Hannah hadn’t mentioned Greg’s visit. Of course, they hadn’t spent much time talking the night before. Ethan had been more focused on solidifying their physical bond and had ignored everything else. The assumption they’d have plenty of chances to cover all the other stuff after they mated had come back to bite him in the ass.
Regret left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“She shouldn’t be here. If she agreed to be Noah’s wife, she’s off the market.”
“You heard our alpha, Ethan. I agree. She deserves the same chance Noah had at a family. He hadn’t protected his mate long enough to have one. That’s his fault, not Hannah’s. She shouldn’t be forced to live her life without the joys of being a mother.”
Much like Michael, Greg knew what to say to come off as being noble. Both lied through their teeth. It disgusted Ethan, but he’d use their own words against them. He should’ve done so long before. No better time than the present to start.
“You have a point. Many females say being a mother is the greatest role they could fill.” Ethan rubbed his chin in a contemplative manner and hoped the less-than-intelligent male next to him bought his acting skills. “And it wouldn’t hurt bringing her strong genes into the Tanner pack either.”
“There is that.” Greg turned his attention to Hannah. “I certainly wouldn’t mind claiming her as mine. She’d give me beautiful kids, dominant or not.”
“Do you actually think she’d welcome you? She looked at you as if she wanted to claw your eyes out when you stopped her from going to Noah.”
Another shrug. “I’ve heard Noah’s good in bed. He did fuck everything that moved in those couple of years after Mindy died. Guess it was his version of grieving.” Greg chuckled. “But once Hannah finds out Noah’s not the only male who can satisfy her, she’ll enjoy my touch.”
“Or mine.” Ethan faced Greg. “I think you might be right. Hannah deserves a chance with a male who can be everything Noah can’t.”
“And you think you can be that male?”
Ethan glanced at the moon. Almost midnight. He was running out of time. “Yes. In fact, I think I can convince her to run with me in less than five minutes.”
Greg chuckled. “Like hell. You don’t know how to seduce a woman. Why else would you go to human hookers?”
Ethan gave a half shrug. “Simpler. They don’t expect romance, just money.”
“Hannah has enough of her own. That won’t be a plus for you.”
“No, but you pointed out exactly what she does want.” Ethan glanced at Hannah. She met his gaze. After a moment, her face slackened with lust and her body flushed. She looked away. He couldn’t have planned her reaction any better. “A male who can command her body and make her beg. She doesn’t want to be seduced. She wants to be fucked hard.”
“Don’t give me any shit. You’re only sniffing after Hannah because Maria is off the market.”
Ethan shrugged. “I know when to cut my losses and move on.”
“So do I, and Hannah’s my second chance.”
“I guess we’re at an impasse, then. I won’t simply give her up.”
“Neither will I.”
“Then we can fight for her. Here. Now.”
“And while we’re going at it, one of the lesser males in the pack will use the opportunity to claim Hannah. You know how it is. They’ll back off if a dominant like you or me approaches her, but otherwise, she’s fair game.”
Greg was nowhere near being in the same class as Ethan. Only Greg’s depravity pushed him into the top tier of dominants. That would change the moment Ethan took over. Greg would learn what it felt like to be afraid.
“Should we make a bet, then?” Ethan raised a brow. “If I can’t get Hannah to leave with me in five minutes, I’ll back off and let you have her.”
Greg studied him with narrowed eyes. “Do you think me a fool? All you have to do is tell her you’ll help her get off Tanner soil, and she’ll leave with you.” He shook his head. “No. You get five minutes to convince her to fuck you. If you can’t get her to agree, she’s mine. She’ll be begging for my dick once I’m done with her.”
Ethan nearly smiled with the ease at which Greg had fallen into Ethan’s trap. “Agreed. May the best male win.”
Noah’s loud curse carried over the murmur of voices from the shifters gathered around the ceremonial circle. Ethan glanced at where he stood arguing with Michael. Ethan hated not having the chance to talk to Noah and hoped his hotheaded lover didn’t say anything that would damn them.
One of the protectors guarding Michael shoved Noah back. He balled his fists, muttered something to Michael, then made his way across the clearing. Noah flicked his gaze to Ethan before focusing on some distant point. The unspoken demand Ethan gleamed in that brief look spurred him into action.
Ethan strode forward, straight toward where Hannah stood among the group of Tanner females. As expected, Noah planted his palms against Ethan’s chest and pushed. Fangs bared, Noah got up in Ethan’s face, a ruse but his frustration was anything but. Ethan matched the aggressive stance and snarled. The rough sound set Noah off. He slammed Ethan to the ground.
Noah leaned over him. The fall of Noah’s hair hid his demanding expression from prying eyes. “Mate her.”
Ethan didn’t get the chance to respond. Noah raised a clawed hand. Ethan reacted. He grabbed Noah’s wrist and used the strength in his legs to knock Noah off him. The shove tossed him several feet away. The pack protectors rushed forward and grabbed Noah, stopping him from charging Ethan again.
Pride swamped him over the scene Noah had caused. The show served two purposes. One, to reassure Ethan that Noah wanted what was best for them. Two, to support Noah’s territorial drive concerning Hannah.
Ethan hopped to his feet, turned his back on the sight of his lover struggling with the other males, and went to Hannah. He didn’t hide his interest or his chosen partner. It didn’t matter who Ethan picked. Michael would use whichever female he approached to punish Ethan. Hannah was the one he knew he could protect.
Hannah regarded him coolly, the lust from moments ago hidden. He needed to bring it forth. He lowered his chin and let the hungers riding him show in his eyes. They were real. He wanted to devour her. Make her scream. Hear her cries of release. His dick lengthened, a sign that was impossible to misread. Since he was as naked as her, there was no way to hide the thick shaft.
She glanced from his cock to his face. Her breathing quickened. The rise and fall of her chest lifted her breasts. He shifted his gaze from her erect nipples to the space between her legs. The scent of her arousal drew him closer and made his mouth water. He licked his lips. Her rough inhale yanked his attention back to her face. The desire he’d come to expect from her showed in her eyes.
She scrambled backward. Noah’s growl carried over the sounds of the night. Ethan grinned. Both of his lovers gave him the reactions he wanted, whether they knew it or not. And why not? They were made to be his perfect complements.
He snatched Hannah’s hand before she could escape, but didn’t tug her into his embrace, despite his longing to hold her close. Instead, he held her at arm’s length, conscious of their audience. “Hello, Miss Kagan.”
“Mr. Lyons.” Venom dripped from her tone, but lust darkened her eyes.
He rubbed his thumb over the inside of her wrist. “Mr. Lyons? Have you forgotten my name already? We have talked before.”
“About business. First names aren’t necessary in business.”
“But they are when talking to potential mates.” Ethan slid the loose circle of his hand up Hannah’s arm, stopping at her elbow. “Say mine.”
“No.” A spark of defiance flashed in her expression.
Faked or not, it excited him. He took a step forward. She matched it backward. “It’s just a name, Hannah. Saying it won’t hurt you.”
She shook
her head. “I’m not playing games tonight. I just want to go home. Alone.”
He took another step, which she mimicked to keep the distance between them. Another and another, and he backed her into the trunk of a wide tree. Her eyes widened. He grinned. “No games. I know exactly what I want from you.”
“And that is?”
“You on your knees with your ass in the air and your fingers scratching at the ground as I fuck you.”
She sucked in a breath. The scent of her arousal thickened in the air around them. After a moment, she shook her head. “Didn’t you hear me when I told Michael that Noah is my true mate?”
“I heard. Like Michael, I don’t believe the spirit wolf would limit you to a male who can’t mate you.” The direction of his thoughts spurred another. “The spirit wolf loves you. It would want to give you everything.”
Eyes widened, she caught her lip between her teeth. “Including a male who can father my babies.”
“Yes.” He nodded, pleased she too followed his train of thought. It made perfect sense. The spirit wolf’s influence was subtle, but it was real. If it could somehow make him indifferent to other females, it could bend the rules for true mates who’d missed out on each other. “And I want to be the one who gets to fill you with life.”
She dropped her gaze to his lips. “I didn’t come to Tanner soil looking for a mate.”
He stepped closer to her, caging her in. She laid her hand against his naked chest, stopping him from closing the last scant inch between their bodies.
He tucked of lock of her hair behind her ear. “You came for sex.”
A small grin played on her mouth. With his body blocking her from prying eyes, she let her mask slip. Those shifters close by could hear them, but her expression was for him only. “Among other things.”
He settled his hands on the slight flare of her hips. “I can give you those things.”
“You don’t know what they are.”
“Let me guess.” He dragged the tips of his fingers to the edge of her breasts and stroked his thumbs over her nipples. She squirmed against him, the move unintentionally stimulating him more. Each brush of her stomach against his aching dick jacked up his needs. He bit back a groan. “You want a male to command you. Pleasure and protect you. You want someone to make you the center of his world.”
She skimmed her hands over the contours of his chest to his shoulders, then linked them behind his neck. “I’ve already found that. My sex life is quite”—she leaned into him and tipped her head back—“satisfying. I don’t want it to change.”
“Then let me make it better.” He bent closer and pressed his lips to her ear. “Listen to me, Hannah. After I make you come, I want you to shove away from me, shift and run east in the direction of Kagan soil. I’m going to catch you near the border and make sure you’re safe from Michael.”
“Okay, but—”
“Trust me.”
A slight nod answered him. Her acceptance settled over him. He didn’t give her another chance to question his plans. He kissed her as deeply as he had the first time he’d pulled her into his arms.
Pushing her to experience the full force of her lusts was the only way to trigger her instincts. He needed her wild and crazed. Michael wouldn’t believe a few words spoken would convince her to turn her back on her true mate. A female under the influence of her first fertile cycle who’d gotten caught up in her body’s desires would be something he could understand.
She clutched at him. Scratched his back. Moaned for him. Whether she knew it or not, she couldn’t have responded to his carnal kiss any better. Love swelled within him. She was perfect, everything he’d ever wanted in a woman. He let the emotion swamp him, hoping she felt it in the way he touched her and understood how much he cared.
She used her hold on his shoulders and pulled herself higher. He helped her, a hand on her bottom. With her arms hooked around his neck, she kissed him back. Hard. The desperation in every stroke of her tongue matched the signals she offered—from the way she squirmed to how she rocked against him. There was no mistaking what his presence did to her. The wetness and heat from her sex pressed to his stomach enflamed him.
He slid his hand along her spine, from the swell of her ass to her neck. The silken strands of her hair teased his skin, stimulating him more. He shoved the heavy mass of her hair from shoulder, then broke the intense melding of their mouths. One glimpse at her hooded eyes, swollen lips, and the flush to her cheeks, and he almost dipped his head for another kiss.
It’d be so easy to ignore those who watched them and give in to the moment. He could lay her on the ground and take her, loving her as completely as he had the night before and proving to everyone she was his. He shoved the primal drives away and focused on stimulating her—bringing her to the point where nothing else mattered but what he could do to her.
He skimmed his parted lips down her neck. She tilted her head, giving him better access. With nips and bites, he worked his way down the column of her throat to her shoulder. He let his fangs descend and scraped the sharpened edges over her delicate skin.
She shivered, and her breath caught on a sharp inhale. In the next heartbeat, she pushed against his chest and fought his hold, showing those onlookers she wasn’t ready. He grinned, the reaction one he wanted, so it didn’t appear as if she gave in too easily, then gave the spot one last lick before dropping to his knees.
In a quick move, he laid her on the soft grass, draped her legs over his shoulders, and pressed her upper body to the ground with his palm splayed over her chest, right above her plump breasts. Held in place for him, he turned his gaze to her sex. Pink and glistening, her cleft tempted him to kiss her lower lips as deeply as he had her mouth. He didn’t resist. He buried his nose against her hot skin and thrust his tongue into her opening.
She cried out. Not from discomfort, he could guarantee that. She was drenched for him. Shock tore the sound from her. She twisted to get away. Another rough thrust of his tongue, and she went limp. He wasted no time. He pierced her with his flattened tongue, over and over. Her inner muscles tightened. Each time he dipped his tongue inside her core, the squeeze of her body grew stronger. She was close. She’d come for him. Tremble for him. But it wouldn’t be enough to make her lose control, not completely.
He withdrew his tongue and licked her folds, parting them with the tip. Her arousal, rich and addicting, filled his mouth. He lapped at her opening, the craving for her taste strong. He indulged it and drank from her, sucking at the entrance of her sex and swallowing her essence.
Her orgasm rolled over her, sooner than he’d wanted. She arched, the move pushing her hot sex against his mouth and slickening his face with the evidence of her desire. Her shaky moan surrounded them. He kept up the pulls of his mouth, extending the experience as long as he could.
Her release eased, and she dropped to the ground. In the next second, she planted her hand against his head and shoved at him, following his direction from earlier. Too soon, though. He wasn’t done with her.
He growled against her wet center. Her gasp and the shudder that ran through her body rewarded him. She let her hand fall. He didn’t give the chance to regroup. Back and forth motions of his chin, and he sent her up again. The long couple of days dealing with all his problems messed up his normal routine and allowed him to develop the roughened beard Noah could grow overnight.
Ethan used the stubble to his advantage and offered her a different type of stimulation. A sharp cry escaped her throat. He released his hold on her chest, and she gripped at his head while he worked his way to her clit. A small nip to the bud hardened it. A swirling lick around it made her wriggle under him. And the press of his thumb into her opening gave him the throaty whimper he sought.
“Ethan.” Wonder, lust, and need were woven into his name. She lifted her bottom, offering herself to him.
He slipped his
hands under her ass, locking her in place, and captured her clitoris between his teeth. A tug, and she screamed his name on an orgasm that shook her body. The rough bite of her nails on his nearly shaved scalp tore another grumble from him. The sound no doubt whipped through her. More of her whimpers and shaky pants rewarded him.
Perfect. Exactly what he needed.
He crouched over her. His cock stretched long and hard, ready to pierce her. He wanted to love her in the middle of the circle. The instinct to mate her hadn’t lessened. It thudded in his veins. So did the call of the spirit wolf. He couldn’t give in to it. Not anytime soon. Not until he’d secured their future.
Not until he started acting as an alpha.
He needed to plan and anticipate the worst. And give Michael a taste of his own games. Prove to the damn world I’m worthy of leading my pack. Protecting my people.
She pressed her palms to Ethan’s shoulders and shoved, bringing him back to their situation. He had to make sure Hannah was safe and ensure she stayed that way. He let her push him, and he fell to the side. In the next moment, a black wolf took his female’s place. She used Ethan’s chest to propel her slim, sleek body into an all-out run. His grin spread. He watched her beautiful form slip into the night before hopping to his feet.
Motion caught his eye. Greg turned to follow her. Ethan slammed into him, knocking the other male on his ass.
“Don’t even fucking think of it. She’s mine.” Always had been. Always would.
Ethan shifted and chased after her. Her feminine fragrance led the way, straight to his house. Close to the border of their lands, it was a perfect strategy. She might not know the area, but she could find her way by using his scent. It’d be strong in the areas he frequented. Too bad she hadn’t been able to use it to guide her the last time, but he avoided Noah’s house so as not to draw attention to their relationship.
Shared for Love: Kagan Wolves, Book 2 Page 24