Authors: Susan Bliler
Chapter 18
Willa’s breathing slowed as she came down from her high, and Barron murmured at her ear as her body hunched forward. “Easy, beautiful.”
When she jerked from him this time, she caught him unaware and was able to shimmy free.
“
Don’t!
Fucking. Call. Me that.” She hissed angrily and then spun away as embarrassment singed her cheeks.
Slowly, Barron stood. His chin dipped so he could frown down at her from under angry brows. “What are you doing?”
“What are
you
doing?” She challenged him angrily, lashing out because she was upset with what she’d let him do to her. “We’re supposed to be out here working, but you’re screwing around, trying to get laid. If you want sex, take your ass to town and find a floozy.”
His hands curled into fists, but Willa couldn’t seem to stop herself. “And the next time you feel inclined to grab me and
play
with me…well, just don’t!”
“I know what you’re doing,” he growled, a low warning in his tone.
“Of course you do.” She threw her hands in the air. “The great and mighty Barron Kane knows the answer to every fucking thing!” She didn’t notice when some of the pack came out of the house to check on the commotion.
“Don’t take it out on me, Willa, if you’re mad at yourself.”
“Fuck you, Barron.” “
Willa
,” he warned in a low growl.
“Don’t Willa me! This is
my
pack,
my
land, and
my
body. You’re no better than those punks at the mall.”
That got his attention.
“He pinned me on that table because, like a typical male, if he couldn’t scent a man on me, then I
must
be his.” She squared her shoulders. “I am
not
a fucking toy!”
Barron tensed. He hadn’t heard the entire story of what had happened before he’d arrived at the pizzeria, and he certainly had no knowledge of David pinning Willa to the table. “What did he say?” he snarled, his own anger surging forth.
“That my mark looked old. That I didn’t scent of a mating.” Her eyes narrowed accusingly. “They knew I wasn’t yours.” She stepped forward, ignoring the fact that his eyes had changed to reflect his wolf close to the surface. “This plan isn’t working, and you’re taking liberties that aren’t yours to take.” She turned her back to him and headed for the house. “Deals off!”
“The hell it is!” He caught her just before she got into the house and spun her to face him.
“We’re not fooling anyone!”
The growl in his voice made his words almost unrecognizable. “We will.”
She didn’t even get the chance to blink before he caught her wrist and bending, shoved a shoulder into her midsection and stood. He stomped across the porch with a kicking and screaming Alphina over his shoulder. To their credit, the pack parted and watched in amazement as he stomped into the house and up the stairs, hauling Willa with him. The loud slamming of a door was the last thing the pack heard.
Sarya was the first to speak. “Sh-should we go up and…”
“And what?” Cortez cut her off. “Get our heads kicked in by the Alpha for disturbing the claiming of his mate?”
Silence fell over the pack and, unsure if they should rescue their Alphina or support their Alpha, they shuffled off the porch to find chores outside that’d keep them busy.
***
Once in her room, Barron tossed Willa on the bed. She bounced hard, and by the time she righted herself and shoved the hair out of her eyes, he’d already shucked his shoes and ripped off his shirt.
“What in the
hell
do you think you’re doing?” She scooted to the edge of the bed only to be shoved back as Barron cut off her escape.
“I’m claiming my mate.”
Willa stilled, and for once, she was absolutely silent.
Barron wasn’t. His hands made quick work of his jeans and when he was naked, Willa dropped her gaze to the thick cock that pointed straight at her before she jerked her head away.
“We are
not
doing this.”
“The fuck we aren’t.” One hand caught her ankle and pulled until Willa was flat on her back. Barron reached for her shirt and she fought him, but it was no use. The shirt came off in shreds.
Angry, she kicked out at him and he caught her ankle. Bad move on her part, because his free hand reached up and ripped open the front of her jeans before they were engaged in a tug of war, her fighting to keep her jeans on and him easily winning to get them off.
Pissed, Willa rolled to her knees in nothing but her bra and panties as she growled at him furiously.
“I’m done giving you time, Willa.” Barron stalked around the bed and she tracked him with her eyes. “I am taking what is mine!” Then, he lunged.
Willa fought, but she only heard the rending of cloth and felt a few tugs before she was sprawled naked under Barron’s hard body.
She reached up to claw at his face, but he easily caught her hands and pinned them with one of his own above her head.
Growling, he snapped at her face making her still. His incisors had elongated and his eyes were bright yellow. His wolf was being held back by a thread.
Chest heaving beneath him, Willa noted his warmth and how good it felt to have his sweat-slick, corded body pressed against her own.
Still trying to control himself, Barron stared at her throat as his hips shifted. She felt the nudge of his cock as it probed her pussy. She was so wet for him, aroused by the battle and his show of dominance, that he knew he’d slide right in if he moved to do so.
“Show me,” he growled around his wolf’s fangs.
Willa swallowed hard. She knew what he wanted. When she didn’t comply, he rolled his hips and just the tip of his cock eased into her, evoking a gasp as her heart thundered in her chest. God, how she wanted to give him what he wanted.
“Willa!” He growled and slowly inched into her body just a little further.
Involuntarily, Willa threw her head back and moaned, but for Barron it wasn’t enough.
“Show me,” he commanded, and Willa’s heat-filled eyes snapped to his.
She rolled her hips and tried to take him deeper, but he pinned her hips tightly to the bed with his free hand to keep her from moving. She growled in frustration, baring fang and snapping at him.
He shook his head and commanded again. “
Show
.
Me
!”
Willa’s eyes locked on his, and he could see the war waging within. She was terrified of trusting him, because it didn’t mean trusting him with just her life, but with that of her pack as well. But she’d have to decide. He couldn’t take the chance for her. She’d have to take everything she knew of him so far and decide whether she thought he was the right fit for the pack, whether she thought he was the right Alpha for her.
Long moments passed with him buried, unmoving, inside her as she glared at him. Finally, when he was just about to give up hope, her chin slowly started to move.
Eyes still locked on his, Willa let her tense legs fall open as her head turned to the side, exposing her throat and showing him that she and her wolf submitted to his dominance.
It was the most wonderful thing Barron had ever seen, and he took advantage of the display, knowing they’d be few and far between. Lunging, he shoved his cock deep as his teeth struck, biting into her neck as his hips began a furious pace to seed her, to mark the inside of her, to
claim
her as his.
Willa screamed at the bite, but not in pain. Her orgasm shot through her when his teeth locked into her, and when Barron began working his hips, he only prolonged the bliss that crashed over her in wave after wave. She came apart in his arms and didn’t stop as he shuttled back and forth inside her.
Somewhere in the frenzy she tasted blood and realized she had bitten him too, marking him as hers. Then his hips slammed home as he shot his release deep inside her, as another wave of euphoria enveloped her.
“MINNNNE!” He snarled and Willa’s wolf moaned in sated bliss.
When he finally pulled from her body, Willa rolled away from him to allow sleep to claim her, but Barron wasn’t having it. He took her tirelessly throughout the night, each encounter more demanding and sexual than the first. By dawn, she felt full with his seed as it spilled from her to coat her inner thighs. She’d made to get up, with the intention of getting clean before having some much needed rest, but Barron had grasped her wrist and drew her back toward the bed. She’d stood there, uncertain of his intentions, when he slid a strong hand between her legs and swiped it through the semen that coated her thighs. He lifted the hand to smear his essence on first one breast, then the other, before returning to capture more. He coated her in his release, his scent, and Willa was surprised at how erotic she found the gesture. Who knew there could be such pleasure in feeling owned?
Pulling her back into the bed, Barron crushed her to him and curled tight around her body before falling into an exhausted slumber. Willa considered sliding free for a quick shower, but recognized Barron’s gift for what it was. By morning, there wouldn’t be a wolf for a hundred miles that wouldn’t believe that she truly belonged to him. For the first time in ages, she felt hope spring forth and, content, she fell asleep feeling safe in Barron’s warm embrace.
Chapter 19
Brave little Arden had been elected to check on Willa. He rapped on her bedroom door, and when Barron quietly summoned him, the boy slowly entered. His relief at finding Willa unharmed was evident. She was asleep in Barron’s arms, tangled in the sheets. Arden met Barron’s amused grin then ducked his head sheepishly. “Cortez is taking us to town for breakfast.”
Barron eased from the bed as he nodded once.
Willa stirred. “Mmmm?”
To Barron’s secret delight, Arden didn’t accept Barron’s unspoken permission. He peeked up at Willa again. “Willa.” He spoke a little more loudly. “Cortez is taking us to town for breakfast.”
Vibrant green eyes snapped open and Willa sprang from the bed, holding the sheet to her chest.
Barron knew she’d been about to protest, so he caught her wrist and pulled her back into him before tossing her back onto the bed. “Go.” He paced in naked glory to where his jeans were slung over the chair. Rifling through his pockets, he pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to Arden. “Be careful, and keep an eye on the others.”
The last bit had Arden lifting his gaze to Barron’s.
“You’re in charge.”
Willa’s heart startled at the edict. What if something happened? Arden shouldn’t bear that burden. She’d been about to say something when Arden’s face cracked in a beaming smile that forced her to keep her mouth shut.
“Straight there and straight back,” Barron boomed, turning to stalk back toward the bed.
“Straight there. Straight back.” Arden repeated and then beamed at her. “Okay, Willa?”
She nodded once, swallowing down her uncertainty and watching in worry as Arden hurried from the room. Her apprehension only mounted when she turned to flick her gaze toward Barron as he climbed back into bed beside her.
“Don’t look at me like that, beautiful.”
She immediately blanked her expression, unsure of exactly how she’d been looking at him.
Relaxing back, he threw an arm behind his head and pulled her to him with the other. He held her tight and nuzzled her hair. “You smell good.”
Willa didn’t know how to respond. Why was he being so casual? This had been a planned event, a strategy. It wasn’t real. “Barron, maybe we should…”
He tensed, and then sighed heavily. “I know what you’re feeling Willa. I can scent your uncertainty, and it’s only barely covering your fear. The kids’ll be fine. Challengers aren’t coming for them. They’re coming for you.” He smoothed a finger up and down her arm in leisurely strokes. “And as for us...” He rolled quickly until she was pinned beneath him. “We better make sure everyone knows who you belong to.” His smile was contagious and his meaning was clear.
***
An hour later found Barron straddling the bench at the picnic table with Willa pulled tightly into him as he sucked syrup from her lips. One hand was clamped possessively behind her back, and her legs rested over his thighs as she straddled him. Alone in the house, Willa had only pulled on a T-shirt that reached mid-thigh when Barron called her down to breakfast. After they’d made love, she’d dozed off. When she came down to the kitchen, she found Barron piling pancakes onto a single plate that they’d shared. He fed her, taking bites while she chewed. It was very intimate, and damn if it didn’t feel right.
Clad in just his unbuttoned jeans, they exposed enough of his lower abdomen to keep Willa distracted.
“This syrup is good,” he moaned, drawing her attention as he licked her bottom lip after one long suck. “But it’s nowhere near as good as yours.”
Willa blushed, and that easily, with just his softly spoken words, her pussy creamed.
Barron’s nostrils flared, and his eyes dipped down to her barely covered pussy. “For me?” He asked with a smile. His hands gripped her thighs and were pushing her shirt up when the kitchen door crashed open. Willa’s hand jerked her shirt down to cover herself.
Cortez doubled over and grabbed his knees to catch his breath. Distracted, neither Willa nor Barron had heard the car pull up.
“S-Stranger,” Cortez finally gasped out as the rest of the pack hurried through the door with worried expressions. “Stranger coming!”
The familiar words sent ice water shooting through Willa’s veins and acid filling her belly. Her first instincts were to battle, to defend. She didn’t get the chance.
Barron lifted her off him with zero effort before barking, “Get dressed! The rest of you, stay here!” Then he was out the door.
Dumbfounded, Willa could only stare at his back as he exited the house. She made to follow him when Sarya stepped in front of her. “Maybe some pants first, Phina?”
Looking down, Willa realized she hadn’t even remembered she was only half dressed. “Stay here!” She echoed Barron’s order and then raced for her room.
***
Barron’s shoulders bunched and tensed. Another had come to
his
territory to take
his
mate! It was getting fucking old! His hope had been that word of his defeat of Atkins and his beta, and of David and his pack of skinny coyotes, would have spread. Apparently, it hadn’t spread far enough.
Stalking from the house he cared little that his feet and chest were bare, or that his low-slung jeans were still unbuttoned. In fact, he was thrilled that he and Willa had enjoyed a relaxed morning. He hadn’t yet showered. The scent of sex and his Willa filled his nose. It’d fill the strangers as well.
Seeing a form on the horizon, he imagined this must have been how Willa felt when he’d first come to her territory.
No!
He shook his head with a snarl. She had been brave, yet fearful. He was pissed off and eager, his hands literally itching for a fight. If any part of him had originally intended for the claiming to be false, it was gone now. Vanished. Wiped away by the soul-wrenching ecstasy of loving his Willa. And he did. He loved her body,
loved
her pussy, but more importantly, he loved her soul. She was proof that a pure heart could manifest into glorious beauty…and she was
his
! The mere notion that some male would even think he could come and have a chance to claim her produced such vicious rage that he actually prayed the fucker would challenge him. It’d end here. After this last one, no wolf nor man would dare come back after Barron made a message out of this last fucker.
The two men, nearly equal in stature, stalked toward one another. The stranger was at an advantage. With the sun rising behind him, it blinded Barron, but he didn’t need to see detailed features. A general idea of where this asshole was would do.
Gnashing his teeth, his fists curled tightly as the space between the two shortened. Clearly, the stranger was an Alpha, otherwise he’d already be running.
Barron let the need to protect combine with his fierce possessiveness and rolled his head, his vertebrae popping.
This fucker’s dead!
The two drew closer and Barron smiled. He wanted to hurt the man. Now.
“Barron.”
The greeting had Barron’s shoulders tensing even further, the maniacal grin slipping. He knew that voice. Scrolling through his mental rolodex it took a second to place and when he did, Barron slammed to a halt.
“Barron,” Delano Bowden greeted. “I didn’t expect to find you here.”
The appearance of Delano, one of Barron’s rogue Alpha pack, was unexpected.
“What do you want,” Barron snarled.
“Easy, brother.” Delano held up his hands. “I come in peace.”
“What do you
want
?” Barron growled a second time. He knew Delano, and he respected the shit out of him, but it didn’t change the fact that he was an unmated Alpha in the territory of what was known to be a female available for claiming.
Delano shifted anxiously, his look puzzled. “I heard that Willa Hutchinson…”
“You heard wrong,” Barron snapped.
“Easy,” Delano said again, his frown resigned. “Look, I can smell her all over you, so clearly I’m not needed.”
Barron sneered. “Who sent you!”
“I went to see Evander, hoping to find you. He said he’d sent you here to help his friend, but he’d gotten word that things had gotten complicated. He was worried that you weren’t ready for this. He sent me…”
“In case I failed,” Barron supplied.
Delano nodded.
The scent of Willa hit Barron before he even heard her approach. Raw possessiveness slammed into him and without thought, he partially shifted. Long incisors filled his mouth; his chest expanded; black hair sprouted up along his arms and shoulders; and his wolf shone through in his eyes.
“Easy.” Delano growled, finally taking offense. Barron knew it wouldn’t take long, they were both Alpha’s after all. Still, what did Delano expect?
“Barron?”
Willa’s soft voice carried to him, but only lent fuel to his fury.
***
Relieved the fighting hadn’t started, Willa moved up beside Barron so they could confront the stranger together. She had only just stepped up when Barron’s hand shot out grabbing her arm and pulling her in front of him, her back pressed into his chest.
What’s he…
One of his hands reached up and grabbed her chin, turning her head, while the other caught the collar of her shirt and ripped. She yelped, unsure of what he was doing.
“
MINNNNE
!” Barron snarled from behind her as if possessed.
Holy shit!
The declaration was sexy as hell and had her turned on before she could even blink. Her chest heaved at his display, her breathing suddenly erratic as the stranger’s eyes dipped to the mate mark on her neck.
“
MINNNNE
!” Barron growled again on an almost animalistic rumble as he reached down and cupped her pussy through the jeans she’d hurriedly pulled on.
Willa gasped and grabbed his arm, trying to shove it away, but he wasn’t having it.
The stranger who, oddly enough, looked like an unscarred version of Barron though with softer features, dipped his eyes to Barron’s hand and then lifted back up.
Barron’s hand left her chin and slid into her shirt to cup a bare breast. His display was thrilling and, to her embarrassment, had Willa extremely turned on.
“I get it,” the stranger offered, raising his hands slowly and taking a step back. “She’s your mate. I’ll go.”
To her embarrassment and delight, Barron didn’t release her. His hand between her legs started rubbing along the seam of her jeans while the other snaked inside her shirt to massage her breast.
“Mine!” Barron ground out again, and she wondered if he was okay. His hand left her breast, pulling from her shirt. She thought that was the end of it, but then his hands were ripping open the front of her jeans and tearing them down her legs.
“BARRON!” she yelped.
“Gotta have you!” He snarled, fisting her shirt on two sides before ripping it from her body. “Now!”
He forced her to her knees and she went, his big body coming down behind her. She heard material shred and then he was surging into her. No preamble, just pure raw fucking. She sucked in a harsh breath, her eyes jerking to see if the stranger had gone. The man was further away, but had turned to look back. When his eyes saw Barron’s display, the stranger stopped and turned to watch. Bizarrely, it was arousing.
Barron fucked her hard and fast while she swayed on her hands and knees. She knew what he was doing. It was a blatant display, showing the world that he was claiming her. She didn’t have to worry if the pack was watching, she knew they’d follow Barron’s command to remain at the house. So, with little else to do, she relished his display. He was willing to fight for her. He was willing to chase off both suitors and challengers, and to put them on display to show he meant what he said. And God, did it feel like he meant it. It felt so real that she’d almost forgotten that it wasn’t.
This
was a favor, and how fucking stupid was she for imagining it was anything else?
She couldn’t think about it anymore when his pace quickened. She cried out as he tunneled into her. Feeling herself tightening, she knew it was almost time. A few more thrusts and she was lost, a shattered cry leaving her and then pitching higher when Barron’s hands tightened on her hips as his thrusts became short jerks, working into a panicked frenzy before he slammed home and stilled his hips, his release erupting deep insider her. Belatedly, she realized that they should be using protection, but couldn’t hold on to the thought as she rode out the last tendrils of their shared ecstasy.
For long minutes he emptied into her and she took in every drop before she came back to her senses and turned to find the stranger gone.