Page 40

T he forest is quiet. The only sounds are my gasps for air and my feet hitting the ground, breaking twigs and crushing leaves.

I hate running, but I’m not terrible at it. I’m better as a rabbit, but that’s not an option right now, and honestly, I like that Pike is chasing me. This isn’t some predator-prey thing the way it was that day in the woods.

Wait… that is what it was, right?

My foot catches on a tree root, and I throw my arms out to try to stay upright, only just managing by some cosmic miracle.

Maybe running through the woods in the dead of night completely naked wasn’t my best idea.

A howl cuts through the night air, and I chance a glance back over my shoulder. I can see okay, but without shifting, I don’t have night vision. I don’t need it to feel his eyes on me.

Turning back around before I kill myself, I listen.

Owls, crickets, animals I can’t identify, and… there!

When did he get in front of me?

Shit, without stopping, I take a sharp turn to the left and bark a laugh when I hear his annoyed growl not far behind me.

I know I can’t outrun him, and honestly, I don’t really want to, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the chase.

Flashes of light here and there catch my attention, and I have to remind myself it’s only nature. Years in the other realm make this feel like a dream, something otherworldly, and I guess it kinda is.

My heart beats in my chest loud enough that I feel like it should scare away the creatures of the night, but they only watch.

The trees give way to a small clearing, and while it’s not as big as the one that we train in, it has its own glowing flowers, vines, and even mushrooms, but that isn’t what makes me stop.

In the center of the clearing is a will-o’-wisp, floating at about face level, and while it doesn’t have a face or anything like that, I swear it turns toward me as I skid to a stop.

“What the–” A deep growl behind me has me spinning on the spot, and I come face-to-muzzle with Pike’s wolf. His teeth are bared, spit dripping from his mouth like I’m the most delicious meal being served up for him. I put my hands up in surrender as I take a tentative step back, testing him.

Not surprisingly, his eyes follow my movement, his growl growing louder as he snaps those massive teeth in the air, warning me not to move.

Too bad all those teeth don’t scare me.

A wicked smile curves up my lips as I take another step back, making his beast snarl as he moves toward me.

Well, it’s now or never.

I turn, sprinting toward the far side of the clearing, but I never make it that far.

A heavy weight hits my back, sending me to the ground.

A scream rips its way out of my throat because this is going to hurt.

Wrapping my hands around my head for some kind of protection, I squeeze my eyes closed and wait for the impact that never comes.

Instead, warm, familiar arms wrap around me, spinning me so that I land on a hard chest, and while it’s not much softer than the ground, at least I don’t have to worry about getting stabbed with a stick or scraped up.

Pike hits the ground hard, but it hardly seems to faze him as he quickly flips me back onto the ground, trapping me under his body. His eyes are blown wide, high from the hunt, the smile on his face pure happiness as he looks down at me like I hung the moon, and I can’t help but smile back.

“Oh no, you caught me,” I say in mock horror, pretending like that isn’t exactly what we both wanted. “Whatever will you do now?”

His smile grows impossibly wider. I worry he might hurt himself, but before I can think too much about it, my face is wet. Confused, I flinch away before my brain catches up and I realize what the fuck that was.

“Ew, Pike!” I whine, wiping at my face. It’s useless; I’m not sure how he managed to lick my whole face, but he did. His chuckle vibrates through me, and I glare up at him as he watches me.

“I’m going to devour you.” His adorable-happy smile takes on a dark, hungry glint that makes my whole body heat and wetness drip from between my legs.

I want that so bad it’s almost painful.

“Pike…” I whine, but he doesn’t let me say more, pressing his lips to mine and cutting me off with a groan that only makes me needier.

Reaching up, I press my hands to his chest and frown when I feel the shirt there.

Damn. I forgot the clothes here don’t shred the way they did back home. Usually that’s a wonderful thing, but right now, I’d much rather have a naked Pike on top of me.

Thankfully, that isn’t a hard thing to fix.

Pike groans against my lips, and I hear the hint of his beast as he presses his tongue to my lips, asking for entrance. I open happily, loving the way he tastes and the sounds he makes as he tastes me.

“Fuck, Buns,” Pike murmurs, pulling away enough to look down at me, his eyes searching my face as if worried I might disappear.

“Is this real? Are you sure I’m not dreaming because I’ve dreamed of this moment for so long?

My wolf has craved you, begging me to chase you, demanding to have his mate…

” he shakes his head, chuckling almost as if in disbelief.

“Ouch, what the hell?” Pike shouts, jerking his hips to the right, and I can’t stop the giggle that bursts out of me.

Big bad alpha can’t handle a little pinch.

Shifting his weight to his right hand, he reaches down, rubbing at his left asscheek while glaring at me.

“What the heck was that for?” he asks, and he sounds so offended I can’t help but laugh harder.

“I was trying to help you believe this isn’t a dream,” I say, smiling wide enough that my cheeks ache. Understanding flashes in his eyes, and I take that as forgiveness. Reaching for the hem of his shirt, I rip it over his head, and toss it wherever; so long as it’s not on him, I don’t care.

“Serena,” Pike breathes my name like a prayer, and I mutter curses to the gods for his damn pants that didn’t shred.

Pike takes pity on me, quickly shoving his pants down and kicking them off.

I don’t give him a chance to do anything, reaching out and wrapping my hands around his cock, needing to feel him.

His body goes stiff as he huffs a breath, letting his head hang forward.

His teeth sink into his lower lip, and I watch as they grow before my eyes, drawing blood.

Pike’s beast is always the closest to the surface.

Of all of us, he loses control the most often.

I used to think it was because he didn’t care to take control, but the older we got, the more I realized it was because Pike gave him control.

It was easier for him to deal with his family as a wolf than as a man.

His head snaps up, and it’s not just his teeth that have shifted, but his eyes too.

If I didn’t know Pike and his wolf, this would be terrifying. He could very well rip my throat out without a second thought. But I do know them, and I’m hoping we can avoid bloodshed and maybe do something a little more fun.

An idea hits me, a way to possibly keep his beast happy.

With Pike distracted, I flip us so that he’s on his back, looking up at me as I straddle his waist.

His very naked waist…

Shit, I didn’t think this through all the way. The feel of his very thick, very hard, very naked length against my already needy, wet pussy makes me pause, momentarily second-guessing my idea as I try to resist the urge to rock myself against him.

I fail, leaving us both moaning in unison as his hand grips my waist, his fingernails digging into my skin hard enough I know he’ll leave a mark. I shouldn’t like that, but fuck, I do so much.

No! Focus, Serena!

Leaning down, I watch Pike’s eyes follow my movements as my breasts press against his chest, skin on skin, and he mumbles something about being in heaven.

Gods, these guys know how to make a girl feel good.

“Catch me,” I whisper as I grind against him again, hoping to distract him long enough for me to make a break for it.

He drops his head to the ground, eyes scrunched up as his hips jerk up following my heat.

It’s now or never.

Pushing off his chest, I jump up and take off without a backward glance. I know I won’t get far, but I don’t want to.

“Serena!” Pike’s shout echoes around the otherwise quiet trees, and I hear his feet hit the ground behind me.

Fuck, even on two legs he’s so much faster than me.

“This is a dangerous game you’re playing,” he yells after me, hardly sounding winded, while I pant and gasp for air. “I can’t promise I’ll be able to stay in control.” He says it like he thinks that might convince me to stop, but it only excites me more.

He’s close now, close enough that I can hear him as he scents the air.

“I can smell how wet you are, Rena,” he shouts, and all that does is make me wetter.

A deep growl sounds behind me, making me shiver with anticipation.

I run past a tree with a lower branch before skidding to a stop and doubling back.

Crouched up in the tree, I call to my shadows. It might not be fair, but oh well, this is my game.

I hardly get my shadows around me before Pike is here, his eyes wild, chest heaving, cock standing hard, making my fucking mouth water.

Pike runs right past me before he stops, only making it as far as I did before I doubled back. He breathes in my scent, trying to figure out where I went.

Silly pup.

My shadows are silent as I glide down to hover behind him before I reach out to tap his shoulder.

I know the second he senses me, his posture goes stiff, and my finger is only a hair from him when he turns around faster than I thought possible. His fingers wrap around my wrist as my eyes go wide and he licks his lips.

“Got ya.”

One second we’re eye to eye, the next I’m face down in the dirt, my ass in the air with my dripping wet pussy on display.