6. Elise

CHAPTER SIX

ELISE

I couldn’t move. I could barely breathe.

Nico’s body pressed against me, pressed me against the wall, pressed air from my lungs and thoughts from my brain. His silver eyes blazed into me, pinning me in place. I’d never been so aware of another person’s presence. Their heat. Their smell. The sheer unyielding mass of muscle bearing down on me.

Part of me screamed to fight, to run, to get the fuck out of there before I did something stupid. But a deeper, darker part of me reveled in his touch. In his power.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the desire rushing through my veins. But instead of dark nothingness, memories swirled to life. Screams and pain. The taste of blood in the air, sharp and metallic. The searing burn of guilt eating me alive.

“Look at me.” Nico’s voice rumbled through me, demanding obedience. “Open your eyes and tell me what you did.”

His thumb ghosted over my lower lip, gentle despite the command in his tone. The touch sent a shiver down my spine.

My wolf stirred under my skin. Restless and hungry, wanting to sink her fangs into him again, to brand him and stake my claim.

But that wasn’t what I wanted. Not really.

I wanted to submit. To lose myself in the feel of his muscular arms holding me in place, the heat of his skin. I wanted to let go, and let the darkness inside me free without fear of judgment or consequence.

“I killed him,” I blurted, the words tearing free in a rush of shame and relief. “I killed my alpha. My own father.”

Reluctantly, I let him guide my eyes back to his. The raw hunger there took my breath away. But behind it was something else—understanding. Acceptance. If anything, he pressed closer, caging me with his body.

“Did I tell you to stop?” Nico demanded.

It was too much. Too intense. I licked my lips, my heart pounding in my chest. I opened my mouth, but the words lodged in my throat. So instead, I looked away, breaking the connection. I couldn’t bear for him to see all of my sins laid bare.

But Nico was having none of it. His grip tightened on my chin, just shy of painful. “Look at me when you speak.”

My pulse raced at the dominance in his voice, the brush of his lips against my cheek. His other hand slid down my arm, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Every nerve in my body seemed to come alive under his touch.

“My father, Marcus, was a jealous, obsessive alpha.” My words came out haltingly, like each syllable was being ripped from my chest. “What we had was never good enough, not when someone else had more. Land, money, wolves, didn’t matter. He wanted it all.”

Nico’s eyes burned into me, daring me to look away. To disobey. His hand drifted from my chin to my collarbone, his touch possessive as he traced the line of it.

“He became fixated on conquering Crescent Hollow,” I breathed. “Daniel, our second, opposed the idea. He didn’t want to anger the neighboring pack. But my father... he...”

“Keep going,” he growled, nipping at my earlobe. His hand moved down to my hip, his fingers digging in slightly.

“He killed him,” I whispered. “Murdered Daniel and blamed it on Crescent Hollow to spark a war.”

Nico’s hand slipped beneath my shirt, his calloused fingers splaying across my bare skin. I sucked in a breath at the sensation, my head spinning.

“What happened next?” he prompted, his voice rough with barely contained emotion.

“J-Jude,” I stammered, struggling to focus as Nico’s hands roamed my body. “He ordered Jude—Daniel’s daughter—to infiltrate the Crescent Hollow pack. To spy on them and find evidence of their alleged guilt. He sent my friend into danger on a lie.”

“That doesn’t smell like the truth.” Nico buried his face against my neck, inhaling deeply. “No hiding, Elise.”

Shame burned through me. Not just him. We’d all been reeling from the shock and loss. No one wanted to look closer, not with our alpha riling up our thirst for blood. Not with grief howling inside us.

“I supported the mission.” The words were sour on my tongue. “I thought... I hoped it would prove my father wrong. I wanted to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. But I was wrong, too.”

Nico hummed his approval as he sucked on the sensitive skin below my ear. My breath hitched, and I bit back a moan. Fates, he knew just what I needed to smooth down my jagged edges. No one got this close. No one heard all this sniveling weakness. Not anymore.

“There was a pack meeting,” I continued, struggling to keep my voice steady. “My father accused Jude of betrayal because she couldn’t find any evidence against Crescent Hollow. He attacked her, and I... I tried to protect her.”

Nico crowded me further against the wall, pressing his thigh between my legs. The friction was maddening, and I ground down instinctively, clinging to the pleasure while venting off my pain.

“That’s when it all fell apart,” I said, my voice breaking. I dug my hands into his hair and rode his thigh as his hands climbed higher under my shirt. “My father ordered me and the rest of the pack to attack Crescent Hollow for their ‘crimes.’ We had no choice but to obey.”

The memories threatened to overwhelm me—the chaos of battle, the scent of blood and fear thick in the air. Wolves threw themselves at each other in a dance of death with no clear victor in sight. Friends fell. Acquaintances. Wolves I’d known from birth, and those I’d never met before.

For what? We weren’t rolling in luxury, but we had enough. Our pack had been strong. Pure greed spawned the fixation on Crescent Hollow.

I tried to pull away, but Nico stopped me with a sharp growl. His eyes blazed bright as he grabbed my jaw and claimed my lips in a searing kiss. His tongue tangled with mine, tasting and teasing in a perfect combination of comfort and hunger.

When he pulled back, I was dizzy and panting. He peppered biting, sucking kisses along my jaw and down my neck. His tongue found the pulse point at my throat, soothing the spot where his mark should have been.

“Keep going,” he murmured against my skin.

My wolf snapped and snarled. Impatient. Furious. How dare he make such demands, have such a hold over us, without staking his claim in turn?

I shivered, rocking against him as the words spilled out. Needing to drown out my wolf. “Jude appeared in the middle of the fighting. She was barely alive, but she told us the truth about Daniel’s death. About my father’s involvement.”

His hands roamed my body, his touches growing more insistent. One slipped around to cup my ass, pulling me flush against him. His cock pressed between us, hot and hard against my stomach.

“I made a choice,” I said, focusing on Nico. My wolf whined and pawed against the sorrow and guilt. Monster. Father. Murderer. Pack. He’d been too much, demanded too much, taken too much. “I turned on him. Half the pack sided with me, half with him. We fought... and I...”

I trailed off, unable to continue. Nico pulled back slightly, his eyes searching mine. For a moment, I braced myself for disgust. For judgment. But instead, his gaze softened with understanding, followed by a fierce, wicked pride.

“You ended his reign of terror,” he said firmly.

I tried to look away, to brush off my actions. “I did what I had to. The pack?—”

Nico growled low in his throat. His hands gripped my hips, holding me in place as he ground his cock against me.

“You saved both packs,” he insisted, his voice husky with desire. “Don’t you dare forget that.”

My body betrayed me, arching into his touch even as shame twisted in my gut. “I couldn’t take over after that,” I admitted, the words bitter on my tongue. “I let Rafe become alpha. I wasn’t... I’m not worthy of leading them. They don’t need another Whitman bringing them to ruin.”

He let off an annoyed growl and crashed his lips against mine in a punishing kiss. Teeth clashed. Lips bruised. It felt like he was trying to crawl inside me, to wrap himself around my soul. Like he could absorb my pain and carry it for me.

His hands slid down to my thighs, and he lifted me up. On instinct, I wrapped my legs around his waist. His hard length pressed against me, sending pleasure rippling through me.

Without breaking our kiss, Nico carried me through the cabin and tossed me onto my bed. Before I could move, he loomed over me, his expression pure animalistic hunger.

“You put the pack first,” he said. There was no room for argument in his words or his eyes, but a thrill slammed down my spine at the idea of trying. “That’s what a true alpha does.”

His weight pressed down on me as he straddled my hips. I groaned as his cock rubbed against me through my jeans, sending sparks dancing across my nerves. He stripped off my top, tossing it aside without looking away from me. His heated stare made my skin tingle in anticipation.

Slowly, he dragged his fingertips down my body, tracing every curve. A whimper escaped me as he flicked open the button of my jeans and eased down the zipper. His other hand cupped my breast through my bra, brushing lightly over my nipple.

“You’re incredible, Elise,” he breathed. My bra joined my shirt on the floor. “Beautiful.”

He bent down and drew the hardened bud into his mouth. His teeth scraped lightly over my sensitive skin and I cried out, arching into him, needing more. More contact, more pleasure, more of him.

“Fierce.” His fingers found the button of my jeans. He sat back on his heels, dragging my pants and underwear down and off with him.

I felt exposed under his gaze, vulnerable in a way that had nothing to do with my nudity. Here he was, in a position of strength, while I lay naked and panting before him. Normally, I hated feeling weak, but not now. Not with Nico.

He looked at me like he wanted to devour me, and damn if it didn’t turn me on.

“Powerful.” His fingers curled around my ankles, sliding upward, igniting a path of fire along my skin.

Goosebumps broke out everywhere he touched, my breath quickening. Something predatory flickered in his eyes. Something almost feral.

“Let me show you how worthy you are.” Slowly, deliberately, he parted my legs.

I moaned as his fingers danced between my thighs, finally landing where I most desperately needed him. He dipped one finger inside me, teasing, torturing. My hips rocked toward him, begging for more.

Nico chuckled, a low, dirty sound that sent a shiver down my spine. His thumb circled my clit as his fingers sank deeper into my pussy. “That’s it,” he growled. “Let me hear you.”

I cried out as pleasure coiled inside me. Need pulsed through me, pushing everything else out of my mind. No loss. No pain. Nico, Nico, there was only Nico.

He leaned forward and captured my mouth in a brutal kiss, swallowing my cries as he pumped his fingers in and out of me. His palm brushed against my clit with every stroke, driving me closer and closer to the edge.

“Let go,” he commanded against my lips. “You’re so fucking sexy when you’re losing control.”

That was all it took to send me flying over the edge with a cry that might have been his name. Pleasure crashed over me as I writhed under his touch. Fuck, I was pretty sure the entire pack could hear my orgasm from miles away, and I didn’t care. Let them hear. Let them know Nico was mine, and I was his, and fuck anyone who got in the way of that.

I slumped back onto the pillows, boneless and panting. The cedar and espresso and pure fucking male scent of him invaded my senses, leaving me drunk on lust and primal satisfaction.

Mine. This wolf, this man, was mine.

Nico sat back, bringing his glistening fingers to his lips and licking them clean. His eyes glinted in the low light, drinking me in. Hungry. Obsessed. And oh, so dangerous.

I parted my legs and slid my fingers over my slick clit. I savored the flare of heat in his eyes, the twitch of his cock. Knowing he was watching gave me a rush. That I had this power over him made me feel invincible.

I slid two fingers inside my aching pussy. “Is this what you want, Nico?”

His answer was a low rumble—half growl, half purr. He was on me in a flash, yanking my hand away. He pinned my wrist above my head as his free hand wrapped around the base of his thick cock. His tip grazed my entrance, making my pussy throb in anticipation.

“Look at me,” he ordered, waiting until I met his gaze before continuing. “You’re incredible, Elise. Powerful. Fierce. Beautiful.”

With each repeated word, he pushed into me a little more. I moaned as my body stretched to accommodate him, the delicious ache amplifying the effect of his praise. By the time he bottomed out, I was shaking with need.

“Fuck, Nico.” I dug my fingers into his shoulder, urging him on. “Please.”

He hooked my leg over his arm, spreading me wide as he began to move. Long, slow strokes that drove me wild. My nails raked down his back, desperate to pull him closer.

“You saved your pack,” he said softly, punctuating the words with a slow roll of his hips. “You put their needs above your own.”

I shook my head, denying his words. But they sank deep anyway, working their way past my walls. Working their way into my soul.

“You’re not weak,” he insisted, picking up the pace, but still so controlled. Each thrust sent shocks of pleasure through me. “You’re not a monster.”

The corners of my eyes burned as I clung to him. I threw my head back, squeezing my eyes shut to escape the sudden, searing vulnerability. But Nico wouldn’t have it. His hand returned to my jaw, forcing me to meet his gaze.

“Look at me while I fuck you,” he said, his voice ragged with need.

His eyes shone with tenderness, but there was fire beneath. The promise of punishment if I defied him. Just thinking about it made my inner wolf howl in triumph. I ached for him to push me, to challenge me, to own me.

“You’re worthy,” Nico growled, his pace increasing. “Say it.”

I struggled to form a coherent response as my pleasure built, but I managed a single word. “Never.”

Nico smirked, something dark flashing behind his eyes. Challenge accepted.

His grip on my jaw tightened as he slammed into me again and again, harder, faster. The sounds coming out of me were desperate, animalistic, but I was beyond caring. All I cared about was finding release with Nico inside me.

The tension coiled tighter and tighter as his cock filled me again and again, stretching me and filling me completely. I rocked my hips in time with his, chasing my orgasm. I was so close. Just a little more, just a little harder?—

With a savage grin, Nico slipped his hand between us, stroking my clit.

“Say it,” he demanded again, circling the sensitive bundle of nerves. “Tell me you’re worthy. Tell me you want to live.”

I bucked and writhed under him, trapped in the ecstasy of his touch. His eyes. His relentless words. My wolf howled in frustration, desperate to give him anything he demanded.

But some stubborn piece of me refused to give in. Refused to believe those lies.

“Nico, please,” I gasped, caught on the razor’s edge of pleasure.

He laughed, and oh fuck, that sound. That feral, dominant laugh.

“Please, what? Please keep fucking you? Please let you come?” He licked a trail up the side of my neck. “I think I’ve made it very clear what I want to hear.”

I teetered on the brink of climax, moaning as Nico fucked me into oblivion. I didn’t deserve his kindness, his words. I didn’t deserve to live.

Except I wanted to. Oh fuck, how I wanted to.

I wanted to survive this night, and the next, and every one after. I wanted to feel his rough hands on me every day for the rest of my life. I wanted to taste him on my tongue. I wanted to prove him right, to earn the pride in his eyes and the respect in his tone.

I wanted to live and rebuild my pack so bad I could fucking taste it.

With a cry, I arched into him, raking my nails down his back. I wrapped my legs around his waist and yanked him closer, driving him deeper. Nico’s name spilled from my lips as waves of pleasure crashed over me, sweeping me away.

And slowly, surely, my heartache washed away, too.

Nico came with a roar, burying himself in me with powerful thrusts. He collapsed on top of me, forehead pressed to my shoulder, chest heaving. After a moment, he rolled to the side and gathered me into his arms.

We lay in silence for a long moment, listening to the sound of each other breathing. Of hearts beating, slowly returning to normal. Nico trailed lazy circles on my hip with his thumb, soothing me with the simple gesture.

I grazed my fingers along the smooth skin of my neck. Nothing. Again. My wolf growled in annoyance, snapping at my rib cage from the inside.

But I just felt empty.

Not worthy, despite all his pretty words and perfect fucking cock.

Nico drew my hand away and shifted to press his lips along my throat, ghosting across the spot that should’ve held a mate bite. “When you fully believe it,” he murmured. “And when I deserve you.”