The Wolf's Temptation

by Anastasia Chase

  Cara wasn’t sure how much longer she could last, but it felt like Titan had hours left in him. It wasn’t until they moved to the bed that he finally began to wind down. His strokes slowed and his stare elongated. Their bodies, sweaty and red from heavily groping at one another. Titan released himself inside of her and Cara sighed with relief. She wasn’t scared anymore. Their bond was cemented. It was so real that she didn’t flinch as she felt the sharpness of his teeth along her collarbone. Tilting her neck, she began panting with anticipation as his mouth grazed her shoulder. She could feel it coming, but before he marked her there was a jolt between them that made them stop.

  “We can’t do that!” they said simultaneously.

  Falling out next to each other, Titan and Cara stared up at the ceiling. Silence filled the room as the magnanimity of what was about to happen coursed through the air. It wasn’t planned. They’d never discussed it. But it was there between them.

  She rubbed her hand over her shoulder, “You didn’t right?”

  “No,” he shook his head, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

  “I know, that was great but that? You can’t,” she said out of breath, “We can’t…”

  “We can, just not while..”

  “While I’m supposed to be imprisoned in your cabin. Although I’m sure they heard us. The hearing thing, remember?”

  “The pack’s concerns are elsewhere. And even if they did hear, no one would be so brazen as to mention it to me. I’m not sure if you’re aware or not, but I’m not the most sociable Finnegan son,” he said rolling his eyes.

  “Oh I know,” she chuckled. “But what are we going to do? What if it’s Cairo out there? What if he doesn’t come peacefully? What if Shelly manages to convince everyone, your folks included, that I’m here to betray you. I can’t live with the idea of us not-”

  “Relax, Cara. I swear. I know I’ve had my doubts about your intentions, but I’ve never doubted my feelings toward you. Just understand that there was a time when I was in a similar situation. I let someone in close to me and they hurt me. They hurt this pack and destroyed one another. I don’t want to go through that ever again.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

  “How could you? No one talks about it. Everyone ignores the fact that our pack has grown exponentially since then but it was a mess. I was a mess. I don’t like who I was back then and since then I’ve done everything in my power to be careful. Careful about who I trusted, who I cared about, and then you happened.”

  “Me, a lone wolf fighting with a bear?”

  He laughed, “No. It was you recovering, sparring with my brothers, the comfortability I feel when I’m around you. I’ve never felt this before. It’s hard to explain.”

  “No I get it,” she turned to lay her head on his chest, “It’s like you feel at home. It wouldn’t matter what happened, or where we were, or who we were in front of, our bodies, spirits, it’s all connected. A feeling of being safe with each other even when everyone else doubts me, us. So what happened with that other pack?”

  “Long story short? I thought I bonded with this girl. She was the daughter of a neighboring pack. The closer we got, the more her alpha tried to weasel into my father’s territory. When everything came to a head, things got violent and people got hurt. One was killed and the other pack was banished. The nonviolent ones of their pack were offered leniency and were able to stay. The girl I chose, chose her pack and never cared for me. She only wanted me to be the alpha of her pack when they finished taking over. They simply underestimated the lengths my father would go to in order to protect his pack, his family, and his land. Not to mention, with my mother by his side … they were stronger together. They showed me what I wanted and I’ve been learning and striving for that ever since. But with women like Shelly, and just a lack of options I wasn’t bonded to, I never thought I’d get that. I never thought I’d find someone to build a pack with, or even lead this one with… with the same dedication as my parents. And then I saw you… fighting a bear.”

  “I’m happy you saved me, Titan.”

  As Cara and Titan drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms, she swore she could hear him murmur, “I think you saved me.”

  _

  Chapter Nine

  Cara and Titan were still lying in his bed when the fight erupted just outside the cabin. Titan got out of bed, threw his clothes on, ready to break up Drew and Chase yet again. But this time they weren’t so much yelling at each other as they were yelling at him through the walls. He was confused and so was Cara as she sat up, peeking from behind the shades of the windows.

  “Don’t go out there. Let me handle them,” Titan told her before heading out of the door. “And get dressed.”

  When Titan stepped outside, his brothers were there, both very angry and it was understandable. The aroma of their sex was in the air, but a part of Titan didn’t care. While he never had any intention of hurting his brothers, he was tired of hiding his feelings for Cara.

  “What the hell is wrong with you two now?!” Titan yelled.

  “I can smell it,” Chase snarled, fur protruding through his flesh. “You marked her didn’t you?”

  “Whatever Cara and I have or haven’t done isn’t of anyone’s concern until the matter of the intruders is resolved!” Titan scolded him. “And what of that? Have they been found? Have you located the scent that sent this entire pack into a tailspin?”

  Drew piped up, “She lied to us! You don’t have the right to mark her when she’s deceiving us. Why do you think I sent her back here to get the others?! I needed someone I can trust by my side!”

  “Cut it out, Drew!” Titan yelled at him with disdain. “She probably turned you down and you couldn’t take it! You guys have always been jealous of-”

  “No one’s jealous of you Titan,” Chase rolled his eyes trying to keep his wolf at bay.

  Drew approached Titan, “Move out of the way. It’s obvious your cabin isn’t a suitable place to maintain a captive until these matters are resolved! Bring her out and Chase will dig a pit!”

  “I’m going to do what?!” Chase turned to Drew.

  “No one’s going to do anything!” Titan snapped stretching his neck out ready to pounce. “Cara isn’t leaving my cabin for any of you. She will be heard out fairly once the intruders are brought in!”

  “And then what?! You’ll sweet talk Mom and Dad into letting her stay. Or better yet force her to stay by marking her. You’ve never even considered what we felt about the situation or how we felt about her?!”

  “WHAT!” Titan ran his fingers through his hair, pulling at his strands. “You guys sound crazy! This wasn’t a choice I made on my own. You’re talking about Cara as if she doesn’t have a mind of her own. The bond between two people has to be mutual you psychopaths!”

  “You should have let us choose or whatever,” Drew said.

  “Do you hear what you sound like?” Titan held his hands out to them. The reasoning wasn’t working with them, and Chase’s anger was getting out of control. He couldn’t hold back any longer as his wolf came out, charging toward Titan.

  “Chase don’t!” Drew yelled.

  But it was too late, Chase was charging at Titan and Titan wasn’t going to stand still. The hair grew from his locks into a shimmering white coat of fur with brown streaks. The only thing tracing back to his human was the same piercing green eyes he gazed at Cara with. She stared from the window never daring to intervene in their battle.

  Titan took Chase’s first blow in stride, letting his baby brother knock him back. His paws skidded across the dirt as he gave Chase one more opportunity to get his frustrations out. Shaking his fur, letting spit fly off of his fangs, he barked and growled as he set himself to attack Titan again.

  The light brown wolf was shaking, he was so angry as he took off, charging Titan again. This time, Titan backed onto his hind legs to catch the brunt of the blow. Chase’s teeth sank into his shoulder causing him t
o howl out in pain and that was enough for Titan. The guilty punches were up and it was time to show his little brother why he was the strongest of the three Finnegan boys.

  Drew stood back watching his brothers go at it when it was becoming obvious that Chase was losing. Drew couldn’t let him, doing so would give Titan an even better position to argue for Cara. It was becoming evident that if either Drew or Chase couldn’t have her, they didn’t want Titan to have her either.

  His wolf came out, charging toward his brothers. Cara moved from the window to the door wondering how Titan would handle the both of them.

  As Drew charged at his side, he kept Chase pinned under his paws snapping his teeth. He took one charge into his ribs but quickly rolled to flip Drew over him releasing his position over Chase.

  Chase tag teamed with Drew, both of them swiping their claws and teeth at Titan. He snarled and fought them both off vigilantly. The mistake came when Drew showed Titan his underbelly. Titan snipped at the soft flesh just under his ribs, tearing through the skin, his brother’s blood dripped from his teeth. Chase sniped back at Titan while Drew fought even harder, injured and all.

  They’d be hard to separate but Cara sensed the strength and speed of another wolf coming. He was obviously bigger than them all, and when he jumped into the fray, she knew it was Shaw. The black sheen of his coat glistened in the sun as he kicked Drew off of Titan and grabbed Chase by the scruff. He shook him until he changed out of his wolf and tossed him on top of his brother.

  The three Finnegan boys changed back, scratched, bloodied and ashamed by their behavior.

  “What are you doing? Is this how you behave when our family is being threatened? When I need my three strongest members to be unified? You’re arguing over something that isn’t even up for discussion! Neither of you are even ready for a mate!” Shaw chastised them.

  “Wait, who’s in your neither, Dad?” Chase asked.

  “I’m sorry, Dad. I tried to but-” Titan began to explain but Shaw cut him off.

  “I wasn’t referring to you, Titan. Drew and Chase, you two can’t even master a skillful hunt let alone searching for your mate. While I may not approve of your brother’s choice, it’s his decision and hers… nothing to do with either of you.”

  “So you’re not going to kill her?” Drew asked with a puzzled glare on his face.

  “Kill the woman you were just snarling and snapping your jaws for. I think that’s something you need to think about, Drew. Titan has made his mistakes and paid for them. Regardless of what happens, he and Cara will have to decide what to do from here,” Shaw said.

  “I appreciate your kindness father,” Titan said to him.

  Shaw shook his head, “That is only for now. Do not mistake me when I tell you that I will keep my word. If she’s unable to prove her intentions…”

  Titan cut him off this time, “I trust her, Dad. If she’s unable to prove her intentions, I’ll rip her throat out myself.”

  “Well now’s a good time to prepare yourself for that,” Drew sneered, “The fellas are back and it looks like they have company.”

  Cara remained inside while Nathan, Perry, and Taylor walked toward Shaw. Nathan had someone unconscious slumped over his shoulder while Perry and Taylor were struggling to bring in another guy who was wriggling and clawing to get out of their grasp.

  “The only reason I haven’t changed is because I’d kill you all,” the guy shouted.

  “Enough! Take him to my cabin,” Shaw commanded them, “Don’t let him out of your sight! What happened to that one?”

  Nathan huffed as he maneuvered the stranger over his shoulder, “He was irate. Caught her scent and started going crazy. He shifted and attacked. He’s lucky I didn’t put him down, just knocked him out.”

  “Fine, put him in your cabin. Tie him down until he wakes and move the pups into Aden’s,” Shaw told him. “Gimme a second to finish up here and grab her. I want to talk to everyone and get to the bottom of what’s really going on here.”

  “Yes, Sir,” the three agree and walked away with the intruders.

  “You two couldn’t manage to help Nathan and Taylor bring those guys in, but you’re here fighting your own flesh and blood. I’m disappointed in you both,” Shaw told them.

  “What about him?!” Chase motioned to Titan, “It’s okay for him to have sex with the person responsible for this mess, but we’re irresponsible? We’re the ones jeopardizing the pack?”

  “Call me crazy, but I have a feeling Titan knows a lot more about what’s going on than the two of you. TITAN! Bring her to our cabin. We’re going to get this straightened out right now,” he huffed and stormed away.

  By the time Titan brought Cara to his parents’ cabin, Shaw and Kristin were already into their conversation with Fang. It had been weeks since Cara had last seen him, and when she walked in behind Titan … Titan’s protective nature gave away why she landed and stayed in Finnegan territory.

  “Please have a seat, Cara,” Kristin motioned toward the couch.

  “So tell us why you came here,” Shaw commanded her.

  “My last alpha chose a human over our pack. I felt he was disrespecting our laws and his loyalty to our pack was in question. I don’t know how to stay and work things out. It’s not how I was raised. So I left,” Cara said flatly.

  “But she’s different here,” Titan defended her. Shaw held his hand up to silence him.

  “And you?” he asked turning to Fang.

  “Me and Cairo were sent on a mission. Our alpha chose his mate and she was the object of a lone wolf’s affections. This lone wolf came into our territory looking to hunt humans and destroy our pack. Once our alpha defeated him, he fled and we were sent to make sure he left the territory and to see if he’d reach the Council.”

  “And did he?” Kristin wondered with her eyes wide and inquisitive.

  “We don’t believe so. We were a few miles off his scent when we lost him. But on our way back Cairo got a hold of Cara’s scent and wanted to find her. He needed to know she was safe and why she would take off on her own without telling him,” Fang told them with his eyes glaring toward Cara, who was still standing a step behind Titan.

  “And so you two only came here looking for her?” Shaw asked him again.

  “No, we came into these mountains looking for her. We were dragged here. We would have been perfectly happy leaving back to Myre Falls after we retrieved Cara,” Fang replied sharply.

  Shaw and Kristin looked at each other. Shaw wasn’t as mad as he was before, but he still hadn’t said anything in regards to letting them go or letting them live. And before he could say anything else, there were jeers and roars coming from outside the cabin.

  They all stepped outside to see two wolves fighting in the middle of the cabins. The pups were hiding and the others were cheering the fight on. Cara couldn’t see who it was and simply believed it was Drew and Chase going at it again. That was until she saw Drew on the sidelines with Shelly. They were angry. They were chanting for whoever was fighting to kill the other. That’s when Cara saw him. His coat, similar to hers in every way. The birthmark behind his ear that was undeniable…

  “NO! WAIT! PLEASE! STOP!” she shouted finally running out from behind Titan.

  Drew and Shelly narrowed their furious gazes upon her. Drew shouted, “Look at how she quivers in fear for her lover! Her alpha that is here to destroy us!”

  “Yeah!” Shelly chimed in. “She didn’t come here by accident.”

  “Please, you have to stop this. Cairo won’t stop!” Cara pleaded to Titan and then to Shaw and Kristin.

  “You should kill them all!” Shelly shouted, “Kill the intruders!”

  Her bloodlust was insatiable and contagious and Taylor soon joined her and Drew shouting for Chase to kill the other wolf in the fight. But it wasn’t going to happen. Cairo may not have sparred with them, but he was a warrior. He defended himself to the bone, trying his best not to injure Chase but simply do enough damage to get him to
stop.

  Chase was still enraged from his fight with Titan as he sank his teeth into Cairo’s light brown fur. The two wolves rolled around in the dirt a bit more. Cairo wouldn’t attack Chase but simply blocked and dodged his strikes. Once Chase sliced into his neck, Cairo let loose, sinking his own claws into the wolf. Tearing into each other, howls of pain erupted from the fray, but neither of them stopped.

  It wasn’t until they all heard Cara’s voice cry out, “Chase, please! Cairo wait! Stop! You two are going to kill each other! He’s not my alpha! He’s my brother!”

  “She’s lying!” Shelly snarled, but Chase and Cairo had already parted ways changing back into their respective humans. “Rip his throat out, Chase!”

  Titan stormed over to Chase, grabbing him by the neck. Cairo was so woozy, he sat down right in the dirt as Cara rushed over to him.

  “Are you okay?” she hugged him tightly as the others looked on. “I can’t believe you found me here!”

  Cairo was still trying to catch his breath, “At least I know these guys can keep you safe. What the hell, Cara? Why didn’t you wait until I got back?”

  “I couldn’t,” she shook her head, “Not with Paxton held up in that glass cabin of his. He wouldn’t come out and face any of us until you and Fang returned. I had to leave.”

  “And why come here? What made you stay?” he looked into her eyes and then followed her line of sight to Titan. Nodding slowly, he let out an exhausted breath, “I see now. Well, at least you found someone worth staying put for.”

  “I did,” she smiled. “He’s definitely worth it.”

  Chapter Ten

  With the fight between Chase and Cairo settling down, the other members of Shaw’s pack began to disperse, seeking refuge in their own cabins. The only member who was still irritated and full of angst was Shelly.