The One He Claimed

The One 18

Chapter 18: A Possible Future Sophie Did he just say he was going to kiss me? I look down at his lips – full, soft, warm-looking lips and I wonder what it would feel like to be kissed by this man. Everything he has said has made me feel safer and more loved than I’ve felt since I ran away from home. It’s dangerous because it’s intoxicating. “I….” I begin. He growls low, sending heat through my body and straight to my core. “I warned you,” he says and slides a hand into my hair as his mouth gently presses against mine. His lips are just as warm and soft as they looked. I melt into the kiss, my very first kiss. He has one hand splayed on my back, holding me to him, the other slides into my hair, gently tugging my head to the side. As soon as I do, he deepens the kiss, running his tongue of the seam of my lips. I gasp and his warm tongue slides into my mouth, gently coaxing my tongue to join his. My hands slide up his chest and I feel his body shiver at my touch. He growls again, this time it’s a deep, primal, possessive growl as he deepens the kiss even further. I can only hold on to him, overwhelmed by the feelings that he’s conjuring in my body, the swirling of emotions in my mind. 289 Wouchert When he finally pulls away, we’re both panting. He presses his forehead to mine and I feel his heart beating just as fast as mine is. “You taste just as sweet as you smell,” he says. When I look, his eyes are closed and he’s licking his lips, as if he can’t get enough of my taste. When he pulls his head away from mine, he looks at me with grey eyes that have darkened to a nearly charcoal color with his desire for me. “We need to get moving. You smell entirely too delicious to be left in the open like this,” he says, stepping back and sliding his hand out of my hair and down my arm to intertwine our fingers together. Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

He turns and begins walking, leading me away from the river. I can still feel the tingling sensation on my lips. I turn and look at the river. When I got here early this morning, I was trying to scrub the scent and feel of Alpha Owen off of me. I look at Hunter. Now, all I want is to feel his mouth on mine again and to roll myself all over him until I’m covered in his scent. ‘He smells SO good. I bet if you asked him, he’s let us roll on him,’ Hedda purrs seductively. ‘Did you feel how… big he is? You know, down there?” I ask her. The purring gets louder. “Oh yes, yes I did,’ she says. I see Alpha Hunter looking at me out of the corner of his eye, and a smile twitches at his lips. Chapter 18 A Possible Future 283 Mouchers “Did Hedda have something she wanted to say?” he asks me. “No,” I grumble, and his smile gets wider. I huff. “What were you going to say about my life if I accept you as my mate?” I ask, changing the subject. He looks at me, then focuses on where we’re going, never letting go of my hand. His thumb is rubbing circles on the back of my hand, and it continues to send tingles throughout my body. It feels amazing. “Well, for one thing, you’d no longer have to run. My mark on your neck would make you safe from any other Alpha.” I knew that. My issue was never having a mate, it was all about how the mates were claimed. “You’d be able to see your family again. And, without putting too much pressure on you, it would make your father safe again. The Alphas would stop watching him and your mother. You and Amelia would both be claimed, so there would be no reason for them to watch your family’s pack.” I hadn’t thought of that. That, without anything else, would make me reconsider accepting Alpha Hunter’s proposal. He stops, turning me to look at him. “But most importantly, second only to you being my Luna, is that you could stand by my side and help me fight against this injustice, help me fight for other she-

wolves to have the right that I’m offering to you.” I stare up into his eyes, seeing his fierce determination, not to claim me, but to make our world a better place for every she- wolf, not just for me, and not just for our pups. Chapter 18: A Possible Future 1 Our pups. The thought makes my heart flutter and Hedda flip onto her back ready to show her belly to Shaw. “You’re really serious about all of this?” “Absolutely. I’m not the only one, I’m just the only one willing to stand my ground and fight for what is right. There are others who will stand with us, my Beta for one. I’m guessing your sister and- Alpha Calvin would stand with us as well. Your parents would stand with us.” “That’s not a lot of people,” I say frowning, thinking of the mountain that we’d have to climb to change our laws. “It’s a start. I want a better life, not just for you, and for us, but for our pups, our daughters.” There it is again. OUR pups. I can practically feel myself ovulating for this man right now. I’m not sure if it’s me, or Hedda, but I think it’s more me, that throws my arms around his neck and slams my lips against his. His body jerks with the shock of it and I start to pull away, embarrassed by my action, but his mouth follows mine, capturing me in another kiss, this one even more passionate than the first. I’m feeling light-headed and wobbly when he pulls away, growling possessively. “You smell so **g good. I need to get you out of this forest,” he says, turning and moving quickly. My arm jerks as he tugs me along, my brain struggling to catch up as I let him lead me back to the hideout. Chapter 18 A Possible Future He comes up to the back side of the hideout. “Where’s the back entrance?” he asks me. “You don’t know?” I ask, surprised. “No, I didn’t want my scent back here, so I told Kinsley not to show me.”

I smile at him. He’s so thoughtful. “It’s right here,” I say, showing him. “Good. Go, get inside before you draw too much attention with your scent,” he says, his eyes darkening. “You’re leaving me?” I ask, feeling lonely in a way that being on the run never made me feel. He steps up to me, taking my face in his hands. “I’m going to go back to my pack and get food. Food for you and then more for anyone else that finds this place. It will take me a couple of hours. Please, stay here. You’ll be safe inside. And for goddess’ sake, wash your arousal off your legs,” he says gritting his teeth. “Any male in a five-mile radius will be drawn to your scent.” I don’t know what makes me do it, other than the warm feelings this man is making me feel, but I lean into him, sliding my hand up his bare chest. “What about you? Are you drawn to my scent?” One hand traps my hand on his chest, just over his heart, while he wraps the other arm around me, tugging me against him. “I could forego dinner and spend the rest of the night dining on you, feasting on your delicious scent. Generally speaking, I have a lot of control, but don’t push me, Sophie. You could very easily snap what’s left of my control and I’ll have my face between Chapter 18: A Possible Futu 288 Wouchers your thighs and you screaming my name in pleasure in no time.” His words send another wave of pleasure through me, his hard length pressed against my stomach making butterflies take flight. I watch his nostrils flare as my arousal s**s, and I feel my heat dripping down my thighs. I feel his entire body shiver in much the same way that my body is responding to him before he drops to his knees in front of me. “Just one taste,” he says, sounding like a desperate man. “What…” I begin, just as his tongue snakes out and slides between the folds of my p**y lips before swirling over my c**t. “F**g delicious,” he growls, before standing quickly. I can see his wolf close to the surface. He’s on the verge of losing control and it excites me as much as it scares me.

“Get inside, Sophie, before I start something that you’re not ready for,” he growls. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Then we can talk about next steps. Think about what I’ve said,” he says, before leaping away from me and shifting, running quickly around the side of the mountain. I step inside the small opening, hurriedly making my way inside to the safety of the hideout.