by Kim Fox
The wind was chilling on her hot naked skin but it felt good. Her nipples hardened with the gentle caress of the breeze and Tyler grunted in approval.
“If you keep stroking that thing,” she said with a smirk, “you won’t even need your hot new wife.”
“I’ll always need you,” he said, staring at her with a heated gaze.
She stepped forward, swinging her legs over him and straddling his hips. “Slide down on it,” he commanded, his half-glazed eyes looking more desperate than ever. She could see by his stare, and feel by the hardness of his grip on her hips, that he wanted her badly.
She grinned cruelly as she leaned back from him, teasing and denying him. He reached up for her perky breasts but she playfully batted his hands away. “Your shirt off first,” she said, gently shaking her shoulders and making her breasts jiggle.
He groaned as he stared at her breasts swaying, biting his lip while he gawked at her. His shirt was off in a flash. He moved so quickly that all Isabelle saw was a blur. And then abs. Delicious abs.
“Alright,” she said as she slid her fingers up his hard stomach. “You can touch them.”
He was on her breasts at once, cupping them while he flicked his warm tongue over her swollen buds. “Mmmm,” she moaned, closing her eyes and arching her back. It felt so good.
His strong hands slid to her lower back as she straightened up and grabbed his thick shaft. She took a deep breath and held it as she guided his tip into her wet hole. Her body was tense and rigid. It always was right before she was about to get fucked by Tyler. He was so big and taking all of his cock in always filled her with excited nerves.
“Fuck,” she whispered as she gripped his shoulders and eased her way down his thick cock. With one hand gripping her hip and the other in her hair, he pulled her forward and closed his mouth over hers. Their tongues danced as she took him all the way in, grinding her throbbing clit on his rock hard pelvis.
She pulled her mouth away with a gasp as she slid her hips back up and then dropped them back down. Their bodies melted together, molding as well. She kept a fast pace, rocking her hips up and down, driving her man wild. She could already feel the intensity of an orgasm building inside of her, threatening to be released.
“I want to be your mate,” she whispered as she gazed down at him, admiring his taut muscles. “I want you to claim me. Put your mark on me.”
Tyler steadied his face, staring at her with an intense heated gaze. “Are you sure?”
She nodded as she slid her hips up and down on his pole, feeling her muscles tighten, ready to give herself over to the swirling cloud of pressure building within.
Jacob had always demanded to be her mate. He beat her and threatened her but a male skin shifter could only claim a mate if the female was willing and wanting to be claimed.
And Isabelle had only ever wanted Tyler.
He leaned forward and kissed the soft skin at the base of her neck. She was so close to releasing and having Tyler about to claim her was only sending her rushing towards the edge faster.
“Do it!” she cried as she rocked her hips at a furious pace. Her clit was on fire, her body trembling in heat. She was about to come at any second.
His warm breath washed over her skin as he opened his mouth. “Yes, Tyler,” she cried, urging him forward. “Claim me!”
He bit into the soft flesh at the base of her neck as she trembled violently, her orgasm rushing through her body in a vicious whirlwind of heat and consuming pleasure. Her neck burned as he bit, marking her as his mate forever.
Isabelle clenched her knees against his thighs and moaned as the beautiful waves of heat washed over her, mixing with the searing pain of his mark.
He released her neck and pulled her in close, grunting in her ear as he came deep inside of her. Her heart was pounding double time in her chest as she felt the warmth of his seed mixed with the sweet burn of his mark. The pain and the pleasure were swirling together inside of her, consuming her completely.
She was his now. Body and soul. Forever.
When it all subsided, Isabelle dropped her head forward, resting her forehead on his. They were both still breathing heavy, both totally spent.
She could already feel the intense draw to him, even stronger than before. They were mates now and would be forever.
And Isabelle couldn’t have been happier.
eleven
“The elders and I would like you to rule us,” Isabelle’s father, Quinton, said with his elk standing proudly beside him. Tyler was afraid he was going to say that.
He took a deep breath and sighed as he looked out at the sea of faces, all watching with hope and admiration brimming from their eyes. The past four days had been surreal. He was treated like a king in Creston Falls and now the elders were trying to make it official.
Tyler was in the packed town square on a stage with all of the elders sitting behind him. They had each personally thanked him for removing Jacob. He was a hero to them all. Their words not his.
Heroes didn’t kill their brothers. At first it felt like a stab in his heart every time someone thanked him, but after four days of countless hugs, handshakes, and autographs for kids, he was starting to see just how horrible it had been for everyone under Jacob’s harsh rule. It made the pain of killing a family member easier.
But nothing made it easier than looking at Isabelle. Her old self was back again, always smiling and cheerful. God, he had missed her. Last night he held her close throughout the night after making love and wondered how he actually lived without her for so long. Even being apart while she showered or was in another room felt like torture to him. They had been inseparable since yesterday in the orchard. He finally had a mate. The boys back home would be thrilled.
Back home…
“Will you accept this great honor and be the ruler over the Creston Falls skin shifters?” Quinton asked. Isabelle’s father leaned forward as he looked down at him, waiting for an answer.
This was his destiny. It was what he always wanted. He had been crushed when the town had chosen Jacob to rule over him and now he was finally getting his wish. The ruling position and his girl. He should have been thrilled.
But he wasn’t.
He was missing his new family. He missed laughing around the campfire with his squad. He missed sharing meals as a family, and the long runs through the beautiful forests and up the spectacular mountains. He missed long talks with his best friend Thorn and joking around with the twins. He even missed Stetson’s grumpy moods and Royal’s stubbornness.
He wanted to go home. And he wanted to take Isabelle with him.
“I’m afraid that I can’t,” he said to the crowd. A silence fell over them as every face dropped in disappointment. He felt bad to let them down but he had to do what was right for him. And for his mate.
He couldn’t wait to introduce Isabelle to the boys. Tyler had told her all about each one of them and she was so excited to move onto the Clawed Ranch. Creston Falls just held too many bad memories for her. She needed a fresh start.
Tyler turned to the crowd and cleared his throat. “Unfortunately I will have to decline your honorable offer,” he shouted in a booming voice. “But there is someone in this town who could do an even better job than I ever could. His great family has a long standing reputation in Creston Falls of unmatched honor and service. He would be a just ruler, kind and fair. Strong and powerful. I would like to recommend to the skin shifters of Creston Falls and to the elders on the stage, Quinton Lexington as ruler.”
Isabelle’s father jerked his head back in shock. His eyes widened as the crowd cheered him on. He was the perfect choice. Tyler always deeply respected Quinton. He was a good man and would make a fine ruler.
“Let’s vote on the nomination,” an elder behind him shouted. Each of the dozen elders raised their hand in support as the crowd cheered their approval.
“Thank you, Tyler,” Quinton said, wincing in pain as he shook his hand. Isabelle’s father was s
till recovering from Jacob’s attack.
When the elders finished voting, it was unanimous. Quinton was the new ruler of Creston Falls if he accepted the position, which judging by the proud look on his face, he was going to.
“Will you accept this great honor and be the ruler over the Creston Falls skin shifters?” Tyler asked him, repeating the same words to him.
Quinton stood with a straight back and a puffed-out chest. “I humbly accept,” he said with a nod.
The crowd erupted in cheers. Isabelle rushed onto the stage and threw her arms around her father. “Congratulations, Daddy,” she said with a smile. “There’s no more deserving man for the job.”
She kissed him on the cheek and then made her way over beside Tyler, sliding her hand into his. Tyler glanced down at his mate and felt the familiar pang in his chest whenever he looked at her.
Quinton thanked each of the elders as they swore their loyalty to him forever. They all sat back down except for one elder, a thin, frail old man who looked like he could be blown off the stage by a moderate gust of wind.
“As our new ruler,” he said with a shaky voice, “you must reign judgment on the four horsemen.”
Both Quinton and Isabelle tensed up as guards marched Rhett, Nathan, Emry, and of course, Wallace, onto the stage. Their hands were cuffed behind their backs and their feet were shackled together. The crowd booed and hissed as they were ushered onto the stage.
“Kill them!” someone shouted.
“Hang them all!”
Isabelle squeezed Tyler’s hand as she buried her face into his arm. Tyler knew that this was the moment she’d been dreading. Nathan, Emry, and Rhett had done the right thing in the end but they had carried out Jacob’s orders for years, and the town hated them. And Wallace, her brother…she hated him but she felt for her father. How could a father sentence his own son to death?
Quinton took in deep heavy breaths as he walked down the line of shackled men. He held his breath as he paused in front of his son. Wallace’s face was filled with hatred as he stared up at his father.
“Jacob is the true ruler, not you,” Wallace hissed.
“Jacob is dead, my son,” he answered in a flat voice. “I should send you to join him.”
The crowd cheered at his words but Quinton shook his head as he turned towards them. He raised his hand until a hushed silence fell over the crowd. “The days of death and murder in Creston Falls are over,” he said in a deep booming voice. “These four will not receive the death penalty.” He paused while the crowd booed and cried out in complaint. “But they will be banished from Creston Falls forever.”
Rhett, Nathan, and Emry all lowered their heads, looking devastated. Wallace just glared at his father with hatred brimming from his hazel eyes.
“The poor guys,” Isabelle whispered, watching them with pity.
Tyler gulped. He knew what was coming next.
She looked up at him with raised eyebrows and a questioning gaze. “Can they come with us?”
Isabelle held her father’s hand as they walked over to Wallace. They were outside of the community fences and the guards were unlocking the handcuffs behind his back.
She could feel her father’s hand trembling in hers.
Ever since they were kids, Isabelle’s brother had been trouble. He was always quick to anger and violence, so unlike his gentle giant of a father.
“Wallace,” she called out when it was clear that her father couldn’t find any words. “Can you come say goodbye?”
He turned with a wicked look in his eyes. Wallace looked so much like her, a male version of her on the outside, but so different on the inside. Isabelle always wondered where all of his anger came from.
“This is not goodbye,” he said, glaring at his father. “I’ll say goodbye when I slide my sword into your belly, old man. You are not the rightful ruler of this land. Jacob is. And I will carry out his revenge.”
Rhett, Nathan, and Emry stepped forward with Tyler leading the way. “No,” her father said, holding up his hand to the men. He turned back to Wallace with a sadness in his eyes. “You are my son,” he said with a low voice. “I was in the room when you were born. I held you as a baby. I watched you grow into the man you are today. I gave you love and affection. I gave you everything I had. And still, it wasn’t enough. I don’t know what demons you have inside you, torturing and tormenting you, Wallace. But I sincerely hope that I gave you the strength to fight them so one day they can be conquered and you can finally be at peace.”
Wallace just gritted his teeth as he glared at the new ruler of Creston Falls. “You are no father of mine, old man,” he said with a tone of disgust. “And I will embrace the demons inside of me. I will use them to get my revenge.” He turned to Rhett, Nathan, and Emry. “You hear that, horsemen?” he said, spitting on the ground between them. “Traitors. Betrayers. I will kill all three of you. And when I’m done, I’ll come back to Creston Falls and burn it to the ground.”
Tyler stepped forward, looking like he was going to make him eat his words, but Isabelle’s father stopped him, placing a mighty hand on his chest. “Let him go,” he whispered. “He’s just a small, sad man. He’s no threat to anyone.”
But Isabelle wasn’t so sure. He kept glancing back at Rhett with murder in his eyes.
Everyone took a breath of relief when he finally disappeared into the forest. “Daddy,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I’m going with Tyler.”
He sighed heavily as he looked down at her with tired eyes. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”
“He’s the one for me, Daddy,” she said, smiling as she looked back at Tyler. He looked so handsome standing there watching her with a look of pure love on his face with his beautiful wolf, Izzy, at his side.
“I know,” her father said, pulling her in for a hug. “I’m just happy that you’ll have a worthy man who truly loves you.” He hooked his finger into the neck of her shirt and tugged it down revealing Tyler’s claiming mark. “Is there going to be a wedding?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
Isabelle could feel her cheeks redden as she nodded.
“I better be invited,” he said with a grin. She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. “It wouldn’t be the same without you.”
They said their goodbyes and Isabelle walked over to the group. Tyler was speaking with Rhett, Nathan, and Emry. “Come visit us in Colwood, Montana some time,” he said, shaking Rhett’s hand.
Rhett nodded. “Is it nice there?”
“Beautiful,” Tyler said with a smile. “Spectacular mountains, lush forests that you can run in for days, rivers filled with juicy fish, and the people are the best.”
“Hey boys,” Rhett said, turning to the two Chevy brothers behind him. “Want to go live in Colwood, Montana?”
Tyler tensed up, looking panicked. “I didn’t mean-”
“Sounds like it’s as good a place as any,” Emry said with a shrug.
“Can you give us a lift?” Nathan asked, coming up behind Tyler and slapping him on the shoulder.
Tyler stared at Isabelle with wide panicked eyes. She could barely stifle the laugh bubbling on her lips.
“Uh, sure,” he said, biting his bottom lip.
“Of course we can,” Isabelle said, stepping forward. They had saved their lives after all, and got booted out of their homes because of it.
Tyler exhaled long and hard, relaxing his tense muscles. “Looks like we’ll have some new neighbors,” he said, shaking his head.
“It will be fine,” she whispered as they began the long walk down the road.
Tyler scratched the back of Izzy’s ear as they got close to where he stashed the pickup truck. “Let’s see what you did to Thorn’s truck. I hope you didn’t fuck it up too bad.”
Isabelle couldn’t help but laugh when they turned the corner and saw the truck parked on the side of the road. It was beyond fucked up. The seats were shredded, the dashboard was clawed to pieces, and the windshield was smashed where
Izzy must have jumped through it when she had come to save the day.
“Whoa!” Nathan said, tossing his bag into the back of the truck. “For once I’m happy to ride in the back of a pickup.”
“Remember,” Isabelle said, squeezing Tyler’s hand. “She did this to save your life.”
Tyler sighed. He dropped to a knee and gave his wolf a hug. She licked his cheek as her tail wagged happily.
Isabelle knew what she was going to get her mate for a wedding gift. A new truck for him, and one for his best friend, Thorn.
twelve
“Wanna go for a ride?” Tyler asked, looking over his horse with a grin.
“Always,” Isabelle answered. As if reading her mind, her new horse Venus trotted over. Isabelle ran her hand over the spectacular animal’s soft hair. The two had connected immediately three weeks ago when she arrived at the Clawed Ranch and first saw her.
“Where to this time?” Tyler asked as he climbed onto his horse, Savannah.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” she said, and it was true. As long as she was with Tyler it didn’t matter to her where they were.
“Up the mountain?” he asked with a grin.
She smiled back as she got up on Venus and settled into the saddle. “Let’s do it!”
The two mates trotted out of the horse stables and onto the stunning ranch. It was a gorgeous October afternoon and the wind was blowing the colorful fallen leaves through the long grass. Isabelle had only been on the Clawed Ranch for three weeks but she absolutely loved it. The squad had taken her in with open arms and she had quickly settled into the group.
The girls always made her giggle and the guys always made her laugh out loud with their ridiculous antics. She understood why Tyler wanted to return here. It was so different than back home. She had spent years in Creston Falls in a state of constant fear, tension, and anxiety. She always had to watch her mouth, not wanting to do or say anything that would set Jacob off.