Chapter 12

Chapter

Twelve

P iper woke as the morning sun streamed through the windows. She sat up and stretched, and suddenly became aware of the fact that she wasn't alone. She wasn't frightened, nor was she very surprised. She knew who it was. Somehow her fated mate had found her.

He was leaning against the counter, his hands resting on either side of his body and his legs crossed—a casual, yet still dangerous posture. She tried to slip her hand under the pillow surreptitiously.

"It will do you no good, ma chére. I have the handgun from the side table. I must say I do like having the bed next to the wall so I can have you trapped against it. I also found the impressive bowie knife from under your pillow as well as the rifle from under the bed. Is the knife an antique?"

"Yes. It's authentic," she replied, pulling her hand back and sitting up, holding the sheet to cover herself. "What are you doing here, Rémy?"

"I would think that was obvious. You are my fated mate and I have come to claim what is mine."

"I don't want you."

"The way you responded and came for me the other night would indicate otherwise."

Piper rolled her eyes and sighed; he was so irritating… and arrogant. "Fine. I find you sexually attractive. Hot news flash, asshole. I find a lot of men and wolves attractive. It's not like I've been the vestal virgin waiting for you to return to me."

"Piper, I know I hurt you. I plan to spend the rest of my life making up for that fact."

"You do whatever you like, I'm done with you. Get out. I already sent word I'd be back before my parents have to confront that thing and I'll keep my promise."

"Yet another reason you should have stayed, chére . Your parents are not going to fight it."

"What do you mean? They're the only ones who can. Aunt Amy said it's one and done so Skylar and Trav are out."

" Oui ," he said, standing straight and taking a step toward her. He stopped when she scooted away from him. "Your parents are not the only fated mates who carry the blood of the dire wolf in their veins."

"But I'm the only other alpha; I have no mate and that mate would also have to be an alpha."

"That is not true. I am alpha. I am also your mate."

The realization of what he was saying was beginning to dawn on her. She shook her head. "We're not a bonded pair."

"A fact I intend to remedy before we return to Rivière Du Loup." He took another step closer to her, smiling when she straightened her back and didn't retreat. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to make allowances that I was young, arrogant and foolish when I broke your heart, would you? I would point out we're in a bit of a time crunch."

"You would suppose right. Get out, Rémy. There is nothing for you here."

"You are wrong. You are here. That is all I want or need in this world."

"Then you are seriously fucked, because I'm the one thing that you can't have."

Her heart was breaking, and she could see each jab she sent his way hit its mark. The time and space she'd taken had given her clarity. Her parents could fight the entity and defeat it. Even if she agreed to join with him as the dire wolf, after they destroyed the Darkness there would be nothing left for her at Wolf Meadow. By rejecting Rémy as her fated mate, she would be sending her father a clear message that he'd need to find another alpha to be his successor. Once they'd overcome the threat, she would need to find a new place and a new life for herself.

Rémy continued toward her. She looked beyond him at the place she had made for herself and wondered if she'd ever be able to look at that counter and not remember how beautiful and predatory he'd looked, lounging against it. But when she left Wolf Meadow, she'd most likely never be able to come back here again.

By the time she silenced her inner musings he'd closed the distance between them. His hands cradled her face, and he kissed her long and hard. She couldn't prevent the moan that escaped her lips as he held her and pulled her closer. Her body began to soften and give over to him. His mouth dominated hers as his tongue plunged deeply, sliding along hers as they tangled for supremacy. She clung to him, inhaling his distinctive scent and feeling the way his hands glided over her body possessively. He began rumbling the song that only she could hear.

"You are mine, chére . You say you don't believe it, but we both know you do. Give over to me now, Piper, and you'll only get a mild discipline spanking for running and hiding from me."

Spanking? He thinks he's going to spank me? Fuck that.

"You are neither my alpha nor my mate," she growled as she shoved at his chest. "You have no right to discipline me."

"Not true. According to your papa, I am both."

Before she knew what he was about he'd hauled her out of bed and tossed her over his lap as he sat on the edge of the mattress. His hand sharply slapped her ass, sending an echoing whack through the small cabin. Piper had never been subjected to a spanking before. Heat and pain exploded across her backside, and she yowled. Rémy's hand rested against the spot as if he was trying to push the heat and resulting arousal back into her body to send it surging through her system.

She hadn't managed to catch her breath before he struck again, this time on her other cheek. She cried out and he began to rain hellfire all over her bottom and the backs of her thighs. The pain from the blows was dreadful, but worse yet were the tears that she couldn't hold back. They fell not from the pain he was causing, but because after years of holding them in she could finally let go. He spanked her in such a way that he covered every inch of her backside, including the sensitive underside of her buttocks where they joined the backs of her legs.

Heat flooded her system. She had to get him to stop before he figured out she was becoming as aroused as he was. And she knew he was aroused; she could feel that monster cock of his throbbing beneath her belly. She squirmed, trying to get away from him. The spanking seemed to be priming her for his possession, even though she tried to resist. Her mother had tried to explain to her once that when your mate disciplined you, it did hurt but the worst part was it made you, to quote her directly, so bloody needy.

Her mother was right—the longer he spanked her, the wetter and softer her pussy got. His hand was so close to her sex; he was wolf, could he scent her arousal? Piper couldn't remember how many swats he'd given her when he finally stopped and caressed her heated globes before slipping his hand between her legs and finding her soaked pussy.

Piper tried to bite back the moan and failed in the same way she was also failing to stop her tears from falling. He held her down so she couldn't sit up and used his other hand—the hand that had spanked her, the hand that had caressed her fiery globes—to play with her pussy, making her squirm for a whole other set of reasons.

"Rémy, please. Please be through. It hurts."

" Oui , I'm sure it does. It was supposed to. You remember that the next time you try to run away from me." He helped her to her feet but didn't turn her loose. "You are so beautiful, and I have missed you for so long."

She shook her head, backing away from him, but couldn't go far with his hand still around her wrist. "No. I'm not buying it. You could have taken me with you. You could have come back for me."

"That's not fair, Piper. I came home every time I had leave. I tried to see you, but you managed to avoid any situation in which our paths might cross. I'm willing to take the vast majority of the responsibility for our not being together. But you have to own a small part of it."

Piper pulled at his hold on her hand, but he didn't turn her loose. He stood up, the prominent bulge behind his fly promising all kinds of pleasure that could be had. But she was not going to be like her girlfriends. She was not going to go all goo-goo over a wolf just because he knew how to fuck, and she was quite certain Rémy Gautier knew all too well that he could give a woman an insane amount of pleasure. He'd proven just that the night before.

He walked with her as she backed up farther. She raised her arm and threw her best punch, but Rémy easily caught her fist in his hand and held on. While he could prevent her from moving away from him, he'd also left himself vulnerable to her anger. She stepped into him and brought her knee up hard, sending his balls up into his body.

Rémy hissed and dropped her hands to fall to one knee, holding onto his balls as if he could protect them, but the damage was already done. Piper twirled around, grabbed her shirt, and bolted out of the shack. If she could get to her horse and swing up onto his back, she could gallop him toward the gate and get him to jump.

"Piper!" he roared. He sounded like he was recovering quicker than she'd anticipated. "Come back here."

Once again, Piper ran from the only man she'd ever loved. The man who had abandoned her and now thought to force her into a pairing so they could fight the evil Darkness and keep her parents from doing it. But he underestimated them. She knew that when her father and mother were together, nothing could defeat them.

R émy cupped his balls and tried to stand, stumbling toward the door. She may have just ensured he would never be able to sire children. He'd been injured in the groin before, but nothing like this. And what the fuck was his cock doing still hard as a rock and thumping against the front of his jeans? That just wasn't normal.

By all accounts, his dick should have responded by going soft and trying to hide. But no, it was hard and ready, and it wanted to be in her pussy. That was all kinds of wrong. He needed to move—he could hear her out by the corral. He was certain she didn't need a saddle, maybe not even a bridle. But mon dieu, he could use some ice or maybe one hell of a blowjob. But his cock screamed it didn't want her mouth, it wanted her pussy and it wanted it now.

He'd forgotten that even as a small child Piper had a mean streak and wouldn't hesitate to do anything necessary to win. Rémy didn't want to think about what it said about him that even after she'd crippled him, he was more turned on than he'd ever been. On a good day, Piper was the sexiest she-wolf that ever walked the face of the earth, but when she fought dirty, oh yeah, that really did it for him. It meant he could unleash his own beast to claim her. She was his perfect mate—the yin to his yang, the soft to his hard. And her pussy had been so soft… and wet… and hot… and it was his.

Rémy took a deep breath and pushed an alpha wave at her. Piper stumbled but managed to stay on her feet and keep moving. He caught up with her in the corral, just as she was about to swing up onto her horse. He tangled his fist in her red curls and gave her a sharp yank—not enough to rip out any of the silky hair, but enough to make her gasp and lose her balance, which spooked her horse. The big dun galloped out of the pen and down the canyon.

"Let me go," she snarled, whirling on Rémy and trying to punch him again.

This time he was ready for her. This time he pulled her in so close that she couldn't use her knee. He crushed her to him and didn't bother to hide his emotions. Lust, anger, and need made themselves known. He growled low and deep. There was nothing seductive about the sound, it was all about dominance. He could feel her respond to his call as he lowered his mouth to hers and began to devour her.