by Kit Tunstall
Jared’s fingers moved through her pussy in slow, sensuous strokes, as his tongue swirled her nipple in ever-increasing circles, until he was circling the dusky-pink areola. One of his fingers slid into her opening, pushing in as far as he could. At the same time, his mouth moved to her other breast, and he suckled on that nipple, giving it fastidious attention.
She tensed with frustration, aching for release. As much as she enjoyed his touch, she needed completion. Perhaps he just wasn’t as ready as she was? With that thought in mind, she unsnapped his jeans and slid down the zipper, not missing the way he froze for just a second, until her hand found the hard heat hidden there. When she grasped his cock tight in her palm, he groaned against her nipple, expelling a tantalizing breath against the engorged peak.
With the same teasing movements he had used, she stroked the length of his cock, applying firm pressure. His breathing shifted, becoming ragged, and his mouth slackened on her breast, even as he brought a second finger inside her. She had to fight back a grin, knowing she had broken his concentration.
For both his satisfaction and her own need, she increased the pace of her hand, pleased to note he did the same. At some point, her steady pace faltered, as she got lost in the sensations his fingers between her thighs aroused. His cock was hard and heavy in her hand, and when she thumbed the V of his head, Jared arched his neck, his expression one of pleasurable agony. In retaliation, he circled her clit with his thumb while increasing the force of his fingers. What had started out as a way to bring him around to her point-of-view was quickly bringing her to the peak of orgasm.
Wanting to come with him, not with them separated as they were, she asked, “Now?”
Perspiration beaded his forehead, and he nodded, seeming not to be able to speak through his gritted teeth. At the confirmation, she removed her hand slowly, experiencing a combination of withdrawal and anticipation when his hand left her pussy.
Jared guided her backward, resting his hand against the back of her head, as he lowered her to the carpet. The change in position necessitated a momentary separation, and she whimpered at the parting, even as her eyes devoured the economical motions he used to dispose of his jeans and briefs.
When he was kneeling between her thighs, she arched her hips, seeking out his cock. He held off, his eyes scanning the room. After a moment, he muttered a curse.
With a frown, she sat up slightly, bracing her weight on her elbows. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t have any protection.”
It hovered on the tip of her tongue to tell him about the babies, but she held back, knowing he didn’t need the added pressure when facing any adversaries tomorrow night. “Live dangerously. We did before.”
Apparently, Jared had no problem with doing so. As he surged forward, Alyra allowed herself to fall back again. His cock probed her entrance, stretching her deliciously, before filling her. She gasped at the familiar sensation, marveling that she had resisted this need for two weeks. “Harder, Jared. More.”
He thrust into her as deeply as he could go, as Alyra strained to take in more of him. With their bodies fused, their heartbeats thundering in time with each other, they were one. As she arched against him, close to coming, she met his eyes and swore she saw love reflected there. It loosened her tongue, and as she achieved satisfaction, a harsh cry escaped her, followed by a declaration she might not have given so soon if she hadn’t been over the edge of reason already. “I love you, Jared. Oh, how I love you.” Any reply he might have made was lost in the crescendo of her orgasm as she came with a force she had never known, almost losing consciousness with the pleasure.
He didn’t speak when she returned to herself, but his arms were warm and comforting around her, holding her close, with her ear pressed to his chest to hear his heartbeat gradually slow. The soothing sound lulled her to sleep, and she was only briefly aware of Jared lifting and carrying her to his bed. She might have imagined his words to her as she slipped back into a dreamless void, but chose to believe she hadn’t.
“Now you’re where you belong, my love.”
While Alyra slept, snoring softly, Jared lay beside her in the bed, holding her close. He needed his sleep in preparation for tomorrow, but his mind wouldn’t stop whirling. Thoughts he had shied away from, emotions he had denied, were coming to him faster than he could force them away.
He drank in the sight of her face, noting the small smile of satisfaction curling her lips even in slumber. When he reached out to brush hair from her face, his heart skipped a beat as he touched her soft skin. She turned her face toward his hand, nuzzling his palm. Warmth spread through him. Not the heat that sexual need inspired, but something softer, gentler, and more enduring.
How had it happened? How did Alyra work her way into his life so quickly? In just two weeks, she had become part of him. He couldn’t imagine living without her. His stomach churned with nausea when he contemplated the day she came to him for freedom. He wouldn’t be able to deny her request for a divorce. After all, she had made restitution for Mical’s actions, and she was guaranteed an end to her term by that stupid prenuptial agreement. If only her brittle attitude hadn’t overruled his common sense the day of the wedding, he would have shredded it instead of signing it. But when he saw her so anxious to accept the contract, anger had won out, and he had agreed to the terms.
His stubbornness was going to cost him his mate. It was inevitable that she would leave him. He held no illusion that tonight had been anything except sex for her. Jared wasn’t going to fool himself to think she loved him as much as he loved her, just because she came to his bed one night. During a full moon, the wolf side of their nature took charge, strengthening all their animalistic drives. Passion no doubt…
Love! Where had that word come from? He didn’t love her. Yes, he liked and respected Alyra. True, she could carry a conversation, when she didn’t run from the room as soon as he entered. When they made love, he hadn’t failed to notice how well she fit against him when he put his arms around her, but that didn’t prove she was made for him. He couldn’t fall in love with her. It would be bad enough to lose her when she left him, but he refused to let her rip out his heart and take it along. He had to resist these foreign emotions. It was as simple as that.
But not so simple, he acknowledged with a sigh, when she shifted in her sleep, cuddling closer to him. How was he ever going to let her go?
Chapter Five
Alyra stood beside her mother-in-law, picking up on the other woman’s tension. She knew Charlotte’s nervousness didn’t come from the forthcoming ceremonial passing of Vasek’s duties to Jared, as the pack watched. No, like Alyra, she was worried about any challengers he would face first. She almost offered a bracing hand to Charlotte for comfort, but dismissed the notion before her arm could rise, knowing the other woman wouldn’t appreciate the gesture.
The members of the pack had formed a rough circle around the clearing where Jared stood in the nude, with his father off to his side. The moon lent his skin a silvery sheen that made Alyra’s fingers itch to touch it. With mental scolding, she forced her thoughts from his anatomy to the moment at hand. As Jared raised his hands for silence, her breath lodged in her throat.
“It is time.” The words were simple, but no one needed clarification. “Are there any who challenge me for leadership?”
The words had barely left his mouth when a young man stepped forward. Alyra didn’t know his name, but recognized him from the lumberyard. He was tall and lean, with corded muscles, but appeared to be no match for Jared. “I challenge.”
With a nod of assent, Jared transformed into a wolf, as his opponent did the same. The breath she had been holding released raggedly when the young man jumped at Jared. With an apparently casual move, Jared brushed him aside. Undeterred, he rose again, attacking lower this time, trying to slice Jared’s belly. With a roll and flip, Jared pinned the other wolf to the ground, his teeth at his challenger’s throat. He held the pose for a long moment, un
til the other wolf went limp. As soon as he submitted, Jared released his hold and backed away, not changing back to human-form until his challenger had done so first.
With a slight bow to Jared, the other man walked out of the circle, clearly not wounded, except for his pride.
“Is there another?”
“I challenge.” Susan Blockmoor was more of a threat to Jared than the boy had been. She kept her sturdy body at maximum performance with vigorous exercise and stringent nutrition. No one seemed surprised that she had offered a challenge, because Susan had never been subtle about her desire to lead a pack of her own. If she lost, Alyra knew the other woman would probably leave the Sundown Pack to start her own group.
They greeted each other with respectful bows of their heads before changing. Once again, Jared allowed his challenger to make the first move. Susan came at him hard and fast, tackling him, and sending both of them rolling around the clearing. Alyra tightened her hands into fists as they growled and snapped at each other. She winced when Jared swiped Susan across the muzzle with his paw and couldn’t contain a gasp of horror when she tore into Jared’s haunch, leaving a bloody gash when he managed to throw her off.
They circled each other warily, as everyone in the pack watched in silence. Alyra had to restrain the impulse to rush forward and assist Jared when Susan went after him again. Once more, her teeth ripped into his flesh, this time his chest. Jared endured the pain without so much as a whimper, continuing to struggle all the while. When Susan leaned in closer, clearly attempting to fasten her teeth on Jared’s neck from underneath, he spun, kicking her in the muzzle with his uninjured hind paw, while forcing her onto her side. While she was temporarily unable to move, he grasped her throat with a sudden lunge.
When Susan relaxed, Jared released her. Together, they returned to human-form, with Susan bowing to Jared. Genuine respect was reflected in both their gazes, and when she returned to the circle of pack members, Susan kept her chin high, clearly unashamed. She had given Jared a true challenge, and he had withstood it, increasing both his status and hers in the eyes of the rest of the pack. Should she choose to break away, Alyra knew the woman would have little trouble finding followers to go with her, to form the core of her new pack.
Sweat gleamed on Jared’s body, betraying the toll of his exertions, and there was a hint of breathlessness in his tone when he spoke again. “Anyone else?”
“Me.” A big man, four inches taller than Jared, with rippling muscles and a tight physique, stepped forward, wearing only a pair of jeans.
Alyra clapped a hand to her mouth in disbelief. Orion was Jared’s best friend. They had grown up together as neighbors in similar large homes on Syringa Ridge. Despite Jared’s duties as future Alpha, and Orion’s busy schedule as a day trader in Seattle, which limited the time he spent on the island, they still got together as often as possible. She was shocked that his friend would betray him.
Apparently, Jared was just as stunned, because it took him a moment to respond. “I see.” His tone was emotionless, but Alyra swore his eyes darkened with hurt. “Shall we then?”
Orion held up a hand. “Wait. I must speak first, my friend.”
Jared’s brow arched. “You still call me friend, while plotting to steal my birthright?”
“You have it wrong. It wasn’t I who plotted anything. You know when I heard of the plans of some to challenge you in an unfair fight, with the three of them setting themselves up as co-leaders after your defeat, I put a stop to it.”
Alyra’s eyes sought out a crowd of shifty young men and women, those who often grumbled about the structure of their society, while reaping full benefit of being a member of the Sundown Pack, even as they gave little in return. From the uncomfortable expressions on their faces, it was clear they were the ones who had planned a coup by using such underhanded tactics. Fools though they were, even they should have known the pack wouldn’t have allowed three to challenge Jared at one time.
“Then why are you challenging me?”
“Because I cannot trust your judgment now, Jared. I was content to be your Beta, as I had agreed when you asked me years ago. I do not want to lead, but I can’t allow the pack to fall into the hands of one who isn’t thinking straight.”
Jared shook his head, his confusion evident. “What the hell are you rambling about?”
Orion turned to stare at Alyra, pointing his finger. “Her. How can you take an Omega as mate? Surely you know the pack will not answer to her as Lupina, and she has neither the status nor strength to demand their respect. She weakens you, and if our Alpha is weak, the entire pack is weak.”
“That’s crazy. My mate has nothing to do with my position of Alpha.”
“Don’t be naïve. Of course it does. We follow you and your mate. I will not defer to an Omega.” Orion’s shoulders slumped, but Alyra felt no pity for the awkwardness of his situation. All she could feel was a cold ball of anger burning in her stomach, coupled with a sinking sensation of dread. “But I don’t want to challenge you over this, Jared. I still think you are the best person to lead us. Becoming Alpha would mean making changes in my own life that I don’t want to undertake, but I will if I have to.”
With narrowed eyes, Jared said, “We are at an impasse, for it is done.”
“Yes, to ensure your ascension.” Orion waved a hand around the circle. “It’s no secret that Elise broke her word and ran off with an Omega.” He spat the word with such disdain that Alyra’s skin crawled.
“You know nothing --”
“Assure me that you will sever your mating, and I will stand down from my challenge.”
A growl issued from Jared before he managed to speak any words that were intelligible. “Go to Hell.”
His friend looked sad as his eyes skimmed the circle, passing over Alyra without even a flicker of his eyelashes. “It is what the pack wants, Jared. Return the Omega to her rightful position, and we will overlook the fact you aren’t mated.”
“But I am mated, and no one will tell me to part with her. You don’t dictate my personal life, Orion. None of you do.”
“Jared, don’t be stubborn.” Charlotte rushed forward. “Tell them about the contract.”
“Mother, stay out of this.”
“What contract?” Orion asked at the same time.
Charlotte ignored Jared, turning to his challenger. “The marriage is only for two years. As you said, he only married her because he needed a mate. You must understand his position.”
“I do understand.” Orion’s stance relaxed. “In light of that, I withdraw my challenge.” As he turned to go back to the circle, Jared took another step toward him.
“Don’t be so quick to back down, friend. I have no intention of honoring that stupid contract. Alyra is the mate I have chosen, the mate of my heart.” His eyes focused on Alyra for just a second, and she thought she saw love in his gaze. “If you can’t accept her, then you can’t accept me either, and the challenge stands.”
With a single nod, Orion turned back to Jared. “Very well.”
Alyra examined Jared, noting his ebbing strength, and the profuse bleeding of the wounds on his chest and left leg. He walked with a limp. In top shape, he might have been an equal match for Orion. As he was now, she didn’t think he would last long, and it seemed impossible that he could win.
Her mouth firmed, and she thought of how her mother had ended up in a similar situation, turned out of the Rodesia pack after her father lost to a challenger. She had been alone in the world, pregnant with twins, and forced to find another pack that would accept her. With new admiration for her mother’s strength, Alyra stepped forward, swallowing the bitter taste in her mouth. “I’ll leave the pack.”
“What?” Jared surged forward, only drawing up short when his leg started shaking, appearing near collapsing. “You don’t mean that, Alyra.”
She couldn’t look at him, instead choosing to focus on Orion’s shoulder. “I will bow to the wishes of the pack and walk away from
the mating. I never wanted to be Lupina.” Her eyes blurred, and she tried to force away thoughts of the unfairness of what she was doing. Would her children ever forgive her for taking them from their birthright? Could they ever understand she had done it to save their father’s life, not just his position as Alpha? “I only wanted to be his.” That, not the ancient ways of the pack, had been why she agreed to the sham of the marriage. Any other reason had been convenient justification to avoid acknowledging the pathetic truth that she wanted him any way she could have him.
The assemblage was silent when Alyra turned her back to walk away. She had gone only a few steps when a hand fell on her shoulder. She recognized Jared by his touch and scent, and it took every ounce of strength not to turn around and bury her face against his chest, despite the bloody wound.
“If that is how the pack feels, then so be it. I renounce my claim to ascend as the next Alpha.”
She whirled so quickly that a wave of dizziness assailed her. “You can’t do that. You’re meant to be the Alpha, Jared. You’ve been raised for this.”
He stared down into her face, his expression solemn. “It’s true I’ve expected this all my life, but I find it means nothing without you. How I could be so blind to your presence for so long is a mystery, but now that I have you, I won’t let you go. You are the most important thing in my life now.”
Her resolve weakened under the sincerity in his eyes and voice, and she leaned forward, resting her weight lightly against him. “Can you live with this? Will you one day hate me for costing you the position of Alpha?”
“I can live with it, and quite easily, because I’ll have you. This is my choice, and the choice of the pack. You have nothing to feel blame for.”
When Jared claimed her mouth in a passionate kiss, Alyra gave no thought to refusing. Instead, her heart sang with joy, even as the urge to weep got the best of her. Tears flowed from her eyes, but she ignored them, lost in the moment with Jared, assured of how much she meant to him.