A Grey Wolves Howliday (The Grey Wolves #14) by Quinn Loftis

Jacque’s eyes widened at his bold words. Then they narrowed as she and her wolf rose to the challenge he’d just laid down. She wasn’t helpless, and her mate knew it. She’d trained with him, Decebel, Costin, and Vasile. Remembering what she’d learned, she swiped one of his ankles out from under him and then used the momentum of his body, turning slightly from that one weakened limb. She rolled with him until she was on top, her legs straddling his hips. Jacque smiled down at him. “Looks like I can bring you to your knees and get you on your back.”

Fane ran his hands up her thighs until they rested on her hips. Jacque wore a green button-up shirt with round gold studs for buttons. She unbuttoned the top two buttons. Jacque was no fool. She would use any advantage she had, even if it meant distracting her mate with skin. That he was being so playful filled her with joy, and she was going to revel in it.

He reached up with one hand and touched the tip of her chin with his finger. Then he began to gently run his finger downward. His eyes traced every place he touched—her throat, across the dip between her collarbones, and down further still. When he reached the place where the shirt was still buttoned, his eyes snapped up to hers.

Fane put both hands on the bed and pushed so that his body came up off the mattress, while Jacque fell forward, resting her hands on his chest. He pulled them both back until he was sitting against the headboard. Jacque sat back up and was once again met with the glowing blue eyes. Then they flashed back to Fane’s normal blue, and it was the human with her, the wolf no longer in control.

“Take this off.” Fane’s voice was rough as he tugged on her shirt.

Jacque slowly began to unbutton the blouse. With every slip of a stud through the buttonhole, more of her fair skin showed. She wasn’t shy in front of Fane, not anymore, but there were times when she had to use her wolf’s confidence to be bold. So, when she reached the last button, she called on her wolf, but her inner beast was not paying attention. It was making googly eyes at Fane’s wolf. His wolf and Jacque’s had a bond that sometimes felt separate from the humans themselves. Since her wolf wasn’t being helpful, Jacque sat on top of her mate, her blouse completely unbuttoned. In this new position, Fane’s head was level with her own.

“Off,” Fane said again, a deeper growl.

Jacque pushed her hair back. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Did you check your manners at the door?”

He ignored what she’d said, now focused on something other than her shirt. His hands slipped under her blouse just over her shoulders and pushed the material so that it fell back, sliding down her arms and pooling at her wrists. Fane’s eyes were fixated on the place between her ear and neck. The bite mark. It had been some time since he’d marked her. His eyes kept going back and forth from glowing to not, as if struggling to control himself.

Jacque reached up and took all of her hair and pulled it around to the other side of her neck, completely baring her skin to him. He took his eyes off the mark and looked at her. “Mine,” he growled.

“Always,” she agreed. Jacque leaned forward and tilted her head. Fane was gentle as he held her chin, turning her a little further. His other hand gripped her hip, squeezing tightly, then releasing, only to repeat the action.

Jacque gasped at the first touch of his soft lips against the bite mark. He licked her and then nipped the same spot gently. She could feel through their bond that he was playing with her. He wanted, needed to bite her. He needed to reestablish the mark, but he wanted her to submit to him. Jacque saw images in her mate’s mind of her biting him, only he was the one beneath her. This alpha of alphas would bare his most vulnerable parts to only one—his mate.

“Fane.” Jacque didn’t even recognize the sultry voice that came out of her.

“Yes, my love,” he said as he continued to assault her neck with kisses, licks, and bites.

“I need you.” She squeezed her thighs on either side of him and grabbed both of his shoulders, pulling him with her as she rolled them so that he was once again on top of her. Jacque turned her head, baring her neck to him.

She didn’t have to tell her male twice. He was a quick learner. A second later, his face was buried in her neck as his teeth sank into her flesh. The initial sting was quickly replaced with pleasure. Jacque tried to retain some of her dignity and not let her eyes roll back in her head, but it was difficult. She felt Fane rumble and shake against her and realized he was laughing. She reached up and grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled. His tongue swiped across the bite mark once, twice, and a third time before he finally relented.

When he pulled back, he was frowning. “I wasn’t done.” He sounded like a child who’d just been told to throw away their ice cream cone.

“You were laughing,” Jacque accused.

He smiled. Gah, why does he have to have such a sexy smile?

“You’re adorable. And it helps my male ego when you don’t retain dignity while I make love to you.” He pressed kisses across her jaw, down her neck, collarbone, and farther.

Jacque moaned. “By all means, alpha, prove you’re male enough to make your mate lose some dignity.”

“As you wish.” He pressed a kiss to her belly button.

Let it never be said that Fane Lupei shied away from a challenge.



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