by Olivia Arran
Our time was now.
***
Jason
I ran for about five minutes, heading deep into the forest until the trees completely covered the sky. Without daylight, the wooded area took on a surreal look, dimly lit with sparks of light dancing as the branches swayed in the breeze.
Having lived in the city for so long, perhaps I should have felt overwhelmed by it all—the vastness of nature, the unpredictability—but it was as if something had been unlocked, a part of me reveling in how right this felt.
Here, I felt strong. At ease with myself in a way I had not felt before. I wanted to thump my chest and howl to the sky, scream out my happiness.
I had found myself. I had found my mate—and now I was going to make her mine.
I let Macey slide from my arms, hoping my eyes told her everything she needed to know, because I was past words, past pretty explanations and heartfelt declarations. They could come later.
I sent a quick prayer to the Mother when she pulled off her top, unhooking her bra with fingers that fumbled in their haste. A prayer to the Mother of All, the one you swore had abandoned you. I knew now that she’d had a greater plan, that I had been a fool not to trust her.
Ripping open my jeans, I shoved them down, stepping out of them.
Macey slipped out of hers and slid her panties down.
Mine! My coyote growled in my head, and for once, I was in complete agreement.
Fuck, my mouth was dry, my tongue probably hanging out. My lips curled in a grin, because, double fuck, she was right about my cursing.
She was all womanly curves and soft skin, her breasts full and round, tipped with peach colored nipples. She had a slight dip at the waist and a full flare to her hips, her stomach curving softly toward a smattering of blonde fuzz nestled between plump thighs.
She was the woman of my dreams, someone I could hold tight and not be afraid of breaking. That I could cup and caress with my oversized hands and not feel like she was going to break.
My cock thickened, twitching to life as most of the blood in my body headed south. Trailing a hand down my stomach, I fisted myself slowly, watching as her eyes snagged on my hand and what it contained, her lips parting in that perfect ‘o’.
“Like what you see?”
She nodded.
I pumped one more time, relishing her quick intake of breath, the small shudder that rippled through her.
“Then run,” I growled, forcing myself to stand still. “Let me chase you, then let me claim you.”
Her head jerked up and she locked eyes with me. “Claim each other,” she whispered.
“Always, my love.”
With a flick of her ponytail, she turned and ran.
And dammit, the sight of her round ass jiggling with each step nearly made me come right then and there.
But I could wait. I wanted to be inside her, driving deep into her, where I belonged.
***
Macey
So this was what it was like to have the thrill of the mating hunt urging me on, the promise of its conclusion coiling in my belly, making my legs weak with hunger.
I needed him, burned for him, and yet still I ran. It was a tradition as old as time, one that got the adrenaline pumping and the blood flowing. Though it was originally thought the mating hunt had been used to select the best mates—the strongest—now it was used as an appetizer to the main course—lifetime commitment with a side order of wild, wanton fucking.
I stumbled on a stray tree root and forced my mind back on track. I wasn’t going to make this too easy for him. Where would the fun be in that?
I could hear him thundering behind me, his larger physique thrashing through the forest, feet pounding the ground with a determined stride.
My wolf snapped at the air, tasting his smoky-sweet scent on the wind, driving her—us—into a frenzy of need. I nearly dropped to my knees right then and there, the urge to submit almost overwhelming the need to run.
I darted to the left around a large tree and forced my legs to go faster, leaping over rocks and branches.
A large object barreled into me, sweeping me off my feet and carrying me through the air.
We landed with a thud, arms cradling me safely against a hard body.
“I got tired of waiting,” Jason growled, rolling me under him and mashing his mouth down against mine with an urgency that I understood.
Craved.
His mouth was hot and sweet, his tongue delving deep, tangling with my own in a heated dance of flesh.
Moaning into his mouth, my hips echoed the dance, thrusting and rubbing against the steel length I could feel trapped between us. Demanding that he cooperate, that he take me.
“Are you—?”
“Yes, now,” I hissed, nipping at his neck, his mouth, everywhere I could taste—I wanted to.
Tilting his hips, he adjusted his angle, the head of his cock brushing against my pussy, teasing and tantalizingly close.
Not close enough.
“Jason!” My plea bled into a cry of pleasure as he thrust inside, smooth and deep in one sure stroke.
He froze. “Did I—”
“Don’t you dare fucking stop!” I growled, digging my nails into his ass, just in case he got the insane idea to pull back.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, my love. Anything you want…”
Then he proceeded to blow my mind, his hips swiveling and thrusting in an unrelenting rhythm, hurtling me toward the peak at full speed. He filled and stretched me, owning me, until I couldn’t tell where I ended and he began.
Leaning down, he teased an aching nipple with his teeth, tugging and licking until my back bowed, thrusting my breast up for him to feast upon.
He fell on it like a man possessed, sucking it into his mouth and rolling the distended peak with his tongue. Each tug echoed lower, each thrust of his cock mirrored by his mouth.
My hands were still glued to his muscular ass, my hips tilted to meet his on each downward stroke. His scent surrounded me, every gasp I took pulling him deeper inside, flooding my body with him.
My true mate.
I searched for the bond, amazed to find it sparking and crackling with energy, the thin pathway pulsing with life.
Ready for completion.
Just like I was. My head snapped back as pleasure rolled through me, tugging me deeper into a world that only contained us. The slap of flesh against flesh, sweat slicking our bodies, the sharp dig of nails as he strained above me.
I slid my hands up, tracing the contours of his back until my fingers brushed against the nape of his neck. “You don’t need to be gentle with me, I won’t break.”
His stroke stuttered as a slow smile spread over his face. “I didn’t realize I had been, but I take direction well, my love.”
It was as if I’d flicked a switch, his pace picking up, each stroke a little harder, driving deeper until it was almost unbearable, the pleasure almost painful in its intensity.
Firm pressure thumbed my clit, the sensitive bead throbbing and aching, needy with want. I hurtled over the edge, ecstasy blinding me as strangled moans poured out of my mouth, my head thrashing, my hips bucking beneath him as he stroked harder, reaching for his own climax.
“I take you, Macey Colstone, to be my true mate. I will run with you, live with you and love you. I swear by the Mother of All,” he groaned, then a firm hand gripped my jaw, holding my head still as sharp teeth pierced just above my collarbone, claiming me.
My eyes flashed open, just in time to see a look of wonder cross his handsome face as his part of the bond completed.
“And I take you, Jason Sunclaw, to be my true mate. I will run with you, live with you and love you—only you. I swear by the Mother of All.” The moment the words were out of my mouth I lunged at his neck, sinking my teeth in. The bond snapped wide open, the circuit complete, power cascading through me.
On a frantic yell, his hips bucking, his cock pounding in and out, he started to come, and I rode the wave along with
him, the bond wringing another orgasm from me, right on the heels of the other. He tensed above me, his jaw clenched, every muscle tensed as he came, filling me, completing the claiming.
We were mates, the bond fully formed, and it was a beautiful thing. I closed my eyes to gaze at it, marveling at the constant flow of energy, the strength and vibrancy of it. I understood now why shifters would do anything for their mate.
“Just look at it,” I whispered, hugging my mate close as he collapsed on top of me. “The bond—it’s you and me. Together.”
“It’s us,” he murmured, his breath hot against my cheek as he rolled me over, stroking my back as he held me close. “We stand together, as one.”
“Always. I love you, sweetheart. I know I hadn’t told you, but I do.”
“I already knew. When you decided to really trust me, with your heart, not your head, I knew. And I love you. Always and forever.”
My mate was a strong man, one who had learned to be strong on his own, standing on his own two feet. He wouldn’t be swayed by others, wouldn’t be told how to think—not even by me. He would never judge me by the same rules as everyone else, not because he didn’t believe in them, but because he questioned them, like he questioned everything I took for granted. Through his eyes I would see our world anew and together we would build our own set of rules. After what we had been through, trust would never be an issue, I was sure of that.
“What are you thinking, my love, with so serious a face?”
“About you, our future life together, the world, love and trust,” I replied, my words muffled against his chest.
“Ah. Small thoughts then,” he said, chuckling. “Let me take your mind off things, or next thing, you’ll be spouting off about world peace.”
He swallowed my retort, transforming my grumble into a moan, then a gasp.
I might have to talk about world peace a little more often, if this was the thanks I got.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jason
Our welcome back to the Colstone packhouse had been a mixed one. Most had been enthusiastic about our mating, and only a few held their judgment in reserve.
Cole was one of them, and what didn’t help was that Macey was oblivious to it. Which meant that I had to be the one to talk to him.
“I’ll just be a minute,” I murmured, unwrapping myself from the tangle of arms and legs we had collapsed in. Kissing her lightly on the lips and ignoring her raised eyebrows, I pulled myself up from the deceptively comfy couch in James’ office, and made my way over where the man in question brooded by the windowsill.
Macey’s old seat, I noted wryly. Cole was speaking with actions rather than words.
“Do we have something we need to discuss?” I asked bluntly. No point in hanging about. If he had a problem, I needed to know about it.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He folded his arms and glowered at the room in general.
“I’m talking about Macey. And me. Look, something has obviously upset you.”
“I’m not upset.”
It was like bashing my head against a wall. I could already feel a headache coming on. I tried again. “Look, if I stepped on your toes or something, I’m sorry. But you’re not true mates. You’ve got to face it—”
“I don’t want Mace like that!”
“You don’t?”
“No! We kissed once and it was like kissing my sis—” His voice trailed off when he saw the look on my face.
I gritted my teeth, clinging onto the temper I was only just learning how to control. “I’m going to give you a free pass on that one, just because you’re obviously upset about something and not thinking straight. Don’t ever tell me about what you have, and haven’t, done with my mate again. Not if you value your head staying attached to your shoulders,” I growled in a low voice.
For a second I thought he wasn’t going to let it drop, then he sagged back against the wall. “My bad, I guess I was just shocked that you thought that. Does she?”
“My mate is oblivious to this little funk you’re in, but you can bet your ass it won’t last long. Then she’ll be nagging you, trying to figure it out.”
Cole sniggered, shooting a quick glance at Macey. “I can tell you’ve been hanging around with Mace. Your uptight accent is starting to chill.”
“So she said.” I shrugged.
“Look, man. It’s just all a bit sudden. One minute, you’re a suspect, the next, you’re mated to one of my best friends. I just need to know that you’ll look after her. Not hurt her, okay?”
“I could never hurt her. I would rather die.”
Cole gave me a cool, assessing look. “Okaaaay then.”
“You believe me?”
“Why wouldn’t I? I just needed to hear it. Oh, and warn you that if you break that promise, it’ll be you that should worry about losing your head.”
Deciding that was a fair comment—and really, I expected no less from him—I nodded.
“Have you decided what you’re going to do about your business back in the city?” He was trying for casual, but it didn’t fool me.
“We’ve talked about it. We’re thinking about forming a shifter division. Macey assures me there are plenty of shifters who would love the chance at a change of pace, and my company could certainly provide that.”
Interest sparked in Cole’s eyes.
I had been right; the man was restless, looking for a new challenge. “Maybe hit me up when this is all finished, and we can talk about you possibly taking charge of a team?”
“Team?”
Yes, definitely interested. He was practically salivating at the proposition. “My men don’t work alone, it’s too risky. Of course, we do the standard bodyguard stuff, just enough to satisfy the tax man, but we have a…shall we say…more specialized department for covert ops. That’s where the shifters would fit in, for the most part. Though they could take on the above board jobs as well, if they wanted a change of pace.”
“Sounds interesting, very interesting,” Cole murmured, and I could see he was already deep in thought, considering the idea.
Clapping him on the shoulder, I made my way back over to Macey.
“What was all that about?” she whispered when I gathered her back up and deposited her on my lap, where she belonged.
“Just guy stuff.”
There was that eyebrow again, arching up into her hairline.
“It’s sorted, we reached an agreement. No one loses their heads today.”
“Ah, that sort of guy stuff.”
The door burst open and Oliver strode into the room, breaking up the celebratory atmosphere.
All eyes turned to him as he surveyed the room, his face tight with anger.
His eyes paused on James, then continued until they connected with mine.
“Jacob talked?” I guessed, already knowing the answer.
“Cried like a baby.”
“Oliver!” Kara hissed from her place at James’ side.
Oliver winced. “Sorry. It slipped my mind that he’s your brother.”
“What? With them looking so different?” Sean drawled from his spot by the fireplace. He was swiftly elbowed by a feisty looking woman. Lisa? Not that I’d had chance to talk to her. Sean was a little…protective of his mate. Slight understatement, but I was starting to understand how he felt. Every time a man so much as looked at Macey, the room flashed purple.
Oliver seemed to be waiting for me to make the first move. “What did he say?” I was glad Jacob had broken quickly; it meant Oliver hadn’t had the chance to work on him for too long. Even though I had disowned him, my heart still twinged a little for the brother I had never known, and now, would never know.
“He gave us Bert’s location—”
“Any chance he’s lying?” James broke in, his face set in determined lines.
“No. Gary went crazy with him. He’s telling the truth. Trust me, I checked, just to make sure.”
I swallowed back the b
ile in my throat. I didn’t need to know how he’d checked. I’d take his word for it.
“Not only is the bastard running drugs, he’s kidnapping human women, too. Using them for breeding. Jacob spilled that he’s building a super pack, has been doing it for years.”
“With himself as the stud?” Disgust coated James’ voice.
“And others, Jacob being one of the main donors. Sorry Jason.”
I had nieces and nephews? It was as if I had been thrust underwater, the voices in the room indistinct and muffled. From no family to—?
“How many are Jacob’s?”
“And how many are my brothers and sisters?” Sean demanded.
“I don’t know. There are at least twenty children, all different ages, different fathers, and different mothers. It’s going to be hell trying to sort this out.” Oliver sank into a chair, clearly exhausted.
“But it is going to get sorted out,” Gregg said from the open doorway, his face white with anger. “And congratulations, Macey, Jason. I’m glad to see the power boost between you two has settled down. It’s going to be an exciting time in the Council when you two ascend.”
Macey stiffened in my lap. “You knew? What the hell is it, Dad?”
“It’s what happens when two Alphas have a bond, and at least one of those is going to be Council Member strength. Just the Mother of All leveling things out between the two of you.”
“But did you know?”
“I guessed. I hoped. Looks like Bert chose the wrong coyote to abuse and corrupt,” he muttered, in almost an afterthought.
I winced at the thought of what Jacob must have gone through, the life he must have led. If it had been me, would I have succumbed? Did the capacity for evil live in me, too?
Gregg cleared his throat, his blue eyes piercing and direct. “You are much stronger than your brother. More powerful, of course, but power isn’t everything. It’s what you do when faced with difficult choices that defines you, and you have already been tested enough in your life to know that you would not fail. My daughter loves you, as she is a very good judge of character. Remember that when you begin to doubt yourself.”
Macey squeezed my hand, undoubtedly feeling my uncertainty through the bond. I nodded at the older man. I could only hope he was right, though I trusted my mate to keep me on the straight and narrow should I ever wander off the path.