by Belle Harper
“I have to tell you something,” he whispered. He looked… guilty.
I told him to wait for me, that I would take a shower and then we would talk. I wasn’t ready just yet for what he was going to say. He had just got here, and I didn’t need any more bad news. That look on his face worried me. A lot.
When I returned, I could see the bed was made. I saw Raff just standing to the side like it was lava and he couldn’t touch it.
“Did you make the bed?” I was a little confused why he would do that. I was dressed in my pajamas, the same ones I got from Shelly—the large white T-shirt and green-checkered sleep pants. I was naked underneath… which made me feel a little naughty coming out to see him, knowing my top could lift and expose my breasts at any moment. I had brushed my teeth, trying to smell my best. My stomach did a few flip-flops, but I wasn’t hungry. If anything I was nervous, and I worried he would smell that too. God, how was I ever going to keep my feelings from these guys?
“No, um . . . Maverick did. He got fresh sheets and everything. I can’t sleep in here, but I can stay until midnight. That was one of the rules for me to come live here.”
I nodded, that sounded like a normal rule but was still confused why Maverick had made the bed. That was odd. I crawled up, the sheets were crisp and smelled nice as I got under them. I patted for Raff to get in beside me; he shucked off his boots and sat on top of the sheets. That worried me even more.
“God, Raff, what is it? I just can’t…” I was freaking out. What was he going to say? Oh my God, maybe he had a girlfriend back home, maybe he didn’t like me that… No.
“Jack and Grayson told me, and well, so did the Alpha and Galen. That I had to tell you… what I… What I had done to you, been doing to you.” I sat up straighter. What the hell had he done? I could see he was struggling to find the words. He wasn’t someone who spoke a lot, so this was big. And I was a little worried about what he would say.
I reached over and took his hand in mine. “You can tell me. Is it something I should be mad about?” He shrugged at first, then nodded, his head hung low. What could he have done? They couldn’t make you fall in love with them, right? They didn’t have those kinds of powers.
“I claimed you. Well, I scent-claimed you without your permission.” He pulled his hand away from mine and turned his back on me, his fingers raking through his hair. I could see he was shaking, and this was big news. But I didn’t get it. I had heard of the claim thing, and Jack said my smell called to the wolves. The wolves wanted to claim me, but they wouldn’t let that happen. How did he claim me without me even knowing.
“What does that mean, Raff?” I pulled on his shoulder and he finally let go of his hair.
“I have been marking you with my scent. Telling the other shifters that you were mine. Off limits, to stay away. That my wolf had claimed you, but I didn’t ask you. I couldn’t. You didn’t know what I was, what our world was like. I… I didn’t want to lose you to Ranger or one of the others, I knew I wouldn’t stand a chance if you did. Grayson and Jack told me to stop. But I didn’t. I should have, I was wrong to do it and I’m sorry. So, sorry Lexi.”
I was confused at first, he marked me to tell the others that I was his. The first day fights about claims? Ranger yelling at Raff about making a claim. I had no idea what they were talking about. He put his scent on me? He didn’t want to lose me…
“Why didn’t you just talk to me, I know I didn’t know your world but I liked you from the start Raff. You didn’t need to mark me to keep others away.” I was conflicted. He did something without my permission, yet it didn’t even seem to work anyway. There was a heap of guys who still smelled me and watched me.
Wait, unless the scent was what the problem was. Oh god.
“What is the scent?” Oh please, don’t let it be something gross. I was thinking the worst thoughts about this claiming scent.
“It is just my pheromones. The other shifters would smell it and know you were claimed; it’s like telling them you were dating someone, but through scent.” He reached up to his throat. “I would rub myself on your clothes… mark them. They knew I didn’t have a real claim because I didn’t smell like you. Well, only when we… The morning we woke up and I didn’t shower. I knew it would set Ranger off, but I didn’t care. I wanted him to know what you meant to me, what I meant to you. I am sorry, Lexi. It was my fault that you saw us shift.”
I had so many questions but— “It’s not your cum, right?” was the one I blurted out. His eyes flashed to mine. Yeah, I just asked that. Like of all the things I was thinking… The surprised look he gave me made me giggle.
“No, it’s not… it’s um… not cum.”
I wasn’t upset with him, which surprised me. He had done something that I didn’t know about, tricked these other wolves that we were together even when we weren’t. But if anything, I realized now just how much he liked me. I just couldn’t smell his scent to know he had done that.
“That’s good. It would have been a different story if it was. And I don’t want you to be sorry, for any of it. Even if I didn’t know you were marking me…” I let out a deep breath and moved a little closer to him. Those beautiful eyes warily followed me. “It tells others that I’m yours, right?”
He swallowed and nodded. That guilty look washed over his face again, but it didn’t belong there.
“Do I smell like you now?” He shook his head as I crawled up and over the top of the sheets towards him. He watched my every move until I was right in front of his face, and I knew right then and there that I wanted Raff. I needed him like I needed air.
“Mark me,” I whispered in his ear. He let out a low growl that I felt between my thighs as his hand reached out and grabbed my hip.
God, I wanted him to claim my body now.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lexi
I woke up and the bed was drenched in my sweat. My heart was pounding. The door to my room opened suddenly and Raff was there. I almost cried at the sight of him, my hands calling him over without words. I needed him.
I could see Maverick and Ranger behind him as Raff came straight over, laid down beside me, wrapping his arms around me tightly, and I held my hands into his bare chest. My eyes burned at the bright light coming through the doorway, so I closed them. The feel of Raff here relaxed me instantly.
“Did you want some water?” I heard Ranger ask, the concern in his voice had me glance over at him, still in the doorway. Maverick was there too; he shifted on the heel of his foot and when he looked up, our eyes met. My heart sped up a little—he didn’t look so upset and angry with me. He looked… relieved? No, I was definitely seeing things. I felt Raff run his fingers down my back in a soothing gesture, and I let out a deep breath and settled into his warmth.
When I didn’t answer, I heard Ranger tell Raff that if I need anything to call out. And then the door clicked shut behind them, leaving us alone. It didn’t take long for Raff to get under the sheets and spoon me. My body relaxed and fell into a deep sleep.
I groaned from the warmth of too many blankets. I felt so hot, my head was fuzzy, but my body was so relaxed. I had slept so well. I realized that Raff was still with me, and I could hear him breathing deeply but I could tell he was awake.
"Raff?" I whispered. I could hear him let out a deep breath as his body rolled toward mine. His breath was now on the back of my neck. His arm snaked slowly over the top of the sheets and rested against me. I liked the feeling of his heavy arm over me. I felt so safe, so protected by him. I looked at the windows, I almost forgot where I was. The big room at the Lovells’ house was so out of my element, so not me.
“Lexi.” I closed my eyes at the sound of my name rolling off his tongue. God, his voice was so deep, I could feel it inside me.
"Run away with me." I knew when the words came out of my mouth, I didn't really mean them—I knew there was no way I was going to be able to get away from here, and neither was Raff. I had to finish school, go to college… I ha
d a friend. Oh God. Ada. I hadn't spoken to her in days. I made a friend who was really amazing and I turn into the worst friend ever. Shit. I needed to turn my cell on.
"I would go anywhere with you, Lexi, but I can't keep you safe." He didn’t tell me why, but I knew it had something to do with my smelling like something to shifters. That was different to what I thought was normal, I wasn’t exactly human.
I rolled over in his arm to face him, his hair all messed up and those eyes looking right into my soul. The feelings this guy gave me. I remembered what he said last night, and what I asked him to do… he marked me. Then he came and saved me from my nightmares, and I had fallen asleep with him. Again.
My body hummed with the sexual tension that always buzzed between us. My breathing sped up slightly as his gaze wandered over my face to my lips before he moved his arm from my waist and pushed my hair behind my ear, his hand lingering on my neck. My heart was going to pound out of my chest if he didn’t kiss me.
Oh shit, he can smell me.
“Hi," I squeaked out. Why was I suddenly so nervous? Shit, last night Raff spoke more words in the span of five minutes than he had ever spoken before. I could feel my cheeks heat. He could smell that I was turned on by him, and I had no idea if he felt the same. I wasn’t sure I liked that he could smell me like that and that I couldn’t smell him.
I reached my hand up from under the sheets and touched his bare chest. His body shivered at the touch and he closed his eyes as I traced the outlines of his tattoos. I could feel his heart hammer against his chest and his breathing sped up. When he opened his eyes, I knew he was turned on. I didn’t need to smell anything to be able to tell that.
My lips parted as I looked at his mouth. I reached up to his cheek as I pulled him closer, willing him to close the distance between us so I could kiss him. Our eyes never left each other until our noses touched. When he closed his eyes, I did the same and titled my head, my lips softly grazing his. I could feel him suck in a breath before his lips pressed harder against mine.
I pulled him closer. I wanted our bodies together, I wanted to feel him, show him how much I wanted him. The sheets were getting in my way. I felt his hand on my hip and I gasped, wanting to take this kiss deeper, but he pulled back suddenly and my eyes flared open.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he pulled his hand away like I just burned him.
“Don’t be sorry. I was just getting a lost in the moment. I…” I didn’t have words. What could I say? I was confused. I didn’t know his past; I might have overstepped or brought back some bad memories. Fuck.
He rolled away from me and muttered something under his breath. I felt cold and rejected. What the hell just happened?
“What did you say?” I demanded more than asked. I wish he would tell me, be like he was last night—more straightforward. He rolled back over, his eyes barely meeting mine.
“I… I did it wrong.” Did what wrong?
“Hey, I am so lost right now.”
I watched his chest rise and fall before he looked at me, he looked a little lost.
“I never kissed before.” I sat up straighter and looked down at him. Now I was really confused.
“That was your first kiss?” He made a nervous sound and rolled his face way from mine.
“Yes…” he whispered.
Holy shit. I was his first kiss. Oh my God. If I was his first kiss, then… “You’re a virgin.” I slapped my hand over my mouth. Fuck, I… He tried to get farther from me but I grabbed his shoulders. He didn’t pull away when I touched him. If anything, he relaxed into my touch. Like he needed it, he wasn’t scared of me. He was inexperienced. That was okay, actually that was more than okay.
“Raff, I didn’t mean it like that.” When he finally rolled toward me, his eyes danced back to the bedroom door. Did he want to leave? I was having none of that. I pulled the sheets out and saw he was practically naked in my bed, he scooted up so his back rested against the headboard. I could feel my body heat from the sight of his body. He had some black boxer briefs on, and there was a tent, a big tent. When he saw where my eyes had landed, he tried to pull the sheets back over himself to cover it.
“Don’t hide your body from me.” I pulled the sheet down and straddled him. The feeling of his warm, hard body between my legs sparked that feeling deep inside me. I bent down to his face and kissed him, but I didn’t back down. I parted my lips and he followed. Slipping my tongue in, he met mine, and he didn’t disappoint. For someone who had never kissed, he was a fast learner.
His hands hovered around, not knowing what to do, so I grabbed one and placed it on my hip. When he squeezed, I rubbed myself against his hard cock. He let out a deep moan, so I did it again. Rubbing my clit felt so good. I could get off just from this alone. But I wanted more. I wanted him inside me.
“Condoms?” I asked, just so caught up in the moment, my body responding to his in ways it never had before. That was when he froze and stopped me, I was panting, so close to climax. His eyes darted to the door then back to me. I looked over to the door then placed my hand on his chest.
“Sorry, I was just caught up in the moment.” At first, I thought I had pushed him too fast too soon. He didn’t move for a few moments then smiled lazily at me. God that was so sexy. Pushing my hair behind my ear, he took my mouth again. I moaned loudly when his cock nudged that sweet spot. I was so close. I could feel my sleep pants slick with need. I started to take over, rubbing more and more until he held me still again. His breathing came out ragged as he looked between us. I could now see the wet patch on his boxers right where the head of his cock was. I traced my finger over the top and his body shuddered before he grabbed my wrist to stop me. I playful tilted my head and smiled.
“Did you…” He eyes widened as he looked down again. I could see his muscles tighten with every deep breath he took.
“Yes.” He looked up at me, he looked slightly embarrassed that he had done that. Cum in his boxers, that was what I was hoping for too.
“I am so close.” I whispered as I rubbed my core against him again. He let out a shaky breath as I started to chase my climax again. So close… I could taste it—
“Did you know shifters have good hearing, as well as smell?” he asked, I stilled. His eyes searched my face before he looked to the bedroom door again. I didn’t know why he was telling me that at first, but then it dawned on me. Everyone in the house would have heard…
“They can hear everything?” I gasped. He nodded and now I looked towards the door. Were they outside the room? I didn’t say anything, but I gestured with my eyes and he looked again. He closed his eyes and shifted his head slightly on the pillow.
He shook his head and pointed down. Oh, they were downstairs. Fuck, I didn’t know that they could hear… everything. That was something they left out of the shifter lesson.
“Do you think they…” I mouthed, “heard?”
He nodded. I could see he was focused on what they were saying. He rolled his eyes and groaned. Oh my God, could he hear them talking about us.
“They’re talking now… about?” I whispered, pointing down between us. When he didn’t say anything, I knew that they were. Oh, what assholes they should try block it out. They would get a show if they want to listen to something private, this was between me and Raff. Not them. I smiled as I placed a hand over Raff’s mouth, his eyes widened, and I winked at him.
“I want to suck your—” There was a huge banging sound and my bedroom door flew open, slamming against the wall. My hand flew off Raff’s mouth and to my throat in shock of how fast that just happened.
Ranger was in my room, his chest heaving and he emitted a rumbling growl—and it scared me. I didn’t expect that. Maverick appeared just behind him, looking unaffected by the scene in front of him, but his eyes glared daggers into his brother, and then I saw Galen. My mouth popped open. He was here? They all listened to me and Raff as I dry fucked him. My breath hitched. Galen heard me and Raff.
I looked
back at Ranger, and he was visibly shaking. I played with fire, but it was his fault. Fucking asshole, he listened to me and Raff. This was none of his business. God, I hated him.
When Galen’s eyes met mine, he didn’t look happy with me, but when was he lately? I always seemed to mess things up with him. And here I am again, messing shit up. I wanted Raff, I wanted what was happening between us, but there was a part of me that wanted Galen. It was crazy to want them both. That was not how this worked. I got one, and that was all. But there was still a small part of me that wished he was here beside me.
But he would never see me as anything more than this. Poor orphan girl who runs away and enjoys pissing off temperamental shifters at an alarming rate. I gave a sly smirk to Galen… the vampire. His brow raised in question.
“Neck. I want to suck your neck, Raff.” I leaned over, not breaking eye contact with Galen and licked just below Raff’s ear before sucking his lobe.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Rafferty
Fuck, Lexi took control after I told her she was my first kiss. Like way more than I thought she would do with me. After she asked me to mark her last night, I just couldn’t believe this was happening, that I would have a beautiful, amber eyed girl to mark. How did I hold out for all this time to kiss someone? It was the best feeling in the world.
My uncles were the reason why. But now I was here and she was too, there was no holding back now. I wanted this girl. She was mine. My wolf was not happy about Ranger downstairs, snickering and laughing about my virgin status. I blocked him out as best I could, but I could hear him laugh and Galen telling him to stop it. I knew he was doing it to piss me off, throw me off. But I didn’t let it get to me. I kept kissing Lexi.