AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A rumble of assent rises from the gathered crowd, their eyes skittering away from Ryan's domineering presence. I can't seem to tear my own gaze away, utterly transfixed and more than a little rattled by the sheer force of his commanding aura.
Ryan turns that piercing blue gaze on me, and I feel my breath catch in my throat. "My apologies, Jenna. I should have warned you that not everyone will... appreciate your presence among us. At least, not right away."
There's a subtle emphasis on the last two words, a glimmer of something deeper flickering in those stormy depths. I give a jerky nod, not trusting my voice under the weight of his intense regard.
Beside me, Hannah shifts restlessly, clearly uncomfortable with the charged atmosphere. "Well! I think that's enough excitement for one day. Why don't we head back inside, Jenna?"
Ryan's jaw tenses at her suggestion. "Actually, if you don't mind, Hannah, I'd like a word with Jenna. Privately." His eyes bore into me again, kindling an unexpected flare of heat low in my belly. "There are... certain matters we need to discuss. Alpha to guest."
Hannah opens her mouth to argue, but I quickly cut her off, my curiosity winning over my nerves. "It's fine. I'll catch up with you in a bit, okay?"
She purses her lips in a disapproving frown but nods, casting a wary glance at Ryan before stalking out of the building, her movements stiff with tension.
For a long, weighted moment, neither of us speaks. Ryan studies me with that same inscrutable intensity from before, his eyes darkening to an endless midnight blue. I resist the urge to fidget under the weight of that blazing regard, my pulse kicking into an unsteady gallop.
Finally, he breaks the charged silence in a low rumble. "Come with me."
Before I can process what's happening, strong fingers curl around my elbow in an unyielding grip, gently but insistently tugging me away. I stumble after Ryan's long, purposeful strides, my heart thundering in my chest as he guides me through a side door and into a secluded corridor.
The moment we're alone, I turn to face Ryan, a dozen different scenarios playing out in my mind. Anger over the disrespect from his pack members? A stern warning about keeping my distance, for my own safety? A blunt reminder that my continued presence here is contingent on good behavior?
But none of those guesses could have prepared me for the way he closes the distance between us in two long strides, his large hands framing my face with unexpected tenderness. I gasp softly, instinctively gripping his forearms to steady myself as the heat of his body envelops me.
"Ryan, what are you—?"
His mouth slants over mine in a searing kiss, effectively smothering my startled question. A low groan rumbles in his chest, the vibration shuddering through my body like a shockwave. Every nerve ending in my body blazes to life underthe rough stroke of his tongue, his scent of sandalwood and pine surrounding me in an intoxicating cloud.
My mind spins with a dizzying rush of desire and confusion, but my body betrays me, melting against the solid wall of his chest with a shuddering sigh. My fingers tangle in the soft fabric of his shirt, clinging on for dear life as the world tilts on its axis.
This is wrong. He's Hannah's brother... a shifter... the alpha, for god's sake.
And yet, even as the protesting thoughts swirl through my hazy consciousness, a deeper instinct takes over. A primal, undeniable craving ignited by the rough stroke of his tongue and the scorching heat of his palms mapping the curves of my body.
Ryan's hands slide into my hair, angling my head for deeper exploration. His mouth moves over mine with an almost frantic urgency, like a man starved for oxygen finally breaking the surface. My whimper of surrender is swallowed by his growl of possession as he hauls me flush against the rigid planes of his body.
Rational thought is quickly becoming impossible with the overwhelming onslaught of new sensations assaulting me from every angle.
His scent surrounding me...
His hands roaming over me, branding me with his touch...
The rasp of his stubble abrading my sensitized skin as his mouth blazes a scorching trail along the column of my throat...
A breathless cry escapes me when the graze of his teeth scrapes the thundering pulse at the base of my neck. Ryan snarls softly in response, every taut muscle in his body tensing like a wolf scenting its prey.
"Mine," he rasps, the deep rumble of possession ricocheting through my very soul. "You're mine..."
The words should terrify me. They're spoken not with the gentle tenderness of a lover, but with the feral intensity of a predator staking its claim.
Yet, despite the primal tone, there's a warmth that spreads through my chest—a long-forgotten desire for belonging, for someone to care enough to claim me.
With a whimper of need, I tangle my fingers in the soft strands at his nape and yank him back to my hungry mouth, surrendering to the dizzying maelstrom of desire blazing between us.
I've been alone for so long, isolated by my grief and then further displaced by the fire that took my home.
The thought of someone wanting to keep me, to claim me, touches something deep in my heart, igniting a fiercely protective instinct within me.
I'm not sure how long we remain locked in that heated embrace. At some point, though, the desperate edge of our fevered passion begins to ebb. Ryan's harsh grip gentles, his mouth skating across my swollen lips in a series of achingly tender caresses.
