by Lyra Winters
He shuddered. "I hate rabbits."
I pressed my lips together, trying hard to fight the smile that was breaking free. "Rabbits? Why?"
"They creep me out. They sit there and watch you before hopping away. It's like they know something you don't."
I laughed, holding my stomach. "Oh, my fates! My mate is hilarious. So, you don't eat them in wolf form?"
"That's when I get my revenge." He narrowed his eyes into slits.
I shook my head in amusement. Who would've thought a big, strong man like Blaine would fear a tiny rabbit? I giggled. "What's your pack like?"
"My pack is remarkable. It has about two hundred members, all of which are respectful. It's in a cold region, and all members of my pack love running in the snow. They've been wanting a Luna for a while now..." He blew air out. "I guess they'll be getting a step up, if we go back that is. You are an Alpha Female."
I smirked. "Damn straight."
"Are there any friends of yours I haven't met?"
"No. You've met everyone. To be honest, I stopped communicating with people after I was rejected. Xavier and my sister Riley, were the only ones who cared enough to come and visit me. What about you?"
"I see." He went quiet as though he was lost in deep thought. After a minute, he continued. "Well, you've met my Beta. He's been my best friend since we were just pups. My third in command, Aaron, and I have been friends since high school. You'll meet him soon."
"I'd love to." I took the holder out of my hair and shook out the ponytail. There, it felt so much better. "What about your parents?"
"I lost my mother when I was eighteen and my father went rogue when she died. I took over as Alpha at eighteen and haven't spoken to him since."
Suddenly, my chest felt heavy. I couldn't imagine what that must have been like for him. "I'm sorry," I whispered. I reached over and squeezed his hand.
He waved it off. "It's fine. Nothing I can do about it. Besides, my high-ranked pack members are like family. Do you want to head back?" I could tell he was playing it cool, but deep down I knew this must have affected him. I decided a change of subject would be best, and I wasn't ready to go back to our pack duties.
My eyes roamed his body. My cheeks heated up as a bunch of thoughts entered my head. "No, I'd rather pick up where we left off in the kitchen."
His tongue darted out, wetting his lips. A lusty haze entered his gaze. "Oh, would you?"
"You know I would." I placed my hands on his shoulders and pushed him down on the forest ground. I moved so that I hovered over him and straddled his hips.
He groaned and laid his head back, closing his eyes. I could feel him hardening beneath me. "Sophia." His adam's apple bobbed. "I can't wait any longer."
Waiting to complete the mating process seemed like a mature decision, considering my first mate rejected me on sight, but the more time I spent around Blaine the more I wanted to throw caution to the wind. I knew he would be the man I'd spend the rest of my life with and I didn't want to wait any longer.
"Then don't," I murmured, moving my fingers, so they traced his jawline.
He gripped my wrists and flipped us over so he hovered centimeters away from me. He shoved my wrists into the soil and he lowered his body weight until he pressed into me. His lips captured mine greedily. I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist, rubbing myself against him. He let out a moan, and I loved the effect I had on him.
"Mine." He growled out before he sucked on his mark. I whimpered as he slowly kissed down my neck.
I gasped. "Please, don't make me wait any longer."
"As you wish," he said before pressing his lips back to mine.
His hands brushed over the sensitive parts of my hips, making me shudder, as his tongue swept across my bottom lip. The sparks I felt were unreal and the desire within consumed me.
He pulled back, and his gaze dipped to the hem of my shirt. Tingles followed the trail his fingers left as he lifted my shirt over my head, exposing my bare breasts to him. A sharp intake of breath came from him as he let his fingertips glide over my sensitive nipples, causing them to tighten. My heart hammered against my chest. I had never been touched like this before and it was empowering.
I reached out, grabbed the bottom of his shirt, and pulled it over his head. I let my hands run down his toned body, to his waist. I met his eyes as I undid his pants.
He stood up, pulling his jeans and boxers off in one motion. His hard cock sprung out, the tip glistening. I couldn't help but stare. My core ached, and I whimpered. My hand darted out to grab him, but he caught my wrist with a smirk.
"You see all of me. Now, it's my turn."
Heat radiated through me and my mind went blank staring at his naked body. His thumbs hooked the elastic waistband of my leggings and he yanked them off, along with my panties.
His eyes flashed with desire. He inhaled deeply. "I smell your arousal, darlin'. I can't wait to take you."
I was exposed— naked in front of him. Both physically and emotionally, and yet, I felt so comfortable. The only other person I had been with was Xavier, but this felt different. I was made for Blaine.
"Do it then." I replied with a seductive smile and laid back down on the blanket.
"I want to do it right." He dropped to his knees, grabbed my thighs, and buried his face between my legs. I arched my back, gasping at the warm sensation of his mouth on my pussy. His tongue darted inside, sending a shock wave of heat through me. My head arched back, and my hands gripped his hair. His tongue moved upward before sucking my clit and inserting a finger inside me. The sensation was incredible. My soft whimpers turned into loud moans as my body started shaking and I hit my climax, wrapping my legs around his shoulders.
He pulled back, his expression was one of pure satisfaction as he moved up my body, placing kisses all over while he made his way to my mark. His hot breath fanned over my skin and I tried to control my breathing.
My hand wrapped around his length, causing him to tense up. "Let me do the same for you," I said as I moved my hand up and down his shaft.
He let out a moan before shaking his head. "I need to be inside you. I won't be able to last very long if you do that," he admitted.
My lips curved upward. "I will have you in my mouth next time."
"I look forward to it," he replied huskily.
He pressed his forehead to mine, and I closed my eyes and braced for what was to come. He pressed his tip into my folds, and I gasped at the contact. I opened my eyes and stared into a sea of silver. His eyes held so many raw emotions. Excitement, pleasure, and love. All the emotions I felt were being reflected back to me. My wetness made it easy for him to slide fully into me. We held eye contact until he was all the way inside.
My eyes squeezed shut and my back arched as he hit my wall. Feeling him inside of me felt incredible. "Fuck, Blaine," I moaned.
He didn't move, while he waited for me to get used to him. He was stretching me, filling me up, and he fit perfectly. Mates were made for one another. Once I was comfortable, I opened my eyes. I tilted my hips upwards so I could feel him deeper and a groan escaped my lips.
"You feel amazing." He moved slowly, in and out of my slick folds. I'd never truly felt anything as incredible as this.
Once he got going, I lost any ounce of control I had. My legs wrapped around his waist and my claws dug into his back. My canines extended, and I bit his mark as his sunk into mine. Thrust after thrust, we tore at each other. It was animalistic and I couldn't get enough. I loved the way he felt inside me, and I loved the way I felt in his arms.
Each thrust came faster, building a heat within me. I clenched my thighs around him as my body convulsed in pleasure. His eyes met mine, and he stiffened. A low moan escaped his swollen lips. I felt him unload inside of me, and my walls squeezed in response.
Panting heavily, he pulled out and dropped beside me. He snaked an arm around me, holding me close. Sweat and blood covered both of us and our scents mixed. My mark burned
on my neck; it was inflamed and sent tingles of pleasure racing down my body. A sign that the mating process was complete.
"You're everything to me," he whispered and pressed a soft kiss to my head.
My body deflated and my eyelids fluttered closed. Exhaustion seeped in, making it impossible to remain awake. Our breathing synced as we lay intertwined on the blanket in the middle of the meadow.
I was curled up in the corner of our sectional with one of my throw blankets splayed over me. Fully mating with Blaine was an inexplicable notion. I had fallen utterly in love with him, and I relished in the feeling. His mark still burned on my neck, which was still sensitive to the touch, and begged for Blaine.
We had finally made love, and it was more than I had ever dreamed it could be. I never wanted to forget the way his skin felt against mine or the perfect way we fit together. I could still feel his touch on my skin. A soreness between my legs lingered that made me smile.
Blaine insisted on going to the store to buy me some chocolate, wine, and pain killers to recover. Bless his heart. I closed my eyes as I rested against the sofa and dozed off.
A loud knocking ruptured my sleep, startling me. I was drowsy when I ran a hand through my hair before crawling off the couch. It was probably Blaine. Although he had a copy of the key, he must've forgotten it. I shook my head in amusement, my fingertips brushing over my mark again.
"You know, you should have remembered your keys. I thought you wanted me to rest," I called out as my bare feet padded toward the door. "You should be more considerate. You are the reason I'm so sore." I opened the door, and my breath caught in my throat.
Nolan.
He trained his eyes on me as he stood in the doorway. I covered myself up with my robe, cursing myself for not doing so before I opened the door.
"That lingerie suits you." Gulping, his eyes glazed over in a cloud of lust. "Black is definitely your color."
"It's not meant for you," I seethed.
"What? Loverboy isn't here?" he mused, stepping into my cottage, and walking past me.
"You're not welcome here," I said, gesturing for him to leave.
I couldn't believe I had once been attracted to him. His shoulder-length brown hair was tangled and dirty, and his green eyes were dull and swollen.
He shook his head. "Listen, I need to talk to you. Please hear me out."
My lips parted. This was the first time I had been alone with him since the rejection. Two fucking years of hurling insults at me and now he showed up to talk?
My nails dug into my palms. "What could be so important for you to do a house call?"
"Ivy's pregnant," he said.
I sucked in a sharp breath. "What?"
"She's pregnant. I never thought she'd get pregnant. It's damn near impossible for anyone to knock up someone who isn't their mate. I never wanted a kid. I fucked up." He clasped his hands over his head.
My throat went dry, and my head was spinning at his news. It hadn't crossed my mind that Ivy would ever have a child. She had no maternal instinct. Honestly, she wasn't fit to be a mother.
"She's pregnant?" The door slammed shut behind me, and I walked slowly into my living room to sit back on the couch.
Nolan trailed behind me. "I'm sorry, Sophia. I didn't mean for this to happen."
"Don't." I put a finger up. "This is what you and Ivy wanted. This is what you've been trying for since you rejected me. I don't understand. Why are you here, telling me this?"
"Because I don't want Ivy to have my child. If I even had a kid, I would want you to be the mother. I want you, Sophia. All of you. I can't believe I was so stupid as to want her over you. Over my mate." He dropped to his knees in front of me.
My eyes widened before narrowing into slits. "It was stupid for you to come here. I don't want any relationship with you."
He sniffed the air and stood up, his shoulders shaking. "He didn't just mark you..." He sniffed the air a second time, growling. "You let him fuck you?" He growled as his eyes raked me with freezing contempt.
I pushed off the couch and crossed my arms. "Blaine is my mate."
"That's not true." He seethed. "You are my mate!" He stepped closer.
"You rejected me, Nolan!"
"I wasn't ready for you then. I am now." He grabbed my hand, yanking me to my feet.
My stomach churned. "Two years too late. You don't just get to decide when you want me! I'm in love with Blaine. He is my true mate." I tried to pull my hand from his grip.
His hand constricted, and I cried out as my bones cracked under the pressure. Pain erupted through my hand and my anger surged.
"You are mine. I can mark you over his, and you can mark over Ivy's." His eyes were determined, as if he believed every word he said. Bile crept up my throat.
My other hand slammed into his chest and I jerked my knee up into his crotch. I ignored the revolting tingles that erupted with our skin contact. Regrettably, it only reminded me that we once shared a matebond. "I will never be yours."
He groaned, releasing my hand, cupping between his legs and dropping to the floor. "Fucking hell."
My front door flung open as Blaine stormed in, stalking toward Nolan's crumpled body. I watched, cradling my hand to my chest, as Blaine grabbed Nolan's hair, pulling him to his feet.
His eyes met mine briefly, before they flicked down to my hand. The silver in his gaze turned dark, almost black when his anger took over. He looked away from me and turned all of his attention to Nolan. "You think you can touch what's mine, pup?" He asked through gritted teeth. His voice was dangerously low, the fury radiated off of him.
Nolan's eyes narrowed and burned with hatred. "She was mine to touch first."
Before Nolan could react, Blaine threw a fist into his face. His nose crunched with the first punch. Blaine didn't let him off easily though, because soon after he followed through with more punches. With each blow, I could hear his face being rearranged.
"Sophia is my fucking mate," Blaine said. His molars grinded together with each word that came from his mouth. His fur sprouted out of his skin and his muscles spasmed. His wolf was trying to morph, but Blaine maintained control. Though, looking at him, I'm not sure how. Alpha's were incredibly territorial of their mates. Usually our instincts took over and our wolves dove in for the kill.
Nolan's eyes met mine briefly before rolling back as he lost consciousness. That was a sign that my mate had gone too far.
"Blaine! That's enough! He's had enough." I grabbed his shoulder and tried to get him off Nolan, but he wouldn't budge. I tried to reason with him. "Blaine! He's unconscious, you're going to kill him!"
I knew Blaine had every right in werewolf law to kill him, but for some reason his death didn't sit well with me. I knew it wasn't because he was my former mate, but it had everything to do with him becoming a father. No matter how lousy of a person he actually was, Ivy needed him and so did that pup.
Somehow, I was able to break through to him. Blaine jerked away from Nolan and stood. His eyes were blazed with anger as he studied me. "You okay?"
I edged closer to him, bringing a hand up to cup his face. "Yes."
Blaine schooled his features. I couldn't read him and that worried me. A tear slid down my cheek. He reached out and wiped the tear away. "What happened to your hand?"
I held up my hand and winced. It hurt like a bitch. "He crushed it. Caught me off guard. I need to wrap it."
He examined it for a moment, then leaned down and kissed it. "Son of a bitch." His eyes met mine. "You know what we have to do right?"
I nodded, grimly. "Cellar."
"What the fuck is going on?" A shrill voice echoed through the house.
"Ivy." She looked like a wild animal. Her hair was unkempt, and her eyes were wide, as she stood at the entrance to the living room. I sighed, this day just went from bad to worse. My gaze went from her toward Nolan, who was lying in a bloodied heap on the floor. Blaine and I stood just a couple of feet away.
I couldn't imagine
how bad this looked to a pregnant wolf.
Ivy scrambled to his side and dropped to her knees. "What did you do to him?" She looked away from him and squinted up at me. "I mind-linked our parents. They will be here any minute."
"Perfect," I quipped, giving her a terse nod.
"Your parents have nothing to do with this. This is an Alpha matter." Blaine wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.
"Sophia, what happened?" Dad asked as he walked in with Mom trailing.
"Nolan came over while Blaine was at the store. It was a shock to find him on my doorstep." I tightened my grip on Blaine's waist as he held the hand that had been crushed.
Ivy primed her lips as she nudged Nolan's shoulder. "Sophia must've lured him here or something. Why else would he come?"
I stiffened, trying my best to control the heat of anger rushing through me. "To tell me you're pregnant."
Her eyes widened, and her hand moved to her flat tummy. "That doesn't explain why he is on the floor."
"Why did you show up here if you didn't know where he was?" Blaine asked.
She glanced away. "When I told him I was pregnant, I thought he'd be happy. Instead, he was only concerned with how my sister would feel."
"You're pregnant?" Mom asked, cupping her mouth.
Ivy's shoulders slumped.
"What happened to him?" Dad asked, taking a seat on the couch.
I sighed. "It may be best if we have this conversation somewhere else."
"Just tell me what you did to my husband!" Ivy slapped both hands on the floor.
Mom nodded in agreement. "Tell us the whole story."
"Sophia is the Alpha of this pack." Blaine's eyes darkened. "She doesn't owe anyone an explanation."
Blaine was right. They may be my parents but this was something they shouldn't butt in on. Although, if they weren't here, I wasn't sure I would've been able to control myself around Ivy.
I glanced at Blaine, and gave him a small smile in encouragement. "It's okay."