Claimed By Her Alpha by J.E. Cluney

11

Dray.

* * *

This woman was going to tear the wolf right out of me. I couldn’t stop myself from pleasing her in the car, desperate to hear her cries of bliss. My wolf howled and begged to be released so it could take control and claim her, but I held it back. Just.

But when she’d cum, all my senses went into overdrive at the scent.

If I didn’t do something, my wolf was going to break out whether I liked it or not. So, I chose to lick up every fucking drop of her bliss, hoping it would calm the wolf enough for me to get my head on straight.

The scent of her sweet flower, all swollen and sweet, overwhelmed me, and tasting her only added to it.

Amazingly, my wolf seemed somewhat calmed for the briefest of moments while it savored the taste of her, but it was short-lived.

I should’ve known better than to think my wolf would chill the fuck out by tasting her. That was asking for trouble. But my human brain was struggling to process correctly, and what seemed like a now definitely stupid idea was somewhat plausible thanks to my wolf clawing away within me.

This female was absolute torture.

I’d felt my wolf tearing through as I lapped her juices up, suckling away as she gasped. It was going to take control, flip her over, and take what was ours.

My mate. Fuck. My mate. Fuck.

Then she’d said my name.

It was as if my wolf was at her mercy, ceasing all fight for that brief moment.

I’d pulled up, only for her to kiss me and tell me she wanted me within her body.

My wolf backflipped with triumph, and I had to force myself away from her with every bit of logic and strength I had.

The pout and look of hurt on her sweet face crushed me, and I had to look away for fear I’d go straight back to comfort and please her.

I was going to lose control. She was just too damn intoxicating, drawing me in like a wicked little minx.

‘I don’t want you to stop.’

That had been my undoing. Perhaps diving inside her body would sate my wolf long enough for me to figure out how to tell her everything. I just needed to focus.

But as soon as I sunk into that sweet body of hers, my wolf snarled and tore through, dominating her and wanting to claim her.

I’d come so close to marking her, my teeth grazing her neck.

It’d taken every ounce of strength for me to rip myself away from her, despite my wolf howling in protest.

Thankfully, she’d thought I’d freaked out about finishing in her.

She wouldn’t know it, but supernatural beings couldn’t contract or carry STDs. I’d only used a condom a few times in the past, when fucking some human women, but I normally stuck with shifters and wolves. We had our own means of contraception that we used specific to our kind, and they were just easier, since we could be as animalistic as we wanted. I’d worked out a no-strings-attached arrangement with them for a bit of fun for a night or two.

Putting some distance between us allowed me to refocus, to push away my baying wolf.

Home. I needed to get her home and get away from her until I could do this right.

Fuck.

Was there even a way I could court her without wanting to screw her goddamn brains out?

I told her of my intentions, and she’d flicked the switch from uncertain and hurt little kitten to sexy, sultry minx in a heartbeat.

And her words of continuing once at hers had me reeling. I wanted to bury myself inside her perfect fucking body again, to hear those wonderful cries of hers.

No. I need to tell her the truth. No more until then.

I repeated those words in my mind until my wolf whined and paced unhappily.

I didn’t want this to become something more and then have her feeling like I’d cheated her by not telling her the whole truth. Besides, if we had sex again, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop myself from marking her. Claiming her as mine.

How would I even tell her everything though? I needed to do it carefully. There was no guide on this shit. Fuck.

I ordered her into the car, not caring if my Alpha side was shining through. She amazingly seemed unbothered by my command as she obeyed, and that made me harden once more.

Great, a female who could take charge and submit when it suited her.

She had to be an Alpha female within.

And my wolf wanted her bad.

* * *

By the time we pulled into her driveway, I’d reclaimed my wolf while nearly hanging my head out the open window.

Everly had ceased tempting me to my relief, although my wolf growled within. I had a sneaking suspicion she was withholding so she wouldn’t get too carried away either.

As soon as the engine shut off, she proved me right, leaning over and gliding her hand down my navel.

I stiffened, my cock hardening at the sweet caress.

“Come,” she purred, that voice making my dick twinge.

What I wouldn’t do to bend her over, hike up that skirt, and let my wolf go to town once more.

My wolf rumbled happily at the thought.

I watched as she climbed out of the car, repeating my mantra again.

No claiming before the truth.

How was I planning to do that anyway?

My phone sounded off, coming to my rescue as I sighed and climbed out.

“I need to take this, it’s Ethan,” I informed Everly as she pouted over the top of my car.

“Okay, I’ll leave the door unlocked, come in when you’re ready,” she said with a cheeky wink. “I’m going to freshen up.”

I nodded as I answered the call, letting out a breath as Everly disappeared inside the quaint little home.

“Dray, how’s it going? Haven’t wolfed out, have you?” Ethan asked sternly.

“No,” I growled, hating the authoritative tone he was taking with me. I knew he was only looking out for me, but my wolf didn’t like someone trying to control us.

“Good, well, I’ve been looking into Everly, found out a few things. Ended up in contact with a mountain lion Pride Chief. Seems Everly’s grandfather and father belonged to his Pride. Her grandmother was a human that her grandfather impregnated accidentally, and when he took a proper shifter mate, they took the son when he started to shift. Her father died when she was a baby, barely had contact with the mother anyway. Hunters got to him as he was reckless, but her grandfather is still alive. They chose not to have anything to do with her due to her only being a quarter shifter. They knew the odds of her shifting were small, and since her mother knew nothing of what her father was, they left it. Apparently, it was a one-night stand thing. They sent scouts to check on her around her teen years to make sure she was not showing signs of shifting or her scent changing, then left her alone,” Ethan relayed everything to me.

I clenched my jaw, pitying the sweet kitten I’d fallen for. She’d never known her father from the sounds of it, and her grandfather had abandoned her.

“Her grandmother?” I asked.

“Died from a stroke,” Ethan answered.

“Siblings, aunts, uncles?”

“None. Her grandparents only had the one cub, and her father had not found his mate.”

So, she really was all alone and knew nothing of my world.

“Thanks,” I said as I took in her home before me. It wasn’t anything flashy, maybe a two or three-bedroom home. Something simple and basic, painted cream.

“You coming back here tonight like planned?” he queried, and I could hear the damned smile in his voice.

“Little preoccupied,” I muttered.

“Do this carefully. Don’t let your wolf call the shots,” Ethan said firmly, and my lip pulled back in annoyance as my wolf snarled. Of course, I knew that. I was doing my best to keep my wolf at bay, but she was making it mighty difficult.

“I’m Alpha too, Ethan. I know what I’m doing,” I growled out before hanging up. I started up the stairs to her porch, my wolf keening for what waited for us inside.

The small outdoor table on the porch had a thriving lavender plant perched on top. I guess she liked lavender, which explained how it was mingled into her scent.

I paused as I put my hand on the doorknob.

Would she be waiting for me, naked on the bed, or wearing something raunchy.

My wolf rippled at the thought, pushing away inside me eagerly.

If she was, I’d be lucky to control myself.

This was risky.

No claiming before the truth.

My wolf snarled at my mental words. I wanted her, so fucking badly, but mating her before she knew what she was getting into could go so wrong. She could freak out and want to break the bond.

Something that had happened in very rare cases in the past. For a price, a powerful witch could break the bond, although that was supposedly worse than being rejected. Wolves who’d had the bond forcibly removed normally went mad after a few months, and would be put down. They couldn’t take on another mate. It had only ever been done long ago as severe punishment for crimes against a Pack, as those few months going mad were said to be beyond horrifying. However, as Everly had not shifted and was an inactive quarter-blood, I imagined it was something she could seek, if the bond didn’t ignite within her either.

The shrill ringing of my phone sliced through my thoughts, and I groaned. Of course, Ethan was calling back to drill in his words.

I frowned at my mother’s caller ID on the screen.

“What’s up?” I answered.

“I know this trip was important, but I think you should come back. Trenton Black was here,” she said quickly, and I growled. That damn Alpha from the Black Pack to the south of our territory. “He’s been asking about you. I fear he wishes to overthrow you,” she hissed.

“He can fucking try,” I snarled, my wolf bristling instantly. Trenton had always been interested in our Pack, and not in an alliance kind of way. He had a female Alpha by his side, so their Pack was strong. With me as the Ashford Pack’s Alpha, we were now weaker despite our larger numbers. My Pack was loyal to me and my family, and no one had challenged me for the Alpha position when the time came.

“Were you able to settle the alliance? Perhaps some of your new friends could come and offer their support with some powerful wolves. Are any of their Packs big?” my mother asked.

“The Clayborn Pack and Petersen Pack are large in number with formidable wolves,” I said. Ethan’s Pack, the Petersen Pack, came from a long line of full-blooded wolves. My own Pack had shifters and half-bloods crossed into it, so our wolves were not as strong as those descended from full-blooded lines. Thankfully, the Black Pack had the same circumstances as us—shifters and half-bloods in their Pack. If Ethan and Jayden were willing to offer me some of their members as per the alliance, we’d be able to out-power Trenton and his Pack if he made a move.

We’d discussed the alliance over the food at the Bar and Grill despite my being distracted, and had come to an agreement. I was meant to meet with the various Packs tomorrow and organise a time to meet all the females in each. Not that that was needed now. Instead, each of the Alphas would visit my Pack and meet my females. We were planning on meeting again tomorrow at Ethan’s home to organise times for it, and go into depth on the alliance, such as how we’d assist the other unmated Alphas where we could.

“But I found my true mate anyway.”

“What?!” I had to pull the phone away from my ear at her shrill screech. “Have you claimed her? No, you haven’t, I would’ve felt the power surge. Why haven’t you?!” she demanded, excitement and worry mingling in her voice.

“She’s a quarter-blood, inactive. Has no idea about any of this,” I explained.

“Ah, makes sense then. Don’t need her deciding to reject you when she learns the truth. True mates in quarter-bloods are rare, I’ve never heard of it happening with an inactive one either. Wonder if it’s any different?” she mumbled thoughtfully.

“No idea. But I need to do this right.”

“Of course. Take it slow, which will be hard, your wolf must be going absolutely crazy.”

“Yeah, I already mated with her, I couldn’t stop. But I managed not to mark her,” I muttered.

“Be careful, Dray. With true mates, the need to mark is powerful. I’m surprised you managed to stop yourself. But you might not be so lucky next time,” she warned.

She was right, and I knew that. But saying no to my sexy little minx was excruciatingly difficult, practically impossible. She commanded my wolf despite my best efforts.

“I’m going to call Ethan and see what we can do in the meantime,” I said gruffly. “I’ll let you know. Thanks for calling.”

“Of course. Take care.”

“You too.”

Wolf shifters operated by a code at least, so as per Pack law, he had to come to me and challenge me officially. A fight to the death if we decided on it. The winner would become Alpha to both the Packs and would combine them.

But not all Alphas obeyed the code.

I heard movement within the house, and I froze up, listening as Everly moved within.

My heart fluttered as she swung the front door open, arching a brow at me, freshly showered and wearing a dressing gown.

“You coming in or what?” she asked as she stepped forward and planted her hands on my chest. She rose on her tiptoes to press her lips against mine, and I couldn’t help but kiss those full, delicious lips back.

But as much as my wolf wanted her right now, I was also worried about my Pack. Not that Trenton could take over my Pack, he needed to win that power from me fairly. Although he could start to make his presence known and instil doubt in my packmates. If he did that, my own power would diminish. It was why I wanted the assistance of others. This would have my own Pack believing in me more, and it would help keep outsiders out of my territory.

The Alpha’s power thrived on the loyalty and belief of his Pack in him. Causing doubt amongst his packmates was a tactic other Alphas had used before.

“I want to, baby, I really fucking do,” I groaned as I pulled back. “But there’s an emergency at home.”

Her face dropped like I’d just kicked a goddamn puppy.

“Oh, okay…” she breathed as she pulled back, and my heart yanked painfully at the sheer crushed look in those eyes.

“Can I see you again?” she asked as she played with the belt of her dressing gown, all that fire and confidence stomped down on.

Fuck.

“Yes, definitely, there’s no way I wouldn’t see you again, Everly,” I smirked as I reached out to stroke her cheek. My gorgeous little kitten.

Her smile returned, and that spark glinted in her eyes once more.

“Okay, good, because I still want to fuck you like there’s no tomorrow,” she said sweetly, which only made it so much more fucking difficult to not grab her now and make it clear what I wanted with her.

“Come with me,” I demanded before I could stop myself.

She chuckled for a second before her smile faltered.

“You’re serious?” she blinked as an adorable furrow appeared in her forehead.

“Yes. Come back with me.”