SWNOVELS The Hidden Falling: Chapter 20
as I get to my feet and stomp after him. We don’t suffer? Every member of my pack has suffered one way or another. He can see it clearly in some of their faces, for fuck’s sake. All I have ever done is help other people survive, my family included, and he calls me selfish! The audacity of this overgrown babysitter. He can go fuck himself if he thinks the Highers are getting their grubby hands on Eridian.
I won’t tell them shit.
I pick up speed, growling beneath my breath and clenching my fists at my sides as I follow in the direction he went. I finally spot him up ahead a good distance away, his broad shoulders tense with every heavy step he takes.
I look down at the forest floor and pick up a small rock, tossing it in the air a few times and feeling the rough edges before I take my aim. I bring my arm back and power it forward with an extra boost from Runa. I watch as it soars through the air, flying perfectly to hit its target. Yes! Sebastian teaching me how to throw knives at targets on the trees has really paid off.
I’m so busy basking in my smugness at hitting Darius between his shoulder blades, the same spot he pinned me by to the tree earlier, that I don’t actually notice how still he’s gone. It’s only when I see him turn his head slowly to the right, that I realize that’s the only part of his body moving. There’s not a twitch of his fingers or the rise and fall of his shoulders, like he’s not even breathing.
I may have just made a wrong move.
I bite the inside of my lower lip as he turns slowly, so slowly, until he’s eventually facing me. He looks down toward the forest floor, to where the stone now rests and tilts his head at it in an animalistic way. His dark hair hangs just above his eyes. I freeze at the way he looks at it, and a stillness surrounds us. My heart rate picks up, my palms start to sweat, and when he finally lifts his head to look at me, my eyes widen, a gasp leaving me as I look into his eyes. His pure black eyes where the whites should be. His larger green pupils glow as he stares straight back at me with an intensity I feel down to my soul. I take a small step back at the sight of him, the shock of him, but he follows, taking a step toward me.
I pause, and he stops.
Darius’ wolf watches my every move, head still tilted, body still tense, ready and waiting to get to its prey. His nostrils flare, and then he releases a deep, low growl that pins me in place. My body shivers at the sound, and Runa looks out of my eyes, watching him with me. She whines softly, and looks over at the male that is now releasing dominance freely, no longer holding it back. Runa bristles as it hits us and tries to get me to release ours, but that would be poking the very angry wolf, and I do not want to do that right now. We may be strong, but Darius and his wolf are also pure Alpha, pure power. To be able to hold and control the change, but still work as one together completely… His eyes confirm it, and there is only one explanation as to why he can do that. One I don’t want to even think about right now as I face an extremely furious male.
I stay as still as possible, watching him watch me as his scent drifts toward me stronger than ever. Cedarwood, damp earth that comes with the aftermath of a thunderstorm, and power. Pure fucking power that wants me to kneel before him and bow in his presence. My legs begin to shake, but I lock them, refusing to bend.
He takes slow, measured steps toward me, stalking me like a hunter would his prey. His muscular body moves with intense precision, his steps silent even as I feel the ground tremble with every step he takes toward me. The trees nearby vibrate with the power he’s giving off, and I swallow, unsure what to do here. My body trembles as Runa keeps fighting me to release my hold on my dominance that I refuse to let loose, and I have only one instinctual thing left on my mind.
Run.
So, I do.
I spin and take off, forcing Runa to give me some strength because we sure as fuck are going to need it. We can’t compete against the Alpha at our backs, I know it and so does she. Yet with the need to flee, another thought niggles at the back of my mind. This isn’t just us running to get away, but a need to assess the male behind us.
A strange urge to see if he is worthy.
If he can catch me.
I jump over small boulders and exposed tree roots, not even daring to look behind me as I dart through the trees and duck under branches. I hear Darius growl behind me, shaking the very air, but this time it’s not in anger, it’s in… approval. My brows furrow at the unusual sound, but I continue on, ignoring how that particular sound lights me up from within.
I’m fast, and I know this forest well. It’s my home. I’ve been nearly everywhere in here, and that’s the advantage I’ll need. I aim for one of the rivers up ahead. If I can cross it and duck under the water quickly, it will hide my scent when I get to the other side, giving me more of a chance to lose him and leave him to calm down.
Throwing a rock at him was childish for sure, but the bastard deserved it. His words hurt, and assuming we haven’t suffered made my blood boil, so I threw a stone. I don’t think he appreciated that. I grimace, but keep my senses open, only hearing the movement of animals ahead of me scurrying away at my approach. But I feel nothing behind me. Did I lose him? I hear the sound of rushing water up ahead and move my legs faster, spotting the river just in the distance. I check over my shoulder, seeing nothing but trees, and I blow out a breath. I think I actually lost him, but I’ll still go through the river to the other side. He will catch up to me eventually, but he’ll have to find me first.
I glide around a huge tree and aim for the water. I hit it with a splash, feeling its coolness seeping into my skin. With it being so deep inside the forest, it doesn’t get much sunlight to warm it up, but at least it’s not freezing. I wade through it as fast as I can, making as little noise as possible. Reaching halfway, the water is up to my waist now, I’m just about to duck under when I’m collided with and forced under. I open my mouth on a scream, but all I get is a lungful of liquid. I thrash in the arms that surround me, my feet kicking out, trying to dislodge him. I’m running out of air, my lungs constricting, and I start to wriggle more fiercely when I’m suddenly brought to the surface. I hack up water, spluttering and taking in deep breaths of air as I thrash to get away from the male at my back. I don’t get far as arms are banded around my chest tightly, my own pinned at my sides as I continue to twist in the asshole’s arms, my legs pushing off the riverbed to try and aid me.
I bring a hand up and grip his forearm, my short nails clawing at the skin until his nose presses against the side of my neck, just below my ear. I still at his touch. At the place where he shouldn’t be touching me.
My heart slams against my chest, and there is no way he doesn’t feel it with the arm banded across me. His growl is a low rumble, pressing his nose further into my skin, and I can’t hold back the tiny sound that escapes me. He pulls me more firmly against him, drawing me closer, and I feel hardness digging into my lower back. My stomach drops and my nipples tighten at the feel of him, the heat of him, the scent of him. I pant as he brings a hand up, stroking my side leisurely until he slowly wraps a hand around the front of my throat and tilts my head to the side, exposing more of my neck to him as he speaks against my skin.
“You shouldn’t have run, little wolf,” he rumbles in a low husky voice. “It excites me.” He nips my flesh, and my body flushes at his attention.
“You were angry,” I pant, unconsciously tilting my head further as his teeth travel up my neck, biting me softly. My eyes close as his hold on my throat tightens, his arm moving from my chest further down to hold my hip.
I’m not panicking at his hold on me. I’m not flinching away from his touch like I would have with others. Through the slow haze that’s clouding my mind, I realize that I have not once ever flinched away from him.
He spins me suddenly, using the hand that’s still on my neck to guide me as I face him. He takes his hand off my hip and grabs me under my chin, adding pressure until I look up into his eyes. My lids slowly open, the feeling like I’m floating at his nearness consuming me as I try to clear my mind. His eyes are a little dimmer now, the white of his eyes only showing black that’s bleeding at the edges. Although his wolf may have pulled back slightly, one prominent thing still has me entranced as I look in his half-lidded eyes.
The heat in them.
They’re burning, threatening to eat me alive and devour me in the ashes that he will leave in his wake.
He pulls me closer by my throat, a soft sound spilling from my lips as my hands land on his solid chest. “I am angry,” he says in a low tone. “But then you had to run from me. You know as well as I do how we wolves like the chase, the hunt, the challenge. And I always catch what I’m hunting, Rhea, you should know that from when I caught you in The Deadlands.” He dips his head lower, so close to me that I see flecks of silver dancing in his pupils, looking like tiny shards of exploded glass. “Now, I’m not just angry, I’m excited.” he growls, gripping my throat tighter, and Runa growls back before I can stop the sound escaping. He pauses, his eyes dropping to my lips before looking back up at me.
His body tenses at the look in my eyes, his thumb rubbing smoothly over my pulse and his brows form a line. He makes a frustrated sound at the back of his throat until he closes the distance between us, a breath away from my lips.
“Fuck you and fuck those eyes of yours,” he growls before he capture me in a brutal kiss. I let out a squeak of surprise, my fingers digging into his chest as I keep my eyes wide open, just like him. His eyes darken, and his lips press firmer on mine before he bites my lower lip in reprimand when I don’t kiss him back. I’m too stunned to do anything, to understand what the fuck is happening. He pulls away, his heated eyes take in my startled ones, both of us panting heavily and sharing each other’s breaths as we stare at each other. “Open for me,” he demands in a low tone. When I say nothing, he grabs and pulls my ponytail, holding me still. His mouth comes back to mine once more, squeezing my throat in warning to do what he says.
Unable to resist, I do, even though I have no idea what I’m doing, but he doesn’t seem to care.
My eyes close and a small moan escapes me as I relent to his demanding mouth as it moves with mine. I kiss him back, unsure but fiercely, my hands traveling up his chest to the back of his head. I grip his hair tightly in my fists, pulling him closer. Needing him closer.
He makes a sound of approval into my mouth, and the sound goes straight to my clit, causing wetness to pool between my thighs. His grip on my hair and throat tighten simultaneously, no doubt smelling my arousal that he caused, and that just excites me further. His hand moves away from my throat to my jaw and squeezes until my lips part for him. He invades my mouth, our tongues tangling in a battle for dominance, and I whimper at the feel of him, the taste of him. I want to bathe in him as his scent wraps around me.
I rock my hips forward, feeling his hardness pressing into my stomach, making me feel delirious with want. Need. I feel him turning us and walking me backwards, the cool water splashing against my heated skin as we move. My nipples rub against his chest through our wet clothing, and I release a long, low moan, wondering what it would feel like skin to skin. He lets go of my jaw and bends slightly, moving his forearm beneath my ass and lifts me up against him. I wrap my legs around his waist, feeling his cock against my center as I bring my arms around his neck. He releases my lips and trails open mouth kisses down the side of my neck while I move my hips, rubbing my pussy against him through our clothes. My back hits a hard surface, but I pay it no mind, feeling my body thrum with pleasure as I rock into him. His lips attack my collarbone, his hand squeezing my ass helping me move into him, guiding my body how he wants it as he tastes my skin. Why does this feel so good?
He grunts against my shoulder, moving me faster, his grip on my ass bruising with every rock of my body. “You smell so good, little wolf.” The gravel in his voice has pleasure thrumming through me. “You want to come, don’t you?”
“Yes,” I moan, and scrape my nails down the back of his neck, making him groan against me. He lifts his head and captures my mouth, devouring it as our tongues taste each other, and I feel my orgasm creeping closer. “Darius.”
His chuckle is deep as tiny sounds escape me as the tightness in me builds higher and higher as he grinds his cock against me, hitting my clit with just the right amount of pressure. His free hand roams over the swell of my breast, squeezing and roaming before he pinches my nipple through the fabric of my t-shirt, I suck in a sharp breath.
“Fuck,” he breathes against my mouth before everything tightens at the slight pain, at the pleasure I haven’t felt this strongly before flooding through me. I arch into him as my orgasm hits me hard and fast. My lips part as I moan, loud and long, and Darius groans low at the sound as my pussy contracts, my legs twitching around his hips.
He holds me close as my orgasm fades, my body slumping against him. We stay like that as I come back to myself, mouths not moving against each other, just touching as I catch my breath. I peel my eyes open, not realizing I closed them, and his eyes hold me captive, the desire in them sending butterflies into my stomach as his fingers twitch against my ass. When my breathing is under control, I hum at the satisfied feeling in my body, relishing in this new state, and then almost stop breathing, my body locking up around him.
What the fuck did I just do? How did that even happen?
I jolt and lean back away from him, moving my eyes away from his as I drop my hands from around his neck and loosen my legs from his waist. He removes his hand from my chest and around my ass and drops me slowly to the floor, saying nothing, but making me feel every inch of his body on the way down. I feel his eyes still on me, but I continue to look away as I move past him to the river, wading through the cool water and dipping low until it’s up to my neck. His stare caresses my back, but I don’t speak and neither does he, my mind whirling with what I just did. The shame of it.
I just got off on dry humping Darius, the Alpha of the Elites, the man who can tear my world apart as soon as he gets back to the Highers, while he pinned me against a fucking tree.
What. The. Actual. Fuck.
When I feel the cold of the water settle into my bones, I stand and walk back over to Darius where he hasn’t moved. I stop a few feet from him, shivering, and not in the way he just made my body feel. I stare at the ground, my hands moving to my hips wondering what in the Gods I’m supposed to say.
My mind is a mess of confusion and disbelief. Even though we didn’t even get naked and have sex, I still held on to him like I never wanted to let go, and he definitely kept me there, gripping me just as tightly. I put myself in a position of vulnerability, and I never do that. I let it get too far, even if I encouraged it, even if he started it by running. I shouldn’t have even let him kiss me. I should have kicked him in the balls and told him to fuck off. But I didn’t. I’ve given myself orgasms before, that’s nothing new. I’ve only had one other person be intimate with me sexually, and it was a one-time thing. Fuck, I’ve never kissed anyone before until him, never been that close to another person like that. How he made me feel, how I relented to him and pulled him closer, needing him closer. I’ve never felt that way before, never felt that need.
I shake my head. Insanity.
I’m still running through the whole situation in my mind when he speaks. “What’s wrong, Rhea?” he says mockingly, and I stiffen at the cruel sound of his voice. “Never come before?”
“I’m not some naive, virgin girl,” I snap, bringing my head up just in time to see his eyes flash black. “But what the fuck just happened?”
“If you’re not a virgin, then you know you ground your pussy on my cock until you came. How you make these little whimpering sounds when I pulled you close–”
“Stop being an asshole!” I cut him off, glaring at him. This is serious and he couldn’t give a fuck. He shrugs and crosses his arms, my eyes following how the wet material stretches across his body, and I can’t help as my eyes lower to see the outline of his abs. I flick my eyes back up to him quickly, but the smirk on the mouth that just devoured mine tells me I was caught checking him out.
“You ran from me. I was already angry and then you had to go and run,” he tilts his head, his wet hair sticking to his face. “I’ve been in The Deadlands for months, I haven’t fucked since before then. The hunt excites me, excites my wolf.” His gaze trails my body as I stand there, wet and flushed. “You were there, and your body begged for release, so I gave you one. You’re lucky I restrained myself enough that I didn’t bend you over and fuck you until you had to crawl back home. Remember that the next time you try to run from me.”
“Lucky?” I scoff, trying to ignore how coldly he is recalling what just happened. “What makes you think I would let you fuck me?” He runs his tongue over his lips, and I’ll be damned if I lower my eyes and watch.
“I would fuck you, Rhea, and you would welcome me into your tight little body, begging me for more like a greedy slut.” I flinch at his words before I can stop myself, and his smirk is slow, vicious. “However, it depends if I want my cock in a hole that has probably had so many, because I don’t just put it in anyone. Your body may be tight, but your pussy?” He tilts his head. “That’s questionable.”
With those last words, he turns and walks off without a care in the world while I struggle to keep the prickle of tears from my eyes.
That hurt. His assumption about who’s been inside my body, of how many people I would just let that close to me without care. That’s not me, I don’t let anyone touch me like that.”
Yet here I am, pissed and slightly confused at being aroused by the thought that he could have fucked me against that tree, and I would have let him in that moment. I don’t even know him. He’s the enemy.
I scrub my hands down my face and sit in the dirt, cold and wet, wondering if I need to go to Anna for a checkup. It’s just the stress of these last few weeks, finding the Elites while searching The Deadlands, Kade being distant and now having strangers in my home.
The reason I’m acting strange is because of that.
That’s all it was, and that’s all it needs to be.
Ghostly fingers start stroking along my shoulder to my neck, and I reach a hand up absentmindedly, putting my palm against it. Unexpected warmth touches me, and I close my eyes, feeling reassurance wash over me while a tingling sensation starts in my chest. When it crawls upward and reaches my cheeks, I open my eyes and will the feeling to stay. Runa whines inside me, and I mentally scratch behind her ears, letting her know I’m here. The tingling feeling finally goes, and I lean back on my hands and open the link. Determined to ignore what just happened.
“Everyone at dinner?” I ask Josh, hoping my voice sounds normal.
“Yeah, they’re just waiting on you. Kade is there too,” Josh replies.
My brows rise in surprise. I didn’t expect him to be there. Kade’s been pretty much keeping to himself unless he’s with Sam, and he should still be resting and taking it easy. “I’ll be there soon.”
I jump to my feet, my eyes lifting to the glow of the wisps as they play in the trees and head home for a change of clothes and a shower. I can’t exactly walk into the gathering with the smell of Darius on me, feeling the results of my orgasm in my panties with each step I take. That would definitely cause some questions I’m not sure how to answer and more problems I do not need.
And I don’t need to keep thinking about the asshole who just left me after he gave me something I never knew was possible for me.