Page 82 of Step Alpha

“Does it hurt, baby?”

“Mmm.”

I lift my face to examine hers. “Hmm?”

Her gaze is full heavy-lidded. “I like the hurt,” she murmurs.

I rock a little deeper. “Yeah?”

Her eyes flicker to silver.

“Your wolf is showing,” I whisper.

Rayne’s whole body stiffens.

* * *

Rayne

“What is it?” Wilde slowly eases out of me. “Too sore?”

I shake my head. “I’m okay.” I attempt to roll away from him. The topic of my wolf is the real sore spot, but I don’t feel like talking about it.

Wilde gets up from the bed and returns with a warm washcloth which he strokes between my legs, cleaning me up. The intimacy of it is almost more than our act of sex. Because this is the gentle Wilde. The one I suspect most people never see.

Not that I mind the nearly feral version of Wilde. It was incredible to know I affected him that way. That his jealousy and possessiveness were driving him to claim me.

I mean, notclaim me, claim me. Not like a mating bite. But still, he was definitely out to prove I belonged to him.

I swear, receiving his cum inside me felt like a baptism. Like it somehow changed me.

Wilde climbs back up beside me and rolls me to my side, so he can mold his body around to spoon me. I absolutely adore the feeling.

This is how we slept last night. Wilde’s giant arm draped across my middle, a heavy weight I never want to escape.

“Let’s talk about this dance, Rayne-bow.” He murmurs the words against my ear, making me feel safe from his habitual fuckery. There’s affection in his body and his voice.

“Okay.”

“You can let that little dickwad take you, on three conditions.”

“What are they?”

“One: you tell him about us.”

“What?” I turn to look over my shoulder in surprise.

Wilde nods. “I need him to know who you belong to. And that I’m granting permission for you to go.”

I chuff at thegranting permissionpart, but I’m secretly thrilled. About the whole thing–Wilde being okay with me going. And wanting to claim me publicly. Of course, telling a human doesn’t really count as publicly in this town.

And I guess I know he won’t claim me in front of others until I transition.IfI transition. That’s the part that really stings.

“Do it now.” Wilde nudges me away from him.

“Okay, bossy.”

He slaps my ass as I get up to prove my point.