Chapter 11 - Harvey

She smelled of azaleas, sweet water, and rich oils. Her skin bristled under my touch as I traced her shoulders, elbows, and forearms. My fingers grazed her palms and elicited a shiver from us both, mine shooting through my center, and right to my cock. She was barely a few inches away from me, her head tilted back with her eyes closed and her throat exposed. That was such a vulnerable position for a woman like Kiara, who had just been tossed into uncertain circumstances. Her eyelids fluttered without opening, and her lips parted ever so slightly, revealing a sliver of pink tongue hidden inside her mouth. That luscious muscle was like a double-edged sword—she could soothe as much as she could lash.

That was something I wanted in a mate. That was the kind of woman who was right for me—one who could match my strength in both physical and mental pursuits. Something about the way she leaned into me told me about the amorous thoughts she had on the way to my cabin. Without hesitation, she leaped into my arms and wrapped her limbs around my torso. I caught her by her bottom, feeling the slick sensation of oil on her skin that made it a challenge to carry her inside. Our lips danced just on the edge of kissing as I walked up the steps and into my bedroom. I kicked the door shut with my foot just when she nipped my lip.

I hissed. Tease.

My hard cock throbbed on her inner thigh, inviting her hips to draw rhythmic circles that made her bottom slip around in my hands. I cupped the tender flesh as I walked her to the bed, where rose petals rested on the white cotton sheets. The pressure of her locked hands at the base of my neck encouraged me to buck, inching my cock toward her slit. She gasped as I planted her firmly against the thick bedpost. A smile eased over her lips as I reached between us to trace her delicate folds with two fingers. After a few strokes, her slit parted to my touch, revealing a warm entrance that beckoned my plunge. Gasps accompanied the ballooning of her chest and brought her breasts closer to my mouth. I suckled her left nipple and allowed my lips to roam her bosom unhindered.

Yes, she was more than pliant now. She was delicious from those oils, her flesh smooth as velvet as her hardened nipple skated over my tongue. Each gulp of air brought her chest higher, and she accepted more of my fingers until she was a shuddering, clutching, scratching mess at my beck and call. She gyrated her hips as I sank deep and pressed my thumb to her twitching clit. The sigh she released as I encompassed her nipple with my lips and slurped relentlessly gave me chills. No one could have predicted this moment. Our first meeting wasn’t exactly great, but I couldn’t help wondering if we would have found each other in another way.

Who else would want me with a demon hiding inside my body?

Her nails trailed through my hair and massaged my scalp as she arched her slit toward me. “I like that…please…keep going, Harvey…”

I surfaced for a moment, just long enough to catch her hypnotized gaze. Her eyelids were so heavy that I barely saw the soft sheen of blue-green that shimmered like crystals in the dim candlelight. Wet lips widened to an oval as I pumped my fingers, following that invisible beat we had established when we met outside. The way her throat contracted with choked moans made me ravenous for her to let the beast take over.

“We’re alone,” I whispered as I gripped her hip with my free hand. “Be as loud as you wish, Kiara.”

She licked her lips. “But what if—?”

I swallowed her doubts with a hard kiss. It turned her words into a rugged grunt, one that resonated through her lips as she struggled to kiss me through the heavy thrusts from my fingers. Little huffs of amusement broke from me between kisses. Seeing her reduced to a bumbling mess of gibberish, of syllables that refused logic, was too satisfying.

With firm thrusts, I coaxed her hips to join my pace, feeling the desperation of her tongue trying to explore my mouth. Short gasps of air were all I could hear over the thundering of her heart. Slick heat made our bodies slide together, but the perpetual readjustment of my free hand and my stance never slowed my pace. I wanted her to be a pliable mess before I claimed her. I wanted every bit of her to want me in ways that were purely primal, because not just any woman could handle me. The fact that she could told me she wasn’t just any woman—she was likely the woman just for me.

She could be my salvation.

Her nails raked my upper back as she met my lips with a long, vibrating moan. I smiled through every kiss as I retained my pace, enjoying the way she sheathed herself on my fingers with every dive. Her persistence impressed me, and the way she dropped her guard so easily as our flesh became more acquainted made my heart swell with happiness.

I leaned back an inch, teasing her with kisses that never landed. “That’s it, my sweet flower. Let me have you. Let me take you over…”

Her lower lip quivered as her brows knotted together. Sweet surrender sang in her mesmerized expression, her blown-out pupils, her widening mouth. Soon, her moans became a crescendo of bliss, her hips heaving forward as I kept my rhythm while her fingers dug into my skin. Every painful zap from her nails drove my cock harder into her thigh. I needed to be inside her with her legs around my waist. Just when she cried out, I removed my fingers and raised them between us, taking my time to lick away each delicious drop of her arousal. She watched me with wide eyes, totally engrossed in the act of my devouring while her hips continued in broken waves to seek a source of pleasure.

After finishing off her delicious nectar, I stole her lips, planting my hands behind her knees to carry her to the mattress. She struggled to hang on through the mess of sweat and oil, our hot flesh carrying so many secret desires that longed to be enacted. As soon as I planted her on the bed, I traveled south, tangling my fingers with hers to keep her pinned, to keep us connected as I dove for her slit.

So much arousal soaked her folds that I licked away with careful strokes. Each lap produced a thrust, and it made my cock throb painfully as I parted her slit to taste her entrance. Sighs and giggles rang from above. She loosened her grip on my hand to stroke the back of my head, following my gentle waves with circular bucks. I heard the smile in her moans, the satisfaction in her giggles, and felt the way her flesh tingled as her thighs tightened around my head. Her body burst with pleasure as I lapped through her folds to her clit. She whimpered and bayed while grabbing the back of my head to shove my mouth deeper. I gladly drank up every last drop, nuzzling her sensitive flesh to make it twitch, enjoying the way her thighs relaxed and then tightened again through tumultuous waves of bliss. When I finally resurfaced, I saw the way her eyelids quivered, and I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

A crooked smile spread over my lips as I crawled between her still-shivering legs. My cock was painfully stiff as I perched the tip at her entrance, watching the way her eyelids fluttered and then snapped wide. I coasted between her slit an inch, pausing when her hands floated over my biceps to the back of my neck. She hugged me to her, raising her legs to welcome my descent. Her slit twitched around my shaft as I sank slowly, aching to plow her like she was a toy, yet controlling myself in ways that I never expected. With her, it seemed to come naturally. With her, the pain of my possession hardly existed.

And that was when I noticed the silence around us. No vicious knocks came from the walls, and no wicked wind threatened to whip into the room. Even my thoughts were cohesive, so lucid that I thought I had stepped into a different world, one where her affection—her simple touch—was enough to relieve me of ten years’ worth of pain.

Was it true? Did she have the power to save me?

Kiara licked her lips, drawing my attention to her mouth, which seemed to dazzle me no matter how many times I kissed her. Unbidden desires coursed through me so freely that I wondered if the demon had already left. Yet, before I could even check, I was caressing her cheek with my thumb sliding over her bottom lip. I rolled my hips gently, watching her eyes roll back. The way she licked my tongue inspired me to pull my hips back and return with a greater thrust, breaking up the moans that had surfaced from her as I massaged her hip with my left hand. My thumb slid into her mouth. She wrapped her lips obediently around it, returning my thrusts with whimpering bucks that were about to annihilate me.

It was then I realized how long it’d been since I was with a woman. Each plunge grew hungrier and heavier, inviting her to unwind her hands from my neck to explore my slippery pecks and abdomen. Pain bloomed where she dug her nails into my flesh. Eager desire blossomed when she released my thumb and ravenously consumed my lips. I couldn’t sit up if I tried. The muscles of my arms refused to obey, all effort going to my hips as I drove repeatedly between her succulent thighs.

“Harder,” she mewled. “Please, Harvey. Harder.”

That tugged at the beast in me, my original wolf, which had been with me since the day I was born. He howled excitedly at the sound of Kiara’s voice, a delicate and wondrous tune that made my soul dance. At her request, I slammed my cock into her, lavishing her shoulders with generous kisses that made her squirm. Each dive turned me even more into that growling beast until I felt like I was going to consume her entirely.

Everything broke apart at once as I crested. She locked her legs behind my back, keeping my position deep as I rocked into her. I gripped her shoulders to bow over her, pummeling hard enough to bounce us from the bed. Her whimpering pants echoed in my right ear as I bit her neck. Oh goddess, she was milking my cock with every clench from her entrance. I doubled over as I came, losing myself to the passionate waves of her body undulating beneath me. I slammed and paused and slammed once more, feeling the way it rocketed me into a new mindset.

Clarity.

That clarity led to a great realization: I didn”t want to leave her.

I didn”t mean that in the sense that I wanted to leave the room since we had finished. I meant that I didn”t want to pull out. I could feel her panting beneath me, could feel the way her chest rose to meet mine, and how her chin turned so she could nuzzle into my neck. Feeling her respond to me in that way made me want to go all over again, but I knew better. I could sense her exhaustion, how the trek through the forest had tired her, and I could feel it in myself as well. I pulled out from her, trying not to focus on the way her slit clenched to keep me inside.

After standing, I wandered toward the bathroom in something of a dazed state. I collected a few towels and carefully patted her down, being extra careful around her sensitive slit. I turned to myself only when I was satisfied that she was clean. Her eyes were closed, and a serene expression was on her face, making her features so delicate that I wanted to touch them. A few minutes was all it took for her to fall asleep. It was the most comfortable she had been since she”d gotten here. Given the circumstances, I was impressed that she was allowing herself to be so vulnerable with me.

The influence of the oils was that of a magical nature. They weren”t drugs or anything of that sort. Rather, they were more of an aphrodisiac that inspired the body and the inner wolf to respond to one”s mate. My elders and predecessors had developed this over the years to make it easier to reproduce. Tonight, it had worked brilliantly on us both.

I collected the used towels and tossed them into the hamper. For a moment, I thought about taking a shower. But again, I didn”t want to leave her side. All I wanted was to be pressed up against her as many times as physically possible, and not even in a sexual sense. I was simply desperate to have her close so that I could feel the tide of her breath and the rhythms of her body. I adjusted the sheets to accommodate her, admiring how the way her hair spilled over the pillow looked so much like a black river. I ran my fingers through it, feeling its silkiness, its softness. Sweat and oil caused some of the strands of hair to stick together, preventing me from stroking my fingers through it.

I grabbed a brush from the nightstand and brushed out the knots that had formed during our romping. Soft mewls rose from each stroke, her eyelids fluttering like she wanted to wake up. But she didn’t. She snoozed peacefully as I tenderly groomed her. After tucking her in, I curled under the sheets with her and wrapped my arm around her waist. Sleep had never come easily to me. Yet I found myself drifting off the moment my face touched her shoulder. Seconds later, I fell deep into that wonderful place where I knew I could get rest.

***

Bacon sizzled in the pan as I mixed the appropriate ingredients for pancakes. I couldn’t recall the last time I had a woman sleep in my bed. It must have been over a decade ago. Even then, whatever memories I had eluded my grasp. The calming sensation of having a warm body beside me was incredible. Kiara was such a peaceful sleeper. She rested very still, kept to my side, and didn’t hog the sheets. Nothing about her was worth complaining about, even the soft snores that she made. Unaware of her surroundings, she rested so easily. It put me at ease to realize how wonderful it felt to see her when I woke up.

I was in the midst of preparing the coffee when I heard her stir. Behind me in the living room was a pile of clothes on the couch. Nora had managed to steal a cream-colored cashmere sweater, dark jeans, boots, and a pair of thick white socks. I figured Kiara was tired of wearing my clothes, although she”d made no complaints about the matter. She looked cute walking around in my oversized joggers and muscle shirts. It made her scent stick to my clothes—and that made me want to wear them even more.

Once breakfast was finished, I loaded up a tray, tucked the clothes under my arm, and carried everything to the bedroom where Kiara was sitting up on the bed. She brushed her long, dark hair out with her slender fingers, reminding me of everything we did last night. Lust consumed me. I wanted to drop everything and jump on the bed. The sunlight illuminated her face from the window. Birds chirped outside. The trees rustled in the breeze. The wind struck the side of the cabin with a formal strength rather than the threatening aura that it had some nights ago.

Thinking about that night was strange because that was when Clancy and I were trying to figure out how to save this pack. Not more than a week later, I was mated to a woman who wore my mark and who didn”t shy away from my touch. That very same woman was now in my bed.

I carried the tray of food over and set it next to her, then handed her the clothes. I watched her face light up when she felt the softness of the sweater. This was more delightful than feeling her unravel from an orgasm.

She ran her fingers over the sweater. “If you thrifted this, that”s quite a lucky find.”

I reached out to stroke her cheek, drawing her gaze to me. “You can thank Nora for that.”

Her smile grew, making her eyes look greener this morning than her usual bluish-green—almost like a pale emerald, almost like a stone struck with moonlight. She looked up at me with those eyes, the smile still there, my hand still on her cheek.

She breathed slowly. “What happens next?”

I ran my thumb underneath her eye and watched her flesh twitch at my behest. “I”m not really sure yet.”

Her smile receded, and she set the clothes aside, focusing on the tray with a downcast look on her face. Her hair fell into her eyes, and I felt the need to push it away, to brush a lock behind her ear. But I got the feeling that she didn”t want to be touched at that moment. Instead, I rounded the bed and sat beside her, giving her enough space to eat.

She quietly munched on a few bits of bacon and then turned to me with a tight expression. “Well, you”re the one who”s supposed to know, right? We did this ritual to save your pack. Did it work?”

I looked away from her, almost feeling ashamed that I didn”t have an idea of what to do as her mate and as an alpha.

She scoffed. “So, I’ve been kidnapped, thrown into a cage, and forced to mate with a completely random stranger—and now, that stranger has no idea what”s going to happen next.” She dropped her hands loudly on her lap. “Great.”

Agitated by her tone, I reached for her piece of toast and plucked it angrily from the plate. “If I had known you were going to wake up on the wrong side of the bed, I would have set up breakfast in the living room, not in here.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “I don”t see what that has to do with anything.”

“We had such a wonderful time last night.” I bit into the toast, chewing it pointedly. I didn”t continue until I swallowed. “I don”t see why you”re having such a bad attitude about everything right now.”

She gaped at me as though I had insulted her dead mother. That wasn”t even something that I knew about her. I had no concept of her family. The only person she”d mentioned was a father and perhaps a few other people like her alphas, the plurality of which I still didn”t understand. Even so, she looked almost indignant at how I said things.

She frowned at her hands. “This has nothing to do with last night.”

I shook my head. “Well, then, I don”t understand what you”re complaining about. Whether you like it or not, you belong to me now.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Oh, really?”

With that, she jumped from the bed and zoomed to the door. I interceded almost instantaneously as though I could predict her next movements. I held her tightly for a moment, locking my arms around her elbows to keep her arms pinned at her sides. I thought she was going to fight me harder. Wasn’t that the point of her running?

“You can’t treat me like this,” she argued while struggling against me.

“You’re not my mother.”

She grunted. “You sure could use one.”

“I don’t have one.”

“Wow, what a coincidence—me neither.”

My grip relaxed a bit. “That explains things.”

She gave a cry of frustration. She wiggled her shoulders and tried to kick away, but she was too short, and I was too strong. Though she gave quite a thrashing, she ultimately melted and snapped her head back to look up at me. The frustration was evident on her face. She seemed to give something of a grimace and clenched her teeth. Another frustrated growl surfaced.

“I hate that you won”t let me leave.”

I squeezed her lightly. “I just can”t let you go out there alone. Do you understand? I have to protect you now. You’re mine.”

“Why?”

“Because I want you to be mine, Kiara.”

One more agitated sound, and then she was a mess of broken syllables, clamoring to stand on her toes just to reach my face, just to kiss me. She wanted to wrestle, and she wanted to kiss passionately; I was more than glad to give her both of those things.

Just as long as she stayed mine.