Capturing the Alpha (Shifters of Nunavut Book 1) (6 page)

Suddenly, Zane felt anxious as well. He took the oars in hand and dipped the paddles into the water, pushing against the current until they were moving backwards. Once the dark, lumbering form was well ahead of them, he steered the boat towards the far shore of the inlet.

Within a few minutes, the bow knocked against earth. The shore was steep, and Zane moved to pick Ginnifer up, intending on carrying her from the boat. Before he could get his hand from under his pelt, she was already climbing ashore, crawling on all fours until no part of her was at the water’s mercy.

Zane came ashore with much more grace. He bent, extending his long arm towards her. She accepted it, tucking her small hand in his, and he helped her up. Instead of releasing her, Zane pulled her closer, until her body was pressed against his. Several layers of fabric and fur separated them, but his body became as warm as if they were pressed skin to skin.

He waited for her to push him away, but when he looked down, he saw that she was staring up at him. She was chewing on her bottom lip again, her eyes taking him in with an enticing mix of wariness and curiosity.

She was so tall, and close enough that if he wanted to, he could incline his head and his lips would be on hers before she had time to even think about protesting. And with his lips and his hands, he would arouse her to the extent that she would have no thought other than to submit to him.

Zane’s teeth ground together with the effort to control himself. He wasn’t an animal, he reminded himself. And no matter what his wolf seemed to think, she would not be his mate. Nor could she be a casual lover, if there even could be such a thing between an alpha and a human female.

Fixed in his resolve, he released her hand and made a move to step back. Rather than falling at her side, her hand came up to rest on the back of his neck. His steps faltered as she used her grip for leverage, pulling herself up and pressing her warm lips to his mouth.

A voice in Ginnifer’s head, she thought it might be her conscience, told her that she should stop before she did something she’d regret for the rest of her life. But the moment her lips connected with Zane’s, that voice became decidedly quiet, as though even her better angels stood by in awe. Whether it was over how incredibly right it felt or how horribly wrong it was, she didn’t know.

For a mouth that appeared as though it were carved from marble, his lips were remarkably soft. Her own lips had been perpetually chapped since arriving in the arctic, and she might have felt self-conscious if she wasn’t already preoccupied by a growing sense of dread.

Zane didn’t move, didn’t even breathe, and within seconds her sense of euphoria sank into a bog of uneasiness. Had she read him wrong?

Tallow had been right—men had been mooing over Ginnifer since the day she’d hit puberty. But then, the types of men who blatantly regarded her with hungry eyes, they weren’t exactly choosey, and their lust had no more to do with her beauty than it did with her personality or intellect. All a man like that wanted was a warm body to use.

The way Zane had looked at her, it was different. Desire had blazed in his eyes, desire for her body, and desire for more, much more. He wanted to claim every part of her, even the parts she wouldn’t surrender to any man, but damn if she didn’t want to see him try.

It felt as though those golden orbs had drawn her in, willed her to kiss him, but now time stood still as she waited for him to reciprocate. She pulled back, and had just long enough to draw in a shaky breath before his large hands clamped down on her forearms, holding her in place.

Zane crushed his lips against hers, and they no longer felt soft. They were hard and demanding. He released her arms, one hand moving to grab a fistful of her hair, the other pressing against her back, pinning her against him in a possessive hold. His teeth seized her bottom lip, and he groaned as he sucked it into his mouth.

Heat pooled between her thighs, and with it came an ache for friction, a desperate need to be touched. She arched one leg, bringing her knee up to his hip and granting him better access. The barest shift of his hips brought his erection to jut against her pelvis.

For the first time in weeks, she wanted nothing more than to be rid of her clothes. They felt cumbersome, and the fabric suddenly seemed grating against her sensitized skin. Her fingers itched to undo the button that fastened her pants, but she didn’t want to seem too eager. Instead, she started with her overcoat, yanking down the zipper and shouldering out of it as best she could while in Zane’s arms.

She gasped, her fingernails digging into the skin on the side of his neck as his rigid erection brushed against just the right spot. Her excitement spurred him on, and he began working at her clothes himself, his agile fingers undoing buttons and zippers. She heard something tear, but before she could think about complaining, Zane pulled her head back and plunged his tongue into her mouth.

Their tongues danced back and forth at a feverish pace. It felt so natural, as though they’d practiced the rhythm a thousand times, but it had all the intensity of new passion. In her zeal to keep up with him, her tongue brushed too close to one of his pointed canines. There was a sting of pain, and then tangy blood began to form a small pool in her mouth. She tried to move away, but the strong hand knotted in her hair held her firmly in place.

The world tilted as Zane pulled her down, holding her carefully so that she was barely jostled as they landed on the ground. She hadn’t realized how much of her clothes he’d removed until she found herself laying in a soft pile of blouses and cardigan sweaters. Only her bra and pants remained, but between Zane’s hot body and his pelt, which blanketed them both, none of the outside chill seeped into her skin.

For all the frenzy at which he’d taken her clothes off, Zane suddenly adopted a leisurely pace, his hands slowly taking in each dip and swell of her body. It occurred to her that he hadn’t seen her without her layers of clothes, and this was his first opportunity to take in the shape of her body. She hoped that he liked what he felt, but she didn’t much care about anything so long as he was gyrating his hips against her pelvis. Each time he flexed against her, she moaned, arching into him to maintain the friction.

Zane broke away from her mouth, dragging his lips across her jaw and then to her neck. There, he inhaled deeply and then groaned. He thrust against her, harder then before, and she felt her toes curl and her eyes roll back in her head. Sharp teeth pricked at her neck, and she sensed that he was going to bite her. The thought didn’t scare her as much as it should have, and her trepidation came hand in hand with a rush of anticipation.

He drew his teeth back without piercing flesh, but her excitement continued to build. By the time his mouth had reached the hollow of her throat, her body was brimming with energy and she felt as though she were on the verge of bursting. One more thrust of his hips catapulted her into a climax before she was even fully aware of what was happening.

A guttural cry was drug out from somewhere deep within her as she arched against him one final time. Her mind swam, but her body went still as waves of sensation undulated over her.

Ginnifer tried to hold onto the feeling for as long as she could, but all too quickly it was over. Suddenly, she was freezing and her body began to shake. Anxiously, she opened her eyes.

Zane was still above her, though they were no longer pressed close together. The expression on his face made her own face burn, and she thought she could feel herself blushing from nose to ears. With his brows drawn up and his lips fixed into a parted frown, he looked very disturbed.

Her heart and mind were racing, and she thought that maybe if she kissed him again, they could just resume what they’d been doing, and it would probably be even more intense than before. She almost did, but then she recognized the emotions that warred on his face, ones that she should have had on her face.

Shame. Regret.

Ginnifer scooted out from under him, hands trembling as she snatched up her clothes. She began to dress, her conscience coming back with a vengeance and roaring into the void that had, only moments ago, been swimming with lust. But it still wasn’t guilt over Aaron.

“You’re not single, are you?” she asked, her voice coming out hoarse. A crease formed between his brows, so she elaborated. “Do you have a…a mate?”

The word made her feel nauseous.

“No,” he said, causing her shoulders to sag with relief. “But I will. Soon.”

She thought she saw his lips quirk distastefully, but maybe it was wishful thinking, something her mind worked up to take the edge off her guilt. She wanted to ask him more, but she imagined it was the last thing he wanted to talk about right now.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I really do love Aaron. He…” Words she hadn’t even had the nerve to think before now came bubbling up to the surface. “He proposed to me the summer after we met, six years ago, but every time I try to set a date for the wedding, something comes up. There’s always some new cause he wants to rally for, some new injustice he wants to fight. We were supposed to get married this spring, and then two months ago he decides he wants to go to Syria and help orphans.”

She threw up her hands. “How can I possibly say no to that?”

It wasn’t even the half of her grievances with Aaron, but she was not about to unload anymore drama onto Zane, who was probably already having second thoughts about letting her come back to his den. She was used to keeping everything bottled up, and she resolved herself not to slip up again.

Tears stung her eyes, but she held them back, not wanting to look as pathetic as she felt. “I do love him, and I’ve never done anything like this before, not even close. I’m frustrated, but I shouldn’t have involved you. It was wrong of me.”

Ginnifer zipped up her coat, the last layer of her clothes. Zane was already standing, but he kept his hands rigid at his sides, not offering to help her up. But then, wasn’t that what had gotten them into all this mess?

She stood, grimacing at the uncomfortable dampness between her thighs. Peering at Zane through her lashes, she caught him staring at her. There was something completely unexpected on his face, something that confused her in light of everything that had happened. His eyes tugged at her, with a sad longing she didn’t understand. She waited for him to blink it away, but it was clear that he wanted her to see it.

Swallowing hard, she said, “We should be going, right?”

His only response was a nod.

***

They walked in silence, with Ginnifer trailing slightly behind Zane. A wind blew up from the south, carrying her scent to him on the breeze, and it made Zane wish that he didn’t have to lead the way.

The smell of her arousal seemed lodged in his nose. It didn’t fade, and try as he might, he couldn’t grow accustomed to it. The scent kept his cock rigid, which aside from making him irritable, made him reluctant to shift. He could think of few things more uncomfortable than shifting while he was aroused, and he couldn’t remember any time he’d been
this
aroused.

A hundred times—at least—he thought about turning around and pulling her back into his arms. It was worse than before, because now he knew that he could override any objections she had, that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her.

She had kissed
him
.

Females of his kind were by no means timid. When they wanted sex, they could pursue it more aggressively than any male. His younger years were proof of that, back when he’d been the only juvenile male with hair on his chest in a pack full of females eager to explore their budding adulthood. The memory of being stalked like prey and fought over like a choice cut of meat could still induce a headache in him to this day.

Everything had changed after his father died and he had assumed the role of alpha. Even the boldest females weren’t willing to presume his favor, and they always waited for him to make the first move. After years of dodging advances at every corner, it had been a welcome relief and a change he still enjoyed.

But when Ginnifer had taken the initiative and put her hot mouth on his, lust had torn through him like wildfire, scorching all inhibitions that lay in its path. Everything between that moment and when he had her on the ground, his teeth pressed to her neck, had been a blur. His baser instincts had taken over, and it was only when he was about to mark her that he had snapped back to reality. Even then, he hadn’t wanted to stop, but when she’d came—without his cock in her, without even his fingers stroking her, it had shocked him.

Zane had stared down at her, taking her in completely. Her beautifully tousled hair, her shapely lips parted in a low moan, her back arched, the tops of her flushed breasts, the way her body quivered… He knew that if he had her then, it wouldn’t be just once. By the time it was over, there would be no part of her that didn’t carry his mark and he would not let her go.

It would have overturned his entire future, jeopardized the security of his pack, and violated the principles he’d held since his youth, since his father had done all that and more when he’d decided to take a human mate.

Zane glanced furtively over his shoulder. Ginnifer’s eyes were downcast, a small frown completing her dejected look. A knot formed in his throat.

She’s not your responsibility
, he thought as he forced himself to face forward again.

A gust of wind brought her scent to him again. Zane licked his lips, but his tongue was dry. He considered veering off course. They were already late, what difference would a few more hours make? He knew of a place to the west, a cave that went deep into the earth. It was a long trek down, but in a small chamber towards the bottom, there was a spring of hot water, the perfect temperature for bathing. They could go there and she could wash up. Her scent would no longer plague him, and when they arrived back at the den, he wouldn’t have to deal with the knowing looks of the others.

But even as he worked out this benign solution, his mind concurrently played a very different scenario. He would take her to the spring, and then go hunt, leaving his pelt with her. He would hunt something large, large enough for them to eat for days, a week even. He would return to her with all of the best portions, feed her from his hand, and then they would mate. She would already be naked beneath his pelt, and he would waste no time in burying himself inside of her.

Zane shook his head, as though it would banish the images. He had to take her back to the den, no detours. Hopefully, the smell would fade by then, and if it didn’t, so what? He was alpha. His jaw clenched.

The sky had begun to lighten by the time Zane shifted. He was no less hard, but Ginnifer’s steps had begun to falter as exhaustion overtook her. Almost as soon as she was on his back, she fell asleep with her arms wrapped around his neck. Even the bright sunlight of morning didn’t rouse her, but Zane still treaded carefully to avoid jostling her.

When they were almost at the den, he nudged her awake. He would have preferred letting her sleep, but he knew there’d be far too much commotion in the den for her not to be startled awake. Rubbing her tired eyes, she slid from his back as Tallow and Breeze approached.

Zane shifted, wrapping his pelt loosely around himself. He tried to serve Tallow a warning look, but she only had eyes for Ginnifer, a wicked grin curving her lips.