When I told Sara I wouldn’t touch her until she accepted me as her mate, I didn’t think it would be so soon. I thought it would take days and weeks and maybe months.
After what my father said, one thing was clear to me. Mating her is only the tip of the iceberg. Keeping her with me is the main thing.
So no matter how much my body roars with need whenever I’m close to her, I need to keep a leash on my lust. First, I needed to win her heart. I can’t risk ruining everything just because I’m dying to claim her and mark her as mine.
There’s one problem, though…
I’ve never dated before, and I’ve never imagined I’d have to prove myself to my fated one. I’ve never had to make anyone, female or not, like me.
I’m okay with people cowering in my presence. And girls? Sure, many families want their daughters to mate with me on account of my position and pack.
Most of those daughters don’t share their sentiments.
I’ve seen girls brazenly approach Kai, and even Christian, who isn’t the most approachable person. But with me, they always keep a wide berth.
I know it’s because of the rumours that I’m a merciless monster. I’m ruthless with my enemies, like every Alpha should be. The only difference between me and others is that I couldn’t be bothered to appear friendly.
And there’s the eyes, of course. I’ve been accused of being everything from a demon to a witch.
So, while most females would do anything to be mated to the Alpha of Silver Creek, not many want to be tied to a monster. It’s a little insulting that they imagined I would treat my mate as coldly or ruthlessly as my enemies.
Given my absolute lack of people-pleasing behaviours, I didn’t really know where to begin with wooing Sara. I was worried that even if I made progress, my temperament or impatience would ruin everything at some point.
But now? If she is willing to get into this with me, that problem is solved. But only for now.
I hold her face in both hands and separate our lips. Her eyes slide open and rise to meet mine. “What if you think I’m overbearing or have a nasty temper?” I know people say that about me. Not to my face, but I’m well aware. “Will you reject me because of that?”
“I already know you have control issues,” she says. “You already know I’m stubborn. We’ll meet each other somewhere in between.” She frowns. “I’ll not reject you just because we have a disagreement. I’ve told you. Unless you hurt me, I’ll not leave.”
I want to believe her. It’s the only option I haveto trust her, even if it’s blindly. She is trusting me despite not knowing me for long.
The things she has heard about me must not be pleasant, and yet, here she is. She is willing to give me a go. And she is saying it’s up to me whether she stays or not.
Good thing that despite not having any experience with relationships, I’ve known one thing for a long timewhen I found my mate, she would have my total devotion.
Since I was little, my father has taught me one thing consistently. Whatever I do, I have to do it to the best of my ability. Training, fighting, hunting, relationships.
My lack of dating wasn’t just because females kept their distance from me. It’s also because when I shifted for the first time, he sat me down and said I would meet my fated one soon, and to make sure I was worthy of her.
In not so many words, he made it clear that sleeping around was frowned upon in his house. That if I couldn’t control myself, how could I hope to control a pack? And went on to say that young males who let their raging hormones lead them by the nose were weak.
Whether my father was such an upright young male in his day, I’ll never know. But I do know he treats my mother well, and they have a good partnership both as mates and as leaders of the pack.
I want to have that kind of partnership with Sara, and I’ll be damned if I do anything to jeopardise it.
“I’ll never hurt you,” I promise, leaning in and brushing my lips against hers. “You can count on that.”
Her lips part beneath mine and for the second time in as many days, I’m kissing her the way I’ve wanted to since the day I met her.
It’s a wonder I was able to pull away last night when all I wanted was to lay her on my bed and go all the way. My wolf, Leo, didn’t appreciate the teasing. I had to run a few rounds around campus to calm him down.
Right now, I can feel him stirring beneath my skin, urging me to take her. If I let him take the lead, I’d be buried deep inside her before the minute was over.
At the thought of being inside her, my cock goes fully hard and presses up uncomfortably against my jeans. I reach down to sneakily adjust myself without interrupting the kiss. I don’t want her to feel rushed
A hand that’s not mine presses against my erection, and I pull away from the kiss with a gasp. My eyes open, but hers remain closed. Her teeth bite down on her lips as her hand moves up and down the bulge in my jeans.
I drop my face to her shoulder and suck in a deep breath. “If you touch me like that, it’ll be hard to stop.”
“I don’t want you to stop,” she says.
Fucking hell. I press my hand on top of hers and quicken her movements. It feels so good to have her rub me like this through my pants. I can’t imagine how much better it’ll feel when it’s skin on skin.
I turn my head and seek her skin with my lips. I kiss my way down her neck, to her shoulder, and back up. Her hand below rises to my waistband and fumbles with my belt buckle. I grip it and stop her. “Not so fast,” I warn.
“I want to touch you.”
“You will,” I tell her, pulling back. “Soon.” I can make this good for her as long as my dick remains behind my jeans. Once it’s free, I don’t think I’ll be in much control of the situation.
Taking her hand, I lead her over to the bed. I take a seat on the edge. “Come here,” I tell her, pulling her down and putting one hand behind her thigh to urge her across my lap.
She gets in position, her knees resting on the bed on either side of my hips. I rest one hand around her waist and sink the other into the hair at the back of her head. I bring her head down to mine and fuse our lips again.
This time, I stroke my lips over hers a few times before prying her open with my tongue. She lets me in and welcomes my tongue with her own.
I groan into her mouth when she moves her lower body, grinding down on my bulge. She does it again and again, and before I know it the hand on her waist lowers to her ass and encourages her movements.
The scent of her arousal rises in the air like steam after rain on a hot day. She wants me. Me. Not some other guy.
Not Christian.
I shouldn’t be thinking about that, but I can’t help it. It’s hard to get rid of the memory of the moment that scent filled the air in our dorm yesterday when Christian emerged from the bathroom, half-naked. As if the look in her eyes hadn’t already given away her desire for him.
At that moment, I wanted to remind her that I was the only male she should be wanting. That she had no business desiring him, especially in front of me.
It took an amount of restraint I didn’t know I had to keep from making a scene and ruining whatever chance I had of convincing her to come with me to Silver Creek.
Remembering that incident sends a sudden desperation through my veins.
To have her, to make her mine, to mark her with my scent so that no male would even dare to get close to her.
To give her what she craves so that she’ll stop desiring others.