As soon as the king set foot into the arena the stands fell silent. All eyes were on us as we headed for the pole that had been put up on the far-right side of the battlegrounds. It was another one of those outrageous additions supposed to make the spectacle “more fun”. Watching my mate fight a dozen warriors by himself while being unable to mentally ensure he was alright obviously wasn’t torturous enough. The icing on the cake was I had to do so while bound to a pole. Naïve as I was, I had laughed when Caleb had first told me about it, confident it could only be a joke.
Nope, he had been dead serious.
I winced as the king fastened the ropes that tied my wrists behind my back.
“It’s not too tight, isn’t it? We wouldn’t want them to come loose, do we?”
A malicious whisper in my ear.
I took a deep breath and answered with what hopefully looked like a friendly smile. At least I was rid of that psycho now.
The king left the arena and found his designated place on the stands before he started his speech.
“We have gathered here today to determine whether Alpha Caleb is worth of the she-wolf Gemma. As tradition dictates, he will prove his strength by fighting twelve honorable warriors each respectively chosen by their Alpha.”
Accompanied by the excited cheers of the crowd the twelve warriors entered the battlegrounds, dressed only in a pair of loose-fitting brown trousers, expressions serious. Why did they all have to look so freaking muscular and confident?
The men took a stand in a straight line in front of me, building a wall Caleb would have to penetrate to get to me.
“Alpha Caleb, do you accept the challenge to prove your worth in front of your pack and your gathered fellow Alphas?“, the king asked.
“I accept”, Caleb’s voice boomed as he entered the arena under loud shouts of encouragement. Contrary to his opponents he wore white trousers. As he found his place on the other side of the battlegrounds his gaze met mine, telling me all I needed to know while he went into full Alpha-mode, his orbs turning pitch black.
I am ready. I got this. Don’t worry.
Even with Lucy under lock, my skin tingled from the violence of my mate’s aura, proving that a werewolf didn’t need to shift to go all badass. As his dominating, brutally powerful energy washed over me my pulse slowed, the knot in my stomach not so hurtfully tight anymore.
I believe in you.
The tip of his lips curled, and I knew it wasn’t only his desire to fight. He had understood my silent message.
“Then let the fight begin!”
The king seated himself and the battle started.
While the twelve warriors slowly formed a circle around Caleb, he carefully eyed his opponents without moving an inch, trying to figure out what he was dealing with.
“Why Twelve?”, I muttered deep in thought.
“Twelve what?”
My hands froze in midair, still clasping the plate I was about to wash up. I blinked and turned to my mate in surprise, then comprehension slowly dawned on me.
“Oh, did I say that out loud?”, I asked even if the answer was obvious.
“Loud and clear”, he laughed, the deep, warm sound wrapping around me like a tender hug.
I flushed. When I was alone with Caleb, I felt completely at ease – so much so that at times, my thoughts just left my mouth. I didn’t mind much since there was nothing I wasn’t ready to share with him, but that he had anchored himself so deep within me that there was no telling anymore where I ended and he started … It was a level of intimacy that would take some time to get used to.
“Warriors. Why twelve warriors? Why not five or six?”
“An Alpha is not only superior when it comes to physical and mental strength”, he started to explain while drying the plate I had washed before. “We have some other tricks up our sleeves as well.”
He put the dried plate back in the cupboard and I handed him the next one.
“If I call upon my wolf and concentrate, one look at another person moving their body in any kind of way, even if it’s only walking past me, will tell me what their strengths and weaknesses are. What is their dominant hand? How experienced and fast are they? What part of me would they target first? That way it’s easy for me to predict their every move and counter them.”
“And other wolves can’t do that?”
“Warriors can, but on a much smaller scale than an Alpha. I was already born with this ability, could sharpen it all my life, while a warrior has to learn from scratch.”
My brows furrowed.
“Then how come I managed to hit you with a showerhead, Mr. I-can-predict-every-move?”
“Concentration is key”, he emphasized. “I panicked when I smelled your blood, acted on impulse. My emotions were in the way.”
His eyes darkened as he relived the memories of that day.
“That won’t happen during our claiming ceremony. So, to make the fight somewhat balanced, the number of my opponents has to be able to distract me. Taking on five, six, seven, eight men at once? Even if they are warriors, they are still no match for me. It has to be at least more than ten men to make it challenging for me.”
“A challenge …”, I mumbled, couldn’t shake off the awful picture in my head of Caleb being surrounded. Of Caleb being hurt.
Two strong arms engulfed me. I sighed and leaned back into my mate’s embrace.
“You of all people should know that I am a merciless predator”, he growled, going all Alpha. “And I always catch my prey.”
When the first warrior launched an attack, immediately followed by half of his brethren, my heart skipped a beat. The crowd screamed in excitement, so it obviously was a heated battle worth its watch. Not like I could judge for myself. Their speedy movements raised the dust from the dry floor, and with my wolf under lock, it was impossible for me to see what was going on. Damn wolfsbane!
After what felt like an eternity the spectators suddenly fell silent and the dust settled just enough to get a glimpse of the fighter’s condition. I almost teared up when I finally spotted Caleb. He was covered in dirt from head to toe, his former white trousers a light brown now – but he was unharmed. Others hadn’t been so lucky. One warrior lay conscienceless on the ground, blood dribbling down from his head. Theo, our healer, was already by his side and tending to him. Another contestant was limping out of the arena, aided by two other warriors, his left foot pointing at a direction it shouldn’t be able to point at. Ouch, that must hurt like a bitch!
Two down, ten more to go.
The scenario repeated itself over and over again: the battleground covered in dust within seconds of the first ambush, excruciating minutes of seeing nothing but dirt accompanied by a chorus of shouts all around me, and at last utter silence as the fighters became visible to the human eye once more.
When the dust settled the third time no contestant was unscathed anymore – including Caleb. He had a bloody scratch on his forehead just above his right eye. My gut clenched, but I forced myself to think rationally. The wound didn’t seem to impact his vision so it wouldn’t give him a disadvantage during a fight. Besides, the seven remaining opponents didn’t look much better. Three of them were barely holding it together and I doubted they would last another round.
In the end, it took Caleb six rounds to incapacitate all twelve warriors. The fight ended with the two last contestants conscienceless slumping down on the battleground. Relief washed over me in a wave so powerful it almost brought me to my knees. He did it. He won.
Under the deafening cheers of the spectators, Caleb walked up to me, pride in every step. As he claimed my mouth in a ferocious kiss his hands freed me from the painful rope and the wolfsbane crown. The king said something, but I was too busy letting my hand wander over the bruised and dirtied torso of my mate while being scooped up into his arms to understand a single word of it.
Just a few small bruises.
Liar.
My fingers rested over a particular ugly contusion of his, careful not to touch the sensitive skin.
That’s nothing for an Alpha like me. I’ll be completely healed in an hour at most.
I shot him an angry look.
You better be!
Caleb playfully bit my ear.
Usually, that’s the part where you congratulate your mate on his victory and tell him what an incredible fighter he is. Yet all I get is nagging, he teased.
The last thing your damn ego needs is a boost!
You are right.
He flashed me a smug grin.
I am confident in my strength, and I know exactly what I want – and what I must do to get it.
Belatedly, I realized Caleb walked out of the arena without anyone following us. His eyes bled to black, his animalistic side pushing to get the upper hand.
What I want right now is to wipe away the look of worry on my mate’s face and assure her that I am fine, show her that a mating can be fun … for both sides.
As soon as we were out in the woods Caleb put me down and offered me his hand. I took it without a second thought. Knowing my mate would never hurt me I let him lead me into the heart of the trees.
Where are we going?
His grin widened.
To a place where nobody will disturb us for a while.
Caleb walked until we were out of earshot to the sensible wolf ears. Since it was October the forest was covered in red and yellow leaves, the bright colors wrapping around us like a warm blanket.
This should be far enough.
He stopped and turned toward me. Cupping my cheek with the utmost tenderness, his black orbs shimmered with unveiled lust and desire as he bored them into mine.
My smart, fierce, beautiful Gemma.
I leaned into his touch and put my hand over his.
Mine.
A very male growl full of possessiveness and dominance.
“Females are born to follow and obey, to serve their males and raise our pups. It’s all you are good for. Don’t delude yourself into thinking otherwise because your mate plays the love drunken idiot at the moment.”
The memory popped up like a splash of cold water and I involuntarily froze. Caleb dropped his hand, concern in his features.
Fury rushed through my veins, fired up by the wrath of my wolf who loathed the king as much as I did. I hated that this asshole had somehow managed for his words to get stuck in my head, was angry with myself for allowing such darkness into the bond with my mate. Caleb and I were equals, partners – not master and servant. My needs mattered as much as his. Lowly woman my ass!
“Take your pants off!”, I ordered, my voice rough, more animal than human.
Concern turned into curiosity. Without asking Caleb took a step back and did as I told him, let me take control because he felt it’s what I needed right now.
“Don’t move”, I rasped as I took in this gorgeous man. My mate. Again, he obeyed without asking, this mighty Alpha who was used to being the one in charge, who could so easily force me to do his bidding.
I reached out and traced my fingers slowly from his muscled chest down to his exposed manhood that was as hard as a rock. Caleb let out a breathless gasp when I softly touched a finger to it. Satisfied with his response I started to circle him, leisurely, my fingers never leaving his body. His skin felt like hot silk over steel, inviting me to explore, to touch, to taste. Once I finished my round, I locked my eyes with his, found the same unbending hunger in them that made my gut clench, threatening to tear me apart inside out.
Not able to hold it in any loner I bend forward and kissed his heated flesh right over his wildly pounding heart. My lips kicked up when Caleb fisted his hands at his sides and let out a low growl. Someone was getting impatient.
“Since you’ve been more than compliant so far, I think it’s time for a little reward.”
I turned around and put my hair over my shoulder.
“Open the zipper and help me out of the dress – but careful, I want to keep it.”
Maureen had made it just for me, had spent hours to make sure it had a nice design and I would feel comfortable in it. It deserved to be cherished – not torn into pieces by my sex-hungry mate.
While freeing me from the soft white fabric Caleb deliberately touched his fingers to my skin as often as he could, sending a soft tingle along my nerve endings each time he did so.
“What now?” A husky whisper, a sound barely human.
“Now”, I smirked, delighted that he kept this little game of mine going, “you are going to watch me devour that ridiculously sexy body of yours while keeping still as a statue.”
I leaned forward and clasped both my hands around his erection, took my time as I moved them up and down. Gosh, I couldn’t wait to have him in me, to ride him until I wasn’t able to form a single clear thought anymore. My breasts rubbed against his broad chest, turning my nipples rock-hard in seconds.
Faster!
A raw desperate plea. I could feel him fighting the urge to touch me, to grab me and impale me on him, bring this sweet torture to an end. But he was an Alpha, stern discipline as much a part of him as his wolf.
Yes, that’s it, baby! Fuck, this feels so good!
The orgasm that followed shook him to the core. I held him in my arms as he rode the aftershocks of pleasure, heavily panting, his body covered in sweat. When his breathing became steadier, I took his hand in mine and put it between my thighs.
“My turn.”
“Your wish is my command.”
A raw whisper against my ear, a dark promise. He started by letting his teeth scrape over my pulse, his hands tenderly stroking my shoulders before wandering deeper and cupping my breasts. One tender squeeze and I could barely form a cohesive thought anymore. He knew me too well, this mate of mine, new which buttons he had to push to make me all but melt into his touch. By the time his hands had reached the center of my lust, I was dripping wet down there. He moved his finger with slow precision and my grip on his shoulders tightened. A second finger followed shortly after, the exquisite sensation of it making me bite my lip in pure pleasure. But it wasn’t enough, would never be enough. Only one thing could satisfy that insatiable hunger inside of me, could placate both wolf and woman.
Give me all of you!
This time I didn’t need to voice a command. Feeling my desperate need through our mating bond, Caleb withdrew his fingers on his own and pushed inside me in one vicious blow. I welcomed him with a scream of pure lust, my nails digging deeper into his flesh until they drew blood while his hands painfully fisted in my hair. It was a wild act, an animalistic act, both of us more wolf than human at this point, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. All the anxiety and the anger of the last few hours was forgotten, shame a concept beyond my comprehension at this point. It was a world without rational thinking and hurtful emotions, a world that held nothing but joy and pleasure, a world that belonged solely to Caleb and me.
“Everything okay?”, my mate whispered much later when we lay entangled on a soft bed of fallen leaves, heavily panting and in a state of utter satisfaction. Of course, he knew something had happened between the king and me, knew this had been what had caused me to claim the dominant part in our lovemaking when usually it was equally shared among us.
“Everything okay.”
It was the truth and all that mattered. Though I could feel the rage pulsing under his skin Caleb didn’t push for details. We weren’t going to let that sick motherfucker win by letting him get to us.
“My wolf and I quite enjoyed that little game of yours. Mind if we play again sometime?”
My lips curved.
“I think you already know the answer.”
The warrior stepped out of the cabin into the cold embrace of the early morning. The mating festivities of Alpha Caleb had lasted well past midnight and like everyone else he’d been exhausted and more than ready to pay a visit to dreamland after the music had finally died down. But sleep wouldn’t come, no matter how tired he was. Instead, the unsettling feeling in his stomach grew by the minute, his wolf impatiently prowling under his skin, urging him to roam the woods and make sure his mind had played a trick on him the day before. That smell … It had been faint, overlapped by a myriad of other scents, yet it had been there. Nobody else had seemed to notice, so he had dismissed it back then, eager to finally get to their destination after two days of traveling. Something he regretted now.
Calling upon his wolf he dashed through the impenetrable darkness of the forest, his senses on full alert. The others would probably call him crazy, would tell him it was time to make peace with his little sisters’ death and accept that her murderer had found his end by the hands of the rapid stream they had chased him into. Easy to say if it wasn’t your sister that had been literally shredded to pieces, her body nothing more than a bloody bulk of smashed organs and pieces of skin and bones. The image haunted him to this day, was engraved in his brain, food for his most horrid nightmares. Granted, to survive that river it would have taken a miracle, but it wasn’t impossible. After all, the corpse of the Rogue had never been found.
The first rays of the sun already turned the sky into a sea of purple and red and he was about to admit he had indeed imagined things when the wind suddenly carried a familiar scent to him. Again, it was faint, barely noticeable even to his wolf senses, but it was there. A feral growl escaped him. Time to hunt.