Denying the Alpha Read online

  She pursed her lips.

  “And to drink?”

  “Another beer will be great. Thank you, Kara.”

  Giving him a brief nod, she swept around and marched back to the kitchen. Frustration gnawed at her insides, mingling with unspent desire and her owl’s restless mating call. How much longer could she take this? Kara hung her head. She needed a few hours to herself so she could think and reevaluate. She wouldn’t give up France, but perhaps they could come up with an alternative. Anything to keep the intensity of her emotions at bay.

  Somehow, she managed to serve Kit and continue about her work regardless of his scrutiny. Midnight was fast approaching when the heat of his gaze vanished. Unable to stop herself, she looked toward where he’d been sitting. His chair was empty. She grabbed her apron, wringing it in her hands to hide their sudden quaking.

  “Hey, Gile, where’d the guy sitting at that table go?” she asked the bartender.

  “The hottie with the Mohawk?”

  Kara nodded.

  “He headed to the back with Lee.”

  “Oh.”

  She let out a breath she hadn’t been aware of holding. What was wrong with her? She wanted to stay away but as soon as he actually left, she panicked. Stupid owl. She chewed on the inside of her cheek. She had to put a stop to all this.

  “Focus, Kara.”

  Forcing herself to move, she cleaned up his dishes and continued her shift. She was in the kitchen when Lee walked in.

  “Kara, are you staying tonight?” her boss asked her.

  “Yes,” she replied. Because home meant memories of their time together. Surreptitiously, she tried to look behind her boss.

  “If you’re looking for Kit, he’s left,” Lee said.

  “No, I wasn’t looking for him, just making sure all the tables are clean.”

  Lee smirked but didn’t comment.

  Kara sagged against the wall. Who was she fooling?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Turning off the light in the dining hall, Kara made her way to Lee’s office. Light filtered through the crack in the doorway. Her owl swooped and her heart hammered fast. He was here. Slowly, she opened the door.

  “Hi, little owl.”

  She dragged in a breath at the sight of Kit. He sat behind Lee’s desk, bare feet propped up and biceps glistening beneath the white glow of the lamps. He placed his hands behind his head, throwing more muscles into display. Her pussy moistened. Would this ever stop?

  “What are you doing here?” she whispered. “And why are you shirtless?”

  “I was waiting for you and I went flying. I needed to think.”

  “About what?”

  “Us,” he said.

  “Didn’t I tell you I wanted nothing to do with you? To leave me alone.”

  “You did, but you’re a poor liar and I’m stubborn. A lethal combination.”

  “I wasn’t lying.”

  “Perhaps not at first, but you are now.”

  Kara swallowed. Was she that transparent?

  Kit smiled smugly. “In any case, you said you needed to study and you couldn’t think when you’re horny, so I want to help you.”

  “How’s that? By bringing me to the brink and leaving me strung?”

  Kit smirked.

  “No, not anymore, my little owl. I’ve realized how important your studies are for you and I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I stood in the way of your dreams.”

  She narrowed her eyes.

  “What do you get out of this?”

  “Your happiness.”

  “That’s it?”

  Kit chuckled. “I’m hoping you’ll accept our mating by the time I’m done with you.” He grinned confidently.

  “And if I’m not?”

  “Then I’ll help you this week and leave.”

  “Help me this week?” she echoed.

  “You really do think this will just go away after we have sex.” He put his feet on the ground and leaned over the table, clapping his hands together. “This isn’t transitory, Kara. You’ll cool down after we fuck, but for a whole week? And without mating?” His lips quirked. “Our birds are desperate to be with each other. This is just to appease them, a placebo of sorts.”

  Kara swallowed. Under normal circumstances, she would have refused but she couldn’t. She wanted Kit. Every inch of her body craved his touch until she couldn’t think. Besides, he was giving her what she wanted. Sex and the possibility to move on after her exams. Slowly, she nodded.

  “You’ve got a deal,” she said.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kit smiled. The tension in his body dissipated, replaced with a boundless desire. His mate had said yes. His eagle soared, ecstatic, and he felt the familiar tug before shifting.

  Easy.

  She’d said yes to sex and yes to keeping him close for a week, but she hadn’t accepted their mating yet. He stood up and offered her his hand.

  No matter. That would come soon enough.

  She slid her hand into his bigger palm, and he tugged her into his arms, bending her backward so he could devour her mouth. She didn’t resist, arching against him with a moan that had his already hard dick turning into stone.

  “Next time, I’ll take things more slowly,” he murmured, nuzzling her ear while slipping his hands under her shirt and bra. “Now, I just want to be inside you.”

  “Yes.”

  Untangling herself from his arms, she made quick work of her clothes. Kit’s breath caught.

  “Let me see how wet you are,” he said. Running his fingertips across her thigh, he coaxed her legs open and cupped her pussy. “You’re already soaked.”

  “You’ve made sure to keep me hot and bothered all night,” she said. “I could feel your gaze.” She placed her palms on his chest, flexing her fingers across his pecs. Pleasure raced across him. His mate was touching him, caressing him intimately.

  “I watched you and imagined this,” he said. “Me, fucking you atop Lee’s desk, just like you’d fantasized about.” He picked her up and set her on the table. Rotating two fingers inside her vagina, he spread them.

  “I don’t want foreplay, Kit. I want this.” She tugged the hem of his jeans with one hand and grabbed his aching dick with the other. Kit groaned.

  “And I’m going to give it to you, babe.”

  Quicker than he’d ever done so, he was rid of his jeans and kicked them aside. His cock curved upward, the mushroom head red and angry, desperate to be inside his woman. He grabbed the condom he’d prepared in case his mate accepted his terms.

  “You were expecting me to say yes,” Kara said.

  “I wasn’t sure, but it never hurts to be ready.” He tore the package.

  “Wait.” Kara clutched his arm. “Are you clean?”

  He nodded.

  “Me too. And I’m on the pill.” She ran her fingertips across his length, stroking it gently. “I want to feel you inside me, like you promised.” She circled his waist with her legs, drawing him closer. “Stretching me, filling me.”

  Kit groaned.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.” She rubbed her folds against him, making his cock slick with her juices. Kit pulled her into a sitting position and kissed her hard. Placing the head of his cock at her entrance, he entered her, inch by glorious inch. His eyes almost rolled to the back of his head at the tight squeeze of her cunt. Her nails dug into his arms and he forced himself to stop.

  “Am I hurting you? Am I going too fast, little owl?”

  “No. Don’t stop,” she mewled, moving her hips. “It feels so good.”

  “Yes.”

  Firmly, he thrust the rest of his shaft into her. Kara gasped, her body bowing upward. Kit savored the moment. He was fully seated inside his mate, her pussy tightly wrapped around him. Slowly, he drew back. Kara moaned.

  “Fuck me hard, Kit.”

  Her lust-filled gaze beckoned him to do as she asked. He started to thrust into her, gradually picking up speed
and watching in awe as feathers sprouted at the nape of Kara’s neck.

  “Admit it, little owl,” he growled, digging his hands into her locks. He slowed his movements. His vision shifted and he knew his own animal was making its presence known. “We’re mates.”

  Kara swallowed. Reaching up to him, she cupped his cheek.

  “Yes,” she gasped. “You’re my mate.”

  At the confession, Kit erupted, ecstasy both emotional and physical crashing against him like a tidal wave. His mate.

  ****

  Kara sat on his lap, her head resting on his shoulder, her breathing slow and steady, though the feathers on her neck hadn’t disappeared. Kit brushed a kiss on her shoulder and she shivered. He nuzzled her neck, inhaling her fragrance and branding it into his heart. He wanted more, but as of that moment, he was content just to hold her close.

  “Kit,” she said at length. He cracked his eyes open. The urgency in her voice was unmistakable, though she didn’t look at him.

  “I’m going to Toulouse in France. I have an internship lined up. It’s my dream.”

  “I understand.”

  “No, no, you don’t. This, us, it can’t happen.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m moving abroad, far away from here.”

  “So? I’ll move with you.”

  Kara pulled away from his embrace. Her large eyes searched his face. “You can’t do that. You can’t give up your family, friends, job, dreams, for a woman you’ve just met.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because, well—” She chewed on her bottom lip. “It’s what my dad did for my mom. He had aspirations and when they mated, it all went to hell.” Kara shook her head. “It’s wrong.”

  Kit cupped his mate’s cheek.

  “Kara, did you ever ask your dad if he was unhappy?”

  “No, but—”

  Kit raised an eyebrow.

  “He wanted to be an astronomer and she wouldn’t let him, just like the selfish bitch didn’t want me to study engineering.” Kara clapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry about.” He ran his thumb across her lips. “I’m actually pretty thrilled that you’re finally opening up to me. I probably should have fucked you sooner.”

  Kara narrowed her eyes and slapped his arm. “Yes, you should have, but I’m not opening up to you. I can’t, Kit. We have to keep this thing superficial. Just sex. Strangers having sex.”

  Kit threw his arms up and groaned.

  “You still don’t get it, do you, little owl? You are not a stranger to me. Sure, I don’t know what you have for breakfast or what your favorite book is, but I know what’s in here.” He pointed to her heart. “Mating is primal and urgent but it happens when two animals recognize a soulmate, a kindred spirit in another person. You are strong, independent, a fighter, a survivor, like me. You are full of hopes and ambitions for the future. You are what I have always dreamed of, little owl.” Kit sighed. “You know, when we met, you asked me if I thought you were a damsel in distress and this might, er, emasculate me in your eyes, but the truth is, I’m the one who needed saving. I’ve been yearning for my soulmate ever since I discovered you could be out in the world somewhere. I had all but given up, living a frantic lifestyle in which I searched for ways to substitute the hole in my heart. I was missing you. I’ve felt more alive these two days than I have in years.”

  Kara’s gaze softened. “Is that why you have nothing tattooed over your heart?”

  Kit smiled. “You see? You know me even if you think you don’t. Yes, I was waiting for the right design.” He brushed his lips across hers. “It’ll be an owl.”

  “But France, Kit. I’m not going to give it up.”

  “Have I asked you to?”

  She stalled.

  “No,” she said softly.

  “And I won’t. I respect you, Kara. You had a dream long before I came along. It’d be pretty shitty of me to ask you to throw it out the window.”

  “My mom—”

  “I’m not her, babe. Besides, I’ve always wanted to go to Europe.”

  “But what will you do?”

  “Don’t worry, little owl, I’m resourceful.”

  She opened her mouth, then shut it.

  Kit laughed.

  “Run out of excuses to push me away?”

  “I guess so,” she admitted.

  Kit raised his arms in celebration. “About time, because my next tactic was to fuck you silly until you begged me to go with you to France.”

  “I think you should try that anyway.” Her eyes twinkled mischievously. Kit nuzzled her neck, relishing her intake of breath.

  “You don’t need to ask twice, my precious little owl.”

  Epilogue

  The sun was barely awake, its rays little more than splashes of yellow and pink mingling with drifting blues. They walked in silence, hands firmly entwined. A crisp wind caressed Kit’s scalp and he took in a deep breath, inhaling the blend of oak and pine, earth, and water. The sound of birds waking up from their slumber echoed alongside the murmur of a nearby river. Excitement coursed through him. This was it.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “More than ever,” Kara replied. She glanced at him. Her eyes were bright, her skin flushed. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”

  Kit wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her closer. She leaned on him.

  “I’ve been waiting for this moment since I met you,” Kit said.

  They continued to walk in silence, leaves crunching beneath their sneakers as they made their way deeper into the forest.

  “Here,” Kara declared, running toward a bubbling stream. She glanced upward. “Look at the sky. It’s both night and day. You can see some stars but the sun is chasing them away.”

  Kit didn’t follow her gaze. He kept his eyes on his mate. A radiant glow seemed to envelop her and already he could see feathers interspersed with her hair.

  “My beautiful, little owl,” he murmured, unable to keep his voice from cracking with emotion.

  Kara smiled at him. Her eyes shimmered. He spread his arms and she stepped into his embrace. Placing her palms on his chest, she stood on her toes and kissed him lightly.

  “I love you, Kit,” she said.

  His stomach fluttered and his pulse raced as it did every time she pronounced those three words.

  “I love you too, Kara.”

  Beaming, no doubt radiating his own sense of peace and happiness, she slipped out of her coat, dress, and shoes.

  “Catch me if you can,” she said, winking.

  Transfixed, he watched her shift. Her petite frame reducing itself into an even smaller size, her bones and muscles realigning, transforming into a cute, brown owl. It hooted at him and took to the skies.

  “Run, little owl, because you know I’m going catch you and make you mine for good.”

  Quickly, Kit removed his clothes and shifted. He flew high, taking advantage of the clearing. Kara watched him from a branch, her large eyes taking in every one of his moves as he swooped and dove, courting her. Abruptly, she screeched and ascended. Kit streaked ahead and pitched. Turning her back to him, Kara presented her talons. He took them with his own, locking them. Together as one, they cartwheeled through the sky, plummeting to the ground at an alarming rate. However, just when they were about to crash, they broke apart.

  Kit landed first. Shifting into his human form, he lay on the grass, grinning from ear to ear. Kara followed him, alighting on his belly. Hooting once more, the little owl shook and shifted.

  Laughing, Kit tangled his fingers in her hair and brought her down for a kiss.

  “You’re mine, now,” he whispered against her lips.

  Kara tugged at his bottom lip. “Permanently,” she agreed.

  The End

  www.evernightpublishing.com/elyzabeth-m-valey

  MAKE HER PURR

  Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino

  Chapter On
e

  It was too early for a fight.

  Titus picked up his pace, running through the familiar, old-growth forest. His paws barely made a sound as he raced on all fours to the source of the commotion. The thoughts of his packmates clouded his head, one of the many annoyances of being Alpha.

  “What’s the problem?” he asked as he neared. Many of his wolves had made a ring around the threat. As Alpha, it was his call to finish the job.

  He pushed his way through the others, emerging in the center of the ring.

  A human?

  She was half-naked, her long, pale hair tangled around her arms as she lay in the dirt.

  “Is this your threat?” He scoffed, turning to his beta for clarification.

  “She’s on our territory. Every human’s a threat,” said Axel.

  He growled his displeasure. Barely sunrise and he had to deal with this shit? “A human girl in the middle of nowhere? No visible weapons. She’s not a damn threat.”

  “So, you’re telling me she hiked for hundreds of miles on her own. Without even a backpack?”

  Titus turned back around to examine the girl again. A few weeks ago, they’d had to deal with an unruly group of drunken hunters. It hadn’t ended well for those men. But it had been the first human sighting in years. Their territory was so far off the grid, amid dense rainforest and steep mountain ranges, that they rarely had to deal with trespassers. Their only concerns were rival packs and the occasional bear trying to throw its weight around.

  The human peered up at him, her entire body trembling from fear or the cold, he wasn’t certain. He breathed in her scent. Those big blue eyes did a number on him, ripping open his armor and leaving him vulnerable.

  “Are you going to kill her or do you want me to do it?” asked Axel.

  He left the ring, his heart racing, his wolf agitated yet never more focused. That scent. The human was his mate. Titus shifted into his skin, stretching out his muscles and running both hands through his unkempt hair. It had been months since he’d shifted.

  A human? What the fuck did that mean? He was forty-three and had expected to find his fated mate over a decade ago, but tried not to focus on it as the years kept passing. The woman he imagined bonding with was a she-wolf, one worthy to take her place by his side in the pack.