Page 19 of The Alpha's Mates

“What’s happening to me?” I whispered. It didn’t matter if I was giving away the fact that I was hopelessly aroused by them. They could clearly smell it.

Soren stepped in closer and I allowed it, my hands dropping down to his abs. I just rested them there. His head lowered to mine and his sharp teeth nipped my ear before he spoke. It sent a jolt of pleasure through my system. “Your body is responding to your mates. Readying you so we can claim you.”

I was panting, yearning for the feel of his hands on my skin. Desire thumped a rhythm inside my clit and I dropped my head back to rest on the shelf behind me.

Soren’s lips brushed over my jaw and down my neck. A line of fire seared through my veins as he licked the pulse point that fluttered against my skin. His hands slid up my sides, taking my shirt with them. Cool air brushed my belly. When his thumbs brushed the undersides of my breasts, I jerked. There was nowhere to go. His body was pinning mine to the shelves.

His hand cupped my breast, the thumb strumming over my nipple and I couldn’t hold back the groan that worked its way up from my chest. His other hand zipped back down over my hip, grasping my thigh. He tugged, pulling my leg up to wrap around his hip so he could settle between them. He pressed closer and I gasped, staring into eyes that were so dark they were almost black.

His hard-on pressed against my pussy. Our clothes were barely a barrier between us. He must have seen the panic in myeyes because his lips were on mine before I had the chance to say anything.

His tongue invaded my mouth, taking with it any semblance of organized thoughts. His lips were softer than I’d imagined they’d be, his body hard as stone against mine.

I grasped his biceps, using his body to keep my balance as he slowly started grinding against me. His tongue and hips worked in unison, ratcheting my pleasure higher. I was gasping into his mouth with each movement, lost to sensations.

Soren let go of my breast, my shirt falling back into place and suddenly I was airborne. He’d grabbed my other thigh and lifted me. Automatically, my legs wrapped around his trim hips to keep myself from falling.

“You taste as good as you smell,” he said, taking my mouth in another searing kiss.

In the new position, my pussy was open and vulnerable to every movement. I knew the others could smell how much wetter I’d become. The leather pants I was wearing were soaked between the legs with my arousal.

The shelving dug into my back, adding a layer of pain to the pleasure that was bombarding me. It didn’t detract from the sensations, just pushed me higher.

One of Soren’s hands was now on my ass, helping to hold me up and the other yanked my shirt up. He broke off the kiss and dipped his head. His lips closed over my nipple and I cried out as his tongue licked over it.

My breathing was harsh in the quiet of the room. The flickering torch was throwing shadows everywhere, but I could see Atlas and Calder, watching, hands on their cocks over their pants.

Soren sucked hard, causing my hips to buck against his. A low moan ripped from my throat and I threw my head back inecstasy. Pain sent bright lights skittering over my vision as my head hit the top shelf of the storage racks.

I sucked in a breath and grabbed the back of my head. Soren had frozen for a brief moment, then suddenly I was back on my feet. He spun me around, making everything wobble as he did.

“Are you hurt?” His hands were brushing over my scalp, gentle, yet probing.

Putting out a hand, I pushed him away. Embarrassment made my cheeks flame. “I’m fine.” I sidestepped when he tried to grab me again. They were all watching me with narrowed eyes, but they didn’t try to touch me again. My head wound was enough to snap me out of whatever hold he had on me.

My hands were shaking as I smoothed the shirt down. He’d managed to overwhelm any objections I had without any effort at all. It wasn’t safe for me to stay here with them. Not if I wanted to get back to my pack.

“Can we go back?” I was proud that my voice didn’t tremble. My wolf grumbled at me, angry that playtime was over. My body was on board; I just couldn’t allow it to happen. If they fucked me, they’d end up claiming me. After my reaction to them, I was beginning to doubt my assumptions that no shifters were claiming their mates with the Moon Goddess’s blessing. I’d never reacted to anyone like I was to them. If any of them touched me right now my resistance would crumple.

“Of course,” Soren said with a nod of his head.

I skirted around him, heading for the stairs. When Atlas held out his hand to help me up, I ignored it and hurried up into the late afternoon sunlight.

CHAPTER 10

Soren

Tapping my finger on the dining room table, I watched as Hatti and Gail put the delicious meal they’d cooked onto the table. The older women insisted on cooking for our family—as well as their own—every day. They always said it was their way of contributing to our pack. We were certainly grateful as none of us could cook much. Grams always took care of it when the other women were unable to, but as the pack’s historian she had an important task that kept her too busy to tend to the task often.

I put her in charge, years ago, of seeing whether she could figure out what was going on with our declining birth rates, the Moon Goddess, or anything that could help us reunite the shifter packs.

Grams smiled and thanked the women as they quickly hurried out of the room. My grandfathers were sitting on either side of her and kept passing each other looks. It was takingeverything for my Grandpa Seren—who I’d been named after—to keep his mouth shut. He had a wide, shit-eating grin on his face.

Reese met his gaze and straightened in her seat. It was my turn to grin and exchange a look with Atlas. Our mate was no withering flower. As uncomfortable as this dinner was, she was holding her own as far as energy was concerned.

“What’s your name?” Grandpa Ezra asked.

“Reese.”

---