AlphainHiding (8 page)

“What are you thinking about so hard that you’re scowling?”
Seth’s voice was rough as he whispered across her skin. He kissed her
collarbone before leaning away from her body to await her answer. The new
position seated his hot member within her folds. She sucked in a breath and
almost laughed at the answering noise from his lips.

“Nothing. Sorry.” She wiggled her hips and gasped as the
head of his cock stroked her clit. She rocked for a moment against him before
whimpering and begging, “Please, Seth, I want you inside me. I’ve come and it’s
your turn.”

“God, Em. I want nothing more than to be in you. I’m trying
to hold on to my control but I don’t think I’ll be able to once I’m in you,” he
groaned, and buried his head in the crook of her neck, shifting his hips until
he was poised at her entrance. He reared back for a single heartbeat and looked
searchingly at her face. She nodded, giving him permission to enter her. He
sighed and pushed forward with his hips, pressing his cock into her channel. He
thrust forward slowly until he was fully seated, balls-deep in her. He paused,
taking deep breaths. “You are so fucking hot and tight. I’m sorry. This is
going to be short and hard. I can’t hold on.”

With that admission, he started moving. He swung his hips to
a fast tempo, pumping quickly in and out of her body. Each thrust in was deep
and hard, brushing against her clit and pushing her closer to another release.
He kissed her deeply, mimicking the thrusts of his cock with his tongue.

“I want to feel you come around my cock,” he whispered
against her lips. The heartfelt plea did more for her than any physical
stimulation. She moaned into his kiss. She could feel her release starting,
slow rippling contractions that spread bliss from her core out to her fingers.
The orgasm was so deep, so different from the first one. Each thrust he
imparted teased a reaction from her body. She became nothing but nerve endings,
feeling, reacting, exploding with sensation.

With a small part of her brain she realized that she cried
out his name, begging him to bite her, to mark her. She didn’t hear him deny
her request, didn’t hear him order her to stop asking. Nothing mattered,
though, at the moment of her release.

She could feel him hardening even further just before
slamming deep into her body and holding still. Hot jets of semen bathed her
tissues. She shivered with his release as small tremors rocked her body.
Forgetting his order to keep her arms still, she reached forward and wrapped
them around him, pulling his chest to hers. Their hearts raced at the same
beat, forging an amazing connection between them. The hairs on her neck rose
and a shiver raced down her back with the weird sensation of two being one.

Emily looked up into Seth’s concerned gaze and tried to
cover her own discomfort. He obviously felt the connection as well, and was as
worried about it as she was. They hadn’t done anything but have wonderful,
mind-blowing sex. Why their bodies were starting to synchronize was a mystery
to her. She wasn’t going to make him uncomfortable about it when she didn’t
have any answers to his questions. She reached up and dragged him to her lips.
He came easily to her mouth and the baffled look was replaced with rekindled
passion.

If all else fails, distract him.

Chapter Twelve

Emily rolled on her side so she could study the male lying
next to her. His eyes were still closed but from his breathing pattern she knew
he was awake. She reached out and lightly stroked a hand across his chest. She
loved the feel of the springy curls tickling her palm. His muscles twitched and
she swallowed a giggle.

She was still savoring the glow from their night of
lovemaking. Experiencing sex like that had been an eye opener and had cemented
a few ideas in her mind. Seth was a giving and adventurous lover. He’d woken
her a few times throughout the night to make love. Each time, after multiple
orgasms, they’d ended up in each other’s arms, hearts beating together. An
absolute truth had become evident after the day they’d spent together—he was
worthy of any female he chose. Her heart clenched when she thought of seeing
him with another female. She felt horrible when she hoped that he didn’t find
anyone at the pack run. She almost wanted to tell him not to go just so she
didn’t have to see him find and claim a mate.

“I know you’re awake,” she whispered, bending forward to
lick the shell of his ear. She blew lightly across the wetness and grinned as
goose bumps erupted down his neck.

“Shhh. I’m absorbing the perfection of the morning.” He
continued to lie there with his eyes closed, breathing deeply.

She was surprised by his admission and pulled back from him.
Who was this guy, anyway? She covered up her initial tensing with a quick kiss
to his lips. She rolled out of bed and reached down to grab her shirt. She
really needed to separate herself from this situation. Catching herself
grinning while snuggled in his arms this morning had been a revelation. She
couldn’t get attached to him. He needed to live in the shifter world for a
while, expand his strength and meet some females. All those things that a
shifter male usually would’ve done when he was first an adult should take
precedence over her quickly softening heart. She’d never forgive herself if he
became angry with her for forcing him into something before he was ready.

“Hey, where are you going?” Seth’s voice held a hint of
concern. She turned to find him watching her.

“I’m going down to start breakfast. I’m starving and need a
caffeine fix.” She smiled and finished dressing. “I’ll call you when the food
is done.”

“What if I want you for breakfast, hmm? I’m not all that
hungry for food but could definitely nibble on you again.” He waggled his
eyebrows at her.

Emily couldn’t help snorting as she headed for the door.
“That, sir, was a horrible line. Right up there with the whole ‘seeing a
dentist because you’re so sweet’ thing. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Seth lay in bed for a few moments, reliving the last
twenty-four hours. He’d arrived at the cabin basically a human man who had
happened to be born to shifter parents. Now he was a shifter male, complete
with abilities and thought processes. He felt like a whole new man. His
eyesight was completely perfect, his sense of smell was off the charts, his
body was stronger and more powerful somehow. He could hear Emily downstairs
moving around and humming quietly. Gone was his fear of his wolf. His other
half remained active and pleasantly connected to him. They were both sated and
encouraged by the night they’d spent making love to her.

The most amazing part of the entire day had been holding her
in his arms as their hearts beat in synch. He didn’t understand it but the
connection was soul-deep during those moments. He had found that his breathing
even mirrored hers. That had to be something shifter related, but he wanted it
to mean something more.

With a reluctance he found entertaining, he climbed out of
her bed and shuffled through the bathroom to his room. His clothes were still
spread all over the bed from the night before and he chuckled. He couldn’t help
but be happy about the whole experience. He wasn’t one to gloat or kiss ‘n’
tell, but he still found great satisfaction in being given enough trust to make
love to Emily. From things she’d said during the weekend he’d gathered that she
wasn’t close to many people. Being the daughter of the Alpha was a stressful
job, but it sounded very lonely.

His shirt went on fine, but when he tried to zip his jeans
they wouldn’t close. He looked down to make sure they were really his. Leaving
the button and zipper undone, he wandered into the bathroom to actually look at
himself in the mirror. Yep, everything looked the same, so what the hell was
going on with his clothes?

Distractedly, he flumped down the stairs and wandered into
the kitchen. He noticed just as he entered the room that he was walking
silently. Well, add another trait to the list. His worried thoughts stopped
dead when he caught a glimpse of Emily standing at the sink. Her back was to
him but he was still taken by the view. She was perfect.

“You’ve got the predator walk now, I hear.” She turned and
winked. He blushed as she looked him up and down, blatantly perusing his body.
She cocked an eyebrow before meeting his gaze. “I like the pants undone. It’ll
make things easier for me after breakfast.”

“Yeah, about that. I can’t do them up, but I’m glad you have
plans to remove them from me.”

Emily finally really looked at Seth, and gasped. He was
broader this morning, through the shoulders and hips. He was exuding so much
power that the hairs on her arms were standing. Holy hell. It was almost scary
how fast he was changing. She had seen the changes occur over a much longer
period of time with pubescent males, but this was amazing. Forty-eight hours
had taken a weak, sniffling, glasses-wearing guy and turned him into a strong
Alpha shifter.

“What? What are you looking at?” His voice held a small
amount of fear and a whole lot of irritation.

“Well, you just look different. Your shoulders are really
huge. Don’t you feel different?”

“Yeah, but I’ve been feeling different since you showed up
at my house. Shit, Em. I’ve lost the need for my glasses, I can smell you from
here and know that you find this whole thing entertaining, and I can hear
animals scurrying around outside.” He pushed his hand across his hair.
“Everything is different.”

She took pity on him and changed the subject. She didn’t
want him to feel like a science project or something—she knew what that felt
like and it sucked. She poured him a cup of coffee. “Here, drink this. After we
eat we’re running one more time and then we need to head back home.”

Breakfast was quiet. Seth was buried in his own thoughts and
she really didn’t want to disturb him. They needed to start separating
themselves from each other and the situation. By the end of the day she would
be alone again and he would be home doing whatever he usually did on Monday
evenings. She couldn’t afford the emotional fallout if they kept playing. It
was one thing to spend a night having awesome sex. It was a totally different
thing to continue in the light of day. Emotional attachment and heartache were
right around the corner for her.

“So what’s this pack run thing going on this weekend?”

His question pulled her from her thoughts and shocked her
enough that she almost choked on the eggs she was eating. After a quick
coughing fit and a drink she tried to formulate her response. “Each full moon
my dad and the council sponsor a pack run on a huge patch of land we own. Those
aren’t as special as the one on Saturday. Three times a year we sponsor runs
that are supposed to be for single wolves looking for mates. The mated adults
act as referees of sorts, keeping males from overpowering females who aren’t
interested, that kind of thing.”

“So, Saturday you and a bunch of other single females will
be running through the woods being chased by males trying to catch you and
force a mating?” His disgust was so thick she could almost taste it.

“No, not exactly.” She sighed. How to make him understand?
“Shifters have a tough time finding true mates. These runs are set up for
singles looking for their mate. Everyone there is interested in either a fun
time or finding a permanent mate. It’s not mandatory to be there or to
participate—well, unless you’re me. There’s a meet-and-greet beforehand so the
participants can mingle. No one is ever forced to do anything.”

“Your dad makes you go, doesn’t he?” Concern and something
close to revulsion colored his words.

“Yeah, usually. I don’t have to this time, though. You’re my
free pass.” She chuckled but it didn’t hold nearly as much amusement as it
should have. “Usually I don’t mind doing pack things. I mean, that’s my job. I
do what needs to be done for the council and my dad and I get a paycheck for
it. Those runs, though, are just painful. I spend all night fighting. Sometimes
I wish I was a normal female.”

“No you don’t. You like the power.” He snickered at her
scowl.

“I guess.”

“Think about it. If you were normal you’d be mated now and
wouldn’t be able to pull a power trip like at the diner. Right?”

“You want to know something? I hate having to do that.
Sometimes, yes, it’s funny. Most of the time, though, I don’t want to do it. I
would love to be friends with some of those guys and definitely would like to
have unmated female friends.” She snorted at her own melancholy voice. She
waved away the conversation. “Ugh. Listen to me boohooing about my life.
Anyway, Saturday will be fun. You really should come out and meet some of the
other members of our pack. You might find you enjoy being around us now that
you and your furry self are friends.”

“Em?” She looked up from her plate to find him concentrating
on her. “I don’t want a mate unless it’s you. Going to this thing on Saturday
is not really going to make me change my mind. I will attend if you want me to,
but don’t think I’m walking away with another female.”

She sucked in a breath and contemplated her response. Her
wolf was doing happy spins in her head, and if she was honest with herself she
was happy about his words as well. She couldn’t let him see that, though. It
wasn’t right. He needed to test that theory and meet others. She couldn’t
saddle him with her as a mate if they weren’t right together. “Seth, you don’t
know that. You’re barely coming into your shifter traits. You may feel that way
but I’m the only female you’ve been around since all of this started. Come on
Saturday, but come to meet others. Please.”

He shook his head. “Whatever. If you don’t want to see it
then I can’t make you. I know, though, that deep down you feel it too. You want
me and I want you. Why fight it? Really—why? Yes, you’re stronger than me but I
don’t care. Order me around all day. As long as I can hold you in my arms at
night I’ll put up with anything you do to me.”

Emily stood from the table to put some space between them.
She couldn’t think about mating him. Not now. He needed to meet others, mingle
with more shifters, test his strength against the others. He needed to see and
smell other females and see if any of them called to his wolf. She kept the
denials up in her head, trying to stem her growing thoughts of taking him up on
the mating offer. She knew that she wanted him as hers, knew that he was her
equal even if he didn’t know it yet. She wouldn’t shackle him to her, though.
He deserved to make the decision after he’d experienced more of the pack.

“Enough.” She pushed just a little mental power at him. She
needed to stop this conversation before something bad happened. She almost
snorted. Yeah, like she ended up mated to a really great man. She turned toward
the door. “Let’s go run.”

“Fine. I’ll stop now, but don’t think I’m dropping this,” he
muttered at her back.