He wanted to take her in his arms. “You’re not the one at fault. They are.”
She nodded in agreement, but she didn’t believe it. He saw it in her eyes.
“Connie, look at me.”
She lifted her head, and he stared into her eyes.
“They are the ones at fault. You’re an amazing person. Look at how those kids reacted to you. They love you. You are a wanted and valued member of this pack.” If he’d gotten a single hunch that they were hurting her, be it physical or emotional, he would have taken control. He would have dealt with this a lot sooner.
“They were not always so bad. When I didn’t turn on my eighteenth, they felt like they had raised a defective daughter. I was the only one in the pack who didn’t turn.” She shrugged, but he saw her lip wobble, and he was done playing by her rules.
After closing the distance between them, he pulled her into his arms, pressing his face against her head. “You are not defective. There is nothing wrong with you.”
She sniffled.
“I’ve got you,” he said.
“I … I only ever wanted to be a good daughter to them. I tried to transition.”
He closed his eyes. “It happens more often than you realize. The fear can keep a person from turning. I had no idea you were scared. I would have come to you, like I did that other girl today.”
“I told them, but they said it was natural. That I had to get over it. All day, I had tried to come to get over my fear, but it didn’t stop. I was so scared, and I heard people talking about their first time, and I guess it just spiraled from there.” She sighed. “It wasn’t like they were wrong though, is it? It hurts real bad when you turn.”
Gage opened his eyes and cupped her face, stroking her cheeks. “Only the first couple of times. After that, it isn’t so bad. You’ve seen me turn. I’m not in any kind of pain.”
She chuckled. “Gage, you’re the alpha. You’re not supposed to be in any kind of pain.”
He smiled. “That’s true. The first one, though, I was. My grandfather watched me as I turned and said it was one of the worst experiences of his life, seeing me in so much pain. It’s not a good feeling, Connie, for anyone. I truly believe anyone who says otherwise is lying.”
“Or they like pain.”
“Or they like pain,” he said in agreement.
“Why have you been avoiding me? Was it the lake? Was I … awful?”
He slammed his lips down on hers, wanting her to stop thinking she was awful. “No, never,” he said, speaking the words against her lips. “You could never be awful.” He traced across her lips, and she opened up for him.
Sinking his tongue into her mouth, he relished the sound of her moan. It was deep, guttural. His cock hardened at the sound. Slowly, he traced his hand down her back, drawing her close so she could feel just how hard he was. “That is what you do to me, Connie. All the fucking time. I can’t make it stop. I’m not avoiding you. I’m giving you time to heal.”
“To heal?”
“I took your virginity, and I wasn’t always gentle. You’re going to be sore, and the last thing I want to do is cause you pain.”
“You won’t cause me any pain. Please, Gage, I want you. I want us.”
He stared into her eyes and knew the truth. She was a hungry little wolf, and she wanted him to feed her, which he was more than happy to oblige.
Taking possession of her lips, he deepened the kiss, holding her close, needing her. No woman had ever made him crave this as much as Connie.
After spinning her around, he moved her up against the desk, taking care of the clothes she wore in seconds. The bra disgusted him, and he swiped that off her body, along with the panties, getting her all naked for him.
He ran his hands over her body, feeling her curves, the softness of her flesh under his hand. He cupped her tits, giving them a gentle squeeze and hearing her gasp that quickly turned into a moan.
“Do you think I don’t want you?” He opened the zip of his jeans and pulled out his cock, working it up and down. With each stroke, he thickened. The hard vein popped out of the side.
“I need you, Gage,” she said.
“And you’re going to have me. All of me.”
He cupped between her thighs, stroking his fingers between the slit of her pussy, touching her clit. She was soaking wet, just how he liked her.
“Oh, my God.” She threw her head back against his shoulder, and he nibbled on her flesh, tasting her.
“Who do you belong to, Connie?” he asked.