Page 34 of The Wolf's Pregnant Rejected Mate

She smirked at him. “Well, you have been training me, haven’t you? We fight, then we fuck. It’s only natural that my body has started to get the memo.”

Her motions hardened him. Ryder greedily watched her breasts bounce as she leaned back, pulling his hands with her. She put them on her hips and gyrated over him, eliciting a groan. Fuck, but he loved it when she took control. She was still hesitant, still peeking at him as though she expected him to roll her off and be the one pinning her to the ground.

They’d done that often enough. Ryder wanted to watch her this time. “You’ve made so much progress, Tess. I’m proud of you.”

“Does that mean I’ve earned a reward?” she asked breathlessly.

Ryder nodded, moving her hips with his hands. His breathing was coming in quicker gasps, too, his eyes darkening. Excitement pulsed through him as Tess reached between them. “What do you want to do this time? A new position? Or an old familiar? You haven’t been on top before. You want to, since we’re already here?”

Tess took hold of him, stroking him. “I wouldn’t know what to do on top.”

“Fuck, Tess.” His hands tightened as he hardened even further. “Yes, you do. Just keep doing exactly what you’re already doing.”

She groaned, leaning over him to capture his mouth in hers.

Their tongues tangled, Tess’s body pressed against his. The heat of their skin melded them together, the smell of each other growing stronger. Ryder grabbed her ass, pulling her tightly toward him as her hand moved, bringing him to full salute.

A howl burst through the forest. Tess jerked away, her eyes widening. The crashing of branches snapped around them. Ryder pushed Tess off, rolling to his feet. He shifted to his wolf form, growling low in his throat. Tess shifted as well, keeping her form low to the ground.

A figure dashed out of the forest. A sleek, earth-brown wolf tripped over the salt-filled garden hose. Elin. She tumbled over her head, and when she scrambled back to her feet, she froze. Her eyes widened, then she dropped to her belly when she recognized them. She whimpered, looking over her shoulder.

Tess moved forward and mouthed Elin’s shoulder, urging her to get deeper into the circle. Ryder watched, her ears pricked forward. The scent of brimstone soon greeted his nostrils, and he growled under his breath. Fucking demons! They hadn’t come this close to town in a month—the additional protections Hayden had ordered put in place seemed to be working.

And now the fuckers had ruined what had been an excellent day so far.

They emerged from the forest slowly, ears swiveling. They sniffed the air and watched the rest of the forest. Ryder growled low in his throat as he nudged Elin and Tess behind him. The bushes crunched as a beast-demon joined them. It was a small one, only a little bigger than a mule. The twisted horns on its head were only a few inches long, its short fur still riddled with the spots of the young creatures.

Double fuck! It’d been a year since the last beast-demon had been killed. They must have found another nest and hatched this one out. How many more did they have?

He didn’t have much time to think about it. The big wolf sidled up next to the beast-demon. He snorted, a grin spreading over his wolf’s face. The Demon Seed hung around his neck, glowing as flickers of electricity arced over the surface. It seemed super-charged somehow. The wolf glanced down at the garden hose and lunged. He didn’t step over the circle, but a bolt of red light shot through the air.

It went for Tess, and Ryder had just enough time to throw himself in the path before it collided with her. Pain flared through him, like being electrocuted. A burning sensation focused on his abdomen, where the talisman was implanted. His vision started to darken at the outsides as he stumbled.

Tess whined, pressing up against him. Ryder growled softly, then threw his head back and howled. All wolves that heard it would know the call.

The big wolf threw his head back. too, howling long and clear. The other demons wagged their tails and slapped the ground with their front paws. They started to yip and yowl. The beast-demon clawed the ground and threw its head, letting out a bellow. It charged forward only to be thrown back at the edge of the salt circle.

Tess growled, facing the big wolf. Ryder didn’t spare a glance at her as he put himself between the Demon Seed and the two women. The big wolf prowled around the circle's edge, clearly waiting for the chance to shoot another arc at the women. And if the Demon Seed could get over the salt circle, then would the talismans keep protecting them?

Elin shrank to her belly, whimpering. What had she been doing out in the forest in the first place? Over the last month, she had barely left the house without Blayke or Finn with her—

The beast-demon slammed into the invisible barrier again—and the hose moved. It flipped up, landing back down several feet closer to the wolves within the protection.

Ryder’s heart stuttered. One of the possessed wolves nosed the hose and nudged it a few inches inward before the wolf yelped and jumped back.

The hose.

They couldn’t touch the salt, but they could touch the hose. It was just enough of an insulation that the demons could move it. The demons started yipping again as the big wolf circled them. They all started to nudge the hose, moving it closer and closer to the wolves trapped inside.

Adrenaline shot through Ryder’s body. Tess stood tense and growling, but Elin was on the ground. Her eyes were shut tight as though she was trying to pretend that she didn’t exist. How could he protect them both if it came to a fight?

Chapter 19 - Tess

The hose wasn’t connected.

It overlapped, but the two ends were loose. As soon as the demons figured that out, they’d get through. Tess’s mouth was dry, adrenaline making her tremble. The big wolf snapped, and another arc of light bolted from the Demon Seed. Ryder leaped in front of her, taking the hit. He stagged and growled low. Tess moved to the side, trying to shore him up. He planted his feet and snarled at the big wolf.

The beast-demon dug its horns into the ground, trying to dig under the hose. One of the demons near their weak spot let out a sudden yelp. Tess glanced over, and her heart stopped. The two ends were separated by an inch.

---