by Alisa Woods
Love.
Even as her body was completely owned by the pleasure he was thrusting inside her, Olivia’s heart soared, connecting with him, belonging to him. In a moment of ecstasy-fueled delirium, she could see that first touch, that first time his lips touched her skin and the electric feel of them… that was the moment when she truly became his. All the rest was just discovering that truth. And now, at the height of her pleasure, she was fully and completely aware of that fact.
Jaxson River was the only man who would ever be this to her.
When she started to come down, and awareness of the world faded back, she realized Jaxson was still slowly moving in and out of her. Still rock-hard. She opened her eyes and scanned his face.
It was lit with joy. “Dammit woman, you are so beautiful.” He slid out of her, and she immediately missed the fullness. And the sense of connection. He gathered her hands in his and pulled her up to sitting. “Come with me,” he said, and she nodded.
She would go anywhere with this man.
Watching Olivia come as Jaxson pounded his cock into her was practically a religious experience. Her gorgeous curves, the look on her face, the extreme pleasure of her pulsing around him—it was all so intense, he could barely keep from coming himself. And the electric feel of every part of her, every time he touched her, no matter where, no matter how… it was like the universe was connecting through them, binding them together.
He wanted to draw all of this out as long as possible.
Jaxson eased her off the desk. She blinked—a lot—and he couldn’t contain his smile at pleasuring her so thoroughly that it left her obviously light-headed. And he wanted to do so much more.
“Come sit in the chair with me,” he said with a grin. He reached back to pull the wide leather chair underneath him. Then he guided her toward him, drawing her knees up, one at a time until she was straddling him on the chair. He edged forward, positioning his cock right at her entrance, then slowly eased her down on him, burying himself inside her once again.
He groaned. This. This was where he wanted to be. Always.
Her eyes were wide, but she quickly got the idea. She grasped the back of the chair, angled him deeper, and rode him like a champion—slowly at first, then edging faster, bit by bit.
Holy fuck. He wanted to watch her sweet body swallow him whole, but that was going to push him over the edge even faster. He closed his eyes, leaned his head back, and groaned through the pleasure.
“Are you okay?” She was breathless and concerned, her fingertips gently touching his face. He opened his eyes. Her flushed-pink, puckered-nipple body was riding him like the rise and fall of a decadent merry-go-round—only he got to be a very lucky horse.
“Am I okay?” He gasped in between the words. “A goddess is riding me… so no, I think I might actually die in this moment. Die a very happy man.”
She smiled, and it made her even more beautiful. Then, in the middle of driving him insane, she trailed her fingers across his chest, and asked, “What does it mean?”
She meant his tat—omni tempore. “It’s from the SEALs. All in, all the time.” He smirked and thrust up to meet her on the downward stroke, driving his cock even deeper inside her… which just made him suck in a breath as it forced a gasp from her. “Not quite what my CO meant at the time.”
Her smile grew even wider. He wanted to stay all in, all the time with her—wanted to give her everything he had to give—but that grin of hers was too much. He needed to touch her, pound into her, and banish that smile with more screams of pleasure. He lifted the heavy globe of her silken breast with one hand, and pressed the other to her sex, slick between them. Every touch sparked with that special something that he’d only ever experienced with her. He worked that for everything it was worth, giving her as much as he was getting. She started to pump faster, but oh God… that would make him come, and he couldn’t have that. Not yet. This was too much perfection, too much of everything he’d ever wanted—all the connection he never thought he would have outside a true mating—and he wanted to stretch it out as long as it could possibly go.
He flicked his thumb faster over her nub. She gasped and bucked against him, her delicate fingers digging into his shoulders. She shuddered, perking her nipple in his hand… and then she came undone around him, squeezing his cock with her orgasm in a way that nearly drove him to the edge. Before she was even finished, he had to lift her off, or that would end it right there.
He gently placed her on her feet and held her up because she didn’t quite have her legs yet. His voice was hoarse with need for her. He whispered into her hair, “I want to bend you over my desk and take you from behind. Please, God, say yes.”
She didn’t answer, just twisted out of his arms and prostrated herself on his desk, sending her phone and keys crashing to the floor. She was offering her gorgeous body to him, exposed and waiting, looking over her shoulder with a half-lidded look of pure desire.
He grabbed her hips and slammed into her, just as he’d dreamed of doing since he first laid eyes on her. Her muffled cry sent even more satisfaction coursing through him, and he kept thrusting, slamming harder, losing his mind in this moment. His mouth watered, and his fangs came out. His wolf howled in triumph and growled in his need to claim her. He wanted to make her his forever. This was how it should be—her giving herself over to him so freely, him taking her higher than she’d ever gone, him claiming her with his bite and his love.
His love.
Goddammit. He was so in love with this woman. Not being able to claim her—never being able to have her, not like that, not bound magically—hurt like nothing he’d ever known. He pushed that aside and picked up his pace, finally allowing himself to rush toward that climax he prayed wouldn’t be the end—the end of this hasty tryst; the end of her giving herself wholly and freely to him. He prayed when he told her the truth, that he could still keep her, even if she wasn’t the mate his wolf dreamed of and howled for.
Olivia screamed his name as she came, and that tripped him over the edge with her. Pleasure coursed through him and chased away the worry, just for a single, glorious moment that stretched and stretched. He kept rocking into her until the last waves of her orgasm had subsided. Then he drew her up into his arms and folded her into his lap on the chair again. He kissed all over her beautiful face.
“Olivia, Olivia.” He said her name over and over, hoping that would press upon her the depth of his feelings. Such a short time since she had come into his life, and already she had completely upended it. Laid bare how empty it was. How much he had let the curse ruin living for him.
The curse.
It was time to tell her the truth.
Her breathing was still ragged, as was his, but he didn’t want to wait any longer.
“Olivia.” He stroked her cheek and lifted her chin so she would look up at him and not just snuggle into his chest. Although that feeling of completeness—of connection—was exactly what he hoped they would continue to have. Forever. If she would let him.
“Yes?” She peered up into his eyes, a smile glowing on her face, and he couldn’t resist kissing her once more, just lightly.
“I need to tell you something.”
Her eyes went slightly wide, then she dropped her gaze to his chest again. “Okay,” she said, but there was a new tremor in her voice that he didn’t care for at all.
He frowned and adjusted her in his lap so he could see her face. “I have a secret I’ve been keeping from you.”
This made her face draw down, like she was afraid to hear it. That stabbed into him, but she didn’t say anything more.
He stroked her cheek again. “Don’t take it personally. I’ve been keeping this secret from everyone for a long time.” He couldn’t help a sardonic smile at how true that was.
That seemed to banish some of the fear in her eyes. “Then why are you telling it to me?”
His smile grew. “Because it affects you. Because you’re part of it? Because there’s
something about you that made me realize that keeping this secret even one more day was stopping me from actually living my life.”
That perked her interest considerably. She looked at him with something like wonder and gently touched her beautiful fingers to his face. “Whatever your secrets are, Jaxson River, I promise to keep them.”
“That’s just it.” His smile dimmed a little. “I don’t want to keep it anymore.” He drew in a deep breath and let the words just tumble out. “I’ve been cursed, Olivia. A long time ago, when I was barely old enough to drive, a witch laid a curse on me that would forever change my life.”
She drew back, horror on her face. “A witch?”
“I told you they sometimes went after female shifters, right?”
Olivia nodded, but the horror-stricken look on her face just grew.
“Well, this one wanted my heart as well—or at least my body, as a slave to hers. I found out later that it’s much more common than I knew.”
“I don’t understand,” Olivia said, but her face had lost color, and her body was tensed up into a tight ball. “She wanted you for a slave?”
Jaxson hated seeing the tension rivet her body, so he rushed through the rest of the explanation. “She wanted me for sex. It’s a thing with some female witches, I don’t know why, but they’re attracted to male shifters and want to turn them into sexual slaves. The witch’s magic is powerful enough to make it possible. Typically, the wolf doesn’t survive. She uses him for sex until she’s bored, then she bleeds him of his magic-filled blood. It’s a degrading and horrible way to die.” He took a breath, but pressed on. The look on Olivia’s face was becoming more horrified by the moment. “Anyway, I was young and stupid, and I didn’t know I was playing with fire. I slept with her a few times because… I couldn’t help myself. I was a horny young wolf and witches are preternaturally hot—their beauty spells are unbelievable. Anyway, when she said she wanted to keep me—as in keep me for a sex toy—I finally wised up and told her no. Only, by that point, I think she was in love with me. Or something. Maybe she just really didn’t like her pet talking back.” He paused. “She said I was too pretty to kill, so she cursed me instead. The spell poisoned the magic in my blood. If I ever take a mate, if I ever complete the mating ritual with a bite that transfers my magic to the woman I love… she’ll die.”
He had hoped the horror would fade once Olivia realized what that meant—that he could never have a mate and that all of this search for a shifter female was just a ruse—but the look of revulsion just solidified into a deep sadness.
“That’s horrible,” she said quietly, staring at his chest. “How could someone do that to a another person?”
“I told you before: witches aren’t normal people. They’re basically evil walking around on sexy-hot legs.”
Olivia looked up at that, but her lips were trembling. “Are they all that way?”
He frowned. “All the ones I’ve met. Or heard of.” It was an odd question, though—and not the one he expected. “But don’t you see? This means I can’t have a mate. I’m never going to be with another shifter, no matter how much my inner wolf wants that to happen.”
“Jaxson, I’m… I’m sorry.” Her voice was so laden with heartbreak, he could hardly stand it.
He pulled her closer into his arms. “It not your fault, sweet, sweet Olivia,” he whispered into her hair. Then he pulled back and smiled, trying to lift her out of this despair she seemed to have fallen into. “And I’m finally realizing that, even if I can’t have a mate, maybe I can still have something just as precious.”
His smile wasn’t having any effect on her.
“Why haven’t you told anyone about this?” she asked. “I mean, it’s not your fault you can’t have a mate. People should understand.”
His smile faded. “Sure. They’ll understand. They’ll see immediately that I’m an alpha who can never take a mate. And an alpha without a mate is one who can’t have pups. Can’t carry on the line of the pack. And that’s an alpha who can’t lead.”
“Can’t lead?” Olivia scrunched up her nose. “Why? You’re this amazing, brave, selfless man. Why would they care if you have a mate or not?”
The tension in Jaxson’s shoulders released. Damn, he loved this woman. She saw straight to the heart of things and wasn’t afraid to speak it.
“I know,” he said softly. “But it’s how the pack operates. The mating ritual isn’t just taking a wife—it’s a magical bond that literally makes the alpha stronger. And the pack is stronger for it, too. If I can’t fulfill that role, I should step aside and let someone else do it. The only problem has been…”
Her eyes widened with understanding. “Jared. He can’t take a mate either.”
“Right.” Jaxson shrugged. “He has a good reason, but the fact remains just the same.”
“What about Jace?” Her eyes were alive with hope now.
Jaxson sucked in a breath. “Jace has his own issue. One that… well, let’s just say it would be extremely difficult for him to take a mate. And Jace would never risk it. Never. And I can’t blame him there.” He shrugged. “Three brothers, and not one of us able to deliver the goods.”
Olivia’s frown was back, and her gaze dropped to her hands, which were wringing each other. “This is why everyone wants you to take a mate.” She looked up at him. “Because they don’t know about the curse. And you’re the only brother who can.”
“Right.” He gave her a soft smile. “And as soon as they know, the Riverwise pack is going to fall apart. I might be able to hold them together for a little while, but it will be a terrible blow. And with the disappearances happening, we can’t afford that. Plus we need to keep our alliances with the other packs strong so we can stop whoever is taking the shifters. Especially now that they’re targeting our packs directly.”
She nodded. “You need to keep this under wraps. Until that can be handled, at least.”
His smile brightened. “Exactly.” He ran a finger along her lips. “And once that’s settled, once we’ve figured out who’s threatening us and dispensed with them, then the danger will be past. And I’ll be free to tell the truth.” He paused, then took the leap. “I’ll be free to be with you.”
Her eyes went wide. “But I’m human.”
He moved his finger to tracing a line along her cheek, up to tuck a stray piece of hair, set loose by their love-making, behind her ear. “That doesn’t matter to me. I want to be with you, Olivia.”
But instead of embracing him or at least smiling, her frown came back, and she scrambled out of his lap. “You’re an amazing, wonderful man, Jaxson,” she said, trembling as she stood before him, naked and standing tall. “But I can’t be with you. Not like that.”
He frowned and a stabbing pain ran through his chest. He quickly rose up from the chair to stand with her. “I don’t understand. I thought…” He glanced at the desk. Hadn’t they just made love? Was he imagining the beautiful connection between them with every touch? “I thought you wanted this.”
Her face scrunched up and tears glassed her eyes. “I… I…” She was grasping for words, and he couldn’t help—he was completely confused.
He took her trembling shoulders in his hands. “What is it? What’s wrong?” He searched her face, but all he saw was fear and pain and… grief. He didn’t understand it at all.
She sucked in a deep breath and pulled out of his grasp. She was still trembling. “This was… having sex with you was… very nice. But I can’t be with you, Jaxson. I’m in love with someone else.”
“What?” His mouth hung open.
She just ducked her head and scrambled to gather up her clothes. Some of them were in tatters, but she managed to shove on her skirt and pull her blouse closed with a button or two.
He gaped at her. This was all unraveling, and he didn’t understand any of it. “Who are you in love with?” he managed to get out. He was still standing naked in the middle of her office and watching her hurry around to pick up
her things.
“It’s no one you know.” Then she looked like she was going to run straight out the door.
He rushed over to beat her to it, holding it closed. “Olivia… what are you talking about? I thought… I didn’t think there was anyone else in your life.”
Tears were running down her face, but her face twisted in anger. Anger that she threw at him. “There’s not. Not really. And there never will be for me, just like with you. Only my problem isn’t magical at all, just stupid, stupid human love. I fell for a man who can never be mine.”
“I don’t understand.” Truer words had never been spoken. Jaxson’s entire body deflated with the misery of this.
“He’s married, okay?” she shouted. “He’s a millionaire with the perfect life and a wife he’ll never give up for me. I’ll never be more than an occasional fling for him, but I can’t help loving him anyway. There! Are you happy? You know my secret. Now let me go!” She gestured angrily at the door, tears gushing down her cheeks as she demanded that he let her run away half-dressed and bawling.
He stepped aside, mouth still hanging open.
She tore open the door and fled the office.
He just stood and watched her go.
Her bare feet pounded the carpet as she ran... and his heart shattered more with each step.
Lies. All of it complete lies.
Olivia had no idea where she conjured this whopper about being in love with a married man—it just spilled from her mouth as her mind was spinning with all the truths Jaxson was telling her. He was cursed. By a witch. Some vile vixen wanted his body and cursed his heart when she couldn’t have it.
If Jaxson discovered Olivia was part witch, he wouldn’t simply gape at her, bewildered, like when she left him in her office less than a minute ago. He would hate her. And rightly so… because her kind had ruined his life. And the curse of one witch might take down all of Riverwise, too. Not to mention endanger all the shifters who were being kidnapped. Who would rescue them, if Jaxson’s pack was crippled? They needed a leader they could believe in, not one who was weakened by the fact that he couldn’t take a mate.