by Unknown
“Oh, it’s alright. I was in a hurry myself. I just wanted to speak with Denver quickly this morning about the decision coming down from the council. You know, we bury my grandfather tomorrow, and they’ll want things to move quickly after that. I don’t want to see Denver left in the dust because he hasn’t made a decision as to whether to accept Alpha should it be offered to him.”
Violet swallowed. As much as she hated to admit it, Ravenna was right. Denver needed to be on top of things if he was going to get the backing of the council.
“Denver will always do what’s right for the clan.”
Ravenna scoffed. “I’m sure he will.” She eyed Violet up and down, a look of distain smeared across her face. “And what’s best for the clan is that he chooses me as his mate. My blood line is strong, our cubs will be born leaders.” She stepped closer to Violet, her eyes blazing with jealousy and hate. “I’m sure you agree?”
Violet sucked in a breath, reflexively backing away. Ravenna was nothing, if not intimating, and she knew she would be no match for her. Steeling herself, intent on standing up to the hateful woman, she met her gaze, her eyes locked onto Ravenna’s face.
“If Denver wants you as his mate, then the clan will support his decision,” Violet replied, her heart aching with the words that lacked authenticity. “But that is his decision, and his alone.”
Ravenna laughed, her lips curled into a smirk. “Well, of course it is. But if you want what’s best for your friend you’ll convince him that I am the right choice. It’s not like the likes of you could ever help lead this clan.”
With that, she spun on her heels, all but laughing with glee. Denver would be hers. It was just a matter of time.
Chapter Eight
“Well, there you are.”
Startled, she looked up at the unexpected visitor. She’d found what she thought would be a quiet, out of the way spot, nestled amongst the lush of the forest where she could lay on a blanket and be alone with her thoughts. And yet, here Denver stood, having likely followed her scent. “Violet, I’ve been looking for you.”
Knife. Heart. Stabbing pain. Violet felt like she was already bleeding, and he’d just punctured the preexisting wound.
“Why were you looking for me?” Her voice was hoarse after all the tears she’d cried through the night, and right now, she didn’t really care. She needed to talk to him anyway, though she seriously hated that she would be backing someone like Ravenna.
Denver cocked his head. Although he knew he’d made a mistake last night, he hadn’t expected this much of a cold shoulder from Violet. She’d never been cruel a day in her life and had given everyone multiple chances to prove themselves. “I wanted to talk to you about last night.”
She shook her head. “There’s really not a lot to say. We were both in the heat of the moment, and you did something you regret. You have to move on and do your duty, and that certainly doesn’t involve any kind of fling, and especially not a romantic relationship with someone like me. It’s okay, Denver, I understand. Really.”
She sounded like a robot, reading a prewritten statement in monotone. And maybe he would have said that, if he were any other guy or she was any other girl. But there was some aspect of all of this that eluded him, and he intended to dig it out and face it down.
“It’s not like that, Violet. Would you just listen to me for a minute? Last night, I felt something I can’t explain, and I need to figure out what it is.”
If only Violet thought his feelings came anywhere near matching hers. With a sad smile, she finally met his gaze. “Come on, Denver, you admitted you haven’t dated in awhile. It was probably just hormones overreacting at the prospect of being close to any woman, heightened by how close the full moon is. You know how these things work.”
It was a simple explanation, but he’d been overrun by fleeting desires before, and this feeling was nothing like that. Gritting his teeth in an attempt to remain patient, when all he wanted to do was kiss her again, he replied carefully, “Seriously, Violet? Hormones? This…thing between us. It goes well beyond hormones.”
Kneeling in front of her and resting on his haunches, he touched her face, the only concession he would give himself right now, and he could feel the instant racing of her heartbeat beneath his palm. “See? You feel something, too. Your heart reacts to my touch. Admit it.”
She blushed and looked away. “I don’t know what I feel.”
Wanting to growl and tackle her to the ground to make her see things his way, make her admit that something was going on between them, he closed his eyes and shoved the beast down, determined to remain both human and civil.
“Violet, I don’t know what love and desire really feel like because I’ve never pursued either one. But I know that something about you makes me react differently than I have ever reacted to any other woman. Stop trivializing it.”
Tears threatened to spill, and that aggravated her, since she thought she’d emptied herself of them last night. She took his hand from her face and placed it back in his lap.
“I’m sorry, Denver, but you’re wrong. And even if you aren’t wrong, there are bigger, better things waiting for you right now. You should do what needs to be done to assure the pack has a good leader. That’s all that should matter to you right now.”
Denver’s heart sank. He couldn’t believe Violet would negate his interest and reject him so completely. It angered him because he didn’t want to admit how much it hurt, and he backed away from her standing and turning to walk away. If this was the way she wanted it, he’d respect that, and he’d remove himself from her life completely. And he’d take her advice, moving forward with a self-sacrificing decision that would aid in assuring the security of the rest of the pack.
But as he took several steps away from her in silence, something held him back, and that anger shifted to indignation. He’d never denied anything he fully believed in, and he hadn’t known Violet to do such a thing, either. Lying to herself wasn’t in her nature, and he had to be sure she meant what she said.
Stalking back over to her with crisp, determined steps, he pulled her to her feet, making her eyes go wide, and pulled her lush body against him. Holding her like this, pressed to his chest so he could feel her ample curves, lit a fire that awoke the wolf in him, and he knew he wasn’t holding it at bay as his vision sharpened. His nose also flooded with her scent, uniquely hers, with the pine and earth of the woods clinging to her lupine nature.
Shaking her head and trying to pull away, Violet protested, breathlessly. “Denver, I…” He squelched her words with a demanding, dominating kiss that made her whole body surge with an energy far more potent than anything she’d felt last night, and she melted in his arms, responding in kind, as her racing heart began to beat in sync with his. This was the quickening, there was no doubt about it, and she wanted to belong to him with every fiber of her being.
All the emotions Denver had spent years denying and tamping down inside came flooding to the surface as he explored her mouth, tasting her and coupling in a tango with her tongue that fulfilled one desire while heightening so many more. He clung to her, wrapping her in a tight, needful embrace, and she threw her arms around his neck, threading her fingers through his hair and raising goose bumps on his skin.
He pulled away from the kiss, only because he was afraid of losing control and slipping into wolf form without his consent. She raised too many instinctual reactions in him, things unsatisfied that responded only to her. Breathless and gasping, he slowly released his hold on her and allowed her to put an inch of space between them, painful as it was.
Violet stared at him, shocked to her core and unsure what he’d been thinking. While she could easily define what she wanted from him, how sure was he of where he was going with his life? Hell, he’d come to her for advice in how to handle his future. Quite likely, he was confused and had acted on emotion he didn’t understand, the passion of the animal rather than the logic of the human. But as she watched his eyes shi
ft back and forth between wolf and human, she noted a subtle difference in them from the night before. Rather than a question and a little bit of pain, she saw sincerity, and something she couldn’t quite define that gave her a warm feeling within.
Denver stood firm and locked gazes with the beautiful woman who had always been a perfect match for him, if only he’d been able to address his own feelings and needs. “If you insist on turning me away, Violet, I’ll respect your wishes. But be aware that, if I walk away from you, it will be completely because I can’t move on with my life if you’re at all in it. I can mate with anyone, Violet. But I’ll never feel about any other woman the way I feel about you.”
She didn’t know what to say, stunned and feeling as though she’d been stabbed through the heart. Had Denver really just admitted to being in love with her, or was that her active imagination grasping at straws in what he’d just said so she could hold onto hope? She shook her head, unable to really process the new information completely. “Denver, you couldn’t possibly be in love with me. Look at me. I’m nothing like the rest of the women in the pack. I’m overweight, and I don’t play in the big leagues. There’s no way I can be an asset to you as an Alpha. Why would you even consider being with me?”
Denver hadn’t realized how insecure she was. “Dear God, Violet, you’re beautiful! You have the most amazing curves, and…you’re just amazing. I’m sure there are a lot of people who underestimate your strength, but I’m not one of them. I know you, and I know what you are capable of.” He reached out to her, cupping her chin in his palm and making her look up at him as she turned her face to the side and down, blushing. “I’ve been in love with you for years, Violet, and I’m just sorry I didn’t act on it sooner.”
Taking a deep breath, Violet let it out shakily. “What about Ravenna? I know she wants you, and she would be such a better political alignment. Don’t you have any interest in her?”
Frustrated, he shook his head. “Ravenna? Oh God, no. She’s the type of person who only looks out for herself, and I can’t imagine being tied to someone so selfish for the rest of my life. I would much rather have someone honest and good, who understands me. And that’s you, Violet. Only you.”
She wanted to cry, but she held back. This was so sudden, she wasn’t sure it wasn’t just acting on an emotional need. “Come on, Denver, you’ve never expressed this interest before. Are you sure this isn’t just some desperate need to fulfill an obligation so you can assure yourself the Alpha position? I mean, it would be completely understandable. I just don’t want you to do something you’re going to regret.”
Unable to contain his frustration, he let out a growl. “Dammit, Violet! I already regret how long it’s taken me to be honest with myself, with you. Last night, I felt the connection I’ve always known was there, and it was so strong I couldn’t ignore it. For the first time in my life, I had to stand up and take notice. Don’t tell me you didn’t feel it, last night and again today. We’re supposed to be mates.”
Yes, they were, but she couldn’t help being skeptical. Her mother had felt the quickening with one man and yet, trying to assure that her children would have the best possible lives, she’d mated with another man. There were regrets to be had from following your heart, and her mother had been the first to make sure Violet knew that. The older woman never regretted the choice she made, and she didn’t want Denver to wonder how much more fruitful his life would have been had he chosen a more respected mate.
“I’m crazy about you, Denver, and I felt it, too. I felt the quickening. But just because we want it doesn’t mean it’s what’s best for you. I don’t want you to ever resent being with me, if that is the decision you make.”
“Do I need to kiss you again to remind you that you’re the one for me? If so, I have no problem with that.”
Even in the moonlight, Violet felt her pulse quicken as Denver gave her that sexy grin that made her stomach flutter.
“Come here,” Denver growled, stepping forward and pulling her into his arms. Her body slid slowly down his and she felt every ridge and muscle, bringing the flush of desire to her cheeks as her feminine core trilled. “Enough talking. I want to feel myself inside of you.”
He looked down at her, the gleam in his eyes revealing his desire. “Though I’ll have to first get you naked for that.” His hands already moved for her buttons.
Violet gasped, but not out of fear. She wanted to get naked and feel Denver’s muscular body against hers. For the first time, she wasn’t even thinking about how she looked or whether he’d be disgusted. In that very moment she knew that his feelings were true, his love for her pure and real. Out here, with Denver, she felt she could face anything, surrender to everything he had in store. She just hoped her wobbly knees wouldn’t give way in the process, as his capable hands gently pulled at the hem of her shirt.
His lips brushed against hers, rubbing back and forth, slowly coaxing her to open her mouth. When she did, his tongue snaked stealthily inside to tangle with hers. She let out a soft moan and captured his tongue between her teeth, lightly biting down and suckling.
Denver groaned as Violet suckled his tongue sweetly. The need to rip her clothes off and shove his cock deep into her wet pussy was almost more than he could handle—he’d never felt so out of control with a woman before. But he refused to give into it. Much as the wolf inside him wanted to, he had no intention of taking her rough and quick like the animal he was. This was their first time, and he wanted to savor it.
He kissed her until they were both out of breath and panting with need, then carefully pried her lips away from him. He felt satisfied as he looked down at her flushed cheeks, swollen lips, and into eyes that glazed with desire. Wanting to gaze upon her naked flesh, he reached down to unzip her pants and shifted down so he could slide the material down her legs, trailing open-mouthed kisses down one of them as he went. He smiled as he heard her shallow breathing and felt her body tremble beneath his touch.
“Please, Denver,” she breathed.
“Soon, sweetheart,” he soothed. But first he was going to make her say his name a few more times. He loved the sound of it on her voice. Straightening, he pulled the t-shirt over her head until she was left with nothing but her bra and panties. Frowning, he peeled them off, baring puckered, pink nipples that begged for attention. Unable to help himself, he lowered his head to catch one between his teeth, biting down gently.
“Denver!” Violet gasped, and he reached up to roll the other nipple between his thumb and forefinger. He swirled his tongue around her nipple and then sucked hard, eliciting a long, low cry from her. He pinched the other nipple before switching his mouth to it and giving it the same treatment.
“Turn around,” he commanded, tearing his mouth roughly away from her.
She obeyed, and he gripped her hips, lifting and positioning her on the ground so her torso curved downwards with it, and propping a blanket under her hips to thrust her pretty ass high into the air. He spread her thighs apart, and drew in a ragged breath at the sight of her glistening pussy bared before his hungry gaze.
“Your scent is intoxicating.” Desire ripped through him at the realization that he was about to make love to the woman he’d wanted for half of his life.
A shiver rolled down Violet’s spine at his tone—dark, dangerous, and possessive. “I want to feel you, Denver,” she whispered.
She heard him unzip his pants to free his cock, felt him spread her legs wider, tilt her ass further into the air, and then his hard cock was brushing the entrance of her pussy.
“Denver!” she gasped as he began to slowly ease himself inside her slick folds. He fed it into her inch by torturous inch, so slowly she thought she might just have to kill him if he didn’t put her out if her misery.
“Do you like that, baby? Does it feel good?”
“Yes…Oh, God, yes,” Violet pleaded desperately. “Harder.” She barely recognized the words that were coming out of her mouth—they were wanton and utterly out of
control. She honestly didn’t know this wanton woman was hidden inside her, but now that she was out to play she was going to enjoy every minute of it.
“Like this?” He slammed his cock roughly inside her, and she screamed as shockwaves of pleasure radiated through her body. He then began to pull out, slowly again. “Is that what you want?”
“Yes!”
The wolf inside Denver growled as he buried every inch of his cock deep inside her, reveling in the scream of pleasure and triumph from Violet that was music to his ears. Lifting her hips higher, he gripped her flesh, as he pumped in and out of her, listening to the wet slap of her ass cheeks against his flesh. “God, you’re so tight,” he groaned, leaning over her and reaching one hand forward to stroke her clit, the other to play with her nipples. “Do you like this?”
“Yes, yes, oh God, yes! More!” she cried, pumping her hips back to meet him stroke for stroke, her ass bobbing up and down in the air in a way that drove him absolutely nuts. He watched as she threw her head back, long hair spilling over her shoulders and removed a hand from her breasts to grip a handful of it, pulling so her back arched and she was forced to support herself with the palms of her hands.
“Tell me no one can ever make love to you the way I do. Tell me I’m the only one who’s ever made you feel this way.” He growled, panting as he continued to slam himself inside her, watching as her entire body quivered in pleasure. “Tell me that you’ll be my mate.” He tugged on her hair again. The wolf inside him wanted—no, needed—her to give him a declaration before he claimed her. “Tell me.”
“Yes!” Violet sobbed, and while she would have said anything in order to keep him pumping her full of his hard, thick cock, this had the ring of truth to it. No lover had ever made her burn so hot, throb so badly, ache so hard for him like he did. And the hand he had buried between her legs, stroking her clit in time to her thrusts, had her nearly diving over the edge. She doubted anyone else would ever make her feel so much. “I’m yours!”