Ripe for the Alpha

I shake my head while I stare at her perfect ass as she walks up the hill. “Don’t say that or I’ll carry you over my shoulder for the rest of the afternoon. I love your ass just the way it is.”

I hear her giggle and the sound makes me smile.

The past twenty-four hours with Ellie have been nothing but pure magic. I didn’t know that life could be like this. So damn… good.

I’ve never smiled this much in a day before. She’s more than just a perfect body. I’m starting to get to know everything about her and each thing makes me love her that much more.

She only eats cereal and milk out of a glass and she always reads the last chapter of a book before starting it. I can’t wait to find everything else out.

My bear lets out a snarl, but I try to ignore it. He’s been the only bad thing. The only dark cloud on this sunny day.

He’s restless as usual, but I’m starting to feel his anger. His frustration has been mounting for the past twenty-four hours and now it’s at the boiling point.

He rises up within, demanding to be paid attention to. He snaps and growls so loud that Ellie turns around with a concerned look on her face.

You’re scaring her, you furry fuck. Shut up!

He snarls back at me and I know he’s about to try and claw his way out.

With a savage roar, he charges forward, trying to rip his way through me. He’s trying to pull me back in.

I squeeze my body, grit my teeth, and hold him back with everything I have. It’s like trying to push a Mack truck backward as it accelerates with the pedal to the ground.

Somehow, I manage to stop him.

But it brings me to my knees and covers me with sweat.

I open my eyes and Ellie is kneeling in front of me, looking worried. She didn’t run off and hide. She didn’t flee in terror. She came to me even though she could have been in danger. She wasn’t—my bear would never hurt her—but she didn’t know that.

She really is the one.

“What’s going on?” she asks in a soft voice.

I take a deep breath as she cups my cheek with her soft tiny hand.

“Nothing,” I say in a breathless tone. “Just bear stuff.”

“Is that normal?” she asks with a hint of worry on her face. Her forehead is scrunched up and I can’t help but think how gorgeous she looks. Every facial expression is more stunning than the last.

I shrug. “He’s just… upset.”

“He’s frustrated? Like he was when we were in the kitchen yesterday?”

“Yeah.”

“Does it have to do with me?”

I sigh as I stare into her gorgeous brown eyes. I don’t want to lie to her, but I don’t want her to think she’s not welcome here either.

“Yeah,” I finally say. “He wants me to… mark you.”

Her hand darts up to her neck and my back straightens. Does she feel it too?

“What do you mean, mark me?” she asks with a tremor in her voice.

There’s no use in lying. She’s my mate and will find out soon enough.

“Shifters are very protective of their mates,” I tell her.

“Yeah,” she says with a laugh. “I’m kind of getting that.”

“It’s more than just keeping them safe though. We’re a little possessive. Our animals won’t rest until their marks are on our mate’s neck. That way every other shifter, and deep down every other man, will know that our girl is taken. If anyone tries to look at her, they’ll have to deal with a pissed-off mated bear. And nobody is stupid enough to do that.”

“So, this mark,” she says as she looks at me with apprehension. “Is it like a tattoo or something?”

I shake my head. This is the hard part to sell. What kind of girl would want a beast like me to sink their teeth into her neck? Nobody, that’s who…

“It’s a bite. On your neck.”

Her hand goes up to the spot that I had wanted to mark yesterday. My bear wanted me to do it, but I refused.

This young girl was a virgin the first time I had my hands on her. She was so innocent and pure. I took her pussy, I took her cherry, I didn’t want to bite her neck too. It was enough for one day.

But now… now, I think I’m ready… If she doesn’t run away screaming. And even then I might chase after her and do it.

“I want you to do it,” she says and my eyebrows perk up.

“You do?”

She nods. “I wanted you to yesterday while we were…”

“Having sex?”

Her cheeks start to blush. “Yeah. I didn’t understand it at the time, but the skin on my neck was tingling. I had an urge for you to bite down on it when you kissed me in this spot.”