Page 23 of The Pack Next Door (The Wolfverse #4)

Jace

“Something you need, Briar?”

The shake of her head, the fine tremor in her body, it told me to keep the fuck away, but that whine…? I took a step closer, my eyes raking over a body I’d dreamed about, but didn’t dare take a closer look at until now.

“Some clothes?” Her eyes darted, her tongue flicking over the bottom of her lip, right before she locked eyes with me. Then they trailed down again, taking all of me in, and that had her stopping still. “To find a way home.”

“You sure that’s what you need?”

Her scent was like a warm hand wrapping around my knot and tugging me closer. I wouldn’t. There was still hesitation in her voice, her stare. My mate’s body knew exactly what I could give her, that rose perfume growing more and more tart by the second, but that didn’t mean she was ready for it.

“Of course, I…” She shook her head, brows creasing. “I mean…”

Her chest heaved, and I tried really hard not to watch the way the most perfect breasts began to bounce.

Briar, I needed to focus on Briar. I watched the muscles in her thighs tense, ready to run away or to me, and sent up a silent prayer.

I’d waited twenty-eight years so far. I’d wait another twenty-eight, if that’s what it took.

I just really, really hoped I wouldn’t have to.

One step towards me. My own muscles locked down tightly, stopping myself from lunging forward and grabbing her. Not until she gets a little closer , I told myself.

“I was supposed to be in bed.”

That was said as a muttered aside, as if her mind was still struggling to comprehend what was happening.

Did the wolf bring her out here? That may have been it, because mine gave me little notice, forcing me awake and on four paws seconds later.

Because he knew, she knew, that this was meant to be.

Another step and she was close enough to touch, my hands going up without thought.

Her pupils blew wide, her stare almost indignant, which kept them hanging in the air.

“We can go and find a bed, Briar,” I said in a low growl, because the wolf didn’t want to wait.

Her wolf saw mine and knew what we were to each other.

Trouble always came from the human side of us, a fact that was not hard to convince him of.

That meant I needed to be in control. “Whatever you want.”

“What I want…?” There was pain, and need, and desperation in her tone, and I’m ashamed to say I was glad of it.

Misery loves company and I was in agony, waiting for her.

“I…” Her eyes flashed as silver as the moon as she stared up at me, her lips peeling back to reveal the cutest little fangs.

A hand whipped out, dragging my head down to press against hers. “I want this ache to stop.”

The only way that would happen was by riding out this heat with all three of us, then emerging with our mating marks on her neck, but I wasn’t about to push that now.

My omega didn’t need truth bombs. She just needed me.

A rush of the sweetest fucking pleasure tore through me, taking my breath away, right before my hands landed on her shoulders.

Caress them, my instincts screamed. Trace the shape of them and then the graceful swoop of her collarbones. Follow them down and see if could cover her breasts with my hands, glorying in that softness. Instead, a far better one had me stopping still and staring down at her.

“I can help.”

“But you’re supposed to be my mates. and I don’t even know how I feel about that.” The busy monkey mind was coming back online, but she wouldn’t be able to think her way through this. My thumb swept over her skin, just a tiny soothing gesture. Her eyes met mine again. “That wouldn’t be fair?—”

“Shh…” The same thumb brushed across her lips and that softness made my mouth water.

What would it be like to press mine against them?

“I’m your alpha. That means I look after you.

Not because you’re not capable of it, but because fate has decided I’m the right one to take that responsibility from you.

I can help, right now, tonight, and that doesn’t have to mean anything. ”

The wolf howled his protest, but he didn’t get it. What made Briar strong enough to walk away and build a life for herself after being rejected, also made it really hard for her to surrender now. Would I hurt her? She had to wonder, and I had to prove that would never happen.

“This has to be hurting you.” My hand slid down to come to rest over her pelvis, hers covering mine to keep it there. “Can’t stand to see you in pain, omega.”

“Not… omega…”

She was fighting it, tooth and nail, and I was powerless to help until she gave consent.

“Briar.” My hand lifted her chin so she was forced to look into my eyes, right as my other traced small circles on her stomach.

I heard the tiniest of moans, which gave me to go ahead to continue.

“Do you want a break from your heat? To stop that pulsing tide from shifting in you? I can break it for a while.”

I was operating on purely theoretical knowledge here, but our fathers had worked hard to ensure we understood how to get our omega through her heat. She nodded sharply, all doubt gone.

“Have to make you come.” My fingers left her chin to stroke down her throat, catching the way her pulse beat faster. “Me too. My seed can ease you for a while.”

“Sex?”

I was losing her and for no good reason. With a smile, I shook my head.

“Not gonna knot you, Briar. Not until you’re mine, but you’ve gotta know there’s more ways than that to give you what you need.”

“So…” She couldn’t seem to articulate what she was thinking, her hands rising and just stopping short of my chest. Heat had to be radiating off me, luring her closer. “You want me to use you?”

Yes, I wanted to shout, so the birds sleeping in the trees, the moon itself, heard me.

“It would be my pleasure.”

Her whole body trembled as her brows drew down hard, and she frowned. That little shift of her head. She was talking herself out of this, and I’d let her. A wolf didn’t bound out of the bushes and scare his prey away. He tracked, waited for the perfect moment, then went in for the kill.

“I can do it.” She pulled back, waving her hand. “I’ve done it plenty of times before, and I can do it right now.” Her hands smoothed down by her side. “If I can just find my way out of this damn forest.”

“But what if you didn’t have to?” I was moving closer, slow methodical steps she could easily shy away from.

“What would that be like?” The frown faded and that was enough to have me turning her around, that soft arse pressing hard against my cock.

My eyes closed for just a second, treasuring the sensation of my mate’s body against mine.

Control was fraying by the second. My hand slid down her front, palm across her breasts, my eyes catching the way her nipples pulled tighter in response. “What if you gave this all to me?”

“I…” Her breath was coming faster and faster, and so was her realisation. If only for tonight, I would be her alpha. “I…”

“Need this,” I said, pressing my lips, my teeth, to her neck, but not biting down, right as my hand dove between her legs.

Fuck, Briar must be in agony.

So hot, so slick and swollen. All that blood was rushing towards her groin, preparing her for mating.

The first push inside her would be fucking heaven, but right now, I focussed on finding her clit.

While I was operating on theory, not experience, it wasn’t hard.

Just as swollen from blood, her whole body went rigid at the first touch.

She could be too sensitive, I thought furiously, trying an experimental stroke.

If it was too soon… “Ohh…” she moaned. Nope, not too soon at all.

My fingers spread apart, rubbing the little nub from both sides.

The way she pressed into me, the scent of roses growing stronger, the way her hips moved in time with my hand.

This was going exactly the way I dreamed it would.

“Just like that…?” I rasped, but she couldn’t answer me with words. Just a sharp little whine and then a gasp as the other hand covered her breast. The nipple was caught between my fingers, rolled between them, and that had her going rigid. “Yeah, I think it is. You’re gonna come for me, Briar.”

More, my body screamed, more. My fingers delving inside her, then hooking up to press down on the spot that would have her slick gushing all over them.

Dropping to my knees to lick off every drop, then going back for more.

Her straddling my face, grinding me into the pine needles, the resinous scent mixing with hers as I worked my tongue up inside her and then, and only then, would she be allowed to trot back to her bed.

She was my omega. I was her alpha and her pleasure was my responsibility.

“Come for me, omega, and I’ll give you exactly what you need.”

She was helpless before that growled command, her body knowing who was in control here. Her cries echoed out through the forest, sending birds scattering, as my hands moved to keep pace. Drive her on and on and on until finally she stumbled free, gasping for breath.

“Gods…” she hissed, blinking and then looking around herself. “I… We…”

“Are only getting started,” I said, then stalked towards her.