Page 23 of Blood, Shadow & Claw

"Claim me,"my umbra demanded of Ajax, "show them who I am to you."

He'd warned me that this could happen. In the olden days, an umbral pack claiming required the pack to witness their joining. As the years passed, many umbrae had balked at the old traditions, which had fallen by the wayside.

It appeared that my umbra wouldn't miss a moment of the official ritual.

"Show them!"It demanded of Ajax.

His eyes flashed at the challenge. I had given my alpha a command, and my umbra wasn’t backing down. Ajax stared at me, his Umbra fierce and determined. His hard, muscular body glinted in the moonlight as his eyes still raged of the beast inside of him.

"Shift,"he ordered. His umbra’s voice was far more feral than I'd ever heard.

The transformation was smoother and less jarring as I returned to my human form. Standing there, naked and breathless, I felt vulnerable yet empowered. I no longer cared if the pack was there witnessing this moment. I was the alpha's mate, and my umbra demanded they know it.

“My beast is too close to the surface, Mazie,” he warned. “If I take you now, it will be as an umbra takes his mate.”

I didn’t care. I wanted him to show the world that I was his and he was mine. “Fuck me.”

A deep growl rumbled in his chest as he moved closer, his large frame dwarfing me. One hand ran down my spine, branding me as his own as he claimed my lips in a kiss so searing hot it burned me to my very core.

9

MAZIE

Effortlessly, he shifted back into his beast. Before I could marvel at his control of the shift, his hands gripped my round ass, cupping my curves and lifting me effortlessly. My legs wrapped around his waist, locking our bodies together as our mouths continued their frantic dance. I loved how his fur tickled the inside of my thighs and how his thick shaft nudged against my entrance, demanding entry. He felt much larger than when we’d come together in our human form. I’d heard that the umbra mating could be a bit violent. But I didn’t care. I arched my hips, desperate to feel him inside. The cheers and howls of our pack faded into the background—all I cared about was the man in my arms, the man who saw me as beautiful, not just despite my size but because of it.

"Mazie," he growled, his voice thick with need, "I've been waiting for you my whole damn life. I don't know how I survived without you."

I kissed him just as fiercely his beastly tongue tangling with mine as he claimed me with vigor. My hands gripped his hair and tugged. I wanted him closer and needed every inch of him. I felt so desired, like I was a drug and hewas the addict. It was incredible. His scent intoxicated me; a mix of masculinity, need, and raw powerdelighted my umbra growl. When he thrust his hips forward finally, I couldn't help but let out a sharp gasp that turned into a passionate moan as he filled me up completely. His massive cock stretched me to my fullest. Tears filled my eyes as my pussy walls tightened around him, clutching at his cock, welcoming him in as he bottomed out inside me. He was too much and not enough all at the same time. Ajax groaned loudly and smiled against my lips before starting to move slowly but surely, pulling back almost entirely out before pushing back in again. It felt so damn good - like he was home where he belonged, claiming what was his.

My feral roar echoed Ajax's umbra-like growl as he plunged in and out of me, each thrust sending shockwaves of pleasure through my core. His paws rough, calloused texture skimmed along my bare back, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Our skin slapped together, a distinct slap-slap-slap sound that only amplified the raw passion coursing through us. The taste of his mouth was intoxicatingly sweet after our shared kiss, mixing with the metallic taste of blood from where my fangs had pierced his lower lip. It would seem my umbra was on the surface was well. Every time he withdrew, my walls clung to him, pleading for him to come back inside. The moonlit shadows danced around us as we began to move together in perfect sync; it was as if we were one being instead of two separate entities.

As he pumped into me, I wrapped my legs tighter around his waist and nipped at his neck, leaving behind a trail of teeth marks that would surely turn into love bites later. He growled lowly in approval at the bite, which fueled my desire even more. With each thrust forward, he ground his hips against mine harder—a blatant demand for me to take him deeper—and I couldn't help but oblige. It felt so right as if this moment had been destined since the beginning of time.

Our bodies moved together like an erotic dance under the silvery glow of the Moon Goddess' embrace; her light bathed us in an ethereal glow that only added to the intensity of our union. My fingernails dug into Ajax's shoulders as I arched my back, meeting his every thrust. My breath hitched as he withdrew almost entirely, only to slam back into me again with a force that made the worldaround us rattle. We were lost in each other's embrace, our primal cries echoing off the trees, making the clearing seem smaller than it was. I could feel my core clenching around him, a sure sign that I was close—and he didn't waste any time in thrusting one last time before he let go, groaning deeply as he spilled his seed inside me.

His muscles tensed and relaxed with each pulse of ecstasy, sending waves of pleasure coursing through me as well. I took of his essence greedily, feeling it course through my veins like liquid gold. The taste of his kiss was addictive and intoxicating, and I knew then that this bond between us was true—we were meant to be together always. As our movements slowed and our breaths steadied, my head fell against his shoulder, panting heavily. Ajax's chest rose and fell against mine in perfect rhythm with my rapid heartbeat.He pressed soft kisses to my neck andshoulders, his rough stubble abrasive against my skin yet oddly soothing. His cock swelled, and I knew I had to be careful during the knotting. One wrong move and I could feel like razor blades instead of extasy.

"You're amazing," he murmured against my skin, voice rough with lust and affection. "I never knew it could be like this."

I smiled softly against his chest, nuzzling into him. "Neither did I." A rush of warmth filled me; I wanted him again. I didn’t know how or why, but my umbra was ready for more. I noticed that the pack was no longer watching our coupling.Many of them were engaged in some sexual act themselves.I turned an alarmed look at Ajax, but he merely shrugged.

“You were magnificent,” he whispered. Your connection to the moon goddess was so strong that for the briefest moment, they could taste your desire.”

I wasn’t sure if I should be mortified or pleased. But it didn’t matter. I wanted Ajax, I wanted to taste him, to feel his length on my tongue.

I nibbled on his lower lip before pulling back slightly and flashing a sultry smile. "I want to taste you," I whispered, loving how his eyes dilated with need.

“The knotting will release soon and then we still start again… and again… and again.”

I laughed with him, snuggling in his arms and loving how he was both beast and man. Once the knotting had faded, Ajax pulled out of my pussy.

Slipping down his body, I knelt before him, taking his giant cock in my hands. I gently rubbed his length against my face, embracing his scent and heat while he growled, his umbra present in his fierce gaze.

“Suck me, baby. Take Daddy’s cock in your mouth.”

I knelt before Ajax, placing his enormous, throbbing cock in my mouth and taking him deep down my throat. His taste was intoxicating - a mix of salty sweat, musk, and pure male essence that delightedly made my umbra rumble. His shaft twitched beneath my suckling tongue, and moans of pleasure escaped him as I took him deeper. My cheeks hollowed out, and I used my hand to stroke the length of his shaft in time with my bobbing head. The sounds of our pack's passion surrounded us; moans, groans, and the slapping of skin against skin filled the air. The night air was heavy with their lust and our own.

Ajax watched me from above, a feral grin spreading across his face as he enjoyed the sight of me pleasuring his dick. My fingers found their way to his backside entrance, teasing and prodding gently. He let out a low growl that vibrated against my lips. As I continued to pleasure, Ajax, he grew closer and closer to his release.

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