Evergreen Island Werewolves 2: Alyra and Jared Read online

  “Jared.” What was she asking? Did she want him to stop or to hurry up? Not sure herself, she bit her tongue and vowed to remain quiet. She couldn’t risk an impulsive declaration of love escaping her. It would be so humiliating to reveal her deepest emotions in light of the fact he was only in bed with her because of his anger over losing Elise to Mical.

  He suckled the nipple into his mouth, while his free hand continued to roll the nipple of her other breast, occasionally pinching it with enough force to almost cause pain, while emphasizing the swollen, aroused state of the bud. Driven to share something more, but knowing she couldn’t express her true emotions, she arched her back, straining against his hand holding her arms over her head, in an attempt to offer more. He accepted the gift by taking in more of her breast, and his tongue flicked across her nipple with teasing strokes. She moaned at the touch, filled with satisfaction. Did it matter if the satisfaction was somewhat empty, that it lacked emotional depth?

  When he took his time exploring her breasts with his hand and mouth, building her excitement to a fever pitch, she decided it didn’t matter. All that mattered was physical sensation. It would have to sustain her for a long time, so she should wring every drop of pleasure from the experience. Jared continued his teasing caresses, making Alyra’s impatience grow, as did the wet heat flooding her pussy. She ached for him to finish what he had started. Only her need for release could rival her need to have him touch her indefinitely. She yearned for him to take her, while dreading the moment when he would withdraw and leave her.

  She experienced a spark of hope when he released her wrists and brought both of his hands to the waistband of her pajama pants. As he stopped straddling her, she lifted her hips to assist him in removing the pajamas and panties underneath. When he didn’t return to her, but instead stepped onto the floor, her heart dropped. Had it all been a game? Was this her punishment, to bring her this far before rejecting her? Maintaining her silence, she watched with hurt eyes as he walked away from her.

  He stopped after two steps and began shedding his clothes. Her eyes widened with appreciation when she saw his muscled torso. He had well-defined abs, and his arms rippled with lithe, lean muscle when he moved.

  Her eyes dropped to his hands when he unbuttoned his jeans and slid down the zipper. Jared kicked off his shoes and removed his pants slowly, making her mouth water with anticipation.

  When he stood completely naked before her, she parted her thighs without thought and reached for him, only then realizing she had left her arms over her head where he placed them earlier. He moved with the same wolfish grace in human-form as he did in his other form, each muscle tautening and releasing with his fluid steps. Her stomach quivered when he returned to the bed, kneeling by her feet.

  Jared’s hands were warm and large on her thighs when he pushed them apart. His body filled the space created when he lay on his stomach. His breath wafted over her inflamed pussy, and Alyra gasped at the sensations it provoked. He hadn’t even tasted her yet, but she was ready to come.

  His tongue moved with sure, certain strokes over her pussy, tracing her swollen lips before plunging into her slit. He sought out her clit with deliberate intent, and she cried out at the first swipe of his tongue across the bud. Alyra arched her hips, wanting more of his magical tongue, and receiving it when the appendage swept lower. She gasped when he probed deeper. Imagining the exact moment when his cock would replace his tongue, joining them as one for a short period, increased her arousal, bringing her to the verge of orgasm.

  He spent a minute testing the depths of her before returning to her clit. This time, Jared drew her clit gently into his mouth. Her heart raced in her ears as he continued sucking, and heat radiated outward from his mouth, flooding her body with warmth. The warmth turned to fire as release swept over her, and she cried out his name, barely able to hold in the words she longed to say as pleasure consumed her. Love and desire swirled together into one intense emotion, and she couldn’t hope to separate them.

  Before she could gather her scattered thoughts, Jared repositioned himself between her thighs, his cock aligned with her pussy. She lifted her hips, wanting to sheath his cock before the last spasms of pleasure faded away, but he eased back, preventing her from doing so. His eyes locked with hers, his expression serious.

  “I am claiming you, Alyra. Do you acquiesce to my claim?”

  She gritted her teeth, wanting to scream at him to enter her. “Please, Jared…”

  “Do you accept me?”

  “Oh.” Alyra tossed her head with frustration. Her hips inched up, but he put a hand on her stomach, holding her down. “Can’t we talk about this later?” His cock had to be throbbing for release. Why did he have to ruin the moment with talk of mating, when he knew it was impossible? Why did he want to break her heart with tantalizing visions of a reality that could never exist?

  “You are my mate. Do you give way?” As he asked yet again, he circled his hips, gyrating the head of his cock around her opening and brushing against her clit.

  The sensations were too powerful to ignore. His manipulation annoyed her, but she was beyond caring about the consequences. “Dammit, yes. Claim me. Now!”

  At her words, he surged inside her, his cock filling her to her stretching point, making her groan. It almost hurt to be so filled, but she didn’t ask him to withdraw. After wanting it for so long, there was no way she would reject his lovemaking. Sneaky bastard must have realized that, she thought to herself. Still, she was too consumed with ecstasy to voice her annoyance.

  Jared’s pace was hard and forceful, staking his claim while pinning her to the mattress. She was so at his mercy that she could barely thrust in return. In fact, she could only hold on for the ride and let his movements sweep her along with him. The pleasure was just as intense as it would have been if she had set the pace.

  As his cock surged deeply inside her, convulsions once more built in her pussy, sweeping outward to overwhelm her with a powerful orgasm. With a groan, he gave in to his own need for release and expelled his satisfaction inside her in hot spurts.

  After it was over, he stayed inside her for several moments, but neither of them spoke. She didn’t know what he was feeling, and his inscrutable expression betrayed nothing, but she knew how she felt: like a fool. How could she have let things get so far out of hand? Making love with Jared was the biggest mistake she had ever made. He didn’t want her. He only wanted someone to lash out at, and she was convenient.

  As if to reinforce the thought, he withdrew from her and rolled onto his side, his back to her. Still, he didn’t speak, and she refused to break the fragile silence, lest she reveal more than she wanted to about her emotions.

  In retaliation, Alyra rolled onto her side away from Jared. The first streak of tears caught her by surprise, and she muffled her face with the pillow to mute any sounds she made. Having him catch her crying would be the ultimate humiliation.

  No, that was reserved for tomorrow, when he withdrew his claim. She knew it was coming and had to prepare herself for it. That’s what she wanted, wasn’t it? Tonight had been a one-time thing. She had embraced the idea of having her fantasy fulfilled, even if the opportunity sprang from his anger, but she didn’t want to be his mate. She couldn’t be his mate. As an Omega, no one would accept her as Lupina. She wouldn’t be good enough, and without his love, it would be impossible to face such a daunting challenge.

  It was much better to let him extricate himself from the claiming, pretend it had never happened, and get off the island. It was the cost of getting her dream, and she tried to tell herself it was worth never seeing him again to have had one night in his arms. Despite the hollow feeling in her chest, she almost had herself convinced when her eyes finally closed, and she slept.

  Chapter Two

  Jared faced his parents across the breakfast table, finding it difficult to focus on anything either of them said. Thoughts of the night spent with Alyra consumed him, just as equally uncomfortable rememb
rances of the way he had sneaked from her house plagued his conscience. What kind of way was that to behave with his future wife? It wasn’t right to leave her bed at the crack of dawn, with only a note summoning her to the main house at one o’clock as his parting. He hoped she had appreciated the time he gave her to collect herself, but doubted it. It was more likely Alyra was fuming over his desertion and probably questioning his intent to truly claim her.

  His mouth quirked with a hint of amusement when he imagined the glee that idea would give her. She might be convincing herself at this very moment that he was commanding the afternoon’s meeting to tell her he had come to his senses. If he withdrew his claim, she would be ecstatic. Too bad for her that he had no intention of doing so.

  “Jared, where are you this morning?”

  Charlotte’s shrill tone of annoyance cut into his musings, and he blinked to clear his thoughts. “What, Mother?”

  “You’ve been so quiet, practically ignoring Vasek and I. What troubles you?”

  With a deep breath, Jared leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and ignoring his mother’s reproving look. They would find out about Elise soon enough, and it was better coming from him. “Elise is gone.”

  Vasek put down his fork, a frown furrowing his heavy brows. A hundred pounds and twenty years ago, he had looked much like Jared, but now, complacency had given him the trappings of middle age. It seemed as though he hadn’t considered the possibility that someone younger or in better shape might challenge him for the position of Alpha. “Gone? Gone where?”

  “Has she gone to Seattle to see about her wedding dress? Olivia mentioned she was having some problems with the designer.”

  Jared shook his head, resting his hands together to appear placid. “No, I mean, she has gone, left the island, and the Sundown Pack.”

  An undignified spray of orange juice escaped Charlotte’s pursed mouth. “What?”

  His father shook his head. “You’re mistaken. Niall wouldn’t allow --”

  “You’re wrong, Father. She ran off with an Omega pack-member. I confronted her myself.”

  Vasek’s dark eyes widened. “And you didn’t stop her? What’s wrong with you, boy? You could have taken an Omega.”

  His shoulder lifted in a half-shrug. “I might have been able to, but it wouldn’t have mattered. She loved him, not me. I could have forced her to stay, but she never would have belonged to me.” Jared forced his voice to remain steady. Betraying any hint of the anger and helplessness he had felt at Elise’s desertion would make it that much more difficult to convince his father he was pleased with the turn of events. His parents were going to fight having Alyra made Lupina, and if he showed any doubt, they would exploit it.

  Charlotte shook her head. “That’s foolish talk, Jared. Love isn’t important in a match like yours. You must get her back before anyone else learns of her exploits.”

  He shook his head. “I released her from her vow to marry me.”

  Vasek’s jaw dropped as he struggled to suppress his anger. “Un-release her. You must marry that girl before the ascension.”

  “No.” A direct challenge to his father was risky, but Jared decided confrontation was the only way to get them to listen. Respectful obedience was expected, but it wouldn’t do anything to further his agenda in this instance. “I have made up my mind. I wouldn’t want Elise now anyway. She has been with another man.”

  His mother nodded, clasping her chest. Her linen napkin was still in her hand, clutched in a death grip. “That is understandable. As future Alpha, you deserve a pure mate, one who belongs only to you. We must find a substitute.” She glanced at Vasek, frowning. “Would Gerard’s daughter be acceptable, do you think?”

  As his father nodded, Jared shook his head. “For God’s sake, Lauren is seventeen. I won’t marry a child.”

  “Unless you can think of an alternative, she’ll have to do. Other girls that are suitable for you haven’t been trained properly.” Color tinged her cheeks. “No doubt, many have gone out on full moons.”

  She didn’t need to elaborate. In wolf-form, during a full moon, it was almost impossible to stifle the sexual impulse. None of the other girls his mother would consider suitable would be virgins. Not that Alyra had been either, but that wasn’t information she needed.

  “As a matter of fact, I have solved the problem. I’ve claimed a mate, and it only requires formalizing via a legal ceremony.”

  “Who?” Vasek asked the question with an air of tense expectation.

  “Alyra Edwards.”

  His father shook his head, his expression one of confusion, even as his mother gasped.

  “You can’t be serious. She’s the horse trainer, and just an Omega.” Charlotte fanned herself with the napkin. “This is no time for jokes.”

  “I’m not joking.” He looked his mother fully in the eyes. “By the old traditions, she is now my mate. By the new traditions, a wedding must take place. I leave it to you to organize. I see no reason why we can’t use the same date Elise and I had reserved.”

  “You’ll be a laughingstock. You can’t marry that girl, and certainly not on the day you were supposed to marry Elise.” Charlotte’s vehemence brought a crimson flush to her cheeks.

  He shrugged. “Gossip will die, but at least I will be mated by the ascension. You know what happens if I have no mate.”

  Vasek was nodding, wearing a resigned expression. “It’s never been done, but there isn’t a law that says you can’t discard the girl after the ascension.” He stroked the stubbly beard on his chin. “Yes, why not? We’ll reward her handsomely, and she can disappear. With a large enough payoff, I’m certain this Omega will give up her position in the pack. We can put the blame on her for running off. Once a suitable time has passed, you’ll divorce her and find a proper mate.”

  It was a struggle to keep from rolling his eyes, but Jared managed not to. He bit down on his tongue to refute his father’s assumption, knowing now wasn’t the time to continue arguing, since his parents were coming around to the idea. Personally, he didn’t need their approval, but he knew their support would be invaluable among the pack. It would also make things easier on Alyra if they weren’t openly opposed to the match. “She’s joining us for lunch.”

  “Here?” His mother couldn’t hide her aversion. “It’s bad enough to go through with this farce, but you expect me to entertain her?”

  Enough. Jared slid back his chair, gaining his feet. He gripped the chair back while alternating his gaze between them. “I expect you to be civil. I expect you to help throw together a wedding, and I expect you to maintain a positive attitude, regardless of your true feelings.”

  Her eyes widened with hurt, as his father’s voice exploded from his end of the table. “Respect your mother, boy.”

  Jared nodded. “I do respect her, and you. That’s why I’m giving you plenty of time to come to terms with this, rather than springing Alyra on you this afternoon. She will be here at one.” He turned on his heel to stride from the room, not looking back. A surge of confidence filled him. Things were going to work out. It would take some careful planning, but soon, all would be as it should.

  * * *

  Alyra waffled between obedience and open defiance by not responding to Jared’s summons. Her decision would have been easier if she didn’t have the fear that he had summoned her to release her. That thought sent a pang shooting through her chest, forcing her to sit on the bed. Absently, she smoothed a hand down her riding breeches while trying to brace herself for his change of heart. Last night had been incredible, more amazing than she could ever have anticipated, and she didn’t think she had imagined Jared’s response. It had been incredible for him too, but now that he was clearheaded, he surely had realized he couldn’t claim her. No doubt, that was why he had left before she awakened, with only a note ordering her to come to him that afternoon.

  It would be a relief to have him withdraw his claim. She tried to convince herself of that as she got to her feet
to walk to the door. Alyra couldn’t refuse him now, after accepting him and mating, but he could still withdraw. It was a gray area in pack law, but she wasn’t going to make an issue of it with the Elders. She wanted him to reject her. It was for the best.

  Then why did her heart hurt so much at the idea? Why were tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she navigated the path to the main house? Why couldn’t her stupid heart see that she couldn’t be with Jared, and it would only hurt more in the end if she had him for a short time?

  Alyra was already stepping through the servants’ entrance before she wondered if she should have gone around front. With a shake of her head, she discarded that idea, knowing only visitors used the front entrance. As an Omega and employee of the Sundown family, she wouldn’t have been welcomed at the ornate front door. Griffin, the butler, would greet her politely on the grounds if he ran into her, but should she arrive via the front entrance, his nose would wrinkle, and there would be no mistaking his disapproval.

  The mudroom that doubled as the servants’ entrance led directly into the enormous kitchen, filled with industrial-sized appliances and every convenience imaginable. Betsy, the day cook, stood at the stove, stirring something that made Alyra’s nostrils twitch with interest. Her mouth watered, and she paused by the older woman to sniff the contents of the pot. “Smells good.”

  Betsy jumped, and then turned to Alyra, shaking her head. Her girth filled most of the space in front of the stove, forcing Alyra to lean over to get a better look. “What is it?”

  “It’s a sauce for the duck.”

  “I wish we lowly servants ate this well.” She traded a grin with Betsy, before letting it fade from her face. “Have you seen Mr. Sundown?”

  “Older or younger?”

  “Jared.”