Come for Me, page 4
As horrid as my behavior sounds, I can’t allow myself to feel bad. They don’t want me. Look at how far they’re willing to go to make me think otherwise. And for what? They’re power hungry. Greedy. And worst of all, selfish.
My patronization instills a second wind, and they pick up their pieces and hand me the same metaphorical hammer, begging me to break them.
The poor women have no idea what they promise, as my teeth grazing their neck prevents them from making sound decisions, thrusting them right into my dangerous grasp.
They shouldn’t feel bad, though. I have a knack for playing against weaknesses. The moment they pursue me with their intention for power and materialistic things is their end. And all it takes is a smile against their neck to capture them. My teeth scrape their skin, and their knees falter. The promise of my mark and wealth is all too enticing for a greedy bitch. While I won’t give it to them, I know they can’t handle it or me all the same.
Not like my mate is destined to.
Nonetheless, I persist in playing with my scared little prey. I can’t resist. I love it when they scream.
The ones who don’t seem fearful and rather appear to welcome my sadistic nature quickly bore me. I’m not interested in pleasing anyone other than my mate. I’m only after their pain, their slow break, and, inevitably, their destruction. Their sunken expressions as they realize they’ve reduced themselves to this power-hungry whore, willing to do anything for something I didn’t promise to them, for a man they can never have.
With pleasure reserved for my mate, I let my men have a turn, tossing her to the wolves. Their disappointment in my absence and disinterest is fleeting, though, as their vaginas, just as greedy as them, get railed and filled by my men. They all seem to make the same inference, too, that I’m into watching others satisfying my mate. So, once again, they consensually participate.
As if I would ever share my actual mate.
By the time my men are done with them, the Hunt is over, and their Goddess-chosen mate has likely picked someone else, one who didn’t give into greed and has pure intentions. They’re better off without someone who doesn’t value the mate bond.
But I don’t feel bad for them. This was their choice, and they were rejected. They could have been happy to be picked in the Hunt or, even better, could have discovered the one destined for them. Instead, they gave into greed. They chose me. I just don’t choose them. The she-wolves who throw themselves at me are so ungrateful for this chance to find the one.
As we near the castle grounds, my plans to take advantage of a willing subject are sabotaged by the sweetest smell of black raspberry and vanilla. Her scent infiltrates my plan and overcomes my darkest intentions. This dark lord’s storm is calmed by her aroma as I inhale further. As I drink in this newfound heaven, my cock hardens. Her natural fragrance alone, whoever she is, has caught this demon’s attention, and I won’t be satisfied until I’ve possessed her very soul.
Tension and the weight of my duty to the throne rolls off me like sand recedes with the waves—for the first time in eight years. All because of her.
“Mate,” I mindlink to my beta.
Like a meerkat, Sam’s head pops up, wide-eyed and alert. “What?”
He never thought he’d ever hear the word. None of us did.
Animalistic instinct takes its form, pinpointing her scent and darting off after her. My wolf snatches control as we search for our queen, the woman to bring this man to his knees.
She doesn’t yet know what power she has over me, but she’ll find out soon enough.
Hope radiates through me, leveling me up to new speeds. The brawn her presence inspires within me threatens to destroy the mountains until I have her at my side, her sweet aroma throwing my world off kilter. These vampires and rogues would be a flicker of annoyance upon our mating.
My world is already better with her existence.
No other pairing—vampire or otherwise—is more sacred or formidable than the power of a fated bond. Especially one of royal pairing.
Eagerness quickly overturns my pride. Warmth spreads through me, and I chuckle when I register these emotions aren’t mine but hers, as she’s able to sense me.
If I were in my wolf, it’d be faster, but I don’t want to scare her away with my nakedness upon first meeting her.
That will come later.
“I’m coming, baby. Hold on.”
Thrilled she’s just as ready to meet me as I am her, I snicker at my mate’s impatience.
I pump my arms harder, and Sam comes panting beside me.
“Are you sure it’s her?”
“I’m sure. I can feel her.”
Crunching leaves, panting, and thudding footfalls are the only prominent sounds between us as we dodge branches and jump over rocks. My miles-long lawn, stretching out in front of my castle, comes into view.
I never thought I would hate having so many acres of land until now, when it stands between me and uniting with my mate. Her scent gets stronger as I draw near my home, with Sam still on my tail.
I’m too busy getting high off her that I almost forget what day it is.
“Shit!”
My heart races.
“You think she’s in the Hunt?”
I stopped visiting other packs a few years into my reign and sent liaisons. I lost hope I could find my mate among them, convinced this was the Moon Goddess punishing me for my sins.
Most people didn’t go through the Hunt five times like I did, in hopes of finding their mate, only to emerge unmated and question if the Moon Goddess has forsaken you. Once was disappointing enough to come out of, which is why the majority of those only participate in their first eligible year.
Even though I haven’t participated in the past few years, I would’ve known she was here. My mate would’ve come into my home to be paraded among the wolves—males drooling over what they wish they could have, not knowing they’re in the presence of royalty.
“She has to be,” I conclude before Sam could answer.
With that, I know two things to be true about my mate.
One, she’s twenty-one.
Two, she’s participating in the Hunt.
With a roar, I shift. Fear and adrenaline have me charging, causing Sam to fall farther and farther behind.
Sam yells to my men guarding the castle, “Open the fucking door!” He shifts.
I sense her again. Only, this time, she’s in pain, confused, and scared. My heart races from the rush pumping through me.
The whiff I pick up on leads to the woods in my backyard, confirming my suspicion, but I didn’t expect to receive her fear.
My wolf whimpers, knowing what this means.
“She’s being hunted. Someone’s chosen her.”
Sam growls, ready to spring into action at the news that my queen is in trouble. Already a protective beta to her.
“You’ll get to her in time, Dax. Don’t worry.” Silence passes between us. Then Sam simply adds, “And if you do not, you’ll kill him.”
Damn right I will.
It takes everything in me to push away the intrusive thought of someone trying to force a bond on what’s mine. Rage hits like a tidal wave, and my claws rip through the earth. Picking up the pace, I fantasize all the ways whoever is causing my mate pain will suffer.
He’s mine to torture. Mine to kill. And I will enjoy every moment of it.
Hang on, darling. I’m coming.
Chapter Six
Alaina
Our plan’s working. Caleb hasn’t sensed his mate this Hunt if he’s choosing to pursue me. Soon, he’ll mark me, making him eligible to assume his birthright as the pack’s alpha to appease his parents. Jemma will be happy I found someone to start a family with, and Taya and I can still see each other.
Everything is falling into place. I pick up the pace when Caleb’s paws pound behind me, instinct taking over. I’ve always been the fastest in the pack, and I like reminding the future alpha of this any chance I could get.
There was never any indication from Jemma of my mother being unnaturally fast for a wolf, and I don’t sense my abnormal speed as a power. Chalk it up to my small size, I guess.
I weave through the trees to lose him. The low branches up ahead spark an idea: let Caleb get close enough to let him think he almost has me. He nips at my tail. When we get closer, I dodge to the side, causing Caleb to get a branch to the snout.
Caleb chuckles. “You’ll pay for that.”
“Oooh, I’m soooo scared.”
“Come on, babe. Why delay the inevitable?”
With his question, the flight response subsides, allowing me to slow my pace as the logic returns. The sooner he marks me, the sooner I can access pack records. Another thought crosses my mind, invoking panic that my mate may soon realize I’m here and come for me before Caleb does.
My decision whether to end the cat-and-mouse game is quickly made for me as a boulder comes into view. I skid to a stop. Caleb’s pattering paws tells me he’s too close behind to run in the opposite direction.
Turning, I see Caleb’s wolf licking his chops and stalking closer to me while baring his teeth.
“Shift,” Caleb demands.
Giving into his command, I change into my human form. Caleb does as well, leaving us naked and vulnerable.
His reddish-brown fur recedes into his muscles, his tall frame rising. Everything about him is hard and powerful. He’ll be a good mate, an honorable alpha, and I’ll be his luna.
I raise my eyes to his and lift my brow in a challenge. It stops now.
Caleb is on me in an instant, one hand pulling me to him by the waist, the other caressing my cheek. His touch attempts to soothe me and my wolf. However, when his skin touches mine, it burns and crawls.
My wolf howls, raging a war inside of me, knowing our mate is here. She’s revolting against the idea. But I will be stronger.
His touch is a transgression. My wolf’s howls and threats to take over my body cause my human form to shake. I clench my teeth as I fight against my wolf.
We can’t lose our home and my family. The chance to know who we are. Don’t you want that?
My wolf growls, We can’t lose mate.
Once we mark each other, my wolf will stop fighting me, and his touch will elicit pleasure through our bond. I have grown to love him, and with the mate bond in place, I will fall in love with him.
But as his hand glides over my hips, encircling my waist, things are changing. His fingers linger above my ass, pulling my soft curves and large breasts against him, no longer eliciting moans from my lips.
I think about last night, when his embrace thrilled me. Now, in the same position, my nipples harden against his chest. Caleb is familiar, his hands having explored every inch of my body. Yet his touch feels like a violation. Only my mate can bring me such pleasures until the bond is erased and until Caleb’s mark claims me.
“Alaina,” he whispers, nuzzling himself into my neck.
Ignoring my unease, I tilt my head to allow him more access to my sensitive spot.
His toffee hair and hot breath tickles my ear, hands grasping my curves and pulling me into his hard form. His large erection throbbing against my lower abdomen stirs heat and pleasure.
Growling in appreciation, he says, “My luna.”
My gut churns at his words.
When I gasp in realization, Caleb misinterprets it as encouragement. As his wolf revels in the idea of claiming me against this boulder, his cock jerks against my stomach.
As he sucks the spot between my neck and shoulders, softening the skin in preparation for his mark, trepidation washes over me. The pressure would likely form a hickey, as if we were love-drunk teenagers. His lips coax moans from mine before he kisses me deeply. Just like he will in our future. I want this, but my heart aches thinking of another marking me.
Shaking the thought from my mind, I force my hands up his arms and caress his biceps. I hold still, keeping command of my wolf as Caleb prepares my flesh for his taking.
Caleb’s canines descend, settling on my sweet spot. They puncture my skin with searing pain as they cut through sensitive flesh.
This is supposed to be euphoric; the claiming of your mate is meant to start a lifetime of pleasure and connection. Nothing of that nature is true. It’s as if I’m being stabbed with silver as my heart is ripped open. Claiming of a chosen signified the loss of our fated, while pleasure from the bond of your chosen only occurs after severing ties with your fated.
My wolf alternates between whimpering and growling. My head and heart are split in two. I’m frozen, fighting the compulsion to push Caleb away and run to my mate. All the while, my heart breaks in my choice to end my fated bond. The struggle coursing through my brain is showing the world my wavering conviction. I whimper from the pang of betraying my mate and the Moon Goddess Herself.
My wolf attempts to pull my neck from Caleb’s embrace. Claws dig into Caleb’s biceps in torment instead of scratching in bliss. Once again, I try to persuade my wolf of what’s best for us, promising a happy ending with the wolf in front of me. Silent pleas fill my head as I beg my wolf to hold claim to Caleb, our family, our home.
Caleb notes my hesitation and extracts his canines from my neck. My blood drips onto his tongue, quickly licked and savored by his wolf. My wolf sneers at his display of pleasure at our taste.
He looks at me as if to ask if he should proceed. A flicker of emotion swirls in his eyes and settles in his pupils: love and concern. To try to make this as painless as possible, he’s going slow, but we don’t have time to be gentle.
Despite my wolf, I want to be his luna, and once we claim each other, my wolf will, too.
“Babe, we don’t have to. We can wait,” Caleb says.
His sincerity proves that statement is true, but time is running out.
I shake my head, not wanting to wait another minute in case my mate discovers me, his smell never wavering.
“No, I want this.”
Caleb continues to stare at me, not convinced.
“It’s fine, really. I’m just nervous. Please, just do it quickly.”
Caleb furrows his brow at my impatience, pausing as he gauges my request. Finally, he sighs and gives in. His canines protrude once more as he leans into my neck and pierces the sensitive skin. Careful not to hurt me, he stops again, allowing me to adjust to the pain. He moves his thumb in caressing circles to distract and console my mind. His claws puncture my hip to hold me in place, doing little to numb the pain radiating through my body. His knee finds its way between my thighs, friction threatening to build as fire spreads through my veins, and my breath ceases.
This isn’t what I imagined. As pups, we were told marking is beautiful, a declaration of love and commitment. It’s pleasurable. As young adults, we were even told marking was erotic. Mating comes with inevitable pain as our animalistic nature declares another. But the bite shifts to pleasure and ecstasy. Like the first time one experiences sex, the scary, unknown, painful entry is replaced with pleasure, joy, and love.
This feels nothing like that. This hurts like hell. As agony spreads through my body, I remind myself why I have to do this. The sex is always good. He’s undeniably handsome, is the pack’s future alpha, and has many qualities of a great father. He’s an ideal match, and I believe we can be happy. The pain will be worth it then.
The smell of spice and leather hits my nose more than it ever has, and fury mixed with fear envelops me. These are not my emotions but his.
Mate has found us. Mate is close.
I panic.
“Hurry,” I mindlink Caleb.
I close my eyes in anticipation for him to go deeper into my neck, but he doesn’t.
A growl permeates the air.
My heart stops, and a chill travels up my spine. Caleb’s weight is lifted off me.
A snarling wolf, dark as midnight and the size of a horse, throws Caleb against a tree, cracking wood and bone.
Caleb shifts into his wolf, and I panic once more as his form doesn’t even compare to this wolf. Caleb lunges at him, and the tussle is a blur until he has Caleb pinned under him. The wolf’s paw rises, ready to strike.
“No! Please!” I beg just before his massive paw guts Caleb.
The wolf looks at me. His caramel eyes stare into my own, his downturned muzzle painted into a sinister grin. He’s the big bad wolf, ready to devour his enemy whole. My human and wolf are dwarfed by his frame before me.
“Run!” Caleb urges.
The wolf’s aura exudes a power unlike any alpha I’ve ever encountered. Fire dances in those eyes as his energy imposes the surrounding clearing, threatening to bring me to my feet. He demands submission from my wolf and me. We had planned his undoing by letting Caleb attempt to mate me. To him, Caleb was just as guilty as I, almost taking what belongs to my mate.
Carefully, I approach the black wolf and stare directly into his eyes, my hands raised. “Please, let him go.”
The black wolf stares at me and exhales hard through his nose, as if contemplating. Finally, he lowers his paw and looks back at Caleb. He growls a warning at Caleb, rises, and shifts into his human form in an instant.
My jaw hits the floor.
He stands before me, a massive wall of muscle and power. Basking in the sight of him, I notice his aura brings clarity that he distinctively surpasses all in the kingdom by size and strength. Caleb is in high regard with his physique, but this man is outmatched. The Moon Goddess Herself carved his body from stone. My wolf howls and wags her tail in approval.
His sun-kissed skin is reminiscent of the high cliffs surrounding the land. His shoulders are as expansive as a mountain, providing a protective shade to anyone who stands in his shadow. Pecs form powerful hills on his chest that rise and fall with each breath. The six-pack chiseling his torso paints peaks and valleys that taunt my eyes lower. My mouth yearns to lick the beads of sweat rolling to the black tendrils surrounding his package.
