Pack Alpha (8 page)

“Marissa.” He wanted to hold her. To comfort her.

“I’m willing to go now so you don’t have to kick her out. No one else needs to know. I’ll leave quietly,” she told him.

She peeked up at him. She was pleading with him and he couldn’t believe how much pain showed in her gaze.

Gage gently cupped her cheek, but she jerked away from him. “I’m sorry for everything you have been through.”

Marissa remained stiff so he turned back toward Elizabeth. “While it may have been that Pack’s rule, it is in no way a law. I have never heard of anything more ridiculous.”

“If that’s true, then…” Elizabeth trailed off, and Gage knew she was piecing together that they had been lied to. She paled. Yes, Elizabeth had figured it out.

“It’s true,” he assured her, then glanced back at Marissa. Reaching for her, he drew her to his side.

“Then Marissa didn’t have to leave.” Elizabeth also stood. “She didn’t have to be on her own all this time?”

He watched the play of emotions on Marissa’s face before her eyes chilled again and she pulled away. “You don’t know what you are talking about.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Gage shook his head. “Why do you think we have a council of former Alphas to police the Packs? It’s to protect the members, not to hurt them.” He could see Marissa starting to shake in front of him. “My father is one of the Council members and I can assure you that, whether you can shift or not, he would have never allowed you to be mistreated. There is no such law.”

“It
is
a law!” Marissa yelled.

He knew she wasn’t trying to convince him but had to come to terms with it. No Alpha would let such a young woman live alone and unprotected if he could help it. Gage was already making plans to research into her old Pack.

“I can prove it to you if that’s what it takes,” Gage said. “One call and we can have all this sorted out.” It was what he could offer her, although he didn’t think that she would take him up on it.

“No,” she whispered. Her eyes started to swim with tears, and Gage’s heart broke for her.

“Oh, Marissa, I’m so sorry.” Elizabeth moved toward her.

Marissa held up a hand to stop her at the same time as stepping away from him. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter.”

She would need time to get used to the truth. He wouldn’t let her go through it alone, though. Whether or not she wanted his help, Gage was going to be there to support her.

Elizabeth glanced at him and he nodded toward the door. “Go out and find Greg. We’ll finish up here and I’ll drive Marissa back to your house.”

“Marissa has her own car. And it’s already packed,” Marissa interjected.

Gage didn’t even look back at her but kept his gaze on her sister. “She’ll be okay here with me.”

“Okay… I’ll…see you both later.” Elizabeth quickly made her exit.

The office was quiet and he could hear each breath that Marissa took. Her hands shook as though she was attempting to hang on to her control.

“Come here, baby,” Gage ordered gently.

Marissa shook her head. “I want to leave.”

Gage closed the distance between them then wrapped his arms around her. “Yes, I think you do. But not yet,” he told her. “That’s not the answer.”

“No.” Marissa tried to pull away. “Now. I want to leave now.”

“It’s okay, baby.” Gage held her tight as the tears she’d been fighting started to fall.

She remained stiff until a sob overtook her.

Gage kissed her forehead then turned her face into his chest. “You’re not alone any longer.”

“I can’t…” she managed before the dam broke.

As she cried in his arms, anger swelled inside him at the Alpha who had pledged to take care of her then turned her out without a Pack, without her family. To put her through hell for her being with his son. It should have been a relationship worth celebrating.

Gage hummed to her, trying to comfort her in any way he could.

It seemed she pulled back, tears still streaming down her face as she looked up at him. He wasn’t surprised when she pressed her lips to his in a desperate kiss. Marissa was trying to replace the agony with anything else. Glad to be able to take some of the pain away, he let her kiss him and tightened his hold around her.

His cock was already hard, had been even through his anger, since he’d climbed into the car with her.

With one hand holding her back, he ran his other down to cup her ass. She shuffled her feet and drew even closer to him. Gage plunged his tongue in and out of her mouth like he wanted to do with his cock inside her pussy.

If Marissa needed to forget he would be more than happy to take her mind and body to better things.

Chapter Five

Marissa pressed herself close to Gage. His body was strong, solid and everything she needed right now. If she just didn’t have to think then everything would be okay. She could forget the betrayal and pain from finding out that her entire adult life had been built on a lie.

Gage’s arm tightened around her as he kissed her back. The hand under her ass helped her lift her leg to wrap it around his waist. That put her in the perfect position to feel his hard-on against her. When he pulled away and looked at her, Marissa’s heart skipped. He was so attractive, and even if she didn’t know why he wanted her she’d take it for now.

She could get used to this man being there for her. And that was scary. Even if what he’d said was true, that didn’t mean her life would be any different. She was still a non-shifter in a world where she didn’t truly belong.

“Please,” she pleaded as she rubbed her hand down his chest. She needed him to make her stop thinking.

“Upstairs. I want you in my bed,” he whispered in her ear. “I want to make love to you for hours.”

Why did they have to leave the office? Didn’t he realize that she would give in to him right there? What if someone saw them together on the way to his room?

“Once I get you in my bed you’ll stay there,” he told her. “Mine to do with whatever I want.”

Marissa shivered at his declaration. No more hiding. No shame in being with a wolf. She didn’t have to hold back her needs with him. She wasn’t sure if she could give him what he wanted but she could try. “Okay, upstairs.”

Gage took her mouth again, this time with more force. Marissa gave herself to him willingly. He lifted her off her feet easily and she wrapped her arms and both legs around him.

“We’ll also talk about your punishment for talking back to me. Again.”

Marissa shuddered with excitement as she scraped her teeth over his neck. She wanted punishment even if she didn’t want to say the words. “Maybe later.”

Gage chuckled. He must have caught how much she craved it.

They barely made it up to his room without her ripping his clothes off. Luckily they didn’t run into anyone to slow them down. Marissa would have been horrified if a Pack member had seen how desperate she was for him. It wasn’t only the fact that he was taking her mind off things. She wanted to enjoy being with him without the familiar guilt she always felt. This would be the first time she gave herself to another shifter without the fear of discovery.

Gage kicked his bedroom door closed as Marissa teased him with her tongue on his neck and ear. He stumbled slightly before he caught himself, and she liked that she was affecting him so much.

When he dropped her carelessly onto the bed, Marissa bounced, laughing while looking around. “Oh wow.” It was a great bedroom. Worthy of an Alpha.

Gage already had his shirt over his head. “Yeah. Strip.”

Ignoring him, Marissa knelt on the giant bed and took in her surroundings. “This room is huge.”

Although there were no lights on, she could see clearly enough. The bed was up two steps on a platform. To her left were balcony doors with the curtains tied open and to her right a sitting area with couch, table and chairs, and a flat-screen TV. A door on the far wall would probably lead to a bathroom. The entire space was done in shades of gray.

“You’re not undressed,” Gage practically growled at her.

Marissa looked at him and took in the naked body in front of her. Lean and muscular. Tan with no lines. She made quick work of removing her clothes then scooted closer on her knees. “Your room distracted me. Now you have distracted me.” She licked a small circle on his chest.

Gage pulled her back by her hair. “You’ve been distracting me since the first moment I laid eyes on you. Now lie back.”

The urge to follow his command was strong but she needed something different this time. She hoped he understood. Marissa pressed a kiss into his chest. “Please let me do this, Gage.” She needed to feel in control. Since first arriving, she had felt like her life was spiraling around her and she was only a passenger.

His eyes softened, telling her he understood. “Okay, baby.”

She reached out and yanked him onto the bed. He let her lay him on his back then she straddled his waist. Marissa took her time kissing Gage’s lips, running her teeth over his neck and chin, before lavishing his chest with more kisses. Keeping his hands at his sides, he allowed her to explore his body.
And what a body it was.
She breathed in his scent. Rich, dark and male. She rubbed against him as she traveled down. She was getting his scent all over her and that was making her even hotter.

“Marissa.” Gage tried to pull her back up, moving his hands into her hair, but she continued to lower herself to the object she wanted most. His gorgeous, fully erect cock. Licking from the base up, she felt him let out a rush of breath. Then, with just the tip of her tongue, she teased the head.

“Marissa,” Gage hissed out, raising his head to look down at her.

Oh, she could definitely get used to this. She opened and took him into her mouth. Gage groaned and dropped his head back down. Adding her hand, she stroked and sucked him deeper into the back of her throat. He was salty and she loved it as his hips bucked to press him farther into her mouth.

“That’s it. Suck me, baby,” he murmured to her approvingly.

Marissa did. Tipping her head back, she took him as far as she could while sucking him hard.

“Stop,” he ordered.

She hummed and swallowed, trying to push him over the edge. To make him lose control like he seemed to manage with her.

“Stop!”

Marissa gave him one last lick before looking up. He stared down at her. His eyes glowed, showing just how close she had been to making him lose control and spill into her mouth.

“Come here,” he commanded.

She didn’t see any reason not to get what she wanted—him inside her.

She rubbed up him slowly, arousing both of them with the brush of her body on his. When she was straddling his thighs once more, he gripped her hips. Marissa took Gage’s hard cock in her hand and teased her pussy lips with it. Moaning, she continued to torment them both until he growled.

That sound traveled down her spine until she thought she might come before he even got in her. She took just the tip of him, biting her bottom lip, trying to control her need. Sliding down slowly so her body could adjust to his girth, she placed her palm on his chest. When he was fully inside, she rocked forward.

Gage moaned, or maybe it was her—she couldn’t tell anymore. He felt so good filling her. As if he was the only one who belonged there. Still gripping her, he began to thrust up to meet her every time she rocked. Marissa cried out, throwing her head back. She rode him faster as his hips lifted to meet her. Gage matched her speed, pulling her down harder each time.

“Yes.” Marissa leaned forward, her hair falling over both of them, making a curtain around them.

She was almost there. That sweet release was only a few strokes from taking her. They rocked in a rhythm that built in intensity, but it wasn’t enough.

Gage slipped an arm around her waist and she knew what was going to happen. When he flipped her onto her back, Marissa pleaded at him with her eyes to finish her off. He must have felt the need for more, too, because he slammed and pounded into her harder. She could take it, loved it. No human lover could ever match the way a shifter could move.

“Oh, oh,” Marissa panted. She was there, ready to explode.

“Stay with me,” Gage grunted out, plunging inside incredibly fast and hard.

Marissa’s body spasmed. Reaching up, she grabbed his arms. “Yes. More.”

Roaring as if his control was gone, he took her not only as a man takes a woman but also as a wolf would take his mate. She was still screaming when the first orgasm passed and another hit stronger, taking all her breath away. Gage threw his head back and yelled out his own release before collapsing on top of her.

* * * *

The day of the ceremony was busy for both Elizabeth and Marissa. Marissa took extra time to help her sister get ready—drawing Elizabeth a hot scented bath, fixing her hair and makeup before helping her dress.

“That dress is beautiful.
You
are beautiful,” Marissa told her sister, trying to hold back the tears. For the first time that she could ever remember the tears were good and not from pain. Elizabeth was shining and to Marissa she had never been more beautiful as she was at that moment.

Her loose white dress brought out her natural coloring and flowed around her curves. Marissa straightened one of Elizabeth’s straps before she stood back to just admire her.

Elizabeth was bouncing on her toes. “I can’t believe it’s finally here. I’m going to perform the mating ceremony.”

Marissa leaned over and kissed her sister’s cheek. “Not if you don’t hurry.”

Laughing, Elizabeth twirled around. “I’m ready.”

Taking her hand, Marissa smiled. “Then I’d better get you there.”

As she started to lead her from the room, Elizabeth pulled her back. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Marissa assured, and meant it. They hadn’t spoken about what Gage had revealed, instead concentrating on the ceremony and enjoying each other’s company. It had been wonderful to relax, laugh and talk without having anything hanging over their heads. She’d hoped they could get through the day without the subject being brought up.