2#Stolen by the Alpha Wolf: Shifter Romance (Deliberate Theft) (6 page)

Stephany
was startled awake as a hand closed over her mouth. She tried to bite but could
not find purchase. Another hand closed over her hip, holding her in place. A
hot, hard, very naked body pushed up against her back.

“Shhhh.”
Stephany relaxed as Ward’s musky scent enveloped her. As hard as she tried
though, she couldn’t get her muscles to relax.

“I’m
going to let you go. Keep very quiet. The kings won’t take it lightly that a
wolf has breached their castle.”

She
nodded against his hand and Ward released her. Turning, she threw herself into
his arms appalled at a desperate sounding whimper that escaped her. Keeping her
bracketed in his strong arms, he pulled her with him into a sitting position.

“I
know I shouldn’t say this, but I’ve missed you so much.” He nuzzled into the
crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. His body tensed, this time when he sniffed
her it was more deliberate. “Stephany, I scent”—another hard sniff—“You’re with
child, my child.”

Wolves
obviously had a better sense of smell than vampires did. Nodding, she pulled away.
The alpha kept his hands on her hips, not allowing her to move too far.

Ward
looked confused. “How is this possible? I thought you were infertile.” Before
she could answer, he threw her a toothy grin. “You’re pregnant with my pup.”

“Shhh.
This is no happy matter. I told you I couldn’t birth young, not that I was
infertile.”

His
hands tightened around her. “A pup.” His eyes shone and his grin widened. “I am
very happy. This means that you have to mate me. Your kings will have to understand.”
His hand slid to her belly, cupping the slight curve. “My heir. You are mine,
Stephany.
Mine.
”  He pulled her into a tight embrace.

Oh,
how she wished it were true.

Her
heart sang even though it was still splintered in a thousand prickling shards.
Ward had wanted her before the baby. Still wanted her now. Yet, nothing had
changed. Just because Ward wanted this baby just as much as she did, didn’t
mean that they got to keep it.

“Luna
must have told you…wait a minute, are you two not mated?”

He
growled a negative response. “You have ruined me for any other female.”

“Be
serious, Ward.” She tried to throw him a dirty look.

He
moved further away, folding his arms across his chest. “I couldn’t be more
serious, Stephany. Members of my pack take turns checking coms, they also
sometimes go for needed supplies. The female was a part of the group today.
Luna told me about your calls, about your conversation.” He sighed, taking her
hands in his. “I knew it had to be serious even though you claimed it wasn’t. I
tried to call you back, but your phone kept going to voicemail. I had to see
you. Thank fur I came.”

“Luna
told you?” She heard the disbelief in her voice.

He
nodded. “She is not a bad female. We are not meant to be together but she cares
about me. She knows what you mean to me even though she does not feel that a
vampire should be permitted to join our pack. I have been like a wolf with a
sore tooth ever since you left. I told you, I am ruined for all others.” His
green eyes smoldered. “I meant it when I said that.  I am glad you called. So
happy you carry my child.”  

She
shook her head sadly. “Listen to me, Ward. Please.”

His
face turned serious and he nodded once. Taking her hand, he threaded his
fingers through hers.

“I
told you that I can’t birth young. My pelvis is too narrow, this child would
never survive. There is a good chance that I would not make it either. I cannot
go through with the pregnancy.” Her voice grew gravelly, even hitching as she
said the final part.

Clasping
her hands tightly in his, his brow furrowed. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”
She answered without having to think on it.

“Come
with me. Pack a bag.” As he talked, his face lit up with excitement.

“I
can’t, Ward.” She shook her head. “That’s crazy talk. My termination is
tomorrow, I need you at my side. That’s why I called. I can’t face this alone.”

His
green eyes turned dark and stormy. “No,” he growled.

“Shhh.”
She touched a hand to his jaw.

Ward
pursed his lips for a few long seconds. “Don’t, Steph. No termination. Come
with me.” He sounded desperate.

“Didn’t
you hear a thing I just said? The child won’t make it.” A tear tracked down her
cheek.

Using
the pad of his thumb, he wiped it away. “Trust me. Please, Steph.”

“I
trust you, Ward. It’s just that going with you won’t change anything. It’ll
delay the inevitable, will only make things so much worse.”

Clearly
frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair. “Come with me, give me a chance to
explain, to show you…if you want to come back after that…to terminate.” His
throat worked, “I will support you.”

His
eyes narrowed in on hers. Hope was such a dangerous thing, yet, it unfurled
inside of her. Stephany nodded. “Okay.” If there was even the slightest chance
then she was taking it.

Ward
closed his eyes as the tension eased from his large frame. When he opened them,
they held a feral gleam. “You are mine, Stephany, and I will have you now. By
all that is furry, I have missed you.”

Her
core clenched with a deep seated need. Her nipples tightened under her sleeping
shirt as his eyes tracked down her body.

Shaking
her head, Stephany said, “It would be best if your scent wasn’t all over me
when we went to address the kings. I need to call and ask permission for you to
be here. We need to do things the right way. I don’t want trouble for you.”

Ward
gave a soft chuckle. “Sorry to tell you this, sweetheart, but my scent is
already all over you. I told you that you are mine now.”

She
shook her head. “My species cannot scent that I am with child. Your sense of
smell must be better than ours.”

“Do
the kings know of the pregnancy?”

She
nodded. “They were understanding”—she paused—“considering.  I had to tell them
to be granted permission to terminate.”

His
eyes turned stormy. “No termination. You are my mate. It’s only a matter of
time now before it is made official.”

Her
breathing hitched. “We’re still polar opposites, Ward. There is something I
need to tell you. It will most likely cause you to change your mind. Besides,
your pack would never accept me.” She had to tell him about Lance. It was on
the tip of her tongue. Stephany could never be Ward’s mate. As much as they
both might want it.

“As
for my pack, I am their alpha and they will do as I say. I will convince your
kings, even if I have to swear fealty to them, I don’t care what I have to do
to make it happen. There is nothing you could tell me that would make me change
my mind.” His voice had become so deep that she could almost feel the
vibrations move through her.

She
traced his jaw with her fingers, watching how he moved towards her touch. “No,
Ward. I wanted you to swear fealty but not like this, not for me.”

His
face softened. “I would do anything for you, Stephany. You need to know that.”
His arms tightened around her. “I will take you now because I burn for you,
because I’ve missed you so much, because I will put more of my scent on you to
ensure that all know who you belong to.”

Surely
she was the most selfish female that had ever walked this planet. Stephany
mirrored each one of his desires. Once Ward learned of Lance, he would change
his mind about her. Right now she needed to be close to him. To feel him inside
her. Possibly for the last time. She would tell him about Lance.
After
. Hopefully
he would understand and still take her with him.

“You
are mine.” He growled, capturing her lips in a searing kiss that caused her
toes to curl and her eyes to squeeze shut. Oh, how she wished it were true.

“Yes.”
His female acknowledged as he broke the kiss. Ward pulled her shirt over her
head. Her admission was like vision to a blind man or food to the starving.
That one little word was like a colorful rainbow at the end of a storm. It
meant everything to him.

 His
eyes dropped to her breasts which were fuller than he remembered. Her belly was
slightly rounded. The thought of his unborn son growing inside her drove him
insane with need. The need to claim, to brand, to make her his.

His
gums itched as his teeth sharpened. Ward put a sharp rein on the beast inside.
This needed to happen in stages. When
he
finally got to mate this
exquisite female, it would be with her full consent. As far as he was concerned,
they were already mated. His heart had beat for her that first day that he had
sunk himself into her. The mating would only become official though when he
announced it to his pack, and more importantly when she acknowledged him as her
mate. He couldn’t wait.

Right
now, rutting with her would need to be enough. Ward had to suppress a growl as
he closed his mouth over one of her distended nipples. Swirling his tongue
around her areola, he nipped softly at her tender flesh. Her breathing hitched
and her hands tightened on his shoulders.

“I
want to taste you, but you have to keep quiet,” he whispered.

She
nodded, swallowing hard as she leaned back on her elbows. Ward pushed her legs
open, his eyes zoning in on the feast nestled between her thighs. “Shhhh,” he
whispered as his fingers trailed over her soft mound.

Hairless.
Pink. Glistening. So beautiful.
So his.

Ward
felt his nostrils flare as he inhaled her delicious citrus, vanilla scent. She
whimpered softly as he closed his mouth over her clit. Stephany threw her head
back, her mouth a thin white line. Her back bowed off the bed as he gave her
throbbing nub a suck.

A
low moan filled the quiet space as he laved over her sensitive knot of nerves.
Alternating between sucking, nipping softly and licking, it wasn’t long before
she clawed at the sheets, panting heavily.

Stephany’s
hips rocked in time with his thrusting tongue, so responsive, so sensitive.
Ward inserted a single finger into her tight, wet sheath. His female moaned,
thrashing her head from side to side.

“Shhhh.”
He smiled while moving over her, careful to ensure that his weight was
distributed on his arms, which he anchored on either side of her face. “Put
your legs around me, sweetheart.” She did as he said, locking her ankles at his
back. Ward nudged into her welcoming pussy, swallowing her cry with his mouth.

She
was just as tight as he remembered, although not as vicelike as their first
time together. He waited a few beats before sliding a little further into her
wet heat. Ward closed his eyes, feeling sweat bead on his brow. He waited until
she grew accustomed to his girth, until she squirmed beneath him. Pulling out,
he eased back sliding in a little further each time until his hips finally met
hers. She whimpered into his mouth, her fingers dug into his back. Stephany
pulled her legs up higher. Ward groaned as his cock slid deeper into her tight
sheath. Already, he could feel his balls pulling up in anticipation.

Using
slow easy strokes, he moved within her. Loving the way they fit so perfectly
together. Ward cupped her chin, deepening their kiss. She rocked her hips in
time with him. He could sense that his female was close by the way she clawed
at his back. By how he felt her quiver beneath him with each thrust. Ward pulled
back, her eyes were squeezed shut and she bit down on her lip as they broke the
kiss.

“Look
at me.” He whispered, his voice thick and gravelly.

Stephany
opened her eyes. They were as blue as a winter sky, only more beautiful.

“You
are mine, just as I am yours.” He took back her mouth, keeping his eyes locked
with hers. Her sheath tightened around him. Ward thrust deeper, picking up the
pace as she shuddered beneath him, her pussy clamping down hard, sucking on him
greedily. He was forced to break the kiss so that he could grit his teeth as he
felt himself cum. Stephany buried her face into his neck. When she bit him, he
came harder. When she sucked, he just about saw stars, his movements turning
jerky. His dick swelled, making it harder to move. Intense pleasure flooded
through him. On a low growl, Ward clamped down on her shoulder trying hard not
to break her skin, but failing as the taste of iron hit his tongue. His female
moaned, taking another long draw that had his balls pulling higher into his
body. He released her neck as he continued to grind into her tight heat. His
body shook with the need to roar.

So
damned good. Damned perfect. Both were covered in a sheen of sweat. Both
panting heavily, Ward was still careful to keep his full weight off of her.

Mine.

It
wouldn’t be long before he made it official. Within the next day or two if he
had anything to do with it. The vampire kings would hopefully see it his way.
If not, he would take her anyway. One way or another, this female would be his.
Stephany was his already. He wasn’t sorry he had bitten her. Hearing about her missed
calls had been just the excuse he was looking for. In fact, if it had taken
much longer, he would’ve come anyway. Would’ve found a way to convince her to
mate with him. They belonged together. The knowledge lifted a heavy weight from
his shoulders. One he hadn’t even known that he was carrying.

Ward
brushed the wayward strands of blond silk from her face, noticing how her lips
were swollen from their kisses. How her face was flushed from her orgasm. “So
beautiful,” he murmured, his voice still smoky. His wolf clambered just below
the surface wanting to claim her a second time. The swelling in his dick eased,
but he remained hard. “Since when did you decide to grow your hair out?”

She
shrugged beneath him, pulling a full raspberry lip between her teeth. He
noticed that her canines were still distended.

Per
fucking
fection.

“Not
that I didn’t think you were beautiful before”—he paused taking a few strands
between his fingers—“but you look amazing. Pregnancy suits you.”

Her
eyes flashed with vivid pain and she looked away. He longed to reassure her. To
tell her everything. Instead, he chose to take her mind off her fears. “Did you
grow it so that you could find yourself another male?” He teased.

Her
eyes flashed with panic for a second, then she cocked her head, her eyes
narrowed. “No.” Far too serious for his liking.

“Why
else? Were you so ready to take another male to your bed?” He smiled.

His
female gasped, giving his arm a harmless slap. “No…I would never…I told you I
don’t rut…”

He
had to chuckle. “You don’t rut?” He felt his brows pull up as he made his dick
twitch inside her.

Stephany
smiled. “I don’t rut with other males. Neither do I want other males. I grew my
hair…” She looked away for a few beats before her eyes locked with his. They
narrowed with determination. “Because I felt like it.” There was something
about this line of questioning that was making her uncomfortable, so he dropped
it.

Ward
kissed her. “I missed you so much. For the record…” He kissed her again. A quick
brush of the lips, “I said that I liked your hair just fine short. Hounds,
long, short…you could paint it pink and I would still love it.”

“We
need to talk.” She stiffened beneath him, placing her hands on his chest. He
wanted to rut her again and had to force himself to pull out of her glorious
heat. Didn’t she realize that there was nothing that she could tell him that
would change how he felt about her?

Nothing.

A
loud crash sounded behind them. It was the sound of a door being opened with
such force that it was ripped from its hinges.

In
one swift move, Ward sprang away from Stephany, falling in a crouch at the foot
of the bed, sure to put himself between the intruder and his female. A big male
vampire with predatory eyes.

“Wolf.”
The male growled low, a long, thick blade in his hand.

“Lance.”
His female gasped behind him. From the rustling of sheets, Ward suspected that
Stephany was scrambling to cover herself from the male. “Get out!” she shouted.

The
intruder’s face contorted in rage, his hand tightened on the blade as his eyes
moved to Stephany. Ward was unable to stop the threatening growl that was
pulled from his throat.

“What
the fuck, Stephany?” The male said between gritted teeth.

Ward’s
growl turned to an all-out snarl. “Do not speak to my female in that way.” His
voice was guttural. He felt his nails extend and his canines sharpen.

“A
fucking wolf?” The male ignored him, his eyes still on Stephany. “You chose to
rut with a”—he paused as his eyes began to glow—“a mangy animal?”

“Please,
Lance, for once, please just do as I ask...turn around and walk away…I beg
you.” Her voice sounded shrill.
Afraid.
His canines sharpened further. Anger
boiled inside him, his female should not have to beg for anything, should not
have to feel fear.

“I’m
not going anywhere.” The male growled. “You are mine.”

That
was it, the last hold he had on his willpower broke. Ward snarled as he tackled
the other male, almost knocking him from his feet. Before he could retaliate,
he grabbed ahold of the arm that held the knife and head butted the male. There
was a sickening crunch. While the male was on the back foot, he punched him in
the stomach. The male staggered backwards, falling on his ass with a grunt.

“The
female is mine,” Ward snarled. He would kill this male if he had to. “You would
do well to remember that.”

The
intruder spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes locking with Ward. The bastard
had the audacity to laugh as he got back to his feet. “Fuck you, wolf! Yours?”
he chuckled humorlessly. “I think not.”  He spat. “She is my mate. Mine.” He
growled.

Ward
felt his blood turn to ice, his heart almost gave in. Without thinking, he
turned away. Stephany clutched the sheet to her chest, her eyes wide, pleading.
In that instant he knew it was true. Stephany had lied to him. His female…no
not his…she belonged to this male.

Searing
pain blossomed in his chest. For a second he attested it to the betrayal. Then
something warm and wet ran down his stomach, falling on his feet. Ward took a
step back, struggling to keep his footing. Stephany screamed, clutching a hand
to her mouth. He looked down, the long broad blade was buried deep in his
chest.

The
male clasped the hilt and gave a yank, pulling the sabre free. Stephany screamed
louder. No, not louder, she had moved closer putting herself between him and
the male.

“Nooooo!”
She continued to scream. Ward looked down as blood gushed from the wound in his
gaping chest.

****

“If
he doesn’t die, I will ensure that he is put to death,” Lance snarled. His eyes
fixed on Ward.

“Don’t
go near him.” Stephany hissed at Lance. She’d gone from feeling indifference to
feeling pity, now all she could muster was hate for this male in front of her.

“What
the hell is going on…” She recognized Zane’s voice as he approached. He drew in
a deep ragged breath as he laid eyes on Ward. There was a crash behind her. She
turned to find Ward on his back. He tried to find purchase, his hands scraping
the floor, his eyes wide.

“Lie
still.” Her voice a sob as she watched his blood pump from his chest.

“You
used a silver blade? You bastard.” She locked eyes with Lance, who grit his
teeth. Tears tracked down her cheeks. It was pointless to try and stop them.
Chances were good that Ward would not make it.

Turning
back to Ward, she noticed with horror that his face was ashen. He coughed and blood
bubbled on his lips. Stephany sobbed.

“Wolf
scum deserves to die,” Lance snarled. “He’s lucky I removed the blade. I find
myself hoping he survives for the execution.”

“I
hate you!” She screamed, using the sheet to staunch the flow of blood. Not
caring if the whole coven saw her naked.

“What
the hell happened here?” Brant said as he walked into her room. Her king looked
at them each in turn, thankfully ignoring her nakedness.

“What
does it look like? My mate rutted with that piece of shit.” Lance let out a god
awful growl. “A fucking wolf. A Gods be damned animal. I insist he be put to
death.” The male drew himself up to his full height. “In fact…I will finish him
now.”

Stephany
used her body to shield Ward. “You will have to go through me first.”

“Don’t
tempt me female,” Lance snarled. “Move away…” His eyes were wild, almost
feverish. He grit his teeth. “I don’t wish to hurt you, Stephany.”

“Do
as he says,” Ward whispered from behind her. His breath coming in short pants.
“Stay. Safe.” He hissed. Even after all that had passed, he still put her
first.

“You
will have to kill me to get to him.” She said, a feeling of calm descended over
her.