The Alpha's Virgin Prize (Mated for Life 1)

She wanted to overpower him, but she took what he gave, feeling the heat and aches slowly start to ease. After her second orgasm, she felt the pleasure building again, and this time, she came down easily. The sudden drop tired her.

Her body was sated.

“What’s happening to me?” she asked.

“I accidentally cut you and I’m part wolf. You’re my mate, Bethany. By cutting you, I started the mating process and now, there’s no going back. You’re going to crave me, just as I do you. Nothing is going to be the same again. You feel me. You want me and you can’t control it.”

He cupped her face, turning her head toward him. “I’m so sorry. I wanted you to fall for me of your own free will. I wanted to do this the right way, the human way. I fucked up.”

She saw the tears in his eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. It makes no sense to me.” She couldn’t take it anymore.

The room swam and suddenly went black.

Chapter Six

“There’s a bear outside,” said Brian. There was no fear in his voice, only annoyance. This was really happening. He’d never had issues with wolves or coyotes, but bears were out of their damn minds. He should be focused on his woman, not worrying about bear drama and politics.

Caleb left Bethany on his bed. She’d passed out from sheer exhaustion. If only she knew he felt the same intense desire to fuck. He’d shown the restraint of the century.

She’d begged him to claim her, and all he’d wanted to do was end her suffering. But he’d programmed himself to court like a human male, complete with jewels and dating. Her heat had thrown all his best-laid plans off-kilter.

He pushed open the front door and faced off with the bear. “Don’t be fucking rude. If you want to seek refuge here, do it in your skin.”

Joe shifted forms, morphing into the human who’d quickly become a real pain in the ass. Caleb reached into the barrel near the door and tossed him a pair of sweatpants.

“I don’t know what you’ve got going on over here, but the scent is attracting half the forest. This house is going to be a beacon to that rogue bear,” said Joe.

It had to be Bethany. The scent of her heat was irresistible. He had to claim her for their own safety. And his own sanity. The last thing he needed was some coyote creeping in when he wasn’t there. Bethany was his virgin prize to claim, no one else’s.

“It’s my mate.”

“Bethany?”

“Yes, Bethany. She’s in heat.” Caleb ran both hands through his hair. He’d wanted to do things right, and now everything was happening in a whirlwind. As much as he wanted to wait things out, he needed to claim Bethany now. If he left her in her current state for long, it could drive her mad.

“And you left her like that? What’s the problem? I thought you wanted her as your mate,” said Joe. “Need me to help out?” The cocky bear winked, and Caleb wanted to crush him into the earth.

Caleb exhaled in a huff. “I was trying to be a gentleman. She doesn’t know shifters exist. Now I have to fuck her to keep your crazy bear friend away from my pack.”

“He’s no friend of mine.”

“Just … stay out here for now. My pack isn’t too keen on having a bear on our property.” He second-guessed himself about allowing an enemy refuge.

“I can do that,” said Joe. “And thanks again for letting me come here. Until that rogue is dead, I’ll have to keep the diner closed. That’s not good for the bottom line.”

Caleb headed back inside.

Joe was more worried about his diner than losing his life. He knew a lot of shifters blended seamlessly with the human world, some even choosing to stay exclusively in their skin. Others only shifted during the full moon. Caleb preferred his feral existence.

Of course, now everything had changed—he had a human mate.

“Everyone out,” he said. “I need to take care of Bethany. Keep patrols, don’t wander too far. Joe said that rogue bear is heading in this direction. It nearly wiped out their entire sleuth, so don’t do anything stupid.”

His pack could shift during the full moon and usually days before and after. Once they had mates, they’d have control of when they could shift regardless of the moon’s strength.

“How does he know where we live?” asked Reese.

“It’s Bethany’s heat. The scent is spreading.” Caleb opened the door to the bedroom, turning around to face his men before entering. “If I don’t end this now, it could get bad. I’m going to claim my mate, and you know what that means for all of you.”

After tonight, all his men would be free to find their mates. There would be no more weight on his shoulders to find a woman and free his pack of the curse. He hated being responsible for their happiness, but that would end before the night was over.