One Night with the Wolf

Werewolf Jade Thorne needs a man—a young, virile man to give her love and pleasure. As a rare female alpha, she must keep her pack safe by pledging herself in marriage to an aging leader from a rival pack. Until then, she wants to experience the raging passion of a wolf in his prime. She even has an ideal lover at hand: her second, Christian Tallant.

But Christian is a wolf who will demand to dominate her body, mind and soul. Now Jade must decide if she can afford to submit to his desire—and if one night with the wolf will really be enough…

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter One

She needed a man.

Jade Thorne stared out the window at the party going on in the crisp Montana darkness. A huge bonfire roared, flames reaching high into the night sky. Around it her wolf pack celebrated with their visitors.

Teenagers flirted, enforcers talked business and the elders sat together smiling as they watched the young pups—some in wolf form—tumble and play. Near the fire, a group strummed guitars. Jade watched a couple close to her age dance to the beat. Their bodies sliding against each other, hands moving over tanned skin.

Jade’s gaze ran over the woman’s upturned face, saw the way her eyes drifted closed, a smile tugging at her lips. Jade’s stomach tightened and switched to look at the man.

Like most shifter men, he was big, broad and radiated animal power. Well-worn denim hugged a firm ass and long legs. His big hands slid down the woman’s sides, molding her to him as he settled a strong thigh between her legs.

Heat rushed over Jade’s skin. Air caught hard in her lungs, her gaze glued to the mating dance. One of the man’s hands tangled in the woman’s hair, pushing it aside. Then he leaned down and pressed his lips to her neck. To that sensitive spot every wolf possessed. The woman’s head dropped back, her eyes turned to the starry sky, her lips open.

What did it feel like? Jade swallowed, the sound of her rapid heartbeat loud in her ears. How hot was the man’s hand? Was his touch rough and needy or heated and sensual?

The man pulled the woman farther into the protective circle of his arms, turned his head and pressed his cheek to the woman’s hair.

Jade touched a hand to the glass. By Luna, she wanted. A knot tangled in her belly, tight and hot. She wanted what all those people out there had—laughter, desire and love. She wanted a young, firm body sliding against her, into hers.

She wanted a man who loved her.

A cool shiver swept over her skin. Her hand dropped to her side. She would never have what her people shared. She wrapped her arms around her middle. In order for them to have it all, she denied what she most desired.

She straightened her shoulders. She was the alpha of this pack now. It was up to her to preserve their way of life. Her duty to keep them safe.

Her husband was dead and now the neighboring packs—stronger and wilder than her own—were sniffing the edges of her territory, lured by her pack’s mineral-rich lands and lucrative mine. They were searching for any sign of weakness.

Her fingers curled and she stared hard at the flames. She’d do what needed to be done, what any alpha would do—put pack first.

She wasn’t strong enough to fight their battles alone. Female alphas did exist, but they were surrounded by a strong team of enforcers. Jade didn’t have that asset. All she had to protect her pack was herself.

Tomorrow she’d pledge herself in marriage to yet another aging alpha.

All the surrounding packs were congregating on Thorne land for the Courting gathering. She would marry the dominant alpha in attendance and ensure her pack’s survival.

Jade bit down on her lip, her eyes closing. Again she would go to a wolf too old to show his bride the pleasure of the marriage bed. Shifters aged well, lived forty to fifty years longer than humans, but they still grew old and tired.

Just once—just for one night—she wanted to feel firm skin against hers. Her eyes opened and she once again stared at the party beyond her windows. She wanted to know the pleasure of a man’s hands on her body, wanted a strong, muscled male between her legs and she wanted the raging passion of a wolf in his prime.

Her gaze alighted on a familiar face in the crowd. Her husband’s second-in-command—now her second—Christian Tallant. In the months since she’d been widowed, he’d helped her assure the pack she’d look after them.

He stood a head taller than the shifters surrounding him, his legs longer, shoulders wider. Most shifter males wore their hair long, but Christian’s dark hair was shaved short. While the others laughed and gestured, he was still, his face impassive.

In the year since he’d joined the Thorne Pack, he’d served her husband and now her with dedication. They knew nothing about him or where he’d come from. She wasn’t sure of the dark, hard look she sometimes saw in his golden eyes. He’d arrived on their land bloody and wounded…exiled from his pack.

Jade had no idea what he’d done to deserve the cruelest punishment a pack could mete out, but he was an excellent enforcer, brilliant strategist and had been a skilled second the last six months.

And he was a muscled, hot-blooded man.

A vicious wave of desire twisted her insides. Her skin felt too tight, hot, itching with need. As though he felt her stare, Christian turned his head and looked up at the house. Jade stumbled back from the window.

Christian Tallant wasn’t for her. He left her edgy, uncomfortable. And the wolf in her knew he was too much for her to handle.

He was a wolf who’d demand her submission in every way. Jade couldn’t afford for her pack—or their enemies—to see her as anything but dominant.

No, tonight she needed an easily controlled man who’d show her pleasure and leave her heart untouched. Because tomorrow she needed to marry a stranger.

Tossing her caramel curls over her shoulder, Jade headed outside. Moving down the flagstone path leading to the bonfire, she vowed that just for one night she’d take something for herself.

Her gaze moved upward to the brilliant full moon hanging above the trees. Thankfully her species had evolved past being ruled by its pull. But it still affected them—quickened tempers, heightened desires.

Nearing the group, she smoothed her hands down her hipster jeans. She knew the dark denim hugged her hips and her azure-colored shirt complimented her golden skin and matched the shade of her eyes. She breathed deep and forced a smile onto her face. She nodded at those who greeted her, accepted their nods of deference.

“Good evening, Jade.”

“Hi, Jade.”

Members of her pack surrounded her. She kissed cheeks, stroked hair and offered them the reassuring touch and scent of their alpha. It was a need buried deep in their wolf blood. The need to belong and be protected.

A big, male body stepped in front of her.

“Jade? Everything okay?”

Christian’s deep voice rumbled through her. She looked up into his golden eyes. Somehow he always knew when she was upset or troubled. He could read her easier than a used paperback.

“I need to talk to you,” she said.

One of his hands circled her upper arm. He leaned close and she caught his scent. Her stomach clenched tight. Luna, he smelled good. A potent combination of man and wolf, forest and heat.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded.

His power swirled around her. Dominance oozed from his pores. If he’d been born to the right family, if he wasn’t an exile, she had no doubt he’d be alpha.

She glanced around them, saw strange wolves studying her. On the other side of the fire she noted one of the alphas who’d arrived early for the Courting. He watched her with flat, dead eyes that made her skin crawl. She looked away and noted a small group of women watching Christian with speculation in their eyes.

Jade’s wolf scraped her insides, eager to bare claws. “Not here.”

His head tilted, his golden eyes searching her face. Without a word, he pulled her toward the trees.

They didn’t go far, just enough to block the prying eyes. The music still echoed around them.

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

She turned away from him, her mouth going dry.

“Jade?” His tone softened.

She swallowed. The way he said her name made her want to believe he cared about her. More than just as his alpha.

Foolishness. She couldn’t afford to dream. Life had taught her harsh practicalities. For just this night, she wanted something real. Something that could never be taken from her.

“I need a man.”

Christian moved up beside her, a dark frown creasing his forehead. “I know. That’s why we called the Courting.” His tone was biting.

She shook her head. “I’m not talking about that.”

Silence.

Christian’s face showed no emotion, but she sensed the tensing of his muscles. The silence grew until Jade’s nerves itched like a bad rash.

“What are you talking about?” The words were a low growl.

She lifted her chin, met his gaze. “I want a lover. Just for one night.”

Chapter Two

Forbidden.

Christian’s hands compressed, his claws threatening to burst from his skin. He stared down at Jade—the woman he’d wanted since he’d dragged his broken, beaten body onto the Thorne Ranch.

As he had that spring day, he fought not to notice her face, her crystal blue eyes, her lush lips.

She wasn’t beautiful. How many times had he repeated that to himself? She was pretty at best. But there was something else that drew him.

There was a deceptive strength in that appealing face. In the last few months, he’d seen her steel core, her sense of duty and her unfailing dedication to her pack.

But unlike the others who depended on her, he also saw the woman beneath the alpha. He saw the reflection of loneliness in her eyes, the yearning on her face when she thought no one was watching.

She’s forbidden to you. He forced his wolf to relax and uncurled his hands. Jade Thorne was as unattainable to him now as she was when her husband was alive.

She needed to marry an alpha to keep the Thorne Pack from being torn apart. There was no room in her life for an exiled wolf with no belongings, no connections, no power.

A year ago his life had been ripped apart and he had nothing left to offer anyone. He had no idea who he was anymore. He was nothing.

But she could be yours for one night.

The words echoed in his ears, tormenting, taunting. He gritted his teeth. He knew his wolf wouldn’t tolerate having this woman for only one night.

It would demand everything from her—body, mind and soul. He’d dominate her. Own her.

One night would never be enough.

“Christian?” She pushed a strand of honey-brown hair back behind her ear. “Say something.”

“What the hell do you want me to say?” He hadn’t intended to bark the words.

Her eyes narrowed. “I was hoping you’d help me.”

He studied her face. Her skin was a golden shade that begged a man to touch. He knew there were numerous wolves in attendance who’d leap at the chance to take this woman to bed.

“Why?” He had to know.

Her big, blue eyes dominated her face. “Do you know how old I was when I married?” She didn’t wait for him to answer. “Sixteen. My parents led a small pack and we were under attack by a larger group that surrounded our land. My parents offered me to Marius in return for his protection.”

Luna, sixteen. Heat welled in Christian’s chest. Not even an adult.

“He was kind. He was in his eighties and had no heir, so he needed to marry.” She pulled in a long breath. “He’d lost his mate a few years before.”

Air hissed through Christian’s teeth. Wolves mated for life but few actually found their mates. Once they’d left the forests, abandoned the wild ways and started to blend with humans, they’d started to marry those they liked rather than waiting for the rare lightning bolt of mating.

He’d heard the loss of a mate was near debilitating and killed a wolf’s naturally high sex drive. The only way to know your mate was at the height of making love, that moment when two people were so close their souls brushed.

If a wolf lost their mate, well, there wasn’t much point in needing sex anymore. Despite having an attractive young wife, Christian doubted Marius would’ve cherished Jade.

“Marius waited until I was older until he…consummated our marriage.” She spun away, like she couldn’t face Christian, her arms wrapping around her middle. “He was a kind man, a good alpha and he taught me so much about leading a pack.” She turned back. “But I want…” Her arms fell to her sides, pressing against denim. “I want someone to show me passion. I want strong hands on my body. I want to know what it feels like to be held.”

Her words were a kick to his gut. The look in her eyes slashed him open.

She reached out, her fingers gripping his arm, burning into his skin. “Tomorrow I’m going to marry another alpha. You’ve seen the list, you know the ones who are coming are Marius’s contemporaries.”

Christian had seen the list. There wasn’t an alpha under seventy on there. And some he wouldn’t let near her. They were too hard, too cruel.

Thank Luna the Bane pack hadn’t learned of the Courting. He’d deliberately avoided inviting them. They were powerful, covering much of Canada, but he knew from personal experience their alpha was beyond vicious.

“I want one night for me.” Jade’s fingers tightened. “Please help me, Christian.”

The plea in her eyes was something he couldn’t fight. His jaw tightened until it burned. He doubted he could deny this woman anything.

“I trust you to find someone…suitable,” she whispered.

His wolf clawed at his belly. It begged him not to let another touch her, it begged for a taste of her.

In that moment, he knew he’d give the power to shift to be the one to show this woman desire, to watch pleasure explode in her eyes and hear her cry out his name.

But this was about her needs, not his.

His stomach twisted, hard and vicious. He stared down at his scarred hands and opened his palms. She deserved better than the tough calluses of an exile on her skin.

He knew himself well enough to know his raging, carnal urges would dominate her, demand her submission. It would be rough, hot and violent.

No, he’d find her a nameless, faceless wolf to serve her needs. One who’d walk away tomorrow and never utter a word.

“Go wait in the clearing by the stream. I’ll send someone.” He forced the words past his stiff lips.

Her teeth dug into her lip. “Thank you.”

Christian’s hand flexed closed, his knuckles turning white. Yeah, he’d find her a man, then he’d find a bottle of the highest proof whiskey and get roaring drunk.

Jade stood in the moon-drenched shadows beside the stream and warred with the butterflies winging in her belly.

She was far from the party now, could no longer hear the music or laughter. It was just her, the quiet hush of the water and her nerves.

Christian had been so mad. She’d read it in the hard lines of his body. She gripped her hands together. For a breathtaking second, she’d been sure he was going to offer himself.

Then the shutters had come down.

For the best. Deep down she feared he’d dominate her and give her a breathless taste of desires she didn’t even know she wanted. Desires she could never have.

At least he’d offered to help her.

She started to pace. She was doing the right thing. The pleasure of this night would help her get through the Courting. It would help her survive another marriage she didn’t want.

Conjuring up a faceless man, she imagined big hands on her skin, stroking, caressing. She wanted to explore a muscled chest, a ridged abdomen, a thick, curving…Luna. She imagined the man’s groans and her cries echoing through the trees.

She imagined golden eyes boring into hers.

No. She pulled in the cool night air. She realized that none of her fantasies held a faceless man—they all had Christian’s face.

Suddenly the thought of a stranger touching her turned her stomach. She pressed a palm to the vicious churning and took a backward step. She couldn’t do this.

A twig snapped nearby. Jade froze.

She sensed a man closing in on her. He was downwind, so she couldn’t scent him.

Run? Stay?

He came up behind and she couldn’t turn, couldn’t move. Her hands went cold. A contrast to the heat she felt pumping off him.

When a hand brushed her shoulder, her muscles tensed so hard she thought she’d shatter.

“Shh,” he whispered, his hands brushing her hair to one side. Giving him access to her neck.

Clever fingers skimmed across her skin, over the rapid pounding of her pulse, and made her shiver. He traced the shell of her ear, and she felt the small touch all the way through her.

When he tugged her back against his big body, she gasped. He was solid muscle. Strength and heat.

His fingers slid lower and flicked open the top button of her shirt. “Are you sure you want this?”

His words were a muted whisper. She trembled, her throat dust dry. When he flicked open another button, his callused fingers brushed the top of her breasts, she closed her eyes. She couldn’t form the words to answer him.

Against her buttocks she felt the hardening length of him. Her hips moved on instinct. Pressing against him. Seeking.

He growled in her ear. “Tell me what you want.”

She stared blindly at the moon partly hidden by the treetops. Her lips parted. What did she want? She wasn’t sure anymore. Not with this man’s hands on her.

His fingers toyed with the next button but didn’t open it. “Say it.”

“Pleasure,” she choked out.

He undid another button. The night air was cool on her skin.

“What else?”

“Desire.” She rubbed against him. “Heat.”

“What do you really want?”

A sob caught in her throat. “You.”

With a muttered curse, his hand slashed down and ripped the remaining buttons from her shirt. He spun her, yanking her hard against his chest.

Rough hands tangled in her hair, angling her face up to his.

Her gaze clashed with liquid golden eyes.

Christian called himself all kinds of names and fool wasn’t the worst of them. He would damn himself tonight, but at least for one night, Jade would be his.

“Christian—”

“Don’t talk. You want pleasure, I’ll give it to you.”

She shuddered. Indecision warred on her face. They both knew they shouldn’t do this.

Then her hands ran across his shoulders. “Show me.”

He crushed his lips to hers, thrusting his tongue into the warm welcome of her mouth. He plundered, he tasted and her head dropped back from the onslaught.

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