The Alpha's Unwanted Mate: (BWWM) Paranormal Romance Standalone (9 page)

Within moments, she was clamping down on his fingers and whimpering his name as a powerful climax watched over her. Even if Tirion himself had burst through his door, Clyde wouldn’t have been able to take his eyes from her at that moment. She was utterly beautiful, her body trembling for him as her juices covered his fingers.

When she sagged to the bed, he released her gently, raising his hand to his mouth to taste her. Musky, soft and fragrant…Later, he would bury his head between her strong thighs and work her with his tongue until she came apart…but for now, now his body ached to make her his.

Reaching down carefully, he turned the woman onto her back to find her staring up at him with a bliss-filled expression. The latent Alpha in him howled in pride. He might not be the youngest male in the pack, but he had no problems pleasing his mate. Leaning down, he pressed his mouth to hers, his fingers curling into her hips firmly. When she tasted herself, Angeline moaned, drawing him flush against her body.

He arched her hips against his in a motion born of sheer need. Chuckling darkly, Clyde maneuvered his head downward to hover over the swell of her breasts. As she watched, he peeled down one of the cups of her extravagant nightie. “Does my
mate
want something of me?”

Angeline inhaled sharply as he took one of her nipples into his mouth, sparking fire with his tongue. “You said…you said earlier that I could ask anything of you. Anything at all.”

Clyde nipped at the pebbled flesh in his mouth, relishing his lover’s moan in response. “I did.”

“Well I want you…to stop playing around. I’ve wanted you for a long time, Clyde.”
             

The wolf paused with his mouth just inches from her opposite breast, considering. It seemed that Angeline wasn’t the type of woman to relish long protracted loving. What
she
wanted, called more to the primal side of him, the need to bear a female into the dirt, to take her until she screamed, and to fill her belly with his seed. Groaning, Clyde raised a hand to encircle the young woman’s neck, keeping his grip firm, but loose enough so that she could breathe with little difficulty.

“Do you know what you are asking me, Angeline?” His sharp eyes roved over her lovely, half-nude form.  “You are asking me to release the beast.” The young woman merely watched the man above her with wide, desirous eyes. “He will bite, he will dominate, and he will
fuck
you, Angeline. Is that what you want?”

He felt as well as saw the shudder that passed through the young woman’s body at his words and wanted, more than anything, to let the wolf inside him eat her alive. But first, he needed her to say yes. Angeline’s gaze swept over his bare upper half, from his bandaged arm to his strong torso, and down to the sizeable erection straining the front of his pants.  Slowly, she nodded.

Approval rumbled through Clyde’s chest a moment before he released Angeline’s throat to slide his hand upward and grip the hair at the base of her neck. She gasped as he forced her into a sitting position to fuse his mouth with hers. As he nipped, licked and bit at her lips, Angeline clung to him, breathless with passion.

His hands slid brusquely over her breasts, kneading and plucking at their warm weight before moving downward to her hips. There, he gripped her almost bruising, wedging his knee between her legs to part them.

Angeline was so wet that she left her mark on his pants and a hiss of arousal escaped him. He fairly ripped the garment from himself before tossing it away, along with his underwear. Then, he was bare before her. The way her eyes slid salaciously over his naked form let him know she was quite pleased with what she saw.

Clyde turned her onto her stomach once more, barely giving her a moment to catch her breath before he dragged her to the edge of the bed. There, her lower half hung over, the balls of her feet flat on the ground. Licking his lips, Clyde palmed the curve of her behind a moment before parting her more fully to his gaze.

She was ready, more importantly, so was he. He drove himself into her with a violent thrust that brought Angeline onto her toes with a muffled cry. When she attempted to straighten, he pinned her to the bed with a hand at the center of her back, moving into her with deep, sharp movements that jerked her body against his. This was what she’d asked him for, to be taken, to be claimed.

Her slick, hot wetness gripped him like a vice. Tossing his head back, Clyde growled almost continuously, losing himself in the tight, intoxicating pull of his mate’s inner muscles. With every movement of his hips, she moaned and squirmed, bucking back against him to take him deeper and driving him halfway out of his mind. He could feel his climax cresting quickly. His thighs tightened and he bit his lip, drawing blood as he increased his pace, pounding into her. Angeline took every thrust and pleaded for more, undulating and gasping as she, too, hurtled toward her peak.

When Clyde finally came, he was almost blinded by the intensity of it. His body jerked powerfully as he emptied himself into the willing woman beneath him. With a low moan, Angeline contracted around him, her sweat-slick form shuddering as she found her own release. Leaning forward, Clyde rested his forehead against her back, catching his breath.

This woman was going to be the death of him. Slowly, he slipped from her, unable to help a smirk at her resulting gasp. Human women were always astounded by the sheer volume of wolf ejaculate; they were
extremely
fertile, and that might even be an understatement. Climbing onto the bed in a smooth motion, Clyde tipped Angeline back onto her stomach before tugging her upward so her bare back lay against his chest, her form cradled between his muscular thighs.

The way her body fit against his, he had to admit, was no less satisfying than the way Leila’s had. “Are you pleased now, seductress?” He teased her lowly, his hand skimming absently over her stomach. Angeline merely made a soft sound of contentment, raising her head to press her mouth lingeringly to his.

When Clyde’s silver gaze met her darker one, he could see, glimmering faintly in her gaze, the promise of a bright future. Cupping her face, he drew her down for another kiss. This time, his body began to warm, and as her eyes widened, he grinned. It was time for him to teach his mate something of wolf endurance.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The months passed by quickly. After her first nerve-wracking weeks, Angeline was surprised by how smoothly she slid into her life as a member of the pack.  Of course, in the weeks following the attack by Reef pack, there was much that had to be done. Wolves and their mates were buried, burned buildings were torn down in preparation for new ones, and most important of all, a strict training regimen for all healthy males was implemented.

Where Angeline had barely spent any time with the females of the pack before, she now found herself with them all day while Clyde trained. In the mornings, she worked with Liara in the hospital, helping the wounded to recuperate. She found the clever female wolf both a witty conversationalist as well as a caring mother. She had two pups of her own, and a mate who’d had his arm scorched in the fire. Nonetheless, she worked tirelessly to ensure that everyone that passed through the hospital returned to their feet as quickly as possible.

In the afternoons, she took to spending her time with Alicia and some of the other human women. Though Angeline’s heart grieved for Samantha, struck down by a reef pack wolf, she tried her best to learn from friends she’d been reunited with. They were, she discovered, bridging the gap between the human world and the wolf world much more quickly than she had anticipated. In fact, the women left the settlement once or twice a month to go down to the city and have lunch, discussing their futures together.

They hadn’t contacted Angeline because their lives were different now. They were wives and mothers, and assumed that she, the most independent of them, would only be dragged down by their new lifestyles. Angeline was quick to correct them, even going so far as to ask them somewhat personal questions about the time they spent with their mates.

It was a hot topic among the human women: Male wolves’ never-ending lust and the inventive things they liked to do in the bedroom. Angeline, for one, was just beginning to tap into the world of Clyde’s hunger. She shuddered when she recalled some of the things her mate had done to her…Pinning her thighs apart for hours while he ate at her relentlessly, fucking her up against the kitchen counter, even as she watched the settlement bustle not ten meters from their doorway…Once, he had even tied her up with a leather belt, immobilizing her hands and suspending her from a doorway while he penetrated her slowly from below.

They each took their turns regaling one another with titillating bedroom tales but even though the sex with Clyde was explosive, Angeline found more and more that she was far more impressed with the man’s performance outside of the bedroom. Clyde was Lex’s shadow – there for his brother in every instance in which he might be needed. Though Angeline had gotten to know Alicia, and by association, her mate, over the past few weeks she had begun to truly see that Lex couldn’t function without Clyde. His brother was his wisdom when he grasped at straws, his lieutenant in all things combat-related, his friend and his confidante.

It wasn’t unusual to see the two seated out on the steps of the cabin every other night, three beers deep as they discussed pressing issues in hushed tones. Angeline knew that since Tirion and his pack had attacked, everyone in the settlement had been on edge. She herself had been more than a little nervous.

Gleaming fangs and ripping claws haunted her dreams, and there were times when she woke in the middle of the night clutching at Clyde, her heart pounding in terror. Her mate would hold her in his arms, comfort her until she calm down enough to slip back into slumber, and keep her warm until the first rays of sunlight filtered in through the window.

When it came to dealing with Ian and Elias, Angeline had her hands more than full. Ian had taken to following her around the house like a lost lamb, clinging to her if she stood still in one place for too long. It was remarkable that the boy, even without his sight, seemed to know exactly where she was at any given point in the day. When she returned home, if he was present, he shot to her side. She’d grown used to the sight of him watching her over the table or couch, and found that where she’d been wary of him before, his tiny, sweet smile now brightened her day.

Elias took a bit more coaxing. It made sense that the teen would be wary of her after she’d exploded on him on the day of the attack, but gradually, week-by-week, he’d become more and more civil towards her. Just two weeks ago, he’d even responded to her request to help his brother take a bath.

Clyde had made large moves to include his eldest son in the new fortifications of the settlement. While, at first, Elias had been skeptical, he now took his duties to the pack very seriously. There was less tension between father and son, and Elias was kept so busy that he didn’t have time to get into trouble.

All in all, the pack was slowly building back towards their former strength. They’d lost a few members, and would continue to remember them as they worked towards their goals, but Lex had vowed that he’d never be caught similarly unaware again. And Angeline believed him. The man had three female pups of his own, and she couldn’t imagine he’d intentionally put them in danger.

The Alpha had taken a group of males out on a customary run of the perimeter in order to keep watch over those still recuperating in the settlement on the day everything went awry. Clyde and Elias were out working on erecting a wall around pack land and Angeline was in the cabin with Ian. The child was amazingly smart. Angeline was working with him on learning to read his braille characters. It was Clyde’s wish that the boy could eventually leave the settlement to attend a special school for the blind, and if she could help him, she would do all that she could. Ian was settled in her lap, his book spread over his legs as he read carefully, working through one word at a time, when their door burst open.

Angeline jumped before she rose to place Ian safely on the couch. Immediately, she leaped for the knife she’d placed in the drawer in the living room. It would be poor protection against a reef pack male of Tirion’s size, but when Clyde had spoken to her of being prepared, he’d made her promise to take precautions, and she had.             

Hefting the large blade in her hand, she moved into the hallway, her heart in her throat. However, the moment she took in their visitor, she tossed the knife onto the kitchen counter. Alicia stood in the center of the kitchen, her chest heaving with exertion. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks wet.

“Clyde.” She uttered the word on a gasp, a bloodstained piece of paper clutched tight in her pale fist. “Where’s Clyde?”

Angeline’s blood immediately ran cold. “Alicia, what is it? What happened?”

The woman before her visibly shuddered. “The scouting party. They were attacked on the perimeter.” Angeline felt her stomach turn in sick nausea. “They killed…they killed Patrick and Mark. A few of the others were wounded and Lex…” A hitching sob escaped Alicia as her hands trembled. “They took Lex.”

All of the air escaped Angeline in a rush. Lex.
Lex
had been taken. Their Alpha…the glue that held the pack together…The Reefs had stolen him from them.

Angeline’s eyes dropped to the red-stained note that Alicia held, her voice dropping to a whisper. “That note is for Clyde?”

Alicia nodded slowly.  Together, the women raced through the settlement to find him.

There was already no small amount of chaos brewing from those who had lost or hurt loved ones, and Liara had her hands full dealing with the aftermath. There were groupings of wolves, both female and male, outside the hospital. Pups wailed and males gritted their teeth in pain.

Most noticeable of all was the tension that wove through everyone present. Angeline and Alicia found Clyde tending to Patrick’s mate, a caramel-skinned woman named Naomi who was clutching her last remaining child to her as if she might be snatched away at any moment. The woman had lost both the man she loved and her daughter in the space of a few months. The grief on her face was like a punch in the gut, despite her lack of tears. She looked numb, stiff in Clyde’s arms.

“Clyde.” Angeline’s mate looked up as the two women approached him, his expression somber.

Before she could say anything more, Alicia stepped in front of her to thrust out the bloodied note in her hand. Clyde looked from Angeline to Alicia and then back again before raising his hand to take the thin, tattered sheet. Alicia watched with bated breath as he unfolded the paper before his eyes scanned it quickly.

His eyes contracted to slits and he stopped breathing for a moment. In that instant, Angeline knew that something dire must be written in the note he held. Carefully, she moved forward past Alicia to her mate’s side to read the contents over his shoulder. The handwriting was uneven, scrawled in a nearly illegible hand. Along with the soiled parchment and bloodstained, the message written in black pen made Angeline inhale sharply as her stomach twisted sharply in horror.

             
Clyde,

              You owe me. Rest assured that every moment that I have your Alpha, he will suffer. I’d               like nothing more than to paint the forest with his blood, but you have something I want.               If I get it, I might consider returning Lex to you in one piece.

              That bitch of yours – the one with the thighs, the short hair and the dick-sucking lips –               deliver her to me by nightfall forty eight hours from now, and
maybe
you’ll get your               precious Alpha back.

Angeline knew who’d written the note in an instant. All she had to do was remember the glowing, manic red eyes and the rabid hunger in the distorted tone Tirion had spoken in on the day Reef Pack had attacked. Her legs collapsed beneath her as her strength fled and she began to shake. Clyde caught her before she hit the ground, lowering her slowly to the packed earth beneath their feet. At that exact moment, Angeline wanted to hear him say that he would never let Reef pack take her, that he would protect her with his life, but the moment the thought entered her mind, she realized how ridiculous it was.

Lex was the Alpha. Without him, the pack would fall apart. He was Alicia’s mate, a strong, generous, proud wolf with three pups of his own, upon which the entire community depended. They needed him. What was she, really? She’d barely been part of the pack for half a year. She had borne Clyde no pups, and until recently, she’d treated wolves as a whole with marked scorn. If there was a trade to be made, then it was already done.

Without a word, Clyde rose to his feet, pulling her along with him. He gave the note to Alicia, who read it silently, her eyes widening in horror.

“I need some time.” The silver-eyed wolf’s voice was low as he held Angeline to him. Taking his mate’s arm, he led her past the gathered group of wolves, heading for their cabin.

They reached the dwelling in moments, Angeline’s mind still awhirl. Before Clyde could utter a single syllable, she turned to him, speaking first. “Clyde, I want to go.”

The large man’s eyes widened as his mouth dropped open. He stared at her incredulously for a moment before his expression changed to one of anger. “Like
hell
you do!”

Angeline shook her head feverishly, her heart pounding in her chest. “Send me to him, Clyde. He said he’d let Lex go if you give me up.”

“
Christ
, Angeline!” Her mate turned from her to rake his hands through his hair brusquely in frustration. “Tirion’s a murdering, thieving, violent
liar
. For all we know, Lex could already be dead!”

“But he could be alive!” Angeline countered, her voice trembling over the words. “Couldn’t he? There’s a chance?”

Clyde leaned over the kitchen counter, his fingers curling into fists as he stared out of the window at the settlement beyond. His entire body was alive with tension, the shoulders she’d clutched in the heights of passion was stiff as iron. Though Angeline couldn’t see his face, she had some small idea of the conflict raging inside of him. Lex was his brother…his Alpha and his confidante. He had a duty to the rest of the pack and also a blood duty to retrieve him. If there was the
slightest
chance he might still be alive…even a
tiny
inkling…

“I’ll go, Clyde,” She whispered. “I’m volunteering.”

The male turned to her, desperation, rage and grief plain in his features. “Do you think for one moment that I’d let that demon have you? I
won’t
Angeline. I will
not
lose you.” He swallowed thickly, his voice dropping to a barely audible pitch. “Not like I lost her.”

Angeline felt her heart twist in her chest. She didn’t want to put Clyde through this. The mere sight of him so torn was killing her but if there was one thing she’d learned in the past few months, it was that being part of a pack meant more than just watching your own ass. Your pack was your family, and if there needed to be sacrifices made for the greater good, they were made quickly.

“Clyde, I—“

He silenced her with his mouth against hers, kissing her deeply, desperately. When he began to hitch up the long skirt she wore, Angeline started to protest. Though she had made sure that Ian was safe in his room before she left, she was certain the slightest suspicious sound would bring him running.

“
Clyde
…”The word escaped her on a half moan as his mouth kissed and licked at her throat hotly.  “Clyde, wait. I—“