by Sam Crescent
“Zadie’s not here.”
“That’s actually a good thing. I want to talk to you.” He entered their home, and Tristan made the way toward the dining room table. Alice and Luke were sitting there. The scent of lemon was still in the air, so she hadn’t been gone long.
Luke stared at him, and Alice got to her feet.
“Please, you don’t need to stand for me. I just wanted to tell you my intentions, and then to let you know that I care very much.”
“What is this about?” Tristan asked.
“I want to mate with your daughter.” Tension filled the room. “I want to take her back home with me at the end of the full moon. I know it’s not going to be easy, and I know Zadie’s one stubborn woman, but she’s meant to be mine. I just know she is. I’m not going to take no for an answer.”
Silence fell on the room.
Luke snorted. “You think you’re good enough for my sister?”
“I know that I’m the only man here who is good enough for her. I know I will love and cherish her every single moment. I don’t want any trouble. I’ve spoken to Sloane of my intentions. I have no interest with mating with anyone else.”
“You’re forty years old,” Tristan said. “In comparison, Zadie is a little young.”
“Trista, don’t say stuff like that. You know how unhappy our girl has been,” Alice said. “What do you need from us?”
“Just like that you’re going to be happy about this,” Luke asked.
“Silence, you. Pretend to be all judgey now. You’re the one that told us she was with Dante last night, and that she sneaked in.” Alice tutted, and stood. “I love my daughter, and I know the men of this pack have not appreciated her kind, loving spirit. It would be a pleasure to have a man who accepted her for who she was, and didn’t want to change her.”
He shook her hand, pleased that he had her family on board.
“Don’t worry about those two. I will deal with them. She’s at the nursery, but she can always use an extra set of hands.”
There was no telling him twice. Leaving Zadie’s home, he made his way toward the nursery in quick time. Entering the building, he watched as Zadie read the children a story. They were all sitting on the mat, at least twenty kids, staring at her amazed.
He saw several of the parents sat listening. He also noticed Sean, one of his pack, sitting there.
Taking a seat beside him, he saw Sean’s little boy in the front row seat.
“Hello, Alpha,” Sean said.
“Hello.”
“She’s amazing,” Sean said. “Really good with all of the kids.”
He sat back, and watched. Her voice was soothing to his mind, and he closed his eyes, loving as the story went up and down with emotion.
It wasn’t long before the story came to an end, and the kids were all screaming as they went to play.
Parents moved toward her, talking, and he watched her. She folded her arms, and listened to what they had to say. She always took her time, and with every passing second, he knew she would be more than perfect in his growing pack. There were so many kids, and his pack was expanding every single day.
Finally, she turned toward him, and the smile seemed to freeze on her face.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hey, yourself.”
She took a deep breath. “Do you have kids?”
“None but one day I want to have a lot. Enough to fill this entire classroom.”
“Have you been talking to my family?” she asked.
“I have but not about kids. Is that your wish as well?”
“I want a lot of kids.” She turned to look at them as they played, each of them making their own form of mess.
She didn’t see that when she looked at them, he was sure.
“And everyone who matters, knows that I want you.”
Zadie stared at him. “What?”
“You heard me. I know you can hear really well. Sloane knows, and so does your family. There’s no holding back.” He tucked his hands into his pockets. “Now, where do you need me?”
“You want to help?”
“I want to spend time with my future mate, and I’m hoping in time she’s going to want a lot of kids. May as well get stuck in now.”
“I could use the help.” He saw the twinkle in her eye.
Score one for the Alpha.
Chapter Nine
“Where is my brother?” Bethany asked.
“He said he was talking to Sloane about something,” Zadie said, looking up. She was in Dante and Bethany’s cottage, cooking them a home cooked meal for a change. It had been three days since Dante had visited her at the nursery, and it had been a busy few days.
Dante was being the perfect gentleman as he spent time with her parents, and in a way, courting her.
“Can I ask you something?” Zadie asked, looking at Bethany.
“Sure. You can ask me anything.”
“That night at the river edge. You came to me. Did you come because you wanted to be my friend, or because Dante sent you?” She looked at the other woman, and the guilt on her face gave her all the answer she needed.
“Dante was there,” Bethany said. “He wanted to go looking for you. I didn’t really know you, but I’ll do anything for my brother. You’re a wonderful person, Zadie. I knew that as we got talking, and I do hope we can become the best of friends. I mean you no harm.”
Zadie chuckled. “I thought someone else was there that night, and he was.”
“My brother likes to … meddle.”
“I know.”
“I do it all for a good cause,” Dante said. “I’m not known for my patience.” He moved behind her, placing a hand on her hip, which made her pause for just a second. “I missed you. This smells amazing.”
“Thank you.” She stirred the tomato sauce to make sure it didn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
“And my sister is letting you know that I was that desperate to find out more about you that I sent her to befriend you,” Dante said.
“It wasn’t hard to befriend her. She’s a wonderful person,” Bethany said.
“You could have spoken to me yourself,” she said, turning her head to him. He’d not let her go, and she loved his touch on her hip.
They hadn’t had sex, or touched, since she had sneaked out of his bedroom four nights ago. She hoped to change that.
The dreams she had were getting so vivid. Every morning she was waking up, covered in sweat, and desperate to have his hands and mouth on her body.
“I could, but I don’t think we’d have come this far.” He squeezed her hip, and then released her. “I had no intention of risking you being afraid of me.”
“I’m not afraid of you, not even close.” She grabbed the meatballs from the oven, and placed them in the tomato sauce. Her mother had told her this was the dish to a man’s heart, and she certainly hoped so.
She didn’t know if she should feel guilty that she was using food to try to get sex. Even the thought of it had her cringing.
In no time at all they were all sitting outside, with steaming bowls of spaghetti and meatballs with cheese.
This was one of her favorites, and she watched as Bethany and Dante dived in with relish.
Eating her own food, she listened to the sounds of the night, basking in the calm feel of where she lived.
“Do you have a forest?” she asked. “Where your pack lives?”
“We do,” Dante said. “It’s about the same size, maybe a little larger.”
“We have deer, and rabbits as well.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t hunt. Not even in wolf form.”
“Is that normal?” Bethany asked.
“Probably not. Hunting has never appealed to me, and probably won’t.”
She saw Dante was once again smiling at her.
They finished their food, and Dante invited her for a walk while Bethany did the dishes. Wanting to be alone with him, she agreed. He took her hand, and l
ed her into the forest.
The scents and sounds were enough to calm her erratic thoughts.
“Did you meeting go well with Sloane?” she asked.
“Yes. We were just dealing with some of the terms of our packs being united in a marriage.”
“Dante?”
“I know. It’s too soon for you, but you’ll see soon that this is inevitable.”
“You won’t take no for an answer?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“I don’t lose.” He kept hold of her hand throughout the walk, and she didn’t want him to let her go.
His hand was much larger than hers, and with him touching her, she felt safe, warm. Every time he touched her, this was what he inspired inside her.
When they were a good distance away from the cottage, he pressed her up against the nearest tree trunk.
He touched her waist once again, and all serious thought fled her mind.
“You have something you want to ask me,” he said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re cute when you play dumb, but if you don’t tell me what you want, I can’t give it to you,” he said. “I promise you, Zadie, I will always be open and honest with you. I’m going to need the same thing in return.”
Heat filled her cheeks, thinking about what she wanted to tell him. “I’m confused,” she said. “No, I’m not confused.” She frowned. “This is so hard.”
“It doesn’t have to be hard.”
“Yes, it does. I’m not used to this. I don’t get this.” She dropped her hands down, and sighed. “I’m not usually like this, and it’s driving me crazy.”
“What is driving you crazy?” he asked.
Just tell him.
Nothing bad is going to happen.
“Okay, fine. Since we’ve been together, intimate.”
“Since we fucked, had sex, made love.”
“Yes,” she said. “I’ve been having a lot of dreams, and they’re kind of freaking me out.” The smile on his lips made her groan. Pressing her hands to her eyes, she refused to look at him. “You’re not making this any easier for me.”
“You’re having sex dreams about me?” he asked.
“Yes. And I’m struggling to concentrate. I was reading a book today in class, and I was awful. What have you done to me?” she asked.
“I’ve done nothing to you, but I would say that your body wants a lot of things done to it.”
“Don’t joke about this. It’s not funny.”
“I’m not joking, baby. You’re usually really reserved, and now that temper of yours is starting to rage in.” He twirled her hair around his finger. “Let’s see if there’s an easy way of saying this.”
Her patience was running out as he thought of whatever he wanted to say.
“Let’s see, you want to fuck,” he said.
“Dante!” She glanced around the forest and was pleased no one was there to hear him.
“No one’s here. You’re not the only one with great hearing.” The hand on her waist moved down, going between her thighs. He pressed the skirt she was wearing to her pussy. “You want to be with your mate again, Zadie. I told you, I’m your mate in every single way that matters. I will take care of you, give you everything you need. All you have to do in return is tell me what you want. I need words though. Tell me what to do.”
“I don’t think I can do that.” The hand between her thighs moved away, and she whimpered.
“I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to show you that I’m serious about you, that when I leave here I’m taking you with me.” He cupped her cheek. “I want a mate who’s not afraid to come to me when she needs me. To stand up to me when you think I’m being an asshole. I want to give you the world, Zadie. First, I need you to be able to want that from me.”
He went to pull his hand away, and she couldn’t let him. Cupping his hand against her cheek, she closed her eyes. “It’s still surreal to me that you want me like that. If only it was easy like those programs on television have us believe. You know, finding mates, and knowing the one.”
“I know you’re my one. I know I will do anything for you.”
He spoke the truth.
“This is sex, Dante.” She closed her eyes, and shook her head. “I don’t mean that we’re just sex. I mean, what I want, and that is not what I’m used to.” She gritted her teeth and let out a growl of frustration. “I’m not like this. I don’t know what I’m doing. I want to be the woman you need.”
“You are the woman I need, Zadie. You don’t need to change for me. All I ask is you give me the trust that I give you.” He placed a hand over her heart. “Trust me with what you want. With your body, with your needs. If you can’t do that, there’s no way this is every going to work.”
****
Every day was a fight for him. Dante fought the urge to kidnap her and take her back to his pack. He fought the need to control every aspect of her life. For three days, he’d been able to keep his needs at bay, but inhaling her arousal, and knowing what she needed, it was the last straw for him.
He assisted her at the nursery, and spent time with her parents. It would be so much easier to take what he wanted, and deal with the consequences later. This was not what he wanted. Zadie had to trust him in all the ways that counted. It was what being a good Alpha was all about.
Today hadn’t been about a pack meeting. He’d requested to speak to Sloane privately. He’d explained to the other Alpha his thoughts and his fears when it came to Zadie.
Sloane had been mated for over twenty-five years, whereas Dante had never had that privilege. He didn’t want to screw this up, and there was a chance he would.
“Take your time. Teach her. Get her to trust you, and to turn to you when she needs you. We’ve all got needs, Dante. Women do as well. I had to be patient with Anna before she would allow herself to give me every single part of her.”
Patience wasn’t one of his strong suits.
“At night, I think about you all the time. My body, it’s like I can’t stop. Most of the time it’s on fire, and I can’t get it to behave.” She smiled. “I make it sound like something different. My dreams are filled with you.”
“What am I doing in these dreams?”
“You’re touching me, chasing me, consuming every single part of me, and I beg you to do more.”
She took the hand that was at her cheek, and he watched as she placed it against her tit. “I want more, Dante. So much more that I can’t control it, nor do I want to stop it.”
“Then don’t. Tell me what you want, and when you do, I’ll tell you what I want.”
There was a split-second hesitation. “I want you, Dante. I want you to fuck me, and to make me scream your name again.”
He squeezed her tit hard at the same time as he slammed his lips down on hers. The nipple puckered in his palm, and he took her bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth.
She whimpered his name, her fingers gripping his shoulders as if she didn’t know if to push him away or draw him closer.
Breaking the kiss, he gripped the edge of her shirt, and yanked it open. The material tore, echoing in the forest.
“Do you have any idea at all what I want to do to you?” he asked.
“No.”
He pulled the remains of her shirt off her body, followed by the bra. Pressing her tits together, it was his time to groan. “I love your tits.” He leaned forward, flicking his tongue across one beaded tip. “So fucking much.” Sliding his tongue across to her other nipple, he gave that one his undivided attention.
Next, he began to pull her jeans from her body. She didn’t fight him, and in fact began to remove his clothes with the same fever that he had.
In a matter of seconds they were both naked.
Panting for breath, he stared at the glorious perfection that was in fact his woman.
“Do you really think I could look at anyone else? That I could doubt what I wanted.” He reached around
gripping her ass tightly. “You have no idea how much you drive me wild.” He pressed his face against her neck, breathing her in. “So fucking tasty. I can’t believe you’ve been here for so long, and I never thought to visit.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sloane asked me to visit months ago. I always declined. I wasn’t interested in visiting with other packs. I just wanted to get myself settled, and to understand what it was like to lead a pack. I wish I’d taken his offer. I could have had you by my side all this time.” He slammed his lips down on hers, needing her more than his next breath. She consumed his thoughts, and it was taking every ounce of control not to carry her back to his own pack, and mark her as his.
Breaking the kiss, he lifted her up, and she instantly wrapped her legs around him. “I don’t think I can go gentle.”
“I told you I wouldn’t break. Take me, Dante. I’m yours.”
He thrust every single inch of his cock inside her, feeling her tight pussy wrap around him. Everything else faded into the distance. He didn’t give a fuck who he was, or what he had to do. All he was interested in was the feel of her silken cunt wrapped around him.
Pressing his face against her neck once again, he flicked his tongue across her pulse.
“You feel amazing,” he said.
“You’re not too bad yourself,” she said with a moan.
Her pussy throbbed as she got wetter, slicker.
“You want me, don’t you?”
“More than I can understand.”
Dante began to rock within her, going slow at first, craving her submission. Zadie didn’t fight him. She gave without taking, her nails sinking into the flesh of his shoulders as he began to fuck her against the tree.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on as he took her hard. This was more than just two people fucking. In his head, he was claiming her, marking her as his own, gripping her ass hard so that he left marks.
Sinking his teeth into the flesh of her neck, he sucked on her pulse, feeling her body heighten with his dominance. He wanted her to know that every inch of her was owned.
When he couldn’t stand the position they were in, he dropped her to the ground, but still it wasn’t enough. Pulling out of her pussy, he eased back, grabbed her hips, and held her pussy up against his face.