Page 23 of Alpha Marked

River's mind whirled, and the scents of the room filled her.Males. Shifter males. Chocolate. Coffee. Leather. Whiskey. Gun powder. Metal. Woods.The scents mixed in a cacophony, like walking into a lotion store. But a heady aroma she recognized sent a chill up her spine.

Lycans. All Lycans.

Her wolf roared, and River yanked the door open. How had she not noticed? How had she missed it?

She took one step, and in the span of a breath, someone rushed past her, and where only a second before there had been an open door to the rest of the club, a giant white dress shirt wall stood in her way.

Not even her old Alpha could move that fast. She groaned as the most delicious fragrance enveloped her. Earth and woods mixed with vanilla and smoke, like a campfire-roasted marshmallow melting on the ground.

River's hands began to shake as she recognized small objects in front of her eyes as shirt buttons.

River's heartbeat thundered like a bass drum, but her wolf went silent.

Every sound fell away, and every other scent disappeared as she breathed in. A thick black leather belt rested less than a foot below her eyeline. And under the belt stood a solid pair of tree trunk-sized legs. Expensive fabric filled her eyes as she took in the weave of his shirt to the collar, which splayed open by two buttons. The sleeves had been folded to the elbows, exposing dark hair over tanned muscular forearms.

She wanted to trace her fingers up his skin to his soft-looking hair.

Her wolf mewled. Actually frinkin' mewled.

River began to shake. Between the Lycan's aura and her wolf, she fought to control herself.

"Look at me," he commanded.

She willed herself not to, but her wolf won out and propelled her eyes upward. Up and up to the broadest shoulders she'd ever seen. Then to a stubbly chin and finally a pair of bright blue-green eyes.

The moment her gaze locked on his, she flooded with desire, and her wolf howled.

Mate!

Without thinking, River raised her hand to stroke his chiseled but perfect face. All heavy angles crafted with master precision. She couldn't have shaped his face more perfectly out of marble if she'd spent her entire life working on it.

His gaze bore into her, making her legs wobble and her skin flush. Again, another jolt of heat traveled through her, followed by the comfort of a downy blanket.

Mine!

His massive hands wrapped easily around her waist. He turned his head and sniffed her hand. A growl rumbled in his chest, and he bent down and smelled her hair and face. Waves of Alpha aura floated off him, making her want to submit to him. Submit to his command. His desires. His touch. Even her wolf fell on her side, belly exposed to him.

Every millimeter of her wanted to rub against him. To explore him. To lick every millimeter of his massive body and commit it to memory.

River ran her fingers through his shaggy curls and breathed in his shampoo. Warmth shot through her, and desire pooled between her legs. When he sniffed her neck, she snapped back to reality. His lips grazed her skin, making her arms pebble. Memories flashed back of the attack, and she had to bury the scream that bubbled in her throat. Her legs refused to move, and her wolf remained in a state of submission.

Not again.She couldn't go through it again. Mentally, she checked her body, remembering where she'd concealed her knife. She reached for it, and he knelt, sniffing down her belly. When he looked up at her, his eyes were bright yellow. His fangs descended in his mouth down past his chin, and he laid his head on her breast.

"My Omega," he growled.

Her wolf mewled.My Alpha.

A rush of need washed over River like jumping into a hot tub. Her most private parts slicked, and a moan formed in her mouth. Her body shook, and she wanted nothing more than to shove him to the floor and bury her fangs in his neck as he plowed into her.

Her fangs descended, and the need to bite him overtook all sense of reason.

Stop!She screamed at her wolf.Back the F- down!

But her wolf didn't listen. She rolled on her back submissively, not to River, but to the Lycan.

The Lycan dipped his head to her belly again and inhaled deeply before purring so loudly it vibrated River's body. The sensation soothed her again and made her want to push his face down further and have him-

No. No. No. No. This was not happening.

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