Chapter 4 — Off-balance

~ RONAN ~

My mind is still on the issue of Lyra’s heritage when her scent hits me like a rock again, jerking my rock-hard dick and my head back to her. Shit. I'm not properly prepared for this, and that’s because I haven’t been able to see her face until now.

That’s the way it works with dream-pairing. The big reveal doesn’t happen until the couple comes face-to-face. It’s nature’s way of promoting a bond that defies all things superficial. It’s a way of bonding a couple together on a deeper mental level.

My mate is more beautiful than I pictured and as distracting as ever. Even though she’s slightly younger than I imagined, in her early twenties, she’s more than I ever hoped for. Her hair is thick, curly, and honey brown, the color striking with her shiny blue irises.

I picture her on my bed, those curls spread out on my pillows, her beautiful mismatched eyes glazed over as she watches me go down on her. She’ll moan as I feast on her, taking my time, licking her up like candy.

I want to feel the sting of her nails on my scalp, hear her pleasure as she comes against my tongue, and the delectable taste of her cream flooding my senses. Even if she begged, I wouldn’t rush, keeping her right where I want her. I’d stay between her legs for hours, lapping at her cunt, taking what’s mine.

A thought strikes me, one I don’t like, yanking me from my erotic musings. I study my mate, really looking at her, starting at her head and working my way to her toes.

Magnus Dusk, the Alpha of the Duskfang Pack, has similar coloring and features. Everyone knows Magnus and his mate despise each other. It’s a running joke in Ashridge Hollow, as well as a reminder of why wolves don’t usually mate unless they find the person intended for them.

I growl as instinct tells me my intuition is spot-on.

Magnus mated Selene Virell decades ago despite the lack of a mating bond, bringing two of the most prominent packs in the bordering states together. If Magnus had sex with a human and left her pregnant, he wouldn’t have been able to say a word to his pack.

He might even have left the female and his child to fend for themselves. Selene would have challenged and killed a human female if her position as Luna were threatened.

A knock at the door has me spinning around, my lips pulling back as my canines lengthen.

I put myself between the door and my mate, the hair on my nape rising as my wolf snarls to protect what’s his. If Lyra is Magnus's offspring, she has a claim to the bastard Alpha’s pack. Even if she can’t shift, she has a birthright.

That puts her in danger.

The door opens, revealing the identity of our guest. My business partner and pack Beta doesn’t move, standing in the open doorway.

It doesn’t take long for Killan to put two and two together. My rage is easy to scent, and the fragrance of Lyra’s desire hovers in the room.

"Oh shit." Killan glances at Lyra, his nostrils expanding as he takes a deep breath and growls, "Oh fuck."

I relax but remain where I am, partially shielding my female from view. I’ve told the Beta about the female in my dreams, warning him that life in the Hollowbane Pack is about to change. And since I’ve never gotten violent over a woman before, I’m certain Killan knows the score.

"‘Oh fuck’ is right," I growl.

"You’ve got to get her out of here. She’s almost in season." Killan’s eyes shift from brown to amber as he says this. "Her mating scent is all over the place."

"Tell me something I don’t know," I mutter and shake my head.

It’s hard enough keeping my hands to myself. Until I mate Lyra and mark her with my scent, she’ll be like a drug to other males. Even if I state she’s mine, I’ll have to fight any would-be suitor who wants to take my place. She’s not officially off the market. Not yet.

"I think I’m going to go," Lyra suddenly says and starts to inch around me, the sharp smell of her fear spreading through the room. "Coming here was a bad idea."

I don’t think so.

I reach out, snagging her by the wrist. The contact does exactly what I know it will.

She whimpers and cries out, sagging as I tug her toward me. The days preceding the full moon are difficult on a female in or near her season. She has to be feeling the changes, drawn by the desire to mate, beginning the transformation to her other form if she’s able to change.

Until a male—preferably the female’s mate—spends his seed inside her, the ache will worsen. That’s why I’ve held back, trying to give her space.

The first touch has muddled her thoughts. A second will throw her completely off-balance until all she can think about is the sexual frustration she’s sure to be experiencing. And this female doesn’t even have a clue what she’s dealing with.

Lyra doesn’t fight or struggle, resting against my chest as I urge her closer. She feels perfect against me, exactly right. A growl of contentment carries up to my throat, my wolf eager for her touch.

"What’s the matter with me? This has to be a dream. I have to wake up."

She sounds confused but aroused. I know how she feels. At the moment, despite the uncertainty of our future together, I could have pounded nails with my dick with the way I'm feeling.

I bring her close, snaking my free arm around her waist before meeting Killan’s gaze. "She has no idea what’s going on."

"I kinda figured that," Killan retorts, a smile on his face. "You didn’t tell me she’s human."

"Half-human," I correct and narrow my eyes, lowering my voice. "And keep that information to yourself. I’ll address the pack when I’m ready."

"You can’t hide her forever." There’s a warning in Killan’s tone, one that I don’t appreciate.

"I don’t plan to," I reprimand the Beta with a snarl. I put him in his place by looking him in the eye, forcing Killan to lower his gaze. "I need some time to sort things out before I present my mate to the pack."

"Then I suggest you hurry. I have an appointment in fifteen minutes," Killan says, taking another step back and retreating into the hallway. "I’ll deal with the pack until the full moon peeks."