The Alpha's to Share: A BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance (7 page)

Callie’s insides were twisted in knots, along with her mind and heart. A very large part of her wanted Seth to throw her down and take her. She wanted to know what he would feel like inside her, and what it was like to be his mate.

She peeked from under the sheet that she’d pulled protectively around her once more and eyed the ropy muscles of his arms and the ridges that covered his abdomen. Her eyes widened at the sight of his erection, which she’d mostly managed to avoid looking at directly until that point, avoiding it as though it were a solar eclipse. She licked her lips, her body ravenous with desire for him.

But sensibility told her it was too soon. She’d rushed into so many relationships in the past out of loneliness or desperation, and every single man had broken her heart. She was sure she couldn’t take another heartbreak, and the only way to protect herself was to take things slowly.

Fate, apparently, had other things in mind…

The door swung open and Madge waddled in looking rather stressed. She clucked her tongue and slammed the door behind her.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you two to be on your way,” Madge said. “I have another couple who is in desperate need, and you can’t be here when they arrive.”

“But, we haven’t gotten to know each other, yet!” Callie gasped, pulling herself straight into a sitting position and clutching the sheet to her face.

“You will, dear,” Madge said. She squeezed Callie’s dress and said, “Your old clothes are clean and dry. You can wear them now and take the dress with you and wear it once it dries.”

“Madge, she is injured,” Seth reminded her.

“Then you’ll just have to carry her,” Madge said. “Now scoot! We don’t have long!”

Madge tossed Callie her old clothing, which she painfully struggled into underneath the sheet. Her ankle was throbbing again, making it difficult to squeeze into her pants, which seemed to have shrunk.

“Terribly sorry about this,” Madge said as she helped Callie put on her shoes. Callie winced in pain and kicked off the offending shoe.

“I can’t wear them,” Callie said. “It hurts too much.”

“Then I’ll just bundle them up inside your dress and you can carry them,” Madge said. She folded the shoes inside the damp dress and wrapped them into a ball, handing Callie the bundle. “Do hurry, they’ll be here any minute!”

Callie limped toward the door, and Seth lunged forward, wrapping her arm around his shoulders and assisting her. He shot an angry scowl at Seth, but all he got from the old woman was a wink in return.

“Have a nice life together,” Madge said, waving them off.

“How can you be so sure…” Callie started to say, but Madge cut her off by slamming the cabin door in her face. “That was rude.”

“You’re in no condition to walk,” Seth said. “I will have to carry you.”

“Just how close by do you live?” she asked.

“A few days travel,” he answered.

“Days?” Callie gasped. “You can’t carry me that far!”

“It will make the trip take a bit longer, but I can manage,” Seth said. “I will have to shift, of course.”

“Shift? Oh, you mean into your wolf form?” Callie asked.

“Indeed,” Seth answered. “I hope this doesn’t frighten you.”

She watched in awe as Seth grunted and groaned, his bones contorting and snapping, his body compacting itself toward the ground. He fell onto all fours, and fur began to sprout from his trembling body. Fangs erupted from his gums, and ears sprouted. A tail popped out and wagged briefly, and his hands and feet became paws. Soon, he was standing before her a beautiful cream and gray wolf, shaking his head gloriously before her.

“Wow,” she gushed. “You’re… beautiful.”

She reached her hand toward the wolf, apprehensive that he might find her touch offensive. But he nudged his head against her hand, and she stroked it gently, scratching behind his ears.

He lowered his body, and she realized it was a signal for her to climb onto his back. She took a deep breath, terrified that he wouldn’t be able to support her weight. But as she slipped onto his back, tucking the dress bundle underneath her shirt and then clinging to his fur, he rose to his feet as though she were light as air.

“I’m ready,” Callie told him.

His great wolf head nodded, and he took off at a brisk trot toward the mountain.

Normally it was a simple matter to control his wolf, especially where females were concerned. Seth had coupled with females before, but never humans. The only time his wolf seemed to get the better of him was in times of great rage or danger. But never with females.

This female, however, was maddening. Her scent was all over him now, and he could feel the heat emanating from between her legs as she straddled his back. He moved at a rapid pace, climbing the mountain pathway as it stretched, twisting and turning, deeper into the forest.

He stopped and turned back toward the cabin, which was still barely visible in the distance. He felt Callie shift. Apparently she was also looking back.

“I still don’t see anyone coming,” Callie said. “Do you think Madge was just trying to get rid of us?”

Seth snorted through his nose. He wouldn’t put it past the old woman to do such a thing. But for what purpose? He stood and watched the cabin for a while, and then he noticed a fat raccoon waddling lazily away from the cabin. He growled deep in his throat.

“Why, that sneaky old woman!” Callie muttered.

He shook his head and took a few steps forward. Callie took his hint and tightened her grip on his fur, and he took off again, leaving the tricky old woman and her cabin behind.

Now Seth had a greater level of responsibility than ever before. Not only did his whole pack rely on him for guidance and protection, but he had a mate to care for as well. Soon, he hoped, he would have pups.

He guessed it was just a matter of time before Callie agreed to submit to him. He could feel her attraction to him and smell her arousal whenever she looked at him. If she were physically attracted to him, emotional attachment would soon follow. He was almost certain of it.

Seth kept a grueling pace until nearly nightfall. He wouldn’t feel entirely safe until they were back in his own territory and Callie was safe inside the den. But eventually he had to stop. Callie hadn’t eaten in hours, and her could hear her stomach growling.

He stopped near the bank of a small stream, hoping to locate a fish for her. He approached the water’s edge and sniffed it briefly. As he did, Callie slipped from his back and kneeled by the water, dipping her hand into its coolness and lifting it toward her mouth.

In an instant, he dove at her, knocking her onto the sandy bank on her back. He growled viciously at her, and though her eyes widened questioningly, he detected no fright from her.

He shifted as quickly as possible and kneeled beside her, extending his hand, which she willingly took. He pulled her from her prone position and into a seated one.

“I’m sorry for my actions,” he said, “but I had to warn you that this water is not safe to drink.”

“Oh,” she mumbled. “How… how did you know?”

“When I am in wolf form, I have heightened senses,” he explained. “I could smell chemicals in the water. It’s been tainted with something.”

Her eyes shifted toward the water, and her brow furrowed as if she were wondering what might have happened if he hadn’t been there to warn her not to drink it. She shuddered.

“I stopped here to fish for your dinner,” he said. “But clearly you cannot eat any fish from this stream, so I will have to catch game for you instead.”

“You don’t have to do that,” she said. “I’ll be alright.”

“I can hear your stomach growling,” he told her. “Now that you are my mate… I mean, I am hoping you will choose to be… it is my responsibility to ensure you are well cared for.”

Callie flushed, but said nothing. He hoped this was nothing more than embarrassment over her growling stomach, and not apprehension at the prospect of being his mate. Time would tell. For now, he must see that she was fed and sheltered for the night.

He took her hands and pulled her to her feet. She winced in pain, and he immediately hooked his arm around her waist to help take pressure off her ankle. He helped her hobble over to a mossy rock beside the stream.

Seth rubbed her swollen ankle gently, and she bit her lip and furrowed her brow as she fought to hide her discomfort.

“The swelling is worsening,” he said. “We need to get you to the den quickly so you can rest.”

“I’ll be alright,” she said bravely.

“It is not life threatening, but your comfort is still a priority to me,” Seth said, his fingers stroking the skin on the outer side of her ankle.

Callie peered down at him and said nothing, but he could sense a change in her emotions. She was calmer, and seemed more open to him. He gazed up into her eyes and smiled, and to his surprise, she smiled warmly back at him.

“Thank you,” she finally said meekly.

“You rest here,” he said, “and I will go locate some food for you.”

“I really appreciate it,” she said.

He patted her knee gently and shifted into wolf form, dashing into the forest to locate some prey with which to feed his new mate. He was now more certain than ever that he was getting through to her and she would soon submit to him.

Callie propped her aching ankle on her knee and rubbed it, trying to lessen the throbbing pain. Then she realized that the coolness of the bubbling stream might help numb it a bit. She carefully lowered her foot into the water. It throbbed angrily at first, but soon the coolness did indeed begin to ease the pain.

A breeze caused the leaves over her head to rustle, and the lazy bubble of the stream mingled with create a soothing mix of sounds that relaxed her even further. It was such a stark contrast to the hubbub of city life that she began to wonder how she ever missed coming out here. She’d never really been outside the city before, and now she wondered how she’d ever go back.