“We were going to try to go back home. To Astria.” I didn’t know what awaited us there, but I’d never lost hope that we could return. Since we’d left, I’d lived with a constant ache in my gut, a pull that was drawing me back home. I’d never had relief, not for one day. I had to trust that fate was telling me where to go, where to be happy again.
Dare leaned forward, his fist closing around my knee and squeezing. Possessively. “Well, doesn’t matter anymore. You’re a Silver Tip now.”
He released me, and I bent my head to stare at my plate so he couldn’t read my expression. I was a Whitethroat. I’d always be a Whitethroat, no matter how much Xan beat it into me that it was bad. “Right.” My sister’s face flashed in front of my eyes. Long black hair, porcelain skin. Blue eyes clear as water.
Abandoning her wasn’t an option. For now, I had no choice but to mate Dare and hope I’d be given more freedom to somehow escape.
At least so far, I’d been treated fairly. I wasn’t sure how questions would go over, but I was curious. “So,” I asked him. “Are you worried about the truce?”
Dare didn’t seem to find my question intrusive. “The truce is important to this pack, because I have built my rule on peace,” he said. “As long as you and your brother are telling the truth, and I am trusting that you are, then no.”
“We are.” I made sure to meet his gaze.
He nodded.
“I…do appreciate you taking Jude and I in.”
“Of course. We give sanctuary and a place to rest to any Were or wolf that knocks on our gates.”
That was so different from Xan’s philosophy that I didn’t know how to process it. Xan was unpredictable. Some wolves that showed up at his gate were killed instantly. Others were put to work like I was. A few were allowed inside and then never seen again.
By the time my plate was clean, the pain in my body had dulled to tolerable levels. I imagined I still looked like road kill.
“So, uh.” I glanced around. “Where can I take a piss?”
He pointed to a curtained-off area in the corner of the room. “There. We have basic plumbing.”
That was something Xan did have. I hopped to my feet and drained my full bladder, then came back feeling like I might actually be able to shift. I stripped off my clothes, Dare’s eyes on me the whole time. With a crack of my neck, I called for the shift.
And, thank fuck, my body responded.
Bones popped and skin stretched. Fur grew. When I dropped to all fours, I was blissfully without pain for the first time since I took a punch from Xan’s soldiers.
I bounced around, testing out my limbs a little, when I felt something brush my side. I leapt back and turned my head to see the black, furry chest of another wolf. I looked up higher to see green eyes staring down at me. In his wolf form, Dare was commanding and huge. With one howl, I imagined he could make his pack do just about anything.
Even now the urge for me to roll over and show my belly was all-consuming. I fought against it, wanting to play first. It’d only be a matter of time, though, before Dare had me on my back.
I leapt away from him, then dipped my head, tail high and wagging. He stood tall, peering down at me as if to say, go ahead and get your energy out.
He was a gorgeous wolf, solid and broad, with a glossy, black coat and a silver stripe running down his back to the tip of his tail. His ears were also tipped with silver, which was actually kinda cute. But I didn’t think Dare would want to be called cute. I wondered what he looked like in his Were form.
For now, my body didn’t hurt, so I bounded around Dare’s living space with renewed vigor, knowing that every minute that passed was healing me. In my human form, my only discerning characteristic to other wolves was my scent, but as soon as I shifted, my pack roots were right there in my fur. I was a gray wolf with a white throat.
I sniffed Dare, then rooted around his bed, wanting to know if anyone else had been fucking my mate.
I smelled no one else. Interesting…
I wagged my tail, trotting back over to Dare, who still hadn’t moved his body other than his head to track me as I studied his room.
When I nuzzled his chest, he shifted, and, even in my wolf form, I had to stare dumbfounded at the sight of a naked Dare. He was chiseled, molded to perfection. His thick dick was hard, the heavy weight pulling it down between his legs in front of large, low-hanging balls.
I licked my wolf lips.
Dare’s eyes flashed. His fingernails were still curved into claws, his canines descended, and a dusting of fur still covered his shoulders. He looked wild and a little feral. “Shift.” His voice was garbled, and I backed up a step, dipping my head as I whined.
He took a heaving breath and the fur on his shoulders disappeared. His eyes closed and when they opened, they were nearly black. “Shift,” he ordered again.
My body obeyed.
Never in my life had anyone been able to command me to shift, but Dare could. His command was a swell of power that I couldn’t deny. My bones cracked as I shifted back to human form, then I collapsed onto my stomach and panted as I tested my limbs. My ribs weren’t even tender.
Fuck yeah, shifter power.
I rose to my feet, shaking out my arms as I lifted my head to meet Dare’s gaze.
His teeth were bared, eyes cycling between green and black like a two-toned tornado.
He moved so fast, I didn’t even see his arm, didn’t realize he was in motion until a hand wrapped around my neck and claws dug into my throat. He hauled me against him, and with my feet not touching the floor, the only thing I could do was clutch his shoulders and wrap my legs around his waist.
“Mine,” he growled against my lips.
Not gonna lie, I was fucking terrified. Dare was only half there, his Were pulsing inside his skin. I didn’t know his Were, and I hoped to hell Dare had enough power to stay human.
I shifted my hands to grip his face, my fingers digging into his scalp as I rutted against him. The mating instinct overtook all my other thoughts. So, despite my terror, I was hard as hell. “Yours,” I muttered back.
That seemed to appease the Were, because Dare’s eyes stopped flickering, finally resting on green.
His chest rumbled, and he pressed our lips together—hard, punishing, furious—before delving his tongue inside.
The kiss was possessive and all-consuming. While I’d fucked around plenty, I’d never been kissed in my life, so I didn’t know how to deal with it. My head was spinning, my body on fire, ass clenching in anticipation for being taken. I wanted it. God help me, but I wanted him to pin me down and fuck me until I broke.
I wanted to be owned.
So, I kissed him back, pushing against his tongue with mine, gnashing his lips with my teeth, which only seemed to spur him on harder.
The room tilted, and then Dare was looming over me, my back against the mattress as he gripped our cocks in one hand and began to pump. My cock was leaking pre-come, coating my stomach and mixing with Dare’s pre-release.
His shoulders bunched as he held himself above me, his attention on stroking us. His gaze lifted to mine, and when our eyes met, I was thankful they were green. He peeled his lips back, revealing his sharp teeth. “I love the smell of you, but it’s wrong. It’s all wrong.”
Great. I prepared to have my throat ripped out for mistaken mate identity. “What?”
“You don’t smell like me yet.” He ran his nose up the column of my neck and then nipped my ear. “I can’t be around you anymore without imprinting my smell on you.”
“Make me smell like you, then.” I reached down to grip his balls. “I’m all healed now. Take me.”
In the far recesses of my brain, I knew this meant the life I had planned for my brother and sister would change. But I couldn’t help it, not while Dare’s scent was in my nostrils, while his power was surrounding me, and as his hand left my cock to swirl through the wetness on my stomach.
I was going to be mated. To a Were. And there was no goin
g back.
Dare
* * *
I’d wanted him the moment I laid eyes on him, but once I saw him healed, with both blue eyes blinking at me, I lost control.
I never lost control. Sex before this was for pleasure or procreation. Strings not attached.
But now, my Were was rioting inside my brain. I beat him back, because he’d have to wait his turn to meet Reese. Right now, Reese was mine.
He lay beneath me on my mattress, black hair in disarray, eyes glazed with lust. He was coated in a mixture of our pre-come, his stomach glistening. I swiped my fingers through it and raised it to his full lips, swollen from our aggressive kisses. He parted them, gaze locked on mine as I slipped my fingers inside. He sucked immediately, hollowing his cheeks. I growled in my chest, imagining what those lips would look like wrapped around my dick.
Later. There’d be plenty of time for that.
I pulled my fingers out, and he let them go with a reluctant whimper. Gripping his face, I lapped at his lips, enjoying the taste of us together. Beneath me, his body shuddered.
I flipped him onto his stomach and ran my hand down his broad back. My mate was strong and well-muscled, although a little thin. We’d work on that. His ass was perfection. High and round. I slapped a cheek, enjoying the redness blooming on the pale skin.
He spread his legs on a moan, and I rubbed around his hole, happy to see werewolf males provided their own slick like Weres did.
I tapped the head of my cock at his entrance, and he squirmed. “God, please, I need this.”
Yeah, well so did I. When I thrust inside, he cried out. I sucked in a breath as my blood sang, knowing I’d found my home. The feel of him clenched around my dick, the smell of him in the throes of arousal—all of it was fucking perfect. When I began to move, pumping in and out of him—that was when my body went a little wonky.
My vision blurred, and my skin prickled as my Were, wolf, and human forms battled. My brain went offline several times as each form fought to take our mate. But Reese wasn’t some Were I could fuck and forget, so I tried to pull out, to abort, to do anything I could to preserve him. Except the control I held on to so tightly at all times was nonexistent. I dug my claws into the mattress on either side of him to anchor us and gritted my teeth, my hips slamming into his smaller body as he jolted higher on the bed with each thrust.
He was saying words. My name. Some other things that weren’t registering. All my forms knew he was our mate, that he was home, that nothing felt as good as being inside of him.
Beneath me, his mouth dropped open, and he screamed, his fists clenching around my wrists. When the smell of his release hit my nostrils, my Were went berserk. I heard myself howl, and then everything went black.
* * *
When I came to, I smelled blood.
Blood and…something else that was right.
My head was foggy, my body like lead. I was laying on my side, arm thrown over something hot. I blinked open my eyes, knowing I needed to get my bearings. I had something to protect now. My mate. Protect. Reese.
So, when the first thing I saw was his neck dripping with blood, I bolted upright and hauled him into my arms.
“Reese!” I yelled, licking at his wound so my saliva could heal it. “What happened? Are you okay? Wha—?”
“Stop yelling!” He batted me away and blinked sleepy blue eyes at me. “Why are you yelling?”
“You’re bleeding.” I frowned at him, anger seeping into my voice. But I wasn’t angry at him. I was angry at myself for losing control, for hurting him. Because those puncture marks in his neck were bite wounds. From me. I’d lost control and bitten him. I’d never bitten a partner during sex. But with Reese, I’d been compelled to do it. I needed to dig up a book on True Mates or talk to an elder. I didn’t want to hurt Reese again.
He patted his neck, then shrugged. “Yeah, you bit me.”
I stared at him as he yawned. “I bit you,” I said again.
It was his turn to frown at me. “Yeah, Captain Obvious. Can we move on now?”
I glared at him.
His eyes widened. “Wait, did you think you hurt me?”
I gripped his chin. “Yes.” His mouth formed an O. I caressed his jaw with my thumb. “I lost control. That’s never happened to me before. I couldn’t stop, and then I blacked out.”
He placed a hand on my chest. “Yeah, you howled, then you bit me when you came. And, uh, it made me come again. I guess your teeth and my neck equals Reese g-spot. Cool, huh?”
I pushed him so he fell back onto the bed with a bounce. “Hey!” he protested.
“I was worried I killed you.”
He lifted onto his elbows. “You didn’t kill me. Not gonna lie, I saw my life flash before my eyes about three times. But apparently, I get off on that.”
I wanted him again. Right now. After all of that, after the fear I’d hurt him, I wanted him again. He must have seen it in my eyes, because he licked his lips, and his eyes dropped down to my cock.
I could have buried myself in his throat, but as he moved toward me, his ribs shifted under his skin. My mate was too thin. Also, I wanted some time to clear my head. I didn’t understand this True Mate pull well enough yet, and my instincts regarding Reese were messing with my head. I still had a pack and responsibilities to think about. Even if lying in bed with a naked Reese was the only thing I wanted to do.
I stepped off the bed and pulled my pants on with my back to him.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“I’m going to get us food.”
He started to speak then paused. “As in, just you?”
I didn’t want to deal with his questions right now, not while I felt vulnerable toward him. “Yes. You’re staying here.”
“Why can’t I go with you?”
I didn’t like being questioned. My pack didn’t do it. Why should my mate? Maybe I’d been too soft, too accepting of his smart mouth. But even now, I only wanted to kiss said smart mouth. I clenched my jaw. “I’m going, you’re staying here, and that’s all you need to know.”
“When am I going to be able to leave this room?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
His face was flushed, his hands balled at his sides. “I thought I was your mate, not your prisoner. Are you just going to keep me locked in here? What about Jude?”
I thought I’d made it clear that this wasn’t Q&A time. As I walked toward the door, he scrambled after me. “Hey, wait—”
With a hand on the knob, I whirled around. “I’m not sure what you think this is, but my commands are not up for debate. My reasons do not need to be explained to you. You will stay here, and I’ll bring you food, and that’s the end of it, do you hear me?”
Reese’s eyes were wide, and he didn’t move. Then he slowly gathered himself together, his face hardening, his spine straightening. He took a measured step back and, with a jerky nod of his head, he said in a dead voice, “Yes, Alpha.”
Fuck, why did his tone send a chill down to my bones? I walked out the door, slamming it behind me, then leapt down the stairs. I paced along the landing, listening for sounds from behind my door, but there was nothing. Those words had felt like a punch to the chest, and I had no idea why. What was wrong with me that I regretted snapping at him? I hadn’t treated him badly. I’d fed him, I’d let him sleep and shift. And I’d fucked him so well, he begged for it and came twice.
This was ridiculous. He had to learn how to be an alpha’s mate, was all. That didn’t stop the uneasy feeling in my stomach.
Chapter Three
Dare
* * *
Getting Reese food was a priority, but so was my pack. I swung by my brother’s apartment on my way to the kitchens. It was late now, and the only natural light was from the moon filtering in through the windows at the top of the Hive.
Bay lived on the fifth floor in an apartment that was supposed to be nice, but he kept it a mess because he had no proper home training.
> I knocked on the door and waited as muffled voices reached my ears. “Who is it?” Bay’s voice called.
“Me,” I answered.
More muffled voices, until eventually the door opened, and a female Were emerged, yawning. “Hey, Alpha,” she said.
I greeted her with a nod, then stepped inside, closing the door behind me. Bay was on his bed, shoveling a banana in his mouth. My brother was smaller than me, but seventy-five percent more charming and attractive. His green eyes sparkled as they tracked me across the room, and he grinned around his mouthful of food. “Hey, brother.”
“She looked like she was barely a novus.”
He ran his hand over his short hair. “What? Nah, her muto was like three years ago.”
I raised an eyebrow. “That’s Pullo’s granddaughter. Three years, my ass.”
He pursed his lips. “Okay, a year and a half.” I laughed and he threw up his hands. “Hey, she came knocking! Not the other way around.”
“She’s cute.”
“Damn right. So, what’s up?”
“Wanted to see how things were.”
Bay smirked. “You took a break from being balls deep in your mate to see your brother? I’m touched.”
“Bay.” I growled.
Again with the grin. “When do I get to meet this wolf? I’m so pissed I wasn’t here when he got dragged out of his cell.”
I regretted chaining up Reese, but he and his brother were refugees from a pack we had a truce with. I hadn’t wanted them free inside the Hive until I could question them. Of course, as soon as I scented him as my mate, all bets were off. “Soon. I still feel protective of him. And I’m not ready for him to be judged by the pack yet.”
Bay threw his banana peel in the trash. “Look, I get you’re anxious over this, but the pack will respect him because they respect you. Unless he’s a total asshole.”
“He’s not,” I said. “He smart and curious.” I heard Reese’s voice in my head calling me Captain Obvious. “He’s funny too.”
Bay’s eyes widened. “Funny? Did you just say he’s funny? Well, fuck, you barely laugh at my jokes and I’m hilarious as shit.”
Daring Fate: Silver Tip Pack series Page 3