Pack Territory

by Crissy Smith

  Adam paused at the entrance to the kitchen and shook his head. A mate to an Alpha? Where had that thought come from? Hoping to shove the thought to the back of his mind since he didn’t want to think about it, he pushed the door open to the kitchen.

  He blinked at the bright light, surprised to find it still on. Then he saw Gage sitting at the kitchen table with a beer in front of him.

  Gage looked up and nodded to the nearly empty bottle in front of him. Adam smiled and went to the fridge. He pulled out two and walked over to the table. Taking a seat, he handed the extra beer to Gage.

  “How are things going?” Gage asked with a wide smile.

  Adam knew the other man could smell Tasha all over him so he didn’t pretend otherwise. “Pretty damn good,” he answered.

  Gage nodded and took a long pull from the bottle. “A woman will do that.”

  Adam sighed, thinking about Tasha again. It would be so easy to get used to having her around.

  As if he could read Adam’s mind, Gage laughed before saying, “There’s no use fighting it. She buried herself inside you until she is all you think about.”

  Adam tipped the beer back and drank.

  “Trust me on this,” Gage continued.

  “I’m her Alpha.” Adam shared his fear for the first time.

  “And you’re worried that she only wanted to be with you because of that?” Gage asked, amusement thick in his voice.

  “No, I’m worried that, when she doesn’t want me anymore, she will stay because of it,” Adam told him.

  “Ah I see.” Gage stretched his arms over his head. “I take it you haven’t been with a Pack member since you’ve become Alpha.”

  Adam didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.

  “Women are tricky creatures. Marissa had it in her head she was going to leave even after we became mates.”

  Adam looked up, surprised. He hadn’t known that. “How’d you make her stay?”

  Gage shook his head. “I didn’t. She knew her place was with me. Her head and her heart just couldn’t agree.”

  The conversation wasn’t making Adam feel any better. “Tasha and Crystal have already had a rough go at it. I’d hate to cause them anymore pain.”

  “Who says you’ll cause them pain?” the other Alpha asked thoughtfully. “Maybe it’s you she’s been waiting on to take the pain away.”

  Adam leaned back and brought his drink up to his lips but paused. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

  “You’ll make a good Alpha. You’re kind and caring but strong. All you have to do is believe in yourself.” Gage met his gaze.

  “I have some big shoes to fill,” Adam admitted.

  “Yes, I know. I’ve been there. And, like me, you already have a big supporter in your corner. Your father wouldn’t have left the Pack to you if you weren’t ready. Son or not.”

  Adam knew he was right. Cain had said something similar when Adam had first taken over. “I worry about him. I wanted to talk to him earlier but…” Adam trailed off, knowing Gage already had an idea of what had kept him.

  “I wouldn’t worry about that. You’ll have plenty of time to talk tomorrow,” Gage told him and stood. “I better get upstairs before Marissa wakes up and find me gone.”

  Adam smiled and tilted his bottle in a salute. “Thanks.” He was thanking Gage for more than the beer, and hoped the other Alpha realised that.

  “Anytime. But may I suggest you get back up before your woman wonders where you disappeared to?”

  Feeling his cock stir at the thought of Tasha in his bed, Adam stood. “Good idea.”

  Tasha woke up with a hard, warm body pressed up against her back. With a small smile, she snuggled back, feeling Adam’s morning erection dig into her bottom.

  Moving her hips in a slow side-to-side motion, she was treated to Adam’s arm wrapping around her and pulling her tighter against him.

  “Good morning, baby,” he whispered huskily next to her ear.

  Her heart swelled at the endearment—one she had never been called before. “Morning.”

  He started thrusting his hips against her so she reached around and took a hold of him. With her thumb, she teased the slit of his cock, releasing a small pearl of liquid.

  “Oh God, you have such great hands,” he told her, rolling her onto her back and taking possession of her mouth.

  Their tongues duelled, caressing, as his body covered hers. Already ready for him, she wrapped her legs around his waist. Adam shifted and kissed down her neck until he reached her breasts. Tasha arched her back when he took one hard nipple into his mouth and sucked. He nipped at it and moved and did the same to the other.

  “I love your breasts. So full and soft,” he whispered against her skin.

  Tasha had always hated how big they were. They had been a cause of teasing as she’d gotten older and filled out before the other girls. But, with Adam worshipping them in the most loving way, for the first time she was proud of them.

  Adam started to move down her body once again. She grabbed his hair, trying to pull him back up, but he just chuckled and drove his tongue into her belly button.

  Tasha had never thought that was an erotic zone, but with him lavishing it with care, she found herself bucking under him. By the time he reached her most private of areas, she was ready to scream at him to take her. Then his skilled fingers separated her wet folds and he pushed one digit inside.

  “Oh!” She panted as he pumped in and out. She lifted her hips to give him better access and he inserted a second finger. Tasha rode his hand until his mouth covered her swollen clit and he sucked.

  She exploded, crying out his name. Breathing laboured, she tried to speak, but he was once again making his way up her body, leaving a trail of moisture from his tongue and her own juices.

  When he covered her and bent his head, he shared her unique taste before starting to push that wonderfully long cock inside. Tasha planted her feet on the bed and lifted her hips to help him inside. In one hard, deep thrust, he entered her.

  Her muscles tightened and gripped at him. He was longer than any other man she’d been with, but he fit perfectly in the most intimate way. While he slammed inside her, Tasha scratched at his shoulders. He pounded into her with a rhythm so fast a normal man could never reach it. Before she knew it, she was once again riding out another wave of ecstasy.

  He grabbed her legs and moved them over his shoulders. His strokes grew desperate. Three, four, five more times he rammed into her then exploded, his deep voice echoing around the room.

  As he collapsed on her, Tasha ran her hands through his hair, wanting to hold on to every second she had with this very special man. In the short time they’d been together, Adam had made her feel better than anyone else in her life. His concern for her sister was only a small part of why she admired him.

  She had never felt comfortable in the company of a lot of people. She had always been a loner. It was easier to hide her and her family’s problems that way. But when she was with Adam, he had the ability to draw her from her shell. First, in the city, and now, in another Pack’s territory.

  Try as she might, she couldn’t keep her mind from moving into the future and taunting her with pictures of her and Adam together…in a more permanent situation.

  She held him tighter. She knew she could never be the mate to the Alpha. She wasn’t pretty or smart and she didn’t have the right connections. She was just a lost woman with the responsibilities of raising a child.

  Adam didn’t need that kind of pressure. He had enough on his shoulders without taking care of her problems too. She blinked back tears. She’d have to let him go once they left to return home. So right now she would hang on as long as she could.

  ———

  Adam led Tasha to the living room with a hand on the small of her back. He was making no secret that the two of them had been together the night before and that morning. The house was full of wolf shifters. It would be more than obvious by their scents mixing so
strongly. Secretly, she liked the possessive side of the Alpha that had appeared. It was like he was staking his claim for everyone to know who she belonged to. It felt great.

  When she’d tried to sneak out of his room to get ready for the day, he had picked her up and carried her into his shower. There he had washed every inch of her body before licking the water away. In all her life, she had never felt so cherished and loved.

  As she entered the large room, she saw her sister curled up on the end of the brown leather couch. Her head was bent as she leaned over and whispered to Marissa. Adam made his way to the other side of his room where his father stood.

  When she saw Tasha, Crystal jumped up and ran to her, throwing her arms around her neck. “Did you know that when Marissa was my age she got kicked out of a Pack for being a non-shifter? And that she ran to the city too? She didn’t even know that a non-shifter could mate with a shifter and have babies!”

  Shocked by the information coming quickly from her sister, Tasha cut her gaze to the other woman. Marissa only smiled and Tasha knew her sister was in great hands.

  “I didn’t know that,” she answered the teenager.

  Crystal held onto her hand and tugged her towards the couch. “And it wasn’t until she came here for her sister’s mating ceremony and met Gage that she learned the truth. She had been living all by herself without any Pack for years.”

  Tasha took a seat next to Crystal and tried to digest all the information that her sister was telling her. To be without a Pack left a female in danger. Not only from humans but also from any Rogue wolf. She’d never heard of a female going Rogue.

  Most Rogue shifters had either been kicked out of a Pack or left because they hadn’t received the position they thought they deserved. They could be very dangerous. They didn’t hold to the same standards and rules most wolves kept.

  “That must have been terrible,” Tasha said sympathetically to the woman.

  Marissa laughed and waved a hand in the air. “Oh, it was. But if I had to do it again to make my way here to Gage, I would.”

  Tasha believed her as she watched Marissa run a hand over the bump in her stomach. She wondered what it would be like to have life growing inside her. To bond with a child before they were born into the world.

  She found herself stroking her sister’s back silently, questioning if she would be a loving mother like Marissa seemed to be, or would her genetics stop her? Would she desert her own offspring, just like her parents had?

  Blinking back tears, she looked up and met Adam’s eyes as he watched her. He must have sensed something wasn’t right because he took a step towards her. She quickly shook her head, not wanting him to leave his father because of some silly thought she’d had. He sent her a sideways smile and turned back to his dad and Logan again.

  Tasha gave her attention back to the two females in the room, not missing the fact that Marissa had also been watching her. Her sister went on to tell Tasha about how Marissa’d had a lot of the same feelings as she did. And that she could also feel the wolf inside her at times.

  “Wait!” Tasha interrupted. “You never told me you could feel your wolf.”

  Crystal dropped her eyes and Tasha quickly looked over to Marissa.

  Marissa shifted so she could place her hand on Crystal’s arm.

  “I never told my older sister either,” Marissa explained. “I didn’t know how.”

  Crystal looked up and tears shined in her eyes. Tasha threw her arms around the girl’s shoulder and hugged her tightly. “You can tell me anything, sweetheart. But I understand that you were scared.”

  “I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I know I can’t shift, so shouldn’t that mean that I don’t have a wolf inside me?”

  Tasha shook her head, not knowing the answer.

  “But now I know that I do have the wolf inside. She’s trapped on the inside just like I am on the outside.” Crystal’s eyes cleared and Tasha could see the excitement. “Marissa runs with Gage.”

  A laugh had Tasha looking up at Marissa, who clarified, “Well, obviously not now, but before.”

  Crystal laughed too and Tasha couldn’t help but smile. “Well, she would run in human form. She can run faster than a normal human. I think that’s because of the wolf inside. By running she’s letting her wolf out a little.”

  Tasha nodded because it did make sense.

  “So I want to try that. I want to run with the wolves!” Tasha announced loudly.

  Adam’s head snapped around and he walked towards them.

  “You want you run with the wolves?” he asked, sounding as surprised as Tasha felt.

  Crystal nodded. “Marissa said I have to start up slow. Just run a little and I can work up to a mile and then more.”

  Adam caught Tasha’s eye and she shrugged. She didn’t know what to say. So much was happening, she was feeling a little bit lost.

  Crouching down in front of them, Adam took Tasha’s hand, then Crystal’s “How about if you start going for a run with me and your sister? That way we can keep an eye on you if you get tired.”

  Crystal let out a cry and threw her arms around him. “Thank you! Thank you!”

  He hugged the girl back and looked over at Tasha. She wanted to kiss him right there in front of everyone. Instead, she bowed her head in gratefulness.

  Later, Tasha couldn’t believe she was going on a run with her Alpha and her sister. The plan was for her and Adam to change forms and run. Marissa and Gage would bring Crystal to meet them after an hour.

  As she walked with Adam to the secluded spot Gage had told them about, her stomach fluttered with butterflies. It wasn’t just the thought of her sister running with her for the first time that had her so nervous, but knowing Adam would be right beside her the entire time.

  Going for a run as wolves was a very intimate part of being a shifter. Never before had she had the opportunity to run without a full Pack.

  Adam held her hand until they reached their destination. He turned towards her and brought her hand up to his mouth. He kissed the back before turning it over and nipping her wrist.

  “I can sense your uneasiness,” he said gently. “And I know it’s not only about your sister.”

  Tasha couldn’t deny his words so she dropped her head. He caressed her chin before he lifted it. “Talk to me,” he ordered softly.

  “I’ve never run with a male before,” she told him, her eyes darting around.

  His soft laughter floated around her as he bent his head to her. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  She didn’t look at him when she continued. “This is new for me. The feelings I have for you. We’ve only been together a few days and I can’t…” She trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

  He surprised her by yanking her to him and slamming his mouth down on hers. After the long, sensual kiss, he pulled away, panting. “I understand that this is happening fast between us, but it feels right,” he told her.

  Tasha nodded. It did feel right.

  “Now, let’s change so we can run. If I look at you much longer, I won’t be able to resist taking you right here.”

  Tasha could feel a blush work up her neck to her face. She never thought she would be someone who enjoyed such strong and direct sexual talk but the intensity of his tone told her Adam wasn’t joking. And that turned her on.

  Chapter Five

  The wind carried Tasha’s body as she leapt over a fallen log and landed flawlessly next to Adam. In wolf form, Adam was huge. A perfect blend of muscle and power covered in a thick, black pelt. Her smaller body ran hard to keep up with his long strides. She felt free running beside him.

  He nipped her shoulder and turned her to the east, no doubt leading her back to the spot where her sister would be waiting.

  A selfish part of her wanted to continue to run with him and be alone together. She scolded herself and told her to think about her sister, but she couldn’t help it. Adam was unlike any other man she’d ever been with. Watching him from a
far had been one thing, but now that she knew what he tasted like and how he felt inside her, she didn’t know how she was ever going to let him go.

  If he weren’t Pack Alpha, she would demand he mate with her and forever seal their bond. But deep down inside, she knew she was in no way right to be mated with the Alpha.

  Mood suddenly changing, Tasha tucked her head and picked up speed. Just because she couldn’t keep Adam didn’t mean she was going to waste the time she had with him now.

  As they raced back towards the house, the freedom of the running lifted her spirits. Adam led the way to the meeting spot and she only slowed down when she caught the scent of her sister.

  All her senses were heightened. She could practically taste her sister’s excitement mixed with nerves as they drew closer. Adam stopped running several feet away from the group so she followed suit. Soon, they stood among the three who were in human form.

  Crystal walked slowly to Tasha and ran a hand through the fur that covered her neck. Tasha leaned against her sister, letting her know she enjoyed the touch.

  The teenager let out a cry of delight and dropped to her knees, throwing her arms around her. It was only then that Tasha realised that she had never taken her other form around her sister. She’s always been so careful not to rub in the fact that Crystal couldn’t shift. Adam nuzzled her from the other side and she felt truly loved in that moment.

  They waited until Crystal stood taking a deep breath before starting to run before they took off after her. Adam kept a slow pace behind Crystal so Tasha took up running beside her. Crystal’s breathing came hard as she ran through the thick grass deep into the woods.

  Tasha was trying to come up with a way to stop her when Adam raced in front of them and blocking their way. Almost in perfect order, Crystal and Tasha stopped next to him. The young girl was bent at the waist with her hands on her knees, drawing long gulps of air. When she looked up and over at Tasha, the smile on Crystal’s face made Tasha’s heart sing.

  This was something they could share, to bring them closer. Instead of hiding a part of herself from Crystal, Tasha would be able to have a way for the two of them to connect. It was a precious gift.