Page 22

I’m running just behind her, close enough to watch the powerful lines of her wolf move through the forest with effortless grace, and it’s driving me insane. Her scent is everywhere, wrapping around me like a vice, teasing me with every stride she takes. She glances back once, and there’s no mistaking the challenge in those green eyes.

She wants me to chase her.

My wolf doesn’t need to be told twice.

Jaslyn’s speed is impressive, lean and quick, but I’m an alpha, and the predator in me doesn’t care about making this easy for her. My paws hit the ground with a solid rhythm as I push harder, cutting through the trees and closing the distance between us. She dodges left, then right, darting between thick trunks and low-hanging branches. I can feel her amusement in the way her tail flicks when I get too close.

She thinks she can outpace me. Adorable.

I surge forward, and her ears twitch back as she realizes I’m gaining. Her pace quickens, her strides stretching longer, and I swear she’s laughing, at least as much as a wolf can.

The forest around us feels like an extension of our bodies, the way we move through it without hesitation, without second-guessing. It’s instinct, raw and primal, and it’s not just the run that’s fueling the tension in my chest. It’s her. The way she moves, the confidence in every step, the way she lets herself go entirely to this moment.

I nearly lose myself watching her, but she veers sharply to the left. I react instantly, cutting through the undergrowth to intercept her. My wolf is relentless, fueled by the promise of catching her, and when I finally close the gap enough to graze her flank with my shoulder, she snaps her head around and growls.

That playful, low growl shouldn’t be sexy, but it is. It’s everything I can do not to shift back right then and there, and—

She bolts again, breaking my train of thought. This time, I don’t let her get far. I push hard, closing the distance in a few powerful strides, and lunge just enough to nip at her tail. It’s a deliberate move, one that earns me a sharp bark in protest and a flick of her tail against my nose.

It’s not a fight—it’s foreplay. And my wolf is all in.

We break into a clearing. She skids to a stop, turning to face me with her head held high and her chest heaving. I slow and start circling her as I move closer. She doesn’t back down, doesn’t shy away. If anything, she leans into it.

When I step forward again, she shifts first. The change ripples through her like liquid fire. Her naked human form replaces her wolf in a matter of seconds, and she stands there in all her bare, unapologetic glory, looking at me like she dares me not to follow.

“Are you going to stay like that?” she asks. “Or are you going to join me?”

I shift without hesitation, letting the transformation take hold. When I stand before her, I can feel the heat of her gaze like a physical touch. My skin buzzes under her scrutiny, every nerve alive and alert as we take each other in.

“Caught you,” I tease.

“You didn’t catch me,” she counters. “I stopped.”

“Why?” I step closer, and the space between us shrinks until there’s barely enough room to breathe.

She tilts her head. “To see if you’d actually make a move, Alpha.”

Challenge accepted.

I close the final distance, and my hands find her waist as her breath hitches. Her skin is warm under my touch, and when I lower my head to capture her mouth with mine, the world falls away. The kiss is molten, a clash of heat and hunger, and her hands find their way into my hair, pulling me closer, deeper.

I kiss her until the tension inside me is a burning ache, until my lungs scream for air, until the only thing keeping me upright is her.

My hands trail lower, tracing the curve of her hips, and she arches into me with a soft sound that makes me dizzy. I want to hear her say my name. I want her moaning and gasping and whispering my name as I make her come.

My tongue sweeps across hers. The taste of her is addictive. I need more, and she gives it freely, kissing me with the same intensity. Her hand slides over my bare chest, and her fingers trace the lines of my muscles, exploring every inch of exposed skin.

I let her explore, relishing the way her touch lights up my body. I want her to see, to touch, to claim me the same way I plan to claim her. When her fingers brush the edge of my hip, I bite back a groan, and my own hand tightens on her ass.

She pulls away from the kiss just enough to gasp for air, and I trail kisses along her jaw and neck, tasting the salt on her skin. She sighs, tilting her head back, and I nip at the delicate skin of her throat, eliciting another moan.

The sounds she makes drive me wild, and my free hand comes up to cup her breast, stroking and teasing her nipple until she arches into me. When I replace my fingers with my mouth, her hand clenches in my hair, and she cries out.

Her nails dig into my shoulders, and her hips press against mine, grinding against me. My cock is rock-hard, and her heat is searing. I know she can feel me, can sense the effect she has on me, but the urge to touch her, to taste her, is stronger.

I want to worship her.

My mouth moves lower, tracing a path of kisses down her stomach and lowering myself onto my knees in front of her. When I reach the spot where her thigh meets her hip, she whimpers, her legs trembling as I continue lower, my lips brushing the soft, sensitive skin.

Her hand slides down, guiding my head between her legs. When her fingers tighten in my hair, I give in, licking and sucking until she can barely stand. Her breaths are ragged, and the sound of her pleasure fills the clearing, driving me mad.

I want her. Need her.

My tongue darts over her clit, and her body shudders. Her thighs squeeze my head, and her moans turn into cries. She gasps, her body bucking, and I can tell she needs more. Just as she’s about to shatter, I slip my arms around her waist and lift her.

She yelps in surprise, and her legs wrap around me automatically, anchoring herself. I carry her a few feet and press her against a tree, bracing her back with one hand and holding her up with the other.

Her arms encircle my neck as her fingers thread through my hair. Her eyes find mine, hazy with pleasure. My cock presses against her entrance, and the contact is so good, I can’t hold back the groan that escapes me. She’s so wet, and the heat of her is like a brand, sending sparks of need through every part of me.

When I ease into her, the feeling is overwhelming. She’s tight and hot and perfect, and the way her body tenses and relaxes around me drives me insane. I thrust deeper, and her back arches. Her hips roll forward, taking me in, and the sensation is enough to send a rush of desire through me.

I bury myself deep, and the cry that leaves her is the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard.

I pull back, the friction sending a wave of heat through me. The need to possess her, to claim her, is almost unbearable, and I know I’m not going to last long. Not with her wrapped around me like this, her body trembling with need.

The next time I drive into her, her body jerks, and her walls clench around me. I set a steady rhythm, thrusting hard and deep. The sight of her like this, lost in pleasure, is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I can’t tear my eyes away, can’t stop looking at the way her body moves against mine. She’s flushed, her lips parted and her eyes half-closed. Every part of me screams to claim her, to mark her, to make her mine.

I’m not gentle, but she doesn’t seem to care. She meets my thrusts, urging me deeper, her voice breaking around my name. The sound is enough to send me over the edge, and I can’t hold back anymore.

My release rips through me, and I bury myself in her with a low growl. My fingers dig into her hips, holding her still as her walls pulse around me, milking me for everything I have. Her body shudders. Her nails rake down my back, and her legs tighten around my waist, pulling me closer, deeper.

It’s bliss and torture, and I never want it to end.

I can’t catch my breath. Can’t think. Can’t do anything but feel.

When the pleasure subsides, I lean against her, pressing her back to the tree and resting my forehead against hers. She’s still shaking, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. We both need a moment.

When my heart finally slows and the haze fades, I open my eyes to find her looking at me, her expression equal parts stunned and sated.

“That was…” She trails off, her lips curving into a satisfied grin.

I smile, trailing kisses down her neck and jaw, savoring the taste of her. “Amazing?”

She lets out a breathless laugh. “That’s one word for it.”

“I have others, if you’d like a list.”

Her smile widens, and the sight warms me, chasing away the chill of the air on my sweat-slicked skin. “I’m sure you do.”

I steal another kiss, slow and lingering, before easing her back down onto her feet.

When we return to the pack house and make our way to our room, Jaslyn barely glances at me before flopping onto the bed with an exhausted sigh. She sprawls across the covers, completely at ease. For a moment, I let myself just look at her. She’s perfect like this—relaxed, alive, and safe.

I sink into the chair across from her, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees. She hums softly, a tune I don’t recognize, and stretches like a cat before rolling onto her side to face me.

“You okay, Alpha?” she teases.

I force a small smile. “Always.”

She smirks, but it’s a sleepy one, and within minutes, her breathing evens out. She doesn’t even bother getting under the blankets.

I should lie down, too. God knows I’m exhausted. But the moment I see her like this, something holds me back. Something sharp and painful that I’ve been avoiding all night.

I promised her freedom.

When I first saw her—filthy, bruised, and beaten down—I swore I’d give her a chance at something better. I paid for her life in blood money, and it was never supposed to be more than that. Get her free, make her safe, deal with the demons, and let her go.

And yet, here we are.

She’s become the center of everything. The one thing my wolf and I agree on without question. She belongs here. She belongs with me.

But that’s just it, isn’t it? She belongs to herself.

And I’m not sure I’m strong enough to let her have that.

She shifts in her sleep with her face half-buried in the crook of her arm, and something in my chest clenches painfully. The demon threat is over. The pack is safe. She doesn’t have to stay here anymore. And if I were half the man I claim to be, I’d tell her that. I’d let her go without question, without hesitation, and I’d make sure she knew she was free to choose whatever life she wants.

But what if she doesn’t choose me?

The thought guts me more than I care to admit. I’ve built my life around strength, around the belief that I can protect what’s mine. But Jaslyn isn’t something to be protected, she’s someone to be trusted. She’s a force of nature, unique and wild and everything I never knew I needed. And holding onto her feels less like safety and more like selfishness.

My promise hangs heavy in the back of my mind. I swore to set her free when this was over. And even though every instinct in me is howling to keep her close, I know I have to follow through. She deserves the world. Deserves to make her own choices, to figure out who she is without anyone holding her back.

Even if it breaks me to give her that.