Page 18 of Finding Forever with the Alpha Pack (Return to Wolf Creek #4)

Chapter 18

Grace

Everyone’s been back almost a week, and I’ve been cycling through the nights in each of my mates’ beds. It’s been a game of shifting shadows and stolen moments, but Conrad and Barrett cheated, sneaking in with each other when it was their turn to share me. That thought makes me smile, but there’s a familiar, low, rolling heat churning in my belly that pulls my attention to the calendar.

My heat … it’s close, too close.

I call for Ruby early in the morning, handing her the children’s packed bags as she arrives. She arches a brow, lips twitching in a knowing smile. “It’s time?”

“Yeah.” I nod, my voice a little breathless. “Griff already agreed to wear protection for the duration, so the others have a chance at their own pups.” I roll my neck, leaning in to kiss her cheek in gratitude. My mother-in-law doesn’t hesitate, wrapping her arms around me briefly before stepping back.

“Good luck, dear. Enjoy yourself,” she says softly, before gathering the children and turning toward the car. As they drive off, I take a deep breath, feeling the anticipation thrum through me like a live wire.

“Game on, boys.” My voice is an indistinct murmur as I pad back into the house, tiptoeing through the hallways. None of my mates sleep with their doors closed—just in case they’re needed. With a light touch, I push Ethan’s door open, my breath catching at the sight before me.

He’s sprawled on his back, the sheet barely covering the hardened length that strains against the fabric. My wolf rumbles, the sound vibrating through my chest as I step inside, letting my robe drop to the floor. It pools around my feet like a forgotten memory as I crawl onto the bed, moving on hands and knees until I can lower my head.

The first touch of my tongue against his tip draws a soft moan from his lips. Ethan’s hand slides down, giving himself a slow, deliberate stroke, but his eyes remain closed. Through our bond, I know he’s still deep in sleep, and that realization makes me grin.

Carefully, I shift, positioning myself over him. Inch by inch, I lower my body, sliding him inside me, feeling the way he stretches me, fills me. Biting my bottom lip, I drag myself up again, pulling him through my core only to sink back down just as slowly. Pleasure hums through the bond, a soft, contented buzz, but he’s still not awake.

Going this slow with Ethan is pure, unadulterated torture. I know if he were conscious, he’d be gripping my hips, pounding into me with the raw, feral hunger that leaves me breathless. Instead, I curl my body, dragging him through me again, savoring the way his length and girth press into all the right places. By the ninth or tenth slide, I feel the first flutters of my core tightening around him, the need building higher and higher.

“Wolfie…” I practically purr, grinding down against him, teasing myself with the subtle swell of his knot. “I need you … Please, Wolfie…” I lean forward, licking a line up his chest, savoring the taste of him as I curl my body again.

“Mmm … later… best… dream… ever…” Ethan mumbles, his breath hitching in his sleep.

I’m so close, so desperate, that I do the one thing guaranteed to wake him up and send him spiraling into a rut. Lifting up onto my knees, I drop down hard, sinking his knot into me, locking us together. The cry that rips from my throat as my orgasm crashes over me is loud, feral, and Ethan’s eyes fly open, wild and disoriented.

He stares up at me, and I rock against him, grinding down hard as I can. The realization hits him all at once—his eyes flash gold, and in seconds, he’s flipping me onto my back. His grip is unyielding as he pins me beneath him, rutting into me with a ferocity that steals my breath. Each deep, powerful thrust pushes me up onto the bed, his knot swelling within me, locking us together.

Ethan buries his face against my neck, inhaling deeply. The second he scents my heat, a guttural growl rumbles from his chest. His hands tighten on my hips, his rhythm turning wild and erratic as he pounds into me with raw, desperate intensity. He’s a beast, and I’m his prey, caught in the relentless drive to breed, to fill me, to claim me.

He shifts, driving deeper, hitting every perfect spot as his knot stretches me wider, the sensation almost too much. I gasp, clinging to him as he presses harder, his body trembling with the effort of holding back.

But there’s no holding back now.

The moment he realizes I’m fertile, everything changes. His teeth scrape my neck, a possessive snarl vibrating through his chest. “I’m going to fill you, Gracie,” he growls, his voice thick, guttural. “Going to fill you with my pup.”

Every thrust drives me higher, the heat building and building until I’m teetering on the edge, my vision blurring. I cry out, nails digging into his shoulders, and then I’m falling—falling into that endless abyss of pleasure as he thrusts into me one last time, his knot locked in place, and warmth spills through me.

It’s fierce and primal and everything I need. Ethan’s breath hitches, his body going rigid above me, and I feel him spill into me, his essence marking me in the most intimate way possible.

“Yes, Wolfie … yes…” I pant, my fingers tangling in his hair as I pull him down, pressing our bodies flush together. I can feel the need in him, the hunger to breed and claim, and I revel in it.

This is just the beginning.

We’re somewhere between round two or three when Griffin shows up at Ethan’s door, drawn by the thick blend of our combined scents. The look in his eyes is intense, primal, his nostrils flaring as he breathes us in.

“It’s started?” His voice is rough, strained.

Ethan’s grip on me tightens, his hands like brands against my skin as he keeps me pinned between him and the wall. Each thrust is powerful, claiming, as he pounds into me without mercy. “You think?” he growls, his voice low and vibrating through me. He slams me down onto his knot again, and I see stars, my entire body tightening around him.

“My room … Neutral…” I pant, barely able to form words as the pleasure rolls through me in waves. Even now, I can’t stop grinding down on Ethan’s knot, my core pulsing harder around him, desperate for more. He fills me again. His seed is hot and thick as he tilts his head back and roars loud enough to wake the entire house.

Barrett moves past Griffin, completely naked and unbothered by our audience. He reaches for me, twisting slightly to latch onto my breast, his teeth grazing my sensitive nipple. The sharp jolt sends shockwaves through me, adding another layer to the molten fire already burning inside. Ethan grunts, driving up into me again as Barrett sucks and nips at me, his mouth relentless.

Ethan’s knot pulses within me, and he lets out a shuddering breath. “It’s not like last time,” he pants as the aftershocks ripple through us. He guides us down the hall, Barrett’s steady hands helping us navigate to my room, where the others are already waiting.

“The ember wolf has better endurance,” Ethan says, his voice rough with lingering need as he settles on the end of the bed, still curled around me. His forehead presses against my shoulder as he struggles to catch his breath.

“Oh, shit…” Conrad whistles softly, his eyes wide.

“What’s that mean?” Lorcan asks, his gaze flickering over us with a mix of awe and concern.

“All hands on deck,” Barrett chimes in, his voice steady as he leans in to press a gentle kiss to my lips. “We all lost weight and were exhausted after her last heat.” He glances around, meeting everyone’s eyes one by one. “There were only four of us last time, now there’s six. It might not be so bad…”

Griffin’s smile makes me want to slap him. “I have an idea…” Conrad says, pulling the others into a huddle, their voices dropping low as they strategize.

Meanwhile, I feel Ethan’s knot finally loosen, the familiar sensation of his release leaving me empty but still wanting. He slips free with a groan, and I shudder at the loss, that insatiable hunger surging back to the forefront.

My eyes lock on Barrett. His back is to me, completely unguarded. He doesn’t even see it coming when I grab him, dragging him onto the bed with me in one swift movement. His startled scream echoes through the room, but I’m already moving, rolling us over until he’s beneath me, pinned.

“Gracie—” Barrett gasps, but it’s too late. It takes all of a heartbeat to have him lined up, his length sinking into me with a soft moan escaping my lips. I sit up, my hands braced against his chest as I ride him with reckless abandon, the slick sounds of our bodies filling the room. Barrett’s head tilts back, his breath coming in sharp pants, but he doesn’t try to slow me down.

He’s at my mercy, he doesn’t knot like the others, and I can move, grind, bounce as hard as I want without getting stuck. His hands grip my hips, his touch searing, but he lets me set the pace, lets me take what I need.

“Fuck, Gracie,” he moans, his voice tight with pleasure. I grin down at him, my hair falling around us like a curtain, and lean in close.

“I’ll be gentle,” I whisper, letting the red-orange of my wolf’s eyes surface. But we both know it’s a lie.

I ride him faster, harder, pushing him to the edge with every roll of my hips, every clench of my walls around him. It’s not enough, but it’s a start, a delicious promise of what’s to come.

The bed dips under Griffin’s weight, and I glance over my shoulder, finding him there, a glint of mischief in his eyes and the lube in his hand. The familiar thrill races down my spine, anticipation coiling low in my belly. His lips curve into a wicked grin as he holds my gaze.

“Since I’ve already had a pup, I figure I’ll help wear you out,” he murmurs, his voice low and husky. My pulse kicks up as his thumb circles my backdoor, applying just the right amount of pressure to loosen me up. The slick, cool lube glides over my sensitive skin, and I gasp when he pushes in slowly. Every inch of him stretches me, making me squirm as Barrett’s cock slides in and out of me in a steady, unrelenting rhythm.

Griffin’s hand splays across my shoulder blades, his palm hot and firm, holding me down against Barrett’s chest. The weight of it is grounding, making me feel small and secure between them. Barrett’s breath hitches, his hips driving upward, hitting a spot that makes my toes curl. I moan, my voice vibrating with pleasure as I press back against Griffin, welcoming the way he pushes himself all the way inside me.

“Fuck…” I draw in a deep, shuddering breath, trying to relax between them. Barrett thrusts up one more time, and I feel his cock pulsing within me, his length swelling as he spills inside. His body shudders against mine, and the sensation sends another wave of heat pooling in my core.

Griffin takes that as his cue to move. His thrusts are hard and deep, each one sending jolts of electricity through me. The knot at the base of his cock hits against my ass cheeks with every rough drive, filling me to the brink. The pressure builds, unbearable and delicious, and I find myself caught between them, pleasure and pain blurring until I’m not sure where one ends and the other begins.

Then something shifts. Barrett does something completely out of character—his hand slides up to my neck, fingers wrapping around the delicate column of my throat. He squeezes lightly, just enough to send a fresh surge of adrenaline coursing through me.

“One more, Gracie…” he rasps, his voice strained, filled with an edge I’ve never heard from him before. The gentle pressure around my throat tightens just a bit more, not enough to hurt, but enough to send me spiraling.

I cry out, my body tensing, every nerve ending on fire as my orgasm crashes over me. I buck hard between them, the intensity of it too much, too raw. But before I can lose myself completely, Griffin’s hand presses down on me, holding me still, his control absolute. He doesn’t stop, his thrusts growing more erratic until his cock pulses deep within me. A guttural groan tears from his throat, his release pushing me into another shuddering climax.

Griffin pulls out slowly, his grip lingering as if he’s reluctant to let go. “Take care of our girl,” he rumbles, his voice softened by affection, though his eyes still gleam with possessive hunger.

Barrett nods, his gaze meeting mine, warm and tender, as Griffin guides Lorcan to the opposite side of the bed. The moment Lorcan settles in, I feel a yawn building, exhaustion creeping up on me like a blanket. The adrenaline fades, leaving behind a bone-deep weariness.

I snuggle in between them, Lorcan’s heat on one side, Barrett’s on the other. Safe. Sated. Loved. My eyes flutter closed as I drift off, lulled by the steady rise and fall of their breaths, the feeling of their bodies pressed close to mine.