A Wolf's Pride

by Jennifer T. Alli

“I don’t know. Being out here and living so far away from the things I’m used to has changed me. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when I still long for concrete but I suppose I could get used to this.”

  Yes!!! he mentally cheered.

  “I could get used to this on one condition.”

  His mental celebration stopped abruptly and he waited with baited breath for her to continue. “What’s the condition?”

  “You. You have to stay with me. I’ve been outdoors before but I’ve never been able to appreciate it until now, until you. If you weren’t here then things would be different. I don’t think I’d be able to stay here without you.”

  “Well that’s not a problem we’re going to have to deal with. I’m staying by your side for eternity.”

  Her cheeks flushed. She doubted she would ever get used to his declarations of undying affection. “Are we almost there yet?”

  Her attempt to change the subject wasn’t lost on Ryan; her scent gave her away every time, nevertheless, he allowed it. He didn’t need to make her uncomfortable when she had made such concessions for him. Progress was progress after all. She’ll admit to her feelings soon enough. I’m sure of it. “Sort of. I need to pick up our transportation. After that we should be there within minutes.” If she thought the doe was impressive then this should blow her away. “He should be around here somewhere.” His head swung from side to side as though he were trying to find something even though he knew exactly where he was going. He let her curiosity build for a moment before pulling her through some thick trees. Standing beside a small sapling, a pitch black horse awaited them, saddled and ready to be ridden.

  “Ryan,” Chloe gasped. Her hand reached out to touch the animal before she pulled it back. “It’s safe isn’t it?”

  “Of course he is. Shadow would never hurt you. He’s mine,” he stated, his tone telling her that he expected those two words to explain everything.

  She smiled in response; it was the same tone he used when he answered one of her questions with the simple statement that she was his mate. She was coming to understand what exactly that one word entailed and the depths of emotion and loyalty it conjured.

  The horse snorted as her hand edged ever closer to its face but he remained still, allowing contact. The horse flesh was warm, the short hairs that covered its body unexpectedly soft. Running her hand up the line of its face, Chloe’s apprehension died. Shadow turned away from her and snorted in Ryan’s direction. He chuckled, drawing a carrot from his pocket and feeding it to the horse. Shadow nudged him playfully, pushing against the firm muscle of Ryan’s chest before turning his head towards his back. The sign was clear.

  “Come on angel, Shadow’s been out here for a while. He’s getting antsy now.” He moved, levering himself into the custom made saddle and holding out a hand to Chloe. “I’ll help you up. You can sit with me.”

  “If I didn’t know any better,” she laughed, moving towards him and placing her hand in his, “I’d think that this was all a ploy to get close to my body. Oh wait, I do know better. I just can’t seem to bring myself to care anymore,” she muttered under her breath allowing him to pull her up in front of him.

  Between Ryan’s unnaturally warm body and the horse’s body heat, Chloe felt as though she were in a sauna despite the chill in the air. Her body was overheating, the warmth settling uncomfortably between her thighs. Ryan’s arms were pressing against her breasts and as they shifted with each step the horse took, he unknowingly rubbed against her aching nipples. Her legs were spread wide on the horse and as it galloped onwards her core was rubbing intimately against it. Did Ryan do this on purpose? The arms around her tightened and she gasped as she was pressed against the rampant erection pressing into the curve of her bottom. I guess that answers that question then. He brought me out to this secluded spot so that he could seduce me. She wasn’t sure whether to be shocked or excited by the idea and so opted for a tactical retreat.

  “I’m surprised that you can ride a horse,” she commented casually although her heart was racing frantically in her chest.

  A feral grin crept across Ryan’s face at yet another not so subtle attempt to move into neutral territory. While he might not be able to read his mate’s mind like his cousin, her scent gave everything away. She was aroused and her arousal inevitably sparked his own. The rich smell was intoxicating and he sucked in a deep breath, trying to take more into his lungs. This hadn’t been part of his plan but he had never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Progress was progress after all.

  I can’t rush this otherwise I’ll ruin it. Besides, her surprise isn’t finished yet and I want that done before I try to claim her again. His heart clenched as he remembered her terrified screams the last time he had tried to claim her. I never want to hear her scream like that again. I’ve got to finish it first. “Why would you be surprised that I can ride?”

  “I thought you said that animals could sense the predator in you. That doe ran away from you very quickly, why isn’t the horse doing the same?”

  “Believe it or not, cars haven’t always been around. In the time before they were invented you either walked or rode a horse. Nothing would give away the fact that we weren’t quite like everyone else faster, than every horse in our vicinity running away from us. It was impossible to conduct business without a horse, otherwise we would have gone without. This horse and any other that you see around here have been specially reared from birth to go against their desire to run from us. Shadow’s mine. I’ve had him since he was a foal.”

  “Did you raise him?”

  “No. Someone else trained and raised him. I was just the one to spoil him and make it harder to train him.”

  She laughed, the sexual tension draining from her body as she did so. “That sounds like something you would do.”

  “You always think the worst of me,” he scowled though his tone was amused rather than annoyed.

  “Not always and when I do think the worst of you it’s because you give me reason to.” The heavy sound of water falling came to her ears and her brows furrowed in confusion, her eyes immediately seeking the source of the noise. As Shadow trotted onwards the sound became louder and louder, until the source of the sound came into view. The waterfall towered overhead, water pouring clean and clear over the edge of a tall cliff and creating a beautiful, tranquil stream below. Unperturbed by the noise, Shadow continued onwards, moving upwards along a dirt path that ran parallel to the falls.

  “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Ryan purred in her ear, gently kissing the side of her neck.

  Chloe had to admit he was right. Surrounded as it was by bright green foliage, the blue water seemed to have an even deeper colour than normal. The sun kissed the stream, rippling along the water as it fell and shimmering along the ripples as the wind blew. She had never seen anything quite like it and as they moved higher up, she wondered why Ryan had brought her here only to take away the spectacular view. When they stopped at the top of the waterfall, the little she could see was still beautiful, but not as breath taking as the full view from below.

  “Ryan, what are we doing up here?”

  Dismounting, he held out his hand to her indicating that she should follow. Placing her hand in his, she let herself be pulled from Shadow, her gaze instantly drawn to the edge from which the water fell. “We’re going for a swim.”

  Grinning widely, he pulled his shirt over his head and threw in into the now empty saddle. Chloe turned back to him wanting to tell him she wasn’t prepared for a swim but her mouth went dry as he stripped in front of her. His muscles flexed impressively, tightening and contracting as he moved. She had never been so close to his exposed body and as heat filled her, flushing her cheeks, desire besetting her, she could have kissed him for rewarding her with such a show. He may have had many bad ideas but this was definitely one of his better ones. It was only as he began unbuckling his belt that the ability to reason free from lust came back to her.

  “What are you
doing? You can’t swim naked.”

  He pulled the jeans from his body revealing a blue pair of swimming trunks. “While I’ve been known to swim in the nude that isn’t what I was planning on today.” I have a plan and am trying to stick with it even though just the idea of seeing you dripping wet in a bikini has me wanting you even more than usual. “I came prepared.”

  “Well I didn’t. I don’t have anything to swim in.”

  “I’m your mate, I prepared for you too.” He reached into one of Shadow’s saddlebags and pulled out a two piece bikini. His grin widened as he held it out to her, thoughts of her wearing it and exposing vast amounts of her beautifully delicious skin running rampant through his mind.

  “You can’t expect me to wear that.”

  His brows furrowed in genuine confusion. “Why not? You’ll look gorgeous. Put it on for me and then we’ll swim.”

  You have got to be kidding me. Gorgeous? I’ll look fat. “Ryan, I’m not wearing that and that’s the end of this conversation.”

  “Please.”

  A loud groan slipped past her lips. “Why are you doing this Ryan?”

  “Do I need a reason?” She shot him a look that said he clearly did. “Fine. After all that’s happened recently I just wanted to show you that being with me isn’t all blood, violence and people trying to kill you. I like taking walks through the woods, I like riding Shadow and I like swimming. Is it so wrong for me to want to share that with you?”

  Her eyes met his and she knew instantly she had made a mistake. Whenever she looked into his warm honey brown eyes all reason fled and she found herself agreeing to whatever he wanted. “Fine.” She reached for the clothes, taking them from his loose grip. “But you had better not laugh at me or I swear I’ll put rat poison in your food or run you over again.”

  “Why would I laugh?” he asked perplexed.

  “Never mind, just turn around so I can get changed.”

  Smiling now that she had agreed to his request he spun on his heel and faced away from her. His superior hearing could easily make out the rustle of her clothes and the soft curses that flew from her lips as she changed. His wolf slid up beside his thoughts, eagerly anticipating the opportunity her changing presented.

  Take a peek Ryan. Go on. Just one quick look, what could it hurt?

  He debated the question in his mind for a few seconds before desire won. He turned slightly, a few centimetres at most, and then Chloe was in his line of sight. Her shirt lay discarded on the ground and as she began tying the strings of the bikini top he realised what a bad idea it had been to listen to his wolf. The gentle curve of her breast seemed to be pleading for his touch and her exposed nipples begging for his mouth. He was getting harder and harder the longer he looked at her. Swimming with an erection was never a good idea. He turned away, his eyes facing the opposite direction resolutely despite his wolf’s protests.

  A few minutes passed and as she sidled up beside him, Ryan realised that there had been almost no point in looking away. She was just as appealing, if not more so, in the bikini. The outfit revealed far more than it concealed and the little that it was managing to hide from his gaze he was desperate to see. He felt himself hardening once again.

  “So what do you think?” she asked nervously, her hands running anxiously up and down her sides.

  “Beautiful.”

  “It’s nice to hear that you think so but just for future reference don’t think that I’d wear something like this in front of other people. You seem to have rose tinted glasses when it comes to my body but others won’t.”

  “Chloe,” he growled.

  She headed him off quickly sensing an argument brewing. “We had better walk down so we can get in the water. Now that I’m ready I just want to cover myself in it.”

  “We’re not walking down and we’re not taking Shadow either.” To emphasise his point, he hit Shadow’s hind legs sending the horse into a swift trot down the path.

  “Well how are we going to swim then? The water’s at the bottom.”

  “We’re going to jump from here. It’s exhilarating. Trust me you’ll love it.”

  “Oh no, no, no, no. I’m not jumping from here. There are probably huge rocks down there. Are you trying to kill me?”

  “After all I’ve done to keep you safe why would I do a thing like that? Look.”

  He pointed to the bank where a large pile of rocks of varying shapes and sizes were stacked on the ground. “I came here earlier and took out all the rocks and stones. I even got rid of the pebbles. There’s nothing that can hurt you down there. Trust me. Please,” he argued, holding out his hand to her.

  It was the please that persuaded her. Ryan wasn’t a rude person but the word ‘please’ rarely left his lips unless it was for something important. She placed her hand in his and let him lead her into the water. The current was strong around her ankles but her grip on Ryan’s hand was stronger, the pressure increasing the closer they got to the edge. He smiled, his joy infectious, making her smile too before they leapt from the edge together. The water rushing around her ears was loud but the sensation of being swept along with the current was exactly as Ryan described. Exhilarating.

  Though their fall had been exciting she knew that it wasn’t because of the jump that her heart was beating at least twice as fast as normal when they landed. No, her erratic heartbeat was completely Ryan’s fault. With his arms wrapped around her, pressing their bare skin closer than it had ever been before, his strong legs keeping them afloat in the water, emotion welled up within her. In his arms she felt safe, protected, cared for. Loved. Despite the complications the last word could cause, her heart calmed as she thought it and it was with calm acceptance that she realised the word no longer scared her, so long as it was used in reference to Ryan. Her werewolf abductor. Her staunchest ally and protector. In short…her mate.

  She lifted her hands to the nape of his neck, allowing her fingers to wander through the wet strands of his hair before pulling his head down for a kiss. Ryan froze at the unexpected kiss before his lips smiled against her own as he deepened the kiss. It was the first time Chloe had ever kissed him of her own initiative, the day deserved to be celebrated. Yup, this was definitely one of my more brilliant ideas, he decided before his thoughts grew dim, fading into nothing. There was only Chloe and that was how things ought to be.

  Chapter Thirty Eight

  This was a bad idea. A very bad idea. The thought ran around in circles in Chloe’s mind cementing her belief that when it came to Ryan she was capable of making very stupid decisions. Standing in the middle of a circular room full of mirrors with a dress being tailor made to fit her body she very much regretted agreeing to Ryan’s request. It had been a bad idea when he had asked her to do it, it was still a bad idea when she had walked into the room and it was a terrible idea now that she could see herself from every imaginable angle. With the sheer number of mirrors that surrounded her, every flaw on her body was exposed to public scrutiny. Her stomach turned at the idea of wearing the dress in public and she turned to Ryan hoping for help. She should have known better than to expect help from him in this matter. He was smiling widely, his amber eyes hungry as they stared at her, looking at her like she was the best item on the menu.

  Ryan seemed to be blind to her physical flaws but she could see them, as could the tailor, her assistants and everyone else should she walk out of the room in the dress. She could practically hear them tutting as their beautiful creation had to be pulled and loosened to fit her larger frame. The sleeveless emerald green dress was beautiful, but on her the problems were endless. The material was tight, clinging to her skin in unwanted places, revealing a body that was less than perfect. It was cut too low, exposing far too much of her cleavage and Ryan had apparently taken to having long slits in her dresses if the thigh high cuts on both sides of her legs were anything to go by. There was no way to wear the dress in public without humiliating herself. Her decision practically made itself.

  “I
’m not wearing this Ryan,” she told him, her tone adamant.

  “Why not?”

  She rolled her eyes before turning to face him. “Look at me.”

  His eyes perused her frame slowly, darkening with every second that passed as he looked at her hungrily. He imagined his hands gliding up her legs, touching skin that was easily accessible due to the large slits on either side. He imagined cupping the round globes of her ass as he pulled her against his length and sliding straight into her gloriously wet heat. “You look beautiful,” he said. And too sexy for words.

  Groaning, she threw her hands up in exasperation, spinning away from him to once again look at her less than perfect reflection. She should have known better than to ask him, there was clearly something wrong with his eyesight. “I’m not wearing this out in public.”

  “Why not?” he repeated, no less confused than the first time he had asked.

  Her eyes fell on the slim tailor and her equally slender assistants before she glanced back at the image shown in the mirrors. “Because it makes me look fat.”

  A low rumbling growl began in Ryan’s throat at the claim. How can she say something like that? Can’t she see just how perfect she is?

  Ryan, the wolf began. No one insults our mate, not even her. I think she needs to be taught a lesson, shown the error of her ways.

  The wolf’s words were insidious, clouding his judgment, his ability to reason. Chloe was his mate. His utterly perfect mate, no one should be able to speak ill of her, let alone get away with it. The instinct was on his wolf’s side, demanding that he protect her from such words and the two combined were wearing away at his control, his self-restraint. He managed to contain himself but just barely. His body was already changing. His muscles were tense and ready to spring to her defence. The teeth in his mouth had a new sharpness to them and his hands had curled into the chair’s armrests to prevent claws erupting from them. Despite all of this, his eyes were still brown. He was still in control.