The Alliance Boxset Books 1-6

Chapter 9-3

Hunter grimaced as he stepped under the cold flow of mist. He really needed a long, icy cold shower in the waterfalls near his home. He couldn’t keep the grin from his face as he thought of her muttered comment.

“I’m a warrior too, you know,” she had snorted out under her breath.

She was right, he thought as he rubbed cleanser through his hair. She was a warrior. But, no longer, he thought fiercely as he rinsed the solution out of his long hair and ran his hands over his body. It is my turn to protect her from now on.

He leaned forward for a moment before turning off the cleansing mist. He breathed deeply through his nose, trying to calm his mind and body. He wanted her. He wanted her badly. A shudder went through him as he gripped his hard c**k in his hand.

So much for a cold mist, he thought in frustration. I cannot even seek relief from my own hand.

A shudder went through him as he released his throbbing length with a low hiss. He stepped out of the unit and reached for a drying cloth. Once he was done, he looked with regret at the training pants that she had laid out on the counter for him. He knew that was her way of saying she wanted him to wear a cover to bed. He glared at the offending material. His hands clenched as he resisted the urge to shred them.

He muttered a dark curse before he grabbed the pants and slid them on. He stared back at his reflection. Dark, repressed passion had changed his eyes to an almost gold color. He reached up and ran his fingers through his damp hair. His eyes froze on the two bands of tattoos circling his wrists. He slowly lowered his arms and stared at them, reading their meaning.

I am Hunter. I belong to Jesse as she belongs to me. Forever will I tie my life to hers. I will care for, protect, and give my seed only to her. She is my Amate. She is my life.

Doubt filled him as he touched the dark markings. It was true, she was his life, his future. When he said he would give his seed only to her, he was saying that she was the one who would decide if his lineage would continue. A shudder went through him as he thought of what life would be like if she were to deny him his claim. It would be a bleak, cold, and very frustrating existence.

He glanced back in the mirror. Determination glittered from his eyes and his mouth tightened. He wanted her desperately. He knew she wasn’t immune to him. He felt her heart increase when he was close to her and he didn’t scent it being caused by fear. His eyes warmed as he remembered her eyes darkening as she stared at him.

No, he thought with satisfaction. She is not immune to me. I just need to drive her to the point of madness that she will beg me to take her. I will court her until she melts in my arms. I will show her that I am the only male that she wants touching her. And I hope I survive it long enough to enjoy the rewards. Feeling more confident, he gave the command for the lights to dim.

All of his plans flew from his mind the moment he stepped out of the door to the cleanser and caught the sweet scent of Jesse. If that wasn’t bad enough, the sight of her lying in his bed, one shoulder bare as the tunic she wore slipped down and the covers curled around her waist, were enough torture. He stepped up to the bed and pulled the covers back just far enough so he could slide in beside her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She stiffened at first before finally relaxing back against him.

“Hunter.”

“Yes, Jesse,” Hunter responded.

“What’s going to happen now?” Jesse asked, staring at the wall.

Hunter could hear the confusion and uncertainty in her voice. Her body trembled ever so slightly, but he could still feel it. He let his warmth surround her. He understood her confusion. He had always dreamed of having an Amate and eventually a family, but he had always expected it to be with a female of his own species. He was on unfamiliar ground and he didn’t like it any more than she did.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Perhaps we should just take it one day at a time. This is new to me as well.”

Jesse relaxed even more and shyly wrapped her hand over the one he had draped over her stomach. Her fingers threaded through his and she squeezed them. A small smile curved her lips at the slight sound of confusion in his voice.

“I’d… like that,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Jesse,” Hunter murmured burying his face in her hair. “But I hope you do not take too long to learn about me. I really want you, little human. Your scent is driving me crazy.”

He moaned silently when he felt her body shake as she giggled. It was worth the extra pain when he felt her relax even more and her breathing even out as she fell asleep. He lay awake for several hours just enjoying holding her in his arms. She was small and needed to gain some weight, but she fit perfectly against him.

He rubbed his chin against her hair and wondered if she would like living on his world. He thought of all the things he wanted to show her and her sisters. Pride flared inside him even as his eyes began to droop as exhaustion pulled at him. He had a family. It was small and strange but it was his and he would do everything in his power to protect it.