering with a more leisurely courtship and vowed he’d make it up to her when they were home. Where he could show her the true nature of a claiming. Caring and affection grew from the physical connection and he intuited that it would be no hardship in feeling softer emotions for River.
After an interminable length of time, he spotted the turn off he remembered and slowed to take the service road. River sat up and her long blonde hair swung in ghostly patterns by the light of the dash symbols. “Are we there already? It’s still dark.” Her voice was strained and the strength of her heat was tangible. His dick, already strangled in his jeans, warred with his wolf to break free.
“This is a good place to stop and dawn will break soon.”
“Are you tired?”
He nearly chuckled at the hopeful note in her voice. Given her distaste for a claiming and what he sincerely hoped were skewed ideas, perhaps she believed he required rest instead of—her. All of her. “I’m not tired.”
“Oh.”
He pulled the vehicle into the large parking lot and shut it down, and then turned to face her. “I’ve set my claim, River, and there’s nothing to do but move forward.”
“You’ve set your claim and I’m to follow along. Like I have any choice.” The increasing sensual discomfort of her body was now evident in her tone and he avoided taking deep breaths, fearing her scent would overwhelm his more gentlemanly instincts. She already
feared her future. He could smell that too.
“You don’t,” he said agreeably. “But I’ll make it good for you.”
She didn’t reply, but the scent of her fear increased. Jett swore inwardly as he climbed out and retrieved his duffel and her suitcase.
River clambered from the SUV, reluctance imprinted on her every move, even as he marked her visible need. Jett herded her along, unable to touch her because of the bulk of the cases, which was probably a good thing. She paced toward the lobby and he admired her slender form, her wealth of hair spilling around her shoulders and down her back. He itched to feel the strands between his fingers and wondered what her wolf form looked like. Was she a pale wolf to his dark? Not that it was likely he’d ever know. River should never have a cause to shift.
Pressing the automatic door button so he could enter before her, he could feel her hesitate behind him and his wolf-self wished she’d bolt so he could shift and run her down. Mate her in the wild like his ancestors. A growl caught in his throat and he heard her whimper, and then follow him into the brightly lit foyer.
“One room. King-size bed. Jacuzzi if there’s one available.” River might like the benefits of a whirlpool.
“Certainly, sir. Have you stayed with us before?” The brunette manning the reception desk was gorgeous and put together despite the lateness of the hour. She left him cold, another indication that his claim was dead certain. Smiling charmingly, she ignored River who shuffled in place a fair distance away. “Ah, no Jacuzzi, but a steam shower is available.”
Setting his burden down, he drew his wallet out and passed over a premium card. The woman’s eyes widened along with her smile. “Thank you, sir.”
He waited impatiently as she imprinted a plastic key and handed it over in a cardboard sleeve with the room number noted on it. Shoving it in his shirt pocket, he collected the luggage, jerking his head toward the elevator. River moved in that direction, her small frame visibly trembling, and he hurried to block the view from the receptionist. There was nothing he could do about her tiny moans, likely beneath the range of human hearing in any event.
They rode the elevator to the sixth floor in near silence, the eddies of lust making the small space nearly insufferable for him, and his mate leaned against the wall as though she might slip to the floor any moment. Her brow and temples glistened with sweat and her fingers twitched spasmodically. She was coming into her full heat and fighting it all the way.
Stepping off when the doors opened, he strode in the direction the small arrow indicated and found the room within several yards. The key card gave them entrance and he flicked on the light. He shoved the cases just inside the door, blocking the heavy panel with his forearm so it wouldn’t close. “In you go, River.”
Did women trudge? His woman did, despite the trembling of her entire body. His heart ached at her trepidation despite the all-encompassing lust he experienced. Her head down, intense need radiating to pull him in, he threw the deadbolt, and then gave in to what their nature decreed.
Thrusting his hand through her thick mane, his fingers weaving among the long, silky strands just as he’d fantasized, he drew her head back and forced her to look him in the eyes. Hers were dilated, the rich brown irises nearly eclipsed by the stark black of her pupils. Square, white teeth clenched her full bottom lip, presumably to control panting, because she drew draughts of air in through her nose. He could detect the threads of resignation weaving through her vast need, her intense heat rapidly eclipsing any coherent thought. Regret that he’d caused this again pierced his own narrowly shrinking focus—but only briefly. He lowered his head and took her mouth.
Sweetness and life burst over his senses at his first taste, and he groaned against her full lips even as his tongue made a foray past them. River totally surrendered, as female wolves do when they met their fated mate, and he barely had time for that thought—fated mate—before he wrapped an arm around her limp form. Two steps and they fell to the big bed, the mattress compressing beneath their combined weight as he ravished her mouth. She opened to let him in and gave up all the flavor that was uniquely her.
He reluctantly tore his lips away to rear up and shred the plain shirt that hid her from his view. Her lightly tanned skin filled his vision as her utilitarian bra met the same fate, and he noted with pleasure how modest her tan lines were. His wolf rose up. Mine. The growling claim resounded in the room and her eyes fluttered open and she blinked. Behind the thicket of her dark lashes, a sexual haze again blurred the rich chocolate, and her lids drifted shut.
Once they came to know one another, their coming together could be slowed and savored, but for now, he needed to visibly establish his claim. His frantic cock shuddered in agreement as he demolished the tough denim of her jeans, taking care not to score her soft skin with a claw.
With her nude beneath him, his gaze drawn to the soft, pale fur at her apex, he willed his other-self back, and his claws retracted. Lord knew what she’d seen when she’d stared up at him. Probably a wild-eyed beast intent on its succulent prey, and he blessed the Mother and the mating heat that River hadn’t screamed in fear. Only an alpha could partially shift, and it was unlikely she’d seen one in that state before.
His own apparel fell away as he quickly stripped and then blanketed his mate’s writhing form. Velvety flesh met his own in a haze of heat and sensation.
“Please.” Her plea was strangled and all the more evocative because of it.
“I’ll take care of you,” he promised. “Always.”
River whined and arched into him, rubbing her swollen breasts with their tightly bunched nipples against his chest. Her sex perfumed the air and her wet folds caressed his cock as she begged for him to release her from her sexual agony. Nearly mindless himself, he dipped his head to take a tender tip between his lips, marking how it elongated as he worked his tongue over the areola. River’s small breasts were delectable, full and round, sitting high on her narrow torso, and he wished for another mouth as he abandoned the turgid nipple to seek out the other.
He longed for a taste between her thighs, but his cock was seeking out her entrance with a mind of its own and he succumbed to the call. Reaching to pull her thigh over his hip, he opened her to the broad head of his dick and advanced into her body. She was insanely tight, despite the welcoming warmth of her natural lubricant, and he applauded the scalding warmth as he plumbed into her depths.
The thin membrane guarding her gate gave way against his determined thrust and River tensed, ceasing her instinctive movements. He somehow stilled and waited as she adjusted to what was obviously her initial foray into sex. Few female wolves maintained their virginity and it wasn’t a requirement. Both sexes sowed their oats before being claimed and they gained experience and understanding as a result. The comparison served to highlight the enhanced connection of a mating—casual copulation had none of the spiritual connection. But River had avoided even casual sex… Even as the thought flashed through his head, both he and his wolf growled their approval of being her first.
She relaxed as her heat once again directed her need and he concentrated on using slow and even thrusts until he was sheathed fully in her clenching pussy. River thrashed her head as he worked his arms beneath her to hold her close, reveling in the sensation of his true mate.
He spoke against her temple, holding her face against his neck. “Feel me, sweetheart. Just feel.”
Slowly, she calmed, only tiny shivers apparent on her small frame. His skin pricked in response and he carefully lowered her head to the pillow. With every increasing movement, he pistoned in and out of her tight passage and heard her whimper, but this time with pleasure.
The base of his spine tingled in warning as he rutted between her widely spread thighs and she met him thrust for thrust in wild abandon. Forcing a hand between them, he sought out the cord of her sex, the tiny nub thrusting from its hood. No surprise, she shrieked at his touch, her clit so sensitive a gentle rub tumbled her over the abyss.
/> Pulling out, he flipped her onto her belly, lifting her into position with a grasp on either hip. He pushed his cock in deep, finding his way unerringly, yet fighting for territory against the swollen tissues resulting from her orgasm. He followed her into climax in a mere three thrusts, holding hard against her as his seed flowed with painful intensity from his balls, jetting from his cock and against the mouth of her womb, the walls of her channel flinching spasmodically around him.
Without hesitation, he set his teeth at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, his lips marking the silky skin there, and bit down. Instinct now drove him, for he’d never marked another, and the sweetly metallic taste of her blood sang through his being. His orgasm drew out to an almost painful degree, and then River cried out and he soothed the bite with his tongue. “Shh. You’re mine. It won’t hurt for long. Easy, sweetheart.”
As a first claiming he would never forget it, and he knew she’d also been carried along on fulfilling sensation. He carefully withdrew on a flood of their combined secretions and River sobbed into the pillow. Jett realized she hadn’t made any effort to hold him, despite his decision to initiate her with the tried and true missionary position. Indeed, her fists were still clenched at her waist. He stood in awe at her absolute determination to resist a claim—his claim—even in the throes of her heat.
His mouth set as he considered the myriad of difficulties ahead and the wonder faded in the face of it. He had enough to manage with his pack and the encroaching threats, let alone deal with such a recalcitrant mate. River would service him thoroughly and often and he wouldn’t ignore her pleasure at any time. And hopefully conceiving his child would make her more amenable. But he was fast losing patience—
He brought himself up short, recognizing it was his ego pushing and making him react in such a manner. Somehow he would have to convince her that this was right, especially when he determined all of her needs and showed her he would meet them. Nature would prevail, after all, as a welcome ally.
Bound by Destiny (Blue Star Shifters Book 1) Page 3