by Kym Grosso
On Friday nights, she’d go into Jackson Hole and have a few drinks with her human friends. She’d successfully steer clear of any interaction with supernaturals, her sister following suit. Rarely did a wolf come into her local watering hole. Preferring the company of other supernaturals, they attended clubs that catered to their unique requirements.
Every Saturday, she’d bake a different pastry, donating it to the local fire house. Shilan would deliver it because she couldn’t risk running into supernaturals. On Sunday, she volunteered at a local wolf sanctuary, strictly run by humans. Although she avoided tours, she fed the animals and spent time in the office, following up on cases in other states, fostering the transfer of abandoned animals into their care. In the evenings, she read romance novels, and watched episodes of travel shows, virtually exploring all the countries she’d read about but could never visit. But today and forever, her entire world had changed.
Mate. The word had once been deliberately banned from her vocabulary. It now pounded in her head like a bass drum. Ever since she’d shifted, her body burned with desire, the creature pacing, whispering to her mind. Alpha. Master. Mine. Claim him. Mark him.
She’d cringed at her jealous reaction to Jake’s friend. The ugly emotion had never had a place in her life until today. But her stomach rolled at the thought of him making love to another woman. Doubt crept into her mind as she considered that she couldn’t bear him children. Would his pack accept her? She’d never run with them, and their family culture was a far departure from her life of solitude. Would he grow to resent her? As insecurity wove itself into her confidence, her beast insisted she claim her Alpha. Its primal nature sought its rightful place with her mate.
Kai fought the urge to cry, taking a deep cleansing breath. She shook her head and stared into her palms, her skin crinkled like prunes. How long have I been in here? Where’s Jake? She wondered if he’d been held up by Quintus, and turned off the water. Reaching for a white fluffy towel, she wiped the moisture from her body. Her eyes went to the silver shopping bag, but she decided on the terry robe that hung on a red padded hanger on the back of the door. Slipping on the matching slippers, she exited the bathroom, still toweling her hair dry.
As she reached the bedroom door, Kai heard them talking, a female’s voice. The feminine laugh shot through her, striking a nerve. Kai’s heart pounded as she peeked around the corner, a rush of adrenaline shooting through her veins as she caught sight of a gorgeous blonde, resting her hand on Jake’s shoulder. She leaned into him, and Kai’s stomach clenched in anger.
“Who’s your friend?” Kai asked, interrupting their conversation.
“Hey, I’m sorry…um,” Jake’s eyes widened as she approached him, but his voice remained even as he continued, “this is Cassandra. She just…she just stopped by to make sure everything is okay.”
“Hello, my name is Dr. Beckett.” Kai pushed in front of Jake, extending her hand to the woman. She rarely used her formal title but sought to put as much distance between them as possible.
“Hello.” Cassandra smiled, her focus darting to Jake and back to Kai. “I hope everything is all right. Did you get the clothes? Jake told me you were a little smaller than me, so I guessed at your size.”
Kai’s eyes narrowed in on Cassandra as her rage flared. “He’ll soon know my exact size because we’ll be living together.” What the hell are you saying? Kai knew they hadn’t discussed it but what she said wasn’t a lie.
“Really?” Cassandra asked, giving a small laugh. “No, he didn’t tell me that. He was just out here a few months ago.”
“I can explain, you see Kai and I met…” Jake began.
“We’re mates,” Kai blurted out, her cheeks heated in both anger and embarrassment.
“You’re what?” Cassandra tilted her head, giving Jake a curious smile.
“We’re mates,” Jake said.
Although his claim soothed Kai’s heart, her beast roared as the blonde reached to hug him.
“Thank you for the clothes. It’s been a pleasure to meet you,” Kai lied, stepping in front of Jake, blocking Cassandra’s access to her Alpha. “I’m sure you’ll understand that we have a busy day tomorrow.”
“That we do, bella,” Quintus’ voice sounded behind her. “Tell me, is this the lovely Cassandra?”
“Yes, Quintus, meet Cass.” Jake introduced them but kept his eyes trained on Kai.
“A pleasure.” The vampire reached for her hand, brushing his lips over her skin. “No need to be nervous.”
Cassandra stepped backward, her smile fading. “I’m not nervous. I’m cautious.”
“As you should be in this city,” Quintus agreed. “Yet you have donors. Interesting.”
“They’re from an agency. I don’t hire them myself. My clientele is unique. To be honest, not many vampires frequent my hotel.”
“Ah…competition?” he asked.
“I gladly welcome it. There’re plenty of other establishments that cater to their needs.”
“May I ask how you know I’m a vampire?”
“Aside from Jake warning me, I’m aware of all blood orders that happen in this hotel. I make it my business. You never know when there might be an unfortunate…” her eyes flashed to Jake and back to Quintus, “accident.”
Kai nervously tugged at her belt. Awareness of her Alpha pricked, and she sensed his concern. Anger boiled under her skin as the human moved closer.
“I prefer to wait here until the donor arrives. I need to check her in. It’s protocol that the acting GM verifies her identification. We can’t have humans claiming they’ve been bitten without consent. I’m sure you understand.”
“As you wish…do stay and have breakfast with us,” the vampire suggested.
“I’m not hungry,” Kai stated as her beast raged. Any ounce of patience she’d clutched to slipped through her fingers. Reaching for Jake’s hand, she took it in hers. “I’m tired.”
“But the food…it should be here any minute,” Jake said.
“Cassandra and I will wait on it. This will give us the perfect opportunity to get to know each other better.” A devious smile bloomed on Quintus’ face as Cassandra’s expression flattened.
“I don’t know,” Jake said. “You sure you’ll be all right?”
“But of course we will, won’t we?” Quintus nodded.
“It’ll be here any minute, I’m sure that if you just…” Cassandra’s voice trailed off as Kai tugged at Jake’s arm.
“See, they’ll be fine. Let’s go. Now.” Kai glared at Jake; her beast would not wait. Nothing would get between her and her Alpha.
“Very good. Go, get some rest. I’ll let you know when it arrives.” Quintus opened the mini-fridge and triumphantly retrieved a bottle of champagne. “Ah… Cristal. This will do nicely, pet. What a lovely surprise.”
“But I don’t think I should…I’m working and…” Cassandra protested.
“Nonsense. As F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, ‘Too much of anything is bad, but too much champagne is just right’.”
“Jesus, Leo really is cut from the same cloth as you,” Jake replied.
“We are much alike but in many ways different. We are fond of quotes and our love of history if that’s what you are referring to.” Quintus made quick work of removing the foil and popped the cork. “Lovely.”
“I need you now,” Kai insisted, her tone terse. Her body tingled, her skin flickering in gold.
Jake glanced to her, and she detected the recognition in his eyes. The creature within demanded her mate. There was no other way. If she stayed one more second in the presence of the human, she’d shift and likely kill her.
“We’ll talk later, Cass.” Jake walked backwards, nodding to Quintus. “And you.”
“Me?” Quintus laughed.
“Behave. No incidents. Get blood and be done. I don’t want the donor in here any longer that we need to.”
“I’ve got this, wolf. I think your mate requires your attention, which wor
ks out perfectly,” he smiled at Cassandra, “because I’m quite busy right now.”
Kai glared at Cassandra one last time, dragging Jake into the bedroom. She slammed the door and tore off her robe, her feet rooted to the floor. A golden glow emanated from her skin as her beast attempted to surface, and she fought to retract the claws that surged through her fingertips.
“Hey, sweetheart, I like rough sex as much as the next guy but it’s a nope to shifting. Whatcha doin’?” Jake gave a concerned smile.
“I…Jake…I’m sorry, I just…” Kai took a deep breath, struggling to restrain the change.
“You can do this, Kai. We’re mates. I’m not claimed. I told you, Cass is just a friend, and it’s true. You know this.”
“No, Jake. I don’t know it.”
“What I know is that you’re learning how to shift. Sometimes we make it happen and other times when emotions take hold, our animal decides. Your beast protects you, is magical, but you command it.”
“No, I don’t…”
“You will learn to control it. You’re doing it now,” he interjected “I’m your Alpha.”
“You’re my master.” Kai glanced to her hands; the color had returned to a shade of pink, her claws retracting.
“I’m your Alpha. There’s a difference.”
“What’s that? You tell me what to do and I do it. I’m like a circus animal. I can’t even control myself when I shift.” Kai’s body remained on fire, her focus trained on Jake. He pulled his t-shirt over his head, exposing the tanned ridges of his abs.
“A master commands the beast as his servant. An Alpha? He commands his wolves because they choose to be led by him. He leads in the best interest of the pack. Together we are stronger as one.” Jake stalked toward her, one deliberate foot at a time. “You lack control, discipline, but you are no slave. You will learn like the wolves. You will embrace submission because you choose the pack over yourself.”
“What…what are you doing?” His sexy-as-fuck swagger brought a flutter to her heart. He licked his lips as if readying for a feast. Jake would drive her into submission, and she’d happily beg for release.
“You will choose to obey your Alpha as opposed to simply following orders out of fear. You will trust that the Alpha…that I will lead you and the pack. That in all that I do, I’ll take care of you.”
“Jake…” Kai lost her words as his strong lean figure towered over her. Her body tingled with sensual awareness. His broad chest, mere inches from her lips, emanated heat onto her skin. Claim him, her creature whispered. Her fangs itched to drop.
“You may not have been born pack but you will choose pack. You may not be wolf but my wolf is inside you,” he told her, his voice soft. Kai’s breath caught as his palm brushed her chest, resting over her heart. Her pussy ached for her mate. “Your creature, she knows that female out there would fuck me in a heartbeat, doesn’t she? Until you mark me, I’m free to others.”
“But I don’t know what I’m doing…” She lost focus as he tugged off his sweat shorts, and they fell to the ground. His spectacular cock sprang forward.
“We’re going to do this thing right now, Kai.”
“Jake…” His hand cupped her breast. Heat intensified between her legs as the soft pad of his finger teased her nipple.
“So tell me little one, what are you going to do?” Jake took his cock into his hands and dragged its thick crown through her wet slit, gliding it onto her stomach.
Kai moaned in response and her fiery eyes met his. She’d been baited and snapped at the hook, happily accepting the pain and pleasure she knew he’d bring.
“On the bed,” she demanded. Her voice quaked, revealing her inexperience.
“Come to me,” he ordered. Launching himself onto the mattress, he settled on his back, his eyes devouring her.
Kai slowly crawled up the bed, her long hair brushing over his skin. She heard herself growl as her lips brushed the smooth tip of his cock. Her tongue darted over its slit, tasting his salty essence. Control rippled through her as she teased him, hovering her lips over his skin. He groaned in pleasure but it was she who was the victim of her own seduction as she inhaled the masculine scent of her mate. No longer able to resist temptation, Kai parted her lips, taking him deep inside her mouth, then releasing him with an audible pop. She fisted his shaft with a firm hand, and cupped his velvety sac with the other. Lapping along the sides of his dick, she moaned, engrossed in bringing him pleasure. As Kai swallowed him down to his root, Jake lifted his hips, pressing himself up into her mouth. She sucked hard, stroking his shaft.
Kai released him with a smile, dragging her tongue along her wet lips. As he speared his fingers into her silky hair and tugged her head upward, the sweet pain pricked her scalp.
“You taste delicious,” she purred.
“I’m hungry,” he growled in return, his heated gaze locked on hers.
Kai didn’t resist as he brought her toward him. She pressed up onto her knees, straddling his torso. Releasing her hair, he gripped her waist, lifting her onto his chest. Her mound hovered over his chin, and she fell forward, clutching the leather headboard.
“This.” Jake blew onto her mound, and speared his tongue through her wet folds.
“Oh Goddess,” Kai breathed. Her pussy wept in arousal as he pressed his lips to her soft skin.
“Don’t ever doubt me, Kai,” Jake told her. The tip of his tongue flicked over her clit.
“I…I won’t…oh Jesus, Jake,” she cried aloud as he brought her pussy down onto his face.
Her head lolled forward onto the headboard. Her eyes met his as he feasted on her, licking and sucking her flesh. She rocked onto his mouth, his tongue flattening as he dragged it over her swollen bead. As Jake fucked her pussy, his lips devoured his prize. His tongue pierced deep inside her channel, teasing her sensitive strip of nerves.
“I…oh yes, yes, yes…ah…” Kai sucked a breath, her orgasm teetering.
“Fucking come for me baby,” Jake mumbled into her pussy.
As his tongue flattened over her swollen bud, Kai screamed his name, writhing on his face. Her climax rocked through her, and she panted, quivers of ecstasy twisting through her body.
Jake’s hands moved to her waist, lifting her upward. She released the headboard, and clutched his shoulders. Feral, her mouth crushed onto his, tasting herself on his lips. His tongue swept into her mouth claiming her. Lost in his devastating kiss, she moaned as his dick probed her entrance. His broad crown glided over her clit, and her pussy flooded in arousal.
“Ah Goddess, please, yes,” Kai grunted, impaling herself onto his thick cock, her channel stretching to accommodate him.
“Fuck yeah,” Jake spoke into her mouth, their lips locked together.
As he pumped inside her, Kai reveled in the sensation, physically and emotionally connected to her mate. His strong lips made love to hers, his tongue dancing into her mouth. With a slow deliberate movement of her hips, she rocked against him, seeking friction.
Jake’s lips tore from hers, and he kissed along her jawline and down her neck. His mouth went to her breast, and he captured a taut peak, sucking it gently. The tip of his tongue feathered her nipple, tantalizing the delicate flesh.
Kai panted as he bit her pink bud, the twinge rippling through her, jolting to her pussy. She gyrated her hips, grinding her clit onto his pelvis. His tongue lapped her breast, sucking and teasing her sensitive tip. Kai released her energy, a golden hue emanating off her skin. With his mouth at her breast, his thick cock filling her, stroking in and out, her hips thrusted in a sensual rhythm. Her orgasm building, her breath shifted to ragged gasps.
She cried out loud as his fangs bore down onto her sensitive skin. Her Alpha tamed the beast inside, all the while driving her wild with passion. Writhing onto him, her climax slammed into her. Kai screamed, convulsing in pleasure.
The primal instinct urging her to claim him would not be denied. This man was hers…belonged to her forever. Mark him, her
beast roared.
Kai rocked in tandem with him as his rigid flesh speared inside her quivering pussy. The scent of her mate, the delicious aroma of sex infiltrated her senses and her mouth went to his neck. Her tongue darted over his muscled shoulder, tasting, probing.
“My little pixiu,” he moaned.
This dominant male belonged to her and no one else. She’d never be alone again.
“My Alpha,” she whispered in his ear, her breath ragged.
Kai pressed her lips to his skin and struck, her teeth clamping down onto his neck. She held tight as he bucked beneath her. As if lightning had struck her, she jolted in awareness, the electric energy of her Alpha coursing through her body. Their powers wove together like a matrix forming. In her mind’s eye, his wolf rushed toward her, howling in victory. Her beast bowed in submission to her Alpha. The intensity of the connection exploded, and ecstasy rocked through her, flinging her over the edge. Releasing him, she lapped at her Alpha’s sensitive skin.
Kai startled at his growl, and he rolled her over onto her back, pinning her arms to the bed. She flared in arousal as his fiery eyes met hers. With slow deliberate thrusts, he slammed inside her.
“Kai,” he grunted, his lips smashing onto hers.
As he made love to her, she relaxed into her submission. His strong lips took hers, owning her. He increased his pace, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He plunged inside her heated core, her pussy fisting his cock.
He gave a final hard thrust, groaning into her mouth. Kai cried into their kiss, seized by the rush of the intense sensation. Sensual waves rippled through her entire body, and her channel convulsed around him. As the sweet rapture speared through her, emotion flooded her chest.
Mine. My mate. My Alpha.
Kai smiled, embraced by Jake’s strong arms. Skin to skin, they clung to each other in silence. For the first time in her life, she truly was no longer alone. She closed her eyes, forgetting the imminent danger. If but for a few short hours, no one existed in the world but them.