Mated To The Cold Hearted Alpha
Chapter 76

Hycinth

My heart beat out of control. Skin-to-skin. Tingles cascaded up and down my spine. I tried to pull away.

Immovable arms tightened around me. “Shh… I’m not going to try to take it farther,” Leander’s whispered words, breath hot on my neck. “Just be with me…let me hold you.”

Just hold me? Was that even possible for him? Our bodies were pressed together, no space in between, just hours away from my heat-a potent cocktail just waiting to explode. But as I stood in Leander’s arms, my tension bled away. I trusted him. He’d never lied to me.

“Good girl,” he praised, feeling my body relax against him.

After a long moment, he finally relaxed his hold and pulled back. Maybe I shouldn’t have, but I just couldn’t stop myself, my eyes drifted down, unexpectedly replaceing soft curls of dark hair. He’d let his pubic hair grow out since our date at the shifter club. And shockingly, by some incredible feat of self-control, he’d kept himself from having an e******n.

My surprise must have reflected in my expression because Leander chuckled, “Thanks to your little antics before, my Wolf and I expended quite a bit of pent-up energy. I’m under control.”

I glanced up. He almost looked proud of himself.

I didn’t hold eye contact long because, in my quick visual assessment, I hadn’t missed the several bruises that dotted his chest and stomach. I reached out a tentative hand and touched my fingers to one of the blossoming red and purplish marks, broken capillaries hidden beneath the skin.

Guilt tightened my belly. I swallowed thickly. “I’m sorry.”

He wrapped a large hand around my wrist, halting my inspection and used his other hand to tilt my chin up. I didn’t want to look at him and kept my eyes downcast.

“Look at me,” he

murmured.

Reluctantly, I met his intense gaze.

“So, wanna to tell me what the hell that was all about?” he asked.

Frankly, he was handling it much better than I anticipated. There was even a hint of amusement in his tone.

A blush spread across my cheeks. “My Wolf…I don’t know what, I…”

He nodded as if he perfectly understood my nonsense reply, and then said wryly, “I knew we should have stayed in.”

I couldn’t help returning his smile.

The sun has gone down, and my belly growled, we hadn’t eaten dinner yet. Leander’s eyebrows pulled tight with concern. Before I could even make a suggestion, he ordered, “Get in the bed. I’ll call to have dinner brought to us. Would you like to watch a movie?”

All of that sounded wonderful. I smiled wider. “Yes.” I took a step toward the door. “I’ll just get dressed.”

Leander grasped my arm, halting my movement. I looked back at him in confusion.

“No clothes,” his voice dropped huskily.

A moment of silence lingered between us. Even without words, our conversation was clear. Me, questioning his intentions…and him, asking me to continue to trust him.

It didn’t take me long to decide. I could do that. I could trust him. I nodded slowly.

Satisfaction swirled in his violet and cerulean orbs. He released my arm.

I climbed into the bed and began to look for a movie while he ordered dinner. When he finished, he joined me, wrapping an arm around my back. I settled my head against his broad chest.

We spent the rest of the night curled in each other’s arms. I had no idea how I’d be able to fall asleep as the day of my heat drew near but tucked tight the solid wall of his chest, I was shocked to replace I drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~~~~

Heavy with sleep, my eyes refused to open, but the soulful whisper in the air wouldn’t be denied. That sound…what was it?

Resonating in the back of my mind, an intricate beat, words without syllables, reverberated in every breath I took. My befuddled, still halfway-asleep mind tried to make sense of it. I listened closer.

Deep base with varying cadence washed over me. A pleasing thud, thud…then another much lower bass thump…immediately followed by a rumble of several quick beats in succession. The unique timbre tickled my consciousness with a feather-light touch and burrowed past my defenses into my very being. My heart thudded with an altered tempo. It felt strange.

Of course…

Drums!

Leander told me the pack would play ancient melodies to my Wolf. He hadn’t been wrong. No words were required, the message loud and clear-love, devotion, supplication, a symphony of sound, begging her to come, to give them what they needed because only she could.

Ears alert, my Wolf listened to the primal and raw sentiments. She swayed in my mind, hindquarters and tail gently rocking to the music, enchanted and enamored by the lovely sounds made just for her.

Beckoning

Enticing

Alluring

The melody was like none I’d ever heard before. The beat ensnared my heart, and I was held captive. With shocking clarity, I realized my thoughts were not just a metaphor. The very rhythm of my heart had changed!

It had shifted and altered to match the drum’s cadence. Jumping and thudding in time with the music, the organ in my chest became the perfect dance partner, happy to be led by the compelling beat.

Sweat trickled down my neck. I worked to control my anxiety.

No, wait a minute… I wasn’t anxious, I was hot.

The warmth focalized on my back. Sometime during the night, Leander must have covered me with furs. Why would he do that? The heat inside was enough to stifle me. Had Leander thought I was cold?

Abruptly, the fur blanket moved!

Oh! Not a blanket at all.

Jolted into complete awakeness, I finally realized I was curled into a ball, tucked tightly within the embrace of Leander’s Wolf. My bare back and bottom pressed against his belly, one massive paw slung over my shoulder, his hind leg wrapped around my h*p, pinning me to the bed.

Instantly, my Wolf was hyperaware of him, aroused by the intimacy of our position. Without even a second thought, I wiggled my behind, rubbing against him, my actions earning me a low growl in return.

“Be still!” his command floated directly into my consciousness.

I froze. A shiver crawled down my spine, which was quite a feat considering how hot I was.