by Desiree Holt
“Goddamn it! Are all you males the same? It’s all about possession, isn’t it? Instead of thinking how awful it will be for me to be mated by someone who isn’t my true mate, the first thing you thought was how much it pissed you off that your brother would be mating me instead of you.”
He reached for her, took her hand, but she shook him off. “Just leave me alone, Joel! You’re all as bad as each other.”
She spun on her heels and took off again, ignoring his shouts of, ‘Ruby, wait!’ unsure of where she was even going. Above her head, the pale moon was full and vibrant. Yes, that was where she would go, back out into the forest to run until she was exhausted. It would be the only way she would be able to sleep between now and tomorrow night, if she had run herself into the ground. She had started today young and carefree, and she suddenly felt ten years older and burdened with the future of the pack on her shoulders. This was the only home and family she’d ever known, and she hated the thought of something happening to break them all up. Ruby was surprised to discover her loyalty to her pack was even greater than her concern for herself.
She made it outside of the border of the compound, and into the surrounding forest. With one swift move, she pulled her cotton sundress over her head, then kicked off her sandals and removed her underwear, leaving them all in a pile. She took a moment, allowing a cool breeze to dry the tears from her face, the soft light of the moon caressing her naked skin. Right now she felt free but, tomorrow night, she would be with a mate. Her mate, whether she liked it or not.
Leaving her pack behind, Ruby set off at a run into the forest. She loved this time of the month, when shifting into wolf form felt as natural as undressing at the end of a long day. At other times, the change was brutal and bloody, and nothing like the smooth transition of during the three days of a full moon.
She sought inside herself and called to her wolf. The animal was lurking right beneath the surface at this point in the lunar cycle, so close she often found her thoughts blurring with the animal’s, even when she was in human form. At this time, many of the shifters found themselves displaying more animalist qualities. Was that why they chose the full moon as the perfect time to mate?
As she ran deeper into the forest, she started her shift, her arms becoming legs, her hips realigning so she fell forward on all four paws. The process took a matter of seconds. One moment, she was a young woman running naked between the trees, her red hair streaming out behind her, the next she took the form of a lithe, russet-furred wolf. She didn’t know where she was going, only that she wanted to put distance between herself and the men who were trying to control her life.
Ignoring all of the small creatures she shared the forest with, she galloped until her chest burned, the air rasping in and out of her lungs. Though it was harder to become fatigued as a wolf, she found the muscles in her legs started to ache, and knew she needed to stop.
Ruby drew to a halt, panting hard, her chest heaving. Her tongue lolled from her mouth as she tried to cool down from the strenuous run.
Something snapped to her right, and she froze, holding her breath so she could listen hard.
She wasn’t alone.
Ruby picked up the scent of another wolf in the forest with her, heard the crunch of paws on fallen leaves and the panting of breath. Another wolf being around wasn’t unusual, especially at this time of the month, but something about this one put Ruby’s hackles up.
Picking up her pace again, she started to run—
A big, dark gray wolf stepped into her path, blocking her way. Ruby skidded to a halt and growled, and the animal snarled in return.
Holton.
What did he want?
She wasn’t going to allow herself to be intimidated by him, not as man or wolf. Just because he was bigger and older, didn’t mean he always got to have the upper hand. She intended on letting him know she wasn’t going to be a pushover. She wouldn’t play the meek little woman around him.
Ruby let out a snarl of her own, and darted forward, her upper lip curled, revealing the white of her canines in her auburn muzzle. She nipped at his forelegs, forcing him to step back. He gave another growl of warning. Ruby edged back slightly and then darted again, snapping at his chest.
But this time he was ready for her, and instead of backing off, he launched for her soft underbelly. Ruby gave a whine as he unbalanced her and the next thing she knew, she was on her back with him standing over her, growling.
He was the dominant male, there was no doubt, and she wouldn’t win this fight. She never thought she would, but she’d needed to go in on the attack to make him understand that she wasn’t afraid of him.
With no way of breaking free, Ruby shifted back to human, so she was curled, naked beneath the form of the massive dark gray wolf. He wouldn’t hurt her as a woman, wouldn’t force himself on her while he was a wolf. She’d pushed him too far, but she knew he wouldn’t deal out that kind of punishment.
Holton shifted back, too, so he was on all fours, still straddling her, his hands planted on the ground either side of her shoulders, as naked as she was. His long hair fell around his face as he stared down at her, the ends tickling her neck and shoulders.
“What are you playing at, Ruby?” he growled.
She forced a smirk. “Can’t handle me? I figured you should know what you were getting yourself into before you mate me against my will.”
He frowned slightly. “It won’t be against your will, Ruby.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “How can you say that?”
“Because by tomorrow night, you’re going to want me so badly, you’ll feel like you’re going to go crazy with need.”
Ruby gave a laugh. “You’re the crazy one.”
“Am I?” He lowered his head and grazed the tip of his nose along the side of her face and down to her throat, inhaling deeply to take in her scent. “We haven’t had the chance to spend much time together, you and I. I think if you allow yourself to be in my company, you’ll discover I’m not so bad after all.”
His voice was low and gravelly, and sent strange vibrations trembling through her body. Fighting against her physical reaction, she twisted her face away from him, and pushed at his chest with her hands. “You need to get off me!”
“Why? So you can get up and run? You’re staying here and talking to me until I say you’re allowed to go.”
“I don’t have to be around you until tomorrow night. I came out here to be alone.”
“Things will be better for you if you allow yourself to get to know me.”
She exhaled a sigh. “And why would I want get to know you?”
“So you can see that you’re supposed to be my mate.”
“I’m not even sure I believe in this whole ‘knowing your mate’ business,” she said, realizing he wasn’t going to let her go anywhere. “It all sounds a bit like the whole ‘love at first sight’ thing humans have.”
His eyebrows lifted. “You don’t believe in love at first sight?”
“It sounds like a fairytale to me.”
He snorted. “Considering what we are, you can’t possibly tell me you don’t believe in fairytales either.”
It was her turn to be surprised. “And you do?”
“I believe all stories have a root somewhere in history. They’re all inspired by something.”
“Well, I call bullshit. This notion of us all having one mate, and that we’ll know that person instantly, is simply a way for men to control women into doing what they want.”
He lowered his body slightly, staring down at her. She was so aware of his proximity, the way his body eclipsed hers. “Are you sure about that, Ruby? Why would anyone want to trap themselves for life with one person, if they weren’t absolutely sure they were the person they were meant to spend their last dying breath on?”
She found her own breath had grown shallow. “Humans do it all time.”
He leaned in closer, his mouth hot against her ear. “But we’re not human.”<
br />
Her blood hummed in her veins, her heart pattering like fingertips tapping the inside of her ribcage. Was this how it felt to find your mate? As though you never truly appreciated how it felt to be alive until you discovered yourself this close to them? She’d never felt this way with Joel, ever. He’d just been a mild flirtation, a distraction. She’d never wanted to try to peel off his skin and climb inside his body with him.
Ruby snatched a breath. No way. That was not what she was thinking. This aggressive, dominant man was not her mate. She’d wanted someone fun and … Younger! More her age, at least. Okay, so maybe the older thing was kind of hot, and she did like the way he was most definitely a man instead of a boy. But even so …
He was doing that annoying thing of looking at her as though he could read exactly what was going through her head.
“Stop it,” she snapped.
The corner of his mouth quirked. “You felt it, too.”
“I didn’t feel a thing,” she said quickly. She shifted the focus back to him. “What about you, Holton? Why haven’t you mated already?”
He stared at her, dark and intense. “I guess I was just waiting for my mate to be ready.”
Her heart tripped. Did he mean her?
He laughed. “And yes, I mean you, Ruby.” He had read her God-damned mind. “I’ve seen how you wanted to play the field, how you didn’t want to be tied down to anyone.”
“And yet you’re tying me down now.”
His eyes took on a wicked glint. “Only if you want me to.”
Her cheeks flushed with heat. “I’m being serious. Why now? Was it because you saw Joel and I growing closer? I still can’t believe you did this to your brother. He’ll never speak to you again.”
He glanced away. “I had my reasons. That’s all you need to know.”
Irritation bubbled up inside her. “Let’s get one thing straight. After you and I are mated, I expect you to treat me like an equal, a partner. I’m not some little girl who needs to be looked after, or kept in the dark about important decisions. Think of me as your equal, or don’t think of me at all.”
An annoying glimmer of amusement appeared in his eyes. “Of course. I wouldn’t expect it to be any other way.”
He was still holding himself above her, pinning her in with his arms, and she fought the urge to glance down, to get an eyeful of his body. Was he as hairy as she’d imagined? She risked a peek and saw a patch of dark hair in a triangle between his dusky nipples, and a second line of hair running downward. It was far from the thick pelt she had imagined, the rest of his skin a deep tan over hard muscles. Like her, he was naked and she was sure if he lowered his body just a fraction, she would feel his cock brushing against her stomach. Was he erect for her? Did having her trapped beneath him like this make him hard? A crazy, wild part of her mind whispered to her to lift up her hips and see what she felt, or reach down with her hand. After all, she was to be his mate this time tomorrow; there was no reason why she couldn’t check out what was on offer.
Ruby thrust the thought from her head. No, Holton was a brutish asshole, and there was nothing about him which she found remotely attractive. She was tolerating him purely for the long-term good of her pack, and because it was what her uncle and alpha wanted.
She absolutely, completely, did not find the long hair, and muscles, and dominating behavior attractive in the slightest.
Chapter 5
It was impossible for Holton not to react to the curvaceous redhead trapped beneath him. Her body was rigid, her face twisted to one side so she didn’t have to look directly at him. Ruby Callaghan, niece of their alpha, was to be his. Despite her protests, he knew she was the one he was supposed to be with. Yes, it helped that she would also elevate his position in the pack, securing his position as the next alpha, but that wasn’t the only reason he wanted to mate her. He’d stood by and watched his brother make a fool out of himself with her, knowing he couldn’t say a word about it. Joel would only have said he was jealous, and that Holton always wanted what he had.
Holton had known he had to wait until the right moment to suggest their mating, and that moment was now. Rumor was that rival packs had started eyeing up their compound. As packs grew bigger, they needed more resources so they didn’t spill into human territories. There were lone wolves who lived among humans but, as a rule, his kind preferred to live in a group.
He moved his thoughts to the young woman trapped beneath him. If she really wanted to be rid of him, she would have kneed him in the balls by now, or wriggled out from under him. Instead, he’d heard her heart rate jump, and her skin had flushed with heat. He’d been around long enough to know the difference between fear and lust. Perhaps she wouldn’t admit it to herself just yet, but she’d come around to his way of thinking, and he’d be waiting for her when she did. He took the defiant jut to her jaw as a challenge, and he enjoyed it. Some simpering girl who was all over him would do nothing for him. He’d always wanted a mate who had fire inside her, who would challenge what he said, and who knew what she wanted.
Right now, Ruby didn’t know what she wanted, but as soon as she did, he knew it would be worth the wait.
“You could always kiss me, you know,” he growled. “Try it out. If you still say there’s nothing between us, perhaps I’ll consider backing out of the mating.”
This got her attention. She turned her face to his, so her sweet breath gusted against his skin. “You’d do that?”
He gave a half-shrug. “If you felt nothing, it would give me something to think about. Perhaps it would mean we weren’t meant to mate after all.”
Her eyes searched his. “So you believe we’re supposed to be mated?” she asked. “This isn’t just a way of setting up alliances with my uncle?”
“No, Ruby, it’s not. I wouldn’t take a mate if I didn’t believe she was the one. Kiss me, and find out for yourself.”
Her pink tongue slipped out and anxiously licked her bottom lip, her teeth biting the soft flesh in indecision. The sight was enough to get blood rushing to his cock, and a pulse of need throbbed through him. He tried to think less sexual thoughts but, with her naked beneath him, that was impossible to do. If she glanced down and saw his erection, she might run, though he longed to nudge her thighs apart and sink himself into her waiting, wet heat.
Her eyes fixed on his. “Just one kiss?”
He held back a smirk. “Just one. A real kiss though. None of this virginal-peck bullshit. I know who you are, Ruby, and I know you’re not as innocent as you’re making out.”
She squirmed beneath him, and he knew he had her on that. “Okay,” she relented. “One kiss, but if I don’t feel any different, I get to call this whole thing off.”
This time, he allowed himself to smile. “I said I’d consider it. That’s the best you’re going to get.”
He kept his body raised above hers, so they had no body contact, but lowered his head. Her eyes slipped shut, her lips parted slightly, the tip of her tongue appeared. He intended on kissing her until she was a squirming, melted puddle beneath him.
The heat from her mouth danced against his lips, and then they were touching—
Something hard and solid slammed into him from the side, throwing him from Ruby and knocking him to the ground. A growl and a snarl sounded from above him, and he caught a glimpse of light gray fur. Not waiting another second, Holton shifted back to wolf form, the process of change barging the attacking wolf out of the way with the sheer size of his body. He knew exactly who had attacked him, but he didn’t let that hold him back. If his brother wanted trouble, he was going to get it.
They faced each other, Holton bigger and darker as a wolf, just as he was in human form. Joel’s upper lip curled as he growled, revealing his canines. Holton wasn’t going to be intimidated. His brother was trying to make a claim on someone who was never his to begin with.
The two wolves circled and snapped at each other, hackles raised and teeth bared. Ruby had retreated to a safe distance: H
olton was aware of her in the corner of his vision. Joel wanted to fight him for her, but Holton had no intention of letting him win.
Holton centered his strength and lunged with force at his brother, darting down to bite at the vulnerable area from throat to chest. Joel saw him coming and tried to grab a hold of the back of Holton’s neck with his muzzle, but Holton was bigger and stronger. He had no intention of hurting his brother, but Joel needed to learn the hierarchy.
Getting his powerful shoulders under Joel’s chest, Holton flipped the other wolf onto his back. With a final dart, he grabbed his brother’s throat in his jaws, and growled his warning to keep still, the sound a low rumble like distant thunder.
Over-powered, Joel shifted back to man, and Holton released his hold on him, and backed away.
Unable to communicate in wolf-from, Holton also shifted back to man, and then got to his feet. Joel pushed himself to standing as well, so they faced off, as humans now, instead of beasts.
Holton pushed his hair away from his face with one hand. “What the fuck are you playing at, brother?”
Joel’s eyes widened. “Me? I wasn’t the one forcing myself on Ruby.”
He barked laughter. “I wasn’t forcing myself, was I, Ruby?”
He turned to the woman who now stood, utterly naked and glorious, leaning up against a tree. She gave a shrug and lifted her eyebrows. “Well, you weren’t exactly Prince Charming.”
“See!” Joel snarled back.
But Ruby interrupted. “I appreciate the chivalry, Joel, but I’m not your business any more, either. I’m sorry. I thought I made that clear. We were never meant to mate. We’ve just been good friends, that’s all. I’m sorry it all got taken too far.”
Holton glanced at his brother’s face, trying not to wince at the pain he read there.
“We were more than that, you know we were,” said Joel. “I thought you were going to be my mate.”
“But now I’m to be Holton’s mate. Our alpha—my uncle—has commanded it.”