The Alpha’s Tempting Mate

He cocks his head, studying me. I wait for him to scoff, but instead he asks, “Why fairies?”

“Um.” I flush. No one’s ever asked me this much about my art before. Not even my folks. “When I was little, I had a nanny. Well, an older wolf who watched me in the afternoon sometimes. She always told me if I took a nap when she wanted me to, good fairies would come and fill my life with magic. I, um, remember trying to draw them.” I rush to finish my lame story, but he doesn’t interrupt or look bored. “Later, when she got sick, I made her little cards decorated with fairies. Somehow, I never grew out of it.”

“I would very much like to see your fairies, Sedona.”

His intense gaze makes my heart flutter. I look away. “I don’t really show them to anyone,” I mumble.

“Why not?”

“My professors would think it’s dumb. My folks think that art is just a phase I’m going through. Something cute for me to occupy my time with until I’m mated. It’s like they sent me for the 1950s Mrs. degree.”

Carlos clucked. “They should be proud of you, and leave you to your art.”

“Yeah. My dad and brother just care about keeping me safe and protected. The rest doesn’t matter so much.”

“But only you can live your life. You should be free to make your choices.”

I snort. “I’ve never been free. They’re… dominant.” I remember just in time not to mention that Dad and Garrett are both alphas. “Don’t dominant wolves like making decisions for others?”

“An alpha should be a leader, yes.” Carlos nods. He caught what I didn’t say, and I should be worried, but all I can think is smart wolf. “He should oversee the good of the pack, protect the weak, and keep them safe. But he should also know what his members care about, what makes them tick. That is leadership.”

I swallow hard. This is dangerous territory. At least Carlos doesn’t seem to think all women should be tied to their beds for an alpha asshole to ravish and breed. Or he does, and he’s talking a good game to manipulate me. I’m just not sure.

“What about you?” I redirect the conversation. “Where did you go to school?”

“Stanford for undergrad, Harvard for my MBA.”

Wow. Okay, he is a smart wolf. No wonder he didn’t want to come back to his pack. A spark of anger on his behalf kindles in my chest. He should be able to choose his own future, not be shackled to this crazy pack.

But a more pressing and disturbing thought pushes its way to the forefront of my mind. “Carlos? I have to pee.”

Carlos

My wolf loves the way Sedona looks up at me and spills her problem, like I’m the guy who will know how to fix it.

And then I’m enraged. There’s a toilet in the room, but my female is chained to a bed. Yes, I called her my female. I know I can’t keep her, but in this moment, she’s under my protection. She’s naked and vulnerable and-mine. My wolf snaps his teeth with that assertion. Down, boy.

I stomp to the door and pound on it again. “Give me the keys to her cuffs. Now.”

I hear low voices murmuring behind the door, then Don Jose makes an offer, “The keys for the clothing.”

Fuck. Me.

Anger has the cords in my neck standing out, but I’m impotent to act. I grit my teeth and turn to Sedona. “They say they will trade the keys for the scraps of clothing.”

Her nostrils flare, lower jaw juts out at a stubborn angle. “Right. Because they’re hoping for sexy time. How sexy will it be when I wet the bed?”

I can’t hold back the bark of laughter that comes flying out. It surprises me-I honestly can’t remember the last time I laughed. It’s been years. Probably since before my father died.

Sedona’s lips turn up into a wry grimace and I get lost in the cerulean blue of her eyes. And then, because there’s no fucking way I’m letting my female be humiliated by wetting the bed, I make the decision for her. I march over and snatch my shirt from her body.

“Hey,” she protests, but her nipples bead up.

“Your freedom is worth my discomfort,” I tell her, dropping my boxers to the floor.

“Your discomfort?” Disbelief crowds her tone.

“Yes, muneca. I’m the one who has to fight my instincts.”

She blushes like an innocent, and I wonder how much sexual experience she has. She’s mature, but still young.

It doesn’t matter. She shouldn’t be locked up with a wolf like me.

I gather up the other scraps littered around the room and give the delivery door a sharp kick. It slides back and I stuff the items through. Juanito’s hand appears with the key. His wrist is still marked with red imprints from my fingers and guilt slams through me.

Of all the shifters in the hacienda, Juanito is one I would never wish to hurt. Juanito and my mother, may the fates protect her.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

I wanted to ask Juanito to slip me the key to her cuffs when he delivered the water-I know the boy would do anything I ask-but I couldn’t put him in that position. He’d get a terrible beating at best. At worst, el consejo would exact their revenge on his mother, and she’s had enough grief in this lifetime after losing her husband to the mines and her eldest son disappearing.

If I can find a way to communicate with him alone, maybe he can get me the key to the door and I’ll be out in time to protect him and his mother. Fates, how I’d like to just remove him from this dark place.

I take the key and Juanito’s other hand appears with a ripe mango, still in its peel. I roll my eyes. Seriously? It’s like they’re taking advice from a bad dating book. Eating a mango can be sensual and stimulating in foreplay. Lick the juice from your lover’s skin, or have her suck on the seed.

I take the fruit. My she-wolf may be hungry. I fist bump with Juanito again, stride back to the bed and unlock Sedona’s wrist cuffs. She groans as she pulls her arms down and shakes them. When I’ve freed her ankles, I help her sit and rub her arms to get the life back in them.

“What is moon-yeca?” she asks.

I smile. “Doll.”

“Oh.” Her cheeks color again and she surges to her feet. “Turn around. I need some privacy.”

“It’s yours, doll.” I stand up and walk to the other side of the room, turning my back to the toilet and biting the peel of the mango to tear a piece off.

The toilet flushes and I turn back. Sedona pours a bit of water from the cup over her hands to wash. My cock thickens at this new view of her. She’s a goddess. Long legs, breasts, a perfect handful, her coppery brown hair falling in waves down her slender back.

And that ass…

In less than a minute, I could have Sedona on her hands and knees, spreading those ass cheeks wide for me as I hold a fistful of her silky hair and pound into her. She’s hot for it. I could make her want it. It wouldn’t even be rape…

I shake my head and swallow the growl starting up my throat, but not before she catches it.

She turns and quirks her brows. “What?” Then her gaze drops to my erect and bobbing cock and she knows what.

I don’t know what I expected-another blush, or irritation. Maybe defensiveness. Instead, my American doll moistens her lips with her tongue.

I groan. “Don’t do that, muneca. Not unless you want to find out what it’s like to be thrown face down on that mattress and fucked until you scream.”

Her eyes widen and I know I went too far. Maybe I was trying to piss her off, to get her to put up a wall to keep me out. Because fates know my control is crumbling.

I face the wall so she doesn’t have to look at my dick waving around while I speak with blatant vulgar disrespect.

And then it hits me-the scent of her arousal-so pure, so undeniable, my vision tunnels.

Fuck. My wolf wants to mark her. I haven’t even kissed the female and he’s ready to mate for life.

My fingernails turn to claws. I dig them into the wall and drag downwards, relishing the pain. Less than an hour and my control is dangerously close to breaking. I seriously don’t know how I’ll survive the night.

“Are you all right?” Her soft voice does wicked things to my body.

“Fine,” I give a strangled chuckle. “Just fine.”

“You don’t seem fine.”

“Just… give me a moment.” I press my forehead against the wall. The council is smarter than I give them credit for. Locking me in with a female in heat-it’s too much.

“Are… are you moon mad?” she asks.

“No.” Not yet. I lean one hand against the wall. I’m dying to stroke my cock, just beat off right here to keep from marking her. I’d do it, except I doubt it’d help. “What do you know about moon sickness, Sedona?”

“I know dominant wolves get it when their wolf needs to mate and they deny him.”

“Not just mate. Mark. For life.”

“Have you ever had it?”

“No. If I did… I’d take a mate. Not like this,” I hasten to explain. “I’d woo her. Court her. She’d have a choice. Of course.”

“Your council doesn’t take the same stance on she-wolves’ rights.”

“No,” I breathe out, grateful she doesn’t lump me in with them. “They don’t. They’ve been pushing me to take a mate. But I’m not ready.”

“Still playing the field?” Her tone has an edge that makes me turn. I brace as her beauty hits me like a blow.

“Jealous?” I try to joke. My voice comes out strangled.

She bites her lip.

“Madre de Dios,” I mutter. “Don’t do that.”

Her lovely eyes widen. “Do what?”

“Nothing.” I don’t want to scare her. It’s not her fault she’s perfect. “I’m not a player, no matter what you’ve heard about Latin lovers. I’ve never even had a she-wolf-only human females.”

“I’ve never been with a wolf, either.”

My fist curls at the thought of another male-wolf or human-touching her. I press my body against the wall and dig my nails into my palm until the bite makes me grit my teeth.

“You’re in pain.” The concern in her voice wraps around me.

And she’s been kidnapped, drugged, and locked in a room to serve against her will in a bogus breeding program. I don’t deserve her compassion.

“Look, Carlos. Neither of us want to be in this situation, but…”

I open my eyes. She’s gnawing that lip again. Naughty she-wolf. I’d punish her for being a tease, if she were mine.

“Maybe I can do something to help you-” She lowers her eyes in the direction of my cock, flushing. I bite back a laugh. If I had known such an alluring innocent existed, I would have torn apart the world to find her.

“I mean,” Sedona continues, “We’re obviously attracted to each other-”

The roaring in my ears is the sound of all the blood in my body rushing to my cock. It’s so loud I nearly miss her next comment, “We could just, I don’t know, fool around.” She shrugs and swallows. “It doesn’t have to mean anything, beyond tonight.”

I’m across the room before I realize my control has snapped. Sedona retreats, her face white at the wolf in my eyes. I stalk her until her back hits the wall and then plant my hands beside her head, caging her. I lean close, careful not to touch, but it’s no use. Her sweet scent makes me dizzy.

“Is that what you did with your little humans? Fool around?” My voice comes out a growl.

“No,” she breathes. Her pupils are blown.