Reluctant Alpha (9 page)

He flipped her over onto her back, pulled her hands above her head with his hands, and trapped her body at her hips beneath his, this only because he was stronger physically and he outweighed her by nearly fifty pounds.

“
Stop this right now. Damn it, Alastriona, you’re going to hurt yourself if you don’t stop.” She continued to struggle against this hold until he leaned down and bit gently into her shoulder.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

It was a wolf’s submissiveness move, the neck being the most vulnerable part of the body besides the belly. Biting this way showed her he was the aggressor and she needed to submit to him or he’d bite her harder until she did. She stilled immediately; her entire body became stiff.

Bradley had an overwhelming need to taste her, the conversation he’d had with Aaron forgotten, and his claim that he was never mating again gone from his memory.

He licked his tongue across the skin that was caught between his teeth and moaned. He released the holding bite, moved his mouth along her bare shoulder, and nuzzled his mouth against the point of her neck that met the shoulder. He kissed the warm, silky skin and nipped at the pulse beating there. Need, his need to mate, dominated his thought process completely.

He felt her move beneath him, her fingers gripping his hand. Moving his mouth lower, he followed the vein along her throat, then he stopped at the base of her neck. Her own moan vibrated along her throat against his mouth. He ran his hands down her arms, caressing them as he went. His tongue licked the area there, taking more of her taste into his mouth. His body leaned closer to her and his legs tightened around her as he gently covered her with his length. He ran his tongue up the length of her neck, moving along her hot blood as he went.

When his mouth met her jaw, he moved up and gently swept his mouth against hers, brushing his lips across the fullness of hers, the heat. Once, then again, breathing her in as he went back and forth until he felt her respond to him. He nipped at her bottom lip and suckled it into his mouth, pulling more of her flavor in. He pulled back an inch and looked into her eyes, waiting for her to look back at him.

When their eyes met, Bradley slowly moved the last inch to her mouth and rocked against her core with his cock. Moving his right hand down her ribs, he slipped it beneath her, spreading his hand wide, pressing her to him. His left hand moved to her head, angling her head, and held her to him as he kissed her. His mouth covered hers as he rolled over and brought her body over his, cradling her between his legs.

He moved his hands down her ribs and cupped her ass, pulling her tight against his hard cock. Moaning deep, he reached further, never breaking contact with the sweetness of her mouth, and grasped her thighs. Tugging her up and widening her legs, he settled them along his own hips this time. When she moved against him on her own, began riding him, he sat up, bringing her with him; they were chest to chest now.

Grasping her hips, he moved her faster and harder against him. He slipped his hand to the hem of her shirt, pulled it up over her head, and tossed it aside. He felt her fingers move along the buttons of his shirt as he cupped her breast, still covered in the scrap of material of her bra. Pressing them together, he ran his thumb over the stiff peaks of her nipples as she ran her fingers through the hair on his chest.

“
Alastriona, baby. I want to suckle; I need to suckle your breast in my mouth.” His voice had deepened; he felt that as much has he heard it.

“
Yes…I, please. Please, Bradley.” She gripped his shoulders and lifting one leg up then the other, she wrapped them around his hips, anchoring her ankles at his back, and began riding him harder, tighter with his help.

Bradley pushed her breast up until it spilled out of the bra and bounced slightly. Her nipple was pink and tight. As much as he wanted to savor the sight, need pushed him forward and he took her into his mouth and suckled. Sucked hard and firmly, pulling the tight nub in as deeply as he could. When he scraped his teeth gently over the swollen peak, he drew a tiny drop of blood. As he licked the tiny wound, tasting her, Alastriona tossed back her head and came apart, screaming her sudden release.

He held her to him as she began to settle, his body screaming for its own release, but not here, he thought, not on the kitchen floor. He wasn’t going to take his mate for the first time on the floor. Because after his first taste of her skin, the first lick across her warmth, he knew he’d found his true mate. Before he could lift her up and take her to her bed, he heard someone pounding at the front door.

Aaron. He’d completely forgotten about his friend. Then he remembered the man on the phone. Her life was in danger and here he was acting like they hadn’t a care in the world, like a randy pup. Some mate he’d turn out to be if someone took her before he could claim her. He gently pulled her away from him and stood, reaching down to help her up as well. She heard the doorbell now, pealing along with the pounding, and stood as well. Her knees must have been a little wobbly because she leaned heavily back against the counter for support.

“
It’s my friend Aaron; I asked…he’s here to help me get you home. Hummm, I…I’ll go let him in.” She was breathing hard; her breasts still cupped above the bra were heaving enticingly so. He backed up two steps and before he could pull her to him again, he turned and went to the front of the house.

“
Someone is coming. Hurry, we need to get out of here now,” Aaron said as he opened her door.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Alastriona stood in the kitchen and listened to the men in the other room. She could hear them as if they were standing next to her. They couldn’t make her go anywhere, she thought, not if she didn’t want to. She didn’t care who was coming.

After putting her clothes back in order, she reached into the refrigerator and pulled out the jug of iced tea. The ice machine in here was always full, so after filling a glass with the icy chunks, she poured herself some and sat down at the kitchen table. What had she done?

Before she left for the gallery opening, she had made a call to a local cleaning service and had set up someone to come in three times a week. She told them that she wanted them to send someone who would cook a few meals, nothing fancy, so that she could eat something besides toaster tarts and plain pasta. In the week since she had started working for her, Maggie was doing a great job. The tea was a nice bonus too.

As soon as she settled down, she began to think again. She had just almost had sex with a wolf. An alpha wolf, if he hadn’t lied to her at the showing. Right here in her kitchen, on the flipping floor no less. She looked over where they had been and thought of his mouth on hers and how hard he had been between her legs, how good it had felt. She could still feel his length pressing into her softness, the way his mouth felt…she slammed the lid down on that train of thought. This was getting her nowhere, damn it.

She wasn’t going to blame him; she had wanted him as much as she thought he did her. She’d never had sex before, never wanting to waste her time on what she thought to be a ridiculous pastime. But deep down, she knew that it may have been with anyone else, which because it was him, it had been so…fuck! Mind, stay focused, she groused.

She looked up at her problem leaning against the door jamb leading from the living room, grinning like an idiot.

“
Have you worked it all out yet?”

He was laughing at her, she realized, and she wasn’t sure why, but it pissed her off. “Worked out what? And I don’t know who you think you are, or that guy at the door, but I’m staying here. This is my house, and I’m not going anywhere with any of you people.” She folded her arms over her chest and glared at him.

“
You seemed to be trying to work out the problems of the world when I walked in. It was kinda cute, really. And about him, could you come in here and ask him in? He can’t cross your threshold without your permission.” She sat there for all of five seconds and stood to go into the front.

“
What are you, some sort of vampire or something? You need my permission to gain entrance to…whatever, you’re not welcome. Go away, both of you, go away.” She looked at the man standing just outside her door. He was one of the men from the gallery, and up close he was more gorgeous and sexy-looking. Not as good-looking as the wolf, but really nice, she decided.

“
Yes. Yes, I am a vampire, Airic. Will you let me in, please? You’re in trouble here, and Bradley has asked me to help.”

She realized in that moment that he was, he really was a vampire, and he wanted in her home. There was a vibe about him, strength and power, not just because of his size, but something else, something she could taste about him.

“
Why? I mean, I’m not going to let you bite me, unless of course it’s to drain me. You can do that, right? Drain a person to death? I think we could work out something. I...yes, that would work out for both of us. I let you in, you kill me. Fair trade, I think.” It would be all right, she guessed. She’d read books, smut books actually, that said a vampire’s bite was very sexual, erotic. Maybe if she had another orgasm like the one in the kitchen with fur ball, she could die a happy woman.

“
He’s not going to kill you, no one is. Not as long as I’m alive. Ask him in, Alastriona. We have to get you going to the pack house.” He moved to stand just in front of her, as if to protect her from the vamp, she thought.

“
I believe I’ve told you this before, Alpha King, or whatever you are, I’m not going anywhere. So if you’ll just give me my bullet thingies, I’ll tuck my gun in the back of my pants and make this the Alamo. Mr. Aaron, sorry you had to waste your time, but I’m not…” She felt the touch at her elbow seconds before she weakened, her body going limp. Turning as she fell into Bradley’s arms, she saw the woman. “I didn’t give you…” It was too much effort to form words, but she knew the pretty woman got it.

“
I don’t need permission like he does. I’m sorry about this, but you’re much stronger than I thought. Sleep now, Alastriona Airic Bennett, sleep.”

Her eyes got heavy, and then she felt herself slip away.

TWENTY-ONE

“
She’s not here, my lord. We cannot go into the residence, as someone has put a ward around it. I can sense a bit of magic, but not much, at least not surrounding the house. What would you like for us to do now?” Peter asked him.

Christopher Felix Alastair, alpha wolf, leaned back in his seat. He had told her not to leave, forbidden it as a matter of fact. She would need to learn who her master was, and he would enjoy showing her, once he found the bitch.

“
Set six wolves to patrol the area and have them notify me as soon as she comes home. Please make sure they know not to touch her or I will kill them slowly, very slowly.” He sounded bored, but inside, he was seething. He knew her disappearance had something to do with the man on the phone. He had told those fools in Europe to kill the males in her family, and they had obviously missed this one. Heads would roll for this, literally.
No matter,
he thought,
I will enjoy taking care of that one myself.

“
My lord, the alpha in this territory, he will know that we are here. Should I contact him and let him know why we are here?” Christopher turned slowly and looked at his man.

“
Do you presume to tell me my business, Peter? I certainly hope not; that would be most unwise of you. It would be a shame to lose one with such caliber as yours this late in the game. Death for one such as yourself would be…sad, don’t you think? And your own poor mate…what would become of her?” He watched as Peter paled at the reminder that he wasn’t the only one beholden to him.

“
No, my lord. I’m sorry, my lord. I’ll make sure the patrols are set up and they know your wishes. All will be as you wish.” Peter bowed again and backed away, still bent at the waist.

“
Oh, Peter. I just realized that we should contact the alpha in this territory and let him know that we have a runaway wolf. Please contact him for me and let him know that we will take care of the dangerous wolf with care, the dangerous male wolf. Run along now, you have plenty to keep yourself busy.” Peter moved away without another word.

He had hoped that Peter would make a fuss, any noise to indicate that he was displeased with him, but he hadn’t. He loved pushing the man to his limits. The last time had been so much fun, but he’d have to be more careful next time. Punishing his mate to near death had been a mistake, a fun one, but a mistake all the same. And Christopher hated making mistakes.

He thought about the woman, the alpha bitch he had created. She was just what he needed. He had watched her and her family for days before he’d made his decision. He had thought to take the littler one of the two, but didn’t like the way she kept walking behind the fatter one. That would not do for an alpha bitch, his alpha bitch, to walk behind anyone.

The fat one, Airic he had learned later, would suit better. He would never worry about her leaving him, he thought. She would be grateful that someone like him had taken the time to change her into something better and keep her. If she proved not suitable for his purposes, then he would simply kill her as he had the others. He wanted a son, lots of sons as a matter of fact, and the foolish women would not breed him one no matter how hard he had tried.

Christopher had the driver take him to the nearest open area. He needed a run, a hard run and maybe a kill. Oh yes, he thought, a nice kill would make me feel so much better.