A Wolf's Pride

by Jennifer T. Alli

  “You aren’t fat!” he snarled angrily. He was no expert on women’s sizes but he hazarded a guess upon looking at her frame. “You’re what, a size ten and you’ve worn a dress like this one before, why are you so reluctant to do it again?”

  “I’m a size fourteen actually,” she corrected. “And I wore that dress for you!” she snapped in response. “Only for you. I can handle exposing myself to you because you like how I look. Besides, it’s not like you gave me a choice when I wore that dress. You took away all my other clothes, the only way I was going to leave that room without that dress would have been to walk about naked.”

  I love how you look, he mentally corrected almost purring in delight as his anger ebbed for a moment.

  “You’re having these dresses made so that I can wear them in public. Other people will see me like this and while you like how I look, no one else will. Especially when I’m surrounded by people like you and them.” She waved a hand to encompass the people within the room.

  “Wolves you mean?”

  “Yes! No!” she groaned loudly in frustration. “Beautiful, slim, perfect people. In comparison to that not only do I look fat, I look ugly as well.”

  Amber flooded his eyes as he sprung to his feet, his control a thing of the past. She had gone too far and he’d had enough. He strode over to her, gripping her arm and pulling her from the small elevated platform that she had been standing on. It was time to show his mate just how wrong she was. The tailor wisely took a step back. Ryan flashed Chloe a feral grin before pulling her from the room.

  “Ryan, what are you doing?” she spluttered as he pulled her along the halls.

  “Teaching you a lesson.”

  “And what would that be? How to be dragged about in a half finished dress?”

  “No. I want to show you just how wrong you are.”

  The door to their rooms loomed closer and Ryan’s pace quickened, the instinct driving him onwards. He yanked the door open, slamming it behind them as soon as they were safely sequestered inside. He moved quickly, pushing her hard against the closed door before claiming her lips in a bruising kiss. Her words of protest quickly turned into moans of pleasure as heat speared her despite the barely contained violence of the kiss. There was a sharpness to his teeth that had been absent in all their previous encounters and she gasped in pain as he nipped at her lips, demanding entrance to her mouth. His tongue was quick to sooth the ache and he pulled her plump lower lip into his mouth, running the tip of his warm tongue over the accidental injury. The sweet taste of his mate’s blood goaded him into further action and he pulled her body close. His grip was tight, almost bruising as though he feared someone would snatch her away.

  When he eventually pulled away, Chloe was panting wildly, struggling to catch her breath. Her cheeks were beautifully flushed and his scent was all over her. The knowledge that the potency of his scent would soon fade from her skin as his would from hers angered him even more.

  “You’re perfect Chloe. There isn’t another woman out there whose body meets my needs as much as yours does. Let me show you.”

  He stepped back, releasing her from his grip. He looked at her possessively before reaching for the low cut neckline of her dress. A single hard pull and the dress was torn from her body. Chloe didn’t even have time to be shocked at the sudden movement as in the next second her body was flying through the air. It was strange but there was no urge to scream, not even a moment of panic. When Ryan threw her, as he was prone to doing, he always caught her. No harm came to her when she was around him, even when his eyes were amber. Especially when his eyes were amber, she corrected. As predicted, Ryan caught her before she collided with anything and lowered her to the centre of the mattress.

  Ryan prowled around the edge of the bed, his eyes occasionally glancing in her direction before muttering to himself as though fighting an internal battle. A few moments passed before he stopped pacing, his internal battle apparently over. Her mouth dried and heat pulsed through her as he stripped himself of his clothes just as efficiently as he had her. Clothed he was handsome; naked he was magnificent. Every glorious inch of his body was exposed for her perusal and she drank him in with eager eyes. Hard muscle covered his entire body, starting from his broad shoulders and ending at his well developed calves. Her eyes fell to his erection, which jutted towards her from between his legs, hanging thick and long. Her heart sped up until it was beating frantically within his chest. He’ll never be able to wear those clothes again, she mused but that thought, along with any others she was capable of having died quickly when he strode over to the edge of the bed. Kneeling at the end, near her feet, he looked at her assessingly, a feral grin appearing on his face.

  “You’re beautiful Chloe. Do you believe me?” She turned her face away from the perfection of his body unable to answer his question. “Fine, let me show you.”

  A sharp stinging sensation running along the outside of her legs forced her to look at him again. His claws were out, gently running along her skin as they made their way up her legs. The lacy underwear she preferred to wear beneath her clothes was shredded in an instant though she remained unharmed. His claws disappeared quickly and his hot hands caressed her legs, running down the outside once more before spreading her legs upon reaching her ankles. Her breath hitched as his tongue proceeded to carve a trail up the inside of her thighs, his warm breath ghosting over her exposed core as he moved across to the other leg. His fangs scraped lightly against her skin and her body tensed, almost as though she expected him to bite her. Memories of the last time he’d bitten her flooded her mind and as she recalled the pleasure that his bite entailed, her legs began to shift restlessly. He nipped the top of her thigh gently, silently commanding her to be still. The small bite should have been painful but it wasn’t. Instead she felt herself growing wetter, her body preparing for his as her inner muscles clenched sporadically, eager to have something to hold. He reached her ankles and lifted his head, smiling widely.

  “Did I ever tell you that you smell like strawberries?”

  She shook her head silently, having lost the power of speech at around the same time that he’d bitten her. Her body was on fire with need for him after only a few moments of contact. She dreaded to think what would happen if he bit her again or touched her any further, all the while hoping that he would. Her reactions to him when they had both been fully clothed were intense, practically naked they were extreme, almost overpowering but she desperately craved more.

  “Well you do for future reference. I thought you might taste like them too.” He moved, positioning himself between her spread thighs and increasing the amount of contact between them. “But you taste better. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything as sweet, as perfect as you. Let me show you the other ways that you’re perfect to me.”

  The hands that had been casually running up and down her legs as he had spoken moved swiftly, grabbing her hips and cupping the round cheeks of her ass. He pulled her against his hard shaft, rocking frantically against her. Her moans soon turned into keening pleas of desperation as he rubbed against her deliciously wet core. Despite the apparent wildness in his movements, Ryan was being extremely careful. It would have been so easy for the head of his shaft to touch her entrance; she was so slick and wet that it might even have been equally easy for him to slide straight in. The temptation was there but he knew he had to resist. He hadn’t claimed her and the instinct would rebel if he were to try and go against its dictates.

  “See,” he purred, “perfect. I love the curves on your body. If you were any smaller, I’d worry about hurting you when I take you and I’m going to take you long and hard in every possible way you can imagine.” As if to emphasise his point, he pulled back slightly before returning in force, pushing and grinding against her until she screamed as pleasure like she had never felt before washed over her. Her body went limp, her limbs too heavy to move and she looked at him from beneath half closed eyes.

  “Again angel, come f
or me again.” His hips were moving once more, forcing her to reach for the peak once a second time. “I love your ass. I love how round and soft it is. It fits perfectly in my hands and I can do this.”

  His grip tightened slightly as he lifted her, wrenching her up and down the long length of his shaft. She moaned incoherently, bringing a wide smile to Ryan’s face. Her hands reached for him greedily, eager for more contact but he was trying to teach her a lesson and couldn’t afford to get swept away in the wave of passion that would ensue should Chloe touch him. He pulled her down his length once more, his hips working furiously as he rubbed against her clitoris. She screamed again, her body catapulted over the edge as another climax tore through her. Her hands fell to the wayside.

  “I love your hips,” he continued, running his hands over the small bruises that had appeared against her skin from his rough handling. Lowering his head, he placed gentle kisses against the abused skin, licking the flesh and taking her taste into his mouth. “They call out to me to hold them. When you walk, the way you swing your hips drives me mad. I’ll let you in on a secret.” Her breath hitched as his clever fingers, moved between her legs and replaced the thick heat of his shaft. “Do you want to know it?”

  “Yes,” she panted, unsure of how much more pleasure her body could take but desperate for more.

  His fingers ghosted over her entrance, toying with the slick folds as he watched her with desire etched over his face. A second passed, two, perhaps even three before two fingers sunk deep. Her inner walls contracted wildly around his fingers causing Ryan to groan in frustration. Now that he knew how it felt to be within her, he wanted more. He wanted to pull his fingers from her and plunge his heavy erection into the paradise her body was offering and love her so hard that she wouldn’t be able to stand the next day and then he would start all over again. He forced his mind away from fantasies of something he couldn’t have. He was trying to teach her something.

  “Listen closely,” he purred in her ear while his fingers thrust hard within her. Her moans filled the air so listening may have been difficult, nevertheless, he proceeded to reveal the secret. “When you’re angry, the way your hips move is a sight to behold. There have been times when I’ve almost jumped on you, torn your clothes off and had my way with you. The instinct is the only thing that’s stopped me. You’re not listening Chloe,” he scolded playfully, pulling his fingers from within her. A moan of frustration left her lips at the departure. Bringing his glistening fingers to his lips, Ryan licked them clean, moaning loudly as the taste of her exploded on his tongue.

  More! His wolf demanded. I want more. Taste more!

  Patience. I’m trying to teach her a lesson. There’s a system in place.

  His fingers now clean; he proceeded to place a string of kisses against her stomach, slowly moving his way up to the curve of her breasts. “I love the way your skin tastes, the way it feels beneath my hands, my lips. And do you know what I really love? I love how much there is of it for me to pleasure. And these,” he sat up once again, claws springing from his nails. The sight should have frightened her, instead it evoked a sense of anticipation within her and Ryan didn’t disappoint. He was methodical and slow as he gently shredded the material of her bra. When the tips of his claws did occasionally graze the soft skin of her breasts, it only served to heighten her arousal. The material now shredded beyond all recognition, his hands finally cupped her breasts. “See, perfect. Just like the rest of you they fit into my hands perfectly.” His thumbs ran over the rosy tips of her nipples, touching them lightly. “More?”

  “More,” she agreed running her hands over his back. He allowed the move, convincing himself quickly that his control was good enough for the small contact.

  “Can you see how perfect you are Chloe? Can you see?” he pressed, pinching her nipples before rolling them within his grasp. Her moans grew louder in volume as he continued and Ryan smiled. Just as he’d thought, her pleasure was an amazing thing to see. His hands moved away from her breasts, running down the outside of her body before making their way back to between her thighs, his new favourite place to be.

  “Ryan, no,” she pleaded. “I can’t take any more.”

  “Of course you can,” he reassured her, his fingers gliding through her wetness and gently teasing her as they entered her slightly before retreating again. “When I claim you I’m going to do all this and more, all night long. You asked for more.” His voice was muffled against her breast, his tongue reaching out to occasionally lap at her nipple. “Let me give you more.”

  He drew one of her nipples into his mouth sucking insistently. His tongue lashed over the small pebbles, his teeth occasionally grazing her as though in punishment. His mouth was driving her insane, causing her to grow wetter with each second and that was before his clever fingers came back into the equation. The fingers that had been gently teasing her suddenly became wild, plunging unexpectedly into her wet heat. A loud scream was torn from her throat at the intrusion, pleasure racing through her as he touched the over-sensitized skin. His thumb came into play, rubbing circles over her clitoris and her body shook in response. His mouth and fingers worked in skilful symphony to bring her body to the breaking point, pleasure building within her until she exploded.

  As her body calmed, Ryan once again brought his wet fingers to his mouth, licking them clean and appeasing his wolf’s desire for more. “Look at me angel,” he demanded, cupping her face and forcing their eyes to meet. “Everything about you is perfect to me. If anyone is imperfect in our relationship then it’s me. I’m not good enough for you. I know that but I can’t let you go. In my eyes you’re like an angel that’s fallen to earth. I know I should try and return you to heaven but I want to bask in your radiance. You’re beautiful angel. Say it.”

  “Ryan.”

  “Say it Chloe,” he demanded, his voice forceful.

  She gulped unsure of whether the words could leave her lips but as she looked into Ryan’s amber flecked eyes, a sense of certainty filled her. Ryan thought she was beautiful, perfect and when she was around him she felt it. “I’m beautiful Ryan.”

  He nodded in agreement before falling to lay beside her. “I’m glad we cleared that up. I don’t like having to punish you but I couldn’t let those things you said about yourself back there stand.”

  This was a punishment? Her mind raced. If this was a punishment I can’t wait to see what he’s like when he’s only trying to give pleasure. Her eyes fell to his still hard shaft and she almost purred in satisfaction. There’s only one way to find out.

  Chapter Thirty Nine

  Ryan’s blood was racing, his whole body thrumming with need as he lay beside his naked mate. Her skin was hot, damp after all that he had done to her and it seemed to be scorching him. His wolf was pacing his mind frantically, trying to figure out a way for his body to truly enter hers without the instinct rebelling against him. Ryan knew the search was futile, there was no way to get around what the instinct dictated and he and Chloe hadn’t completed the claiming properly. Though he had resigned himself to being hard and aching, he was reluctant to move and resolve his problem by leaving Chloe’s presence. The rich scents of her natural aroma and her arousal had combined to create what to Ryan was a potent drug. Though his own body was still desperate for release, he felt sated. He had satisfied his mate and the instinct was rewarding him, his whole body feeling relaxed and at ease. He let his eyes drift shut, content to simply inhale the intoxicating smells that were in the air.

  It was because of this that he didn’t see Chloe move. It was only when he felt the weight of her settle over his shaft, the pressure of her legs on either side of his that his eyes flew open. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her astride him, ready and prepared to take him into her body. The flush on her face had spread to cover her neck and was vastly different to the pale skin of her breasts. The contrast only served to remind him of what her nipples had felt like against his tongue and his mouth practically watered in
anticipation before sense and reason returned en masse.

  “Chloe, what are you doing?” he gasped.

  “I want to feel you inside me Ryan.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes,” she replied, gripping the base of his shaft as she lifted herself slightly in preparation.

  “You aren’t scared of me?” His eyes fell to the bruises that had appeared on her hips and the ones that were now showing up on her chest.

  “No. You would never hurt me, you love me don’t you?”

  “I do,” he answered honestly.

  “Want to know a secret?” she purred, inching closer to the head of his engorged member.

  “What?”

  “I think I might just love you too.” She pressed the head against her entrance and Ryan growled angrily beneath her. Her words had been a shock, an amazing shock but the instinct was punishing him.

  “Angel, we shouldn’t be doing this,” he snarled, trying desperately to fight against the pain that was beginning to wrack his body.

  “Why not?” she asked confused.

  Her body stilled and Ryan breathed a sigh of relief. While he would love to believe that he was the exception to the rules, he knew better, the instinct was absolute and it said there were steps to be taken before Chloe could truly be his. The steps had to be followed otherwise there would be dire consequences, consequences he was currently dealing with.

  Ryan, don’t ruin this, the wolf howled from within his mind. Our mate is here, ready and willing to be taken. We can deal with a little bit of pain. We’ve felt worse and the reward has never been so sweet.

  Chloe’s face was a picture of confusion and Ryan’s will faltered. His mate had just declared her love for him, how could he deny her? His hands rose to her hips and he began pulling her body down on his. Wet heat engulfed him as more pain beset him. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he pulled her down again. A pleasured moan spilled from her lips and Ryan smiled despite his own torment. His smile died quickly though. As soon as the head of his shaft was fully embedded within her body, pain like he had never felt before ripped through him. He roared, long and loud in agony. Fangs erupted in his mouth and he barely managed to tear his hands from Chloe quickly enough so that she wasn’t hurt when claws exploded from his nails. His back bowed from the bed, pain making his body tremor violently.