by V. Vaughn
“I do now.” Which means he’s used to getting his way. If there is one thing I hate, it’s being told what to do. I frown because even though he’s an alpha, I won’t back down when something is important. I step back. “This isn’t going to work. I don’t take orders well.”
“Do you know what it takes to be the mate of an alpha like me?”
I shrug. The alpha’s wife in my clan used to be human, and she’s as sweet as can be.
“I need a strong, stubborn mate whose loyalty can’t be broken. I need a woman who’ll call me on things when I’m not thinking clearly.” He reaches out to brush his thumb lightly across my lower lip, and I blink to regain my focus. “But most of all, I need a partner to help me lead my clan.”
Partner? I smile as I place my hand on his chest. He inhales sharply at my touch before he covers my fingers with his, and I say, “Partner I can do. You need to know it’s important to me you treat humans like equals.”
“I already do. I wasn’t going to let your friends loose in a field full of wolves looking for a mate.” He moves my hand down his stomach slowly, and his abdominal muscles quiver beneath my fingers.
“No?” I reach out with my other hand to hold onto his arm, and I brace myself as my knees get weak.
“It was going to be a private ceremony with just Alex in wolf form. I was going to ask you to explain it to Jayden after Alex made his intentions clear to me. I brought Dean and Byron in case we had trouble from other clans.”
He holds my fingers still at the patch of hair just below his navel as I ask, “Why didn’t you tell me that?”
His voice is husky now. “You didn’t give me a chance.” He lets go of my hand, and the nest of hair on his groin is coarse on my skin.
I want to touch more of him, to feel what can be mine. I continue my descent before I grip his long, thick length. It fills my palm with his fertile heat as I stroke it, and I recall how earlier I did do most of the talking and cut him off when he tried to explain. “Oh.”
Roman tips my chin up with his finger and leans down to kiss me. It’s gentle at first, but when his hands roam to my breasts and he teases my nipples, I deepen it with the hunger of my feral side. This alpha is mine. But I’m also his, because Roman lets out a low growl and pushes me against a tree. He grabs my arms and turns me around before he presses on my back for me to bend. The bark of the large oak is rough on my palms as I grab on and thrust my bottom out toward him.
“Yes.” Roman slides two fingers along my moist seam and thrusts them inside me as he kisses his way down my spine. He drops to his knees and growls again before he tastes me. He may have kissed me awkwardly the first time, but there’s nothing about what he’s doing now that isn’t right. I squirm as he laves me with his tongue until I begin to quake with the orgasm that rushes to the surface.
Roman stops as I’m on the brink and nips my bottom. It makes me yelp, but I barely get the noise out before he rams himself into me and leans down to whisper in my ear, “I’ve wanted to be here since the first time I saw you.”
I let out a small sound because his cock inside me triggers my climax, and I shatter beneath him as he pumps in and out. I begin to fall back when another surge of passion rushes through me, and this time when I quake around Roman, he tenses and splashes his hot essence inside me as he comes.
His teeth scrape along my neck as we pant to catch our breath in the aftermath. He whispers, “You belong to me, Juliet.”
I straighten and turn to face him. I need to know we really are equals and he wasn’t telling me what he thought I wanted to hear. Placing my hand on his cheek, I say, “You belong to me.”
Roman nods before he brushes his lips against mine and says, “I do.”
9
Roman and I return to the edge of the RV park as wolves, where we find my clothes before he runs off to let me shift and return to my friends. When I get back to the girls, they’re hanging out at the table, shucking corn for dinner.
A husk tears as Alisha yanks it, and she asks, “Did you have a good run?”
A huge grin covers my face. “I did. And you’ll never guess who I bumped into.”
“The big dog?”
I nod as I take the plastic cup Chelsea hands me.
“And did some sniffing happen?”
I take a sip of lemonade and swallow the sweetness down before I say, “Something like that.” A tiny aftershock runs through me at the memory of what Roman and I did this afternoon.
Jayden is over by the fire, and I glance at her. “Jayden, I talked to Roman about what happened earlier, and I’m sorry. He had a plan, but I was too angry to let him tell me about it.” I think about that for a moment. Roman could have easily forced me to listen to his reasoning if he wanted to. And I would have looked foolish in front of everyone. One of the most important things for an alpha—and an alpha’s mate—is to have the respect of the clan. I wonder if he let me go because he realized I needed to appear as if I was doing the right thing.
Jayden says, “Alex called and told me that you’re like our alpha and said Roman told them he let you go because he should have talked to you first before assuming what he had planned was okay.”
“Hey,” says Chelsea. “I thought I was the alpha.”
Alisha winks at me. “We just let you think that.”
I smile because I like what I’m finding out about Roman. He was willing to take a hit to help me save face. That’s not something a cocky-as-all-get-out werewolf does. I wrap an arm around myself as I sip on my drink, and the warm glow that fills me isn’t from the fire. I think I fell in love with Roman today, because the way I feel about him is stronger than anything I’ve ever felt before.
I walk over to stand next to Jayden. “Are you seeing Alex tomorrow?”
She nods. “I know we’re supposed to go tubing, so I hope you don’t mind that I invited all the boys to come.” She pushes a log to rearrange it, and sparks fly up.
We plan to go a few miles up the river, where we’ll take inflated tractor-trailer tire tubes and sit in them to ride the current back to the RV park. “Not at all. That sounds fun.”
I take the stick Jayden was using from her, and the bark scratches at my palm and brings up a recent delicious memory. I ask her, “How do you feel about doing the scenting ceremony?”
Jayden’s blue eyes are serious. “It’s my understanding that it doesn’t mean I have to mate with Alex if I decide I don’t want to.”
“Yes, mine too.” I step back and lower myself into a camp chair. It creaks with my weight as Jayden sits in the one next to me. “What are you thinking about that?”
“It’s crazy, Juliet. I’ve only known Alex for about two days, but I can’t imagine living without him. I want to become a werewolf, have his babies, and give up everything I know to spend my life with him.”
“I know how you feel, but you’re going to have to move to Alex’s town and become part of his pack. You only know Roman, Dean, and Byron. Are you ready to give up your job and other friends?” Jayden grew up with a single mother who wasn’t exactly a model citizen, and I know she cut her ties with her mom after high school. I think she’ll enjoy being part of a big pack family.
“In a heartbeat. What about you, though? Won’t I have you too since you’re Roman’s true mate?”
Roman made his intentions clear earlier today, and I bask in the love I felt with him. “Yes. You will.” I think about leaving Winter Valley to become part of Roman’s pack. I do have friends and will miss a lot of my pack. But I’ve had a hollow feeling from being without a mate for so long, and now that Roman has filled it, I know this is my destiny. Like Jayden said, being without Roman would be harder than staying where I am now.
I say, “There are schools where we’re going and lots of new people to meet. Plus, we’ll always have Chelsea and Alisha. We’ll be fine.”
“Juliet, if I have you and Alex, I’m sure I’ll be fine.” She grabs my drink and takes a sip of it. “Hey. I never thought to ask, where do they l
ive?”
I chuckle before I say, “Good question. I don’t know either.”
Jayden laughs too. “We’re a pair of lovesick fools.”
I sober when I think about the big change Jayden will have to deal with. “Please don’t jump into this. I know you’re sure it’s right, but once you become a werewolf, you don’t get to turn back.”
“I know. I haven’t told Alex about my decision yet. I thought I’d try saying ‘I love you’ first.”
“Yeah?” I grin at her. “Maybe I should too.”
Jayden nods toward Alisha and Chelsea as they discuss how best to cook the corn, and she whispers, “How awful am I for wanting to find werewolf mates for them?”
“Not awful at all. I like how you think.” I recall how for the past few years I’ve wanted so badly to become a part of a human world that made me feel good about myself and about how I arranged my life by surrounding myself with my three best girlfriends. But now I realize that it could happen the other way around. The reality is, though, I don’t think being human or werewolf matters for the four of us. I say, “That’s what’s so great about our friendship. Whenever one of us is happy, we want the same for each other.”
“It’s true. Remember when Alisha was the first one to get a teaching job, and instead of taking it easy, she poured her efforts into helping us find them too?”
“I know.” I grin as I remember how she did mock interviews with us. “Remember her principal outfit?”
Jayden chuckles. “The bow tie was almost as good as her stuffy-man impression.” She takes another sip of the drink we’re sharing before she says, “True-mate love is so much more amazing than human love. And that’s why I wish I could give it to Chelsea and Alisha. I want them to come be part of our new family.”
I reach the stick out to poke at the fire and watch as the log I opened up to more oxygen glows red. “You never know. Maybe we can make it happen.” Suddenly the wood bursts into flames, and I smile as if it’s a sign telling me that anything is possible.
10
Sunscreen is greasy on my skin as I rub it in. I feel like a teenager again as my stomach flutters with nerves about seeing Roman. I’m about to spend my day floating down a river next to him. I jog out of the RV when I hear the guys arrive, and the moment Roman gets out of the truck, I don’t see anyone else. I don’t think he does, either, because he stalks his way over to me, and before either of us speaks, he kisses me. I lose myself in the overwhelming need to be pressed against my true mate and let him take it as far as he wants to go. Werewolves are not modest—we tend to strip our clothes off at a moment’s notice— but I’m not willing to forget people are watching when the guys start telling Romeo and Juliet to get a room.
We separate ourselves, and the passion racing through me is reflected in Roman’s eyes as we stare at each other. He takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. Alisha’s voice tears me away when she says, “Come on already, you two!”
I glance over at the truck to see everyone already got in it and realize I didn’t notice it happen. Alisha holds up my bag as if she knows I’m clueless, and Roman grabs my hips to lift me up so I can climb in easily before he joins me. The metal floor is hard on my bottom as Roman settles behind me and pulls me in between his legs. I lean back against his strong body as I revel in how nice it feels to have his thick arm wrapped around my waist.
Alex is driving, and Jayden sits up front with him and the guy who will drive the truck back. Our inner tubes went to the drop-off spot with the van, and we’ll get them when we arrive.
Dean asks, “Has everyone done this before?” When he discovers none of the girls have gone tubing, he grins. “Well, the first thing you need to know is beer is involved.” A cooler scratches across the flatbed as he drags it over and opens it. He tosses each one of us a can of cheap beer.
Alisha crinkles her nose. “Do I really have to drink this?”
“No,” says Byron. He reaches over and takes it from her. “Princess, you can wait until we’re on the water and you’re really thirsty.” He winks at her. “I’ll be dragging a six-pack behind me.”
She glances over at me with wide eyes, but she follows it with a smile, and I chuckle. I ask, “Does everyone get a nickname with you guys?”
“Eventually,” says Dean. His can pops as he opens it.
“So what’s mine?” I roll the cold beer in my hands.
“You don’t need one. You’re Romeo’s Juliet.”
I tilt my head to gaze up at Roman. “My Romeo.” The tiny potion bottle the witch gave me came on the trip with us, and it’s safely stored in my bag. While I’m doubtful that Roman could ever need me to save him, I’m afraid to push my luck.
He leans down and kisses me quickly before he whispers, “I’m anything you need me to be.”
The truck turns off the main road, and the shocks squeak as we bounce over dirt. Alisha asks, “Do you guys do this a lot at home?”
Byron says, “We’re on the water as often as we can be. You’ll have to come visit us sometime.”
I think about how I don’t know where I’ll be moving to. “Where exactly is home?”
“Smokey Falls,” says Roman. The way the words sound coming from his mouth makes it seem like heaven. And because I’ve found my true mate and it will be my new home, I suppose for me it is.
“Firemen from Smokey Falls?” asks Chelsea.
“Yeah,” says Roman. “We know.”
I ask, “So whose nickname is Smokey?”
The guys look at each other before Byron says, “Nobody’s.”
I chuckle. “We’ll have to fix that.”
The truck slows to a stop, and I notice a group of people who must have come in the van. Alex parks, and he and Jayden get out as Roman tells us to stay. Dean explains that since we’re bringing beer and there are families, we should wait until everyone else has gone.
I say to Jayden, “Guess where these firemen are from.”
She grins. “Smokey Falls. I love it.” She leans against Alex and says, “You are smoking hot.”
Chelsea groans and then says, “As much as I want to vomit over the love going on, I think we just found our Smokey.”
Dean nods. “Hey, Smokey, want a beer?”
Alex holds up his hand, and metal slaps in his palm as he catches the can. I think he puffs up his chest a little too. Apparently, because Jayden gave him the nickname, he’s fine with it. He pops the top off and hands it to Jayden before another flies his way. I think about how Roman was surprised I called him hot. I turn my gaze to my mate. He’s not the usual standard of sexy male, but everything about him oozes desirability.
He whispers, “I’m not sure what you’re thinking, but the answer is yes.”
I snicker before I whisper back, “The things I could ask for right now. Should we take a little break in the woods, somewhere down the river?”
He places his hand on my bikini-clad bottom and squeezes. “Done.”
I turn to him and say, “I think Jayden is going to say yes to mating with Alex.”
“Good. He’d be miserable without her.” He strokes my cheek with his finger. “How far is Smokey Falls from your pack?”
“I’m not sure. I’m up north in Winter Valley.”
He nods. “I know that pack. Paul Ryan’s the alpha, right?”
“Yes.”
“He and my dad were friends. It won’t be a problem for you to visit as often as you like.”
I think about who I’d miss, and the reality is that I’ve been separating myself for some time now. “Thanks, but I’ve drifted away from them over the past few years.”
Dean says, “Looks like it’s our turn to go.”
We walk over to the van as Roman asks, “You didn’t quite fit in?”
“That’s right,” I say as a guy hands me a huge inner tube. I wrap my arm about it with difficulty, and it’s bulky as I hug it to my side.
“Because you couldn’t find a suitable mate?” Roman asks as he takes my
float from me.
“How did you know?” Pebbles are hard under the soles of my feet as we walk toward the water.
“Imagine being an alpha without a mate when your clan desperately needs more wolf cubs,” says Roman. “And having undesirable options thrown at you by the elders and even your own mother.” Our tires slap on the water as he drops them.
“Oh. So—”
“Yes, Juliet.” He takes me by my arms. “We’ve been waiting to find each other.”
Roman kisses me, and the rush of love that fills me with warmth reconfirms this is the man I’m supposed to be with. When we break apart, he helps me get settled in my tire. The rest of our crew is ahead of us, and he pushes me off before he gets in his float and joins me. Water is cool on my fingers as I drag them through the current that propels me slowly down the river, and when Roman grabs onto my tube so we can float together, I ask, “What happens now?”
A grin lights up his face. “We spend this week together and make sure you really want to move to Smokey Falls with me.”
I smile. “I already know I do. I love you, Roman.”
“I love you too, Juliet.” He grabs my fingers to kiss my palm. “I’m your Romeo.”
11
After tubing, the guys stay for dinner. Guilt tugs at me over ruining the plans for Alex to go through the scenting ceremony with Jayden, and since I know she’s ready to go through with it, I propose to Roman we try again. We’re all sitting around the fire when he says, “Alex and Jayden, we’ll do the scenting ceremony tomorrow.”
Alex nods at him in thanks, and Jayden squeals as she hugs Alex’s arm.
I say, “Chelsea and Alisha, I know this could be strange for you. So if you don’t want to come, I’m sure Jayden understands the way I do.”
“Are you kidding?” asks Alisha. “I’m dying to watch how it works. Especially if we get to see you as a wolf.”
Chelsea is quiet, and Jayden reaches over to take her hand. “Is this freaking you out?”