ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (44 page)

Chapter Eleven

Once again the short trip to the pack house had been interrupted as both Samuel and Jake stared incredulously at Emily. She clung to Samuel’s arm, visibly shaking; where he would normally have bayed to his human instincts and pushed her away, he held her closer. “Tell me what is happening,” she whispered and Samuel noticed her eyes were no longer dry yet there was still a resolve in her voice, strength.

He stiffened beside her, fighting the two sides of him who both wanted different things, one fought to claim her, the other to keep her safe, to obey her wishes. She tugged his arm roughly, indicating him to tell her, to open up about the danger that faced him. She didn’t know why she felt the need to be with him, only that her body told her not to let go, not to dare part from him. When he didn’t respond she tugged his arm again, frightened by the stillness of his body.

All at once he moved, grasping her waist much like he had done in the safety of her kitchen. This time it was different though, the softness and reluctance had gone, there was pure need instead, fuelled by an anger that was not for her. He hated to be here, wishing that he had never found her, that she could still be safe at home, unknowing of the dark world where he belonged. He pulled her backwards, crushing her slender frame against the rough house walls.

Jake stayed back, watching on with a mix of amusement and fear; he knew this was it, the deciding point in whether he himself would live or die. Samuel lowered his face to Emily’s, his eyes no longer holding any of the brightness, they were gold but they were dark, overcome with a desire he had never felt before. He pressed his lips against her ear, feeling the slight gasp tremble from her lips. “You want to know why we are here, really know?” he hissed.

She tensed in his grip but slowly she nodded. “Because I am a selfish man who would claim you for his, bring you to your death instead of letting you live a normal life,” his voice was low, dangerous.

“I don’t believe you, you said you would protect me,” she whispered, her voice breaking as a tear slipped down her face.

Samuel held her tighter, daring not to let her go now he had her so close. “From me, protect you from me,” he breathed, anger still dominating his voice.

“I don’t need protecting from you,” she said, her voice stronger now. The heat was growing, his closeness just a part of the burning heat that pounded her, the rest came from somewhere else somewhere she did not know had existed.

“Then fight me, break free, run,” he shouted.

“No,” she said firmly, her voice unwavering.

“Then you will die,” he growled, his voice deep. Her body was shaking, her mind blurred but she could not pull away.

“I don’t want to leave you,” she whispered.

It was all he needed, those whispered words, for his wolf to break free and his lips to crush down on hers. A startled moan parted her lips and he deepened the kiss, claiming each and every part of her addictive lips like it was the last time he ever would. She pushed back, running her shaking hands through his messy brown hair, bringing a handful into her grip and pressing hard against him.

From the darkest shadows of the house, unseen by Samuel, a man emerged. “How sweet, so very human” he shouted, his voice holding none of the conviction of his words.

Samuel jumped back, pushing Emily behind him as quickly as possible, holding her firm against his back, protecting her as best he could against the sole voice in the darkness. “Don’t move,” he spoke quietly, his voice only for the woman behind him.

The man strode forwards and Emily recognized him instantly, the man from the hospital. She barely had time to focus on his wide grin before more than a dozen other bodies pushed through the darkness, they were surrounded.  Anger consumed Samuel in entirety, shaking his body beyond its normal control, his wolf aching to be free. He pushed it back, knowing it was not the time to change, not while she was so close to him.

For the first time in his life, Samuel’s own desire to survive disappeared and instead it was replaced by a sole need to protect the woman that was his. The love that the humans spoke of was not lost on him now, it fuelled him. A thousand thoughts fought in Samuel’s mind; he should have left her, found her earlier, explained, run, anything but this. She held his arm tightly, he own mind fighting to process the danger and the warmth, the heat that told her she would never let him die.

The bear-like man stepped completely free from the darkness. “Now I believe we all heard clear enough of this lovely woman’s refusal. Alpha, if I should still even call you that, as you well know the refusal of a mate cancels out our little deadline,” the man spoke boldly, gesturing around to the two dozen men and woman who stood firm in the forest line, waiting for the call to attack.

Emily froze, even the shivers in her body stilled as guilt flooded her. Samuel had protected her and now her unknown refusal was going to kill him, where he had saved her live, she was about to fail him. “You won’t take her, not while I still live,” Samuel shouted and Emily felt his hand tighten protectively around her.

She had one chance; she knew that, to dive into the unknown. A chorus of laugher erupted from the trees, the hoarse and most dominant coming from the man who had threatened her Samuel, dare she even think it, her mate. “That can easily be arranged Alpha, ah that title will be much more fitting on my shoulders,” he laughed manically.

Emily could sense the disruption in the crowd; even they it seemed did not like the idea that this man had already decided to take command. She took her chance, one flash of previously unknown bravery and stepped forwards, pushing Samuel’s protective hand aside. Her courage pushed her nerves to the back of her mind as she addressed the crowd, the words coming instinctively now, they were in her blood.

“I will take your Alpha as my mate, my true other half, I will marry him.”

Chapter Twelve

Neither Samuel nor Emily had anticipated how the fateful night in the darkness would turn out, when at one point or another, both had expected never to survive. When Emily had stood forwards and proclaimed what only he had imagine her to say, Samuel had simply smiled and watched as his enemies, now turned brothers, had disappeared into the darkness from where they had come. He had felt the presence of her voice and the power engraved beneath it, as he had done countless times since and he had known that the danger was gone.

He didn’t hold their actions against them, his family, if there was one thing he could understand then it was their instincts, the wolf only knew loyalty for good reason and his mate had proved to be that reason. They had married shortly after, no need to allow another reason for his brothers to rebel and to his immense disbelief she had taken his hand on that day and never looked back. As he held her now in his arms, very much the human, he was glad, a wolf would have blindly connected to him, but for her he felt he had claimed more, he had claimed her heart in the days and weeks that had followed.

“What are you thinking about?” Emily shifted in Samuel’s arms, placing a soft hand against his cheek.

He smiled to himself, feeling the ever present warmth coarse through him at her touch; once where he had feared it, he now found it gave him hope. “None of your concern,” he chuckled lightly.

Emily removed her hand, turning quickly in her mates grasp to give him one of her more than legendary frowns. “I thought we went over this, the things that aren’t supposed to be my concern generally almost get us killed if you remember,” she muttered, holding his eyes with a knowing look.

She had come to terms with what had happened soon after the day where she had stood up to two dozen wolves. To a very grateful Samuel she had come to accept the new life he offered her, human or not, she was very much a part of the pack now. “I was just thinking about you,” he grinned and her face softened, happy to accept the words full of honesty and what she had learnt to believe as love.

Nothing disturbed them in the secluded forest parting as Samuel wrapped his arms around his new wife and gently pressed her into the soft grassy forest floor. She moaned deeply as the pressure of his body grazed against her, enveloping her in his relentless warmth. He smiled down at her, his eyes sparkling with the lust that endlessly streamed through his mind when he laid eyes on her. It was the very same forest where he had first dreamt of her, the one he was always so reluctant to leave.

His hands pressed roughly into the dirt as he pinned her beneath him; she was happy to accept the pressure that his firm bare chest gave to her own shivering body. Having him this close was always an assault on her body, more than willing to relent to his touch, to give herself over to him. She reached up, running her hands through his messy brown hair, earning a soft groan to break his lips.

He snaked a hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him as he caught her lips with a rough moan. He felt them part instantly, allowing him the access he desired above all else. The intense sweetness of her giving lips shot through his body, igniting his lust with a fiery heat that as always claimed him in its entirety. She squirmed beneath him as he let the heat of his touch race through her, smiling as her legs twisted under his body.

Shifting his leg he parted hers, his thighs tightening as she brushed against them in her desire to quench even a little of the need burning through her. The sun was setting and they were alone as he slowly pressed his hand to her stomach, smiling as her shirt creased and his hand willingly slid over her soft stomach. She moaned as his fingers traveled the length of her stomach, gently groping her breasts with a careful touch that caused the shivers that raked her body to ignite anew. He knew her body, where she was the most sensitive to his touch, where her pleasure found its truest releases.

His leg moved further, completely parting her legs under his expert guidance. She could feel his muscles pressing against her, teasing her pleasure to new heights. Each rounded firm muscle was tensed over her as her hands trailed aimlessly over them, tanned by his long hours in the sun and toned with his running. He smelt, much to her disbelief, even more of the earth than the nature that surrounded them. His own scent mingled with her sweetness and he breathed it in as if it was a life line.

Teasing her breasts he earned a moan that stilled her body as he knee pressed gently into her, instantly showing him her desire, her insatiable need for him, her mate. She captured his eyes, seeing how the gold dominated the light brown as it now did most days. He knew, as her body braced itself against the relentless shivers that he could stake his claim on her here in the forest as he had once done before. But it was her who moved, who took the control from his grasp.

Emily leant forwards, pressing her body to Samuel’s as she captured his sweet willing lips. A small growl radiating through his lips at the rough passionate touch she so readily gave. His body was hard, firm and waiting for her direction. Control was not something he held so precious anymore, not when it came to her, he was hers as she was his. As she deepened the kiss, knowing not of the struggle he had once faced, she felt his body melt into hers and his arms wrap possessively around her. Her wolf, her mate was not one to back down from the most primal instincts that claimed him and neither was she.

TO GO BACK TO THE TABLE OF CONTENTS-->
CLICK HERE

BONUS

THE WEREWOLF AND THE VAMPIRE

By Sicily Duval

Chapter One

The hour was late, the moon shone dutifully through the open window, late in its cycle the shadows that it cast across the living room were long and pointed, the moon was almost full. Amelia sat in the room’s sole armchair, elaborately carved and dressed in a dulling blue fabric. It was the furthest she could be away from the door, the prefect position to sit and wait as the night drew on. The decision to wait had been an easy one, curiosity ultimately winning over her latent desires to simply ignore her husband’s late night excursions.

Under her casual grip the wine glass in her hand tilted slightly, the ruby red liquid swirling around and catching the bright moonlight. The subtle red tainted reflection caught her eye and she smiled slightly, touching the glass to her lips and taking a large sip of the dark wine. The liquid burnt her fiercely as it slowly slipped down her throat, it did nothing to quench her hunger but it did at least go some way to diminishing her thirst. As she dropped the glass she wished not for the first time that the crystal glass contained something a little stronger, alcohol was effective but it did little to relinquish the needs of her body, there was only one glistening red liquid that would suffice for that.

As the last of the wine passed through her lips she heard the tell-tale noise that told her that her waiting had come to an end. The creak of the gate, the crush of the gravel path and the sharp clink of a key being pushed into the lock were easy to pick out with her heightened hearing. She smiled to herself, dropping her empty glass to her side and leaning forwards a little in her chair. She didn’t need to of course; the small movement did nothing to increase the sound of the door being quietly pushed open. She smirked, he hadn’t sensed her yet but then he had been so occupied trying to be quiet that he hadn’t thought to look for her scent or listen for her carefully controlled breathing.

Finally he caught her scent, mere moments before he dared to walk into the living room, everything he had planned, his attempts at returning without her knowledge had failed. He took a deep breath and she smiled, sensing the worry that radiated from him. “Amelia,” he greeted his wife, slowly turning the corner and giving her his biggest wolf-like grin.

A small smile twitched at her lips as she took in her husbands over enthusiastic grin. “Ethan,” she returned his greeting with a slight sigh; he was exactly how she had expected him to be.

Ethan leant casually against the door frame, surveying his wife with amusement in the dark room. The empty wine glass caught his attention and his smile widened. “I didn’t expect you to be up so late,” he said with a chuckle.

She took in her husband’s slightly bedraggled appearance; his shorts hug low on his hips, his chest was bare and glistening, his wayward blonde hair held more than one stray twig. “You should know better by now,” she responded, a hint of humor in her voice.

“Perhaps,” he chuckled, “but then I wouldn’t have the pleasure of surprising you.”

“Surprising me?” she questioned with amusement.

Slowly she pulled herself up from the chair and Ethan eyed her warily, following her path across the room, he shifted against the wall, making sure that he was facing her head-on. “Always so wary Ethan,” she chuckled lightly yet her eyes were intently fixed on him, never turning her back.

“Can you blame me?” he said casually, yet his eyes and body told a different story, he was tensed, alert and more than aware of each small movement she made.

She shrugged her shoulders, choosing not the answer the question that they both so clearly knew the answer to, married or not, the other still posed a very real threat. “Where were you Ethan?” she mused in a quiet tone.

He visibly tensed at the words, the muscles in his bare arms rolling. “Running,” he said, trying to keep his voice level as he stated the obvious.

She passed him again and he moved to face her automatically. Her eyes caught the vein in his neck, the one that pulsed so much thicker than the rest and instinctively she ran her tongue over her lips. His eyes shifted to her lips, watching the slow and far too seductive trail it took. “And who might that have been with?” she questioned overly sweetly.

He considered for a moment that he could lie, that he could spare them the trouble of a fight but he knew better. “The pack,” he said with a sigh.

She smiled slightly, taking a step closer; she could smell them on him, each individual member prominently stood out from the others. Her nose crumpled at the scent, almost overwhelming, her husbands tainted scent she could cope with, perhaps even enjoy, but the rest of them were more than an unwanted addition. “All of them by the smell of it,” she muttered to herself frowning as she noticed the smudge of mud on the tip of his nose.

Ethan grinned widely, finding as much amusement in his wife’s discomfort as he always had, in the early days he had run with the pack simply to coax the reaction out of her, the reaction he had always found cute. She took another step closer and this time he didn’t back away. “You like the smell really, you married me after all,” he joked and her eyes darkened slightly.

Her face screwed up at his words. “And will they be joining us?” she said sarcastically, her brow rising.

“For our anniversary? Perhaps, I’ll have to ask them first,” he teased.

With a shake of her head she turned away from him. “Stupid werewolves,” she muttered under her breath, knowing he would likely hear her. With her luck he probably would invite them and she didn’t want to think of how that would turn out.

Chapter Two

By the time Amelia awoke the next morning, Ethan was already half way through packing the car. She stopped at the doorway, watching as he worked with a small smile playing at her lips. He hadn’t noticed her yet as he lifted one of the heavier bags with ease into the car. Bare chested like normal he whistled softly to himself, making her smile widen. “Want some help?” she asked, pleased to see him jump a little.

“You’d be more of a hindrance, I’m pretty sure of it,” he chuckled.

Discarding the bag he had in his hands he strode over to his wife and lifted her into a warm embrace. His arms circled around her slender waist, gripping her tightly against his chest. “Somebody's in a good mood,” she muttered, her cheeks flushing as she noticed one of their neighbors stopping to stare.

“Hmm, let’s give her something to stare at,” Ethan whispered darkly, not having to look at the elderly woman to know she was watching them intently.

Before Amelia could respond he lifted her easily into the air, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. She moaned softly as his lips crushed down on hers, freshly showered he smelt of little more than the forest, a scent she was more than pleased with. He captured her lips again, a loud groan rumbling through his body as she bit down roughly on his lip, forcing his mouth to part.

Vaguely aware of the woman scowling behind them, they both parted with a slight laugh as she hastily made her retreat. Amelia brushed her long brown hair back behind her shoulders as she looked up at the glimmering blue eyes of her husband, thoroughly amused by his playfully morning nature. “Well that did the trick,” she grinned, her finger brushing the now very tender spot where he had kissed her.

“What did?” Ethan asked teasingly.

Amelia pushed him playfully back towards the car, trying to ignore how his arm still tensed instinctively when she touched him. It didn’t bother her so much anymore and she hoped that in turn he had gotten used to it; four years of marriage had gone a long way to help the natural instinct to kill the other. “You know very well,” She grinned.

He grinned back at her, tossing the last of the bags into the trunk of the car before slamming it shut, a little too roughly for her liking. “Do we have to go?” she muttered, leaning casually against the back of the car.

“Not this again,” Ethan sighed over dramatically.

He reached out, ignoring her slight flinch as he did so, and cupped her cheek gently. She pressed into the ever constant warmth of his touch and smiled slightly. Slowly he leant towards her, capturing her lips in the briefest of kisses before resting his head against hers. “An exercise in trust,” she chuckled lightly to herself, pressing a light kiss to his lips.

“You won’t kill me,” he grinned and the resolve in his voice surprised her.

“Well that’s a statement I never thought I would hear,” she chuckled.

“I like to keep things interesting,” he laughed, pulling away from her with a wolfish grin, “But yes we have to go,” he added firmly.

“Can’t we just go to a spa?” she suggested hopefully, batting her eye lids in the hope that it just might convince him.

“We went to a spa last year and after your little midnight snack I doubt we’ll be welcomed back with open arms. This year I choose where we spend our anniversary,” he teased.

She scowled at his taunt, “Did you really have to choose the forest though? You can run in the woods a couple miles away,” she groaned.

“Yes, but you can’t” he retorted and she sighed. She couldn’t help but to remember how their last outing to the woods had gone, sharp teeth, fur and a whole lot of growling.

“Whose fault is that?” she murmured.

“If I recall it correctly you taunted them,” he chuckled in amusement.

She pushed off the car and ran her hands through her hair, “I didn’t want to run with werewolves anyway.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun, I’ll even help you hunt,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Like I need the help of a lumber-some wolf, I doubt you could catch a bunny rabbit,” she scolded, her face lightening slightly at his mock-offended expression.

“Well maybe I can help you with something else,” he said subjectively in a low whisper. 

He moved closer and she fought the urge to back away from his looming body and darkening eyes. He grinned at her, his lips twisting into a small smirk as he watched her eyes widen. Slowly he let his lips brush against her, making her body still against him. She kissed him roughly, running her fingers through his messy blonde curls. He moaned loudly as her fingers dug roughly into him, drawing him closer. He made to wrap his arms around her but she pulled away quickly, dancing away from him before he could get his fill of her intoxicating lips.

“We don’t want to get stuck in traffic now do we?” she teased.

“Stupid Vampires,” he muttered under his breath as he watched her skip back into the house, casting him a teasing look as she went.

Chapter Three

They had barely made it half a dozen miles before Amelia felt like something was wrong. She eyed the road skeptically, her gaze occasionally darting to the bordering forest that lined the mountainous path. Ethan kept he’s eyes on the road, daring not to meet his wife’s gaze, knowing instantly that if he did then she would know something was up. His grip tightened on the steering wheel as he saw, not for the first time since they had left, a flash of fur in the tree’s to his right. He muttered a curse under his breath but smiled nonetheless, he was happy they had seen him off.

“Their following us aren’t they,” Amelia whispered. Her eyes darted from side to side, catching the occasional brown-tinted glimpse of fur that crossed through the tree line.

Ethan smiled to himself, watching what looked like worry and anger crease his wife’s face. “Nope,” he chuckled.

“I can see them, not exactly good at keeping themselves hidden are they?” she exclaimed.

She twisted in her seat, the white blur that lead the brown wolves was obviously following them. “What is this, some kind of hunt?” she scowled, ignoring the soft laughing coming from her husband.

“Not a hunt exactly, more like an escort,” he added, is smile widening.

“You actually invited them did you?” she accused him, taking her eyes off the wolves for a fraction of a second to glare at her smiling husband.

“Of course not, I merely told them that we were leaving town for a couple days, it’s not my fault if they decided to follow” he added with an innocent looking shrug.

“If they turn up at the cabin I really am going to kill you, you know that right?” she sighed and he knew that she was almost definitely telling the truth.

“As if I would let them within a mile of you without a car between us, not after how the last time went” he said his voice suddenly serious and void of the humor he had shared only moments before.

Amelia turned fully to face her husband, frowning deeply, she wasn’t sure who he was more concerned for, her or the pack, and it was likely to be the latter. “I didn’t bite much, they started it,” she groaned.

Her nose crumpled at the unwelcome image and reminiscent taste of the last time she had been too close to the pack, natural enemies she didn’t exactly like being close to them, Ethan was the exception, however inconvenient that was. “You could have kept your fangs to yourself,” he said offhandedly.

She glowered at him as he smirked, it wasn’t exactly a fond memory of his but after all the time that had passed he could see the humor in it, nobody had been too badly injured after all. “I thought you liked my fangs?” she retorted with a grin.

Leaning in closer she ran her hands slowly up his leg, brushing the tanned skin slowly, tracing rough circles. She felt him tense under her careful caress, his heart beat rising instantly as she continued her teasingly slow ascend up his thigh. “I’m driving,” Ethan muttered.