by Reese Morgan
He was in control.
He would forcibly make her submit to get that message across.
Her eyes widened in pleasant disbelief and her nails lengthened into claws. At the prospect of a presenting, dominant male, her wolf rushed eagerly to the surface. Her adrenaline and interest piqued as Nicolas leisurely threw off his shirt and unfastened his pants.
She observed his exposed body, though it was her wolf that searched for any flaws, any weaknesses. Obsessively looking over the well-defined body, Hayden found absolutely no flaws with Nicolas.
He was the ideal specimen.
Her wolf purred with acceptance.
His hands reached out and grabbed the hem of her shirt. With one, fluid motion, he lifted it over Hayden’s head with little assistance. His fingers then unhooked her bra and proceeded to run down her flat stomach to the waistband of her pants.
He watched her all the while, even as her pants dropped to the ground.
Once she was fully exposed, Nicolas leaned back and drank the sight of her. He’d seen her nude countless of times before, though he’d never appraised her like this.
He kept a domineering hand on her hip, making sure she remembered and craved his touch. Her knees weakened as he slowly gazed up her figure, his eyes feeling like a possessive brand as they lingered across her body, marking her as his.
She should have felt vulnerable, but she only felt the need to be closer.
Nicolas leisurely inched nearer, his expression hard and unreadable. His opposite hand pushed her shoulder, keeping her stationary against the wall.
As he leaned down, his breath tickled the small hairs near her ear.
“You are delicious,” he purred huskily.
She knocked away his hand and challengingly closed the distance, claiming his mouth with hers. He hummed appreciatively, allowing her leeway as she pressed into him. He calmly countered her eager mouth with the intentional slowness of seductive quality.
He was hot and his testosterone was infectious. It warmed her cheeks and her body trembled with need. Her fingers traced over his biceps, feeling the raw strength and indestructibility come off him in waves.
His calloused hands slid down her arms and claimed her waist.
Unexpectedly, he lifted her, maneuvering her legs around his narrow hips. As he held her against the wall, his hands, and his mouth turned bolder. Leisurely, he slid his fingers between her legs and stroked her, pleased her.
At the skilled touch, she clutched his shoulders, her body reacting positively. Her pulse danced up her throat and pleasure made her breathless.
As he prepared her, Hayden realized how anxious she really was. Though she wanted this, this was her first time and this was Nicolas. They were not human. This was not a fling, not some night they could brush aside as if it were a casual encounter.
Werewolves expected to mate for life.
Fortunately, they were not lifemates, and this would not tie them together permanently. Though Nicolas did not support all the customs of traditional wolves, Hayden knew him well enough to know they couldn’t pretend as if this never happened.
That was fine with her.
She didn’t want to forget it.
Hayden nuzzled his cheek. Slowly, but with tenacity, Nicolas eased his length inside her. The pain was sharper than she’d imagined, but she didn’t struggle. Her fingers did most the talking as they pierced his shoulders and broke his skin.
He moved slowly, easing her into the sensation.
She figured he was not one to go slow and gentle, though she appreciated the gesture.
Eventually, when she became accustomed to his girth, her pleasure and excitement eased the pain to a minor ache. Her legs wrapped more firmly around him, urging him closer. Faster. His face moved to the crook of her neck as he accepted her silent request.
His hands dropped to her waist as he quickened his pace.
Hayden arched her neck, feeling him stretch her completely and reach places she hadn’t realized were barren. His movements were confident, almost harsh, but entirely male as he took her against the wall.
Suddenly his arms wrapped around her and the wall was no longer at her back.
He lowered them to the floor. There was a bed only a few feet away, but clearly, Nicolas preferred the ground near the fire.
The ground was unforgiving.
So was his weight as he settled on top her.
A thrill danced in her stomach at the position. Here, Nicolas could clearly exert his dominance. It was a canine instinct. A male would always assume the role of the aggressor.
Mating was no exception to that natural instinct.
Hayden was secretly pleased Nicolas gave into his canine side.
He could have been soft, tender, and human, but that would have been out of character. Hayden wouldn’t have enjoyed it nearly as much as she was enjoying it now. She embraced the Alpha male inside Nicolas, just as he embraced her equally domineering ways.
Her legs adjusted around his waist, tightening and forcing him to continue.
She did not need to ask twice.
He took her hard and fast, hardly allowing her much leeway in terms of her wandering hands. He pinned her wrists above her head, forcing her complete submission.
Wolfish amber eyes stared down at her smugly, lustfully, clearly enjoying her plight.
Hayden offered a breathless laugh, suffocated with desire.
Wedged between the floor and Nicolas’ weight, Hayden succumbed to him in all ways. Her eyes grew half-lidded, drunk on the eroticism and his intoxicating scent. He leaned forward, his teeth scraping against her throat, clearly intending to mark her again.
But Hayden had better ideas.
Wrestling her wrist from his tight grasp, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and angled his head back sharply, exposing his throat and his Adam's apple. Her mouth found his neck, causing a throaty moan to escape from Nicolas’ throat.
Spurred by his deepening thrusts, and wanting to extract her own dominance, Hayden’s canines elongated and pierced Nicolas’ neck. Though Hayden was the one to bite him, she experienced a flash of extreme arousal from the act.
She shuddered around him, finally surrendering to her desire.
As she turned nearly limp, Nicolas grabbed her shoulders with a firm hold. His breathing grew heavy, breathless and his movements nearly frantic with yearning. Abruptly, he tensed and turned still before climaxing inside her.
Hayden stared at the ceiling over his shoulder, spent and extremely satisfied.
His hand ran down her side and curved over her hip. He remained inside and above her, though he now braced a great deal of his weight on his forearms. Gradually, she unwrapped her legs from around his waist.
She realized they were both soaked with sweat, a combination of their activities and the nearness of the roaring fire.
Nicolas, who usually embodied the vision of perfection, with his perfectly parted hair and perfectly proud posture, appeared handsomely disheveled. He looked down at her, his hair a mess and his cheeks flushed.
Raising her hand, she traced his features.
A small, nearly inconspicuous smile crossed his lips and he closed his eyes into her caress. She nearly faltered at his willingness to lower his guard. Nicolas never voluntarily made himself vulnerable.
But he trusted her, she realized.
Wholly and completely.
Her fingers continued their ministrations, tracing over his sharp cheekbones and down around his pronounced jawline. All the while, his own hand stroked her side, paying special attention to her ribcage and the swell of her breast.
“I’m under no delusions,” he spoke, his voice raspy and hoarse.
Hayden frowned. “What do you mean?”
“That this changed anything.” He opened his eyes, which were back to their cold blue. “If Cole comes back, when he comes back...”
She dropped her hand, feeling repulsed. “Why would you say that?” She wanted to get up, away from him, b
ut he continued to pin her down. “Did this mean nothing to you? Just some sort of release?”
Nicolas appeared unbothered at her anger and countered it with icy tranquility.
“On the contrary, Hayden, it meant a great deal to me. I only assumed you’d feel conflicted upon his return.”
Hayden hissed through clenched teeth.
“You should expect loyalty from me, even if it’s from Cole. I wanted to be with you tonight because you mean a lot to me.” She pushed at him. “And I especially don’t need or want your permission to get back with Cole.”
Nicolas used both hands and pushed her shoulders back to the floor.
He rose up, his gaze merciless as he tightened his hold. “I said I was under no delusions. I did not say, however, I would give you permission to be with Cole. I won’t let you go without a fight.”
“Your delusions are still wrong,” Hayden argued fiercely.
Nicolas suddenly smiled predatorily. “You are so easily riled up.”
Both his hands suddenly curled around her throat and his eyes bled amber. Holding her down, he started to move against her again with slow and deep strokes. Instantly, Hayden arched towards him with unrestrained pleasure.
Unfortunately, he stopped as suddenly as he started, his attention slowly centering towards the door. Hayden heard the light footsteps just as well as they padded down the hallway and hesitated near their door.
A timid, soft knock sounded after a considering pause.
“Hayden?”
It was the human nurse.
“He’s awake. Logan.”
At the muffled words, everything came crashing down around her.
The very few hours she spent alone with Nicolas seemed like a cruel dream she could no longer grasp and cherish. Cold, hard reality came rushing back with a vengeance.
Nicolas stared down at her before he slowly eased himself to his feet.
Feeling vulnerable without his presence, Hayden scrambled up from the floor and collected her clothes. By the time she wrestled on her shirt, Nicolas was already walking toward the door, donning a pair of pants.
As he opened the door, Hayden dodged around the corner and into the bathroom to finish changing. She could hear Nicolas tell the nurse they’d be downstairs in a moment.
When Nicolas found Hayden a moment later, she remained slumped against the wall.
“I can’t,” she said faintly. “I can’t right now.”
Unreadable for the most part, Nicolas’ gaze softened with understanding. He nodded once. “You’re tired. Get some sleep.” He turned his shoulder. “I will tell the others.”
Hayden wondered how she could feel both relieved and ashamed at the same time.
Once she was sure Nicolas left the room, Hayden crept out of the bathroom and finished changing by the fire. Ironically, she’d rather face one of Celeste’s puppets than see her father. She didn’t know what to say, how to react, or how to feel.
Eventually, she’d have to suck it up and interact with him.
She couldn’t always hide behind Nicolas.
Wandering over to the bed, her thoughts drifted toward the Alpha male. Her cheeks burned and a silly, foolish grin crossed her lips. She expected to be just as torn up over having sex with Nicolas as she was about her conflicting emotions with her father.
Oddly enough, regret was not one of the emotions she felt about her actions with Nicolas tonight. It had been… wonderful.
Cole, of course, was in the back of her mind.
Before that thought and corresponding emotions could take root, however, Hayden abruptly fell onto the mattress. Her eyelids turned heavy and she succumbed to sleep.
* * * *
She dreamed of many things.
Fragmented horrors, memories, and odd depictions of reality. Cole was present through most of her slumbering moments, as was Asher and her pack members. All of them, even Addie, were exultant, as if they were untouched by Celeste’s taint. Their smiles, their laughter, their silly jokes were all real.
She yearned for those times again.
For that innocence and simple gratification.
Living without fear, without loss, all under the warm guise of ignorance.
In her dreams, Nicolas remained out of reach, yet he was the representation of reality. Every time she chased him, his shadow embraced her with memories of the present, with warning to remain vigilant. She’d be frightened, but he’d always reach out to her at the end, his touch washing her with waves of reassurance and protection.
Hayden jerked awake, staring into the darkness of the unfamiliar room.
Something did not feel right.
Sweat kept her hair wet as if she’d just taken her shower. It was warm—nearly stifling—with the roaring fire. Other than the running fan from the fireplace, the night was silent and unnervingly still.
She couldn’t have slept long.
It was dark.
Inhaling, she tried to find Nicolas’ scent, to pinpoint his location. However, his smell was nothing but a memory, originating the strongest from her. Hayden grimaced, knowing the others would smell her and instantly draw the appropriate conclusions.
Attentively, she inhaled again, smelling an unmistakable scent of silver.
The hairs on her neck stood and Hayden slowly opened her eyes. Her fingers clutched the comforter and her body gradually stiffened.
The unsettlement she’d woken up to hadn’t been from the dreams.
“I never thought… I’d see you again.”
Hayden’s pupils dilated.
Very deliberately, she turned her head towards the fire, identifying the male sitting on the armchair. He’d moved the chair around so his back was to the fire, allowing him full access to a slumbering Hayden.
Because his back was towards the flames, shadows bathed the majority of his features.
“I could say the same about you,” she remarked.
Despite her insecurity and vulnerability, she managed to keep her voice steady.
Nicolas wouldn’t have allowed Logan to come inside the bedroom without warning her first. His absence made Hayden fretful. She couldn’t hear anyone outside in the hallway, yet she couldn’t fathom sleeping through an attack.
Throwing her legs over the side of the mattress, Hayden stood and faced her father.
Logan Crow sat cross-legged as he gazed unabashedly at his daughter. Her current position allowed her to discern more of his features. For the most part, his expression was blank, though his gaze was sharp, observing.
As he watched her, he propped his chin lazily upon his hand. “I see you and Xavier Slayter’s eldest son have been… acquainted.”
Anger flushed her entire body at his contemptuous tone.
“Yes,” she started, “you could almost say acquainted on an intimate level.”
Logan dropped his hand and straightened. His eyes flashed amber and a ruthless grin crossed his features. “That’s my girl. You still have that smart mouth.” He stood from his chair. “I suppose I gave up my right to critique your decisions long ago.”
Hayden smiled twistedly. “From the way I look at it, you’ve never deserved that right. Not with everything you’ve lied about.”
Logan’s figure was tall and incredibly thin. She remembered when Nicolas had lived in the wild and struggled to combat Celeste’s drugs in his system. He’d been frail as well —sickly— though he’d recovered quickly enough.
Seeing Logan sick and gaunt did not damper her anger.
“I’ve also become acquainted with others. Celeste, namely,” Hayden continued. “Julian, my half-brother. Troy Arnold… an old friend of yours.”
His stare was intense and his expression drawn severely. In a blink of an eye, the ferocity dissolved and he bowed his head. “I never intended for any of this for you, Hayden. I—I can’t believe she’d really try to turn you into one of us.”
“You thought you’d just walk in and out of our lives? Never to see us again?”
Logan nodded solemnly. “Though it wasn’t ideal, it was necessary. We never age, Hayden. You and your mother would have started to question me. I intended to keep you both comfortable and secure from afar.”
“Comfortable and secure,” she repeated his words bitterly. “Somehow, that’s hardly a consolation for what you did. You fucked with my mother and you pulled me into this…”
She trailed off, struggling to find the right word.
“I am truly sorry for what I did to Renee.” Logan breathed deeply. “I admit, I was surprised when she gave birth to you. A human female. I’d thought you’d be born a werewolf and I would have to take you from her. It was difficult for me to leave you behind, but I felt better knowing you were together. Both of you.”
Hayden imagined what Logan would say in this very instant. She’d replayed scenarios and pondered ways he’d ask for forgiveness.
He apologized, but somehow, that still wasn’t enough.
She didn’t think it would ever be good enough.
“As far as pulling you into this world,” Logan scoffed unhappily. “I consider your current position entirely my fault. My actions in the past put you here.”
“That is true,” Hayden replied neutrally. “Celeste hoped the bite would kill me.”
“Kieran told me a lot of things when I woke up, but he didn’t know the details surrounding your transformation.” His face was dark. “I treated Celeste dishonorably, though to be fair, she was a cruel bitch. I’m just fortunate you survived.”
Hayden gazed at him.
Just as before, she did not see her father, but a stranger wearing her father’s face.
Logan appeared apologetic, though his expression was still quite deadpan. “It’s ironic you ended up with Cole Slayter and his pack.”
Kieran must have told Logan the details.
Details about Celeste and her puppets. Details about Nicolas murdering Xavier and Marie Slayter. And details how Cole had taken over his father’s pack. It was probably why Logan had an instant distaste for Nicolas.
Logan probably went into a coma just before Xavier’s death.
He was just finding out about an event that happened over two years ago.