Chapter 44 CHAPTER 044
Stone POV:
When her hands touched my skin to help with my wound, I forgot everything about pain. The way her lips parted softly and slightly swollen from biting them made my cock twitch in my trousers. Her breathing hitched every time her fingers brushed over my scars, and her dark lashes fluttered, making her eyes thin and sultry. Fuck, she was beautiful, even when she was pissing me off.
Harry’s words replayed in my skull to claim her before she slips away.
I stood abruptly, towering over her crouched form. "Did you really want to leave me?" The question was scraping out of my throat like my wolf wanted to escape me.
I was too used to being in control that the question surprised even me.
Ari jerked back, confusion flashing across her face before she shook her head.
I grabbed her face before she could pull away, my thumb pressing into the plush of her bottom lip. "Never. Ever. Do that shit again."
She wrenched free, as she looked at me with eyes that spat fire. "What do you even take me for? I’m not one of your sluts who’ll just nod and obey! You don't get to command me."
Before she could say the next word, I was spinning her around. I pinned her chest-first against the cave wall, trapping both her wrists behind her back in one hand. My body caged her in, my erection pressing into the curve of her ass as I leaned down, my lips grazing the curve of her ear.
"Then why do you look at me like you want to be my slut?" My free hand came down hard on her ass, dropping a loud, painful slap that made her gasp. "Why do you moan like a slut when I touch you?"
Another slap descended, landing harder than before. Her hips jerked back into me. "Why does your cunt get wet every time I remind you who you belong to?"
A whimper tore from her throat. Her body trembled.
I tightened my grip on her wrists, grinding against her. "Tell me you don’t want this."
She bit her lip, but it was too late. I’d already heard her moan. I grabbed her chin, forcing her head back so I could see her face. Her pupils were blown wide, and her cheeks were flushed.
"You’re mine," I growled, pressing my length harder against her. "Whether you’re my guest, my prisoner, or my slut, you. Are. Mine."
She arched into me, her ass grinding against my cock.
I laughed darkly. "See? You can’t even lie to yourself."
A shudder ran through her when I palmed her ass again, kneading the flesh I’d just slapped. Her breath came in ragged little pants, her thighs pressing together like she was trying to hide how much she wanted this.
But I knew she would keep denying it. My fingers dug into her hips as I yanked her back against me, my teeth grazing her throat. "You’re gonna scream my name before this night’s over."
And fuck if she didn’t whimper like she already couldn’t wait.
"I double dare you, Alpha Stone."
The words shouldn’t have made my blood rush faster through my veins, down south. They should’ve pissed me off or sent me snarling, but Ari had this way of destroying everything inside me until I didn’t know which way was up. The fire in her eyes symbolising her defiance only made my wolf sit up and take notice in ways I didn’t want to acknowledge.
For one insane moment, I thought of dropping to my knees and letting her walk all over me, letting her mark me as hers instead. The thought alone should’ve had me recoiling, but my fingers twitched with the urge to touch her instead.
She pressed herself harder against me, her back brushing over my hard length. "Well? I’m waiting."
That evoked something inside me.
With a snarl, I gripped the tattered remains of her dress and ripped it clean off, leaving her bare before me. The cold air pebbled her skin, but her nipples were already stiff, betraying her and rendering her denial lies. Before she could protest, I bent her over a jagged rock formation, ignoring the way the rough surface scraped her palms as she braced herself.
Her ass jutted out, and her skin looked flushed and perfect, and I couldn’t resist running my hands over the soft curves, kneading the flesh until she whimpered.
"Still pretending you don’t want this?" My fingers trailed lower, slipping between her thighs.
She was drenched. I laughed, watching her body betray her stubborn mouth. A shudder wracked her frame as I dragged a fingertip through her folds, but she bit her lip, refusing to admit it.
I turned her around abruptly, gripping her chin so she had to look at me. "Kneel."
Her hesitation was brief, as it came in just a flicker of defiance, before she sank to her knees. The sight alone made my cock throb painfully against the confines of my pants. My wolf paced beneath my skin. It was rabid with need, and her heartbeat was a rapid drumbeat in my ears, matching mine.
I cupped her cheek, letting my thumb brush over her lower lip. "Whose slut are you?"
Her breath hitched, but she didn’t look away from my swollen pants. "Yours."
The admission sent a bolt of possessive satisfaction through me. My fingers tangled in her hair, tilting her head back as I unzipped my pants with my free hand, freeing my aching length. Her eyes dropped, widening slightly at the sight.
"Good girl," I murmured, guiding her forward.
Ari hesitated, her breath hitching as her lips hovered just inches from the flushed, leaking tip of my cock. Her fingers trembled where they rested on my thighs. I could sense she was unsure.
"Have you never done this before?" I asked, my voice sounding harsher than I intended.
She flinched and shook her head, her dark lashes fluttering as she avoided my gaze. The confirmation sent an exciting thrill through me. She was untouched, and she was mine. I nearly lifted her to kiss her. But my thumb traced the curve of her cheekbone, forcing her to look up at me.
"Is that why your mate chose someone else?" The question slipped out before I could stop it, laced with a growl I didn’t bother suppressing.
Her breath stuttered. A flicker of pain crossed her face before she masked it, but I saw it. I saw the way her throat bobbed around a swallow.
Idiot. The word aimed at the man who’d thrown her away. My wolf snarled demanding his blood. Why did I care? Why did the thought of anyone hurting her make me want to reduce entire packs to rubble?
I didn’t get to dwell on it. Ari’s tongue darted out, tentative, tasting the pre-come beading at my tip. The contact was featherlight, barely there, but it sent a jolt of pleasure straight to my spine. My grip in her hair tightened involuntarily.
"Slow," I gritted out, guiding her mouth lower. "Just the head first."
She obeyed, her lips parting around me with a soft, uncertain noise. Heat enveloped me as she wrapped her wet, tight mouth and I hissed through my teeth.
Fuck. Her inexperience was evident as her teeth grazed me once, making me jerk, but she adjusted quickly, her tongue swirling experimentally.
Her mouth was too small for me. My cock stretched her lips obscenely, and when she tried to take more, she gagged, pulling back with a cough.
"Use your hands," I ordered, my voice dropping to the lowest. "And your mouth."
Ari blinked up at me, with her pupils blown wide, before wrapping her fingers around the base of my shaft. The contrast of her cool skin against my burning heat was torture. She stroked me slowly, her mouth returning to suck at the head, and the dual sensation nearly undid me.
Saliva dripped down my length, mixing with her fingers’ movements. The slick sounds were filthy as they echoed off the cave walls, and I couldn’t look away. I couldn’t stop watching her lips stretch around me as she sucked.
"Good," I growled, hips twitching forward. "Just like that."
Her moan vibrated against me, sending another bolt of pleasure down my spine. I lost control.
I hauled her up by the hair, crashing her mouth against mine in a hard kiss. She gasped into it, with the taste of my precum on her lips. I bit her lip, tugging at it, and she whimpered, her nails digging into my shoulders.