Wolf Marked by Alexis Calder

19

When I stepped into my tent, I discovered I wasn’t alone. Alec stood when I entered. “How’s the soul searching going?”

“I wasn’t under the impression that Greta was sharing the process with you,” I said.

“There’s not a whole lot that happens here that I don’t know about,” he said.

“Then you already know the answer to your question.”

“True. Which is why I thought I’d see if I could help,” he offered.

“Where have you been all week?” I asked. “I could have used the help.”

“I’m afraid I had to deal with some things away from camp,” he said.

“Any of it having to do with me?”

“Yes,” he said. “Your pack is out hunting you. We can’t wait until the full moon. We’ll have to go while they’re weaker.”

“When?” I asked.

“We’ll go tomorrow.”

My heart raced. I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t shift and I wasn’t mentally prepared to face them. “I can’t.”

“You have no choice,” he said. “If we play this right, you won’t even have to see him if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“How do we do it?” I asked. “Break the bond, I mean.”

“I have a plan, you’re going to have to trust me,” he said.

It wasn’t the first time he’d asked me to trust him. He still hadn’t earned my trust. Not fully, anyway. Though, he had saved my life and he was trying to help me. “You still want me to look for that information?”

He nodded.

“What if I can’t find anything?” I asked.

“You will.” He sounded totally confident.

“You aren’t going to tell me what you’re doing with it, are you?” I asked.

“I can’t,” he said “It’s too risky. Nobody knows about this. I’m already involving you more than I should. I’m trusting that you won’t tell anyone about this.”

Flutters filled my chest. Did it really matter what he was doing with the information? Wolf Creek already had the toxin in their possession. How much worse could I make things? The rage I felt when I left was creeping back in and to my surprise, my wolf wasn’t fighting me.

Tyler’s face flashed in my memory and I felt my wolf stir. But this time, she wasn’t bringing a sense of guilt with her. I swore I could feel her anger magnifying my own.

Yes. Now you understand why we have to do this. I had to break free of Tyler’s grip and of my past. I couldn’t hold on to Wolf Creek. I needed to let it all go.

That’s when I realized I’d been asking the wrong questions.

“I have to be honest, I don’t want that toxin being used against innocent people. It shouldn’t exist. You and I both know that.”

He took a step toward me. “I want to tell you, I do. But if you know, you’re going to be in far too deep.”

“I don’t want to know everything. But I want you to answer one question for me.”

“Go ahead,” he said.

“Will you be moving against Wolf Creek?” I balled my hands into fists, all the hatred I’d been harboring when I was tossed in the cave came flooding into me. It was familiar and comforting. Where had that all gone? Had it all been my wolf keeping it away? Or was I fighting it? Taking the easy way out again.

I had a score to settle and I was tired of running from my past. My wolf felt like she was running circles inside me. We were finally on the same page.

Greta was right, I had to let myself go there. I had blocked out the anger and rage. I’d told myself it was better to never return but that wasn’t what was going to drive me forward.

Alec smirked. “When I have that recipe, I intend to make all of them pay.”

It was exactly what I wanted to hear. Something snapped inside me and I leaned into it, letting instinct take over.

I wanted to make Wolf Creek pay for what they did to me. I also wanted Alec. And I was done playing it safe. Done staying hidden and following the path of least resistance. I wanted to feel alive and enjoy life.

Before I could let myself overthink things, I moved toward Alec and threw my arms over his shoulders, moving one of my hands to the back of his head. I rose to my toes. He lowered his face to mine and our lips met like an explosion.

Our kiss was all passion and hunger. All this time, I’d needed this release. I’d felt the attraction linking us since we met. It had been there the whole time, simmering between us. His lips moved in perfect time with mine, the pressure intense. I needed this. I needed him. My body knew how to respond, urging me forward. Our tongues met and I matched him stroke for stroke.

When he pulled away for a moment, disappointment flared, only to be quelled by his teeth on my lower lip. I moaned as he sucked and nibbled, sending shivers all the way to my core.

Suddenly, he stopped and set his hands on my face, his gorgeous eyes locked on mine. “If we keep going, I’m not going to want to stop.”

“I don’t want you to stop,” I said.

“Are you sure?” His eyes were heavy with lust, his breathing rapid. I could almost feel how desperately he wanted this. It matched my own desires.

“I want you,” I said. “All of you.”

His mouth claimed mine again and I pressed into him, our bodies glued together, closer than I’d ever been to another person. I couldn’t get enough of him. I needed more.

Large hands slipped under my tee, sliding around to my bare back, up to my neck. He tangled his fingers into my hair, urging me even closer to him, deepening the kiss.

My whole body felt like it was on fire. My skin tingled and everywhere his fingers touched I felt a heightened sensation. I’d never felt pleasure like this. Not even from my own fingers on my clit.

The thought drove me wild. I’d explored my own body but never had a partner to help. I didn’t want this to end as a make-out session. I was ready to feel a man inside me. I wanted all of him.

Not taking my lips from Alec’s, I found the button of his jeans and worked them open. He growled and pulled away from the kiss.

Surprised, I jumped back, panting as desire still coursed through me. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t be the only one naked,” he said. “If my clothes are coming off, so are yours.”

I bit down on my lower lip, my eyes dropping to watch as he stepped out of his jeans. I’d seen him naked before, but that was when he was about to shift. It was different when he was getting naked just for me.

He was fully erect and I swallowed hard when I took in the sight of his length. For a moment, I wondered if I’d made a mistake in my choice for my first time. It might have been easier to go with someone smaller. Or at least average sized. Alec was neither of those things.

“My eyes are up here,” he teased.

I looked back up and realized he’d already removed his shirt. A fully naked, gorgeous wolf shifter was standing in front of me and I wanted to soak him all in. “You know exactly how hot you are, don’t you?”

“I’ve been told before,” he said.

“I’m sure you have.”

“But I’ve never been told by someone as beautiful as you,” he said. “How long are you going to keep me waiting? It seems wrong that I’m the only one who’s naked.”

“Give me a second. I’m enjoying the view,” I said.

He charged me and scooped me up, throwing me over his shoulder. When he moved forward, he kicked over the lantern on the floor and the room went dark. Neither of us seemed to care. It was just light enough for me to make out his shape, but I couldn’t see details. Not that the details were needed for what we had planned next. I squealed and laughed as he dropped me onto my cot. It bounced and groaned at the impact.

“Is this thing going to hold us?” I asked.

“Why don’t we find out?” He unbuttoned my shorts. I lifted my hips so he could pull them down. Then I sat up and pulled my tee over my head.

“Fuck, you’re gorgeous.” His eyes traveled up and down my body and to my surprise, I didn’t feel self-conscious. It wasn’t light enough for him to see everything, but he was getting an eyeful.

Where I grew up, I always worried about how I looked or what I was wearing. Mostly, because I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. I rarely did anything to make myself look pretty. I didn’t wear clothes that showed off my body and kept my hair simple. My whole life, I had the sense that I was meant to hide so if anyone noticed me, I would shut down, find a way to flee.

With Alec, I didn’t need to do that. He made me feel like it was safe to be who I was. And I had to admit, it was nice to have someone tell you that you’re beautiful.

“Are you going to kiss me or are you just going to stare at me?” I demanded playfully.

Alec growled again as he pounced on top of me. The cot shuddered and collapsed, sending us both tumbling to the ground. We rolled over and I was now on top of him.

“Guess it won’t hold both of us,” he mused.

I laughed. “You owe me a new cot.”

“I have a real bed in my place and I could probably make some room for one more,” he said.

“Was that a sleepover invitation?” I asked.

“Maybe,” he said.

“You don’t even know if the sex is good yet,” I warned.

“The company is,” he said.

My heart fucking melted right there. I was so in trouble with this one. Alec was all the things I thought I never wanted. I’d spent my whole life avoiding the alpha-types. In a million years, I never would have guessed I’d lose my virginity to one of them.

I leaned down and kissed him, gently this time. He returned the motion with soft, tender kisses. Then he grabbed hold of me and turned so I was under him.

Breaking the kiss, he began to move his lips lower. He kissed my jaw and my neck before moving to my breasts.

When his tongue found my sensitive nipples, I gasped in surprise. He knew exactly how to make my body respond. Just as I was appreciating the feel of his lips and tongue, his hand moved to my inner thigh. Gently pressing on my leg, he parted them, and his finger began to work my clit.

My eyes rolled into the back of my head as the sensations came together in unison. Breathing faster, my hips lifted and lowered as he increased speed and pressure, driving me closer to orgasm. It didn’t take long before a wave of pleasure rolled through me and I cried out as climax crashed around me.

But he didn’t stop there. Slowly, he inserted a finger inside me and I tensed, my eyes widening. I knew this was where we were going, this was what I wanted, but this was new.

He stopped, removing the finger. “You okay?”

“Don’t stop,” I said.

With a grin, he slid the finger back inside me, and he moved his head lower, until he was positioned between my legs. I knew what he was doing, of course, I’d heard lots of conversations about sex, but I had no idea what to expect.

Then his tongue flicked over my clit and I suddenly understood all the hype. “Holy shit.”

He added another finger inside me as he continued to suck and lick my clit. I winced as he stretched me, but I adjusted surprisingly quickly and the moment of discomfort gave way to increased pleasure.

“Oh my gods,” I gasped.

I gripped the sleeping bag on the floor under me, squeezing the fabric between my hands as the pressure built. I’d never felt anything like this. My hips were moving in time to his motions, my back arched, I was panting, struggling to get a full breath as the pleasure built. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and an explosion of sensation coursed through me. “Fuck!”

Alec stopped what he was doing and looked up at me with a self-satisfied expression.

Sweaty and shaky, I smiled. “You have a gift.”

“That was just the appetizer,” he said.

“I don’t know how you’ll top that,” I challenged.

He climbed on top of me, settling his hips between my thighs. Nervous flutters swirled in the pit of my stomach.

I gripped his muscular back and stared into his eyes. He looked different somehow. He wasn’t the same in here with me as he was when we were around the rest of the pack. It was as if I was seeing another side of him. Or all of him.

Alec brushed some hair off my forehead. “You are so fucking beautiful. That asshole made the biggest mistake of his life when he sent you away.”

My stomach tightened. “I really don’t want to talk about him right now.”

He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. I welcomed the distraction, Alec’s kiss sending away all thoughts of anyone else. He grounded me, kept me here, in the present, making me feel more alive than I had in my whole life.

I could feel his cock at my entrance, he moved slowly, pressing little by little. I dug my fingernails into his back and deepened the kiss to distract myself.

Suddenly, he was inside me. I gasped, and winced through the discomfort, breaking the kiss. I closed my eyes, taking steadying breaths.

Alec caressed my face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I opened my eyes. “I didn’t want you to stop.”

He was looking at me as if I was fragile.

“And I didn’t want you to look at me like that.”

“Is this okay?” he asked.

I smiled and nodded, then moved my hand to his cheek. “I’m glad it’s you.”

He kissed me softly and began to move slowly inside me. For the first few thrusts, I started to question what the big deal was. The foreplay had been better than this. It was slightly uncomfortable, but with each thrust it was getting easier. While the pain subsided, there wasn’t any pleasure. A little disappointed, I wondered why anyone went this far. Oral sex might be the best thing ever. Or maybe I was doing it wrong.

Alec adjusted and lifted my legs, making my hips turn upward and I gasped in surprise. “Oh my god.”

He grinned. “That’s better, isn’t it?” He thrust again, slowly.

My breath hitched. So this is what I was missing. “That feels amazing.”

He picked up the pace and I started to moan, my body taking over, each thrust sending me closer to climax. Holy shit, I was wrong. This was better than foreplay.

“Lola, come for me,” he said.

The words sent a shiver through me and I found myself reacting. The building orgasm exploded and I cried out. He continued thrusting and wave after wave rolled through me, one climax rolling into the next like ripples on water.

Alec grunted as he came, his body shaking for a moment before he stilled. I hadn’t realized my eyes were closed. I opened them and looked up at him. He wore a lazy smile on his lips. “What did I tell you? It got better, right?”

“I might need to try it again before I can make a decision,” I teased.

He chuckled, then leaned down and kissed my forehead. “We better get dressed before Sheila finds us.”

That’s when Sheila walked in. She turned on a lantern next to her cot before turning to face us. I let out a little yelp of surprise and quickly covered myself with the shirt I was holding.