Marked

Chapter Nine

Jackson climbed out of his car and walked around to the passenger side to face his female. She’d been quiet after her altercation with Simone—staring out the window as they drove to the cabin—the impact of Shane’s revelation no doubt sinking in. He’d been so angry that she’d put herself in harm’s way he’d been unable to discuss what had happened. Instead he waited, hoping his temper would die down.

It was so hard not to touch her, his desire rising along with the moon. God help him, he wanted to bust her sweet little ass and fuck her so bad his palms itched and his dick throbbed.

A part of him knew it wasn’t her fault. He’d heard her snarls, realized her wolf had taken control, but it didn’t ice his temper. She could have been seriously hurt. Thankfully Simone was about as threatening as a fucking Chihuahua—all bark and no bite. Otherwise he would have had to intervene, and it went against the rules for a male to break up a fight between females.

Chloe glanced at him, worrying at her lower lip and fiddling with the sleeve of her jacket. Good. She should be nervous. He’d decided on the ride over that the best way to deal with the problem was to show her beast who was boss. All he had to do was to bring the animal to the surface. Once it appeared he’d show his mate who was in charge.

Chloe hesitated when he opened the door and gave her a nudge. “Jackson…”

He didn’t respond, building the tension. If he wanted the wolf to heed the call of the moon he needed to keep his mate on the edge. When he pressed his hand into the small of her back she took the hint, stepping inside. He closed the door behind them and slid the deadbolt into place. His cock refused to soften, straining against his zipper, tenting his jeans.

Fuck.

He didn’t want to guide her on the right path at that moment. He wanted to take her on the bed with the curtains parted wide, allowing the white rays from the moon to cover their bodies. The wolf inside him roared in his head, searching for Chloe’s scent.

Despite her anxiousness, he knew she felt the effects of the moon. The musky and alluring scent of her pussy had teased and taunted him for hours. If he reached into her pants and pushed aside her panties he knew she’d be hot and slick, ready for whatever he wanted to give her.

“Go to the bedroom, remove your clothes and wait for me,” he growled, trying to maintain his composure.

Chloe froze, her back to him. Her shoulders tensed and he watched as she slowly turned to face him. A small light had entered her eyes, making her irises brighten.

“You’re not spanking me,” she replied with a throaty growl of her own.

“No?” he asked, studying her, angling his head to the side. He goaded her intentionally, knowing what he had to do. Chloe’s irises changed from the pupil outward, shifting color, her wolf responding to her distress. Heightened emotion always brought the animal from the cage.

Always.

“No.”

He moved, snagging her around the waist. Even though she fought, it wasn’t hard to carry her to the couch. He took a seat in the middle, turning her so her ass was exactly where it needed to be. Before she could say a word he gave her the first lick, using the flat of his palm to deliver a hearty slap to her right cheek.

“It’s time you learned your place, mate.”

He sounded a helluva lot calmer than he felt. This was about teaching Chloe something important but he wanted her so bad his dick was hard enough to hammer nails. When he finally went at her she’d be lucky if she could walk straight the following day.

“Let go,” she snarled, swinging her arms and legs.

“Make me.”

She tried, fighting to get free, screaming when he continued busting her perfectly rounded bottom. He steadily increased the force of the blows, making sure each swat landed on the softness of her ass. It didn’t take long, perhaps a half-dozen smacks, before he felt her wolf. He wasn’t surprised at how powerful her beast was. Since she’d broken free of his earlier command and, in turn, broken the hold he had over the pack, he knew she was going to be a handful.

“There you are.” He gave her another hard slap. “Bring it, little wolf. I’m waiting for you.”

“I’m going to kick your ass!”

He clucked his tongue, bringing his hand down, his cock jerking when his palm made contact. He couldn’t wait to yank off her clothing and see how red her ass was. Even now her pussy was creaming. He could smell it—almost taste it. She might not think she liked being in a submissive position but her tiny gasps and the way she clutched at the sofa betrayed her.

As soon as she stopped fighting he brought his hand down on her ass. He followed the seam until he came to her cunt. He palmed the mound, applying pressure. She cried out and pushed against him, shifting her hips up and down. Knowing the time had come, he released her and wrapped his fingers in her hair. He forced her head around so their eyes met.

“You will never disregard my orders again, Chloe.”

Green became almost neon, the vividness of her eyes nearly blinding. “You don’t tell me what to do.”

Son of a bitch.

Letting go of her hair, he resumed the spanking he’d started, the blows much harder than before. She howled—the sound one of pleasure and fury—and tried to bring her knees up to slide off the furniture. He didn’t allow it, using his free hand to keep her where she was.

If Chloe’s wolf didn’t relent she’d be a danger to the entire pack. Wolves couldn’t think without the influence of their human half. They were too wild, their behaviors unstable. The beast had to accept his authority and embrace him as her superior. He hoped like hell this would work, bringing the wolf to the forefront so Chloe could communicate with the creature inside her. Without that all-important connection the woman and animal would be at odds with who and what they were.

“Reach deep down, Chloe,” he instructed, sounding as livid and frustrated as she did. “You control your beast. It doesn’t control you.”

At first he didn’t think she’d heard. She screamed and fought, clawing at his thigh. He considered taking her into the bedroom and tying her squirming ass to the bed so she couldn’t hurt herself. If he wasn’t careful she might pull a joint out of place or actually manage to break free.

Then—subtly—he felt the shift.

Trembling started in her shoulders, wound down her back and traveled to her legs. Her hands opened and closed as though she was attempting to bring out her claws. He softened the slaps, watching as her nails dug into the giving flesh of her palm, leaving behind deep red crescents. She growled, a low steady sound that carried through the room, and stopped moving.

“That’s it. Don’t back down. Show the wolf its place.”

Chloe’s coat had risen to her mid-back as he’d spanked her, allowing him to slide his hand from her ass to the base of her spine. He reached out with his wolf, sensing the uncertain connection between his mate and her other half. It was the perfect time to have them recognize each other prior to her first shift.

“Your wolf listens to you and you listen to me. Take control. Show it who’s stronger. Don’t take no for an answer.”

Another snarl tore from her throat, but Chloe wasn’t fighting him.

Not anymore.

“Back off,” Chloe barked, voice trembling. Taking a deep breath, she repeated herself, more calmly this time. “Back off.”

While she hadn’t shifted and hunted with the pack, his wolf felt his mate’s despair. She was afraid she wouldn’t have the strength to fight her feral side. The power of the beast was more than she bargained for, so much more dangerous than she fathomed. Fortunately that fear served a purpose, driving her to work harder, to oppose the force that wanted to take over.

They fought—woman versus wolf—caught in the same body but retaining their individuality.

A part of him ached for his mate, knowing the battle she fought wasn’t easy. Being born into a pack, he’d had plenty of time to come to terms with his nature. The anger he’d tried to bury returned, his fury directed at the man who’d left Chloe to find her own way before she’d even been born. She never should have had to face things like this, experiencing a moon heat at the same time she came into her wolf.

When I see the bastard, I’m breaking his goddamn face.

A low whimper passed her lips. She went soft against him and he pulled Chloe to his chest. Her entire body shook, her teeth rattling. Her chest heaved as she panted for air. Cupping a hand under her chin, he lifted her head and carefully pushed sweaty strands of hair from her face. She looked dazed, her brows slanted together, but her eyes didn’t carry a trace of wolf.

That’s my girl.

“It’s there. Inside m-me,” she stammered and started to rock, visibly in shock. “I knew it was but I thought it would be different. Before I couldn’t remember things. Everything was blurry or blacked out. Now I do. I remember it all.”

Strike that. When I see Gavin I’m breaking his entire fucking body.

“You’re connected now.” He glided his knuckles across her cheek. “There won’t be any more back and forth. You’re two parts of one whole.”

“It doesn’t seem possible. I feel so different.”

“Nothing’s changed.” Brushing his thumb across her lips, he murmured, “You’re in control. Things’ll be different. You’ll see.”

“I can’t believe I wanted to hurt Gramps.” She dipped her head and buried her face in his neck. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. Promise you won’t let me.”

Damn it.

He’d known her memories were jagged, but he’d thought she had access to slivers of them. Most had difficulty recalling certain events, especially during their first shift, but even then most retained a portion of what transpired when the wolf took control.

“If you don’t want to hurt anyone, you have to rely on me to take care of you.” And he would take care of her, even if it killed him. “That’s the duty of an Alpha to see to those who trust him. Especially when it comes his mate. Surrender control. Put yourself in my keeping. I’ll never give you a reason to regret it.”

“Surrender control?” She stiffened against him. “I thought mating was like a marriage. That a man and wife are considered equal.”

He laughed against her hair, unable to prevent his response to the ballsy little armful who had just been through hell but met him head-on. “I thought human females vowed to honor and obey their husbands.”

“You must be old.” He was grateful she didn’t sound as shaky, as though she was finally accepting the finality of her situation. “Women stopped promising that a long time ago.”

“To hell with other women. The only female I’m concerned about is right here in my arms.” As much as he loved her nestled against him, what he wanted to say was best done looking her in the eye. He pulled away, gazing at her flushed face. “What do you want, Chloe girl?”

“You,” she answered without pause, blonde ringlets cascading around her shoulders. “So much it hurts.”

Possessiveness and pride slithered through him. “We can’t have that.”

He rose in a fluid motion, bringing her with him, keeping her against his chest with an arm beneath her back and thighs. Lowering his head, he breathed into the delicate shell of her ear.

“And you have me. Whether you want to or not. I’m all yours.”

I’m all yours.

Those three tiny words meant so much.

When she’d fought the raging animal inside her she’d been terrified she wouldn’t come out on top. The thing was harsh, driven by instinct. It thought in bursts, seeing things only as they pertained to the moment, living and breathing for each second. Now she understood why she’d attacked Simone. The wolf had simply reacted, taking control because it had been allowed to.

That wouldn’t happen again.

She’d confronted the voracious entity, forced it down and took charge. The thought of hurting anyone in the grips of a wolf’s rage terrified her. Remembering how angry the wolf had been when Gramps had threatened Jackson—how ready she was to go for his throat—put things into perspective. What had happened wasn’t something she asked for but it was up to her to deal with it. As frightening as the prospect might be, she had to admit it was also exciting. If she was going to start a new life she had to hit the ground running and face things on her terms.

Beginning now.

Sliding her fingers into the hair at Jackson’s neck, she tugged him down, lifting herself so their mouths met. He groaned into her lips, taking her next breath as his, their tongues touching as need, want and desire took hold. The heat that had rushed through her body returned, thundering through her system, making it hard to breathe.

“I’m sore where you spanked me.” She gently raked her nails along his neck, smiling when he shuddered. “You should kiss it and make it better.”

“Would you like that?”

“Mmm hmm.”

He growled, digging his fingers into the padded area above her hip, holding her in place. “Then I’m going to kiss you all over. I want to watch you melt.”

If a person were capable of melting, she was certain she would have. The way he spoke to her—the way he looked at her—made her insides quiver and her heart skip a beat. There were so many things she could have said or done in that moment but one need drove her. Fire poured through her veins, the potent call of the moon whispering in her ear. A shiver shot down her spine, the memories of the night before rushing back, blinding in their intensity.

Driven by an escalating impulse, she released his neck and pushed away, sliding down his body. When her feet hit the ground she shrugged her shoulders, allowing her coat to fall to the ground as she slowly sank to her knees. She didn’t look away, meeting Jackson’s gaze as she peppered kisses down his chest. Lust hit her like a blowtorch to the stomach. She’d do anything and be anything he wanted if he continued staring at her exactly like that.

“You’re so fucking hot,” he rasped, twining his fingers in her hair. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

Actually, she did. If his expression hadn’t given him away, his harsh inhalations and the tremor that shot through his body were all the evidence she needed. Bold and eager, she nipped at his abdomen, holding back a grin when she felt his muscles flex through his shirt. A surge of power flowed over her.

She did this to him. In this position he was at her mercy.

His grip on her hair intensified, pulling the strands taut. The sharp sting along her scalp sent a spasm through her pussy, drenching her panties.

“That’s right. Show me what you like. Get me ready. I love the way you smell when you’re turned-on. It gets me so hard I want to flip you over and fuck you senseless.”

She worked his jeans open and his hard, swollen cock sprang free. He growled when she wound her fingers around the base, squeezed, and a bead of pre-cum escaped. Leaning forward, she flicked her tongue over the tip, collecting the crystalline drop. His taste burst on her tongue, salty and bitter. His groan drove her onward. She rotated her tongue along the crown, lapping at the heated flesh that pulsed against her palm.

“Take it,” he snarled, thrusting his hips, trying to breach her lips. “Take it all.”

He was too thick and long to take completely, the tip lodging in the back of her throat despite the hand at the root. She relaxed the muscles in her throat, breathing through her nose. Recalling his earlier instruction, she swallowed when her gag reflex kicked in.

“Shit,” Jackson grated through clenched teeth. He brought a hand down and pulled her fingers from the base of his erection. Then he wrapped both of his hands in her hair. “Stay just like that. I want to take those pretty lips for a ride.”

Then he moved, making shallow passes. She hollowed her cheeks and sucked, keeping her tongue flush against the base, enhancing his pleasure. Their eyes met, gazes locking. The eroticism of the act made her tremble, the walls of her pussy clasping with each pass.

“More,” he demanded, thrusting harder. “I want you to swallow me down, baby. Then it’s your turn. I’m going to lick you up like candy, Chloe.”

Talk about the ultimate incentive.

She doubled her efforts, sucking until her jaws ached. More of his semen coated her tongue, giving her another taste of the man she couldn’t get enough of. She wanted to give him this because she wanted it too. The desire to feel him come, to watch the ecstasy on his face she was responsible for. She moaned when he shifted his legs and his thigh caressed her breast, making the nipple pucker.

Her scalp burned as his hands formed into fists in her hair. “Oh fuck,” he groaned, pistoning his hips. “That’s it, baby. Don’t stop. Fuck. Don’t stop.”

Moaning harder, she took the hard thrusts to her face, aware he was nearing climax. She watched as his jaw tensed and his brows came together. He looked harsh and wild, his hair loose at his shoulders, a few random pieces caught in the stubble along his chin. His irises were fully gold now, his dark, dilated pupils prominent.

God he was beautiful. And more importantly, he was hers. His words returned to her as a hot flow of semen flowed into her mouth.

I’m all yours.

He threw his head back with a muffled “fuck” and thrust the head of his cock into her throat. She swallowed each jet of the hot, salty fluid, drinking him down, entranced by the way his body shook and his muscles rippled.

Once the last spasm had passed his fingers loosened in her hair and he lowered his head. “I’m the luckiest fucking bastard in the world,” he breathed, chest heaving. “It’s my turn.”

She yelped when he yanked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. His hand drifted up her thigh, hovered between her legs for a moment and stopped on the curve of her ass. Her hair swept over her face, making it difficult to see. She made out random patches of the floor as he carried her up the stairs to the loft.

When he tossed her on the bed the first thing she noticed were the rays of the moon. The curtains were pulled back, allowing the beams to shine through. They seemed to warm her skin, blanketing her in a glow of radiant white. Jackson started removing his clothing, studying her, his eyes luminous in the darkness of the room. When he finally made it to his pants and stripped them away she saw his cock was hard and stiff, reaching toward his bellybutton.

He followed her gaze, bringing his hand to his straining erection. He stroked from the base to the tip, stopping when his fingers surrounded the head.

“You want this, don’t you?”

She shouldn’t have been turned on by his smug grin but she was. “Yes.”

“Don’t worry. I’m going to give it to you.” He let go of his shaft, a devious gleam in his eyes. “Right now I want you to lie back, close your eyes and spread those pretty legs for me.”

Warmth erupted in her cheeks but she plopped back on the freshly changed linens, aware of the clothing covering her body. Her bra felt abrasive, her panties uncomfortable. She squirmed when he tugged off her shoes and socks, biting her lip when he finally got to work on her jeans. He yanked them down her legs, taking her panties along for the ride. Restless, she brought her hands to her sweater and heaved it and her camisole over her head.

“Impatient, are we?” Jackson chuckled. “Ditch the bra, baby. I want to watch you play with your nipples while I go down on you.”

Oh God.

Her fingers trembled as she accomplished the task, pulling the garment away from her torso. Brisk winter air cascaded over her skin, cooling the flush that swept over her.

Jackson climbed onto the mattress, coming closer, and slid his hands under her ass. She made room for him, parting her thighs, shaking in anticipation. He rubbed his cheek along one thigh, then the other. A tremor shot down her spine when his heated breath made contact with the wet folds of her sex. She clawed at the comforter and arched her back, bringing his mouth and her pussy together.

A low growl penetrated her ears but she couldn’t focus on that. All she could think about was the delicious, wet tongue that penetrated her vaginal lips, parting her slit in a firm, decisive lap. The wolf made her presence known then, clamoring for a place in line. Instead of denying the beast she let a portion of it slither beneath her skin. Sensations amplified, the moon becoming far more. The thing was like an entity, its call a hum that buzzed in her head.

“Touch yourself, Chloe.”

Bringing her hands up, she flicked her nipples with her fingers, mewling at how good it felt. The pleasure intensified when he slid two fingers inside her, moving them in and out, finding the sweet spot within her. She jerked when he stroked the sensitive inner tissue, waiting for him to do it again.

“That’s right,” Jackson whispered. “Accept who you are. Embrace it. The two of us were made for each other. See how good it can be?”

Before she could respond his lips surrounded her clit. One well-placed flick of his tongue combined with the hard press of his fingers and she shattered.

Her cry was a combination of a snarl and scream, ripping from her throat, so loud it drowned out the sound of Jackson lapping at her pussy. The tips of her fingers burned, her gums tingling, the wolf howling in her head. Still the glorious grip of climax continued, wave after wave of fire rushing from her clit, cascading through her abdomen and limbs. Jackson’s tongue gentled when the last shudders passed, sliding over her labia in a light caress as he pulled his fingers from her moist depths.

She reached for him as he moved up her body, raking her fingers over his muscular shoulders. He took his time, peppering kisses along her navel, nipples and collarbone. Placing his hands on either side of her body, he lifted his weight from her. She almost argued about birth control, fearful of what would happen if Jackson had lied about his uncanny senses, but decided against it. He’d asked for her trust and she was going to give it to him.

His cock pressed against the mouth of her sex and he entered her, advancing slowly. He peered down, watching as he joined their bodies.

“Perfect,” he murmured and sank to the hilt, lodging his cock within her. Then he raised his head, gazing at her. “This time we’re taking things nice and slow.”

He rewarded her whimper of agreement with a soft kiss, his lips hovering over hers. He retreated and returned, doing as he promised, taking her with care. She gasped into his mouth as he thrust in and out, leaving her only to return once again, lifting her hips. The light from the moon covered his broad shoulders, creating a halo around his body.

She closed her eyes, wanting to create a snapshot in her mind she would always remember. His lips brushed over her closed lids and feathered over her lashes. The sweetness of the act—something so simple yet so profound—took the moment beyond sex.

Drawing him close, she placed her nose to his chest and breathed him in.

He might have said he was all hers but in that moment he owned her.

Mind, body and soul.