Taken By The Alpha(19)

Maddox threw open the flaps of the tent where he’d been undergoing his own testing, and began striding across the field towards him.

Roman cast a final irritated glance at Teresa – and saw her gesturing frantically towards the side of the field where the Killingworth pack was sitting. There was a Warden standing behind Teresa, Roman realized. Why was he there?

Roman looked where Teresa was pointing – and a bolt of horror shot through him and made him gasp.

Katrina was there – right in the front row.

How? She hadn’t been there when he’d walked into the tent to get tested, but that had been several hours ago.

Katrina blew a kiss to Maddox, then gave Roman the finger. She was sitting next to a female gopher shifter. Stacey something. And Stacey’s parents. No. No, he had them locked up. How were they here?

He looked at the bleachers on the other side of the field, and felt sick. All of the gophers were there. All of the gophers were sitting together. That shouldn’t be. He always kept the families separate.

Maddox was almost on him now. This could not be happening. Everything was falling to pieces. This never happened to him. He was Roman Coffman. Everything went his way.

Wardens were standing in the bleachers next to his nephews, and his nephews looked frightened and angry.

“Hey, old man!” Maddox barked at him. Roman swiveled back to look at him, his eyes wild with panic.

“You know what gophers are good at, asshole?” Maddox flashed a feral grin. “Digging. Katrina told them where their families were, and this morning, as soon as you left your pack property, they dug a tunnel and freed them. Then they dug Katrina out, with help from my men.”

Roman’s fell back a step, and terror washed over him. He struggled for words, frantically tried to think of a way out, but he could only make gurgling sounds of panic. He was about to die.

“Now, let me tell you what’s about to happen,” Maddox said grimly. “I will kill you, and then I will hunt down and kill everyone who helped you kidnap Katrina and imprison those gopher families. Your family name will be spoken with contempt and disgust for generations to come. And you know what? Your father was right. You are weak and pathetic and you’re no Alpha.”

“I surrender,” Roman said quickly, eagerly. “I have money hidden. You can have all of it. Millions of dollars. You can have my pack. I’ll walk away.”

There was no mercy in Maddox’s furious gaze. “Not after you kidnapped and hurt my mate and terrorized the god damned town, you won’t.”

Roman reeled back. He barely heard the Elders stand up and make the traditional announcements, and before he knew it, Maddox had shifted and was running towards him. He was massive, his eyes were glowing with rage, and his lips were wrinkled back, baring his fangs.

Roman shifted quickly and, panicked, turned and ran. He heard boos and jeering from the crowd.

“Coward!” they screamed at him.

Maddox slammed in to him and tore into his back with his fangs. He felt hot, searing pain, and blood pouring onto his fur.

Roman was pinned on the ground underneath him. He lunged upward, aiming for Maddox’s throat, but his unhealed wound stiffened him and sent pain tearing through him when he moved too fast. Maddox dodged him easily.

Roman managed to roll out from underneath Maddox and scrambled to his feet. He backed up, and Maddox advanced on him slowly, drawing the moment out.

Blood coursed down Roman’s back, and his mind was blank with terror.

He pictured his father’s sneering face, heard his shouted taunts, felt the agony of his father’s boots slamming into his ribs again and again. Was that his father, or was that Maddox?

He let out a whimper of fear, and realized he’d urinated, the stench burning his nostrils.

Maddox launched himself through the air again. The last thing Roman felt was Maddox’s teeth closing on his throat, and then searing, burning pain.





Chapter Fourteen




“I thought I’d never see you again.” Maddox hugged Katrina, who had already been seen by the healer. Her split lip was healed, her bruises gone, the aches faded.

“I knew you’d win.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest.

They were alone in his room, and the Death Challenge had ended hours ago. It had been so short it had been pretty anti-climactic, actually.

Lula had faced the ultimate penalty for killing Michael, and for her betrayal. Teresa had escaped after the game, and fled – abandoning her two young sons, who would be raised by their grandparents in the Mordhaus pack. Despite Katrina’s pleas, there was a kill on sight order for her. Katrina knew she deserved it for her treachery, but she didn’t want Teresa to actually be executed.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Maddox asked, standing back and looking over her anxiously. “We can call the healer back if you need more. You’re completely healed”

“Well, mostly.” She tipped back her head and smiled at him. “But you know, it might be a good idea for you to kiss me and make it better.”

He bent down and brushed his lips against hers, and she caught her breath.

“Is that better?” he asked.

“It’s a start.”

He gave a slow, feral grin that made Katrina’s pussy tingle and her toes curl. Then he swept her into his arms, snatching her up as though she weighed nothing, and dumped her unceremoniously in the middle of the bed. He started stripping off his clothes, his eyes intent on her the whole time.

Katrina’s mouth watered as he exposed smooth golden skin. The muscles in his arms and chest flexed with every deft, decisive movement, and when he pushed his jeans down over his thighs, his cock was already erect and ready.

Katrina lost no time in following suit, wriggling out of her clothes, sending bra and panties flying, and she was naked as she watched him stalking towards her, his expression predatory. He wore nothing but a proud, possessive grin.

“I feel better already,” she said breathlessly.

Maddox crawled towards her on the bed, taking his time, and she sighed happily as he ran a hand up her calf, placed a kiss on the back of her knee. She spread her thighs and he dropped little kisses on the hot flesh as he worked his way up her body, dipped his tongue into her navel, briefly suckled on a pebbled nipple. Then he settled himself on top of her and kissed her. In contrast to the power of the man, it was soft and sweet. Exploratory. His tongue fluttered against hers. He cupped her face gently in his large hands.

Katrina quivered with pleasure; with a slow, sensual burn. Then Maddox rolled them over, so that she was lying on top of him, and gave her that feral grin again. “I’ve shown everyone that you’re mine,” he said. His gaze was intense; Katrina couldn’t have looked away even if she’d wanted to. “Roman, the Elders, my pack – everyone. Now show me that I’m yours.” And deep in his eyes, there was the faintest flicker of uncertainty.

And she understood. An Alpha — a true Alpha — was strong. He fought. He protected. He sacrificed. And he could never show weakness. But there was one place where he could be vulnerable. Where he could trust that he wouldn’t be challenged. Where he could stop fighting. And that was with his Mate.

She kissed him. She poured everything she felt into it. Love. Want. Wonder that he wanted her too. His lips parted on a silent sigh and she flicked her tongue against his; invading, teasing. She straddled him and rose above him, drinking in the sight of him. He gave a crooked smile, and she gently brushed his hair away from his face.

She ran her hands over the firm planes of his chest, and he gave a low whimper and allowed his eyes to drift closed when she tweaked his nipple between thumb and forefinger. The muscles of his belly twitched as she trailed her fingers over the hot flesh, and he groaned when she took his cock in her hand and positioned it against her slick opening.

Her pussy was already drenched from the heady sensation of power it gave her to have this man submit to her; hand over his hard-won control to her. Her nipples were taut little beads of desire, and she played with one, rolling it between her thumb and finger, watching as Maddox’s pupils dilated and his breathing quickened. She could tell he was desperate to plunge inside her, but he lay still, trembling slightly with want and restraint.

Then, achingly slowly, she sank down onto his rigid member, inch by tortuous inch. Maddox groaned, long and low, and clasped her hips in his hands, hard enough to leave bruises. His chest rose and fell with labored effort as he struggled for control.

And then he was all the way inside her, seated to the hilt. Katrina felt full. Complete. Her pussy clenched around him as a wave of possessive arousal washed over her, and she began to move, slowly at first, until she found a rolling rhythm that built in wave after wave of electric sensation.

Maddox moaned and ran his hands up to cup her breasts, kneading the soft flesh. Katrina gasped and tilted her head back, allowing the frissons of pleasure to run through her from her scalp to the tips of her toes. She felt loved. Powerful. Like an Alpha’s mate.

She increased her pace, her pussy clenching as Maddox growled and began to move beneath her, thrusting in counterpoint to her movements, joining in the dance. His swollen length moved in and out of her slick folds, and a sweet pressure started to build in her belly and thighs. She whimpered at the intensity of the sensation, then she put her hands over his heart, continuing to work her hips against him. Voice husky, she said, “You’re mine, Maddox. Mine.”