With Her Capture (10 page)

He lowered his head and
focused on her. Something in his eyes had changed. She recognized
pure carnal satisfaction. But she now understood what she’d
smelled. Ayden had been serious about laying his kill at her paws.
Not only had this powerful, protective male found her, but he’d
just laid his claim on her. How would she ever leave him
now?

Chapter Seven

Ayden followed Magda
over the makeshift bridge she’d created by causing a tree to fall.
The tree was tall enough that its trunk stretched over the rushing
water with roots splayed on the bank they’d been on and branches
stretched across the snow covered ground on the other side. It had
taken a moment to smell the truth of what happened when it fell.
He’d heard few howlings over the years about Malta werewolves—that
they moved things with their minds. That didn’t make it any less
incredible witnessing it.

Magda had smelled more
upset after the tree fell than him. Probably because she wasn’t
used to anyone, possibly other than her litter, witnessing what she
could do without whoever saw it wanting to hunt her down after.
Ayden had no problem showing her that it didn’t bother
him.

Maybe it was growing up
on a mountain with so many other species nearby. He’d known since
he was a pup that everyone in the world wasn’t just like him. His
sire raised him and Anthony to respect others, such as the
leopards, owls and
lunewulf
. Each had their assets and flaws. The way it smelled to
Ayden, Malta werewolf were different, but not so flawed they needed
annihilated. The one trotting in front of him definitely needed
kept around, cherished and protected.

He watched her ass sway
in front of him and focused on the extra shiny glimpses he caught
under her tail where he knew she was still wet. Later he would
bathe her. He couldn’t wait to do so. But he wouldn’t deprive her
of a good hunt first. Ayden imagined it had been a while since
Magda had enjoyed the luxury of being the hunter instead of the
hunted.

As they leapt off the
fallen tree the sun gleamed over Magda’s silky black coat. He’d
never seen a werewolf with her coloring. Black as night. Smooth and
satiny, and so incredibly soft to the touch. Not like his rough,
thick coat. Ayden imagined she felt the cold a lot more than he
did. If so, Magda wasn’t showing it. She moved with eager
enthusiasm ahead of him and looked back only after she’d jumped
gracefully off the tree.

A tree she still
smelled very proud of making fall with her powers. She’d tested
him, wanted a rise out of him, fear or anger. Hopefully he’d shown
her that she wouldn’t chase him off with some trick of her
mind.

Ayden knew they were
different. Hell, her coat was black and his white. But their
markings weren’t what made them different. It was the way of their
packs, how they’d been whelped and raised by their litters. Since
his teenage years before fully maturing there had been howling that
he’d make a good pack leader. Ayden entered into adulthood with the
respect of his pack, and with knowing all that he saw around him
was his to control and protect.

Magda, he imagined, had
lived a secluded life. Her litter probably had a den in a hidden,
remote area. Since she’d survived into adulthood, there had to have
been times when she’d known good hunting. Yet now she was alone.
She’d entered his world running for her life. She didn’t question
that she needed to stay hidden. It was likely the only way she’d
ever run.

It might be wrong but
he liked the idea of keeping her away from everyone else—and to
himself. It had felt so damn good being buried deep inside her
pussy, and he planned on being inside her again soon. More than
that, he wanted to explore what was between them, because he
smelled more than lust.

It sucked that he
wouldn’t be able to take her to his den. That wasn’t an option. He
sensed that Magda believed he didn’t understand the way of it with
her. But he did. Ayden knew there was no way he could take her into
his pack. He might have the respect of all he knew, but that
wouldn’t allow him the right to prance into his world with a Malta
werewolf. Now that she carried his scent it would only mean that
his pack would hunt both of them down.

Magda slowed and
stopped, turning and waiting for his lead. Her mouth was open and
she panted with a delectable smile on her face. Her long, graceful
tail wagged and her scent smelled happy. He picked up on something
else. Defiance, maybe a challenge. He read it and thought he
understood. Magda still believed he should react more to her
uprooting the tree. He’d responded physically. He’d been startled.
But he hadn’t given her the emotional reaction that she wanted.
Although he thought making love to her was one hell of an emotional
reaction, he prepared himself for whatever she might do
next.

They easily picked up
on the scent of an elk herd and hunted side by side. It was a
glorious experience. Together, they chose their prey and went in
for the kill with satisfying aggressiveness. The fresh meat tasted
wonderful. A bright sun spilled warmth over Magda’s flesh once her
belly was full. No one disturbed them. The world seemed void of
anyone other than Ayden and her.

Magda stretched over
flat, cool rocks where the wind this high on the mountain had
cleared all snow. She basked in the sunlight. It was important to
focus on the good when it came along. They’d had wonderful sex.
Ayden had taken her hunting. They’d just stuffed themselves on
fresh elk meat. He wasn’t appalled by her gift.

Ayden was damn near too
good to be true.

Magda stretched,
content not to move for a while. This was as close to paradise as
it got, she thought to herself. Then, with lids at half mask, she
took in Ayden’s well sculptured body. He looked powerful,
dangerous, and so incredibly confident in his world. Her scent was
on him. If they fucked again it might remain embedded in his flesh
for weeks. If they kept fucking it would eventually bond with his
scent and, like her, both would smell
mated—permanently.

According to their
ancient laws and traditions they were already mated. Although some
claimed a true mating occurred when a male and female had sex in
their fur and in their flesh. So they were half way there. Not that
she thought their mating was a good idea. But to hell with ancient
traditions and laws. They hadn’t helped her so far in life.
Besides, Magda was dying to fuck Ayden in their human form.
Although, and she fought not to smell sad over the thought, doing
so would be a death sentence for Ayden if his pack found out whose
scent was on him.

Ayden stared off the
edge of the cliff where he lay next to her. Unlike her, he appeared
anything but relaxed. He rested on his haunches but muscles ripped
underneath his shiny, thick white coat. She studied his profile,
his serious, alert expression. She took in the thick muscle tone
around his shoulders that led down to his firm stomach. His hind
legs were perfectly shaped. There wasn’t a flaw on
him.

And if she continued
lying next to him drooling, he’d smell her lust.

She cleared her
thoughts and shifted her attention to where he looked. From their
vantage point Magda saw where they’d run to get here. The tree
still rested from the edge of one bank to the other over the river.
Beyond that, buried in the thick trees on the other side of the
river, was her cave, her den for now.

Maybe he wouldn’t pick
up on her scent if she continued adoring how perfect he was. If she
began imagining how sex would be with him in their human form, he
might not even glance her direction when she turned ripe with
desire. Ayden was in pure protective mode. It dawned on her that he
was allowing her to enjoy the sun, her full stomach, and the
sensation of peace. He, on the other hand, was making sure no one
ruined her moment of happiness.

And she was. It hadn’t
crossed her mind that she might be attacked and killed the entire
time they hunted. Nor had she worried about who might spot her when
she enjoyed their fresh kill. Even now, stretched out on this cliff
near the top of the mountain, Magda wasn’t in fear for her
life.

Ayden had given that to
her. She wouldn’t deny it and when she was able to speak again she
would thank him. He honored her, not for what breed she was, but
for the female she was. Had anyone other than her sire and mother
ever done that for her before?

If she weren’t careful
she would confuse the smell of his protecting her with something
else. She shouldn’t fall for him simply because he offered her
something that no other male had ever given her. She definitely
couldn’t continue to run by his side simply because he offered
protection.

But how, in her world,
would she differentiate safety and protection from love? Not that
she was trying to sniff out love or a mate, but she needed to
understand the difference.

She argued that she
hadn’t asked for Ayden to enter her life. She hadn’t sought him out
or tried tricking him into being with her. Quite the opposite she
assured herself. So where was the harm in running by his side,
hunting with him, fucking him?
And falling hard for
him.

Magda looked away
quickly when she growled her last thought out loud. Ayden turned
his head slowly, his action relaxed, comfortable, and pressed his
nose into the side of her face. He inhaled, appeared satisfied that
nothing was wrong with her, and with the same controlled movement,
returned his attention to where he watched their world around
them.

There was no escaping
her thoughts, however. Magda would eventually despise herself if
she remained with Ayden simply because he protected her.
Correction. She doubted she’d ever despise him. It would be selfish
on her part to let him continue protecting her. If there were a
world where they ran as equals, where she didn’t fear for his life,
and he continued by her side, things would be different. Maybe then
she would know love if she smelled it. But as things were now, it
was impossible not to feel gratitude for what he offered her. Yet
that wasn’t love.

Magda’s thoughts
darkened when an ugly truth sank deep into her brain. Her heart
constricted and suddenly it was too hard to breathe. If she did
care about him, she needed to stop him from running by her
side.

Just looking at him
lying next to her, so proud and content, was her confirmation that
he wouldn’t survive in her world. Ayden wasn’t meant to be hunted,
or worse yet, hated and despised. There would never be a world
where she could run as he did.

Ayden knew a world of
power, confidence that all who saw him respected him. He was alpha
to all around him. And he would lose all of that if he chose to run
with a Malta werewolf bitch. He’d lose his pack, his den, more than
likely even any litter he had. Everyone would shun him. His death
would be ordered right along with hers just because of the bad
choice he’d made in choosing a mate.

The best thing to do,
if she cared about him, was to run and never see him
again.

Ayden stood abruptly
and gave her a sharp bark. When she stood, he rubbed his head to
hers and nipped at her fur. It felt so right, so incredibly good.
Even though she’d grown sullen with her thoughts, he instantly
created sparks inside her that ignited into flames when he pressed
against her. Already she wanted to fuck him again.

He started back,
running in their footprints embedded deep in the snow that they’d
created climbing to the cliff. She followed, enjoying the view. His
ass barely moved as he ran ahead of her but muscles rippled under
his thick coat. Ayden was a lot taller than she was, but she still
saw how his hips narrowed into his loin. His body was thick and
powerful looking from his shoulders into his back. Magda doubted
she’d ever tire of watching him run.

They returned over her
bridge. The two of them then broke into a hard run and didn’t stop
until they reached her cave.

Magda entered, feeling
the change nip at her when she stopped by her clothes on the cave
floor. As her body changed, bittersweet emotions tugged at her
heart before the transformation was complete. She focused on the
tiny, explosive shocks in her spine when it shifted in order to
accommodate her human form. Bones stretched while her heart pounded
against her ribs, insuring blood flow while she went through the
change.

Her hide began thinning
until flesh covered her body. Her long black coat receded. Tiny
hairs replaced it, which wasn’t enough to keep the frigid air in
the cave from instantly making her shiver relentlessly. All the
thoughts she’d had while in her fur bombarded her. Magda fought not
to start crying before she stood on two feet.

“
Magda,” Ayden said
from behind her.

The change still burned
inside her. Even as she shivered in the dark cave and worked to
focus her human eyes, her hearing remained acute enough to hear the
dark rumble in his human voice. Pressure swelled in her pussy. The
strong aroma of their recent sex mixed in with her unbearable urge
to fuck him again. She breathed in its pungent smell while moisture
soaked her shaved flesh between her legs. Running from him would be
impossible to do if she didn’t act soon.