Claimed By My Alpha Stepbrother.

29

Azriel

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

Dad was the one who'd suggested I go with Seraphina. I knew I would have gone anyway.

If Seraphina had insisted on walking into hell and I had been unable to tie her down, I would have followed. I knew myself well enough to admit that. And that explained why he never even asked me. It was like he was so sure I would not leave her to go alone. The thought of him planning everything behind the scenes made my stomach churn.

Was his experiment that important to him? That he would sacrifice not just me, but also his stepdaughter?

What was his game plan now? There was something more. And now that I knew it, I wasn't leaving. I had to get to Millbrook and find out what the f**k was been covered-up there.

The village was quiet when we returned. Most of the women had gone in with the kids, and only a few men were left on patrol. Mike seemed to be on duty today and was already dozing off on a bench. They'll need proper training if Seraphina and I were going to stay. No way was I putting my life in the hands of these men.

Two of the other guys were already snoring, and even Kofi, who'd said fancy words about protecting the village, was curled up in a ball on a mat, clutching his wooden stick close to him.

I didn't bother waking them. We waved goodnight to those who were still awake and went into our hut.

Seraphina was still tensed. Probably still guilty about Millbrook. She immediately climbed onto the bed and curled into herself. I could only imagine how hard it must have been for her, having to hold all that in. She must have hated herself. Or worse, thought that I would hate or leave her.

"Seraphina," I called out.

She turned to face me.

I sat beside her, leaning forward to meet her eyes. "Want me to make you forget?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you—?"

I captured her mouth in a kiss, cutting her off. I tried to make it soft and chaste. Just a soft peck to let her know I truly wasn't angry. But when she leaned into me, a small moan escaping her mouth, all reason went out the window. I could no longer hold back.

I deepened the kiss, my hand sliding into her hair, my tongue tracing the seam of her lips until she opened for me. She tasted like honey, and her scent—God. I wanted to drown in her. My other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her flesh against me, and she came willingly, her body soft and yielding, her hands fisting in my shirt.

Mine.

The wolf stirred, growling with hunger.

I wanted her.

God, I needed her.

I could smell her sweet, heady arousal, and it made my mouth water.

I traced my hand along the lines of her body, parting her legs slowly as I slid my fingers up her thigh.

My fingers brushed against her panties, and I sucked in a breath. "f**k it, Seraphina." A low growl escaped me, the beast fighting to taste her, to make those juices drip on our tongue.

Pushing the fabric away, I slipped two fingers into her at once.

"Oh, my... Azriel." Her gasp came out as a moan, her hand holding tight to my neck.

I looked down at her shut eyes, her parted lips spilling out soft moans as I moved my fingers inside her. All my senses sharpened. The smell of her arousal thickened, my ears pricked, picking up even the tiniest sound of insects crunching on something. My eyes sharpened, and I could see the pulse fluttering in her throat, the delicate blue veins beneath her pale skin.

'Claim her. Bite her. Make her ours.'

I wanted to. God, I wanted to. I wanted to sink my teeth into that tender flesh, to mark her so that every male who looked at her would know she belonged to someone. So that no one would dare think of even coming close.

I was losing myself. The need to mark her clawed at my throat. My grip tightened around her neck, and she whimpered, arching into me.

She rode my fingers, sealing my mouth with a deep kiss as she reached orgasm.

I thrust faster into her, my mouth moving over hers frantically.

I slipped my fingers out of her, and brought it to my mouth, licking her juice clean.

Damn! She tasted heavenly. So intoxicating.

I trailed one hand up to cup her breast as I laid her back onto the bed. I could feel my fingernails starting to elongate, and when they scratched at her skin.

"Ouch!" she winced.

My eyes snapped open immediately, my fingernails retracting in a flash.

I pushed back with a rough gasp, breaking the kiss. I needed to put distance between us before I did something unforgivable. My chest heaved, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped animal. I forced a yawn, making it seem exaggerated and fake.

"I'm sleepy," I said, my voice came out too rough and guttural. I didn't look at her. Couldn't even bear to look. "We should get some rest. It's late."

She didn't reply. Instead, she moved closer to me, the bedsheets rustling. She threaded her hand around my neck again, and she turned me to face her. Her eyes were still hazy with desire.

"Why do you always do that?" she asked quietly. Her voice sounded hurt, confused, and needy.

"Do what?" I asked, trying to stay cool, even though I felt guilty about leaving her hanging.

"Stop." Her thumb brushed my jaw, and I had to fight not to lean into her touch like a starving man. "Every time we're about to get too deep, you pull away. You shut down." She swallowed, her gaze dropping to my chest before returning to my eyes. "Is it... is it because of what your dad told us? About you being special forces?"

I went still.

"I don't understand why you won't talk about yourself," Seraphina continued, the hazy look of arousal melting away, replaced by that stubborn edge I both loved and dreaded. "I want to know you, Azriel. The real you. Not just the man who protects me, who carries me through forests and holds me when I cry. I want to know what haunts you. What you're hiding." Her grip tightened, almost pleading. "Why won't you let me in?"

My heart twisted. I wanted to tell her. More than anything, I wanted to lay myself bare, to show her the monster beneath the skin and pray she didn't run screaming.

But not tonight, when the wolf was so close to the surface. I could still taste her on my tongue and feel the dreadful urge to bite her. To claim her.

I leaned in and put a kiss to her forehead.

"I'll tell you everything," I murmured against her skin. "I promise. In due time, little one. Just... not tonight. Let's just sleep. Okay?"

That was somewhat a lie. There was no way I was going to make myself that vulnerable. That would be craziness. Because, if my own father was capable of doing this to me, imagine what another would do to me once I armed them with the roadmap on how to destroy me.

She went quiet with unasked questions. Then she sighed, a soft surrender, and nodded against my chest.

"Okay. I won't push you any further. But, do you think they're looking for us? Do you think mom got the message?"

"I can't say, little one. Fingers crossed she did."

We settled onto the duvet, her back to my front, my arm draped over her waist. She wiggled closer until there was no space between us, every curve of her body against mine, her breathing evened out. I could feel every inch of her as she nuzzled into the crook of my arm as if she belonged there.

Maybe she did. That was the terrifying part.

I couldn't help looking out the window. The moon was nearly full. I stared at it, my jaw clenched. It was so close. I was counting down the days at this point. I would probably have to face my horror in five days.

How would I endure it with her here, when I'd almost lost control and it had not even arrived yet?

I'd been so close to biting her. What would have happened if I hadn't held back?

I didn't even want to imagine it. That would mean revealing the beast that lived under my skin.

She stirred in her sleep, murmuring incoherently—she did that a lot—her hand finding mine and lacing our fingers together. So trusting and fragile. And I was a monster holding her in the dark, terrified of the day she'd finally see me for what I was.

The wolf whined in my head, restless, hungry, but I shoved it down. Caged it. I had to. For her.

But the full moon was coming.

And I didn't know if my cage would hold because I have been doing so for too long.