Boundary

by Ebony Olson

  Lifting a brow, Jeremy put it back in my hands. "Shoot it. Let's see how good that eye of yours is."

  "I'm worried about it sucking me into a waking dream and him being there."

  Combing a strand of hair away from my face, Jeremy met my eyes. "Are you going to stop sleeping, Vera?" I shook my head. "If the Goddess wants to find you, hiding in the waking world won't stop her."

  Swallowing my dread, I turned the camera on the three writhing bodies on the floor. Dale left the room when the threesome stopped being play-acting but hadn't insisted I join him.

  "Is this a normal thing for the twins and Adam?" I whispered to Jeremy.

  He observed the trio. "We all get carried away at times, Vera. The girls have dated a few of the pack members, but they aren't mates, so it's not serious. If he got one of them pregnant, then that would change things, but it's highly unlikely."

  Taking the camera back, Jeremy scrolled through the photos. "Once a month, we shoot the underground stuff. I've always been the photographer, but doing that puts me behind on my work. Want a job?"

  "What, as the photographer?"

  "You've got a good eye. It gets you out, earns you a good income, and in a way, introduces you to your own species a bit more." Hooking the camera up to the computer, Jeremy hit the button to download the pictures. "I'll run it past Dale, but I'm sure he'd jump at the chance to have you with him for a week straight each month."

  Watching the three panting models on the floor, I bit my lip. "Is it always like this?"

  "Everyone lost control with the pheromones you released during your initial daydream. Your fear dampened it, but not enough."

  Biting my lip, I averted my gaze when my cheeks heated.

  "Should I ask what you dreamed about?"

  My cheeks caught fire.

  "You know that's why Dale left the room?" Lifting the camera, Jeremy took a shot of me. "Your pheromones nearly made him lose control. Your fear and pain fueled his temper, followed by your arousal again; it got too much for him to control."

  "Arousal?"

  "Yes, Vera. Your arousal for what you saw. You were thinking about Dale and me with you."

  Hiding my face behind my hands, my entire face and chest burned. "You could feel that?"

  Glancing down at his crutch, Jeremy raised a brow in cheek. "Yes."

  Shifting one finger, I observed the evidence of his desire and hid my face again.

  Jeremy put his mouth to my ear. "If I were as horny as your mate, I'd have needed to leave too. Thankfully, I spent all weekend doing more than you were thinking about. So I could control myself a little better. Jeremy peered down again. "Still, I'm going to need to pick up tonight. Hope you're right to cook." Winking at me, Jeremy walked out.

  "If you are going to start doing the shoots, we are going to need fuck breaks," Hymn chuckled across the room.

  My entire body caught fire. That made everyone laugh a little more.

  "Be more worried about Jeremy having those photos," Adam teased, pulling his pants on. "They may end up in the next edition."

  "I'll kill him," Alexia threatened.

  Hymn shrugged. "I want a copy. Those sort of photos keeps a girl warm at night."

  Dressing, Alexia came over to me. "I'll take your dress back to the apartment for you. You need to talk to Dad." Collecting our shopping, Alexia herded the others out to give me a moment to myself.

  When the door opened again, Dale held it open but didn't come inside. "Follow me, this room needs airing out."

  Chapter 20

  "I don't want to mate with you because I fear Malcolm."

  Dale watched me from where he rested his bum on the board room table.

  "I want to be with you. Goddess, I want to be with you so badly, but I can't help it. Yes, my instincts tell me you're safe to be with, and that I can trust you. Believe me, I've shown an enormous amount of trust in you already." I fidgeted with the hem of my dress. "You did in-prison me in the cottage instead of telling me why I shouldn't leave. I was so angry at you for that. Then you turn up, sink your fangs in me, and hey, I'm all giddy and girly for you. It scares me."

  Gritting his teeth, Dale studied me. "Are you asking me to let you go, Vera?"

  "No."

  "Are you asking me to give you more time? Space, maybe?"

  "Would that do any good?"

  "Probably not."

  "I asked for something to happen before we mated. I bought the dress today. As soon as you can organize the ceremony, it can happen."

  When Dale's face relaxed, his pupils dilating, and his mouth hinting at a smile, I sighed. The man was beautiful. Everything about him. Not only was he gorgeous to look at, but his personality was kind and pleasant. Having years of exposure to assholes, I knew a good man when I saw him. Several times now, Dale lost his temper near me and didn't harm me, or even suggest that it was a consideration to hit me. He was my mate, and he deserved me trying to make this work. Still, there were limits to my readiness for moving forward.

  "I'm not moving into the house with you yet. When you are home, you can stay with me, and I'll stay one night at the weekend in your bed."

  Considering my restriction, Dale pursed his lips. "We can do that for a while, but I'd like you to consider traveling to the city with me, staying here the nights I'm here."

  "Possible. I want to do the cooking. Jeremy is good, I'm sure, but I love cooking for people, so I'd love to cook for the pack on the weekends."

  "I can't see anyone taking issue with that, Vera." Standing straight, Dale shoved his hands in his pockets. "Are they your only conditions?"

  "There's one more," I advised stepping towards him.

  "Not to close, Vera. Only if you're going to allow me to pound you into this table."

  The visual combining with the ghost of his touch made me moan. "Dale…" The daydream swept me away before I could stop it. Kissing, touching, our clothes strewn to the floor. The table was cold under my breasts as Dale bent me over it and shoved into me.

  "Vera!" Breaking me from the daydream, I was wheezing, Dale was panting. "Can I fuck you?"

  Yes, yes, please, yes. "Not..."

  Moving faster than I could track to the door, Dale shoved it open. "I'll see you at the apartment after work."

  Sinking into the chair at the table, I hung my head. It was getting ridiculous. You couldn't mention sex around me without the bond sucking me into a waking wet dream.

  When I left the meeting room, Jeremy was waiting. "Do you know how to get back to the apartment?"

  "No."

  "Didn't think so. Let's go before you make the whole place horny. You're giving off pheromones like you're in heat."

  Busying myself cooking all afternoon, I tried not to think about the happenings of the day. Dale was getting a three-course meal, but if he didn't come home soon, I'd add another course to the menu.

  Glancing at the bench, I remembered Dale eating me as dessert, and I was gone. The dream swept me from reality into a writhing, panting, mess on the floor. At least that's how I was when I came back to the here and now.

  "Goddess, no more thinking about the first time a guy stuck his face down there." Which, of course, didn't help as I swept into the memory of how good Dale was with his lips and tongue. Thankfully, I'd set the timer, and the loud noise brought me startling back to reality.

  Struggling to move my quaking body, I killed the noise. Checking on dinner, I turned the temperatures down to warm only before I went to the bathroom to freshen up. That included a fresh set of knickers.

  When I came out, I opened all the windows and doors in the apartment. Turning on the exhaust fan, I spritzed air freshener everywhere to try and mask my pheromones. When Dale finally walked in, my knees started to shake with the effort of holding myself together.

  Peering around at all the open windows and doors, Dale met my eyes and raised a manicured brow over his indigo eyes. Face heating, we both started laughing.

  "Thank you for being considerate enough to
open the windows, but you don't need to freeze to death."

  That's when I noticed I was shivering. Was that because I was cold? I didn't feel cold. Following Dale's eyes to my chest, I crossed my arms to hide how hard my nipples were. It looked like I was smuggling smarties in my bra. Maybe I was cold, or just really, really...

  "Vera!" Dale sighed. "Dinner smells wonderful."

  Taking the hint, I moved to the kitchen to get plates ready. "How was your day?"

  Dale grimaced. "Hard. Quite literally, hard. I'm bonded to a randy female who can't stop thinking about my head between her thighs."

  My eyes went to his crotch, and as I did, he grew hard again. Gripping the counter to prevent another daydream, I swallowed a mouthful of desire. "This isn't going to ease is it?"

  "It's going to get worse, Vera." Removing his jacket, Dale then toed off his shoes and socks. "At this rate, you are going to spend the night in fevered dreams, possibly tomorrow as well."

  Staring helplessly as Dale unbuttoned his shirt, I bit my lip. As Dale stepped towards me, my body temperature rose. Sweat beaded on my skin, and moisture pooled between my thighs. When his hands unzipped his pants and pushed them down his hips, I licked my lips and took a shaking step towards him.

  "I'm scared," I whispered as I lowered the zip on my dress.

  Pupils dilating as I dropped the dress to the ground, Dale inhaled. "I know."

  "You promise you won't hurt me?"

  "Only if you ask me for your sexual pleasure."

  Reaching behind me, I unclasped my bra, letting it fall. Dale's throat convulsed. I couldn't meet his eyes; they were too intense. Hot everywhere, I trembled where I stood. With a deep breath, I hooked my thumbs inside the band of my knickers and slid them down my thighs. "I still want a wedding."

  Striding towards me, Dale nodded. "It's already arranged for tomorrow evening." With a sweep of his arm, Dale cuffed my neck and pulled me towards him.

  Our lips crashed together, grunts escaping our throats as our bodies collided. Dale's body was so hard and firm. His strength felt in the muscles bunching under his skin. The firm grasp of Dale's fingers, the eager pinch of his lips, transmitted Dale's impatience.

  Dropping to my knees, I longed to taste him. Fisting my hair, Dale waited for me to take him as far as I could into my mouth, then he trembled. "Goddess, Vera!" Pulling himself free, Dale fell on me as he pushed me to the ground under him. "I can't wait any longer. You deserve more, but I can't, not this time."

  Shifting between my thighs, Dale found my moist opening with his leaking tip. "I promise I'll make this up to you." Crushing my mouth in a kiss, Dale shoved into me.

  My nails scratching his back, I cried out. Malcolm didn't believe in foreplay, but I wasn't quite ready for Dale, despite the day of wet dreams. Dale had a little more girth than I was used to, and my body's initial response was, 'what the ...?'

  Holding my hip with one hand, Dale forced his way inside, burying as deep as he could get. Squirming his hips, Dale adjusted his position and settled his weight on his hands. Once he'd found his leverage, Dale pounded my body. It hurt, a little. More so because his body was twice the size of mine as it hammered me into the cold tile floor. But that was nothing to the absolute relief.

  Wrapping my thighs around his waist, I scratched his torso and arms and cried out his name over and over until I came. Roaring his victory, Dale thrust even harder. Veins straining in his neck, Dale released his bottled-up desire, filling me, and then some.

  When Dale went to roll away, I went with him, keeping him inside me as I moved to straddle him. "I'm not finished."

  Pressing my hands to his chest, I rocked over his hardness. His fluid seeped from between us, the head of his cock flicked back and forth across my cervix. The pressure built again.

  Staring into his lust-filled eyes, I placed Dale's hand to my breast and encouraged him to squeeze. Dale complied, a wicked grin trying to emerge across his satisfied face. My body seized, and I came again, milking him. My entire body trembling as I fell forward and let my forehead rest on his chest.

  Molasses seeped through my body. It felt like Dale injected me with some sort of hot syrup, and it was creeping through my bloodstream. It felt good, right, and I knew without asking that it was the bond, joining us together for the rest of our lives.

  When I thought about what that meant, I started trembling. Without warning, tears fell from my eyes, and I cried. Encircling me in his arms, Dale held me tight. "Shh, I know you weren't ready. I'm sorry, Vera. I promise I'm still going to marry you, and tomorrow night, I'll make love to you."

  "Promise you'll come for me?"

  "I thought I just did," Dale teased.

  Lifting my tear-stained face to view his, I shook my head. "When he finds me, he'll take me. My last term, you have to come for me. Don't let him have me again, but you're not allowed to get hurt either. I couldn't stand to see you hurt, so you can't get hurt."

  Dale's smile vanished. His thumb caressed in front of my ear, the rest of his fingers threading into my messed hair. "I'm to play the knight in shining armor and not get my armor dirty?"

  "Yes."

  Searching my eyes, Dale swallowed as the indigo shifted in his. "Vera, I'm about to let my wolf free. I don't want you to freak out or scream. He won't hurt you, understood?"

  Rolling us, Dale set himself on top of me again. His body changing, swelling larger, black fur covering him, but he was still in man form.

  My heart was thumping in my chest as I watched Dale turn into a beast. "Dale?"

  "Don't scream."

  As I watched, Dale's jaw cracked and his face reformed into a wolf-man hybrid. When Dale roared, I caught sight of his incisors, which appeared fantastically dangerous.

  My stomach hollowed, I panicked feeling tingling through my body. "Dale?"

  My hand cramped. Stretching out my fingers, I tried to relieve the pain. Awed, I watched my fingers elongate, claws protruding from the tips. My eyes widened as the other hand followed.

  My skin tingled like popping candy on the tongue. Gasping, my back bowed, and a wave of nausea swept over me, washing the tingling away. When I could look at myself, strawberry-cream colored fur covered my body. Only my nipples remained exposed.

  Dale's brown-amber wolf eyes smiled down at me, the indigo edge the only way I could tell that it was still Dale above me. Pulling away from me, Dale observed my hybrid body with appreciation.

  My eyes went straight to his humongous penis, pointing right out at me. It wasn't just Dale's muscles that grew in his hybrid form. Dale and Alpha combined in an intoxicating mix - pure power moved before me. Power so strong that no one, woman or wolf could resist his will. Grasping my hip, he rolled me over. My vision swam and changed as he did. A terrible pressure crushed my jaw, and I cried out in pain.

  'Let it happen. You're undergoing your first change. You're safe, nothing will hurt you.'

  Instinct told me to believe the guttural version of Dale in my head. Closing my eyes, I stretched my jaw. The pressure relieved with cracking inside my head and tingling in my teeth. As long as I kept trying to open my jaw, it didn't hurt.

  Pressing a knee between my thighs, Alpha spread them as he pulled my hips up a little. Trying to lift to all fours for him, I stopped when a clawed hand pressed down on my shoulder.

  Terrified and enthralled, I whimpered. My emotions contradicted each other, leaving me feeling unsure. Nipping the back of my neck, Alpha soothed me as he settled his body above mine, seeking my opening. Desire pulsed through me, and I turned my bum up a little more, offering myself to him. In my womb, I felt needy and itchy. My Alpha's pleasure was going to soothe that too. Gripping the ground beneath me, I whimpered in need.

  When Alpha nipped my neck again, I felt like a cat in catnip. His scent was forest pine and happy with my response, and that delighted me. Behind me, there was a gruff laugh. Goddess, I felt like a puppy playing in the grass for the first time. Every scent was exciting, every touch and sensation.
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  As Alpha pressed into me, two things came to mind. I was the happiest puppy in the world with the vocal appreciation coming from my Alpha. I was also an exceptionally randy female, craving my mate to fuck me until I howled.

  Alpha didn't disappoint. His howl bounced off the walls of the apartment, while my vision exploded in muted colors. My breathing ragged, my jaw moving, but unable to voice how amazing it felt to please your mate like that.

  While I was aware of the human comparison, I couldn't describe them. The sensations were entirely different. In this form, the pleasure derived was from his desire. Alpha wanted me for months, so I was floating on cloud nine with all his happy, satisfied, hormones.

  With a final nip on my neck, I felt the pressure of his will forcing me to yield. Pressing my forehead to the tiles, I whimpered. A moment later, my entire body shivered. Cracking resounded in my head, cramping in my jaw, hands, and feet, making me stretch to try and relieve it.

  Falling limp and human again to the tiled floors, I panted dripping sweat. "Dale?"

  Rubbing my back, Dale pressed against my side so I could feel him. "I'm right here. You handled that well."

  "Did you know that was going to happen?" Still stretching and flexing my human fingers, I felt rung out and exhausted.

  Placing a kiss on my shoulder, Dale sighed. His saliva stung a little, and I squirmed under his lips. "I suspected. My wolf knew. It's why it insisted on taking you that way."

  Reaching over my shoulder, I touched the tender flesh, but Dale brushed my fingers away. "I bit you when you submitted to me. It will heal, but it needs a few minutes."

  Slumping back onto the cold tiles, I closed my eyes. "Why did you suspect?"

  Dale started drawing lazily through the sweat on my back. "Your eyes shifted at the photoshoot. You got excited about a wolf mating with a human woman, but when I looked at your eyes, they were amber. I suspected, if I let Alpha have you, he would use his will over you and bring you into your wolf."

  "Because he's stronger than me?"

  Dale chuckled like I'd said something humorous. "My wolf has never desired someone before, Viridia, and he desired you before I even realized you were my mate."