Page 18 of Tamed By the Alpha Wolf

“That doesn’t smell like the truth.” Nico buried his face against my neck, inhaling deeply. “No hiding, Elise.”

Shame burned through me. Not just him. We’d all been reeling from the shock and loss. No one wanted to look closer, not with our alpha riling up our thirst for blood. Not with grief howling inside us.

“I supported the mission.” The words were sour on my tongue. “I thought... I hoped it would prove my father wrong. I wanted to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. But I was wrong, too.”

Nico hummed his approval as he sucked on the sensitive skin below my ear. My breath hitched, and I bit back a moan. Fates, he knew just what I needed to smooth down my jagged edges. No one got this close. No one heard all this sniveling weakness. Not anymore.

“There was a pack meeting,” I continued, struggling to keep my voice steady. “My father accused Jude of betrayal because she couldn’t find any evidence against Crescent Hollow. He attacked her, and I... I tried to protect her.”

Nico crowded me further against the wall, pressing his thigh between my legs. The friction was maddening, and I ground down instinctively, clinging to the pleasure while venting off my pain.

“That’s when it all fell apart,” I said, my voice breaking. I dug my hands into his hair and rode his thigh as his hands climbed higher under my shirt. “My father ordered me and the rest of the pack to attack Crescent Hollow for their ‘crimes.’ We had no choice but to obey.”

The memories threatened to overwhelm me—the chaos of battle, the scent of blood and fear thick in the air. Wolves threw themselves at each other in a dance of death with no clear victor in sight. Friends fell. Acquaintances. Wolves I’d known from birth, and those I’d never met before.

For what? We weren’t rolling in luxury, but we had enough. Our pack had been strong. Pure greed spawned the fixation on Crescent Hollow.

I tried to pull away, but Nico stopped me with a sharp growl. His eyes blazed bright as he grabbed my jaw and claimed my lips in a searing kiss. His tongue tangled with mine, tasting and teasing in a perfect combination of comfort and hunger.

When he pulled back, I was dizzy and panting. He peppered biting, sucking kisses along my jaw and down my neck. His tongue found the pulse point at my throat, soothing the spot where his mark should have been.

“Keep going,” he murmured against my skin.

My wolf snapped and snarled. Impatient. Furious. How dare he make such demands, have such a hold over us, without staking his claim in turn?

I shivered, rocking against him as the words spilled out. Needing to drown out my wolf. “Jude appeared in the middle of the fighting. She was barely alive, but she told us the truth about Daniel’s death. About my father’s involvement.”

His hands roamed my body, his touches growing more insistent. One slipped around to cup my ass, pulling me flush against him. His cock pressed between us, hot and hard against my stomach.

“I made a choice,” I said, focusing on Nico. My wolf whined and pawed against the sorrow and guilt. Monster. Father. Murderer. Pack. He’d been too much, demanded too much, taken too much. “I turned on him. Half the pack sided with me, half with him. We fought... and I...”

I trailed off, unable to continue. Nico pulled back slightly, his eyes searching mine. For a moment, I braced myself for disgust. For judgment. But instead, his gaze softened with understanding, followed by a fierce, wicked pride.

“You ended his reign of terror,” he said firmly.

I tried to look away, to brush off my actions. “I did what I had to. The pack?—”

Nico growled low in his throat. His hands gripped my hips, holding me in place as he ground his cock against me.

“You savedbothpacks,” he insisted, his voice husky with desire. “Don’t you dare forget that.”

My body betrayed me, arching into his touch even as shame twisted in my gut. “I couldn’t take over after that,” I admitted, the words bitter on my tongue. “I let Rafe become alpha. I wasn’t... I’m not worthy of leading them. They don’t need another Whitman bringing them to ruin.”

He let off an annoyed growl and crashed his lips against mine in a punishing kiss. Teeth clashed. Lips bruised. It felt like he was trying to crawl inside me, to wrap himself around my soul. Like he could absorb my pain and carry it for me.

His hands slid down to my thighs, and he lifted me up. On instinct, I wrapped my legs around his waist. His hard length pressed against me, sending pleasure rippling through me.

Without breaking our kiss, Nico carried me through the cabin and tossed me onto my bed. Before I could move, he loomed over me, his expression pure animalistic hunger.

“You put the pack first,” he said. There was no room for argument in his words or his eyes, but a thrill slammed down my spine at the idea of trying. “That’s what a true alpha does.”

His weight pressed down on me as he straddled my hips. I groaned as his cock rubbed against me through my jeans, sending sparks dancing across my nerves. He stripped off my top, tossing it aside without looking away from me. His heated stare made my skin tingle in anticipation.

Slowly, he dragged his fingertips down my body, tracing every curve. A whimper escaped me as he flicked open the button of my jeans and eased down the zipper. His other hand cupped my breast through my bra, brushing lightly over my nipple.

“You’re incredible, Elise,” he breathed. My bra joined my shirt on the floor. “Beautiful.”

He bent down and drew the hardened bud into his mouth. His teeth scraped lightly over my sensitive skin and I cried out, arching into him, needing more. More contact, more pleasure, more of him.

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