10. Ciaryn
10
CIARYN
S tella is sleeping soundly when I wake the next morning.
I take in her slumbering form and again marvel at my good fortune. She is lovely. The dark golden strands of her hair are fanned out behind her. The freckles on her cheeks look like stars. Her pale skin is smooth and flushed. Only a hint of her breasts are bared by the silk sheet still wrapped around her.
My savage bite mars her delicate shoulder. The scar will be prominent. Self-satisfaction ripples through me at the physical proof of my claim. With my come still in her pussy and my bite on her shoulder, there is no question she has been thoroughly and completely mated.
Memories of last night come rushing back. She is such a responsive mate. Coaxing her to climax does not take long, and that pleases me greatly. My knot had released a few hours ago and allowed me to slip from her body. She had awoken briefly, but I mollified her with a kiss, and she was sleeping soundly once more.
Despite having spent much of the night inside her, my cock and knot are coming alive to claim her again. Now that she is my mate and has been welcomed into the den, everything is different. To keep Stella safe, I must step up and lead the pack. I have their submission as their alpha, but I long for their respect. Once I secure it, they will be loyal not only to me but to Stella as well.
I will be a worthy alpha to my pack just as I will be a worthy male to my mate. Stella is worth the effort. I will strive to make it so she never regrets choosing me and forsaking her human life. She will want for nothing, and I will see to all her needs.
Possessiveness floods my chest, and I wrap her tightly in my arms. Her backside brushes my hard cock, and she shifts against me with a sleepy moan. Slowly, her blue eyes blink open and find mine. She smiles lazily, turning towards me in the cradle of my arms.
“Morning,” she sighs.
I kiss her softly before pulling back.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, skimming my claws down her spine.
“Sore,” she admits with a wrinkle of her nose. “You are quite the vigorous and demanding lovemaker.”
I chuckle softly, pressing my forehead against hers.
“How can I not be with a mate as perfect as you? I’m only loving you as thoroughly as you deserve.”
Stella inhales softly, her eyes going wide.
“You—you love me?”
My eyes bore into hers, letting her glimpse the depths of my soul.
“From the moment you saved me from those hunters, you have owned my heart. Honestly, maybe even before when I caught your scent on the wind and ventured too close to your village.” I kiss her soft brow. “I love you more than anything in this world.”
Salt perfumes the air, and I glance down to see Stella’s eyes rimmed with red.
“Ciaryn, I?—”
A sharp howl echoes through the den. The sound of unease causes my ears to perk up and my lips to curl into a snarl. My head whips towards the opening of our dwelling. With my heightened hearing, I can make out the sounds of claws clicking along the stone floor and heading toward the den’s entrance.
“What’s going on?” Stella asks
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t sound good,” I say, kissing her lips. “Stay here.”
Sliding on an old pair of shorts, I prowl down the corridor and charge towards the front of the den. A few members of the pack fall into step beside me, nodding in respect as we hustle towards the front of the cavern.
“Who raised the alarm?” A young wolfman named Puk asks me.
“I have no idea.”
We hustle as a unit until we meet up with the other pack members. I nod to the others gathered around me. Brydon meets my eye with concern, lifting his snout towards the clearing awash in the morning sun. A quick head count tells me the whole pack is present except for one: Lukar.
Remaining in darkness, I peer into the clearing. The brown wolfman is easy enough to locate. A brigade of twelve heavily armed human hunters stand in a line a few feet from our den. A bruised and battered Lukar lays bound at their feet. After a few moments, the lead hunter steps forward and unholsters his gun.
He isn’t a particularly tall man, but the arsenal of his weaponry makes him a threat. Silver bullets drape along his chest, as well as a smattering of silver knives glinting at his hips. The others of his hunting party are dressed similarly. His dark hair is greased back from his face, exposing beady eyes and pockmarked cheeks. Thin lips peel back to reveal chipped yellow teeth.
“We know you're in there!” he calls. “Hand over the girl, and we’ll let him go.”
His worn boot connects soundly with Lukar’s ribs—the wolf grunts and curls in on himself.
“Found your friend here all alone in The Woods . Had to use a little force, but he told us where you were in time.” The hunter chuckles. “Also told us of the girl you’ve taken. She matches the description of the one we’ve been hired to bring back. Her boss told us she’d never willingly go with you lot, and after we found those bodies at her place, well…”
He trails off. None of my pack makes a move. From the steam coming from Lukar’s wounds, I can tell they used silver on him. Under that type of pain, I can’t fault him for confessing even as red settles over my vision. If these hunters want Stella, they’ll have to get through me. I will never hand her over—I’d rather die.
“Just give her to us, and we’ll go.” The man kicks Lukar again, and my teeth grind together. “Or we’ll kill him and put a bullet in each one of you.”
The others bear their teeth at the threat, and I follow them. Inhaling deeply, I let Stella’s sweet scent calm me. Lowering onto my haunches, I’m ready to strike. The others follow my lead, ready to pounce once I give the command. Stella is pack, and no one will take her from us.
“Alright, have it your way,” the hunter sighs. “I’ll count to ten. Produce the girl, or I’ll shoot him.”
He trains his long gun on Lukar’s head. The male gives a whine, pulling at the silver-laced ropes tethering him. These are experienced hunters who won’t go down without a fight.
“One,” the hunter calls. “Two. Three. F?—”
“Wait!” A familiar voice echoes in the cavern behind us.
There is a flash of gold before I register Stella’s petite frame running headlong through the den’s opening. She breaks through our lines before anyone can grab her and stands exposed in the clearing. I don’t think about my safety and rush towards her side. She whirls towards me, shaking her head and urging me to stay back.
I do as she says, even if I am in agony. Every protective instinct I have is screaming at me to grab her and haul her back into the safety of the den. Brave and beautiful, Stella shows no fear as she turns towards the under. Her gown is unlaced as if she merely threw it on and left. It hangs from her shoulders and drags on the ground.
My mark is on full display in the morning sun. It doesn’t escape the hunter’s notice. Their lustful gazes on her soon give way to disgust. The lead hunter points his gun at her, and she holds up her delicate hands.
“You need to leave this place. Tell Old Bill I was not kidnapped but came here of my own volition.”
The leader sketches a brow before laughing in disgust.
“You can’t expect us to believe that girl. Look at that mark—surely you didn’t ask for that. Bad enough, one of these beasts has already rutted upon you.” He spits on the ground. “You wish to remain with these animals?”
“Yes,” she says clearly. “I love their alpha, and he loves me. This is where I’m meant to be.”
My heart expands in my chest. To hear my mate claim me openly and boldly sets my blood on fire. If not for the present danger, I’d already be between her thighs, giving us both pleasure.
Her confession is met with a disgusted snarl by the lead hunter.
“Stupid girl. It is a pity that a pretty thing like you has been tainted.” His finger tightens on the trigger. “And we don’t need your belly growing with one of their pups and further polluting our land with their kind.”
Stella inhales sharply, and I react in time, launching myself at the hunter. The sound of the gun firing barely registers as my jaw locks around his neck. Metallic blood coats my tongue as my fangs tear through flesh and muscles. With a mighty tug, I hear the cracking of bones and wrench the hunter's hand from his shoulders.
There is a fury of activity. Bullets fly as guns fire over and over before a member of my pack snuffs out each hunter. Screams echo around the clearing, and crimson blood soaks the grass and beds of fallen leaves. Limbs litter the clearing, and I spat the hunter’s head onto the ground. Once the final hunter falls and Lukar is freed, I turn towards Stella, needing to feel her in my arms and assure myself she is safe.
At first all I can see is Stella’s smile. How brittle it is causes my hackles to rise. Then I glance down and notice the blood blooming across her abdomen.