Alpha Wolf Rising
Authors: Eliza Gayle
Alpha Wolf Rising
Copyright © 2013 by Eliza Gayle
Cover Art by Mina Carter
All rights reserved.
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One man claims her by blood, the other by possession. One wants revenge.
At the rise of the Black Moon, Sierra is to be named the new Alpha of her pack. But first, she must take a wolf mate before she can claim the position. Problem is, she’s in love with two men, one of whom is strictly forbidden. Willing to live a lie, she publicly acknowledges one and keeps the other her dirty little secret.
Nolan and Marek understand Sierra’s needs. Nothing gives them more pleasure than to make her burn, body and soul. Until the pack is attacked and a temperamental stranger from the past threatens to send them spiraling apart. Now she must choose between love and duty, a decision with fatal consequences. Whoever said you could be Alpha without making the hard choices…lied.
Author’s Note: It also includes the sexiest misuse of maple syrup that’s bound to make you look at breakfast in a whole new light.
Dedication
To Dahlia Rose and Dorian Wallace who insisted I had to go with my gut in this story no matter what. And to Jessica Lee for spending so much time and effort to help me clean up my mess. You ladies rock!
Chapter One
The distant drumbeat vibrated through Sierra’s body until her sex pulsed with need. Anticipation for tonight's events had been building all day. Standing naked at the window and staring up at the moonless night sky, she couldn’t believe she was actually going through with the ceremony. Her attempt to leave the pack for a normal life at college not long ago had ended miserably and landed her back home and under the protection of her father.
It had been the ultimate turning point for her. What had once seemed stifling and restrictive had been the very thing that freed her from the inner turmoil that had plagued her since her mother's death. The inner wolf would not be denied and pack rituals were the very thing that kept the animal happy so that their human halves could function cohesively.
“You look stunning.”
The deep baritone voice jerked Sierra from her thoughts. “Marek, you aren’t supposed to be here.” She grabbed her heavy cloak from the bed and slid her arms into the sleeves.
“I can’t help myself, and you know it.” He crossed the room and gathered her in his arms. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered into her ear.
“It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since we last fucked. How can you miss me already?” She laughed, looking up at him. Damn, he should not look this good right now. Nor feel this comforting wrapped around her. It had been almost a year since she’d taken him as an official lover, and she didn’t think she’d ever tire of seeing him. Dark broody eyes tempted her with a constant look of barely restrained heat and aggressiveness. He called to her alpha wolf—challenged her.
“Have I ever told you how much I love your dirty mouth?” His lips pressed against hers, and heat flared to life between her legs, tightening her nipples.
“Yeah, I know what you like about my mouth, all right.” She bit at his lip, drawing a drop of blood.
A low growl sounded in Marek’s throat, which made her grin against his mouth. If they kept this up, they’d definitely be on the floor going at it before the ceremony. She pushed him away, forcing herself to stop despite the moisture between her legs and the longing in her chest. Her wolf was insatiable.
“We can’t do this now, and you know it. So pull yourself together, wolfie.”
He growled and glared at her. She loved taunting him with the nickname he hated. That was the thing about male wolves. The more annoyed they got, the more aroused they became, and she’d end up shoved against the wall with him pounding inside her. Just how she liked it with Marek.
Now Nolan, he was different. Her other lover had the patience of a saint, and no matter how hard she pushed, he always stayed in control. It drove her wild, and he knew it. Damn, how she loved him. A twinge of guilt settled in her stomach, and she turned back to the window.
“What is it, Sierra?” Marek stepped close, but he didn’t touch. Even he knew they had to settle down.
“I know Nolan understands things have to go this way, yet it hurts my heart to keep him a secret.”
“So then speak up. You’re an alpha. You have the ability to rewrite the rules.”
She turned on Marek. “Damn it, don’t feed me that line of bullshit. You know if my father found out the truth, he’d not make me the pack leader tonight. He'd probably give the pack to one of his idiot lieutenants.”
Marek softened his expression with a small smile. “Maybe you underestimate him. He may be set in his ways, but do you honestly think he doesn’t understand the heat you withstand? The constant sensual hunger that must be satisfied?”
She pushed past him and settled on the chair in the corner. She didn’t want to have this conversation again. It always ended the same. Tonight was special, and she would not walk away again. The pack needed this as much as she did.
“I’ve made my decision,” Sierra began on a sigh. “We will be mated, and Nolan will finally be able to live with us full-time. The time isn't right for confrontation.”
Marek didn’t respond, and she refused to look up in question. He would have to get used to his place at her side in public and the fact that her decisions were final. Eventually, she’d find a way to change the rules against wolves and their human protectors from mating, but not tonight.
Tension grew in the room until her skin itched with it, and the wolf whined inside her head. Now it was her turn to deal with the increasing aggression and her need to prove her dominance over Marek. Yeah right. That would be an interesting fight. He gave as good as he got and always kept her on her toes.
A soft knock sounded at the door.
“Yeah?” The pit in her stomach grew heavier.
“It’s time to go, Sierra. Everyone is gathered outside and your father is waiting.” Her father. He’d reluctantly agreed to the change in leadership of their pack on the shaky agreement that Marek and she mate first. In fact, she suspected he knew the truth and was using tonight as a way to force her hand.
This was the first black moon since she’d returned to the pack, and she’d known when she came home her father would expect this. Her thoughts drifted to the past and the heartache that lay behind her. She firmly closed that door and stood. The past was the past and needed to stay there.
“I’ll be right out.” She offered her hand to Marek. “I guess it’s time for us to go.”
Instead of taking her hand, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her against his chest, his mouth descending upon hers.
Forceful.
Claiming.
Those were her only clear thoughts as he took possession of her, infusing her with emotions and passion that tasted sweet and sensual.
When he broke the kiss, she stumbled back a step but quickly regained her balance. His gaze captured hers, and she stared into deep blue eyes dark with need. She wanted to get lost in them. But she and Marek had a duty, and besides, these rituals aroused the wolf to extreme heights and stripped any and all barriers between lovers away. Exhilarating.
“Don’t worry. When this is all over, we’ll find a way to make it up to Nolan.” He smiled that rakish, bad-boy grin of his, and her stomach flipped. He loved to stir up trouble.
“Yes, we will. Now let’s go.”
They descended the stairs, he first with her to arrive last to the gathering in front of her home. Hundreds of faces stood anxiously waiting her arrival, and Marek took his place among them.
Her father stepped forward and embraced her. “You look beautiful tonight, Sierra. Your mother would be so proud.”
“Thank you, Father.” She kept her words simple, not wanting to let any emotions loose that would cause her to cry. Tonight was a celebration with no place for past hurts or sadness.
He turned to the eager crowd. “Let us go.”
They filed out one by one in procession to make the formal trek toward the clearing, a tradition her father held dear, and the pack was more than eager to grant his wishes.
Surrounded by darkness, Sierra had no issues with sight, but her other senses still instinctively sharpened. The scent of rich, dark earth tickled her nose, and grass and leaves brushed her bare feet. The slight breeze in the air swirled around her, the only sound she heard. An entire pack of shifters traipsing through the woods had a way of bringing the nearby wildlife to a halt.
Ten minutes later, she entered the clearing. Sierra took her place a pace behind her alpha and in front of the pack. Her father raised his hands, and everyone dropped the cloaks they’d arrived in until every pack member stood gloriously nude.
She too followed suit, and her wolf noticed the difference immediately. Her awareness changed, her eyes grew sharper, and her hearing amplified even more. A swift breeze kicked up, and the scent of familiar humans wafted across her. The protectors were in place not far from the circle. They’d have the immediate area surrounded as well as extra guards placed all around town.
Her brain sifted through the various scents until she recognized the one she sought. Behind her, probably less than twenty paces, stood Nolan. The man who had protected her since she’d come of age and been affected by the full moon. Knowing she was vulnerable once a month, even for twenty-four hours, scraped at her pride.
However, she trusted Nolan and knew he’d give his life to save hers if it ever came to that.
No
. She shook the thought from her head. Nothing would happen to Nolan. Not in all her memories had anyone tried to attack her pack when they were vulnerable. The secret of their moon weakness was something they guarded above all else, and no one other than a wolf or their guardian knew the truth.
As usual, Nolan’s presence settled her anxious wolf and allowed her to take in her surroundings. The eager adults moving restlessly, the sound of her father’s commanding voice, and the rising lust among the pack. Yes, tonight would be a very good night for Marek and her.
“Tonight we celebrate not only the new beginning of a special moon cycle that brings us the fertility we seek, but a formal mating.” A gentle breeze moved his long black and gray hair away from his face, highlighting the regal stance he faced his pack with. “A black moon rises only once every few years, so tonight we will usher in a new era.”
The crowd in front of them roared their approval as they yelped into the sky. Tonight Mother Nature would smile down on them, and the pack would rejoice in their joining. Sierra allowed her shoulders to relax and the tension ease from her body. For one night, she’d let down her guard in front of the entire pack and prove that to become the new alpha, she trusted in them all.
Drums began to beat louder at the edges of the forest, and Sierra swayed in rhythm.
“Tonight brings new change,” her father continued, “an alpha more than capable of leading us.” More applause and commotion followed. He needed to hurry. The arousal was close, and the wolf wouldn’t wait much longer.
“I give you your new alpha, Sierra.”
He stepped aside, and Sierra took his place in front of the pack. Her pack now. Her responsibility. A thousand butterflies erupted inside her stomach from the excitement. Thanks in great part to Marek and Nolan's presence in her life, she'd overcome her temporary lack of faith in pack and all that it stood for.
“Tonight, I claim the alpha role with all of you as my witness, and I also take Marek as my mate. The one man to stand by my side.” A wisp of anger from behind her crawled under her skin, and Sierra pushed back on it. Nolan understood pack law. Her teeth began to lengthen, and she glanced down at her hands. She didn’t have long. “Join me, Marek.”
She didn’t have to wait.
He leaped the few feet in one graceful jump and stood beside her. With his comforting heat so near, she watched the man who’d raised her alone move forward again.
“Do you agree to this joining, Marek?” her father questioned.
“Yes,” he answered simply.
His gaze raked over her face, and a molten flush rose from her pussy to her nipples. Sierra growled her approval.
The drums thundered, and her father stepped away and disappeared into the forest, leaving Marek and her to finish the ritual. With his duty completed, he would be escorted home.
With the transfer of power complete, energy flooded the area as sexual need among them all grew to a frenzy.
“Take me,” she demanded.
He stalked her, his nose and mouth elongating slightly. She tilted her head in submission, the only time she ever would, and he grabbed her throat with his teeth. Sharp points broke into the skin, and the bite of pain fueled her need. The sweet scent of her own warm, thick essence trickling down her neck drifted to her nose, driving her arousal to the bursting point.
Apparently satisfied with her show of submission, Marek released her throat and scraped his teeth along her flesh to her shoulder, where he bit her again. Her sex burned for his touch, and Sierra clawed at his back, urging him on.
Oh gods, it wasn’t enough. Her skin grew taut. Sounds sharpened.
She needed so much more from him. Her hips jerked against his hips as she tried to create more friction.
A rumbling laugh sounded from Marek as he pulled his pelvis out of her reach and latched on to a nipple with his teeth. Again, his razor-sharp canines punctured her flesh, and she convulsed under the onslaught of intense pleasure brought on from the pinch of pain.
Marek’s large hands spanned her waist and lifted her to him. Sierra, driven by instinct or lust alone, wrapped her legs around his hips. He dug his hard fingers into her thighs as he pulled her closer. He angled her body so the hard ridge of his cock teased her pulsing clit with some light pressure.
“Not enough,” she growled.
He grunted, still latched on to her breast, his tongue bathing the strained and taut nipple. Her wolf clawed at her gut for freedom, and Sierra relaxed enough for her to feel Marek’s dominance. To know that she’d found her mate.
Heat burned through her limbs as she gave in to the beast. Her claws extended, and her teeth sharpened while Marek lowered her to the ground. Pine needles cushioned her back, and flames licked at her insides when Marek buried his face in her sex.
“Mine.” He burrowed deeper, his nose nudging at her clit. Her breath caught in her throat when he spread her slick folds and thrust his tongue inside her. In and out like he was fucking her. She cried out, and the approving howls of her pack fed her pleasure, infusing her. Marek alternated short jabs with long, slow licks that threatened her sanity.