Denying the Alpha Read online

  “I thought the cold water might help with the after-effects,” he said softly.

  “It does,” she murmured. The nearly-full moon sat fat and bright in the sky above them. She watched a sparkling droplet of water slide down Caleb’s hair and fall to his shoulder. Georgia leaned forward and kissed it away. Caleb groaned, his hands tightening around her waist.

  She buried her face in his neck, inhaling deeply.

  “Why do you smell so fucking good?”

  He fisted a hand in her hair and yanked her head back when she licked him. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she lifted her legs, placing her knees to either side of his hips.

  “Georgia,” he whispered, cupping her cheek with his other hand. “This isn’t—”

  “Shh.”

  She rubbed against him, Caleb’s thick shaft sliding between her folds and teasing along her clit. His head dropped back against the bank of the stream as she continued to rock her hips. Soon they were both panting, on the cusp of release.

  “Caleb,” she breathed, and he brought his head up. “Kiss me.”

  He slammed his mouth to hers, devouring her. Georgia lifted herself slightly and impaled herself on his cock, taking him fully in one swift motion. Caleb cried out, going still. She felt his heartbeat racing beneath her palms as she held his neck. Inside her, his cock pulsed.

  In one quick movement, he stood. She wrapped her legs around him, keeping them locked together as he moved to where the water wasn’t as high, and he could brace her against the side of the little pond he’d created. Cool mud and soft grasses pressed against her back, while firm muscles and hot flesh filled her arms. He held her waist firmly and began pistoning in and out of her.

  Georgia buried her hands in Caleb’s hair, trying to get as close to him as possible, get him as deep inside her as possible. A rumble reverberated through his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against his chest.

  “Yes,” she gasped. “More. Harder.” Caleb filled her completely, hitting all the right spots with every thrust. But it wasn’t enough. She didn’t know what she needed, only that something was missing, keeping her from flying over the edge.

  “More,” she begged, tugging at his hair and biting his bottom lip.

  Caleb grabbed her hair and yanked her head back, nostrils flaring.

  “Tell me you’re mine,” he ground out, his voice low and rough.

  “Yes.”

  “Mine,” he repeated, his teeth grazing along her shoulder.

  She shuddered, that simple action driving her even higher.

  “Yours,” she agreed, breathless, staring up at the stars. Georgia knew what would come next but was unwilling to fight it any longer.

  Caleb lifted his head back and roared, the sound of it setting her blood on fire. Pain knifed through her as his mouth locked over the top of her shoulder and his teeth—no, his fangs, she corrected herself—pierced her skin. She shrieked as her orgasm hit, overwhelming her senses. Her skin burned. Her ears rang. Her eyes became unfocused. Everything felt far away, as if her brain was floating above the scene, observing it and recording details.

  She felt Caleb’s euphoria. It felt as though her heart would explode from joy. She turned this sensation over in her brain, examining it, trying to figure out where she ended and Caleb began.

  “Shh,” Caleb said, and she heard him in her head as well as felt his lips moving against hers. “Turn off your brain, sweetheart.” He peppered kisses along her jaw, working his way to where he’d just marked her. She hissed when he hit the sensitive wound. “Sorry,” he murmured, feathering his lips over the same spot.

  “It’s not that it hurts,” she said, squirming as another jolt of electricity shot from beneath his lips straight to her clit.

  Caleb chuckled. “Hmm, that’s going to come in handy.”

  She shoved at him playfully, splashing cold water at him.

  His expression turned serious.

  “We didn’t use any protection.”

  “Well, I haven’t had sex in about two years, and I was clean when I got tested after my last breakup. Though according to my cousin, shifters rarely catch any illnesses or diseases.”

  “That is true.” He nodded. “Since I took over the den about five years ago I haven’t dated, either. Too much to do. But there’s still the other concern…” He trailed off, as though unsure of what to say.

  She smiled. “Implant.” His brows drew together in confusion. “Good Lord, it’s like you live on a mountain,” she scoffed. He tried to maintain a straight face, but his lips quirked. “They make these things called IUDs—intrauterine devices—that are implanted and prevent pregnancy. Mainly I got it because it also stops monthly periods, and I don’t exactly have time on a job site to be running to the bathroom to change out a tampon every few hours for five days a month.”

  “Oh.” He looked uncomfortable, and Georgia laughed.

  “I’m scheduled to have it removed in a year. We can discuss a family then. But for now, can we get out of the water?”

  ****

  Caleb lay on his side, watching Georgia sleep. Or try to sleep, at any rate. She should have been exhausted enough to sleep for days, yet he knew she was awake despite her closed eyes. He tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear—her bear also was blonde, a gorgeous honey-brown that complemented his near-black nicely—and snugged the blanket up over her shoulder.

  “Caleb,” she said softly with a smile. “Stop fretting. I can feel your anxiety, you know.”

  He cleared his throat. After exiting the stream, they’d shifted again for the walk home. Georgia had managed to call her bear all on her own doing and without any influence by him. Once back inside and in minimal clothing—her skin had been ultra-sensitive, so she’d chosen one of his t-shirts and nothing else—he’d gotten her to eat something. Now they lay together, both wrapped up in their own heads, trying in vain to fall asleep.

  She rolled onto her back and looked up at him.

  “You didn’t push me into this.” Her hand cupped his cheek and he grabbed it, kissing her palm as she gave voice to his biggest worry. “I’ve been denying my true nature for years, not wanting to accept it. I was afraid that once I embraced that side of me, I’d be forced to find a mate and have kids, because of my lineage.” His grip on her hand tightened. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d find someone like you,” she continued. “You saw me, not some girl trying to do what men do. Me, not a girl who got her job just because it’s her daddy’s company. Me, for my brain, not just my body. Even if you did decide I was your mate the first time you met me, you let me come to the decision myself.”

  “But did I? Are you sure it’s not just because…” He didn’t want to bring up Pete’s death, but he wasn’t completely stupid. It was a very normal psychological response to death to seek out the comfort of another’s touch and the connection of sex.

  Georgia closed her eyes and swallowed. She kept the pain from her face, but he could feel her anguish.

  “No,” she said finally. “I know we were arguing in the morning, but honestly I was pushing you. Every time I try to knock you down, you come back swinging with the right answer. And then this afternoon…” She took a deep breath before continuing. “You just sat there and held me. Didn’t try to calm me or placate me with meaningless and stupid bullshit. You let me just sit there and cry and scream, and you calmed my bear. You didn’t try to make me move before I was ready to.”

  Caleb wanted to sweep her into his arms, to take away the pain in her eyes, but he knew only time could soften that.

  Gently, she pushed against his chest. He fell back onto the mattress and she rose up to straddle him.

  “Before the accident, I had already decided to find you again once the crew left for the day.”

  His cock came to life at her words. She rubbed herself along his hardening shaft, speeding up the process significantly.

  “I was going to ask you to help me with my bear.”
r />   Caleb slid his hands up her sides to cup her breasts. He rolled her nipples between his fingers, enjoying the way her eyelids fluttered when he did so.

  “And maybe even ride this magnificent cock of yours.”

  He groaned, thrusting his hips into hers. In response, she raked her nails down his chest.

  “Maybe see what kind of tricks this old dog might still know.” The twinkling in her eyes gave her away, and in a flash, he flipped her onto her back and pinned her hands above her head.

  “Bear,” he growled, thrusting into her slick heat.

  Georgia’s head tipped back, a smile on her lips.

  “Mmm, yes, bear.” Her eyes opened, darkened with lust. “My bear.”

  He dropped his head to suck a nipple into his mouth and she writhed beneath him.

  “Yours.” The words were whispered against her lips before he thrust his tongue past them, delving into her mouth and twining with hers. He began a slow rolling of his hips, languid and gentle, knowing it would drive her crazy because she wanted it rough.

  “Damn it, Caleb,” she growled at last, ripping her mouth from his.

  “Not so old now, am I?” he asked, grinning. She bucked beneath him. “Easy, sweetheart,” he murmured, kissing along her shoulder. The skin where he’d marked her had healed from shifting, but the scars remained tender and receptive to his touch. Georgia shuddered.

  “I wonder, could I make you come just from this?” Caleb trailed his tongue across the scars and she gasped, her pussy tightening around his cock. He smiled, enjoying her reaction. When he hummed, she began panting and rocked her hips in an effort to get him to move.

  “Please,” she begged.

  Caleb nipped gently at sensitive skin and she shrieked. He alternated between licks and bites, and in no time she came undone. Her body trembled beneath him as the orgasm overtook her. With a few well-angled thrusts, he was able to push her right back over. Those perfect legs hooked around the backs of his thighs, pulling him in, holding him tight against her as her cream coated his cock.

  Caleb groaned, needing to come himself before his balls exploded from holding back.

  “Fucking hell that’s crazy,” Georgia said at last, with a long, contented sigh.

  He chuckled. “What’s that, sweetheart?”

  “No way you can do that to me if I can’t torture you in the same manner. I’m definitely marking you.” He cleared his throat and she canted her head to the side. “What?”

  “Well, actually … you already have marked me.” Her eyes followed his gaze, to the scars crisscrossing his forearms, left by her claws.

  “I don’t understand. You shifted. Twice. Why do you have scars from superficial wounds?”

  “You drew my blood in a heightened emotional state while partially shifted. We are true mates. Even though I hadn’t claimed you yet, and though you hadn’t undergone your first full shift, it still counts.”

  The confusion left her eyes, replaced by mischief.

  “So, what you’re saying is, if I do this—” She turned her head and trailed the tip of her tongue along one of the scars. Caleb moaned, his sac drawing up tight as electricity zinged through his spine. “Hah!” Georgia exclaimed triumphantly, a devilish grin on her face. “Oh, you’re in trouble now.”

  Somehow, she managed to work his cock with her hips while driving him insane, licking, kissing, and nipping at the scars on each arm until he ached with the need to come. Caleb’s arms shook as he struggled to keep his elbows locked so that he didn’t collapse onto her. Georgia lifted her legs higher up, locking them around his waist and seating him fully inside her.

  “Christ, woman,” he ground out.

  “Give it to me, old man.” She turned and bit down hard where several scars intersected.

  Caleb shouted as his orgasm powered through him, the base of his spine on fire as his seed erupted from him. His chest heaved when he finally remembered to breathe again.

  “Jesus.” He rested his forehead against hers, utterly spent.

  “Told you so.” She tipped her chin up to kiss him, a smile on her lips.

  He shifted his weight and dropped his forearms down to rest alongside hers, interlocking their fingers.

  “I’m glad you came to my mountain, Georgia Connors.” He punctuated his words with kisses. He knew she wasn’t ready to hear him say how he truly felt, but damn it, he’d show her somehow.

  “Connors-Michonne,” she corrected him.

  Caleb faltered, meeting her gaze.

  “Eventually we’ll make it official. Because of the company, I won’t completely change my name. But I’ll hyphenate it for you.”

  Amazed, Caleb kissed her again, sure his heart couldn’t hold any more happiness. Not even twenty-four hours ago he’d thought they’d never get to this point, as steadfast as she’d been in her resolve to not enter into a relationship with him. Then with the events of the afternoon, he’d been preparing himself for the worst, that she’d leave the mountain and never come back. No one had been more surprised than Caleb when she’d refused her father’s hand and instead remained with him.

  As the first tentative hints of dawn lit the morning sky, he lay holding her tucked into his side, listening to her steady breathing, still unable to turn his brain off and go to sleep. They had a tough road ahead of them. All too soon she’d have to face the reality of her brother’s death. There would be much to figure out regarding work and living situations, among other things. But none of that existed until she left his arms. He pulled her closer, as if he could keep her there forever.

  “I love you, Georgia,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple.

  “Love you too,” she mumbled, surprising him. “Now go to sleep, old man.”

  The End

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  CROSSING BOUNDARIES

  Rose Wulf

  Chapter One

  Two Years Ago

  “I’ve never fucked a dog before.”

  Those had been her words, right before she’d flattened her slender palm over Maddox’s chest and pushed him to the ground. The Alpha in him rose at the challenge, but the male in him held back, curious to see what the sexy cougar-shifter would do. They were both nude, a result of having shifted to their human forms in the interest of communication, and the scent of her arousal on the wind did nothing for his own immediate—and aching—hard-on. Maybe she was in heat, or maybe she just liked what she saw. Maddox didn’t fucking care.

  She knelt to the ground, straddling him with her lithe body. Miles of creamy, perfectly tanned skin beneath her long, jet-black hair. Full, rounded breasts begging to be sucked. Mischief and lust lit her amber eyes as she licked her lips and trailed a finger down his chest. “Do you think you know where everything goes?”

  Maddox choked on a snort, caught her hand by the wrist, and flashed her his best wicked grin. “Oh, I know where it goes.” He released her wrist, latched his hands onto her hips, and pulled her down as he drove himself up. Sinking his aching dick deep into her slick, tight heat. She felt so good he wanted to roar, his primal instincts nearly driving him to flip her over and literally fuck her like a dog. He hadn’t seen her ass yet. It was probably divine.

  Instead, he held her in place, surging up repeatedly as she arched and rolled over him, creating something of an erotically beautiful dance. Her nails dug into his chest and arm as she began grinding her hips over his, moaning each time he filled her. “Harder,” she pleaded, beginning a faster, bouncier, rhythm. “C’mon, Wolf, harder!”

  She wanted to egg him on, did she? He could play that game. For as much as he was enjoying his view—and even the feel of her bouncing up and down on his dick—he knew exactly how to give her harder.

  Maddox caught a fistful of her flying hair in one hand, tugging her down as he surged up, catching one of her breasts in the other. He locked his lips over hers with a wet, feverish kiss as he thumbed her nipple. She made a semblance of a mewling sound against his lips
, arching into his chest. In the next moment, Maddox flipped them over, landing her on her back on the grass, and broke from the kiss in order to properly balance himself above her.

  “Missionary?” she asked, her breathing unsteady as he took control of their pace. The question and arched brow indicated her lack of excitement with the standard and traditional position.

  Making a point to thrust into her with increased force, Maddox responded, “So I can suck on your tits while I fuck you.”

  Her lips lifted at the corners and she added a teasing hip-roll that had them both groaning. “I like a man with a plan.”

  Oh, he had a plan. He was going to take her so hard she screamed her ecstasy to the skies. Already her core was beginning to pulsate around his cock, as if begging for release. But he wasn’t done. He didn’t know if he’d ever see this vixen again. He needed to at least make it last. So Maddox bowed his head and pressed his tongue to her neck, earning a soft moan from his lover. She tasted sweet beneath the salt of the beginnings of sweat. Not cloyingly so, but subtly. He slid his tongue slowly down her skin, swirling it over her collarbone, all the while pumping swiftly in and out of her body.

  Her hips were lifting to meet his by the time he finally closed his mouth around one of her nipples. He stroked his tongue over it, applying a bit of pressure, and a long, throaty moan escaped her as she buried her hands in his hair. Maddox growled around her areola when her nails scraped his scalp, his hips snapping forward with extra force. She gasped and squirmed as if trying to get closer. Wanting more.

  Focusing his attention on the tight little peak of her nipple, Maddox licked and sucked as he let loose, nearing his breaking point. He slammed into her repeatedly, driving his dick as deep as it would go and grinding hard for good measure. She obviously enjoyed it, the way she continuously mewled and gasped, until he finally hit the spot that earned him an outcry. He nearly came right then, but it wasn’t enough. So he switched to her neglected breast with renewed vigor and repeated the sharp, grinding thrusts with his hips, filling her core with his cock until his balls were tucked tight against her folds. A little adjustment of the hips on the next thrust and—