Werewolf fever, p.8
Werewolf Fever, page 8
“I know we live in modern times, but uh, old customs used to dictate all male Wolves present themselves to the Alpha male to ask for a female’s hand before any mating could take place. Did you know that city boy?”
“Excuse me—” she started, but was cut off when Liam stood taller, tucking her into the side of his big body protectively.
“I am grateful my mate has such a wise Alpha as you then, Alpha Garra, for knowing outdated and misogynistic practices are not the way to lead in our modern world,” Liam answered, and fuck, was that hot.
Mabel Ann tucked her hair behind her ear, trying not to get too cozy pressing up against Liam. The two big males were staring at each other, and the others around them had moved closer, interest gleaming in their Wolfish gazes. Liam must have noticed the attention cause he finally relinquished his stare, baring his neck slightly in deference to the Alpha male whose territory he was visiting.
Fuck, the strength and control that must have taken. Mabel Ann was in complete awe of him at that moment. More so than when she’d seen him kick the asses of those five foulmouthed fools who’d been talking badly about her earlier that day.
He hadn’t noticed, but she’d watched the whole damn altercation. She’d never seen anybody move like that. So fast and self-assured. Like an arrow flying through the wind, hitting its target accurately and with force. The squeals and whines of those bullies who’d crumbled beneath his fists were an improvement to their name calling.
Violence was typical for Wolves. They were creatures who thrived on displays of strength and dominance, and sometimes they were challenged to support those claims. Liam McAllister was extremely dominant.
But he was also smart and kind. She was learning new things about him every minute, or so it seemed. Things she found herself liking very much. All her girly pieces seemed in agreement if the deep, throbbing ache between her legs was anything to go by.
“Good to know you agree with my politics. I take it you spoke with Fred?” Sonny asked.
Oh, for fuck’s sake. Was he ever going to shut up?
This time it was Liam who squeezed her tightly to him so she wouldn’t storm off and pop Sonny right on the nose. The asshat. Like she needed to ask her daddy’s permission before she found her mate. In all the stupid macho shit she had ever heard, that took the cake.
“Yes, I’ve talked to Fred,” Liam replied.
Startled, Mabel Ann halted the tirade that was about to come flooding out of her mouth. And just like that her pink bits stopped pulsing.
He did what now?
Oh. No. He. Didn’t.
Her eyes narrowed as she gazed up at his perfectly chiseled profile. Godlike hottie or not, she was gonna punch him right in his nut sack in another half a second. Even her fiercely independent Wolf was kinda pissed at his high handed actions.
Grrr.
“Sonny?” Crystal’s voice pierced the growing tension in the room.
Thank fuck, cause Mabel Ann wasn’t sure she could stop herself from telling the Alpha to go find a circle jerk and get the fuck out of her way if he opened his fat mouth again.
“What’s going on?” the Alpha fem asked, her eyes snapping from Mabel Ann’s to Liam’s, then back to her mate’s.
“Hello there darlin’, oh nothing,” he said, eyes wide, feigning innocence.
“It seems Mabel Ann got herself a mate.”
“No, that can’t be. Oh my Lord, you aren’t joking. And you’re him? Mated to her?” she asked, sounding astounded.
“Did you lose a bet, honey?” she drawled, reaching out with her red painted fingers to try and touch Liam.
Knowing she would be unable to stop herself from charging the Alpha bitch if she saw her hands on him, Mabel pushed herself outside of the circle of his arms. She felt his eyes on her, but she was moving too quickly to stop now.
She needed to get outside, to be free of that horrible couple. How could any mates behave that? It was completely beyond her understanding. Wolves who were in committed matings, especially those who were fated, did not go around touching other people. It just didn’t happen.
Sonny was the Alpha, so how the fuck did he let his wife go around acting that way? Maybe the rumors were true about them and their orgies. She shuddered as she began to run. Mabel Ann might be a curvy girl, but she was still a she-Wolf. She could run and jump with the best of them.
Why the heck did she even come here tonight? She wondered angrily as she picked up the pace. The shortcut through the woods would head back to her father’s house. She could stay in and read a book and let this High Alpha crap play out.
She was almost all the way there when the crunch of paws snapping twigs, leaves, and pine needles had her freezing in her steps.
Turning around, she saw him. There was no mistaking the breathtaking white Wolf for anyone but him. Even in his fur, Liam was the best damn looking thing she’d ever seen. She realized her mistake in stopping against a pile of boulders when he pressed in on her.
The snow white beast stalked her until her butt bumped against the rocky formation. Mabel Ann narrowed her eyes, pushing his big head away when it got a little too close to her privates.
“Excuse me, a little distance please,” she snapped.
The Wolf did back up a step, his blue-green gaze boring into her. Mabel Ann swallowed hard. He was potent even in this form, and her foolish romantic heart didn’t stand a chance.
She’d had only a taste of heartache in her life, and it had been enough to sour her on the entire mating thing that was supposed to happen between Shifters. But this was different. The pull she felt was partly physical, partly hormonal, and partly magic. She had to admit, that wasn’t all that bad a beginning.
But what if the Fates didn’t know what they were doing?
Should she risk her heart with a man she hardly knew? Furthermore, there was the whole incident when they first met. She could see it in his eyes, she wasn’t his type.
You’re my mate, pupcake.
The words appeared in her head, and she blinked hard, stunned that he could communicate like this.
I’ve been waiting for you all my life. I won’t push and I won’t force, but I am not going away either. What do you say? Are you brave enough to take me on?
“I’ve never been called a coward in my whole life,” she replied, eyes snapping.
Oh, he was good. And he knew just how to rile her, too. The arrogant bastard had spoken to her father already, but it was Mabel Ann who’d just announced to the Alpha, his mate, and the Pack that Liam McAllister was her mate.
I see your wheels turning, pupcake, but don’t think so hard about it. Let’s just have a little fun.
“That nickname is ridiculous.”
It’s sweet, just like you. But we can discuss that later. Come running with me.
“Now? But they’re still having dinner—”
I don’t care what the others are doing. I just wanna run with you.
Mabel Ann always was a sucker for a good declaration. It was always her favorite part of the romance novels she devoured on the daily. Nodding, she lifted the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head. It was why she kept wearing these things, easy to take on and off during Pack runs. Mabel Ann had a dozen of them in her closet in different colors and with hand embroidered flowers on them.
Liam’s Wolf growled a bit, his eyes never leaving hers despite her being completely nude, and she had to hand it to him, he was trying to be honorable. Nudity to Shifters was like breathing to most people, but Mabel Ann had always been a bit sensitive.
She didn’t look like the other she-Wolves, and it was never a problem until Sonny brought Crystal to the Pack. That she-bitch loved reminding her of her differences. Mabel Ann pushed the Alpha fem’s cruelty out of her head and concentrated on calling her Wolf.
A familiar rush of magic flowed over her skin, making it warm and itch. Her Change was painful but faster than most in the Zapata Pack. Nowhere near as graceful and instantaneous as his, and she hesitated midway through. Bones cracked, muscles tore, and tendons worked to re-knit themselves, but it burned, and it hurt, and she was frustrated.
Easy now, love, just let it happen. Trust your Wolf. She knows what to do. Let her in, let her take control during the Change.
“Hurts,” she mumbled, halfway through her transformation.
Come on, pupcake. You’re stronger than that. Let go and trust her. She is you.
When his words broke through the haze of pain, Mabel Ann realized Liam was right. She was her Wolf, and her Wolf was her. So why the hell was she fighting so hard?
Once she made up her mind to trust the animal within her, the pain went away as her she-Wolf rushed forward. Taking charge of her Change, the way she was always meant to, and within a blink of an eye it was done.
Looked like there was no turning back now.
CHAPTER 10
Liam almost swallowed his tongue at the first sight of her running through the woods faster than a jack rabbit. Her feet barely touched the ground as she called on her Wolf’s stealth and speed to guide her through the rough terrain.
The Alpha fem had been cruel and out of line, but it was not his place to chastise the haughty female. He’d shot Santiago an angry glare before taking off after his mate.
There was something off about the couple. Not evil. But definitely off. He’d known it the first time he saw Crystal Garra touching all the eligible males, and some mated ones too. That was not how true mates acted.
Liam was luckier than most to have such excellent examples. Rafe and Charley’s story might have started out a little unorthodox. He and his other Wolf Guard brethren had kidnapped the human female in the hopes his Alpha would mate her and not lose his position due to some ridiculously antiquated law.
Luckily, she turned out to be his actual mate and didn’t press charges against any of them. That had been a huge relief. Almost as huge as finding out she was an excellent cook, and even better, the Macconwood Alpha fem actually found the task relaxing.
One thing did not change with them, and that was Rafe was positively fierce when it came to his mate. The powerful Alpha would never be okay with anyone touching her. Like at all.
Did that make him a possessive asshole? Maybe. But it was a feeling Liam could totally understand now that he’d laid eyes on his own little pupcake. He hadn’t even claimed her yet, and he’d almost challenged a fucking Alpha for putting his hands on her.
Grrrr.
As he chased her through the unfamiliar forest, he took in the sandy soil, clusters of pines and tall oaks, and reveled in it. This part of Texas sure was beautiful, he thought and sucked in the cool night air. But nothing was as beautiful as the taste of blueberry basil that announced his little she-Wolf was nearby.
Liam listened with his Wolf’s ears. There! He took off in the direction of the sounds he’d heard, tracking her to what looked like a wall of boulders. That momentary inattention had his Wolf lunging forward and burying his snout between her legs.
Fuck. The smell of her arousal was sweet, intoxicating, and he was desperate for a nice, long lick. Hell, a kiss, anything at this point. The Wolf was horny, but more than that, he wanted to claim his mate.
What better place than outside and under the moon? No! He wrestled back control and tried to reach her with his mind. He’d heard of this, but only for a few mated pairs. Something told him that his little she-Wolf was far more receptive to the special Shifter magic that had created them than she’d allowed herself to acknowledge.
After some dialogue, he was almost positive she was softening towards him, and his heart soared.
I just wanna run with you.
More like he had to run with her. Liam was not ever going to force himself on his mate, and he knew with their fates entwined the way they were, he wouldn’t have to. But even that felt like cheating.
When they came together, and they would, he wanted Mabel Ann to choose him, eyes open. Wouldn’t that be something? If this gorgeous, vivacious, and strong woman picked him above all others. He’d be the luckiest fucker in the world.
She’d agreed to run with him, and it was all he could do to not shift back to his human skin once she tore that pretty little dress over her head. Her skin was smooth and blemish free, perfect in his not so humble opinion. Liam wanted her more with each passing second. But he would settle for a run. For now, he told the Wolf, only for now.
Concern washed over him as she writhed on the forest floor. She was fighting her Change and he wanted to howl for the pain coursing through her. His Wolfish eyes focused, and he pushed positive energy at her and whispered encouragingly.
This was part of the reason all Werewolves needed a High Alpha. The difference between now and the time when the Curse of Natalis ruled them all was huge. But not everything was instinctual. Control and trust needed to be taught and earned. The Werewolves of the world needed guidance.
He was lucky. He had Rafe and his brother Seff, and all the other Wolves back home in Maccon City. The Zapata Pack, like so many others, had Alphas that did not know enough themselves to do this. The High Alpha would not only have access to the innermost circles of the Packs, but he would be able to instruct them on certain things and hold them accountable.
Come on, pupcake. You’re stronger than that. Let go and trust her. She is you.
The second he’d pushed the thought into her head, Mabel Ann granted him a gift he’d never expected to get this soon. Her trust.
The she-Wolf let go and soon she was standing before him in all her glory. If Mabel Ann was a beauty on two legs, it reasoned her Wolf would be too. But Liam hadn’t been prepared for how positively stunning she was in her fur.
Thick and glossy, the color so dark a brown it was almost black. But warm, so very warm the tone, it was just incredible. Like freshly ground espresso beans or really expensive dark chocolate. There was not one other color on her.
She yipped, and Liam realized he was staring. His beast urged him to move, and he did, striding forward and nuzzling her face with his own. The Wolf’s vision differed slightly from his human eyes, but he trusted the sight before him and when he looked down at where their paws touched in the rocky dirt, he paused.
His snow white and hers, that rich chestnut brown side by side, looked incredible together. Emotions surged through his veins, the foremost being joy. Mabel Ann yipped again, nipping the fur on his neck before taking off. She wanted to play, and he couldn’t be happier than to oblige her.
The chase was so on!
Liam had never had so much fun in his fur as when he was running beside his mate. They hunted and shared their prey, a small rabbit caught between the two of them. He was glad to see the she-Wolf in her element and not shying from the kill that was so much a part of their Wolfish beings.
After eating, they made their way to the creek, the waters calmer this far into the woods. Jumping into the icy depths, Liam emerged in his skin. He swam over to the bank where Mabel Ann was shaking out her fur, having cleaned herself already.
“Swim with me,” he said, winking at her when she yipped.
“You can swim, can’t you?”
A hum of magic filled the air and a half a minute later she was standing before him. Naked and gorgeous, he barely heard her retort before she dove into the water with zero hesitation.
“Mister, I learned to swim in this creek, and you can just move your city boy ass over,” she’d snarked.
Was it wrong that he really enjoyed getting her riled? If done right, the woman had a Texas twang that made his cock stand up and take notice. Fucking hell, he was turning into a walking hard on.
“It feels good,” she said, moaning in a way that had him thinking all manner of naughty thoughts.
“So, you like swimming?”
“Yes.”
“You also like books, and coffee with two creams and one sugar. What else do you like?” he asked, desperate to know more about her.
Liam swam over to her, loving the way her deep brown eyes sparkled up at him as she treaded water. Her lips were a dusky rose pink, and that was without any enhancements at all. She didn’t seem to wear a lot of makeup, and he was fine with that. Her beauty went deeper than eyeliner and blush. Creamy skin with just a hint of golden tan glistened with water droplets in the moonlight. She looked like a sprite or nymph, fire in her eyes as she pondered his question.
“Okay,” she said before answering. “I like ribeye steak on the grill cooked for two minutes on each side, no more, no less. I like swimming in the ocean. And watching old movies late at night. You said books, but it is more than like, I really, really love books. All sorts though I am partial to romance,” she said, watching him closely for any reproach.
When she received none, she continued. Thank fuck. This was like food for his soul, and Liam was starving for any piece of information he could get.
“You know I am a librarian, but I always wanted my own store. A place where folks could borrow or buy gently used books. I’d ship them all over the world for anyone wanting to journey into a story and celebrate and share that glimpse of the human soul the author poured onto the pages for our consumption.”
She cleared her throat, having gotten lost in the words. But Liam had never seen anything like her, talking about what she loved with so much passion. It made him want her so much more, and he hadn’t even known it was possible. Longing filled him and he watched her for a good long moment, before reaching out to touch her face.
“I know what I told the Alpha and everyone else in there. And I know you think we are fated—”
“We are fated, Mabel Ann,” he whispered, not willing to break the spell that had her allowing him to touch her.
“Even if we are, maybe the Fates have it wrong, Liam. I- I’m not built like Crystal or even Georgie. I am not the love ‘em and leave ‘em type,” she explained, nose crinkling adorably as she did.
