Thunder (Alpha Love - a Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance Book 3)

by Olivia Stephens

  In all of the images of Ashton’s mother that she sees, she’s wearing the necklace. Sometimes she’s playing with it, absently running it through her fingers. As soon as Sofie has focused on the rock, the shift occurs, and she’s transported to somewhere else.

  She’s falling again, landing on a bed of snow. She shivers against the wind, hugging herself. It’s cold, so cold. She watches as a man dressed in clothes that couldn’t be more basic, made out of animal hide and fur, walks proudly over to a woman with long dark hair, plaited in a braid over her should that reaches down past her hips. He holds out something that glistens and shines, motioning for her to put it on. When she lays it over her head and holds it up to the light, Sofie sees the necklace, the same one that she’s wearing. The woman claps joyfully, looking so happy she could burst. She throws her arms around the man, speaking to him in a language that she doesn’t understand. But she can make out one word clearly. “Lupo”. Sofie gasps in awe. She’s looking at the original werewolf, the first. She’s witnessing the first time the necklace came into existence.

  She feels the pull that is starting to become familiar as it transports her to another scene. It’s spring now and from the look of the clothes of the people around, it’s much later in time. There’s an older woman in the center of a circle of people, holding the hand of a younger woman. There’s a chant that goes up around the circle. It sounds like a song, and Sofie watches as the ceremony unfolds. The older woman is wearing the necklace, she dances around the younger woman, pointing towards her and a man who sits on the edge of the circle. The younger woman looks at the man with so much love that it’s clear he is her mate.

  The older woman dances gracefully, telling a story through the movement of her body and, as she approaches the younger woman, she sinks to the ground, kneeling before her. Then, the older woman stands in front of the younger and takes her necklace off, laying it over the head of the kneeling woman. They clasp hands and a whoop and roar goes up among the circle of people.

  However, the ceremony hasn’t finished yet. The older woman motions to the man sitting at the edge of the circle. He gets up off the ground, padding slowly and gracefully over the two women. The older woman clasps their hands together and steps away from the young couple and kneels before them. Her action is copied by all the other members of the circle as they all kneel before the couple.

  Sofie feels tears prick at her eyes as she watches the beauty of the ceremony, but then she’s moving again, pulled away. Her vision blurs, and she finds herself inside a house this time. As she looks around her she recognizes elements of Ashton house. It’s the same place, but it looks so different. She follows the sound of voices, tip-toeing towards the room that used to be Ashton’s.

  She sees his mother, talking to another woman. The two of them are sitting down on the bed. From the way they’re talking, they must be good friends.

  “You love him don’t you?” The petite, dark haired woman asks, frowning.

  “Of course I do, Jen. But we’re not teenagers anymore! We both know it’s not just about that. He’s the Alpha, you and I both know what that means.” She looks at her friend meaningfully.

  “Yes, it means you get to be the pack master’s mate. What’s not to like?” Jen giggles gleefully, and her laugh reminds Sofie of someone, but the thought of who escapes her.

  “Honestly? I don’t know if I’m cut out for it. I don’t know if I want to be the one that everyone looks to for advice, the one that’s supposed to be all wise and shit about stuff. I’m 23, I don’t feel very wise!” She throws up her hands in a gesture that reminds Sofie so much of Ashton that she has to smile.

  “You’ll be perfect. Besides you’re the only one that can pull the stick out of Jackson’s butt!” Jen doesn’t even bother to stifle her laugh, and Ashton’s mother laughs right along with her. It’s then that it hits her, Jen must be Lindsey’s mother, they’re so alike.

  “She hates me you know? Jackson’s mom. She’s done everything she can to try to get him to change his mind about me. What if she makes a scene during the handover ceremony?” Ashton’s mother’s voice doesn’t have any trace of bitterness; it sounds sad more than anything else.

  “Oh Jackson’s mother is probably the most miserable woman on the planet. It’s not that she doesn’t like you, she doesn’t like anyone outside of her and her precious first born.” Jen rolls her eyes, and then sees that her friend isn’t laughing and is in need of some real comfort. She slings her arm around her friend’s shoulders. “She’s not going to do anything at the ceremony. She’s going to do the friggin’ dance, hand over the necklace and smile. She’s not going to risk causing a scene, not with the whole pack watching.”

  Sofie watches as the two women laugh and joke together, sharing the kinds of moments that Sofie missed out on after college because she couldn’t let anyone get close to her. Then, the pull comes again. It grabs her and pushes her through the dark tunnel—until the darkness turns to water, and she goes rushing to the surface, her eyes flying open. She finds herself staring straight into Ashton’s sky blue eyes.

  He watches her warily. “I thought I was supposed to be driving.”

  She pulls back to get a good look at him, her head still spinning a little bit from the trip. “What do you mean?”

  “You kept pushing against me every time I tried to move on. That’s never happened before.” He looks at her with that immutable expression of his that makes her wonder what it is that he’s seeing.

  “That was incredible. I saw…I saw…everything.” She rubs her eyes as if that will give her clearer recollection of it all. “I saw the First, and I saw the ceremony, and I saw you when you were little, and I saw your mom.” The wonder in her voice is only a fraction of what she feels. “The necklace…it’s passed on, right? From one Alpha mate to the next. I saw the ceremony, and it was…beautiful.”

  Ashton watches her, in admiration of her. He caresses her cheek, his fingers trailing down her neck over the necklace. He strokes the hollow of her throat, feeling the beat of her heart underneath his fingers. “Every generation, before an Alpha takes his mate, his mother passes on her necklace. It’s a rite of passage. It’s given to the mate of an Alpha to protect her and to show the pack’s respect for her, their need for her.” He watches Sofie’s reaction to what he’s telling her. She remains completely still, barely breathing, waiting to hear what he has to say next. “Being the mate of an Alpha means that you are more at risk than any other member of the pack. It also means that you will give birth to the next generation and, most likely, to the next Alpha. The pack looks up to the Pack Mother; she’s the soul of the group. She’s what holds everything together.”

  Sofie breaks her silence, staring at the only man she’s ever felt a connection this powerful with. “Why are you telling me all of this?” She looks at him uncertainly.

  Ashton continues talking as if she hasn’t spoken, caressing her neck, her cheek. “Lupo gave that necklace to the first mate, the first woman that was made a werewolf. The woman that he fell in love with.”

  “So this necklace is supposed to be for your mate, for the woman that’s going to be the mother of your children, the person that’s going to lead the pack with you. So, why did you give it to me?” Sofie feels like she’s ten steps behind the conversation, rushing to keep up.

  Ashton looks at her like she’s simple. “After everything that I’ve just said, you’re asking what our relationship is? What you are to me?”

  She cringes at herself, wishing that she didn’t sound like a needy girlfriend. After the horrendous events of the day, it was crazy that they were even having a conversation about their relationship. But it didn’t seem as if there was any limit on insanity when it came to their life. “Yes! Yes, I’m asking you!” She pushes herself off the couch, needing some space from him, needing for him not to see how important this is for her. She’s spent so long trying to pretend that she doesn’t need anyone or anything, it almost came as a shock how untru
e that was. “I mean, I’m not looking for some kind of Facebook status update—‘Sofie is in a relationship with Ashton.’ However, yes, it would be nice to know that we’re on the same page. That we’re on any kind of a page at all!” She wants to beat her head against a wall. She sounds too needy, but it’s too late. It’s all out there.

  She sneaks a look at Ashton, who’s looking at her with that amused expression on his face that is so damn sexy and so damn infuriating at the same time. He seems to realize how bizarre this turn of events is, but he goes with it because he needs to say something as much as she needs to hear it.

  Ashton stands up, closing the distance between them, raking his fingers through his hair. It suddenly occurs to Sofie that he’s nervous. When he looks down at her, his eyes are full of sincerity. “There’s no one else that I want. You’re it for me. The way that I feel when I’m with you, it’s the best I have ever felt. The connection we’ve had, since the first moment I saw you, it’s stronger than anything else I’ve experienced, and I know you feel it, too. Lycans believe that when you find the other half of your soul, the person that makes you whole. That’s what being a mate is.” Ashton breathes out, as if he’s been holding all of that in for so long. It’s the closest he’s ever come to saying how he feels about Sofie, how he really feels.

  Sofie is trembling as she listens to words that she has been desperate to hear. “You told me once that if I were like you, a Lycan, then when you claimed me, we would be mates. But I’m not were; I’m not like you. How can we ever be together? How can it work?”

  Ashton covers her mouth with his hand, smothering whatever else she has to say. “Stop, just stop. No questions. You don’t have to question everything. You don’t have to question this. Just feel it.” He moves his hand away from her mouth and then, as if he can’t resist her, his lips are on hers. Suddenly, he’s kissing her so deeply, so carnally that she feels as if her feet actually lift off of the floor.

  He’s actually rendered her speechless, but he hasn’t finished yet. He holds her face in his hands, breathing hard. “When I thought that something was going to happen to you tonight, and that I might not be able to stop it. I was out of my mind. I couldn’t think straight. I lost my shit, and I wish you hadn’t seen that side of me. But when it comes to you, I have no control. You take it all away from me.” He sifts his hands through her hair, letting the silk locks sieve through his fingers. “I know that we’re different and that it’s complicated and hard and that you don’t need this in your life. But I also know that I’d rather have the most complicated and difficult day with you than a lifetime with anyone else.”

  Sofie feels the tears start to well up in her eyes. But this time, they’re not tears made up of fear or pain or hurt, they’re tears of joy.

  “Feel free to jump in whenever you have something to say,” he jokes, looking at her earnestly and suddenly afraid that he may have gone too far—that he may have scared her off.

  She locks eyes with him, the current of electricity between them firing at full power. “I guess there’s not a lot that I have to say— except that I love you, and the thought of not being with you makes me feel like I’m dying inside.” Once the words are out of her mouth she feels a tidal wave of relief. It seems strange that it should ever have been so hard for her to say what he means to her.

  Ashton strokes the pad of his thumb over her lips in the way that makes her desperate for him. She opens her mouth, sucking on his finger, her eyes heavy with lust. She wants him. Ashton looks at her with so much need that she can already feel the moistness blooming in her panties. He kisses her hard, bruising her mouth with his. With his lips he tells her that they belong together, that this is where they are supposed to be.

  They yearn for each other, craving a touch and a kiss filled with need. They strip off their clothes, needing to be as close as they can, needing to feel the heat of the other’s body. They barely break apart from their kisses long enough to catch their breath. Breathing is secondary to this. In this moment, there’s nothing more important than their union.

  Ashton lays Sofie down gently on the floor, and she stretches out feeling the softness of the rug underneath her. He is tender with her, kissing her softly. They’re making love, but it’s more than that. It’s an acceptance of what they are to each other, that they belong together, that their souls are irrevocably connected.

  As he enters her, they keep their eyes fixed on each other. His hardness dips inside of her and fills her up. She can feel him throbbing with need, and she lays her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat in time with hers. They move together, perfectly in time, creating a heat between them hotter than any flame.

  He watches her with awe and almost reverence, as he moves inside of her. However, she doesn’t want to be revered. Tonight, all she wants is to be claimed, to be his. He leans down to kiss her full lips, and she bites down, hard, drawing blood. Ashton pulls back in surprise, looking at her, and he sees a need in her eyes that matches his own. She wants him to own her, to claim her because she is his.

  She leans forward, licking the blood on his bottom lip, slowly and seductively. She’s not ashamed of what she wants, what she needs, and she doesn’t want him to be afraid to hurt her. “Take me. I’m yours.” As she says the words, she clenches her pussy around him and watches as his breath catches in his throat.

  She doesn’t need to say anything else. Ashton knows what she wants because he needs it just as desperately as she does. Perhaps it’s the violence of the night that turns them so wild, but whatever is driving them, it’s strong and it demands to be satisfied. Ashton grinds his hips against hers, pushing his cock even deeper into her, making her pussy sing. She responds the same way, wanting their bodies to be as close as humanly possible. She sucks his bottom lip, chasing away the blood that she’s put there, and he groans against her mouth, unable to stop himself.

  Ashton pulls her up from the ground, maneuvering her so that she’s sitting on top of him, her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms around his neck. She traps her bottom lip between his teeth and sucks, hard, making her moan as his hips pick up the pace.

  Sofie leans down and nuzzles his neck, alternately licking and biting him. She wants to leave her mark on him, and it turns her on even more when she sees the teeth-marks she’s left behind on his body. She leans back into him a little as he kneads her ass, squeezing just hard enough, and he wastes no time, ducking down to take her nipples in his mouth, pulling, teasing, driving her wild.

  “Your pussy, baby. It’s so tight. You’re driving me crazy. You like my cock in your tight pussy?” Ashton breathes heavily, looking between them and seeing his shaft sheathing inside of her. It’s incredibly hot. Sofie nods quickly, making eye contact with him, her pupils dilated, dizzy with lust. “Say it for me, baby.”

  “I love having your cock in my pussy.” The words are ripped out of her as she tries to keep it together, clenching and grinding against him.

  “You’re mine. This is all mine.” Ashton looks her in the eyes as he dips his finger down, fingering her clit. It’s not a question.

  “I’m all yours. I belong to you, Ash.” Sofie is so turned on it’s hard to think, let alone to get the words out. “And you belong to me.”

  Ashton smiles as he pumps harder into her. “That’s right, running girl. That’s right. You’re mine, and I’m yours. This cock is all yours, baby.”

  Ashton guides Sofie forward, kissing and suckling on her lips as he stimulates her clit, making her lose it. “I want you to come inside of me. I want you to come in my cunt.”

  Her dirty talk spurs him on. He dominates her, just like she wants him to. They move together, in perfect unison, both straining for the release that overcomes them. Ashton empties himself inside of her, thundering her name. At the same moment, she cries out his name and shatters around him, like he’s broken her in half.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  They lie on the rug, hands intertwined, looking at each other like kids lo
ok at the best present they’ve ever had. It seems wrong somehow that they’re in this little world of contentment, satisfaction, wonder even, after what happened earlier that night.

  Ashton sees the dark veil move over her features and reaches over to smooth out the crease of the frown lines on her forehead. “What is it?”

  Sofie bites her lip, not wanting to spoil the moment, this beautiful period of time out of time, when it’s just the two of them and the outside world doesn’t exist. But she can’t hide her feelings of guilt. “I can’t get it out of my head. The thought of him…it creeps up on me and boom…it totally floors me.” She doesn’t have to say what it is that she’s talking about.

  “I wish that you hadn’t had to see that, that you hadn’t seen me like that. But there wasn’t any other way. If he’d run back to DC, then they would know that you’re here, and they’d keep coming after you. He was going to hurt you, Sofie, really hurt you.” Ashton pulls her close to him like he can’t bear the thought of it.

  “I know, I know.” She nods, because what he’s saying is true, she knows that. And yet, somehow it doesn’t fix the fault that she feels for her role in someone being killed and then covering it up. But there’s something else that she wants to hear from him. “You told me before that it had been a long time since you’d lost control of the wolf. But you lost control tonight. You…lost your shit,” she says, copying his phrase.

  Ashton doesn’t contest her description of events. There’s no two ways about it; that’s what went down. “I’m not proud of it. That’s not how it should have gone down.” The self-reproach in his voice is clear.