Imprinted By The Alpha (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (The Marked One - Book 1) (8 page)

You’ll regret it, Father. Here this now. I denounce all of you as my family. As far as I’m concerned, you’re already dead.

Those had been Blaez’s harsh parting words, and Caleb wasn’t some hard ass without feeling. It had hurt him terribly, and he thought of his brother often. He hated Blaez feeling slighted, but the order couldn’t be changed, and while Caleb accepted his adopted brother as true family, the bloodline had to remain intact. Blaez was not his father’s son, and Caleb refused to feel guilty for taking his rightful place as Alpha. But the internal conflict still raged inside.

“I’m sorry,” Ava told him, raking her fingers soothingly through his hair.

He sighed. “My brother and I were close, and I still love him, but we’ve grown apart. His path in life is sadistic, and he kills anything that stands in his way without emotion. His anger and resentment rule his actions, so it’s better that he’s gone.”

There was nothing he could do to change things, and Caleb hated that. Only Blaez could rewrite history, and Caleb wouldn’t hold his breath on that one. He wouldn’t dwell on it, either, and changed the subject abruptly. “What about you? Do you have any siblings?”

“I’m an only child. My father died three years ago, so it’s just me and my mom.”

******

A
va felt a lump gathering in her throat and moved away from Caleb, toward the edge of the bed. She wanted to disguise her loneliness. She loved her mother, and Kelly made a great surrogate sister. But sometimes, she felt the hollowness of not having a sister by blood. Standing and looking for her clothes, she told him, “I have to go. My mom is going to freak out for not coming home and not calling last night. She worries a little too much sometimes.” She picked up her shorts and pulled them on.

She blushed fiercely when she couldn’t find the rest of her clothes. “You wouldn’t know where my shirt and bra landed would you?” She turned circles, not wanting to meet Caleb’s eyes.

She heard the amusement in his voice before she felt his presence behind her. “In the kitchen,” he growled, wrapping a long arm around her waist and teasing the skin below her ear with his lips and breath. “Where I ripped them off.” He twirled her around and kissed her soundly on the lips, then trailed down to her collarbone, licking circles in its hollow.”

“Caleb,” she breathed, her loins heating, “as much as I want to stay, I really do have to go.”

He released her, a reluctant look on his face. She stood there as he stared at her, long and hard, and she knew he wasn’t ready for her to leave. His powerful presence called to her, reeled her in, and she shifted against the tickling between her legs as his eyes traveled over her skin, making her feel sexy and needy, wanting more of his loving. But she broke down and started out of the room, gesturing with her head for him to follow. They walked to the kitchen together, her in nothing but shorts and Caleb in all his naked glory.

She dressed quickly and turned to drape her arms around Caleb’s neck, standing on her tiptoes to reach and wishing desperately for time to stop moving so she could extend her stay. “I’ll see you soon, right?” She gave him a long, passionate kiss, wanting to give him more incentive.

“Mmm,” he groaned, licking his lips. “Definitely.” He patted her bottom. “Now get out of here before I lock you in my room and force you to stay.”

Ava made her way home, elated, excited by what Caleb made her feel. She was fully alive, every nerve ending in her body buzzing like never before.
Imprinted.
It sounded crazy, but then, there was no other explanation for the intensity of her feelings toward Caleb, and she had to think that, whatever reason fate and ‘destiny’ had for bringing them together, it was worth it. The connection was strong, and werewolf or not, she looked forward to what was to come with Caleb next.

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A
va tiptoed up the porch steps of her house and opened the porch door carefully so as not to make the hinges squeak or allow the screen door to bang shut. She slipped her shoes off, scanning the room to assure her mother wasn’t already downstairs, and then making her way to the flight of stairs. If she was careful, she could get to her room before her mother noticed her in the house.

“Ava, is that you?” Ava winced as her mother called from the living room.

Shaking her head, she called back, “Yes, Mom, it’s me.” There was no use in tiptoeing at this point, and she made her way to where her mother sat on the upholstered brown couch, part of a set that was neutral with gold accents. Her father had chosen it, and it was one of the last purchases he and her mother had made before he died. The sun shone through the drawn gold drapes, and Sarah sat upright, the light glinting off the gray streaks in her long brown hair, which was tied in a neat bun on the nape of her neck. Her hazel eyes held an icy glare as she watched Ava walk in and take a seat in the armchair across from her.

Ava’s heart skipped a beat at her expression, nervously trying to think what to say, where to start, and if she should even mention Caleb. “I’m sorry I didn’t call, Mom.” She set her satchel on the floor.

In a soft but tight voice, Sarah told her, “I’ve been worried sick about you, Ava. Kelly was worried about you, too. I called her this morning, thinking that you might have spent the night at her house, but she said you left the bar hours before her shift ended.” Her face was drawn. “Where were you all night?”

Her mother never asked that kind of question, trusting Ava implicitly, and Ava felt like she owed her an honest explanation. Taking a deep breath and fighting for calm, she told her mother, “After my shift, I stayed for about an hour, and then I left with the intention of coming home. There was a man who followed me on the trail.” She swallowed hard, searching her mother’s eyes for a reaction. Fear bled from the hazel globes, and she continued, “I ran as fast as I could, trying to lose him, and I ended up in the north field and fell.” The emotions – ripe terror – hit her as she recalled the desperate moment last night. Looking down at her lap, she heard her mother shift, leaning forward and laying her hands over Ava’s.

“Go on,” Sarah whispered in a gentle tone.

The tears built in Ava’s eyes and sounded in her voice. “He was going to rape me, Mom.” She shook her head as if it would remove the image from her mind. “But Caleb showed up. Caleb Minor.” She looked up at her mother through the blur of unshed tears. “He scared the guy off and helped me.”

“Did that man hurt you?” Sarah asked, anger in her voice as she searched her daughter for sign of injury.

Ava nodded. “I’m fine. I have a couple of bruises and a scrape from hitting the ground, but Caleb chased the guy off before he could lay a hand on me.”

She let her mother inspect her arm. Sarah didn’t look up as she raised an eyebrow and said, “So you spent the night with Caleb.”

“Yes.”

“I see.” Her tone was flat, and Sarah finally anchored her gaze with Ava’s, tugging at her daughter’s hands until Ava stood and moved to the couch, leaning into her mother’s arms. Ava felt her mother’s heavy sigh. “I’m glad you’re safe. Next time, call me, no matter what time it is so I know you’re still alive. Please.” She pushed Ava back enough so they could lock eyes again.

Ava nodded. “I’m sorry, Mom. Everything happened so fast. I was terrified and just stayed there till morning.” It wasn’t a lie. She just didn’t feel the need to discuss sex and strange relationships with her mother right now. And it wasn’t like her mother didn’t already know that Caleb was a werewolf, so there was no need to dredge that detail up again. “I’ll call from now on, I promise.”

“You should go take a shower. I’ll make some breakfast.” Sarah stood, and Ava followed suit, climbing the stairs and heading straight to the bathroom. She turned on the shower and undressed, inspecting her arm in the bathroom mirror as she waited for the water to heat up. Climbing into the tub, Ava closed her eyes and let the hot spray relax her and cascade down her body. It soothed her aching muscles, and she leaned her head back so the spray hit her face. It pelted her breasts and trickled down her curves, traveling to her apex before dripping down her legs. She lathered herself with a lavender scented soap and began to wash.

With every inch of her body that she touched, Ava was reminded of Caleb’s hands and lips. He was an exquisite lover, and so many spots on her body still tingled from his touch. She remembered Caleb’s mouth on her breasts, and she rolled her nipples between her fingers. It was no replacement for his tongue, lips, and teeth, but she closed her eyes and imagined the way he touched and tasted her so clearly it was almost as if she were still with him.

Under the water, his scent wafted in the air, stirring from her skin and filling her nostrils. She was giddy with arousal, and her clit started to throb with the passionate physical memory of his mouth there. He hadn’t left an inch of her unexplored, without a doubt branding her. She was his, for whatever purpose and for however long.

Her fingers trailed south toward the source of her wayward thoughts. She cupped her silken mound with her palm and began to rub. Underneath the shower’s pounding, she relived the night, pressing on hand against the wall for support as her body shuddered and began to respond. Her eyelashes fluttered as she rubbed her mound, and she pictured Caleb’s tongue against her throat, heightening her arousal. Her nipples hardened under the hot water as she remembered him holding her in place with his arms wrapped around her as he pounded into her. She increased her pace, wishing it was his fingers sliding between the folds of her hungry body.

She had to settle for her own touch now, however, so she recalled his voice in her head. She felt lightheaded as she edged toward explosion, and when her body released, Ava had to hold her breath to keep from crying out. She leaned her forehead against the shower wall and shuddered, in awe of the fact that, even when they were apart, Caleb was still able to give her such an intense, throbbing orgasm.

Collecting herself, Ava finished her shower, trying to put aside her intimate thoughts, and took her time drying her body and working out the overstimulation of all of her nerve endings. She padded into her room, finding a soft t-shirt and jogging pants, and she stared at herself in the mirror above her dresser while she brushed out her hair, wondering if she looked any different for the outrageous experience last night.

Satisfied that her mother wouldn’t read the change in her or guess at her activities, Ava trotted down the stairs to the welcoming scent of eggs and bacon permeating the air as it rolled out of the kitchen. She sat at the round table and marveled at her mother’s spread of food, which included French toast, homemade vanilla syrup, scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh strawberries with cream. “I’m absolutely starving. Thank you, Mom.” She started filling her plate.

“Yes, well, there’s something about good food that creates peace in a family. I’ve always said we were all so closely bonded as a family because we ate good, wholesome, filling meals together on a regular basis.” She sat across from Ava and gave her a winning smile. “I like making you happy, sweetheart.”

The room was silent except for the sound of eating for several minutes. Sarah broke the quiet bubble, saying, “I think you should give Kelly a call after breakfast. I know she’s worried about you.”

“I will,” Ava promised. After her shower, though, the lack of sleep was catching up with her, and the heavy breakfast made it hard to keep her eyes open. “I might go lie down for a bit after breakfast.”

Sarah put her silverware down and stared at her daughter. “You’re birthday is in two weeks. I was thinking of throwing you a party here.” She sipped at her coffee, and Ava wondered about the sudden change in topic. For some reason, it felt suspicious, and she was curious if she’d just given her mother a clue as to what went on at Caleb’s house all night.

“You don’t need to do that, Mom,” Ava told her.

With a hesitant smile, Sarah said, “You only turn twenty-one once, sweetheart. It’s worth celebrating, and I can take care of everything, make sure it’s fun.”

Ava knew there was some motive behind her mother’s insistence. It wasn’t that she thought her mother wanted to control her life, and she knew Sarah didn’t have a problem letting go as her daughter grew up. But this was apparently important to Ava’s mother, and Ava didn’t want to disappoint her again. “Okay, then.”

Finishing up her breakfast, Ava helped with the dishes and then made her way back upstairs, dragging her feet as she entered her room. She plopped down on her bed, and frowned, realizing she hadn’t even exchanged numbers with Caleb. It was odd, she thought with a yawn, but she didn’t have the time or energy to ponder it as she drifted into a deep sleep filled with dreams of a sexy werewolf.

––––––––

K
elly stood in the doorway of Ava’s room, watching her sleep. She was relieved her best friend was safe, though she seemed almost comatose in her deep slumber. Walking in, Kelly sat on the edge of the bed, recalling Sarah’s explanation of what had happened. Instinctively, Kelly knew Ava had left out a great many details, but she could get that information out of her friend easily.

Rubbing Ava’s leg, Kelly hoped it would be enough to wake her friend. In response, Ava smiled in her sleep and moaned, “Caleb.”

Stifling a giggle, Kelly leaned down by her ear and whispered, “Oh, Ava, don’t stop.” She sat up again and watched Ava open her eyes and scan the room blearily. Kelly laughed hysterically as Ava’s eyes fell on her.

“You bitch!” Ava swatted at her playfully.

Kelly raised an eyebrow. “You tramp! You slept with him, didn’t you?” She grinned from ear to ear.

Yawning and still groggy, Ava asked, “What?” She sat up, drawing her knees to her chest as she leaned against the headboard.

“You heard me,” Kelly said, but she could tell Ava wasn’t completely coherent. Frowning, she asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” The words were distorted through another yawn.

Kelly watched her with concern. “Your mother told me what happened last night. It was the creep from the bonfire and the bar, wasn’t it?”