Her Brave Wolf (Marked by the Moon Book 1) - Shifter Paranormal Romance

by Kamryn Hart

  Chris’s wolf was a dark gray, smaller than Nick’s, and arguably more agile. He got the first strike, but Nick protected his throat and deflected the attack with a snap of his powerful jaws. The difference in strength from a beta wolf to an alpha wolf was almost sad. The only way a beta had any chance of taking him down was if a bunch of betas got together and had an attack plan, sort of like the wolves that ambushed him in the woods. Their hit and run tactic had been a fucking nuisance, but Chris didn’t have the luxury of allies. And he was out of the shadows.

  Each strike Chris made was a desperate attempt to keep Nick busy. His moves were easy to read. He would jump in for a bite, but he would retreat before he got the chance to leave Nick with a mark. As angry as the beta wolf was, he understood the difference in power. He was too scared to commit to an attack.

  This went on for a few seconds before Nick made his move. He waited for Chris to strike again. He closed the distance Chris tried to create by retreating from another attack he hadn’t committed to and latched his teeth onto the wolf’s throat. He bit down hard and locked his jaw. Chris yelped. He struggled to get away from Nick’s sharp teeth, spilling his blood all over Nick’s fur and on the grass below the stage. All Nick had to do was keep holding on. With each passing moment, Chris grew more sluggish. Nick could feel the life draining out of him. It wasn’t until his body became limp that Nick let go.

  Nick could feel the eyes of everyone on him. He felt Gwen’s most of all. He was sure she hadn’t expected to see anything so brutal when she came today. He wished he could hide the sight from her eyes. He had saved her from a poacher just yesterday, but she didn’t see him do it. She watched every part of this.

  He was worried. His perfect woman shouldn’t have had to deal with this kind of shit. But he had to give her more credit than that. She was not running. She wasn’t cowering. When her hand buried into the fur on his back, he felt reassured she had no intention of leaving his side. Not now. Not ever if he treated her right.

  He turned his head to look at her. She looked back with a determined but hurt gaze. He didn’t understand why she looked hurt. Maybe it was because of him. She hurt for him because he had to put down one of his wolves. Perfect woman.

  Nick didn’t know what he expected when he turned back to the rest of his pack. Everyone was bowing in front of him.

  “We’ll take care of the body, my Alpha,” Howard said. “And we’ll wait for your call tonight for the Full Moon. At least, all of us who wish to have you as our Alpha will.” Which seemed to be the vast majority. Howard smiled. It was a sad smile, but it was the first one Nick had seen from Casey’s father in years. “You did good, Nick.”

  Nick nodded his head, unable to speak in his current form. He was grateful to Howard. Nick wasn’t over his own anger with Casey. He suspected Howard wasn’t either. When someone hurt Willow, Nick tended to hold a grudge, but he hoped Howard and Julie would see their son again. Maybe things could change for them too.

  Pack Vows would take place soon enough, but until then, Nick needed a moment to cool his head. He was going home with Gwen. As if she read his mind, Gwen picked up his clothes and shoes. They walked to her Jeep, leaving everyone else behind.

  “You want to shift?” she asked him quietly.

  He shook his head. He would shift when they got to the Alpha’s Den. He didn’t want to talk until they were alone there.

  Chapter 16

  GWEN WAS SITTING ALONE on one of the sitting room’s plush sofas, doubled over on herself. Nick was washing off the blood of the wolf he killed. She got the gist of everything that happened, but she wasn’t deeply involved in any of this stuff, so it was all a pretty big shock. She didn’t know how to feel about what she saw. It didn’t sound like that bastard wolf shifter deserved anything less, but he was part of Nick’s pack. She felt sick to her stomach for him. He didn’t show it, but she knew it must have hurt him.

  She didn’t blame Nick, but she couldn’t deny the whole thing scared her. That was why she wasn’t in the bathroom with him right now, cleaning him up herself. She needed a moment to herself to think about all the craziness that had happened. She turned everything over in her head, wondering if perhaps now she regretted yesterday or today in her Jeep. She couldn’t say she did. She loved every moment with Nick. She wanted to stand by him. She wanted to be here. She had a less than warm reception from the other wolves in the beginning, but somehow this was where she belonged. She knew it like she knew her parents loved her—without a hint of doubt.

  Finally, she sat up and rested her back against the couch. She glanced at the fancy art set up in the room, mostly wolf inspired. She could hear the water running in the guest bathroom. Nick didn’t get hurt in that fight as far as she could tell, but what if she was wrong? The thought of him hurt again gave her anxiety. She hated seeing him hurt. It was worse than getting hurt herself. Since they didn’t have that Lunas Sigil tying them together anymore, he couldn’t heal as fast. She hated that most of all.

  She got off the couch and walked through the grand foyer to the guest bathroom. Nick had jeans on but no shirt. She placed her hand on the warm skin of his back. His muscles tensed underneath her touch, but he quickly relaxed. However, he didn’t turn around to face her. He continued splashing water on his face for a moment longer before grabbing a towel and burying his face in it. From the back and from what she could see in the mirror, Nick had nothing but old wounds. She was relieved.

  Gently working her fingers and hands against his skin, Gwen tried to relieve every ounce of tension she could find.

  “That feels really good,” Nick said in a low rumble. He turned around and caught her hand, the right one, the same one that once had the Moon on it. “I’m sorry you had to see that. I scared you. That wolf was my Beta and my father’s Beta before, just over a month ago. I trusted him and he arranged for Willow to get kidnapped by a desperate and depraved Alpha. I had no idea how sick the fucker was.”

  Gwen shook her head. “No, Nick. I just needed some time to think. You don’t have to apologize. I don’t blame you for what happened. It’s like back with those poachers. You were protecting your pack. I’ve never killed anyone before. It was hard seeing it up close. I… I’m sorry for not being stronger.”

  Nick gathered her in his arms, holding her close.

  She hugged him back and said, “Tell me more about your parents. You know a little about mine. Fair is fair.”

  “My father was the previous Alpha of Blue Pack, as you know. He was strong and, in my eyes at least, he never did anything wrong. He was what I aspired to be, but… Well, you heard what I said to those wolf shifters. I can’t follow what he did anymore. Maybe I’m not much like my father, but I am doing the best I can.”

  “Your pack was really into what you had to say. You are doing good,” Gwen agreed, burying her face in his wonderfully firm chest. “What about your mom?”

  “She was a powerful alpha wolf too, the perfect complement to my father. She supported him in everything he did, and she did her best to raise Willow and me to know respect. It got through my head, but I can’t say the same about Will. Or how she ended up a beta wolf.” He smirked.

  Gwen laughed. “Your sister must be a bit of a rebel, and what’s this stuff about Casey?”

  “Casey is a wolf our age. We don’t usually talk about him anymore. My father decided Willow and Casey would be mates, but Casey got curious about the world outside of ours and learned about humans. In the end, he decided he didn’t want Willow for his mate. I don’t know if it’s because he didn’t feel the same way about her or what, but Willow took the whole thing the worst next to his parents, Julie and Howard.”

  Gwen nodded solemnly. “But she seems so chipper all of the time. You wouldn’t think she was hurting from something like that.”

  “If you’re just looking on the outside. She started following in Casey’s footsteps after that, going out to human cities to hang out. I’ve never really talked to her about it, but I never b
usted her with our parents either. We… didn’t do a lot of talking after the Casey thing either. It was because she’s been sneaking out that Ivan, the Alpha that kidnapped her, was able to grab her so easily.”

  “You don’t know why she does it?” Gwen asked.

  “She says she does it to meet human guys. To find the one for her…”

  Gwen pulled away, her eyebrow raised. “And you really never stopped her? Before, you wouldn’t see me because I am human and you let your sister go out with humans?”

  “More like, I pretended not to see it,” he said with a grimace. “I’m sorry for that, Gwen. I wish I had never pushed you away. It feels like so much wasted time when I always want to be near you.”

  “You said your parents passed away.”

  “In a car accident of all things. We may be stronger than humans, but we’re not invincible.”

  Gwen reached up and caught his face in her hands. “I’m sorry, Nick. I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose your parents.”

  He bit his lower lip. “I’ve managed.”

  “You’ve managed a lot.” She stroked his jaw, scratching his scruff. “Have you cried?”

  He held back a snort. “Of course not.”

  “It’s okay to, you know? I would have cried after going through all of that.”

  “Alpha’s don’t cry.”

  Gwen was about to lecture him when he leaned down and rested his forehead against her shoulder. She moved her hands so they were at his neck. He took in a shuddering breath. She didn’t say another word, allowing him to stay that way for as long as he needed. When he did move away, he quickly wiped at his eyes. Gwen didn’t see any tears, but that wasn’t important. What was important was that he knew she didn’t think any less of him if he cried. What was important was that he knew she was here for him.

  Nick moved her ponytail to the side and pressed his lips to her neck. His lips moved softly against her skin as he said, “I want to stay with you, Gwen. I want to claim you as my own.” He ended his words by brushing his sharp teeth against her skin; he didn’t press hard enough to pierce it.

  “Claim me?” she asked with a laugh, trying to play off the shiver his words sent through her body. Being his, him staying with her, was what she wanted too. Her parents would be so concerned about everything and how fast it was happening, but it felt right. Nothing had ever felt so right.

  “It’s a wolf shifter thing,” he informed. He pulled away from her neck and she missed the feel of his teeth on her skin. “A male bites the female he wants to claim as his mate during sex. It combines scents, warning other wolves that this female has been claimed.”

  “Is it permanent?” Gwen asked, tracing circles on Nick’s bare chest.

  “Sort of. I’ve never done it, but Julie explained it probably has something to do with our connection to the Moon again, like a faint magical bond. If the female didn’t want to be claimed, the bond will fade. If she did and always feels that way, the bond will stay. According to her stories, when wolves accessed Lunas intentionally and sigils weren’t unheard of, this kind of bond would leave a permanent Moon Mark as well as scents combining.”

  Gwen breathed in and closed her eyes. “There’s so much I want to know about wolf shifters. It’s fascinating.” She opened her eyes again and caught Nick staring at her. It was that hungry look in his eyes he always got when he was around her. It was the darkest in her Jeep today. He took her hard and fast like he couldn’t live another moment without being inside of her. Thinking about that made her legs tremble and her underwear wet.

  He was drop dead sexy, but she wasn’t sure about him before. The way he was always pushing her away and being standoffish made her question her powerful feelings for him, but it all made sense now. Why he did what he did made sense. The Nick she saw last night and in her Jeep, the Nick she saw when he was a wolf lying on her lap, even the Nick she glimpsed when he shifted in front of her because she requested it, that was the real Nick. Fast or not, she wanted to be with that Nick from now on. She didn’t want to waste any more time not having him when he felt the same way. He told his entire pack that he wanted to be with her.

  A rumble in Nick’s throat and the feel of his hands now on her hips made her tremble. “You always smell so good for me, Gwen,” he said.

  Her cheeks heated up, but it wasn’t out of embarrassment. She couldn’t hide what she was feeling from this man. She was okay with that. She didn’t want to hide it. The thought of him inside of her again, whenever she thought about touching him or him touching her, she got wet. Every time he touched her she got even wetter.

  “Does it hurt?” she asked, already feeling lightheaded at the thought of him taking her again.

  “What?” He shook his head a little, clearing the hunger from his eyes a bit.

  “Claiming. Does it hurt?”

  “You’ll be in too much pleasure for it to hurt.”

  She wasn’t afraid of a little pain, but the way he said that made her want this even more. “It’ll make me yours? Kind of like if we ran off to Las Vegas and got married right now?”

  Nick chuckled and touched her cheek. He slid his fingers down to her chin, tilting her head up slightly to better see her eyes. “Much more powerful than that. You’re comparing a binding magic to a piece of paper. A claim is an unbreakable promise as long as it’s mutual, Gwen. Sort of like that sigil we shared.”

  “But weaker since we couldn’t break the sigil,” she noted. “People, shifters too according to your explanation, fall out of love all the time.”

  His lips twitched downward into a hint of a frown. “Are you scared of me being committed to you or not being committed to you?”

  Gwen shook her head. “I want to be with you. I feel like I should be. I’m a little worried about how fast this is happening and that I don’t care. I want it to happen faster. I don’t think that’s normal.” She grinned. “But I’ve never felt normal until now. If you claiming me makes me yours, I want to do it. It makes you mine too, right?”

  “Yes.” He bent down and kissed her forehead. “Even if you didn’t want me to claim you, I am yours. You’re the only one for me, and you always will be.”

  Gwen let out a contented sigh. “I feel that, too.”

  Neither one could wait a moment longer. Lips met lips in a passionate kiss. It started with gentle caresses and grew fierce with teeth and biting. Gwen’s lips were on fire, the starting point of heat that spread through the rest of her body. She was so turned on by their kiss, she could feel herself at the head of an orgasm from kissing alone. He felt so good. He made her feel so good.

  “Are you sure, beautiful?” Nick asked at the break between their kiss.

  Gwen swore she could feel his own doubts, but they weren’t about her. They were about the way he treated her before. He was worried he had damaged Gwen’s opinion of him, worried she’d never accept him or want this.

  “I’m sure,” she replied. “The past is in the past.”

  “I am going to treat you like a queen from now on.”

  “I’m sure we’ll have our fights,” she teased. “Everyone does. But that doesn’t mean we can’t work past them.”

  Nick wouldn’t let her get in another word as he kissed her over and over. She laughed at the tingling sensation and kissed him back. She pressed her body into his too. She could feel his erection through his pants. She needed to come soon or she didn’t know what she would do. She was carrying more energy than she could deal with.

  “Make love to me again,” she said when he had stopped drowning her with his sweet mouth. “I didn’t get nearly enough. It was too short in my Jeep.”

  Nick’s hazel eyes darkened at the challenge, flashing yellow. “Your wish is my command.”

  Gwen brought condoms today, figuring she needed to be somewhat sensible. That totally worked out for her—not. She and Nick had that quickie in her Jeep unprotected again, and she just couldn’t bring herself to care. She didn’t want to use them. She needed to
feel him inside of her without any boundaries. That was how she wanted him every time.

  Her hands went for his pants. Nick followed her lead and took over, stripping off his pants and briefs in a flash. His hands were on her tank top next. She let him completely undress her as quickly as he had himself. She moved forward, intending to feel his hard-on against her as she kissed him again, but Nick had other ideas. He caught her and placed her on the marble bathroom counter.

  “I haven’t tasted you yet,” Nick said as he knelt in between her legs.

  His words made her tremble. No man had ever done this to her before. The inside of her thighs were wet with sweat and arousal. She caught his short dark curly hair in her fingers as he started kissing the inside of her thighs. She watched him move, holding onto him carefully as she tried not to fall limp. Whenever Nick was involved, she was ready to surrender everything.

  He alternated his kisses with soft licks to her skin, licking more the closer he got to her sex. Whatever she tasted like, he was definitely enjoying it. He caught her watching him and gave a devious grin as he pressed his lips to her glistening folds. The mere touch of his lips on her sensitive flesh made her throw back her head and upper back against the mirror. The counter was big enough and she was seated away far enough from the sink she wouldn’t fall in. Thank God for that because in her current state she probably would have.

  She sucked in baited breaths and writhed at Nick’s every touch. She held on to his hair even tighter, managing to do it despite it being hard to find a grip because of the short length. She had his head, but he had complete control of her hips. Each time he flicked his tongue tremors rippled through her body. She was crying his name, begging for more and more and more. He judged her reactions and altered what he was doing accordingly because she was too far gone to guide him with words. He was working her like they had done this many times, like he knew her very intimately.