Alpha's Second Chance (Harvest Moon Wolves 1) Read online

  The man’s eyes narrowed as he stared at her. “You love him.”

  Olivia’s startled gaze flew to his. “Love?”

  He sneered. “It’s not only written on your face, but I can smell it on you. As well as the brat in your belly. It’s his fault my woman and child are dead, so I’ll do anything to take his from him.”

  “You don’t want to do this,” Olivia said. “I didn’t do anything to you. This baby is innocent.” She placed a hand over her belly.

  “My Gwen was innocent.” The man snarled and she watched in horror as fur started sprouting across his skin again. “I’ll give you a head start, which is probably more than my Gwen got. Run, little girl.”

  His features started twisting and reshaping into that of his wolf, and Olivia started running, back toward the cabin. She pushed herself to run faster than she ever had before.

  “Torren!” she screamed.

  Olivia could hear the wolf closing in behind her, and her fear spiked. She screamed for Torren again, and pushed even harder, trying to move even faster. The wolf behind her howled and the hairs on her nape lifted. He was close. So damn close! The crunching of leaves made it sound like he was right behind her. Olivia braced herself, preparing for an attack.

  Another wolf ahead of her snarled and she cried out, stumbling and falling to the ground. A blur of white sailed over her head, and landed behind her. Olivia turned to look, wondering if she was about to be torn apart by two wolves instead of one. But the white wolf wasn’t attacking her. It was defending her. She moved further away, wondering if she should stay or run. The white wolf bit down on the other wolf’s neck, and she heard a crunch as the reddish wolf yelped. The white wolf moved back, his tail brushing against her legs. The other wolf stared at them, hatred burning in its gaze, before it turned and ran off in the opposite direction.

  The white one turned toward her, then shifted. Her eyes went wide as Jaxon knelt beside her, and her cheeks flushed a little when she realized he was naked.

  “Jaxon?”

  “I came to visit since I knew you were alone. But the cabin door was wide open and you weren’t inside. I followed your scent, and I’m glad I did. Who the hell was that?” he asked.

  “Gwen’s lover,” Olivia said as she pushed herself to her feet. She swayed, and Jaxon quickly lifted her into his arms and began walking back in the direction she assumed led to the cabin.

  She tried really hard not to think about the fact her best friend was completely naked, and carrying her through the woods. She hoped Torren didn’t see them and flip out.

  “Where are your clothes?” she asked.

  “Shredded. I didn’t have time to strip out of them before I shifted. I heard you scream and didn’t stop to undress.”

  “Can I just say it’s a little awkward that you’re carrying me while you’re naked?”

  Jaxon laughed. “Yeah well, welcome to life with a wolf shifter pack. Nudity is kind of the norm. We’re not exactly shy about our bodies, and we all strip down every full moon and run together.”

  “Um, as a non-shifting human, I’m not required to get naked and go running in the moonlight, am I?”

  “No.” He smiled. “We’re not naked for very long before we shift into our wolf form. Since you’d have to be naked the entire time, I think Torren would say a huge no to you running naked with the pack.”

  “Thank you. For coming after me,” Olivia said.

  “I didn’t think you’d leave the door open without a reason, and when I noticed your trail led off into the woods, I thought I’d better find you. Torren is going to lose his shit when he finds out you were attacked.”

  “And I thought he hovered before,” she muttered.

  “I bet he’s stuck to your ass like glue after this. Wouldn’t blame him. It’s obvious you can’t be left alone.”

  “I’m not a child.”

  Jaxon paused and looked down at her. “No, but you’re human, and at a disadvantage when it comes to facing off against our kind. You were defenseless today, Olivia. If I hadn’t found you when I did, you’d be lying out there with your throat ripped out. Do you get that? Why the hell did you go into the woods anyway?”

  “There was a knock at the door and when I opened it, a wolf was standing at the foot of the steps. I thought it was someone from the pack and maybe Torren was hurt.”

  “He’d masked his scent somehow. All I smelled at the cabin was you.”

  Olivia chewed on her lower lip. “He said that Gwen used to hide his scent with herbs after they would meet in the woods. Maybe he used the same thing she did.”

  Jaxon just stared at her a moment before he started walking again. “You need to tell Torren everything, and I mean every little detail, of what happened out there today. I don’t know who that guy was, or why he wanted you, but it was obvious he wouldn’t have hesitated to kill you and your unborn child.”

  “Does everyone know Torren knocked me up?” she asked.

  “We can smell it on you.”

  Olivia frowned, her brow furrowing. “Then everyone would have known that Gwen was pregnant, right?”

  Jaxon nearly dropped her as he came to a sudden stop. “What? Gwen was pregnant?”

  “You didn’t know?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not sure if Torren knew or not. How could she have hidden that from everyone? And why would she?”

  “It wasn’t Torren’s baby,” Olivia said softly. “It belonged to the wolf who attacked me.”

  “What the hell did that bitch bring to our door when she mated Torren?” Jaxon muttered and started walking again.

  Olivia kept quiet the rest of the way back to the cabin. When they got there, the door still stood open, and Torren wasn’t home. Jaxon carried her up the front steps and into the house, easing her down onto the couch. Now that her adrenaline had worn off, she winced at the aches she felt from running and falling.

  “What’s wrong?” Jaxon asked.

  “I’m a little sore. I’m not used to running, and I fell when he was chasing me.” She rubbed her hip, where most of the pain seemed to be.

  Jaxon reached for the button on her jeans and hesitated only a moment before unfastening it, then lowering her zipper. He tugged her pants down her hips, then pulled down the side of her panties, exposing a rather large bruise that was rapidly turning black.

  There was a deep growl across the room as Torren stomped inside. “What the fuck are you doing?”

  Jaxon quickly stood and exposed his throat to Torren. “I’m sorry, Alpha. Your mate was hurt and I was trying to take care of her.”

  “While you’re naked?” Torren asked.

  Jaxon waved a hand toward his cock. “Does it seem like I’m remotely interested in her that way? I found her in the woods and I had to shift quickly, so my clothes were shredded.”

  Torren’s eyebrows lowered and he glared at the other wolf before coming to stand in front of Olivia. He reached out and pulled down the side of her panties again, spitting out a string of curses when he saw how badly she’d been bruised.

  “Someone better tell me what the hell is going on. Right now,” he said.

  Olivia glanced at Jaxon, who gave her a nod of encouragement. She told Torren about the wolf coming to the cabin and leading her into the woods. She tried to remember every single word the man had said, and then told him about running for her life. When she got to the part of Jaxon saving her, Torren’s shoulders seemed to bow, as if the weight of the world had settled on them, then he rose and faced Jaxon.

  “Thank you for saving my mate. You should go home, but find Baxter on your way and send him to me. It seems we have a lot to discuss.”

  Jaxon hesitated only a moment, then turned and left.

  Torren lifted Olivia off the couch and carried her to their bedroom.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “You’re going to put on something looser and more comfortable, then we’re going to ice your hip. Are you hurt anywhere else?” he asked.<
br />
  “I don’t think so.”

  He set her on her feet inside the bedroom then started pulling her clothes off and dropping them on the floor. He made her turn in a slow circle, as he examined every inch of her. The bruise on her hip was the only mark on her, thankfully. Torren helped her into some knit pajama pants and a matching tank, then he wrapped an arm around her waist and stayed right by her side until they were back in the living room. He pointed to the couch.

  “Sit while I get some ice for your hip. You’re confined inside until I figure out who this wolf is, and what he meant by it being my fault Gwen is dead.”

  She opened her mouth to say something, but he stomped out of the room. With a sigh, she eased onto the couch and curled her legs beneath her, leaving her sore hip exposed. Torren returned a minute later with an ice pack in his hands, and he gently laid it across her hip before taking a seat next to her.

  “You didn’t seem surprised when I said Gwen was pregnant, but Jaxon hadn’t known,” she said.

  “I found out after she died. A wolf had torn her apart, killing her and the baby. I’d wondered if it was mine, but I’d figured she’d have told me if it was. I never knew she was meeting someone in the woods, but it seemed suspicious that she was out there the night she died.”

  Olivia bit her lip and wondered if she should say something or not. The wolf in the woods had said Gwen was forced to mate with Torren, and he hadn’t said much since hearing that. From what he’d told her before, it had sounded like Gwen had accepted her mating with Torren. But now Olivia had to wonder.

  “Torren, if Gwen didn’t want to mate with you and was forced into it, and she loved the guy who attacked me today… Do you think it’s possible that someone else killed her? Maybe they found out she was cheating on you. Could it…” She stopped, not wanting to continue.

  “Could it have been someone in my pack?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “No, I don’t think so. If they had found out, they would have brought the matter to me, not murdered her.”

  The front door opened and Baxter stepped into the room. “You needed to see me, Alpha?”

  “My mate was attacked today, and I want to know who the hell did it.” He blew out a breath. “And I need to find out why Gwen died.”

  Baxter looked from Torren to Olivia and back again. “Alpha, maybe we should…”

  “Olivia knows everything,” Torren said.

  “What do you need from me? From the pack?” Baxter asked.

  “Obviously, my mate is in danger. Someone needs to be with her twenty-four-seven, and it can’t always be me. We need to assign guards when I can’t be here.”

  Baxter nodded. “I’ll ask for volunteers among the males in the pack. They’re stronger than the females and would be more of a deterrent if someone comes for her again. I have a feeling Jaxon will ask to be on the rotation.”

  Torren’s eyes narrowed. “He’s not strong enough. A human male busted him up.”

  “He saved me today,” Olivia pointed out. “He bit the other wolf’s neck and scared him into running away. I’d have died if it weren’t for Jaxon. Twice.”

  Torren rubbed a hand over his mouth. “All right. Jaxon can help protect you. I know the two of you were friends before you came here. I’m sure you’re comfortable around him.”

  “I’ll get a schedule worked out,” Baxter said. “And I’ll start looking into Gwen’s death. Obviously it wasn’t as cut and dried as we’d thought. If you believed it was this other wolf, and he seems to think it was you… it leaves me wondering just who the hell killed Gwen, and why did they do it?”

  “Yeah, I’m wondering the same thing,” Torren said.

  “I’ll see myself out.” Baxter turned and left the room. A minute later, the front door slammed shut.

  “How’s your hip?” Torren asked, pulling the ice pack off her, then lowering her pants and panties. Olivia looked down and the bruise wasn’t only black, but was slightly swollen despite the ice.

  “I’ll live,” she said.

  “If you weren’t injured, I’d spank your ass for running off like that with an unknown wolf.”

  The Alpha tone in his voice had her clenching her thighs together. After the way she’d enjoyed her previous spanking, it wasn’t much of a threat, and she had to admit that some part of her liked his dominant side. She’d never thought she’d be the type of person to like something like that, or like being tied up, but she’d loved everything Torren had done to her.

  He gripped her waist and lifted her until she straddled him. “I could have lost you today.”

  Olivia caressed his cheek. “I’m here. I’m fine, and so is the baby.”

  He fisted her hair and dragged her lips to his, then he kissed her hard. His tongue thrust into her mouth, and she felt herself melting against him. Her lips felt bruised when he pulled away, and her panties were soaked.

  “If you weren’t injured, I’d fuck you right now. Make you scream my name and beg for more. The need to mark you again is nearly driving me crazy.”

  “I have a bruise, Torren. I’m not broken.”

  His lips teased her jaw and the side of her neck, before he licked the shell of her ear. “Does my mate need a good fucking?”

  Olivia whimpered. “Yes, please. I need you, Torren.”

  “Stand up and strip,” he said, his voice deep and commanding.

  Olivia stood and removed her clothes as fast as she could. Torren slowly unbuttoned his jeans, the rasp of his zipper sounding loud in the otherwise quiet house. He shoved his jeans down over his hips, until his cock was freed.

  She straddled him and lowered herself onto his length, taking him deep. Torren wrapped an arm around her waist, careful of her hip, and held on as she rode him. Her breasts swayed with every downward stroke, and Torren seemed mesmerized by them. He licked his lips as he stared, and she felt her nipples harden.

  “It’s not enough, is it, baby?” he asked, reaching down to rub her clit. “Does that feel good?”

  She bit her lip and nodded as pleasure surged through her. Torren kept rubbing and soon she was flying. She fucked herself on his cock, until she screamed out his name. Her release nearly left her breathless, but Torren hadn’t come yet. He held onto her, then reversed their positions. With her legs spread wide, he started thrusting hard, pressing her into the couch cushions. Torren didn’t slow, even when she came a second time. It was like he was possessed and as she looked up, she saw the wolf peering out at her. Torren flooded her pussy with his cum, but his shaft didn’t soften.

  “You need me still, don’t you?” she asked, rubbing a hand up and down his bicep.

  “Yes.” His voice was more animal than man, and it sent a thrill through her. She’d liked it when he lost control before.

  “Then take me to the bedroom.”

  Torren rose, taking her with him, their bodies still joined. He used his feet to nudge his jeans the rest of the way off, then he carried her to the bedroom, only pulling out before he eased her onto the bed. He looked downright feral as he stared at her, his cock hard and ready. And Olivia knew what he needed from her.

  “Tie me down, Torren.”

  He growled softly, then pulled out the ropes he’d used the last time. He bound her wrists, then shoved pillows under her ass, lifting her. Torren shoved her knees wide, opening her to his gaze. The wolf licked his lips, and his eyes burned even brighter. Olivia’s heart started to race and she remember something he’d told her before.

  “You like seeing your cum on me, don’t you?” she asked softly.

  He flashed his fangs at her, and she took that as a yes.

  Torren crawled up the bed between her legs, but he didn’t enter her. He leaned down and latched onto a nipple, his fangs scraping her skin. He sucked on the hard peak before switching to the other side. Olivia pulled at her bonds, wanting to run her fingers through his hair. Torren released her nipple, then kissed her hard and thrust his cock deep inside of her. He drove into her,
fucking her like it would be their last time together.

  Torren snarled as he came, then he bit into her shoulder. His fangs slid in bone deep, and Olivia cried out in both pleasure and pain. It triggered another orgasm, which seemed to send Torren’s wolf into a frenzy. He started thrusting again, pounding into her. He pulled his fangs free, then lapped at the wound.

  “Torren,” she said, her voice breathy as the sensations nearly overwhelmed her.

  He filled her again, his cum leaking out of her before he’d even withdrawn from her body.

  “Mine,” he said.

  “Yes, I’m yours.”

  He stayed between her splayed legs, rubbing her thighs with his palms.

  “I don’t want to make you sore,” he said.

  Her cheeks warmed. “You could untie me and let me turn over.”

  His gaze heated. “I don’t need to turn you over for that.”

  He reached for the lube in the bedside table and slicked his fingers with it. He shoved the pillows further underneath her and lifted her ass more. Torren spread her ass cheeks and worked the lube into her tight hole, easing one finger into her. While he worked at opening her up, he teased her clit with his other hand. Need burned through Olivia and she begged for more. Torren pulled his fingers free, then lubed his cock. Moving closer to her, he spread her wide and slowly slid inside of her, one inch at a time.

  “Don’t stop, Torren. Please.”

  When he was balls deep, he stroked her clit again. Olivia could feel herself losing control as he fucked her ass. He was gentle, but she could still see the wolf lurking in his eyes. Torren made sure she came before he flooded her with his cum again.

  He pulled out and looked down at her, spread open for him. There was a look of ownership on his face as he ran his fingers through the cum leaking out of her. His gaze locked with hers.

  “Don’t move,” he said, then he got off the bed and stepped into the adjoining bathroom.

  Olivia heard the sink running, then he returned a few minutes later. She’d thought he would untie her, but he didn’t. He stood next to the bed, his gaze caressing her head to toe.