Chapter Six
Darius’s wolf howled within him. Those words, those three perfect words were everything he needed to hear. Hailey had freely offered herself to him and he wasn’t going to fuck it up. As much as he desired to whisk her away to her suite, he used his last shred of humanity to do things right. Not only was she a human, she was more fragile than most.
“Will you be going to the ball, Hailey?”
She shook her head. “I’m not used to fancy events.”
He couldn’t help but smile. Her innocence was a turn-on he never expected. He’d set out to claim a human, an unprecedented task, and succeeded. “I want to show you off.”
“Darius, I’m sorry. I want to believe you, but…”
He felt her pulling away. Little did she know he was as damaged as her, fighting for survival since he was abandoned as a pup. He’d started out weak and alone, now he was alpha of a powerful wolf pack and dared anyone to challenge him.
“You can’t find happiness if you don’t take chances, Hailey.” He smoothed the pad of his thumb along her lower lip. “I can take care of you, baby girl, and I plan to do just that.”
Darius held her hand and escorted her back to her room. His werewolf libido was making itself painfully known. The full moon taunted him. When she opened the door to her suite, he couldn’t hold back, crushing his lips to hers. Her hair was soft and smelled of subtle vanilla. He savored her taste and the soft mewling sounds she made. She drove him fucking crazy.
“I’ll wait for you downstairs in the ballroom,” he said, pulling away.
“Don’t go.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I need to get ready for our date.”
“Can’t you stay a little longer?”
She shouldn’t have asked him that. The full moon shone in from the glass wall of the penthouse suite, making his cock heavy as lead. The heady scent of her lust wasn’t lost on him. “Hailey, I’m not sure you’re ready for this.”
The mating call was instinctive, a constant urge he held at bay for the sake of his human mate. Now she was giving him permission to take what he wanted. How could he refuse?
She kissed him, tentatively, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “I want you, Darius. I want you to love me.”
“I do,” he said honestly. He stepped into the room, kicking the door shut behind them. He backed her up to the king-size bed until she sat on the edge. “I want to make you mine. Forever.”
Hailey nodded. Her lips quivered slightly. His little virgin was afraid, and he was a werewolf alpha not used to playing nice. He didn’t want to hurt her, but also couldn’t deny what they both wanted.
He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it. “Your desire is driving me crazy, little one. You’re wet for me, too. Only me.” Darius tugged off her pants, and she fell back onto the lush bedding.
“Darius…”
She squirmed on the bed, practically begging for his cock. Tonight he wished he wasn’t so damn big. He didn’t want to hurt her. “Tell me if you want me to stop.”
“I’ve saved myself for a long time. I’m choosing you.”
He growled, falling over her, bracing his weight on his forearms. He kissed her gently at first, but her ripe scent was his undoing. He slipped off her t-shirt and unclasped her bra before taking her nipple in his mouth. Her curves were addicting. Darius suckled her tits, using a free hand to tear away her panties. His cock jumped, never so primed for a woman before. The full moon cast its glow throughout the entire suite, demanding he complete the bond—sex and blood.
****
Hailey could scarcely breathe, her mouth dry and heart racing. Darius’s body was hard, muscled perfection. The fibres of his golden muscles strained as he held back. She didn’t want him to hold back.
She’d waited long enough to give herself to a man. Darius had to be the one, that knight in shining armor she never thought existed. There was something unique and powerful growing between them. She’d felt the first spark when she was lost in the forest. Now she was completely wanton, her muscles relaxing, her pussy pulsing.
“Tell me what you want,” he said, his voice deeper, a man on the edge.
“You.”
He took her hand, pulling it between them. She wrapped her fingers around his erection. It was as impressive as she’d imagined, hard as granite and thicker than she thought possible.
“What do you want? Tell me, Hailey.”
“Your cock,” she dared to say. Just talking dirty made her clit spasm, her back arching up instinctively. “Please, Darius. Give it to me.”
He shifted down her body, kissing every inch as he went, even her pudgy stomach and stretch marks. When his hot tongue swiped up her folds, she screamed out loud.
“Such a good girl,” he said. “Scream all you want, baby.”
He delved in, suckling and licking, fucking her with his tongue until she was writhing like a mad woman. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect sex to be like this. He was claiming her, body and soul, and there was nothing she wanted more.
When she hung on a precipice, about to explode from the inside out, he pulled away.
She could scarcely catch her breath. They were both naked and sweat-glistened, only the sound of their combined breathing disturbing the quiet, moonlit room.
“Don’t stop,” she said.
“Another time, baby girl. Right now I need to claim you.”
He moved up her body like a predator, every muscle toned and flexed. When he settled over her, she wrapped her legs and arms around him, needing him closer. He smelled all male, clean sweat and musk. Darius kissed her, their mouths devouring one another until it was impossible to distinguish one from the other.
When she felt the smooth, moist tip of his cock against her pussy, she tensed. Darius was hung like a fucking horse, so she didn’t anticipate a gentle popping of her cherry. But she wanted him, regardless.
“Relax, Hailey. I’ll go slow for you. This time.”
He pushed in, a gentle inch at a time, filling her virgin pussy so full of cock there wasn’t a cell untouched. Although it was overwhelming at first, his size sated her effortlessly. Once fully seated, he began to pump his hips slowly, a gentle rocking to get her accustomed to his girth.
“Fuck, you’re tight.” Darius groaned, a deliciously masculine sound. She held his massive shoulders, corded with muscle, waiting for him to unleash the beast she could sense waiting under the surface. “You’re mine now, Hailey. How do you feel?”
“Full. Full of your cock.”
He growled and started really fucking her. She held on for the ride, her cunt spasming in powerful waves. God, he was good at this. He dominated her completely. She’d given him her everything, leaving her completely vulnerable. It was as liberating as it was terrifying.
“I’ll never get enough of you,” he grated as he pumped his hips, making the bed quake. “Come for me, little one. Let me hear you scream.”
Darius tongued the shell of her ear as he toyed with a nipple. He knew exactly how to fuck her, the perfect angle, perfect amount of pressure. Within seconds of his order, it built inside of her like a covered pot ready to boil over. Her eyes lolled back in her head as her orgasm reached its peak—growing, growing, growing. Then she detonated. She screamed louder than she’d ever screamed, yelling his name and scratching his back as she gasped like a fish out of water.
She could feel Darius fill her with his hot seed, the moisture seeping between her thighs. Hailey had done it, lost her virginity at thirty-two, on her own terms.
He collapsed briefly before rolling to the side, taking her with him. “Thank you,” he said between breaths.
“For what?”
“Trusting me. Giving me a beautiful gift.”
She rested her head against his chest, listening to the strong beat of his heart. “You make me feel special, Darius. I’ve never felt this way before.”
“You are special, and you need to start believing it. Don’t let the past control you. I know how it feels to live that life, and it leads nowhere. Today’s a new beginning for us.”
She painted lazy patterns over his chest with her finger. “I like the sound of that.”
****
As a shifter, his heart already beat Hailey’s name. There was no turning back, especially now that he’d claimed her body. After resting in each other’s arms, Darius excused himself to get ready for the ball. He couldn’t wait to show the world his new mate, and he was determined to give her the fairy-tale experience she deserved.
He made his way to the rear of the resort first. Things weren’t as simple as they appeared. Darius had used all his resolve not to follow that asshole George Halbridge and beat him within an inch of his life. When he’d sensed Hailey’s fear and saw that bastard’s hands on her, he only saw red. His wolf howled within him to shift. To kill.
Darius shifted into his black wolf once he reached the edge of the old growth forest.
“You all had one job. Why the fuck was my mate out here alone with that male?”
Jacob emerged from the darkness. “It won’t happen again.”
“You’re damn right it won’t happen again! Hailey’s delicate, even for a human. It’s hard enough convincing her I’m not a bastard like her ex, so I don’t need him fucking things up more.”
“You wouldn’t have to play games with a she-wolf. She’d already have her ass in the air,” said Jacob. “Is your human worth the trouble?”
Darius lunged forward, sinking his fangs into Jacob’s haunch, giving him a firm shake. His packmate yelped and submitted, laying his head on the ground. Darius felt like a lone wolf, and it was seriously pissing him off.
“There’s a problem, boss.” Thorn’s wolf paced in front of him.
“Well, fuck. Spit it out.”
“The male is already asking around about you. I don’t like it,” said Thorn.
“I’m not afraid of that little shit. I just don’t want him near my woman.”
“There’s more,” said Thorn. “I tracked the scent. Brass set them up. Security cameras caught him visiting the male and your woman.”
Darius attempted to settle his raging emotions, trying to comprehend one of his own packmates going against his orders. The weight of that reality crushed the air from his lungs. As a shifter, he trusted his pack with his life. They were his eyes, ears, and limbs. This betrayal was too much, especially at the most pivotal time of his life. This mating felt like an uphill battle.
“I caught him revealing his wolf to Hailey earlier,” said Darius. It was a warning sign he shouldn’t have ignored.
“I know he’s having a hard time accepting the whole human thing, but that still doesn’t give him the right—”
“Find him! Bring him to me,” Darius said.
He wanted to fault Brass, to banish him or worse, but only days ago Darius hated humans just as much as his packmate. Maybe more so. That still didn’t mean he’d allow Brass to fuck up his entire courting. His mating was happening regardless of who approved or not.
****
Hailey stared at herself in the hall mirror. “What just happened?”
She paced her luxury suite, remembering Darius’s complete domination of her body, and the words that still left her dizzy. And he was waiting for her.
After a shower, she approached the box still sitting on the chair by the bed. Did she dare to wear such a revealing dress? Her curves were explosive, and she’d always hidden them as best she could. But she was a new Hailey now, with renewed faith and optimism. I can do this.
The walk to the ballroom was difficult enough in heels, not to mention having so much skin exposed. The long black dress hugged her body and created mountainous cleavage.
When she entered the open double doors, the music, lighting, and glamorous atmosphere took her by surprise. She stood there in awe, feeling like Cinderella. The women attending were drop-dead gorgeous with bodies that looked like they belonged on a magazine cover. She felt immediately out of place and wanted to retreat to her room.
Then his strong hands were on her hips as he whispered in her ear. “You look good enough to eat.” Those words made her tremble, a cascade of tingles making her needy all over again.
She turned around in his arms. He wore a new suit, his hair slightly slicked back off his face. Hailey could stare at him all night long.
“How about I get us a drink?”
Hailey nodded. She took her time walking on the tile floor to the large windows along the side of the ballroom. The darkness outside allowed her to see her own reflection—then his.
“Here with your new boyfriend?”
She didn’t turn around. Why couldn’t George stay the hell away?
“I did a little research, and apparently lover boy works at the resort. I guarantee you he won’t have a job come Monday.”
This time she whirled around, nearly losing her balance. “Leave him alone!”
George smirked, a conspiratorial look in his eyes. “You fuck up my plans, I fuck up yours. It’s only fair, right?”
“This was all your fault. Not mine.”
“Well, like you said, it’s for the best. I don’t think I could have stomached being married to you anyway.” A tall, slim woman sauntered up behind him and took his arm.
“You said you’d dance the next song,” she said, giving Hailey the once over.
“Of course, babe. I was just coming.”
He glared at her before leaving with his date. Hailey stood there feeling like a cow, and worried she’d ruined Darius’s life after he’d saved hers twice. She knew how ruthless George and his friends from the legal practice could be.
Darius returned, handing her a glass of bubbly champagne. “I think I’ll keep you close for the rest of the night.”
“Darius, maybe this isn’t a good idea…”
He appeared so confident, but little did he know George was working hard to ruin his career or more. Guilt continued to grow inside of her. She stared at the bubbles in her glass. There was nothing she wanted more than to live this fairy tale, but she had a feeling her dreams would come crashing down at midnight.
“There’s nothing to worry about, Hailey. All I want to focus on tonight is us. You’ve made me the happiest man in the world.” He set his glass down on a ledge and pulled her unceremoniously against his body, not appearing to care what anyone thought. “And I’ve never seen a woman more beautiful.”
She smiled.
He leaned down and kissed her cheek, and then her neck. “Such a pretty little thing. You smell so fucking good.” She was afraid he’d try to do more in a very public place, but that voice from her nightmares pulled Darius from his reverie.
“I didn’t know they let the help attend these kind of functions.” George stood several feet away with his arms crossed. His wingman, Karl, and several friends flanked his sides. She knew he’d want revenge for being bested by Darius. “Should you be returning to the kitchen, or is it a desk in the back room?”
Darius said nothing.
“And your choice for a date? Kind of embarrassing for you, bro,” said George. “Or maybe you’re a chubby-chaser. Whatever, it’s all good. I’m just glad you took that dead weight off my hands.”
Hailey didn’t think she’d breathed since George appeared. The entire ballroom of people had stopped what they were doing to turn and stare. She felt humiliated, but even more upset that Darius was put in the middle of this shitstorm. She expected him to remain quiet again, after all, there were five men to one and several more of George’s friends in the ballroom.
Darius turned to face her. “I’m sorry, baby girl. I’ll make things up to you when I come back.” Something dark swirled in his eyes, something animalistic. Then he squared his shoulders and approached George.
“Watch how you talk about my woman,” Darius said.
Oh my God, he’s going to get himself killed.
“She was my fiancée up until a couple days ago.”
“Yeah, well, finders keepers, asshole.”
“You think you’re a tough guy?” asked George, his voice and bravado rising thanks to his support system. “I can destroy a low-life like you.”
“Let’s see you try that.” Darius removed his designer jacket, carefully folding it and placing it on the back of a chair. His muscles strained against the material of his maroon-colored suit shirt. God, he had a gorgeous body and shoulders so broad he’d put a linebacker to shame.
Officer Jacob from the other night entered the ballroom. Finally … security. “I’ll need you guys to take this out back. This is not the place for a fight.”
What the hell? Why wasn’t he stopping this from escalating? He wanted the five of them to beat the crap out of Darius outside? These cops were out of their ever-loving minds.
They all began to leave the ballroom. Hailey chased after Darius, her heels clicking against the tile. “Don’t do this. Please!”
“I won’t allow him to insult you.”
“It’s okay. I don’t care.”
Darius frowned. “You should.”
She grabbed his sleeve and whispered, tears stinging her eyes. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
He winked. “You don’t know me at all.”
****
Darius couldn’t wipe the goofy smile off his face. His mate was worried about him. She didn’t want him to get hurt. He stifled a chuckle. She was so fucking adorable, and that piece of shit would pay for embarrassing her. Of all the females at the ball, Hailey was his prize. Her dress barely contained her tits, and all he could think about was drowning in her softness again. As unorthodox as their mating was, the gods had chosen right. Even the thought of another woman made him bristle in distaste.
He burst out the back doors, the darkness and scent of pine instantly soothing him. The full moon was high in the sky, reminding him he needed to get his ass back to Hailey to complete the mating bond tonight—sex and blood.
George and his friends were raring to go, likely thinking this would be a cakewalk.
They all laughed. “Well, well, he actually showed his face…”
Darius barrelled forward, straight to George, and punched him square in the face. It felt so damn good. He dropped like an oak. Darius had no time for drama, not when he was solely focused on his woman.
“Can we join in the party?” asked Thorn, rubbing his hands together. He moved in from behind with Jacob. About fucking time.
Darius shrugged, already bored with the exchange. Human males were weak and puny compared to shifters. This was all a joke.
Within minutes, crowds flooded out into the night, curious onlookers wanting a glimpse of bloodshed. They’d be disappointed, especially when the blond couldn’t even take a punch. He pushed through the throngs of people, trying to get back to Hailey when he saw Brass in the distance. His nerves flared up because he couldn’t trust his wayward packmate.
“Jacob said your female is MIA,” said Thorn, bumping shoulders with him. He had one of George’s friends in a headlock.
“Fuck.”
He retreated out of sight to the dark shadows and shifted. He savored the power of his alpha wolf, immediately picking up Hailey’s scent. Why would she go to the forest? Would Brass kill her if he truly believed a human-shifter mating was an abomination? Darius used all the power in his legs to reach the tree line in record time. If anything happened to Hailey, his life would be a forfeit.
It was his worst-case scenario—Brass had Hailey. Did he plan to use her as a fucking hostage? To what end? Darius would tear him apart, piece by piece, if he’d harmed her. If Brass thought he could defeat Darius’s alpha wolf, he was more deluded than the group of human males. He moved in slow and steady—he lived for the hunt.
He couldn’t sense any fear from Hailey, and she appeared untouched, so his sense of urgency settled slightly. Once he knew he could strike without harm coming to his mate, he leaped out of hiding, knocking Brass’s human form to the ground.
“Boss, wait!”
Hailey screamed.
His fangs were bared, his heart racing. Darius was ready to kill.
“It’s not what you think. I was protecting her, keeping her safe.”
Darius’s hackles eased. Could he be telling the truth? As alpha, nothing would make him happier than keeping the Northern Summit Pack intact. But he had to be one hundred percent sure when it came to Hailey’s safety.
He backed off, putting himself between Hailey and Brass.
“What’s going on? Who are you talking to?” cried Hailey.
Brass got to his feet, brushing off the leaf litter from his pants. “I was talking to Darius, your mate. And he needs to complete the blood bond tonight.”
What the fuck is he doing?
“Get away from me,” said Hailey. “You’re that crazy cop.”
Brass shook his head. “There’s a lot more going on than you can image, human. I was a fool because it’s not my place to question my alpha. I swear to respect your blood bond.”
Darius realized what his packmate was doing. He was helping him, a peace offering. The blood bond had to be completed during the same full moon as the claiming. With all the chaos, it would have been so easy to miss the small window of opportunity. This unique mating would be a learning curve for all of them—especially Hailey. He shifted into his skin, terrified of his mate’s reaction. They’d declared their feelings for each other, and he wouldn’t be able to handle her rejection.
Brass shifted and returned to the melee, leaving them alone in the hush of the forest.
Hailey stared. “This can’t be real,” she said. She reached out and touched Darius, running her fingers along his abs. “Is it real?”
He nodded.
“I thought the wolf this morning was tame. I knew it was too good to be true.” She walked around his naked body, feeling him, pinching him. “How is this possible, Darius? I have way too many questions right now. Please talk to me.”
“I’m a werewolf. No less a man, but with some extra perks…”
“I don’t know what to say, what to think.”
Darius couldn’t lose his mate. He’d just opened her eyes to a world she never knew existed. He hoped to the gods she still wanted him once the shock settled.
“It’s still me, Darius North, the man who loves you.”
Hailey kept quiet. She stared, and he wondered what she was thinking. Did he disgust her? Was she ready to run and never look back?
“I’m scared,” he said, tears threatening to cloud his vision.
“Tell me.”
“I’m afraid you’re going to take everything from me and walk away. I’m afraid you’ll realize you can do better. I’m afraid I’ll fall in love and have my heart broken.”
Hailey smiled as tears ran down her cheeks. “So, you’re a werewolf?” She shrugged. “I guess I can live with that.”
He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight, never wanting to let go. “Everything will be okay as long as I have you. I love you, Hailey Robinson. Please tell me you want forever with me.”
“Forever sounds good.”
Darius admired the smooth plane of her neck and couldn’t wait to sink his fangs into the tender flesh, bonding them for life. Tonight he’d show Hailey the power of the blood bond. A werewolf bite was legendary for its aphrodisiac effects. It would be a wild ride. “I have a lot to teach you, little one, and a lifetime to do it.”
A wave of panic suddenly twisted her features. “What about George?”
He stifled a growl. “He’s of no concern to either of us now.”
“But he threatened you, threatened to take your job at the hotel away.”
His worry faded to nothing, his world finally whole. Darius swooped his beautiful woman into his arms. “Sweetheart, I own the hotel.”