Page 15

The taunt hits its mark. My wolf surges forward, tired of dancing around what we both want. "Is that what you think? That I wanted you to fail?"

"Didn't you?" But her breath catches as I close the final distance between us. "You made it pretty clear five years ago that I wasn't good enough for—"

I silence her with a growl, backing her against the nearest tree. She gasps as her back hits bark, but her scent spikes with heat rather than just fear. Nervousness, anxiety, curiosity, desire. So much all at once.

"I watched you create handholds in solid rock. Repair a broken rope with pure magic. Bend water to your will. And all I could think was—”

"Don't." Her voice wavers. "Don't say things you don't mean. Not again, Nic—I can’t handle it."

"Don’t presume to order me around, Luna." I brace my hands on either side of her head, caging her with my body. This close, I can count the freckles across her nose, see the gold flecks in her green eyes. "I wanted you. It’s the truth.”

Her magic crackles between us, making my skin tingle. "Stop it. You can't just—"

"Can't just what? I am your Alpha.” My lip curls. Looking down at her, I want to ruin her. I want to make her forget her name, I realize with a chill of desire.

"Nic." My name comes out somewhere between a warning and a plea. “Nic.”

I lean closer, drawing in her scent. Beneath the lake water and magic, desire rolls off her in waves. "Tell me to stop. Tell me you don't want this just as badly as I do. You can’t, can you? You were always a bad liar.”

Her hands come up to my chest, but she doesn't push me away. "This is a terrible idea."

"Probably." I let my fingers trace her jaw, feeling her shiver at the contact. "Tell me to stop."

Instead, she fists her hands in my shirt and drags my mouth to hers.

The kiss explodes between us like lightning.

My wolf howls in triumph as I press her harder against the tree, drowning in the taste of her.

She makes a desperate sound in the back of her throat, arching into me like she's trying to climb inside my skin.

Her magic surges wild and hot, matching the intensity of my wolf's need.

"Nic," she gasps as I trail kisses down her throat. "We shouldn't—"

"Mine," I growl against her racing pulse. My wolf is fully present now, recognizing his mate. "Always mine."

She shudders as I find that spot behind her ear that always drove her crazy. "The pack—"

"Don't care." I reclaim her mouth, swallowing her protests. All these years of wanting her, of trying to forget the taste of her, the feel of her, all exploding into this moment of desperate need.

Her legs wrap around my waist as I lift her higher, backing her against a tree, aligning our bodies in ways that make us both groan. I can feel the core of her against my clothed middle. I can smell her desire.

Luna's fingers tangle in my hair as I kiss a path down her throat, savoring the salt of her skin.

The bark of the tree scrapes against my knuckles as I press her closer, needing to eliminate any space between us.

Her pulse flutters beneath my lips like a trapped bird.

I trail my hands down her sides, feeling the curves of her body through the damp fabric of her shirt.

She shivers, whether from the cold or my touch, I'm not sure.

Probably both. The scent of her arousal mingles with the earthy smell of the forest around us.

"Nic," she breathes as I nip at her collarbone. Her hips roll against mine instinctively, drawing a groan from deep in my chest.

I fumble with the buttons of her shirt, cursing under my breath as my fingers slip on the wet material. Luna laughs breathlessly, and I want to fuck the sound out of her mouth.

With a growl of frustration, I tear her shirt open, buttons scattering across the forest floor. Luna gasps, her eyes flashing with heat as I palm her breasts through the thin lace of her bra, tearing it aside a moment later. She arches into my touch, her nails raking down my back.

"Over there," I grunt, nodding towards a moss-covered boulder jutting from the earth nearby. We stumble towards it, unable to break contact for more than a moment. Luna's feet barely touch the ground as I half-carry, half-drag her across the clearing.

When we reach the rock, I shove her down onto its smooth surface.

She lands with a soft "oof," her hair fanning out around her like spilled ink against the pale stone. I pause for a moment, drinking in the sight of her. Flushed cheeks, kiss-swollen lips, glazed eyes. A desire in her eyes so strong I can’t stand it.

I hover over her, my hands braced on either side of her head. Luna's chest heaves as she looks up at me, her eyes dark with need. I lower my mouth to her neck, nipping and sucking hard enough to leave marks.

She whimpers, her back arching off the cool stone. I growl low in my throat, pinning her hips down with one hand while the other roughly kneads her breast, pinching and squeezing. She gasps at the intensity, her fingers scrabbling against the moss-slick rock for purchase.

"Nic," she pants, "please..."

I silence her with a bruising kiss, swallowing her moans as I tweak and roll her nipple between my fingers. Her hips buck against my restraining hand, seeking friction. I bite down on her lower lip in a warning.

"Be still," I command, my voice rough with desire.

Luna whimpers but obeys, her body trembling beneath me with the effort of holding still. I reward her compliance by trailing open-mouthed kisses down her throat, across her collarbone, between the swells of her breasts.

My hands slide down her sides, fingers digging into her full hips hard enough to divot and bruise. Luna gasps, her head falling back against the stone as I roughly yank her pants down. The fabric tears, and I growl in satisfaction. I'll buy her new ones later. Right now, I need her bare beneath me.

I descend on her with punishing intensity, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand while the other explores newly exposed skin.

Luna writhes against me, seeking friction, but I hold her firmly in place.

My fingers trace patterns on her inner thighs, coming tantalizingly close to where she needs me most before retreating.

"Nic," she whines, frustration evident in her voice. "Nic—”

I silence her with a bruising kiss, nipping at her lower lip. "Patience. I can do whatever I want to you."

My mouth travels down her body, leaving a trail of bites and kisses in my wake. When I reach the apex of her thighs, I pause, breathing in her intoxicating scent. Luna's hips buck, trying to close the distance, but I hold her firmly in place.

Without warning, I plunge two fingers deep inside her, reveling in her cry of pleasure.

Luna's back arches off the stone as I set a punishing pace, curling my fingers to hit that spot that makes her see stars.

She writhes beneath me, her legs trembling as she climbs higher and higher.

Just as she teeters on the edge, I withdraw completely.

She cries out in frustration, her hips chasing my touch.

"Nic, please," she begs, her voice wrecked. "I need—"

"I know what you need," I growl, pinning her hips to the stone. "And you'll get it when I decide."

I descend on her again, this time with my mouth. My tongue traces patterns, alternating between broad strokes and pinpoint precision. Luna writhes beneath me, her thighs trembling as they clamp around my head. I grip her hips bruisingly tight, holding her in place as I devour her.

My teeth graze her sensitive flesh, drawing a sharp gasp from her lips. I suck her clit into my mouth, flicking it rapidly with my tongue as I thrust two fingers inside her. Luna's back arches off the stone, a keening cry echoing through the forest.

I set a punishing rhythm, curling my fingers to hit that spot deep inside her that makes her see stars.

My free hand splays across her stomach, pinning her down as she writhes beneath me.

I can feel her muscles tensing, her inner walls fluttering around my fingers.

I redouble my efforts, driving Luna higher and higher with relentless intensity.

Her thighs quake around my head as I suck and lick with punishing force.

Just as she teeters on the brink of release, I abruptly pull away once more.

Luna cries out in frustration, her hips chasing my retreating mouth. "Nic, please!"

I rise up, drinking in the sight of her sprawled across the moss-covered stone. Her chest heaves, skin flushed and glistening with a sheen of sweat. She’s wriggling with desire, trying to fuck herself on my fingers.

"Look at you," I growl, withdrawing my hand and trailing it along her inner thigh. Luna whimpers, trying to guide my hand where she needs it most. I tsk, pinning her wrists above her head again. "So desperate. So needy."

"Please," Luna sobs, her hips rolling against the stone in search of friction. "Nic, I can't take it anymore."

I smirk, my wolf prowling just beneath the surface. "So impatient, Luna." I tease her with my fingertips, barely grazing her clit before retreating. "You've been missing the chase, haven't you?"

Her nails dig into the stone, her every muscle tense with restraint. "Just... just fuck me already."

The raw need in her voice sends a shiver down my spine.

I want to savor this moment, to draw out her torment forever, but my own desire rages out of control.

With a growl, I rise to my feet and tear open my pants.

My cock springs free, already hard and throbbing, and I surge forward, gripping Luna's hips and driving into her with a single powerful thrust. She cries out, her back arching off the stone as I fill her completely.