The Alpha's Temporary Mate (Fated Match) (16 page)

Two choices. Both seemingly identical.

Except one path made the hair on his body stand just a touch on end. The change was so slight he never would have noticed had he not been concentrating. Chloe’s magic.

Anticipation surged through him. He had her. This time, she wasn’t going to escape.

T
he soft bubble of a brook drifted to her ears.

Almost there.
Chloe pushed her tired body faster. If she was going to continue hanging out with wolves she was going to have to start some sort of exercise regimen. Her human body put her at too much of a disadvantage.

Her breath rasped from her in pants as she jogged around a fallen log and burst into a small clearing.

There, by the end of the pond, a white flag waited.

“Success,” she whispered, starting across the clearing. Looks like she’d shown her wolf a thing or two.

At least, she thought she had, before a large, black body exploded from the trees.

Chloe jerked to a halt, eyes on the massive wolf before her. He dropped to his haunches, sitting between her and the flag. By the amusement in his dark eyes, it could only be Kieran blocking her path.

Though she wanted to win, she couldn’t help taking a minute to admire the sheer beauty of him. Never before had she seen his wolf form, and it was impressive enough to rob her of breath. Yes, he possessed the claws and teeth to do serious damage, but she didn’t feel in danger. Instead she wanted to run her fingers through the glossy black fur and see if it felt as soft as it looked. He was as majestic in this form as he was captivating as a human. It didn’t seem quite fair that something so beautiful could exist.

Though he might take her breath away, she still had no intention of losing to him.

“Don’t suppose you’d consider letting me win?” she called to the wolf.

He gave a sharp yip in response.

“That’s what I figured. Okay then, you’ve been warned.” She laced her fingers in front of her, stretching out her hands in a warm up.

She couldn’t go through a werewolf, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t go
over
him.

Chloe launched herself forward. She raced at the surprised wolf, who did nothing but wait for her to come to him. At the last moment she cast out her hands, releasing her magic.

Her feet left the ground as she jumped, flying over the stunned wolf below. Propelling herself through mid air, however, was not the easiest thing to control. Her landing was going to be rough but it’d be worth it if she managed to get her hands on the flag.

A body collided with her as she dropped down to earth.

“No,” she cried as she was rolled away from her goal. “Tricky wolf.”

“Devious witch,” he replied, trying to pin her to the ground.

Chloe twisted beneath him, seeing the flag an arm’s reach away. Writhing and kicking, she pushed herself free long enough to grasp madly at the flag.

Her fingers touched the smooth flagpole before Kieran grabbed her hips and yanked her back.

“Too slow, wolf!” She laughed, waving the flag in her grip. “I win!”

“I caught you before you grabbed the flag. I win,” he replied, rolling her onto her back while he rose over her.

“Nuh-uh. That’s not how the rules work.”

“How would you know? You’ve never played before.”

“I say I take this flag back to the main camp and get the wolves to vote on who triumphed here.”

“They’re my people. I’ll win for sure that way.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

Chloe looked up at the man blocking out the moon’s light. There was no annoyance on his face, just good-natured humor and something darker. Something hungrier.

“I want it noted I had the hardest quarry this year,” he said.

“You’re the alpha. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to work?”

“When it’s right,” he replied.

Chloe ran her hands up his arms, realizing she was touching naked skin.

“I think you lost something along the way,” she breathed.

“One downside of the transformation. Can’t take clothes with us.” He shifted, pressing himself more intimately against her. “Are you complaining?”

She should be. Instead she shook her head.

“You knew what you were getting into when you participated tonight.” His head lowered, his mouth a breath away from hers.

“This is a bad idea,” she whispered.

“Then push me away.”

She closed her eyes as his hands slid over her hips. His hard erection pressed against her, leaving little doubt about how he wanted this encounter to end.

Kieran ran his lips over her throat, sending pleasure shooting through her body.

The wolves did get one thing right, she mused. Streaking through the woods had gotten her adrenaline pumping and the idea of giving in to her desires was far too tempting to ignore.

Besides, why was she still resisting? He had promised her the end of the deal wouldn’t be the end of their affair. So what if she gave in now instead of once the moon was over? The end result would be the same either way.

“Tell me again,” she whispered to him.

Kieran drew back, staring down at her in the moonlight. “This is more than a single night,” he said, needing no prompting to know what she needed to hear. “Trust me, witchling.”

“I do. More than I should.”

His mouth came down on hers.

Chloe bit back a moan, giving herself up to his expert touch. His tongue traced the seam of her lips, demanding entry. She didn’t have the will to deny him.

His tongue invaded her mouth even as he rocked against her. Dimly Chloe wondered whether they should be concerned about their location. She’d never been into voyeurism and a whole host of wolves were trying to capture the flag beside them. At least, on paper they were.

Kieran broke away from her mouth to press his lips to her throat, tickling the sensitive skin.

Turning her head to give him better access, she looked out at the dark wood.

White flashed through the brushes.

That same wolf.
Looked like they had an audience after all.

“Stop,” she whispered.

“Why?” he replied, grinding his body against hers.

She bit her lip as her hips automatically moved with him. “Someone is here.”

“Want to go back to the cabin?”

Trek a mile through dark woods while wanting to jump the naked man at her side every second? Didn’t that sound like fun?

“Let me get a hand free,” she said, wiggling out from under him. Raising a hand to the sky, she whispered a simple spell.

Blue magic shimmered over them in a dome before fading from view.

“Privacy spell,” she said. “Now you’re all mine.”

M
ine.
That was his line.

Kieran stared down at the woman under him and tried to rein in the lust pounding through his body. All he wanted to do was strip her bare and run his lips over every inch of her creamy skin.

Gripping her T-shirt, he tugged it over her head in one smooth movement.

“Too many clothes,” he said.

In response, she snapped her fingers. The clasp on her bra popped open and she wiggled beneath him until the material fell from her.

“Magic makes everything better,” she said, grinning up at him.

“Perfection.” He drew his fingers down her body, tracing invisible designs over her skin. “I could stare at you forever.”

“I’m hoping for something a little more physical than a stare.”

“And I never leave a woman wanting.” He dipped his head to capture one of her taut nipples in his mouth.

A moan escaped her as he lapped his tongue over the sensitive flesh. She writhed beneath him, and it was all he could do to focus on the task at hand and not sink into her as he longed to do.

“More,” she whispered as he transferred his attention to her other breast.

Her fingers delved into his hair, holding him close to her. A quick glance at her face showed her head thrown back in pleasure, her eyes closed. Had he ever seen such a beautiful sight?

Whatever was happening between them, this was about more than sex. Never before had he experienced the raw, primal need to claim a woman as his own. Both his human side and his wolf agreed.

Chloe was theirs.

Shifting down her body, he ran his lips down her torso, reveling in the smooth skin beneath his fingertips. When he reached the top of her jeans he sat back to pull them from her body. She was more than happy to help, wiggling and kicking her legs free.

Task accomplished, she lay before him with only a scrap of black lace covering her from his view.

“Off,” he ordered.

Reaching down, she shimmied out of her panties without the slightest hesitation.

Kieran sat back, just looking at her in silence. It had never made sense before, that some people could be happy looking at one body for the rest of eternity. But now he understood. He doubted there would ever come a time when looking at Chloe would leave him anything other than desperate.

Propped up on her elbows, she stared back at him, arching a brow as if daring him to find fault with her. Such a ridiculous notion.

“I’ve said it before,” he murmured.

She arched a brow. “Said what?”

“Where have you been all my life?”

The grin that curved her lips seemed to light up the dark glen. “Silly wolf. I told you the right woman was out there.”

“And you’re always right,” he teased, prowling back over her body. “I can almost hear that becoming my mantra in future years.”

Years.
Had the word really come out of his mouth? He saw her blink in surprise but didn’t want to give either of them the chance to think too much. Right now was a time for action, not words.

He ran his lips over her navel as he pressed her thighs apart.

“Kieran,” she breathed.

He cast her a grin before moving between her legs. The first touch of his tongue had her arching off the ground.

“More,” she begged.

He traced along her slit, flicking over her wet folds. Her hand reached down to tangle in his hair, a wordless encouragement he had no intention of ignoring. Each stroke of his tongue had her breathing hard, squirming against his mouth as her pleasure built within. When his teeth grazed her clit he heard her muffled cry of pleasure.

“Again, again,” she chanted.

He continued his sensual torment, every instinct attuned to her pleasure. He wanted to bring her to the brink, have her desperate for one more touch, but not let her crash over that edge.

“Please,” she cried, rocking against his mouth.

With a last lick, he pulled away.

“No,” she protested when he climbed back up her body.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’re nowhere near done.”

He maneuvered himself between her legs, which she eagerly opened to accommodate him. His cock pressed against her, ready to drive into her heat.

“Damn,” he whispered, pausing at a thought that should have occurred to him before any of this started. “Birth control?”

She snorted. “I’m a witch. I drink a potion every month. We’re good.”

“Magic,” he murmured, leaning up to kiss her. “Such a blessing.”

“Please,” she repeated, undulating against him. “Now.”

Reaching down, he guided himself against her. “Ready?” he whispered into her ear, nibbling on her ear lobe.

“S
ince the day you walked into my office,” she confessed, staring up at the man who, in just a few more moments, would no longer be a pretend lover.

He thrust forward, forcing a cry from her lips. Chloe arched her back. Nothing was small about her were, and it took her a moment to adjust to the feeling of him so deeply seated within her.

“All right?” he asked, trailing his lips over hers.

“Yes.” She tilted her pelvis up toward his. Hearing his swift intake of breath brought a smile to her face. Bending her knees, she drew him in deeper even as he shifted to withdraw.

Chloe tossed her head back when he drove back into her. Each stroke was sure and strong, timed to her responses. She’d had some lovers who treated sex as a race, uncaring of whether or not she crossed the finish line with them. Not Kieran. His intense gaze watched for every movement, heard every moan. He matched his motions to her rising pleasure, ensuring a wave of need within her.

Chloe did her best to meet his thrusts, rising to meet each one. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders to hold him to her as she writhed underneath him.

“Almost,” she panted into his ear. His strokes increased in speed, matching the rising desire in them both. She rocked beneath him as she strove to wring that last missing drop of pleasure.

He drove deep within her and she shattered. Her cry reverberated in the dark woods around them as her orgasm crashed over her. Wave after wave of indescribable sensation battered her body even as she heard Kieran roar his own fulfillment. Every inch of her skin tingled with pleasure.

As she lay beneath her lover, reveling in the aftermath, she couldn’t stop the smile clinging to her lips. Kieran’s hot breath panted against the skin of her throat as he sought to catch his breath.

“Worth it,” she breathed, staring up at the stars above them.

No matter what happened next, she would never forget her werewolf lover. Not even if she lived hundreds of years.

“Told you,” he said, pulling her close. “I totally won.”

Her laugher echoed in the clearing around them. “Says you. I’m hanging that flag in the main hall before we go back to our cabin.”

“Mm.” He nuzzled against her throat. “Let’s do that immediately. The sooner we get back to the cabin, my witch, the sooner I can have you naked beneath me again.”

Though she’d just survived the most intensive orgasm of her life, her body clenched at his words.

“Yes,” she agreed. “That’s a plan I can get behind.”

As she gathered her clothes, Chloe knew she was in for a long night.

And looked forward to every second of it.

Chapter Sixteen

T
he sound of birds singing woke her.

Chloe opened her eyes, disorientation momentarily overtaking her. It took a minute to remember why sunlight was streaming into a cabin and not a penthouse. And a second more to realize the arm wrapped around her waist wasn’t a figment of her imagination.

A smile tugged at her lips. For the first time in ages, she was waking up next to someone. The experience wasn’t one she often repeated. Usually either she or her lovers would leave before sleeping arrangements came up. It wasn’t that she disliked the intimacy, but she’d always slept better in her own bed.

Not so last night. Curled in Kieran’s arms, she’d slept like the dead. There was something to be said for feeling all warm, safe and…cared for.

Trying to move as little as possible, she turned her head to glimpse the man behind her, only to find his brown eyes on her.

“You’re awake?” she whispered, spinning the rest of the way so that she faced him.

“Not long,” he replied. His arm tightened around her waist to pull her closer.

Chloe pillowed her hands under her head as she watched him. “Are you trying to think of a polite way to hustle me out of bed?” she teased.

He shook his head. “You’re exactly where you belong.”

Yes,
her inner voice agreed. For the first time in a century she was perfectly happy. Something deep inside her had clicked into place, banishing the worries that had followed her since the day she was born. Gone was the fear she’d make the wrong decision and lose the life she’d built, that she’d end up alone and scared once more. No matter how successful Fated Match grew or how secure her life became, those doubts had been impossible to scrub from her mind.

But right now they were silent.

Because I’m not alone anymore.
The M-word would send Kieran running for the hills, but she didn’t know any other way to explain what was happening to her. This wasn’t about sex. She wasn’t a stranger to taking lovers. Kieran was simply different. He was changing her, changing the direction she’d thought her life was taking.

She just prayed she was having the same effect on him.

“Deep thoughts,” he said, brushing a thumb over her cheek.

“Yeah.”

“Regrets?”

She shook her head. “Never. No matter how this plays out.”

A grin split his face. “I’ll tell you how this plays out. We get through a day full of my advisors snipping at our relationship then we fall back into bed tonight. Rinse and repeat until this retreat is over.”

“And then?”

“Then we go home,” he replied.

Home.
A pang of longing squeezed her heart. “Yours or mine?” she asked.

An infinitely gentle expression slid over his face. “I have a feeling they are the same thing.”

She nodded, her throat tight.

“We go home,” he continued. “And turn this charade into a reality.”

“A real relationship. I thought you were allergic to those.”

“Me, too. Then I wound up in your office, and you took a wrecking ball to my life.”

She propped herself up on his chest, staring down at him. “You say the sweetest things.”

Her wolf smiled, curling her hair around his fingers. “I never thought I’d be saying these things to another woman ever again.”

“Lisette did a real number on you.”

“An experience like that…”

“Can break you to pieces,” she said. Leaning down she pressed a light kiss over his heart. “Luckily, I love a challenge.”

“I’ll try,” he promised. “To be whole for you.”

She watched him silently. A tiny nugget of worry reformed. The truth of the matter was, her lover’s heart had been destroyed before they met. As much as she wanted to believe she was enough to reform it, there was always the chance that some wounds were just too deep. What if he could never love her the way she needed?

“We have time,” she said. Time to help him move beyond Lisette and look to the future.

“Time,” he agreed. “Though not at the moment. We’ll miss breakfast if we’re not careful.”

She groaned, dropping her forehead to his chest. “I don’t want to move.”

“Looks like I did something right last night.”

Chloe pushed away from him with a roll of her eyes. “Laugh it up, wolf. I’ll thank you to remember the white flag is hanging in the main hall. Everyone will know I won.”

“I still contest that point,” he said with a chuckle.

Yeah, she decided as she reached for her clothes. They’d both gotten exactly what they needed last night.

Her good mood lasted exactly until she sat down for breakfast with the older wolves. Niall smiled at her presence but the others treated her to stonily silent stares.

Round two,
she thought with a sigh, cutting into the pancakes before her.

“The last of the stragglers arrived last night,” Niall said. “Everyone’s accounted for. At least those of the pack who planned on coming. There are still a dozen or so out of state.”

“Good turn out this year,” Kieran replied.

“We have your girl to thank for that. Everyone wanted a look at the witch that finally got you to commit.”

Chloe glanced up from her food. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

“Nope,” Niall replied. “Highest numbers in five years.” He leaned closer to her and added, “You’ll be happy to know your popularity rose significantly when the others saw that white flag hanging over the stairs this morning.”

“You all wanted to see your alpha lose?”

Niall shook his head. “I think they wanted to see someone unafraid to beat him.”

“We’re still deciding exactly who beat whom,” Kieran put in. “I, for one, am looking forward to a rematch tonight.”

Heat bloomed on her cheeks as she dug her elbow into her lover’s side but that only earned her the chuckles of both men sitting beside her.

“The hunt is scheduled for tonight,” Darrel’s steely voice cut in. “You will be otherwise engaged, Kieran.”

That cut the laughter short.

“Hunt?” Chloe asked quickly, hoping to diffuse the tension. “Sounds like fun.”

Darrel’s eyes flicked to her. “This is one event you will not be participating in, magic or no.”

“Why do you assume—”

Kieran squeezed her hand under the table. “Think, Chloe,” he whispered. “We’re a group of wolves and these woods are full of life. Do you really want to run by my side as I take down a deer?”

“Ah, ick,” she said. “Count me out.”

The look on Darrel’s face made her wish she was far more bloodthirsty than she was.

“What other events do you have planned for the retreat?” she asked. “I’m looking forward to meeting all of the pack.”

Her dining mates exchanged glances at her announcement.

“Why not use this time to relax?” Darrel offered instead. “I’m sure your city life is hectic. Setting up all those dates and what not.”

She narrowed her eyes. “It is,” she agreed. “However, I came to support Kieran and meet those important to him. I’m not going to sit in my cabin and read the days away.”

The man sitting next to Darrel cleared his throat. “I’m sure Darrel meant nothing of the sort,” he said diplomatically. “We’re just trying to think long term. There is no need for you to…tax yourself.”

“Vance,” Kieran growled in warning.

“Why?” Chloe asked. “Because I won’t be around next year so you don’t want to raise your pack’s hopes?”

Vance met her gaze head on, not looking away. “Exactly.”

By her side Kieran tensed. He’d leap to her defense if she let him, but he’d wanted to find a strong fake lover for a reason. Laying a hand on his arm, she turned to face the table. “Let me make something clear,” she said, addressing all the advisors. “I know you don’t like me and I don’t particularly care. Yours is not the opinion that matters. Theirs is.” She gestured to the rest of the room, the wolves happily eating their breakfast and chatting among themselves. “This pack is more than a disapproving group of ten. If Clearwater, as a united front, took issue with a witch being with your alpha, I might give the concerns some credence. All I am hearing right now is a bigoted group of old wolves refusing to step into the twenty-first century. I’m a witch. Big deal. My genes don’t change the way I feel about Kieran, or the fact that I want to be a part of this pack.”

Kieran squeezed her hand in encouragement when she paused. Smiling at him she said, “I have no intention of going anywhere, so I will spend this time getting to know the people who matter to my lover. And as far as I’ve seen, they are more interested in their alpha being happy than the magic in my blood. Perhaps you should take your cues from your people rather than your prejudice.”

Silence greeted her words, but she wasn’t blind to the anger in several pairs of eyes. It would take more than a handful of days to win these people over, but if she and Kieran had the time she hoped they would, then she’d crack them eventually. Right now, though, she had no intention of suffering through more thinly veiled insults.

“In fact, I think I’ll start getting to know your pack this morning,” she said to Kieran, leaning over to press a kiss to his lips. “Enjoy you’re breakfast, darling.”

He caught her when she would have drawn back, and deepened the kiss. Chloe smiled against his lips, feeling his approval. Warmth bloomed inside her to know she had a partner who liked when she stood up for herself, even though his wolf must have been chomping at the bit to do it himself.

“Try not to eat anyone alive,” he whispered against her lips.

“I’ll be good. Don’t make your advisors suffer too much for this.”

“Just a little,” he agreed.

Grinning, she grabbed her plate and stood then scanned the other tables for a familiar face. Spotting Kate, she made a beeline for the woman. She meant what she said to Darrel. She wanted to get to know Kieran’s people, and she couldn’t do that with her lover attached to her side.

“Looking for a table?” Kate asked when she grew close.

“A little friendly conversation wouldn’t go amiss,” she said.

The group of women exchanged glances before they scooted down on the benches to make room.

“If you want to eat with us,” one said, “then the price is the story of how you bested the alpha last night.”

Chloe grinned as she took her seat. “That’s a tale I’ll happily tell a dozen times.”

As she launched into the explanation of how she’d used her magic, she glanced over at Kieran. The approval in his eyes was impossible to miss.

Maybe this can work
.
Maybe I really can have a place here.
Not just a lover, but a pack.

A family.