Reluctantly Lycan (11 page)

“Mara, I’m dirty.”

“I don’t care.” She lifted her head and took in all his features as if it’d be her last chance. No man had ever been more perfect to her, even if he was often a brutish mess with a hard line of unsmiling mouth. “Don’t send me away.”

Kaden
placed a hand on her cheek. Her skin was soft and white against his rough, dirt covered fingertips. “I’d never do that. I love you too much.”

Marala
couldn’t speak, obviously shocked to hear the words flow so easily from his mouth.

“Why are you surprised, Mara? I’ve never stopped. Never will. It’s not like it’s the first time I have told you.”

“Isn’t it too late for us? To undue all the damage?” She bit her bottom lip to stop it from visibly trembling.

He answered
by picking her up, her legs going around his waist. “I don’t claim to know the path of destiny, but after all these years, I know you’re in my arms once again.”

Mara nodded before running her hands through his wet hair and kissing his mouth. Softly at first, and then more intensely, trying to make up for every kiss she’d missed since she ran away.
Kaden carried her toward the front door, but she broke away from his lips, panting. “Take me to the clearing.”

He did as she asked,
lowering her to the porch and squatting down so she could get on his back. Even in his human form, he was fast and strong, carrying her into the darkness as the rain pelted their bodies and the thunder rumbled the ground. In the dark, he easily found his way to the natural clearing in the forest. The ritual spot. The place where girls became women, boys men, and everyone wolf. On a clear night, the area would have been bathed in moonlight and a heaven of stars above. Not this night. Like their relationship, there was a turbulent storm.

As she was gently laid against the wet earth, Mara briefly remembered the last time she’d saw him there. Not with her. But he was with her now and she pushed
away the painful memory she’d dwelled upon for a lifetime.

“I wish it was the full moon.”
Kaden said as he lifted the soaked shirt clinging to her body up and his mouth found her breasts.

She moaned out, closing her eyes, the cold rain chilling her, but his breath and body hot against her.
“Me too.” Her response surprised her. Becoming a wolf at her age was unheard of. Though, they could even forgo the normal ritual since he was pack leader and no one could argue since they were long ago promised to each other.

Their last encounter had been unrestrained animal instinct.
Kaden now took his time to appreciate Mara and the serious, restrained, angry woman let go. What was left was the person she was meant to be. Had been at some point long ago.

“I’ve never been myself without you.” He groaned ou
t softly before his tongue teased at the supple flesh of her breasts and teeth squeezed a hardened nipple between them. The necklace from the branding was around her neck, the paw dangling at her cleavage. He reverently touched the emblem with his fingertips and lowered his mouth to kiss her stomach in several places. The rain ran across her skin and over his lips. “I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through.”

She could barely see into his black eyes in the night when he
moved over her and gazed down. Her own irises were more yellow than green now. She could see them reflected in his eyes. Tiny little glowing moons. They’d never been that way before, but with Kaden against her, the wolf wanted freedom.

“I forgive you.” She whispered, leaning up a litt
le to kiss him. A weight lifted. The heavy burden of carrying the grudge for so long was gone.

Kaden
shed his pants, never removing his mouth from her for more than a few seconds. His length pressed against her, resting on her underwear. Without bothering to remove them, her tugged the fabric aside and entered her slowly.

Mara
fell back again and arched her hips, his girth spreading her to take his entire shaft fully into her smooth depths. “Do you forgive me?” Her fingertips ran over his pecs lower to his hard abs which she pressed her palms against. Kaden was the embodiment of muscular perfection.

His answer was a brief withdrawal and firm thrust to fill her again. “Yes,
my she-wolf.” He buried his mouth against her neck, suckling the flesh, as he made love to her. The sound of his drenched body slapping against hers echoed through the clearing. Only the heavy rain and thunder were louder than their connected bodies. Bright flashes of lightning illuminated their entwined forms.

He rolled over, his cock remaining inside as he lifted her on
of top him. Immediately, he continued to thrust upward. Marala gasped, it a true testament of his love for her to give her the position of dominance. Though, in truth, the alpha was still in control of the situation.

His
she-wolf
. She liked that. Her hips began moving, finding a perfect rhythm with his constant upward assault. His hands rested on her hips, keeping her going when after a length of time, she thought she would collapse. Even after her body had exploded with pleasure, he kept her going. Then he stopped, his hips jutting upward, keeping her impaled as he allowed himself release. He didn’t pull out, but lowered his hips. She leaned forward against his strong body. Inside her, his member still twitched occasionally.

“Look at me.” He said.

Marala lifted her head, strands of hair falling over her eyes, water droplets in her thick lashes. She smiled softly, perfectly content to remain where she was forever.

“Did you mean it or did you say it because we were in the throes of passion?
About the bonding? Becoming my wolf?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “I’m not sure I can spend another full moon killing my emotions with wine and cigarettes.

Kaden held her as he turned to his side, lightly running his hand down her hips and up along her waist. “Jak told me about that the day I showed him the wolf.”

“So you and
Jak were talking about me?”

“He’s a good kid.
Not like how I was at that age.”

“If we go through with the bonding and
I become a wolf. He’s secured as the next leader, though that will be decades from now. You will keep him safe.” It wasn’t a question, but a demand.

“Until my dying breath.”
He leaned close, kissing the tip of her nose. “I will protect you, too.” Suddenly, he grinned. His serious features seemed to protest, but the expression elevated him from handsome to godly. “You will be such a beautiful she-wolf. We both know with how you act that you’ll make a great alpha female.”

Mara looked up
at the sky. The storm had broken up. Only a few clouds lingered, but a faint glow from the moon highlighted the lovers. “Feels right, doesn’t it?”

“I’ve never
believed in anything more.” He watched her with pure adoration on his face. “We should get you home and cleaned up.” Kade slipped away from her and stood, stretching, cracking his neck side to side. Then he scooped Mara into his arms and held her like a newlywed carrying his wife.

“
Kade.”

“Yes, my
wa-ya?”He asked, calling her wolf in his ancestral tongue.

“I love you.”

“Nothing will keep us apart again.” He said with conviction.

Kaden had placed one foot on the bottom step of his porch when Nashoba staggered out of his house toward them. Mara was still in Kade’s arms and he held her protectively.

“What the hell happened to you two? You look like you’ve been wrestling in the mud.” He paused, realizing after he spoke. “
Ahh, mating.”

“Forget about us, what happened to you? You look like shit.”
Kaden said, setting Mara down and making sure she was steady on her feet before letting go.

Nash rubbed the back of his neck. He was groggy and disheveled. “That human must have stuck me with another dart. He was sleeping on my couch last I remember. Next thing I know I’m waking up face down on the floor.”

Mara put her hands defensively on her hips. “That’s impossible. How would he have had tranquilizers? He was searched.”

“Listen lady, he must have stashed some.”

Kaden stepped toward Nashoba. “We’re still due to rumble and you’re making the ass kicking you’re going to receive much worse. Apologize to my
mate
and treat her with the respect she deserves.”

For a moment, Nash looked between
Kaden and Mara. “Until the moon, this pack has no alpha female.”

Large hands went around the impertinent bastard’s throat and
Kaden tackled him to the ground, squeezing firmly. “I should kill you right now. You think you deserve to be a leader, but you’re nothing. Nothing!”

“Stop!”
Mara screamed, trying to tug Kaden off of his pack brother.

He jerked his arm to shrug her off, knocking her backward and into the porch banister. “Do not come between wolves, my love.” Immediately, he released Nash and went to her, his eyes full of apology for accidently shoving her. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, but this fighting isn’t helping anyone.” She let him check her over even after telling him several times she was fine.

“She’s right.”
Nashoba climbed to his feet less than gracefully. “I haven’t tried to track him yet. I couldn’t think clearly.”

Kaden
ran a hand through his still wet hair, slicking it back. “Marala, go inside and stay with Jak. We’re going to see if we can find Taylor.” He turned to walk away, but she grabbed his hand.

“Please, if you truly want the bonding
with me, don’t kill him. He wanted to help you find the boy. He asked me to tell you that he might be able to trace where the darts came from.” Mara looked up into Kade’s eyes. “Trust me. Taylor didn’t have anything to do with this.”

“I won’t harm him unless I have concrete proof he’s responsible. He’s only a human. There’s no way he could pull this off alone.”

“Thank you, my alpha.”

Kade
wanted to stay, hug her, bathe with her, and hold her the entire night. Instead, he didn’t even glance back when he spoke. “Keep the doors locked. There’s a shotgun underneath my bed. It’s loaded.”

Chasing after girls he was infatuated with always led to bad times. Taylor should have known better. Still… his pursuits had never landed him in
this
much trouble. Where was he anyway?

The air smelled musty, like leaves and soil. His eyes shot open and he lifted his arms in the air, fearing he’d been buried alive. But no, although he was on his back, he could sit up.
It took no small amount of effort. His head throbbed like a marching band had taken up residence in his skull. The worst hangovers of his college days weren’t this bad.

“Hey.” A timid voice said.

Taylor jumped, scrambling as far as he could away from the sound. He could barely see his hand in front of his face. He’d had no idea anyone was so close. “Damn… you scared the shit out of me.” Feeling around him, Taylor began to realize he was in some sort of pit or future mass grave.

“Sorry.” The boy sounded fearful. Taylor couldn’t blame him. “Who are you?
” He asked. You’re not from the pack.”

“I’m, uh, a friend of
Kaden Dakota.” It wasn’t a total lie. Okay, so it was, but Taylor doubted the kid would feel better with the whole truth. “Are you Mason?”

“Yes.” His tone changed a little, grew more hopeful. “Are they searching for me?”

Taylor nodded, though the boy wouldn’t be able to see him in the darkness. “Of course. They haven’t had much luck. Not great trackers for wolves, eh?”  He laughed anxiously, but cut it off abruptly when his headache intensified.

“Don’t insult my people. I’ve seen them follow rabbits and
deer for miles without even using their eyes.” Mason sighed. “The guy that took us, he’s smart.”

“You’ve seen him?”

“Not exactly. He wears a leather mask and uses a cell phone app to distort his voice when he brings me food. It’s barely enough to keep me alive. He’s wants me starving when I go through my first shift at the next full moon. Then, he’s going to set me loose so I attack the civilians in the village. That guy hates Kaden.” He explained.

Taylor stood up, feeling around to gage the size of the room. He deducted it couldn’t be more than eight f
eet in length and width. “He told you all this?”

“The loser brags about it. He plans on luring the high pack away while I attack my parents. They’ll have to put me down or die themselves.” Mason stopped talking and Taylor could tell he was trying to keep from crying.

“Hey now, that’s not going to happen. You hear?”

“You’ll be the first victim. Usually all the male members of the pack are there
for transitions to keep the new wolf in check. Fight with him. Hunt. I won’t kill you on purpose.” He choked up again. Now he was sobbing quietly.

Great.
The last thing Taylor wanted to think about was being torn to shreds by a wolf when he needed to focus on getting out of the hole. “We’ll get out of here. Or they’ll find us. Mara will make them. I think. Not that I know her that well.”