Page 13 of Monster’s Redemption (Monsters in the Mountains #9)

Fin’hir

B lythe was acting strange, but I figured it was due to anxiety over meeting more of my kind. Her life had changed a lot in a short period of time, and this was another thing she might not feel prepared for, but I thought she’d adjust well.

I tried to hide my own nerves so I didn’t make her feel any worse, but as the sun sank below the treetops, the buzzing beneath my skin grew. The thoughts of being rejected were almost as bad as the thoughts that Blythe would find another alpha amongst my clan and choose him over me when her next heat came.

Busying myself gathering firewood I knew wouldn’t get used before the night was over, I kept one ear focused on the little omega beneath the willow tree. She’d taken the pack to lay out our bedding after she’d finished eating, and I hadn’t been able to sit beside the fire as if nothing was wrong.

“Fin’hir?”

The odd waver in her voice had me jerking upright, all my attention focused on her shadow amidst the willow’s branches. There was enough light for me to see she was standing close to the trunk, but not enough for me to make out any details behind the curtain of leaves.

“Blythe? Are you all right?”

I was already moving towards her, dropping my armful of wood far enough from the fire I wouldn’t have to worry they’d roll in. I’d scooped the willow branches out of the way before she got the chance to respond, the trace of fear in her scent making my fur rise along my spine.

“Yes. I, just, wanted to see if this was okay?”

It took me a moment to realize what she was referring to. She’d clutched her hands together in front of her, vaguely gesturing to the furs on the ground.

The single pile of furs, instead of the usual two.

I’d slept beside her every night since the first, keeping her warm with the heat of my body. Each morning, I woke before dawn to crawl away and pretend it had never happened, but clearly she’d known.

My fur slicked down against my flesh, my ears flattening out to the sides in embarrassment.

“The ground is a little damp here, so close to the river, so it made more sense to just make one bed.”

My heart was racing behind my ribs, but I couldn’t trust myself to read the situation correctly. The thought that she was offering to share a bed with me, or knew we already had, had to be wrong. She simply had more need of the furs than I did, and wanted to be sure it was okay to take the one I pretended to use.

“That’s fine. I don’t need any of them.”

I wanted to turn and duck back out from beneath the tree, but my back claws had become roots, holding me in place as Blythe stepped forward, her eyes searching my face. Her little pink tongue slipped out to wet her lips, making my ridges bunch along my shaft in a way that made it harder to ignore the fact that it was stiff.

“It’s for us to share.”

My cock twitched and I had to close my eyes. I tried to pull in a deep breath to clear my head, but it only served to make things worse since it was full of her tantalizing scent.

Laced with the sweet traces of slick.

My chest vibrated without permission, the low rumble not quite a growl. I curled my claws into my palms, welcoming the sting to help keep me from reaching out for her.

“I’ll be fine.”

I had to force the words out, keeping my eyes closed and hoping her vision wasn’t good enough to see my struggle. The sound of shuffling steps came to me before her small hands touched my chest, making me suck in another breath.

“I want us to share, Fin’hir.”

My rumble deepened, growing louder within the confines of the willow’s branches. I peeled my eyes open to look down at her, the low light catching in her dark eyes.

“Don’t tempt me, little human. It’s been hard enough.”

That tongue slipped out again, her bottom lip gleaming before it disappeared between her teeth. My growl sharpened, the desire to be the one biting the pillowy flesh almost driving me to lean down and take it.

“I know we’re going to be with your clan tomorrow, and I want to make things clear before we arrive. I know I’m going to need an alpha, and you’ve shown me there are still good ones out there. If it’s possible for us to be together, then I choose you.”

My lungs froze, the world narrowing to the female in front of me. It no longer mattered that she was human, or that our young would be some blend of the two of us. All I wanted was to hear those words again, but with more conviction in her voice.

“If you want me .”

Her scent soured with fear again, her whisper telling me what caused it. Wrapping an arm around her, I cupped one cheek in my palm.

“I’ve wanted you since I first scented you in the forest. I tried to get to you before it was too late, and I’ll forever be sorry my hesitation caused you so much pain.”

The hope on her face made my chest swell, but I couldn’t go forward without her knowing everything. There couldn’t be anything that might make her change her mind.

“I left my home because my leaders took humans as mates. I was scared it would weaken us and bring disaster to the clan, but that was because I didn’t know anything of humans besides what I’d seen and heard. Your kind are cruel to each other, and have no respect for nature. They do not put their omegas first, instead they prey on the weaker dynamic. I believed a cross between us would be too much like what I’d come to believe all humans were like, but you’ve shown me I was wrong. My fear was short-sighted and unfounded.

“If you give yourself to me now, Blythe, I won’t be able to let you go. I will guard you as a dragon does its hoard, letting none near. I will protect you from any who would harm you, and I will keep you for myself. The moment your heat returns, I will take you, claim you, and make you mine forever. There will be no other chances to change your mind.”

Her eyes had widened as I spoke, her scent growing sweeter. Her chest rose and fell with each rapid breath as if she’d been running, but she leaned into me harder, her fingers curling in my fur.

“I want that, Fin’hir. I want you .”

Warmth spread through my chest, my growl evening out into a rich purr that had her eyes fluttering. My cock was throbbing so hard I could barely think with the way she was pressed against it, and as much as I wanted to take over and dominate her the way my instincts demanded, I knew what came next was still going to need delicacy.

“This is your last chance. Are you sure?”

I wanted her more than my next breath, but I couldn’t stand the thought of hurting her. She might think she was ready, but I knew I’d need patience for her to finish healing.

“I’m sure.”

I couldn’t stop myself from squeezing her closer, my hips rocking as I let my nose drop to the space beneath her ear. She’d washed her dress in the stream when she’d bathed which left her in only the thinner covering she wore beneath it, but even that and my loin cloth felt like too much between us.

“Show me,” I murmured against her neck, letting my tongue slip out to tease her flesh before pulling away.

She blinked at me in confusion as I backed away, but I wasn’t going to leave her wondering for long. Untying my loin cloth and tossing it aside, I sat in the middle of the furs, leaning back to brace myself on one arm. My cock jutted up, the ridges writhing up and down my length in eager anticipation as her attention dropped to it.

“Come take what you want.”

A wrinkle formed between her brows as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth to chew on it again, but she moved towards me. It was only a few steps before she was standing near my feet, eyes darting from my cock to my face and back again.

“I don’t know what to do.”

Taking my shaft in my free hand, I squeezed and pulled toward the tip, forcing a bead of my seed to form and spill over. I watched her nostrils flare as she scented it, the alpha part of me preening beneath her gaze.

“Let your instincts guide you and do what feels good. You’re in charge.”

The wrinkle between her brows cleared as they rose, her eyes sparkling as if she was going to cry. For a moment I feared I’d said the wrong thing, that it was too soon, but she was tugging her covering over her head before I had the chance to react to the change.

The sight of her bare curves froze me in place. The thin covering she usually wore to sleep had hinted at what was beneath, but nothing could have prepared me for the desire the sight of her silky, smooth skin inspired.

Her breasts hung heavy, the dark tips tight as if she was chilled. The swell of her belly and hips made me think of how she would grow with our young, and the dark thatch of curls where her thighs met had my mouth watering.

“I didn’t know you had more fur.”

Her laugh pulled my focus back to her face as she moved closer, stepping along each side of my extended legs. I wanted to reach out and pull her to me quicker, but I’d said she was in control, so I placed my other hand on the ground behind me to reduce the temptation.

I groaned as she sank to her knees, straddling my thighs, but still too far from my cock. It had ached for her for moons, and with her so close, I was on the verge of shaming myself before she even touched me.

“Can I…”

She reached for it but hesitated, her eyes meeting mine in the darkness. The last rays of the sun were disappearing, leaving us with only the flames of the fire beyond the willow’s branches, but I had no trouble seeing the hunger on her face. It burned as fierce as mine, and another growl slipped free as my shaft jerked.

“Yessss.”

It was almost a hiss, words needing too much thought to form. My blood was rushing elsewhere, my entire body straining towards the contact I’d craved since I’d found her.

Her pace seemed glacial as her hand crept closer. Even my ridges froze, waiting for her touch, my cock leaping out of her reach with the first brush of her fingers along my length.

My growl was a low rumble I couldn’t contain as Blythe’s lips parted on a gasp. She’d flinched when my shaft twitched, but when nothing more happened, she finally took hold of me.

I groaned, the noise filling the space around us as my eyes closed to savor the sensation, but I pulled them open again to watch Blythe. Her touch was soft and hesitant at first, her expression one of wonder, but she grew bolder as she explored me.

“It’s so soft.”

My brows crashed down, my growl turning into a grumble that pulled her eyes to mine. Lips quirking, she let out a huff.

“The skin. It’s soft and smooth, but firm beneath.”

I still wasn’t sure I liked her description, but I forgot about it as she squeezed and pulled toward my tip the way I had when I’d been enticing her closer. A pearly bead of fluid formed at the tip of my slit, sitting there before running down the vein along the base of my shaft. Her gaze followed it’s path, her nostrils flaring again as she released me and pulled her hand closer to her face.

“Your scent has a little spice to it, but this smells more intense.”

She closed her eyes, the distance between her hand and mouth disappearing as I watched. Her little pink tongue slipped out, flicking where my seed had spread on her skin, and I almost burst at the soft noise that escaped her.

“Definitely spicy, but I still taste the honeysuckle.”

She looked towards my face, but I knew it had gotten too dark for her to see well. The angle to the corners of her lips had my stomach tightening as she reached for me again, and I had no more time than that to prepare before her mouth encased the crown.

My lungs seized and my heart burst.

Time ended.

The world ceased to exist.

There was nothing but me and the little human omega kneeling over my legs, suckling on the tip of my shaft.

A spurt of fluid rushed up my length, flooding her mouth and giving her a true taste of me. The way she hummed and squeezed her hand around me had my knot pulsing, her hot tongue battling my control as I tried to hold back so I didn’t drown her in my seed before I got to feel her take all of me.

“Enough.”

The command came out rough, my fingers tangling in her hair to pull her mouth away before she won. I tried to be gentle, but if she licked me one more time I was going to blow, and there was still more I wanted her to take.

Her smile said she knew what she was doing but she didn’t fight me. She slid forward along my thighs, coming to sit with her curls nestled against the base of my shaft.