Ruthless Alpha: Shadowed Heirs book one, page 29
“Just wanted to see how you’re doing,” she replies nonchalantly, holding out a hand to help me up from my chair. “Do you wanna get ready together at the packhouse tonight?”
I place my hand in hers, narrowing my eyes suspiciously. “Did Madd put you up to this?”
“No way!” Avery laughs, yanking me up to stand. “I just thought it’d be nice to spend some time bonding with my bestie before my brother steals her away for the rest of the night.”
“For the rest of our lives,” Lo amends.
Avery points a finger at me. “That too. So c’mon, come hang with me.”
I glance over at Lo, chewing my lip nervously. “Do you need me for anything else here?”
“Go,” she urges, waving a hand. “We’re just about done here for the day anyways.”
“Are you sure?”
She nods. “Positive. Have fun tonight! I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
Avery loops her arm through mine, taking that as all the permission she needs to start tugging me in the direction of the exit. “See ya tomorrow, Lolo!” she calls back cheerfully.
“Thanks again, Lo,” I add as Avery pulls me down the aisle.
She gives me a thumbs-up, winking.
37
“Remember, it’s just me and you,” I say, framing Sloane’s face in both hands and staring into her vibrant moss green eyes.
“You and me,” she agrees with a little nod.
I lean down to plant a kiss on her lips before taking a step back, glancing toward the large crowd gathered in the living room of my packhouse. I’m thankful we were able to steal this last private moment together before the chaos of the run itself, even if we’re just tucked away in the corner rather than being truly alone. I’ve got a duty to my pack to lead the run tonight, and they’re all waiting to begin until I say the word.
The pack always gets amped up for the full moon run. Sure, wolves are drawn to the full moon, compelled to shift and run beneath it, but this ritual is so much more than that. It’s the one time a month that the pack all comes together, forging new mate bonds and strengthening the bond of the pack as a whole. It solidifies our connection with one another; the sense of unity and camaraderie that’s vital to this way of life.
Because it’s so important, my duties to the pack have to come first. This may be a big night for me, but it is for them, too. They’ve looked forward to it all month. And I won’t let them down.
I stride toward the center of the room, cupping my hands around my mouth. “Alright, who’s ready to run?!” I call out, and I’m immediately met with a chorus of whoops and cheers that vibrate the packhouse walls, the excited frenzy of the crowd palpable.
Fuck, I love this feeling. It’s euphoric. I soak it in for a good minute, sliding my gaze around the room to meet the eyes of as many pack members as I can. Then I throw up an arm, gesturing for them to follow before heading toward the rear door.
I pass Sloane along the way, still hanging off to the side of the room. “I’ll see you out there,” I say, tipping my head to her.
Sloane’s lips tip up in a little smirk. “Catch me if you can, Madd.”
A laugh tumbles from my throat as I lead the way outside to the back lawn of the packhouse, everyone else spilling out the door behind me. As soon as they hit the lawn, people start tossing their clothes off, leaving them strewn in haphazard piles as they prepare to shift. I lift my own shirt off over my head, chucking it away as I stride toward the treeline at the rear of the property.
Like I said, the full moon run is a ritual of sorts, so there’s an order to these things. The pack alpha is the first to shift, signaling the start of the run with a howl. Then, the family of the alpha- in this case, my sister and parents. Next is the pack beta and anyone else with rank, followed by the remainder of the pack, and lastly, any visitors- squad members that chose to stay here for the run rather than going back to their home packs, and tonight, Sloane.
My heart pounds with excitement as I drop my pants and call my wolf forward, the air around me shimmering. Energy surges through my body as my bones snap and rearrange with my shift. When my wolf first came in, this part was uncomfortable and almost painful, but now, it’s second nature. It only takes a second for the shift to be complete, and once I’m on four paws and shaking out my fur, I throw my head back and howl to the sky.
As I bound toward the treeline, I hear the echo of howls behind me- my sister, my parents, the ranked pack members. Then more of the pack. There’s a deafening chorus of howls that feels like it’s echoing all around me as I surge into the forest, my paws pounding against the earth.
I hear the thunder of a running wolf coming up alongside me, turning my head to see that Avery has caught up and is keeping pace with me, like usual.
‘Left or right?,’ she asks through the mind link- a handy connection the pack uses to communicate when we’re in wolf form.
‘Left,’ I reply, realizing that we’re already approaching the edge of the perimeter we set for ourselves. Before the hunters started terrorizing shifters, we were able to run anywhere within our territory under the full moon. Now, we keep to a tight radius, far from our pack’s boundary lines.
The two of us veer off to the left, the rest of the pack following as I hear the distant howls of the last of my pack shifting to join the run.
My heart beats faster, and it isn’t from exertion. I’m sprinting at top speed, kicking up dirt beneath my fast-moving paws, but it’s the anticipation of Sloane joining the run that has my pulse racing.
This is it.
It’s finally our time.
Fuck, I hope we’re right about being fated.
I kick those doubts out of my brain the moment they arrive, because I refuse to accept any scenario that doesn’t end in Sloane and I marking one another by the end of the night. We’ve waited too long. Endured too much. Fought too hard.
We deserve this.
‘Feel anything yet?’ Avery asks through the mind link, checking in on me.
‘Not yet,’ I reply.
For a second, a tiny seed of panic sprouts within me- because at any moment, Sloane could choose to back out of this whole thing. When she first came back home, I was awful to her. I’m fucking ashamed of how badly I treated her. She has every reason to walk away right now and give me the same cold shoulder I gave her when she returned, and the thought of that fucking terrifies me.
But then…
The moment she shifts, I feel it. Because my whole goddamn world shifts, too.
There’s a sharp tugging sensation in my chest, like a tether being yanked taut. My senses go haywire, causing me to stumble a step and nearly trip over my own goddamn paws. Without a word to Avery, I abruptly veer off course, mindlessly following the pull that’s seemingly overtaking my body.
Most of the pack stays with Aves, but a few confused stragglers try to follow me before they realize there’s no point in trying to keep up. I’m on a damn mission, my single-minded focus being to follow the pull from deep within that’s leading me to my mate. My wolf is in a frenzy, taking control and pushing me so far back that there’s only a glimmer of my human side remaining.
An overwhelmingly delicious scent registers in my nose, growing stronger the closer I get. There’s something intoxicating about it, making my brain foggy and my heart giddy. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and even before I find her, I know.
Sloane’s my mate.
Deep down, I’ve always known. Our soul-deep connection has been there from the beginning. The two of us were always inevitable.
I’m so out of my mind with the primal need to find my mate that I don’t even see her coming. We literally crash into one another at full speed, our bodies meeting with so much force that it knocks the wind out of me. It fucking hurts. I get a mouthful of fur, a paw to the gut. We go hurtling across the forest floor and I angle myself to take the brunt of the impact, our limbs tangled together as we roll a few times before finally sliding to a stop.
My eyes focus to meet those of the small black wolf beneath me, and all at once, my own wolf retreats. The air shimmers around me- around both of us- and suddenly I’m back in human form, naked and gazing down into the moss green eyes of the only girl I’ve ever loved.
The bond between us snaps into place like a bolt of lightning, energy searing through my veins. Our bond hums beneath my skin like a living, breathing thing, and suddenly I can’t speak, can’t think, can’t do anything to escape the tidal wave of heightened emotion pulling me under.
Sloane finds the words for us both. Well, just one. Her eyes widen, lips parting as she whispers, “Mate.”
My heart pounds like a stampede in my chest, and it’s all I can do to keep from bursting into fucking tears. Because I knew. I’ve known all along. I’ve loved Sloane my entire life, so deeply and fiercely that it physically aches to think about. I almost lost her, but we found our way back to one another, and this is our reward. Our bond.
I dive forward, stamping my mouth down over hers in a hard, claiming kiss. It’s one that says everything I can’t right now- how much I love her, how much I need her. How long I’ve waited for this moment, and how grateful I am that it’s finally arrived. Every slide of her lips against mine is an answered confession, conveying her own love, her own gratitude, her own relief.
Her arms wrap around my neck, her legs around my hips. I mindlessly grind against her, my rapidly thickening cock sliding against the heat of her bare center. My tongue chases hers as I angle my head to deepen our kiss, and the next thing I know, the head of my dick is notched at her entrance and I’m pushing inside, her tight heat enveloping me.
Sloane’s fingernails dig crescents into my shoulder blades as I sink deeper inside her, her inner walls stretching and pulsing around my girth. A wave of euphoria washes over me once I’m fully seated, our bodies locked together just like our bond. I rock my hips back then punch them forward again, Sloane’s mouth breaking away from mine and a breathy moan slipping free.
Primal instinct takes over as I fuck her harder, deeper, until we’re both slick with sweat and panting each other’s names. She flattens her palms against my chest and pushes, signaling that she wants me to roll over, and I do, holding tight to her thighs and taking her with me. She immediately rocks up into a seated position over my lap and starts riding my cock. It’s my favorite view- her tits bouncing, her wild curls spilling over her shoulders and down her back.
Sloane’s eyes are hooded as she gazes down at me, her lips parting to reveal the sharp points of her canines. At the sight of them, my mouth tingles and my own immediately descend, ready to mark her, to claim what’s mine and seal the mate bond between us. I push up into a seated position, looping an arm around Sloane’s waist and yanking her chest against mine. Her scent surrounds me- notes of vanilla, jasmine, and peach- and I press my forehead against hers, staring into her eyes.
“You and me, baby,” I rasp, thrusting up into her as she grips my shoulders and continues bouncing on my dick with wild abandon.
“Me and you,” she breathes.
And, like a silent pact, we move to seal our bond. Together.
Sloane tilts her head, giving me access to the junction of her neck and shoulder, and when I tilt mine the same way, she sinks her canines into my flesh in the same spot. The sharp sting of her bite barely registers because my teeth pierce her skin at almost the exact moment hers do mine, the two of us coming undone as the mating serum is embedded beneath our skin and our bond forges completely.
There’s no way to describe the feeling of utter bliss that comes over me in that moment. Mind-numbing, earth-shattering waves of pleasure rocket through me and I lift Sloane by the hips, painting the inside of her thighs with my release. Her body shudders in my arms as her own climax takes her under, and by the time we both ride it out, we’re trembling, struggling to catch our breath.
“Damn, girl,” I sigh, wrapping my arms around her and burying my face in her hair. “You’re fucking perfect, you know that? Fuck, I love you so much, Sloane.”
“I love you too,” she breathes, her warm cheek pressed against my chest. “You’ve always been the one, Maddox Kessler.”
Warmth blooms in my chest, and we just hold each other for a long moment, soaking up every last second. Then I finally move to stand up, pinning her body tight to mine to take her with me.
“C’mon,” I say gruffly, holding her up by the backs of her thighs. “I’m taking you back to the packhouse.”
Because Sloane deserves more than a fast, dirty fuck on the forest floor as her memory of tonight. She deserves to be worshipped, and I plan on doing exactly that.
She doesn’t argue- she just leans in and presses her lips against mine, her hard nipples brushing against my pecs. I start carrying her in the direction of the packhouse, leaving the rest of my pack out to finish the run on their own. Tomorrow, I’ll tell them why I bailed. Tomorrow, I’ll share the news that I found my mate and they have a new luna.
But for tonight, it’s just the two of us; the kids who grew up at each other’s sides, who fell in love at fifteen, who were forced apart at seventeen and came back together at twenty-five. We’ve been written in the stars since day one, and the moon tonight only confirmed what I’ve known all along.
Sloane is mine.
My first love, my last love, my only love.
My mate.
38
“I love the way you look in my clothes,” I say sleepily, watching Sloane roll up the waistband of a pair of black boxer briefs she poached from my drawer.
She tosses me a sultry little glance as she finishes rolling the band tighter to her hips. “Funny, I love the way you look without your clothes,” she replies, licking her lips as her eyes drop to my bare chest, the smoldering heat in her gaze unmistakable.
I cross the room to her as she drops the hem of the grey t-shirt she’s wearing over the boxers. Though that particular shirt is tight on me, it completely swallows her up, the fabric grazing the tops of her knees. And damnit if she doesn’t wear it well. “You should know better than to look at me like that,” I murmur, grabbing a fistful of the shirt and yanking her toward me. Her body crashes against mine, a surprised little puff of air escaping her lips before I crush my own against them.
She flattens her palms against my pecs as she returns the kiss with equal fervor, her warm, wet tongue stroking against mine. I wind my arms around her waist and start walking her backwards toward the bed with only one thing on my mind. The backs of my calves meet the edge of the mattress and I lean back to fall onto it, aiming to take her with me- but Sloane plants her feet on the ground and pushes against my chest, sending me sailing down onto the mattress solo.
My eyes pop open as I land on my back, blinking up at Sloane. She’s standing over me with her hands on her hips, a feisty spark in her eyes.
“You promised me breakfast.”
I groan as I curl up to sit, my ab muscles straining. “Tease.”
Sloane smirks. “Horny bastard.”
She’s not wrong.
If I thought I was insatiable before when it comes to this girl, it’s nothing compared to how things are now that we’ve sealed the mate bond. The post-mating fever is in full force, and my dick has been permanently hard since our bond snapped in, no matter how many times we’ve fucked. Which is basically all we’ve been doing since we tackled one another in the forest last night.
“Fine,” I concede, raking a hand through my unkempt hair and pushing up to stand.
Sloane scampers over to my dresser, pulling open the drawers and picking through my clothes. She spins around with a t-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts in her grasp, shoving them toward me, and I slip them on while she taps her foot impatiently.
For such a little wisp of a thing, the girl is serious when it comes to her food.
Once I’m dressed, I grab a hat off the top of my dresser to cover up my bed head, slip it on backwards, and follow Sloane out of my room.
“So what are you gonna make me?” she asks as we stroll down the long hallway, a playful lilt to her tone. “I hope your cooking skills have improved over the last eight years. Oh my gosh, remember the salmon omelet?”
I scrub a hand over my face, chuckling. “Shit, don’t remind me. I almost burned this place down.”
“I still don’t understand how you managed to both undercook and overcook it,” she giggles.
“Hey!” I object, grabbing a handful of her ass and dragging her body against mine. “You said it was the effort that counted.”
I lean down to kiss her, but pause when the sound of voices drifts up from downstairs. Voices I recognize.
Sloane’s body goes rigid. “Is that…?”
The two of us exchange a panicked look, then break apart and practically sprint down the hall to the stairs- because nothing pulls you out of your post-mating sex haze faster than hearing your parents’ voices.
I grab onto Sloane’s hand and the two of us bound down the stairs, taking them two at a time until we reach the bottom and round the corner into the dining room.
“Hey, lovebirds,” Avery croons, sitting at the table with a shit-eating grin on her face. “About time you made it downstairs.”
“Shit,” I hiss under my breath, sweeping my gaze around the table full of people. In addition to my sister, my parents are here, as well as Sloane’s whole family- Brock, Astrid, Tristan, Marigold, and her mate, Rhett.
“Did I miss the memo about family brunch?” I ask warily, taking a cautious step forward. I can’t help but be suspicious that this is some sort of ambush given the history of these people meddling in our relationship.
“It was my idea,” Avery announces proudly. “I thought it’d be a fun surprise.”
“A heads-up would’ve been nice,” I mutter.
Sloane elbows me in the ribs and I glance down to meet her eyes, the look in them imploring me to play nice. I give her a discreet nod, clearing my throat and tossing an arm around her shoulders as I lift my head to look toward the table again.
