Chapter 23
Ethan
My mate was dragging me towards the treeline with quite surprising strength for her lithe frame, but I would willingly follow her anywhere. I would spend this time happily with my sweet and then go hunt down my Beta and Gamma and kick their a.sses!
I was relieved they kept their earlier comments in mind-link…
Jude had linked me as I was getting my mate’s breakfast that the maple waffles were exceptional this morning, but that guy would drink maple syrup straight from the bottle all day if he could. The other pack members in the room also sent me silent congratulations on finding my second chance mate, many still believing Maria was my fated first mate, unknowing of the true story behind her.
The m0an my mate unknowingly made had the room once again feeling ridiculously warm and my clothing unnecessarily tight, causing me to take a deep breath, swallowing with difficulty and of course Jude noticed.
‘Damn, barely even 3 days and you’re the one whose putty in her hands!’ he laughed.
‘It’s just been a while since I was last around a woman, is all.’
‘That I don’t doubt, judging by what’s going on with your pants right now. You’re pitching pal.’
This fucker, I was glad April couldn’t hear this right now!
And fantastic! The other one appeared, who I almost clawed when he innocently flirted with my mate, right in front of me.
‘I’d watch yourself there Carrick, Ethan gets all hot and bothered just being around the Luna.’
‘So I gathered!’
‘Guys, come on, drop it already’ I pleaded.
‘Or, we could torture you some more. I haven’t even mentioned yet how you’re hiding a raging boner!’ Jude linked, making Carrick almost choke.
“Will you two just stop” I snapped out loud, feeling my face heat up again.
We were far enough into the trees now that we could strip without being seen, not that I was bothered as I was used to shifting but April wasn’t. I couldn’t believe she hadn’t shifted for over five months, I thought Ezra was going stir crazy after four days.
“This should be enough and don’t worry, I won’t look” I turned as I spoke, handing her the bag to put her clothes into.
After hearing the rustling of clothes and the telltale snapping of shifting, I felt a warm soft muzzle against my waist. I turned to see the most astoundingly beautiful wolf I had ever seen. Bright red, just like April’s hair, with a creamy coloured chest, front paws and the longest legs I had seen on a werewolf. But those eyes, those pale blue glacier eyes almost glowed in her wolf form. She wasn’t much bigger than most other she-wolves surprisingly, but that may be because she shifted well before she was ready. I took a knee in front of her, running a hand through her thick fur as she licked my face. Her wolf, August, was quite amorous in her affections, knocking me over and practically rolling on top of me.
‘Ok, ok, ok. Let me up so I can shift too’ I laughed through our mind-link.
‘Sorry, she’s kinda a little impatient.’
My mate sat back on her hind legs, her tail flicking behind her.
‘If I can’t look at you, you can’t look at me’ I challenged, raising my brow.
‘Spoil sport’ she huffed, but turned around.
I quickly stripped and shifted, letting Ezra have full control.
‘Don’t you dare go all animal and do something her human doesn’t want, Ezra.’
‘I won’t. Chill.’
We nuzzled up to our mate, who was still sat patiently. She spun round, taking in our huge size and ebony fur. Circling us slowly, she seemed to inspect every inch of us. Ezra puffed our chest out in an effort to look more impressive to our mates.
April’s laughter filled my mind with its melodic chorus ‘yes, very impressive Mr. Alpha, we’re practically swooning.’
She nuzzled her face up against our chest, burying herself in our fur and rubbing herself all the way down our flank. She was scent marking us, rubbing her smell on us and our’s on her, which had Ezra growling in approval.
April
His scent wrapped around us so thickly I barely felt the cold, its spicy citrus notes held a musky edge in his wolf form.
‘Follow us, we’ll take you round the whole territory’ he spoke, nudging our muzzle.
We took off through the woods, leaping over obstacles and running side by side.
‘Let me know if you need us to slow down, ok?’
While I appreciated his care, it irked both August and I that he thought we couldn’t keep up. We were an Alpha too and had more than enough speed to outdo even him. We n!pped at his tail, leaping over him, trying our best to annoy him.
‘What are you doing?’
‘Trying to play…so, chase me already!’
And we sped off, feeling his presence just behind us but keeping our pace up just enough so he couldn’t catch us. He leapt trying to pin us but we rolled in time, sending him sprawling into the dirt.
Walking up to him we licked his face ‘almost Mr. Alpha, maybe if we slowed down you’d be in with a chance?’ I mind-linked while tilting our head.
‘Ok, I get it. You’re faster than me’ he sat up nuzzling me ‘come on, let me show you some more and I’ll try to keep up!’ he laughed.
By the time we were done it was evening. I had never been so exhausted yet so invigorated. We had seen most of his territory, the forests, the open meadows that come spring would be blossoming. The three towns under his jurisdiction looked idyllic in the snow, covered in decorations and lights that twinkled over the white blankets. As we neared the pack house, we stopped to get dressed.
“I think I wanna cook for you tonight, how about it? As thanks for taking the day to show me round” I asked as we headed inside, hand in hand.
He looked at me nonplussed, making me almost snort in laughter “wow, be more surprised, why don’t you.”
“No, I’m not doubting you can cook” he rushed out “just didn’t think you’d want to because of why you were taught. I’ll never want that kind of thing from you, you’re my equal in this” he said as we climbed the staircase to his suite.
“I know, but I do like the ‘f**k you’ message of using what I was made to learn, for another Alpha” I grinned.
Alpha Nicholas had attempted to aggressively drill the message into me that I was there to serve his son, waiting on him hand and foot. I may have been scared and I may have feared for what lay ahead of me, but I was an Alpha in my own right and I would serve no man.
Ethan laughed gently at my comment “well I’m happy to help in giving that bastard the middle finger with you.”
Up in his kitchen I was looking through his fridge of what to cook. There was a huge bag of fresh spinach tagliatelle, chicken and mushroom, so I got them out and went to work. Ethan had gone to light a fire so we could cozy up together and eat by it. By the time he came back, I was almost done and just finishing up the creamy honey mustard sauce.
“Damn, this smells good” he stood behind me, circling his hands around my waist “and the food’s a close second” he whispered against my ear as his l!ps trailed down my neck.
I stifled the m0an in my throat, not wanting to get distracted and burn our dinner. But it was difficult when his teeth were grazing near my marking spot, sending a deep shiver down my spine.
He released a devilish chuckle before removing his l!ps from my skin “I’ll stop, don’t wanna ruin your hard work. Can I help with anything?”
“Just drain the pasta and add it to the pan” I said softly trying to regain my senses.
Ethan carried our plates through to the living room, settling down on the thick fur rug in front of the fire. His back was against the couch and he pulled me down to sit between his legs. I happily laid my back against his chest, grabbing up my plate and digging in.
“Nothing comes between you and a meal does it?” he spoke as he k!ssed my temple.
“Not if I can help it.”
We ate in comfortable silence, just enjoying each other’s presence and the crackling fire in front of us.
“Ethan? Do you think tomorrow I could see that doctor?”
“Yeah, but didn’t you want to settle in more first?”
“I’ve been wondering about myself for years. I really want answers and I don’t want to wait anymore. I’d rather have something hanging over me that I know about than something that I don’t.”
I realised those words weren’t just about my possible infertility, it was about virtually everything in my life. I didn’t know if Monkshood Moon knew where I was, if they were on their way right now, if I had doomed this pack by coming here, but this one little thing about myself I could find out and I wanted this one bit of peace.
“We’ll go tomorrow, first thing. Carrick’s mate is a doctor at the pack hospital, she’ll help us out. She’s not an OBGYN but she’ll be discreet.”
I knew why he wanted someone he could trust closely. He had told me about someone leaking some pack information to outsiders, not much had been revealed but it was enough for it to be a possible danger for me.
“There is one thing I definitely know about you. How much I…care about you.”
My eyes snapped to his, taking in his real meaning. Wolves fell for each other hard and fast with the mate bond’s pull. It had only been three days and this man was firmly in my heart and had been secretly for weeks, I couldn’t imagine any other in his place.
I turned round straddling his waist, k!ssing him urgently. He responded quickly, snaking his arms around my h!ps and pulling me closer.
‘I really care about you too’ I whispered in his mind.
A deep, low growl rumbled in his chest as he deepened our k!ss, stroking his tongue against my own. His l!ps trailing down my jaw, my throat, s.uckling n!ps of my skin down to my marking spot. As his teeth made contact without breaking the skin. S.ucking on the soft flesh I saw colours burst in my vision as a shudder traveled down my body to between my th!ghs. The tingles from our bond felt heightened from where his hands lay under my sweater on my waist.
I pulled away, not sure on what I had just felt but knowing I wanted more of it. Was that an o****m? Is that what it felt like?
His hand cupped my cheek, running his thumb over my l!ps.
“Do you want more?” he breathed out, his eyes swirling with black and felt my own doing the same.
“Yes.”
He grasped the hem sweater and slowly lifted it over my head, my hands automatically covering my b.reasts. I had seen a few of the other women around the pack, they had full, feminine figures and I felt wholly inadequate by comparison with my smaller chest and thin frame.
His hands came up to gently move them away “you don’t need to hide, you’re beautiful, every inch of you.”
He flipped us over, pressing my back into the deep, soft, fur of the rug. He pulled back a little to remove his own shirt, revealing his perfect muscular torso and arms and the thin covering of dark chest hair across his pecs. He hooked his fingers into the waistband of my leggings, slowly sliding them down my legs till I was fully bare beneath him. His eyes swept up my form, taking in every detail of me, making me shiver with both nerves and excitement. He crawled up my body, settling over me, our skin brushing against each other, igniting those pleasurable tingles and shocks where we connected.
He k!ssed me once again, with his l!ps trailing down to my exposed chest, taking one of n!pples in his hot mouth whilst playing with the other in his fingertips. I squealed out not expecting the euphoric sensation making him, in turn, chuckle against my skin.
‘I’m only just getting started, sweet.’
His l!ps switched to my other e.rect bud, devouring it’s flesh and rolling it between his teeth. His name left my mouth in a strained m0an that seemed to spur him on further. The throbbing increased and I felt a dampness between my th!ghs growing, wanting desperately for something to stimulate me more. His fingers trailed down from my b.reast, following the line of my stomach, descending lower. His knee pushed my legs further apart, giving him more access to my lower half. His fingers hovered over my slit so delicately, it was barely a whisper but left a hot trail in their wake.
‘Is this ok?’
“Yes” I whimpered out, needing his touch to extinguish the heat he had set into my skin.
His fingers circled my cl!t, gently twisting and rubbing it. My back arched pressing my body into his, my head rolling backwards with a m0an escaping my l!ps. I almost leapt as I felt his finger slip into my opening causing an almost primal growl to rumble from me as he pumped in and out of me. His mouth worked its way up to meet my own while his fingers continued their ministrations of my b.reast, cl!t and entrance, working me up into a delirious state. Just as I felt something inside of me about to snap, his fingers left my body as did his l!ps, making me snarl out in irritation.
But my temper was all but forgotten as I felt his hot tongue part my folds, dipping deeply into my entrance. His l!ps s.ucked my cl!t while his tongue massaged it with his heat. His large hands gripped my slender h!ps keeping me pressed against his face as he teased my sens!tive flesh. His experienced fingers took over from his l!ps in stimulating my cl!t as his tongue returned to plunge repeatedly into my core. My th!ghs started to tremble as my hands slid into his hair, urging him deeper within me to send me over my peak.
I cried out his name as my body shook with pleasure, leaving me panting in short, shallow breaths. Ethan k!ssed his way up my body, settling over me again.
“Is that the first time you’ve ever come?” he whispered against my temple, planting k!sses against my skin.
I suddenly felt heated in my skin for another reason and unable to meet his eye, a little embarrassed at my inexperience. I could feel him smirking against my skin, knowing he was teasing me. I had begun to grow used to teasing him, to making him feel flustered and now our roles were very much reversed. I couldn’t formulate words so I just nodded, looking anywhere but at my mate.
‘I hope your first time was a good one. Am I on my way to being forgiven?’
Forgiven? Oh, that’s right. He was still under the impression he was earning something I had already given.
‘You’re making progress’ I mind-linked, not trusting myself to speak still.
I felt him smile against my cheek as he rolled us over, tucking me into his side with my head against his warm, firm chest. My eyes were feeling incredibly heavy as the day’s exhaustion caught up to me. I snuggled against his skin content by the warmth of the fire and the heat of Ethan’s body, lulling me into sleep. His hands massaging the skin of my back and th!gh, adding to my relaxed state.
‘Goodnight, sweet.’
‘Goodnight, Mr. Alpha.’