Torment(DarkAlpha,Episode1)
Copyright©2015byAlisaWoods
January2015Edition
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Torment(DarkAlpha1)-NewAdultParanormalRomance

ShiftersliveintheshadowsofSeattle,justundertheskinofthealphamale,dot-comentrepreneurswho
arebuildinganewSiliconValleyintheEmeraldCity.

JakenjoysthefemalehumanpopulationofSeattleasmuchasanywolf,buthisheartbelongstoafemale
shifterwho'salreadymated.Worse,she'sthemateofhisalpha'sbrother.

Arianna was captured from her pack when she was only twenty and mated to a wolf whose dark side
takes full advantage of her unbreakable bond to him. Her nights belong to him, but her days are free to
exploreotherthings...includingfeelingsforawolfshecanneverhave.

Islovestrongerthanmagic?Orwillbreakinganunbreakablebonddestroythemboth?

Torment (Dark Alpha 1) is 60 pages or 15,000 words. It’s the first of six episodes in the Dark
Alpha serial. Dark Alpha is the sequel series to True Alpha, the debut shifters-in-Seattle paranormal
romancefromAlisaWoods.

DarkAlphaReleaseSchedule-2015
1-Torment(1.19)
2-Pleasure(2.2)
3-Untitled(2.16)
4-Untitled(3.2)
5-Untitled(3.16)
6-Untitled(3.30)
BoxSet(DarkAlpha1-6)-releases3.30

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availablenow

Ifonlysheweren’tsobeautiful,itmightnothurtsomuchtowatch.

JakguardedArianna’sbackpackwhilesheskippedaroundUniversityofWashington’sRedSquare—

although the red brick paving of the central plaza was mostly covered by the colorful fall leaves that
Arianna was kicking up as she twirled around, arms flung wide. Her smile was big enough to garner
smirksfromthepassingstudentswhohadtododgeherlittlefreedomdance,butshedidn’tseemtocare.
Themountainwas“out”today—thenormaldrearydripofSeattlehadpartedtorevealbrilliantblueskies
and Mount Rainier shining in the distance. It was gorgeous and breathtaking and far, far out of reach…
likeAriannaineveryway.

Shespuncloserthenstoppedandfixedhimwithherblue-dazzleeyes.“Whatarethechances,Jak?”

Herbreathmakeasmallpuffinthecoolfallair,andhersmilewasinfectious.

Hegrinned.“Thechancesofyoubeinglatetoclass?Gettingbetterallthetime.”
Shelungedoverandhithim.Nothard,ofcourse.Aslapontheshoulderfordaringtoremindherwhy

theywerehere.Butitwasthefirsttimeshehadevertouchedhim,anditbroughtawhiffofhernatural
scent over the backdrop of fall leaves: his shifter-enhanced senses detected a hint of musk under her
blackberry-and-lavendersoap.Theearthyscentmightbearousal…oritmightjustbetheplainjoyclear
onherface.Eitherway,itspearedthroughhisheart.Hehadtoforcehimselftokeepthegrininplace.

“No, Mr. Bodyguard!” She grinned again, and the noontime sun played with her hair. “What are the

chanceswewouldhavesuchgloriousweatherformyfirstdaybackatschool?”Shetippedherheadback,
armsflungwideagain,asiftoembracethesky.Hercascadingbrownhairpickedupredandgoldtints
fromtheleaves.“It’sasign!”shedeclaredtotheheavens.

Hisgrinwasmorenaturalagain.“Asignofwhat?Thatyou’vebeencoopedupinMace’shousetoo

long?”Hisgrinfalteredasherealizedhowbitterthewordssoundedoutintheair,notjustinhishead.
Macewasheralpha…buthemightaswellbeherjailer.AsfarasJakcouldtell,Ariannahadn’tleftthe
Redpackestatesinceshe’dbeenbroughtthere,nearlysixmonthsago.Jaklivedinthemainhouse,with
the rest of the unmated wolves, and while he could see Mace’s house from his window, he rarely saw
Arianna…andthenonlywhenshehauntedthewindowslikeapalewraithimprisonedinthesuburban-
styledhome.Macedidn’tletherevenstepfootonthelawnoutsidewithoutanarmedguard.

Whichmadesense,givenMacehadbasicallykidnappedher.
But, for some reason Jak wasn’t privy to, Mace had decided to allow her to return to school. And

today,forArianna’sfirstdayoffreedom,Jakhadpulledguarddetail—probablybecausehewasarecent

alumofUDubhimself.OrmaybebecauseMacewasstillangrywithhisownbetasabouttherun-inover
thesummerwiththeSparkspack.ButwhatevertwistoffatethatallowedJaktherighttoescortArianna
outintotheworldagain,itwasadutythatbothtwistedhisstomachandenlivenedeveryotherpartofhis
body.

Ariannahadsoberedwithhiswordsaswellandnowgazedathimwiththosebigblueeyes.“CanI

tellyousomething,Jak?”Shewasonlytwenty-one,afewyearsyoungerthanhim,butinthatmoment,she
seemedmucholder…yetstillinnocentatthesametime.Shewasaswinsomeasabarely-growngirl,yet
alreadyburdenedbythemanythingslifehadthrownather.

Jakunderstoodthatfeeling.“Iamanexcellentkeeperofsecrets.”Hismouthtwitchedwitharepressed

smile. If she only knew how many times she had filled his nighttime thoughts… and not always in an
innocentconcernforhersafety.

Some of the glow left her face. “I haven’t felt this alive since…” She blinked. “Since my alpha

claimedme.”Andlikethatshewasaghostagain,anemptyshellwherelifeusedtobe.

ThelumpinJak’sthroatrefusedtobudge.
Astraywispofclouddriftedoverthesun,andashadowfellonherface.Itwasasifthelighthadgone

out of the world. Arianna shrunk back a little and glanced at the red-bricked buildings encircling the
centralplaza.

“Macedoesn’treallywantmehere.”Hershouldertwitched.
Jakswallowedthelumpandreachedouttoher,grippinghershoulderswithbothhands.Hecouldfeel

her quake through the thin jacket she wore, and his inner wolf growled: not at her, but at the idea that
anyonewouldmakeherfeelafraid.Leastofall,herownalpha.

“Everyoneinthepackisexpectedtocontribute,”hesaid,“andthebestwaytodothatistojointhe

company.Youralphaknowsthat.Andyouwon’tbemuchusetoRedWolf,Inc.untilyouhaveadegreein
something.It’sonlylogicalforyoutogobacktoschool,nowthatyou’ve…settledin.”Givenuprunning
away. Become used to being a captive. Had your spirit broken. Those were the words he wanted to
say… but he never would be able to, no matter how many times he pictured himself sneaking over to
Mace’shouseandwrenchingherfreeofhismagicalhold.Likethatwasevenpossible.Jakhadmanaged
tofreeonegirlfromMace’sgrasp—allwithoutMaceeverrealizingJakhelpedherescape—butthatwas
beforeshebecamehismate.MacestillblamedhisbetasforthelossoftheSparkspackfemale.ButJak
knewhewasbeyondluckytohavegottenawaywithsomethinglikethat.Theuniversewasn’tkindenough
tolethimgetawaywithitasecondtime.Besides,Ariannawasbeyondsaving:thematingbondwasfor
life.

Youcan’tsavethemall,hetoldhimself.Againandagain.Itreallydidn’thelp.
Arianna’sfaceremainedclouded.“WhatifIcan’t…whatifI’mnotgoodenough?UDubissomuch

bigger.Bellevuewasjustacommunitycollege.AndIdidn’tevenfinishmysecondyearbefore…before
cominghere.”

Beforebeingkidnapped.Jak’sinnerwolfgrowled,andthistimeitalmostreachedhislips.“You’lldo

justfine.”Hetippedhisheadtothenearbybuildings.“Althoughnotifyoudon’tattendyourclasses.”

She gave a short nod, and he could see a steely resolve take hold as she squared her shoulders and

marchedofftowardKaneHall.SheonlyhadBusinessFinancetoday,butitwasanupperlevelclass.One
he’dtakenandpassedeasily,inspiteofhismajorbeingintechnology…buthehadn’tbeenrippedfrom
hishomeandessentiallyimprisonedforhalfayear,likeAriannahad.AlthoughJakdidknowsomething
aboutbeinguprootedandthrustintothemiddleofanewpack.OnlyinJak’scase,hisalphawassaving
him,notstealinghimaway.HeowedhislifetoGageCrittenden,andnotjustthepartwhereGagerescued
himfrombeingtornintosmallbloodypiecesintheOlympicmountains.Hisalphahadwelcomedhiminto
the Red pack and put him through school. If only Mace Crittenden were half the wolf his brother was,
maybeJak’sinnerbeastwouldn’tbangagainsthisskinandfantasizeaboutsavingAriannafromherfate

everytimeJaklookedherway.

HewatchedAriannaascendthebroad,concretestepsofKaneHall,herjeanshugginglowonherhips

astheyswayedinadancethatspokedirectlytohiscock.Whowashekidding?Heandeveryotherwolf
in the Red pack fantasized about Arianna’s curves in exquisite detail, including how and where they’d
liketoputtheirpawsonher.

ItwastheideaofMaceputtinghishandsonherthatbroughtJak’ssnarlingwolftolife.
She’stoogoodforhim.AndMacewasnogoodforanyfemale.
Jak sucked in a breath and tried to rein in the slow-boil anger that thought raised. He and Arianna

passed through the tall concrete pillars that lined the boxy modern building of Kane Hall. Inside was a
little warmer than the cool fall air. Arianna shucked off her gray jacket and held out a hand for her
backpack.Hegaveitover.

Atinyfrownwrinkledherforehead.“Sorryyou’restuckbabysittingmewhileI’minclass.”
Jakslippedhisphonefromhisbackpocketandwaggeditather.“I’vegotplentyofworktodo,no

worries.”Heliftedhischintowardtheclassroomdoorwherestudentswerealreadyfilingin.“Gokick
someassinthere.ShowthemUDub’sgotnothingonBellevue.”

Asmileburstontoherface,anditstirredsomethingaroundinsidehimthatalmosthurt.Likeaphysical

ache,apressurethatneededrelease.Itmadehissmileinreturnfalter.

She turned and disappeared inside the lecture hall. Her sudden absence from his view left a weird

kind of hollowness in his chest, a deepening of the ache that had sprung up from nothing more than her
smile.

GoddamnMace.ThefactthatafemalelikeAriannawasmatedtoadarkalphalikehimwasproofthat

theworldwasessentiallycruel.

Hissteaminghatredwasjarredbyasoftgiggledownthehall.Atrioofcollegegirls—allbaredlegs

andrevealingmidriffseveninthecoolweather—strolleddownthecorridor,bitingtheirlipsandrunning
appraisinglooksoverhim.Hesmirkedandrakedanappreciativegazeovertheirtonedbodiesandperky
breasts. He could have all of that he wanted—human girls responded to his inner wolf without even
knowing he was a shifter, and his wolf had a taste for the doe-eyed brunettes that Seattle seemed to
possessinabundance.

Buttastingwasallhecouldhavewiththem.Shiftersmatedwithshifters—Jakmayhavecomefroma

smallpackincountry,buteverypack-raisedwolfknewthatmuch.Whichwasgreat,exceptforthefact
that female wolves were relatively more rare than males. A lot of wolves like him would forever be
livinginbachelorpads…orhavetosettleformarryinghumans.

Evenmarryingoutsidetheirbreeddidn’thelp—othershiftersdidn’texperiencethesamemagicalbond

thatwolvesdid.Itwaslikenothingelse.Jakfeltashadowofthatbondeachmonthwhenhesubmittedto
hisalpha.Themagicoftheirbloodlinkedinawaythatwentbeyondbrotherhood.Beyondlove.Itwasan
unshakableforcethatboundthemtogether.

Itmadethempack.Itwasthesenseofbelongingthateverywolfyearnedforfromthetimehewasa

pup.Anditwasabondhecouldneversharewithahumanornon-wolfshifter.

ButJakwasonlyabetaandcouldnevercompetewithanalphalikeMaceforamate—especiallynot

anyonenearthecaliberofArianna—afactthatonlytwistedtheknifealittlemore.Hisinnerbeastwhined
attheinjustice,buthishumansidereallycouldn’tcomplain.HehadafantasticjobastechanalystatRed
Wolf,oneofthefastestgrowingdot-cominvestmentcompaniesintheSeattlearea.Hehadquicklyrisen
to become beta to Gage Crittenden, an alpha second only to Mr. Crittenden Senior in the Red pack
hierarchy.AndhewasfreetoscrewanywomaninSeattlewhochosetojoinhiminhisbed.Andthere
wereplentywhochosethatonaregularbasis.

TheAriannasoftheworldweresimplynevermeanttobehis.
She’snotmeantforMace,either.Jakbackhandedthatthoughttothedarkrecessesofhismind.Ithad

noplaceinhisworld.Hepulledinabreathandleanedagainstthecoolstonewalloppositetheclassroom
door,dragginghismindawayfromalltheflavorsoftemptationofAriannaandfocusingonhisphone.A
dozenmessagesandfiftynewemailsfoughtforhisattention,andhewassoonimmersedinthem.

Gage had a line on a new tech startup—something in data storage on quantum chips with some new

laser accessing that looked promising. Jak set up an appointment to meet with the founders, which
consistedofaprofessorandtwograduatestudentsworkingasidebusiness.Butthatwasoftenwherethe
beststartupscamefrom.ScanningtheirbioshesawtheprofessorhaddonetimeatGoogle,sotherewas
evenmorehintsofpromisethere.Hewoulddefinitelyhavetodigintothetech,seeiftheyreallyhadthe
goods, but there was a reason Red Wolf had doubled their portfolio every year for the last ten. The
Crittendens were keen investors and quick to jump on promising leads. And the strength of the pack
helped keep smaller investors, at least ones run by shifter packs like Red Wolf, out of the running. The
Sparks pack were the only ones who gave them any competition at all, and since the run-in over the
summer,eventheyhadbeenkeepingtheirdistance.

Jak was buried in spreadsheets and halfway through a fifty page report thick with graphs and

mathematics, when movement at the periphery of his vision caught his notice. He dragged his attention
awayfromhisphoneonlytofindthehallwaywasfilledwithstudents.Hisheartspasmedasheflithis
gazeacrossthemovingseaofbackpacksbeingslungandjacketsbeingdonned…buthedidn’tseeher.
Then, at the very end of the hallway: Arianna was standing at the corner, staring right at him. Then she
slippedoutofsight.

Ohshit.
He took off, shoving his phone in his back pocket as fought his way past the mass exodus from the

classroom.Hemutteredapologiesbutpickedupthepacefurtheruntilhewaspracticallyrunningwhenhe
reachedtheendofthehall.Hisbootsscreechedonthepolishedwoodenfloorashetookthecorner.He
barelysawhercurvyrearendbeforeitdisappearedaroundanothercorner.

Goddamit. He couldn’t believe he had let her slip past him. If she made a run for it while he was

supposedtobewatchingher…Macewouldliterallyhavehisthroatforit.Although,honestly,thatwasn’t
whatreallyconcernedhim.Hewasmoreworriedaboutwhatwouldhappentoherifsheescaped…only
tobecaughtagain.Hecouldn’tletthathappen—hecouldn’tletwhateverpunishmentMacemightdishout
be his fault. He would much rather have Mace’s fangs sunk into his neck than see him lay a hand on
Arianna.

Jakdasheddownthehall,roundingthesecondcorner,onlytoseeshehaddoubledback…hebarely

caught the flutter of her gray jacket slipping out the door of Kane Hall. His heart rate skyrocketed. She
wasoutside.Therewasnoendofplacesshecouldrun,hide…hell,getlostforallheknew.Shewasa
shifter: he wasn’t concerned about anyone in the human population giving her any real trouble. UDub
students didn’t exactly pack concealed weapons. But she was young, inexperienced, and on her own
completely. And UDub wasn’t Bellevue, where she likely had friends and family watching out for her
most of the time. If she wandered off campus she might find trouble in the shape of something more
sinisterthanafratboytryingtomakemovesonher.

Jak burst out into the sun-drenched Red Square. It was crisscrossed with students traveling and

lunchingandstrolling,butitwasn’thardtofindher.Shewasthethingirlwithlongbrownhairhauling
ass across the plaza. Breath heaving, he hesitated on the outside steps. One lone girl sprinting across a
plazawassomeonelateforclass.Agirlrunninglikeherhairwasonfirewithasix-footover-muscled
guyonhertail…thatwassomeonebeingchased.Adozencellphoneswoulddocumentthewholething
beforeyoucouldsayTwitter,andcampuspolicewouldalmostcertainlyreachherbeforehedid.

He kept his gaze glued to her quickly-receding back and strode as fast as he could in her general

directionwithoutactuallyrunning.Shewasmakingabeelinetowardthemaindragoncampus—hejudged
hecouldcutthroughthelibraryandmaybeheadheroff.Ifhecouldjustgetaheadofher,letherknowhe

wasontoher,maybehecouldkeepherfromboltingaltogether.Hehatedtheideaoflosingsightofher,
butunlesshepickedupthepace,hewasgoingtoloseheranyway.

Sheranprettydamnfastforagirlonhousearrestforsixmonths.
He sprinted toward Suzzallo, the gorgeous library he knew intimately well from hundreds of hours

spent studying, researching, and on more than one occasion, screwing a hot date in the “access-only”
stacks.Jakflewupthemajesticstonesteps,throughcirculationandreference,andouttheAllenlibrary
side door in back. Since he wasn’t chasing anything obvious, he only garnered a glare and a couple of
turnedheads.Betweenthetwolibrariesnow,hesawhersprintpast,stilltoofarawayforhimtocatch
hereye,buthewasaboutevenwithhernow.

Shewasheadedforthegiantcircularfountaininthemiddleofcampus,ahallmarkthathadtodrawher

eyeifnothingelse.Hedashedinthatdirection,allwhilekeepingthecommonshallbetweenthem,soshe
wouldn’tseehim.Hepumpedhislegssohard,theywerestartingtoscream…butheroundedMaryGates
Hall and reached the fountain before her. He stood there, chest heaving and arms crossed, appearing
casualasshesprintedtowardhim,throwinglooksoverhershoulder,whereshenodoubtexpectedtofind
him chasing after her. When she finally turned to face the fountain, dodging the few people scattered
acrossthevastopenareaaroundtheconcrete-rimmedpool,itstilltookamomentbeforesherecognized
him.

Heexpectedhertoscreechtoastop.Ordashofftotheside.Oratleastlooksurprised.
Instead,shesimplygrinnedandbarreledtowardhim.Shedidn’tevenslowdownbeforegrabbinghis

handandhaulinghimclosertothefountain.Theplumeswereinfullsprayandthewindwaspickingup...
which meant Jak was covered in a fine mist before he could even begin to think about what was
happening.

Ariannalaughedinabreathy,hystericalway,doubledoverandgulpinginair,likebeingspritzedwith

pondwaterwastheheightofhilarity.Whenshestoodstraight,herlaughsturnedintohiccups.Shehithim
againandagain,dullsmackingthudsagainsthischest.Hestoodandtookit,mostlybecausehecouldn’t
thinkofwhatelsetodo.

She was crazy. “You’re crazy, you know that?” He was still breathing hard from the run. “What the

hell—doyouknowhowmuchtroubleIwouldbein,ifyougotlost?”Buthisangerhadnobite:shewas
safeandlaughing,andmostimportantly,nolongerrunningaway.

Shecoughedthroughherlastlaughthenleftonehandrestingonhisshoulder,bracingherselfagainst

him.Helikedthesolidityofhertouch.Thefactthatshewascloseandbreathinghardandthatfinestrands
of her long brown hair were sticking to the sides of her face, plastered by the mist that was steadily
fallingonthemboth.

Hernearnessmadehismouthwater.
Shedidn’tseemtonoticehewasstaringather.
Shegrinnedupintothefallingdroplets.“Itjustfeltsogood.”
“What felt good?” His voice was lower now, intimate. He wanted to pull her close, but that was

ridiculousandoutofthequestion.Hejusthopedshewouldn’tmoveaway.

Shepulledherblueeyesdownfromtheheavensandpeeredintohis.Thetwoofthemwereclosenow

—thekindofclosewherepuffsofbreathreachedeachotherandcaressedtheirfaces.

“Running,”shesaidsoftly.“Ihaven’truninsolong.”
Henodded,eventhoughshehadscaredtheshitofouthim.Sheshouldbeabletorun—anywhere,any

damntimeshechose.Sheshouldbefree.Thatacheinhischestreachedupandchokedhimforamoment,
holdinghisbreathashisgazeneverlefthers.Sheflashedasmile,thenitgrewshy,andshedroppedher
handfromhisshoulder.

“You’regettingwet,”shesaid.
“I’lllive.”

She snuck a smile at him again but then turned away and stepped out of the misting zone next to the

fountain.Thatsmileheldhiminplace,riveted.Itmeantsomething,thatsmile,hecouldfeelitinside…he
justdidn’tknowwhatitwas.

Maybe…couldshebeflirtingwithhim?
Heblewoutthatbreathhe’dbeenholdingandlaughed.Thenhesmackedthewateroffhisfaceand

joined her outside the spray zone. The last thing in the world Arianna Stefan would do, on this or any
otherday,wouldbetoflirtwithhim.

“Readytoheadback?”HemeanttheRedpackestate,nottheclassroom.Sheonlyhadoneclasstoday.

Hedidn’t know ifhe would pullguard duty again, buteventually, probably… therewere only so many
wolvesinthepack,andCrittendenkeptthemallbusy.ButJakwasalreadycountingtheprobabilitiesin
his head, rounding out the numbers, deciding how long it might be until this could happen again. This
moment.Alone.Together.

Ariannapulledinadeepbreath,chintippeduptothesky.“We’recomingbacktomorrow,right?”
“We?”
Shewhippedherheadtowardhimandfrowned.“Youwillbemyguardagain,won’tyou?”
Thereitwasagain—alookthatmeantmorethanshewassaying.Hehesitated,strugglingforwords.

Finally,hesaid,“Notmycall.”

She nodded gravely then looked back to the fountain. The sadness stole up on her again. Her entire

facedrewdownwithit.Hewantedtosaysomethingtoputasmilebackonherface,buthedidn’tknow
what that would be. Without another word, she straightened her shoulders and turned back toward the
plazaparkinggarageandhiscar.

The whole ride home, she was silent. He kept starting conversations with her in his head, but each

diedadeathofawkwardnessandstupiditybeforetheylefthismouth.Shegrewmorewithdrawn,pulling
inonherselfastheynearedthecompound.BythetimehedroppedheratMace’shousealongthecircle
driveinsidetheestate,shebarelyhadanodofgoodbyeforhim.

Hefeltasifhehadletherdowninsomehorriblewayhedidn’tunderstand,anditwastearinghimup

inside.Buthelethergowithoutaword.Whenshereachedthedoorofthehouse,Macepulledherinside,
hishandsandlipsalreadyonherbeforeshehadcrossedthethreshold.

Itwasthemiddleoftheday.
Heshouldbeatwork.
Hewaswaitingforher.
Arianna.Jak’swolfwhinedforher,eventhoughhehadnoright.Noclaim.
She was another wolf’s mate, the brother of his alpha. There were no less than a hundred reasons,

includingpacklawandanunbreakablemagicbond,astowhyshedidn’tbelongtohim.Andneverwould.

Thatdidn’tstophimfromwantingherallthesame.

Macetookherfrombehind,ashenormallydid.

Itpleasedhim,thisposition,andhewasheralpha:pleasinghimwasherhighestconcern.Assoonas

sheenteredthehouse,sheknewhehadbeenwaitingforherwithpleasureonhismind.Andshewashis
mate, the one he chose to care for and protect for the rest of her life… pleasure was a small thing in
comparisontothat,andtheleastsheowedhim.

But she couldn’t help noticing how much stronger her bond to Mace was once she was back in his

domain.Histerritory.Itwasherhomenow,buthispresencefilledthehouseandsettledonhermindas
soonasshecrossedthethreshold.TheUDubcampushadseemedsobrightandfulloflifebycomparison
—itwasn’tjusttheblueskies,buttheabsenceofthatheavyweight,thathazeonhermind,thathappened
whenshewaswithheralpha.

Itwasthemagicinherblood,shewassure.Thebondfromthatfirstclaiming,bolsteredbyeveryone

sincethen.Itwasaheavywoolblanketthatdrapedoverherbodyandmindwheneverhewasnear.

Mace’s hands gripped her hips, holding her firm against his steady thrusts. She moaned because he

likedthattoo,butshekeptitlow.Theyhadonlystartedafewminutesago,andshewouldneedtomoan
andscreamandgripthewhitecomfortershewaskneeleduponevenmorebytheend:shehadtobuildup
to it slowly. Otherwise her alpha wouldn’t enjoy their lovemaking as much. He had shown his
dissatisfactionbefore,earlyon,whenshehadn’tunderstoodhowshewassupposedtorespond.Shehad
been a virgin when Mace claimed her the first time and too lost in the haze of the submission bond to
controlherreactions.Nowshehadoversixmonthsofpractice,everynight,inpleasingheralpha.

Shewasgettingmuchbetteratit.
Thatthoughtpleasedher,althoughitleftahollownessinherstomach.Whenshetriedtothinkabout

whatthatmeant,thehazegrewstronger,blottingouteverythingbutMaceandhiscockdrivingintoher.

His grunts grew louder and his thrusts more deep. His claws came out, carving into the flesh of her

hips.Shestifledthecrythatwelledup—ofcourse,thecutswouldhealquickly,assoonashewasdone.
Shewasashifter,afterall,andittookalottokillone.Butthatdidn’tmeanthepainwasn’tthere.

Shemoanedagain,channelingsomeofthepain.Ithelped.
“Youlikethat,don’tyou,baby?”Maceasked,breathlesswithhispleasure.
“Yes,ohyes.Ohgod,Mace.”Hedidn’talwaystalkduringtheirlovemaking,butwhenhedid,itgave

heralphapleasuretohearhertalkback.Onlycertainwords,though.Shehadtobecarefulthere.Heliked
hearinghisownname,sothatwasusuallysafe.

“Ohyeah,baby.”Hisclawsretracted,easingthepain.Hestillheldonehipwithhishand,butheran

theotheroverherbackside,caressingher.Hishandfeltslickagainsther,warm.Shethoughtmaybeitwas
herbloodthathewaswipingaway.Strangely,itremindedherofthefountainatUDub,andJakstanding
there,gettingwetwithspray,andwithsuchalookofsurpriseonhisfacethatitmadeherlaughandlaugh.
Shehadn’tlaughedinsolong,itnearlychokedher.

Asmilecreptonherface.Jakwas…different.Kind.Shecouldtellbythesadnessinhiseyes.And

funny. He had only chastised her a little for running like a wild thing, like she had back in the time
before…beforeMace…beforeheralphahadcomeforher…

Shetriedtopictureit—BellevueCollege,herbrothers,hermother—butitwaslikeafuzzyvideofrom

a dream someone else had. She couldn’t make it sharpen at the edges. All she could grab onto was the
sensethatitwasbrighter…liketodayatschoolwithJak.Asunniertime.Butherlifehadmovedonfrom
that.She’dgrownupandmated.

Thiswasherlifenow.
A sudden tug on her head wrenched it back: Mace had grabbed hold of her hair while she was

daydreamingabouttimesthatdidn’texistanymore.Hestillwasthrustingintoher,hisonehandinherhair,
theothergrippingherbreastalmostpainfullybelowher.

“You’re mine, Arianna.” His breath was hot on her back. “All mine. Always.” It was his wolf

speaking,andthewayhewasholdingherheadtotheside,exposingherneck,sheknewwhatwascoming
next:theclaiming.

“OhGod,ohGod,Mace,”shepantedinarush.Hedidn’tclaimhereverytimetheymadelove,but

when he did, he wanted her shrieking with it. “Please, Mace. Please.” He especially liked it when she
begged.

Hemoanedandthrustdeepjustashisfangsbitintohershoulder.Shecriedoutforreal—withthepain

of the bite, but also the fire that quickly flushed through her body, his saliva mixing with her blood,
bondinghertohimwithamagicthatstartedfromthefirsttimeheclaimedherandbuiltwitheverybite
since.Shehadamyriadoftinywhitescarsonhershoulderfromthem,alongwiththerazorthinlineson
herhips.

Macegroanedandstilled.Shecouldfeelhiscocktwitchinsideher,reachinghisclimaxandspilling

hisseed.Somedayshewouldbearheralpha’spupsaswell,butMacedidn’twanttheburdenofafamily
justyet.

Hismouthandcockleftheratthesametime,andshesighedinrelief,floppingdownonthebednextto

him.Shedaredapeekathisface,buthiseyeswereclosed,andhispleasurewasclear.Thatrelievedher
evenmore,andsheletherbodytrulyrelaxonthebednexttohim.

Hewasalmostalwaysmoregentleafterwards.
Mace’shanddriftedovertostrokeherbreast.Shedidn’tmove,notsureifhewasjustfondlingheror

possiblyreadyingforanotherrun.Sheknewshifterswerelegendarylovers,butshesuspectedheralpha
hadmorestaminathanmost.Heoftentookhertwoorthreetimesinaday,neverseemingtostaysatisfied
forlong.

“ThisishowIwantyou,Arianna.”Buthisvoicewascalm,notchargedwithpassion.“Everyday.In

mybed.Youbelongtome.”

“Ofcourse,Ibelongtoyou,”shesaid.“You’remyalpha.”
“Itwasmyfather’sideatosendyoutoschool,notmine.”
Shestayedsilentbecausesheknewhedisapproved,andshewantednothingmorethantokeepgoingto

class.Nomatterwhathisfathersaid,Macedidn’thavetoallowit.Sohemustseeagoodreasonforit,
justasJakhadsaid.Ifshewaslucky,Jakwouldbeherbodyguardagaintomorrow.Shecouldaskhim
more about what he thought: about Mace, about school, about… everything. They could talk about
anything,anditwouldbeeasyandsimple.Noworriesaboutwhattosayornotsay.Thatthoughtwarmed

theachingpartsofherbody,theonesstilltenderfromMace’slovemaking.

Macespinchedhernipple,justshortofbeingpainful.“Don’tembarrassmewiththiscollegebusiness,

Arianna.”

Herheartpounded.“I…Idon’tknowwhatyoumean.”
“Ifmyfatherwantsyoutofinishschool,thenIexpectyoutoexcel.”
Shesighedinrelief.“Theclasstodaywaseasy.Idon’tthinkitwillbeaproblem.”
Hegavehernippleatwistthenreleasedit.“Makesurethatit’snot.”
“Iwon’tembarrassyou,Mace.Ipromise.”Andshefullyintendedtokeepthatpromise.Shewasn’t

lying about the class being relatively easy. And she would work hard at it, just for the chance to keep
goingback.ApictureofJak’sfutureapprovingnodwhensheacedherclassesattheendofthesemester
broughtanotherflushofwarmthtohersorenetherregions.

“Myfather’sgoingtomakememanagingpartnernextyear,”Macesaid.
“That’s wonderful, Mace!” Arianna propped herself up on her elbows. She didn’t have to fake her

enthusiasm—becomingpartner,likehisbrotherGage,hadbeenMace’sburningdesireforaslongashe’d
beenheralpha.Longer,thewayhetalkedaboutit.AndwhenMacegotwhatMacewanted,herheartbeat
gladderforit.Nottomentionthathewasmoregentlewithherwhenhewasinagoodmood.

“Yes,well,ithasn’thappenedyet.”Heturnedtoglowerather.“AndIdon’twantanythingmessingit

up.”

Shefrowned.Overthesummer,therehadbeenadisastrousencounterwithanotherpack.Shewasn’t

sure of everything that happened, but there was another female that Mace desired to make his mate as
well… only it hadn’t worked out. Mace had captured the girl, just like he had taken Arianna from her
pack,butthegirl’sfamilycameforherbeforeMacecouldsinkhisfangsandmagicintoher.

Ariannahadalwaysthoughtthattheclaimingwouldmeanaforeverlovebetweenjusttwopeopleina

mating… not three. Or more. But she was a child then and didn’t understand how the world really
worked.TheSeniorMr.Crittendenhadtwomates,andheseemedtoprotectbothofthemequally.Even
Mace’solderbrotherGagehadtwo.ThatwaspartofwhyMacedesiredanothermatesostrongly…ifhis
brotherandfatherhadsomething,ofcourseMaceneededtohaveittoo.Ariannaalmostwishedhehad
been able to claim the girl… if only so that Arianna would finally have a friend in the house. And
possiblysomeoneelsetohelpslakeMace’svigoroussexualappetite.

Butitwasn’ttobe.Andthefall-outhadbeenbadforMace’sambitionsinthepack.Yettensionswith

the Sparks pack had faded in the months since the incident. She couldn’t see what was making Mace
glowerandworry.

“Whatdoyouthinkmightmessitup?”sheasked,tentatively.
“You.”Hisglowerturnedhisdarkeyesintoglitteringcoal.
She swallowed. “I’ll do anything to help you make partner, Mace. Just tell me. I’ll do it.” And she

meanteverywordofthat.

Heshookhisheadlikehewasdisgusted.“Justgivemyfatherwhathewants.Ifhewantsyoutohavea

degreeandhelpinthebusiness,thenfine.Iexpectyoutobustyourassandmakethathappen.”

Shewasnoddingvigorously.“Icandoit,Mace.Ican.”
Hegrunted.“Good.”Thenherolledupfromthebedandstartingpullingontheclothesthathe’dhastily

discardedoncethey’dreachedthebedroom.“I’mgoingbacktotheoffice.”Afterslippingonhispants,he
pointedafingerather.“You’renottoleavethehouse.Justbecauseyou’reastudentnow,doesn’tmean
youcomeandgowhenever.Iwantyouinclassorstudyinghere.AndIwantyoudonewithstudyingbythe
timeIgethome.Imayneedsomemorestressreliefaftertheboardmeetingthisafternoon.”

“Of course.” She watched him slip on his tailored black silk shirt. “Maybe once I’ve taken some

classes,Icanhelpyouwithyourworkaswell.”

Hesnortedalaughandshookhishead.Hedidn’tanswerwhileheputonhissocksandshoes.When

he was done, he fixed her with a cold, dark stare. “That’s not the kind of service I want from you,
Arianna.”

Shepressedherlipstogetherandnodded.
Hesighed.“Myfatherhassomekindofplanforyou,andwhateverhewants,he’llget.Personally,I

thinktheoldgoatjustwantstoseeyoursweetasssashayingaroundtheoffice.Butbeyondthat,don’tget
anygrandideas.Eventually,thenoveltyofitwillpass,andhe’llwantgrandpups.Hopefullynotanytime
soon.Butkeepthatinmind.”Hepointedhisfingeroncemoreatherasheheadedforthebedroomdoor.
“Noleavingthehouse.”

“Iknow.”Shewatchedasheleft,notmovinguntilsheheardthefrontdoorclickshut.
Assoonashewasgone,someofthefoginhermindlifted.Shefloppedbackonthebed,stillnaked,

andstaredattheceiling.ButthoughtsofMacedisappearedwithhispresence,andintheirplacerushed
all kinds of grand plans for classes she could take, ways she could arrange the timing of them for
maximum time spent on campus, and a fervent hope that tomorrow a certain dark-eyed, smiling shifter
namedJakwouldbeherbodyguard.

ThesteadythrumofclubmusicpulsedthroughJak’shead.

ItwasonlyThursdaynight,buttheplacewaspacked.Hipstersfromthedot-comcrowdintheirblack

t-shirtsandjeansaswellasnewlymintedmillionairesintheirsilkshirtsandtailoredpants.Thegroupies
wereplentiful,too,collegegirlslookingtoscorearichgeek…orjustahotscrewforthenight.There
wasplentyoffleshbeingpressedinthedarkenedcornersofthecavernouswarehouse-turned-trendy-bar.
Thelightingwasintentionallyweakwithblueneonsnakingalongthewallsandglowingfromunderthe
stage.

Ariannawouldneverfitinhere,withherwide-eyedinnocenceandworld-wearysmiles.
Jakshookhishead.Hehadn’tstoppedthinkingabouthersincehetookhertoschoolthedaybefore.

Today he hadn’t drawn guard duty, and he couldn’t help thinking it was because he had somehow
disappointedher,rightthereattheend.Hewasn’tsurehow,inspiteofwrackinghisbraintofigureitout.
Butsomethinghadbeenoff,andhehadn’topenedhismouthtofigureoutwhat.Becausehewasanidiot.

HeslammedbackhissecondscotchandsetitonthebarbehindGage.
His alpha noticed his empty drink and signaled the barkeep for another. “Make any progress on that

SilverQuickanalysis?”Gageasked.

His alpha had brought half his pack out for drinks and carousing, celebrating the closing of another

deal,butitwasjustlikeGagetoalreadyhavehismindonthenextproject.“Stillburiedinsiftingthrough
theirreports,”Jaksaid.“I’mnotatallsuretheirdatacanbetrusted.Thetestprotocolsareprettysketchy,
at least on paper. But I’ve made an appointment to visit their lab tomorrow at the University.” Jak’s
thoughtsdriftedtoArianna,wonderingifshewouldhaveclassestomorrow,andiftherewasanypossible
wayhecouldengineerto“accidentally”crosspathswithher.

“Soundslikeasolidplan.”Gagenursedhisdrinkandscannedapairofleggyblondesastheypassed.

He had two mates at home, but an alpha like Gage didn’t confine his sexual exploits to the Red pack
estate.ItwasforeigntothewayJakwasraised,buthisfamilylifeasakidwasfarfromideal,tosaythe
least. He wasn’t one to judge. And besides… the Crittendens were powerful men who made their own
rules.

“Ilikethetech,though,”Jakadded.“Ifit’shalfofwhattheypromise,there’srealpotentialthere.”
Gagenoddedthenthrewhimasmirk.“SoundslikeyoumightbeattheUniversitytomorrowanyway.”
Jakfrowned.“How’sthat?”
“Didn’tyouhear?Mace’smatehasbeenaskingforyou.”

Jakchokedonhisdrink.“She’sbeenwhat?”
GagewasaninchortwotallerthanJak,buthiseyeswerenowboringintohis,judginghisresponse.

“IguessAlric’sturnatguardinghertodaydidn’tgosowell.She’sexpressedapreferenceforyou.”

Jak’s stomach tightened. “Well of course she expressed a preference for me. Alric smells like shoe

leatherandhasafacethatlookslikeit’sbeenpoundedtogetherbyrock.”

Gagechuckled. “Look, Idon’t want toturn you into aglorified babysitter. ButI also wouldn’t mind

havingyoukeeptabsonwhatMaceisupto.AftertheSparksincident…Ijustwantaheadsupifhe’s
goingtodragusintoanotherpackwar.Ifhismate’saskingforyou,spendalittletimewithher.Seewhat
sheknows.”

Jak’spoundingheartslowedalittle.“Sure.Icandothat.Likeyousaid,I’vegottobeattheUniversity

tomorrowanyway.”

Gage dipped his head. “Good. Shouldn’t take too much of your time.” He smirked. “And she’s not

exactlyhardontheeyes.”

Jakshruggedoneshoulder,eyesonthecrowdofwrithingbodiesmovingwiththelow-thuddingmusic.

“Yeah,Iguess.Notreallymytype.”Hesteeledhimselfagainstaspasmofinternalwincing.Whatthehell
washedoing,lettingthatoutofhismouth?

GagelaughedoutrightthenheldupahandtosignalMason,oneoftheomegasfromhispackthatwas

hangingoutattheperipheryofthedancefloor.“Iknowexactlyyourtype,Jak.”Heliftedhischin.Mason
wasbringingoveradoe-eyedbrunettewithaslimwaistandamplechest.

“Yes, you do,” Jak said with real appreciation. His alpha knew him well, not least because he’d

helpedhimscrewhiswaythroughhalfthefemalehumanpopulationofSeattleoverthefouryearshe’d
beenGage’sbeta.

“She’saspecialI’veorderedup,justforyou.”
Jakliftedoneeyebrow.“What’stheoccasion?”
Gage clapped him on the shoulder and leaned over to whisper as Mason and the girl approached.

“Let’sjustsayIwanttokeepyouhappywhileyouspyonmybrother’smate.”

Jakknockedbacktherestofhisthirddrinkandgotridoftheglassbeforethegirlsauntereduptothem.

Theliquidsloshedinhisstomach.Hetoldhimselfthatwasthesourceofhisqueasiness.

“Hi,”shesaid,herdeepbrowneyesstaringintoJak’s.
Gage grinned and threw an arm around Mason, guiding him away and leaving Jak alone with the

scantily-dressedgirl.Onanyothernighthewouldbesalivatingover—ormoreaccuratelyon—herwithin
minutes.Hereyeswerebigandbrown,nothinglikeArianna’sbrightandlivelyblueones.Hersmilewas
sultry, not innocent. Hungry, not bursting with joy. She was everything Arianna was not… which was
probablyexactlywhatheneededtonight.Evenifhehadnostomachforit.

Besides,Gagewouldbewatchinghim.
“Youhaveaname?”heaskedthegirl.
Shesmirked.“DoIneedone?”
“I’lljustcallyouMysteryGirl,then.”
She stepped closer, and her heavy vanilla perfume smothered his senses. His wolf whined, and Jak

breathed through his mouth. Human girls always wore too much perfume. She probably had a perfectly
lovelyscentunderneaththefivedifferentproductsshedrenchedherbodyandhairintohideit.

“Yourfriendsaidyouwerefeelingalittledown.”
“Didhe?”WhateverMasonorGagesaid,itlikelyinvolvedgoingdownnotfeelingdown.
Sheleanedinclosetowhisper-shoutoverthemusic.“ThoughtmaybeIcouldhelpbringyoubackup.”

Herbreastsbrushedhischest,andherhandgrazedhisstomach,hoteventhroughthethinsilkofhisshirt.
Hiswolfwasholdingback,stillrecoilingfromherperfume,buthiscockhadnoproblemrespondingto
the feel of her pressed against him. Her hand drifted down, and if he didn’t move this show out of the

spotlight,she’dbestrokinghimrightatthebar.

He ran a hand up to her face and held her an inch or two away. “I think I want you with a slightly

differentbackground.”

Shegrinned.
Hetookherhandandtowedherawayfromthebar.Gagewasaregularatthisparticularclub,soJak

knew all the secluded spots, whether for just a quick make out or a full blown sex-until-we-drop
encounter.Infact,heknewtheplacesbetterthanherememberedthefaces,andtonighthewantedaspot
wherehewouldn’thavetolookdoe-eyesinthefacewhilehemadehercome.

Thebuzzfromthescotchwaswarminghisbody,andanimageofwhatArianna’sfacewouldlooklike

in the throes of passion flashed across his mind. He shoved it away. He didn’t want her here, in the
overwhelmingstinkofaseedyhumanbar…noteveninhisthoughts.

JakbroughtMysteryGirlaroundthesideofthestageanddownahallthatledtothebathrooms.He’d

usedthoseonmorethanoneoccasion,butonlywhendesperate.Thestenchwasnearlyunspeakable.But
tonight he cut left into a short corridor that led backstage. There was a tiny closet that served as a
changingroomfortheband.Itsmelledperpetuallyofpot,butatleastthatmaskedalltheotherodors.And
themusicwasdeafening,alowthuddingpoundingthateliminatedtheneedfortalking.

Insidetheroom,therewasbarelyspaceforthetwoofthem,soheproppedMysteryuponthesmall

makeup table in front of the mirror. Her short skirt hiked up, and he wasted no time slipping his hand
betweenherlegs.

“Youseemtohaveforgottenyourpanties,”hewhisper-shoutedinherear,buthiswordswerelostin

themusic.

Shedidn’tbotheranswering,justgaspedathissuddentouchathercore.Shewasalreadywet,sohe

slippedafingerinsidewhileheworkedhernub.Soon,shewasclutchingathisshouldersandsquirming
on the rickety table. He kept his gaze in the mirror, watching her legs wrap around his back. He could
havehercominginnotime.Maybehecouldjustleaveitatthat.Hiscockwasachingandhard,buthe’d
rathergetoffwithhisownhand,backathome,withsweetvisionsofAriannainhishead.

And maybe then, he could sort out what he had done wrong yesterday. If he was going to see her

tomorrow,hewantedtofigureouthowtomakeitright.

MysteryGirlwasmoaning—hecouldfeelthevibrationsthroughhisgriponher,evenifhecouldn’t

hearheroverthemusic—butevenasheslippedinasecondfingerandpumpedhardertogetherfinished,
she started to claw at his clothes. She palmed his cock through the thin fabric of his dress pants then
gripped it hard. He couldn’t help groaning, and even his wolf was whining for release. Jak debated
pullingherhandsawayandgoingdownonhertofinishthejob,butlessthanasecondlater,inaseriesof
expertmovesthatsaidshe’ddonethisamilliontimesbefore,she’dfreedhiscockfromhisclothes,and
shewaspumpingitlikeapro.Sheclearlyexpectedhimtodomorewithitthancomeinherhand,andhe
couldn’taffordadisappointedgroupietogetbacktoGage.

Usingbothhands,Jakshovedthegirl’sshortskirtuptoherwaistandplungedhiscockintotheslick

wetnessofhercore.Hermouthfellopen,andherheadtippedback.Herlipsmoved—probablycursingor
praying—buthecouldn’thearanythingoverthethrobbingmusic.Hepoundedintoher,histhrustsracing
thetempoofthebeatreverberatingoffthewalls,andhecouldfeelhertightenaroundhim.Thesqueezeof
herclimaxbroughthimtotheedge,andhecameoveraseriesofthrustsdesignedtodrawoutthelastof
herorgasm.

Hehadn’tusedacondom,butitdidn’tmatter—wolvesdidn’tcatchhumandiseases,eventhesexual

kind,somethingheknewfromexperienceaswellaspacklore.Andshedidn’tscentinherfertilephase,
something every young wolf learned how to detect early on in his exploits. She was probably on birth
controlifshewashookingupwithrandomguysinbarsanyway.

Hetriednottopullouttooquickly.Rushingtheendingwasworsethanrushingtherest,butheitched

tobegone,home,showeringoffthestinkofthegirlandthebar.

Heleanedbackandheldthegirl’scheeksforamoment,inwhathehopedshewouldtakeasatender

touch.“Yougood?”hemouthed,peeringintohereyes.Theywerehalf-liddedwiththeorgasmshewas
stillcomingdownfrom.

Shegavehimalazysmile.
Hezippedhispantswhileshestraightenedherclothes.Aslongassheleftwithasmileonherface,

he’dbefreetogo.Maybehecouldoffertowalkhertohercar.Thatwouldgivehimafineexcusetoskip
outoftheclubearly.Gagewouldbemorethanwillingtolethimgo,ifhethoughtJakwasgettinglaid.

IfhisalphahadanyideaJakwasgoinghometofantasizeabouthisbrother’smate,he’dhaulhimoutto

the alley in back and thrash some sense into him. And Gage would be more than justified. Wanting
Arianna that way was stupid and dangerous, broke every pack law, and was contrary to the magic that
boundtheentirepacktogether…andnoneofthatmattered.

BecauseJakwasgoingtoseeheragaintomorrow.

“Woooooooo!” Arianna screamed for all she was worth, and her inner beast howled like it was a full
moon,butthewindjustwhippedawayherwordsandsentthemsailingdownthehighwaybehindher.She
wasstandingonthepassengerseatofJak’scar,halfherbodystickingouttheopensunroof,armsraisedto
the glorious blue skies above. Yesterday had been miserable, rained all day, but today was gorgeous
again. Beautiful days and Jak seemed to go together. It was another sign: this was how her life was
supposedtobe.

“Willyoucomedown,please?”Jaksaidforthethirdtime.Hisvoicewasbarelyaudibleabovethe

windwhistlingpastherears.

Ariannaduckedherheadbackinside.“Why?”Shescannedtheroadahead,buttheyhadn’treachedthe

exitfortheUniversityyet.

Jak’seyeswerewide.“Idon’tknow.Maybesowedon’tgetpulledoverbySeattle’sfinest?”
Shescowledathim.“What’sasunrooffor,ifnottostickoutyourhead?”Shekindofhopeditwas

illegal.Shedidn’twanttogetJakintrouble,buttheideaofdoingsomething—anything—thatbrokethe
rulestantalizedherwithamouth-wateringintensity.

Jaksmirked.“I’mprettysureitwasdesignedtoletthesunin,notthepeopleout.”
His eyes were dancing, and she was sure he wouldn’t object if she let out a few more whoops for

goodmeasure,butshedroppeddowntherestofthewayintoherseatanyway.

Iftheygotpulledover,Macewouldfindout.Hewouldbeembarrassed,andthatwouldn’tbegoodfor

anyone. Besides, she didn’t want anything to mess up today. She’d let Mace think bringing back Jak as
bodyguardwasreallyhisidea:giventhatJakwasanalum,andthingshadgonefinethefirstday,whereas
thesecondwithAlricwasonecomedyoferrorsafteranother,startingwithbeinglatetoclassandending
withcominghomelate.ThelastonewaswhathadsetMaceoff—he’dbeenwaitingatthehouseforher.It
wasonlylogicalthat,sincethingshadgonesmoothlywithJak,heshouldresumebodyguardduties.

Jak’s smile dropped away, replaced by an uncertain look. “If you really want to—” He was clearly

stillthinkingaboutthesunroof.

Shewavedhimoff,pushingthebuttontoclosetheroofthengivinghimacheesysmile.“Youcanmake

itupbytakingmeouttolunchafterclass.”

Hesmiledwide.“ActuallyIwasplanningonaskingifyoumindedgrabbinglunchthenheadingoverto

oneofthelabs.IhaveapotentialclientIneedtodoasitevisitfor.”

She frowned. “Oh.” She figured Mace wouldn’t begrudge them grabbing something to eat before

comingbacktotheestate,butifshewasgonemuchlonger…“Idon’tthinkMacewouldlikethat.”

Jak’ssmilesettledintoasmirk.“GagealreadycleareditwithMace.We’regoodforthemostofthe

afternoon.”

His eyes glittered, but that was nothing compared to the surge of joy running racetracks through her

chest.Sheleanedovertoimpulsivelyhughim.Itwasawkwardandgangly,andJaklookedshocked,but
hedidn’tseemtomind.Sheretreatedbacktoherseatandbusiedherselfwithbucklingup.Andtryingnot
toblushtoomuch.

Thisdaywasgoingtobeperfect.
Whenshewassettled,andtheheathadmostlygonefromherface,shesaid,“Tellmeaboutthisclient!

Iwanttoknowallaboutthembeforewegetthere.”

“It’sabunchoftechstuff.Youprobablywouldn’tbeinterested.”
“Tryme.”
Jak raised an eyebrow. “Well, they’re researching quantum computing. They think they might have a

newwaytoaccesssomeofthequantumstateswithacomplicatedseriesoflasersandswitchesandanew
crystallinematerial.They’relookingtostoredatainthequantumstatethenaccessitagain.It’sbeendone
before,butthey’rescalingup,tryingtofindwaystostorelotsofsimultaneousdatainthecrystalthenpull
itoutagainveryrapidly.”

“Okay,”shesaidwithagrimace.She’dreallyonlyunderstoodpartofthat.“So,they’retryingtomake

acomputerfromcrystalsandflashinglights.Soundsveryhightech.NottomentionNewAge.”

He chuckled. “Actually, that’s exactly what it is. Pooky New Age physics that seems a bit iffy.

Especially when I look at their testing protocols. I’m not sure they’re actually measuring anything
coherent.TheycouldbeinfluencedbypowerfluctuationsfromthelaserforallIcantell,justlookingat
thereports.”

“Sothat’swhyyou’revisitingthelab?Toseeiftheirsetupislegit.”
“Precisely.”Helookedaskanceather,buthiseyeswerefilledwithmirth.“Yousureyouweren’ta

techmajoratBellevue?”

“Positive.Didn’tevenhaveasmartphonebackthen.”Sheswallowedandlookedforwardagain.“Not

thatIexactlyhaveonenow.”Macewon’tallowhertousethephone.Eventhoughshewasmatednow,
andherfamilyknewtherewasnopointincomingforher,hestilldidn’twanthercallingthem.Stirring
thingsupwaswhathecalledit.Herheartachedtotalktohermomagain,butMacewasheralpha,sothat
wasthat.

She avoided Jak’s concerned look and stared out the window at Seattle’s downtown towers in the

distance.SilencereignedasJaktooktheexitandwoundtowardtheUniversity.Hissedanwasoneofthe
packcars,wideandroomyfortransportinglotsofhulkingshiftermentowherevertheywentwhenthey
lefttheestate.Itwasn’taluxurycar,butthefauxleatherinteriorfeltluxurioustoArianna.Maybeitwas
thefreedomthatdrivingrepresented.SomedayMacemightletherdriveagain.Fornow,shewashappyto
haveadriver…aslongasitwasJak.

“You okay?” he asked, looking at her sideways. He turned the car into the University grounds, and

soontheyweredescendingintotheplaza’sundergroundparking.ShehadBusinessFinanceagaintoday,
andthiswasthenearestparkingtoKaneHall.

“I’mgreat.”Shegavehimabroadsmile.
“OnWednesday,youseemed…notsohappyattheend.”Helookednervousagain.
She frowned. She had liked everything about the first day of school… except when she faced the

prospectofgoinghome.“Iwasjustsadtoseeitend.Didn’tknowifI’dhaveachancetodunkyouinthe
fountainlikeIwasplanning.”

“Um…whenexactlywereyouplanningtodothat?”Hegaveheramocklookofshock.
“Well,ifItoldyou,itwouldn’tbeasurprise,nowwouldit?”Shegrinnedwithallherteethagain,and

itmadehimlaugh.Thesoundofthatlightenedherheartevenmore.

Perfectday.Sheknewit.
They parked and took the elevator up to Red Square. It was late Friday morning, and the plaza was

practically empty of students: maybe they started the weekend early and decided to skip out on Friday
morningclasses.Ariannasighed,wonderinghowherlifewouldbedifferentifshecouldliveoncampus,
stay in a dorm, have normal friends. Boyfriends, all night study sessions, and way too much alcohol.
That’swhatshehadalwaysassumedherlifewouldbelikeduringhercollegeyears.Buttherewasnouse
inwishingforsomethingthatwouldneverbe.

Theyreachedherclassroomearly,andtherewereonlyfourstudentsinsteadoftheusualhundredor

so.

“Lightday,”Jaksaid.“Getinthereandsitinthefrontrow.Yourprofessorwillrememberyouasone

ofthefewwhobotheredtoshowupforthewholefirstweekofclass.”

Ariannatookherbackpack,whichJakhadbeencarrying.Shebitherlip.“Youknow,youcouldgoget

acoffeeorsomething.Youdon’thavetostandinthehallforthewholehourofclass.”

He laughed. “Not a chance. You’ll run off without me, and then I won’t have a date for lunch.” His

smiledidstrangethingstoherstomach,andhisdarkeyesweresparklingagain.

She ducked her head in acquiescence, but the heat was back in her cheeks. He was handsome and

funnyand…hewasflirtingwithher.Itranathrillstraightthroughherheart,madeofequalpartsdanger
and desire for… more. More banter, more talking, more smiles. It was like he was feeding liquid
friendshipcracktoher,andshecouldn’tgetenough.Butthatinnocentflirtingwasdangerous.Sheknewit.
IfMacefoundout,hewouldripoutJak’sthroat.Andshedidn’twanttothinkaboutwhatMacewoulddo
toher.

“I…bettergoin,”shesaid,feelingsuddenlyawkward.Shehikedherbackpackuponhershoulderand

turnedtohurryinsidetheclassroom.

ShefeltJak’sstareonherbackallthewayin.

Jaklurkedinthehall,messingaroundwithhisphonebutmakingsurenottomisswhenthedoorsto

Arianna’sclassroomopenedthistime.Rightatthehour,studentsstartedfilingout.Hisheartalmostquit
beatingwhenthestudentsstoppedcoming,andhestilldidn’tseeher.Butthenshehustledout,scribbling
somefinalnotesonhertabletbeforestuffingitinherbackpack.

“How’ditgo?”heasked.
Shebeamed.Hewasprettysurehiswholebodylitupwithit.
“Great!”shesaid.“Thisstuffisreallyeasy.Nothinglikeyourmagiccrystalcomputers.Can’twaitto

seewhatthat’sallabout.”

Hissmilewasgoingtobreakhisfaceifhedidn’tgetitundercontrol.“Well,ourappointment’snotfor

anotherhour.HowaboutlunchattheHUB?Theyhavesandwiches,soups,pizza…there’sevenakiller
curryplaceIthinkisstillthere.”

“Anythingsoundsawesome.Exceptthecurry.Notsosureaboutthecurry.”
Hetamedthesmilealittle.“AndnowmylifewillnotbecompleteuntilyoutrytheThaiGreenCurry.”
Shesmirked.“ThenIthinkyourlifewillremainsadlyincomplete.”
They’d reached the outside of the building and strolled down the steps before Jak looked around

enoughtorealizetheplazawasempty.TheyturnedtoheadtowardthefarendofRedSquare,buthewas
thinkinghemighttakeherbythefountainagainbeforetheyhitthefood.Hewastuckinghisphoneback
intohispocketbutsomehowmanagedtobobbleit—thethingflewfromhishandsandskitteredunderthe
leavesstillcoatingtheredbricks.

Hesworeunderhisbreathandbenttofishthroughtheleavestofindit.Justashedid,Ariannatripped

orsomethingandfell.

“Hey!”hesaid,alarmed,andhustledbacktoherside.“Areyou—”Hestoppedshort.
Shehadshiftedintoherwolfformandwastwitchingandthrashingontheground.
“What the—” Then he saw them: two figures in hoodies, coming at them from barely a dozen feet

away,onewithagiant,blacksackheldhigh,theotherwithagunofsomekind.Jakdidn’tspeakorthink,
hesimplydovetotheside,shiftingashewent,flingingoffclothes,andcomingupwolf.

Thenhelungedforthem,teethfirst.
Theonewiththegungotacoupleshotsoff,buttheyweresilentwhispersandbeestingsthatbounced

offJak’sthickfurcoat.Hereachedtheman,fangsclampingonhisgunhand,bonescrushingunderJak’s
snapped-shutjaws.Themanscreamed.Theguntastedmetallicthenfellintoarustleofleavesandbrick.
Jak released the hand to go for his neck, but the second man pulled him off from behind. Jak whipped
aroundandwentforthatone’sthroat.Theybothwentdownonthepavement,butJakhadastronggripon
hisneck.Hesqueezed.Themanflailed,handstryingtopullJak’sjawsaway,butJakjustclampedharder.
Theflailinggrewweakerbutmorefrantic.Jakflickedhisgazearound,searchingforthefirstone,judging
hisnextmove.

Whatthehellwashappeninghere?Themenwerebothmid-twenties,grayhoodiesandcombatboots.

Thefirstonewasdesperatelysearchingthroughtheleavesforhisgun.Agunthatshotdartsnotbullets.
Thesecondone’sbagwaslyingonthegroundwherehedroppedit.

Adartgun.
Abag.
Theyweren’tmuggers—theywerebountyhunters.Outtobagawolfforsomeunholywitchmagicor

toselltheirpartstothehighestbidderfortheblackmarket.Bothofwhichwouldbeadeathsentencefor
saidkidnappedwolf.ButhowthehelldidtheyknowheandAriannawereshifters?

Thatdidn’tmatternow.
Hewouldkillthembothbeforetheycouldgettheirhandsonher.
Jakgrowledawarning,butthefirstbountyhunterdidn’tseemtohearit.Thenasecondgrowlcaused

Jaktowhiphisheadtotheside,wrenchingfreshcriesofpainoutofthehaplessbountyhuntertrappedin
hisjaws.

Arianna.Shewaslimpingtowardsthefirstbountyhunter,hergorgeousbrownfurbristledoutasshe

dippedherheaddownandgrowledagain.

Thistimethebountyhunterfrozeinhissearchforthegunandstaredather.Ariannabaredherteeth,

makingitclearsheintendedtogoforhisthroat.

Arianna, no! Now that they were both in wolf form, he had access to her thoughts. And they were

terrified.Angry.Confused.Backaway,Jakthought.Iwilltakecareoftheseassholes.

Iamnotgoingtolethimshootyou,Jak.Buthecouldseeherbacklegsquivering.Oneofthedarts

musthavealreadyfoundher.Ormaybeitwasjuststartingtowork.Hedidn’tknow,buthedidn’thave
timetothinkaboutit.Jakreleasedthemaninhismouthandshifted.Assoonashewasinhumanform,he
punchedthemanwhosethroathehadjustheld.Themanreeledtotheside,stillconsciousbutstunned.Jak
stoodnakedoverhimandfacedthefirstbountyhunter.

“Takehimandleave.Now.OrI’llkillyouboth.”Hehopedthemanwouldchoosethesmartpath—

deadbodiescausedallkindsofproblems.

Ariannabackedhimupwithagrowl.Itsoundedalittlestronger,butthelastthingJakwantedwasto

haveherinvolvedinthisatall.

Thebountyhunterwashesitating.
Jakloweredhisvoicetoagrowl.“You’llonlygetthatofferonce.”
That shocked the man out of his crouched stance. He bolted upright and shuffled over to where his

partner still laid reeling on the pavers. The second one scrambled to his feet, with no small amount of
helpfromhispartner,andthetwoofthemstumbledoffinthedirectionofthefountain.Jakdidn’tknow
wheretheythoughttheyweregoing,buttherewasnooneelseontheplazatoseeeverythingthathadgone
down.HekeptaneyeonthemwhileheshuffledovertoArianna.Shewasstillinwolfform,onlynowshe
waslyingonherside.

“Arianna.”Hisheartclenched.“Areyouokay?Canyoushift?”Hereyeswereopen,andshegavea

fewwhines,butshedidn’tmove.Hestrokedthesoftfurofherhead.“It’sokay.I’mgoingtotakecareof
you.”

God,hehopedshewasjusttranq’dbythedart—ifitwassomethingworse,hewouldneedtofinda

healerfast.Hernaturalshiftermagicshouldbeabletowardoffalmostanything…butwhoknewwhat
wasinthatdart.

Hekeptaneyeonthetwobountyhuntersuntiltheywereoutofsightthenquicklyscoopedupbothhis

andArianna’sclothes,thebagandherbackpack,andevenfoundthegun.Hedidn’tbotherdressing,just
stuffedeverythinginthebagandpickedupArianna,cradlingherlimpbodyandsoftfuragainsthisbare
chest.Heneededtogetherinside,awayfromthescene,incasethebountyhunterschangedtheirminds
andcameback.Theclassroomwasclosest,buttheymightbediscoveredthere,anduntilshecouldshift
back,her identity asa shifter wasin danger. And ifher professors orclassmates even suspected… her
daysattheUniversitywouldbeover.Thehumanworldknewaboutshifters,eventoleratedtheminsome
capacities, but discrimination was rampant. And shifters in wolf form had no rights whatsoever. She
couldbekilled,andnoonewouldevenbechargedwithacrime.

Thecar,then.
Hehurriedacrosstheplaza,chestheaving,withhispreciouscargoinhisarms.

CarryingAriannainherwolfform,aswellasthebulkybagwithalltheirstuff,wasnosmalltrick.But
theyhadtogetawayfromthesceneoftheattackasquicklyaspossible.

Theicyweatherworkeditswaypasttheheatedpanicofthemomentandchilledhisnakedbody.The

parkinggaragewasslightlywarmer,oratleastshelteredfromthewind.Fortunately,itwasstillrelatively
empty, so there were no witnesses to the naked man carrying a brown wolf off to a black sedan in the
middle of the concrete underground structure. Arianna started to move in his arms, whimpering and
strugglingagainsthisbareskin.Hedidn’tknowifshewasinshockorifthedarthadinjectedsomekind
of tranquilizer in her that was wearing off. He prayed it was only that and not something worse. There
should be no reason to poison a wolf with a dart, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t happen. If she didn’t
recoverquickly,hewouldhavetogethelp.

“Justholdon,”hesaidasshestirred,makingitharderforhimtocarryher.“Letmegetyoutothecar.”

She stopped fighting him. When he reached their car, he gently laid her in the back seat, and she
immediatelystruggledupontwolegsanddraggedherlimphindlegsbehindhertothefarsideoftheseat,
givinghimroomtoclimbin,draggingalongthebagofalltheirstuff.Thatshewasmovingagainwasa
really good sign. When they both were safely locked in the car, he scooted closer, stroking her fur and
tryingtoreassureher.Hecouldfeelhershaking.

“Arianna,honey,”hesaidinhismostsoothingvoice,eventhoughitwasstillravagedfromthefight.

“It’sokay.You’resafenow.Canyoushiftforme?”Hecouldn’ttellwhatwaswrongwithallthefurand
withouttheabilitytospeak.Ifshecouldn’tshift,hemighthavetoshiftbacktowolf,justsotheycould
communicate.

Sheclosedhereyes,andittookamoment,butthensheshiftedhuman.Whichmeantshewassuddenly

nakedinhisarms,evenmorebeautifulinallherbaredglorythanshehadbeeninhisfantasies.Hiscock
twitchedinresponse,buthealreadyhadafull-blownerectionleftoverfromthefight.Itwasalwaysthat
way:theadrenaline,thetestosterone,andespeciallywithafemaletoprotectandashifttowolfandback.
Hisraginghard-onwasn’tquittinganytimesoon,andnowwiththembothnaked…Arianna’sshakingwas
evenmorevisibleoncetherewasnofurtohideit.Jakcursedhimselfforhisrampantlysexualthoughts
andquicklydughisjacketoutofthebag.Thecarwasrelativelywarm,buthewassureshewasinshock.
Hewrappedthejacketaroundherandrubbedherarmsandbacktoheatthemup.

“Areyouallright?”heaskedsoftly.“Tellmewhathappened.”
“J…Jak,”shesaid,herteethchattering.

Hesteppeduphisrubbingofherarmsandpulledherintohislap.Hetriedtoignorewhatthatdidto

hisachingcock,whilehefocusedonholdingher,warmingher,reassuringher.

“It’sokay,justtakeitslow.Tellmewhathappened,soIcanseeifweneedtogetahealer.”
“No.”Sheshookherheadvigorously.“Nohealer.”
Hefrowned,buthetookthatasagoodsign.Ifshewerereallyhurt,she’dbecryingorwincinginpain.

Thefactthatshewasabletoshiftatallwasagoodthing.Shetookseveraldeepbreaths,obviouslytrying
tocalmdown,sohewaiteduntilshewasreadytospeakagain.

“Ithink…”Shestoppedtoswallow.“Ithinkoneofthemshotmewithsomething.”
“He had a dart gun. I brought it with us, in case it has some kind of poison—” He stopped at the

worried,wide-eyedlookonherface.“I’msureit’snotpoison.Probablyjustatranquilizer.”Hebrushed
backhairthathadfallenacrossherface.“Ithinkyoumustbesomekindofsupershifteriftheyhityou
withatranqdart,andyoujustkeptgoing.”

“I felt something pinch,” she said, her voice calmer now, “but it was on my shoulder. Through my

jacket.Idon’tthinkitwentallthewaythrough.PlusIpulleditout.”

Jaksmiled.“Youpulleditout?”
“Well,withmyteeth.”Shegaveasmallsmileinreturn.
“Withyourteeth?”
“IshiftedassoonasIfeltitandyankedthedartoutwithmyteeth.Idon’tknow…itwasjustinstinct.I

probablyshouldn’thave.”

“No, no…” Jak said with amazement. “I think that might have been the only thing that kept you

conscious.Shiftingprobablyhelpeddislodgethedart.Ormaybestoppedthetranqfromworkingtheway
itshouldhavewithyourwolfbiochemistry.”

Sheshuddered.“Itstillfelt…strange.Forawhile,Icouldn’tseemtomove.Orshift.Iwas…Iwasso

scared,Jak.”Hervoicehikedup.

“Hey.”Hebrushedherhairbackagain,andthistimelethishandstayonhercheek.“It’sovernow.

Andyouwereincrediblybrave.Justnexttime…letmehandlethebountyhunters,okay?That’smyjob,
remember?”

Shenodded,anditwasn’tquitesoshaky.Hishandwasstillonhercheek.Andtheairwasbecoming

warmaroundthem:theirbreathandtheirbodieswereheatingthecar.Shewasstillmostlynakedonhis
lap,herbareskintouchinghis.Histhoughtswereveeringindangerousdirections.Heshouldbehelping
hergetdressed,getthesituationnormalized,recoverfromtheshockoftheattack,andfigureoutwhatto
do next. Instead, he just kept holding her face and peering into her brilliant blue eyes. Which weren’t
lookingathisbutratherdriftingdowntohislips.

Helickedthem,frozeninindecision,unwillingtomoveacentimeteraway,unabletomoveanycloser

withoutcrossinganinvisibleboundary…

“Jak,”shewhispered.
“Yes.”Hecouldbarelybreathewithoutmovingintoherspace.
She leaned into him and pressed her lips to his. It almost wasn’t a kiss, just a touch, and then she

pulledback,butonlyafewinches.Hereyeswerewide,asifshockedbyherownactions.Jak’shandhad
slipped into her hair with her movement. It was silky soft on his fingertips. Her naked body was still
pressed against his, her thigh against his cock, her breasts peeking from the jacket draped over her
shoulders.

“I…Ishouldn’thave…”Herbreathwascomingfaster,andhewassuddenlyawareofherscent:her

blackberry-and-lavendersoapwasoverwhelmedbytheearthymuskofherarousal.

Itwasmorethanhecouldresist.
Hisfingerscurledinherhairandbroughtherbackforanotherkiss.Aproperone.Hislipsdevoured

hers,histongueplunderinghermouthandtastingallthesweetnessthere.Hisheartracedasherslender

handsfoundhischest,andshekissedhimback.Herkisswaseager,andshearchedupinhislap,pushing
hisheadbackwithherneed.Theachedeepinsidehimsurgedupandfoundexpressioninhishands:in
herhair,slidingdownherbackandthenupagain,seekingthebareskinunderherjacket.Theirtongues
foughtfordominance,theirhandsroamingeachother’sbareheatedskin:herswereonhisshoulders,in
hishair,thenbacktohischest;hisswitchedplaces,theoneonherbackslidingintoherhairtoholdher
fixedinhiskiss,freeinghisothertoskimdownthesilkyskinofherchestandcupherbreast.Itwasheavy
andhot,andhernipplewastautagainsthispalm.Shesuckedinabreath,pullingitstraightfromhim,and
hemoanedintohermouth.

Mine,hiswolfgrowled.
Butshewasn’t.Notevenclose.
Jakstoppedthekiss.
Ariannawasbreathinghard,eyesstillwide,staringathim.Questioning.Quivering.Pinkingupinthe

cheeksandgloriouslynakedonhislap.

God,she’sbeautiful.
“Tellmetostop,Arianna,”hebegged.“Tellmetogetmyhandsoffyouandputmyclothesbackon,

becauseIsweartoGod,ifyoudon’t,it’snotgoingtohappen.”

One of her slender hands left his chest and held his cheek. Gentle. Exploring. Then her fingertips

brushedacrosshislips,andhehonestlythoughthemightdie,ifshetoldhimtostop.Hehadtohaveher.
Rightnow.

“I’veneverfeltthisway…”shesaid,breathlessly.
“Arianna…”Ifshedidn’tstoptrailingherfingersacrosshisskin,hewasgoingtotakeherrightthis

second.

“I don’t…” she breathed, her hand drifting down his chest. “I don’t want to stop.” Her thin fingers

foundhiscockandwrappedaroundit.

Ohgod.
Hishandinherhairgrippedharderandbroughtherbackforasavagekiss:onethatwasn’tholding

back. One that was just the start of wrenching every pleasure from her body that he could. While his
mouthclaimedhers,herhandstartedtostrokehim,whippinghisfrenzyevenhigher.Hespreadherlegs
on his lap and slipped his hand between them. She gasped into his mouth when he found her sex and
startedcirclingthetightnubthere.Shesquirmedasheteasedherentrancewithhisfingers,andwhenhe
plungedinside,sheletoutawhimper.

“Jak.”Herbreathswerespeedingup.
Heslowlypumpedonefingerintoher.“Yes,”hesaidinbetweennipsonherneck.
“Ohmygod,Jak,whatareyou…keepdoingthat.”
Hechuckled.“Oh,Ihavenointentionofstoppingnow.”
Shenearlyjoltedoutofhislapwhenhelightlycircledhernubagain.Thenheslippedasecondfinger

in,andshestartedwrithinginhishand.“Jak…whatareyou…ohgod…”

Herlipsparted,eyesdriftedclosed,andherheadtippedback.Shebuckedagainsthishand,sohegave

her more of what she wanted, thrusting a third finger inside and picking up the pace. Her hands were
clawingandbeatingathischest,andhiscockachedwitheverystrike,buthewasdefinitelygettingher
therefirst.Therewouldbetimeforsecondslater.Maybethirds,ifhecouldholdoutthatlong.

Shecriedoutandconvulsedandcamealloverhishand.Hecouldfeeleverypulseofpleasureinside

her,andshehadawhimper-crytogowitheachone.Shewasbreathingsohard,hethoughtshemightbe
hyperventilating. But as she started to come down, her body suddenly went rigid. She whipped up her
headandpoppedopenhereyes.

“Ohmygod,”shepanted,lookingamazed.
Hegrinned.“Itakeityoulikedthat.”

Her eyes were wide, like he had just spoken in tongues. “Is that how it’s supposed to feel? Every

time?”

His smile faltered. “You mean you’ve never…” He was stunned. Was it possible that was her first

orgasm?Theideaputhiminawe…andflushedhimwithpleasure.Macemayhaveclaimedher…hemay
havehadherfirst…butJakhadpleasuredherlikeshe’dneverbeenpleasuredbefore.

Andhewasjustgettingstarted.
Hewithdrewhishandfromherstillpulsingbodyandslippedheroffhislap,quicklylayingheronher

backandpositioninghimselfbetweenherlegs.Therewasbarelyenoughroomontheseatforthis,buthe
wasgoingtoworkeveryinchofit.

“Yes,that’sexactlyhowit’ssupposedtofeel,”hesaid,grinningintohershockedexpression.Shewas

surprisedbutdefinitelypleased.And,ifhehadhisway,hewasabouttopleasureherawholelotmore.
“Infact,mysweetlittleArianna,Iamjustgettingstartedwithyou.”

Thenshebitherlip,andhe’llbedamnedifshedidn’tblush.Hecouldn’twaittoburyhiscockinside

heranylonger,sohedidn’t.Holdinghershouldertighttokeepherfrombangingherheadagainsttheside
door,heangledherhipsandthrustdeepinside.Shegaspedandarchedup,hotandwetandohsotight.He
groanedandstilledforamoment,lostinthesheerpleasureofbeinginher.

“Ohmygod,Jak,”shebreathed.“You’resobig.”
Pleasureflushedhimheadtotoeagain.Takethat,Mace,youasshole.Butthenhebanishedthoughtsof

Macefromhishead—thiswasallaboutArianna.Pleasuringher,makinglovetoher.Inthatmoment,he
wantedtogivehereverythingsheneverhad,nomatterwhatthosethingswere,nomatterhowimpossible
theyweretoobtain.Hewoulddoliterallyanythingforher.Anything.

He slowly withdrew almost all the way from her deliciously hot body then thrust hard again. Her

whimper of pleasure was like a drug to him. He thrust again and again, quickly finding the rhythm that
bumpedhercrieshighereachtime,spiralingtighter,buildingtensionlowinhisbellywitheachstroke.
Shewasgrabbingathisshouldersandthecushionsandwrappingherlegstightaroundhisback.Hekept
going,holdingbackhisownclimax,whichwasrushingathimlikeafreighttrain.

“Comeforme,Arianna,”hepanted.
Shemoanedandarched…soclose,butnotquitethere.Hismouthwatered,andhecouldfeelhisfangs

comeout.Hiswolfwhinedandgrowledandstomped,demandingthatheclaimhernotjustwithhiscock
butwithhisbite.Jakclampedhismouthshut,knowingthatwouldneverbeanoptionforhim.Ariannahad
already been claimed… if Jak bit her, the magic in his saliva would wage a war in her blood with the
magicfromallofMace’spreviousbites.Itwouldkillher,slowlyandpainfully.No…thatwasonepart
ofAriannathatwouldalwaysbelongtoMace.Hehadclaimedherfirst,andthatwasamagiconlydeath
couldsever.

Arianna’smoanswereturningtoshrieks,butshestillhadn’tcome.Drawingitoutwouldmakeiteven

betterforher,andhewantedthat:hewantedtobringhertoheightsshewouldneverhavewithanyone
else. But he was almost at the brink himself... he changed his angle, and that must have hit the spot
because she screamed and bucked, and two thrusts later, he could feel her climax milking his cock. He
groaned and couldn’t hold back any longer. He kept thrusting as he came, but his head was so light, so
flushedwiththehighofbeingwithher,ofpleasuringher,ofbeingherfirst,hertruefirst,thathefeltlike
he might pass out. He kept going until her small cries of pleasure stopped wrenching free with every
motion. Even then, he took his time easing them to a stop. He didn’t want it to end. He didn’t want to
returntotheworldwhereheknewshebelongedtoanotherwolf.Wherehehadjustbrokeneverypack
lawthateverexisted.

Hepushedallofthataside,proppinghimselfupbytheelbowsandlookingdownatherflushedface.

Herlipswereparted,hercheststillheaving.Smalltremorsofpleasurewerestillracingthroughher,by
thewayshudderskeptrunningupanddownherbody,leavinggoosebumpsandhardenednipplesbehind.

Whichremindedhimthathehadn’tlavishedanywherenearenoughattentiononhergorgeousbreasts.He
slidhiscockoutandthentrailedhiskissesdownherchest,givingeachbreastafewnips.Hedecidedhe
wouldhavetostarttherenexttime.

Itamazedhimthathethoughttheremightbeanexttime.
Heslidbackuptolookherintheface.Theglowwasstillstrong,butshehadopenedhereyes,and

theypeeredbackathim,crinklingattheedges.Worried.

“Areyouokay?”heasked,frowning.Heshouldhavemadesureshehadrecoveredcompletelyfrom

thedartbeforetossingherintothethroesofherfirstorgasm…ortwo.

Her smile settled his heart. She reached up to touch his face, like she did before, with just her

fingertips.“IfeellikeI’mfloating.LikeI’mactuallyonacloudmadeofpleasureonsomedistantplanet.”
Sheshookherhead,hergazeroaminghisfaceandthenfallingtolookattheirbodieswheretheytouched,
chesttochest.“Ihadnoideaitcouldbelikethis,Jak.ThatIcouldfeellikethis.”Shelookedbacktohis
face.“Behonestwithme.Isitlikethiseverytime?Isthiswhatyoufeelwitheverygirl?”

“Witheverygirl?”heasked,eyeswideningalittle.
Ashysmilecreptontoherface.“Wordgetsaround,Jak.IknowwhattheRedpackwolvesdowhen

theygoout.Macecomeshomewithanothergirl’sscentonhimallthetime.”

Mace’snameonherlipsmadehisstomachclench.
Herhandswereonhisfaceagain.“IknowI’mnotyourfirst.Oryourlast.Ijust…Ijustwanttoknow

if—”

“It’snotthesame,”hesaidhastily,cuttingheroffwithmoreforcethanhemeantto.Herehewas,lying

ontopofher,havingjustmadelovetoher—andthat’swhatitwas,lovemaking,nothavingsexoraone-
timescrew—yethehadnoideawhathewasdoingorhowtoputhisfeelingsintowords.“It’sdifferent
withyou,Arianna.Youdon’tknowhowoftenI’ve…I’vethoughtaboutyou.”

Hershysmilegrewstronger.“Didyouthinkofmelikethis?”Shetrailedherfingersalonghisback,

justshortofbeingticklish,juststrongenoughtosendheattohisgroin.

He bent to kiss her, lightly, on the lips. “I definitely thought of you like this. Again and again.” He

loweredhisvoicetoawhisper.“Andinotherways,too.”

Shebitherlip.“ThisisthefirsttimeI’ve…”Hereyesgrewwideasshelookedupintohis.“Idon’t

thinkI’veeverfeltthiswaybefore.”

Hegrinned.“AriannaStefan,Ipromiseyou’llfeelthiswayeachandeverytimewithme.I’llmakeyou

comeanytimeyoulike.Allyouhavetodoisask.”

She laughed, lightly, and it warmed his heart. Then she reached up and pulled him down for a kiss,

whichhedidn’tobjecttointheslightest.

Butwhentheyparted,hervoicewashushed.“Ididn’tmeanthat.Althoughthatwasamazing.Imean…

I’veneverfeltthiswayaboutanyoneelsebefore.Ifeel…differentwhenI’mwithyou.Alive.Likethe
worldhaspossibilityagain.”

His heart both swelled and felt like it might burst with her words. He bent to kiss her again, then

whispered,“Metoo.”

Hershysmilemadehisheartbreak.Becausewhilehisfeelingswerereal,heknewwhatthedifference

wasforher:shewasawayfromMace.Assoonasshereturnedtothehouse,hisdomain,anywherenear
hispresence,themagicofthesubmissionandmatingbondswouldamplifyandanyfeelingsshehadfor
Jak would vaporize like so much morning mist. Whatever tender, professed whispers or shrieks of
passionshehadwithhim,theycouldonlyexisthere,farawayfromheralpha,andonlyforafewstolen
moments.

WhenshereturnedtoMace,shewouldonceagainbelongonlytohim—body,mind,andsoul.
Jakgrithisteethandeasedback,helpingAriannaupfromwhereshelayonthecushion.Herhairwas

mussed,andherentirebodywasflushedfromtheirlovemaking.Sittingnexttohim,herhandinhis,naked

andsmiling…he’dneverseenanythingsobeautifulinhislife.

Butshedidn’tbelongtohim.Andsheneverwould.
“Weshouldgetdressed,”hesaidquietly.
Shenoddedandsolemnlytookthearticlesofclothing,onebyone,ashefishedthemoutofthebagand

handedthemtoher.Hewouldhavetotellthepackaboutthebountyhuntersandtheirattempttosnatch
Arianna.Somehow,someonehadfiguredoutwhoandwhatshewas…andthatmysteryhadtobesolved
beforetheycamebackforanotherattempt.NotonlydidJakwanttokeephersafe,heknewMacewould
never allow her to attend school, or even leave the house for that matter, if he thought there was any
chanceoflosingher.

In fact, there was a good chance, the moment she and Jak returned, that Mace would lock her away

insidehishouse…forever.

Jak’swolfhowledandsnortedhisobjectiontothatthought.AndJakhadtoagree.
Completelyunacceptable.
First,JakwouldtrackdownthebountyhuntersandfindoutwhohadsetthemhuntingforArianna.And

then…Jakhadnoideahow,orifitwasevenpossible,butsomehow,hewouldfindawaytobreakan
unbreakablemagicbondandfreeAriannafromMace.

Forever.

JakandAriannahavefoundsomethingspecialineachother'sarms...butisitsomethingtheycan

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AlisaWoodslivesintheMidwestwithherhusbandandfamily,butherheartwillalwaysbelongtothe
beachesandmountainswhereshegrewup.Shewritessexyparanormalromancesaboutalphamenand
the women who love them. She enjoys exploring the struggles we all have, where we resist—and
succumb to—our most tempting vices as well as our greatest desires. She firmly believes that love
triumphsoverall.

DARKALPHAisAlisa'ssecondNewAdultParanormalRomanceserial.Find

allofAlisa'sbookshere.

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TableofContents

Torment(DarkAlpha1)

ChapterOne
ChapterTwo
ChapterThree
ChapterFour
ChapterFive

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AboutAlisaWoods