R H Y S 

It had felt too right holding Dove in my arms.

Carrying her down the driveway had taken me to the very edge of my control. Her damn apple shampoo had lingered on my skin after I had forced myself to set her down on her own feet so that I could unlock the gate.

She skittered around me and through the opening the moment I had undone the latch. I followed behind her at my own pace, locking the gate once I was outside of it. I eyed the "no trespassing" sign in the gravel as I approached Dove.

I held out my hand toward her expectantly. She gave me a tiny glare before releasing a heavy sigh. I enjoyed watching the little shimmy her body did as she reached into the front pocket of her tight jeans, digging out her keys. She dropped them into my hand with stiff reluctance before striding away, waiting by the passenger side door.

I took my time getting into her truck. "Where are you staying?" I asked as I popped the key into the ignition, the engine giving a low rumble as it started up.

"What, your friend Dace didn't share those details with you? Pity." Yeah, she was definitely upset over what I had done. It's not like I was trying to be an overbearing asshole. It was simply the fact that she was clueless and seemed to lack the normal human instincts that warned them away from predators. I mean, she had walked right into the den of an Alpha without a care in the world.

My lips pulled into a tight line as I gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter. "Dove..."

She let out a huff. "I'm staying at the Lucky Eight Motel. I think if you turn right at the first—" her words fell off as I met her gaze. "You know where it is."

"I know where it is," I confirmed dryly as she blushed a brilliant shade of red before she turned her face away from me, staring out the window. I didn't know why I was poking at her like I was. Maybe I wanted to her hate me so she would stay away or maybe I enjoyed the way her emotions played so openly on her face. Either way, I needed to get the hell away from her and make sure she stayed away from me. I could feel the bond between us stirring and crackling with its ancient power – one that was hard to ignore.

The rest of the ride was shared in an uncomfortable silence. A part of me was annoyed that she would think to ignore me, but I pushed that feeling away. This way was better. This way was safer. I barely got a chance to put the truck in park and hand over the keys before she was scrambling out of the cab.

I followed after her, finding it a bit humorous that she thought she could get away from me with her short stride. She spun around when she reached the door marked thirteen, leveling me with contemptuous eyes. "Thank you for driving me home." The words came out more like a curse than appreciation.

"No problem. You should be careful with that head injury of yours. Try not to sleep for the next twelve hours or so, just in case." I stuffed my hands into the front pockets of my jeans. My wolf still wasn't happy about the fact that she had gotten hurt. It was my duty to keep her safe while she was in my town. He certainly made it hard to ignore the protective urges.

Her expression softened as she lifted her hand to the back of her head. "Right..." She paused a moment. "How are you going to get home?"

I shrugged my shoulders as I glanced to the sky above us. "I'm sure I could find some pretty stranger at the bar to feel sorry enough for me to give me a ride." I dropped my gaze. I was only teasing her, wanting to get a reaction out of her.

"Oh..." Dove's lips slipped into a pout that had my blood flowing south. "Well, I guess this is goodbye then." Her goodbye was stiff and short. I watched with amusement as she hesitated at the door just as she had the night before at the bar. The mate-pull was doing a number on her and I could see the frustration building in her as she tried to figure out why her body seemed to be working against her. She wanted to leave but she couldn't get herself to move.

I took a step toward her, enjoying the way her pupils dilated even as she tried to lean away. She wanted me – but she was afraid. I had no intention to harm her. If anything, I wanted to give her pleasure she could only dream of. "Trying to get rid of me already? Even after all that trouble, you went through to track me down? I must say...that's a little disappointing."

Her tongue swiped over her bottom lip, perhaps a nervous habit of hers. "I didn't think we had any more to talk about. I said what I wanted to say." She held my gaze, brows drawn together. The scent of her desire bloomed around her like a fresh flower in spring, tantalizing the beast within. I was drawn to her like a wolf to the moon.

I moved in closer to her, caging her in against the door. "Who says we have to talk at all?" I had decided at that moment that I was going to have her. It would only be this one time because she wouldn't be sticking around. Which was fine with me. I just needed to know if she tasted as sweet as she smelled. I dipped my head in low, holding her gaze captive. "The things that I am going to do to you don't require talking."

She swallowed hard, eyes hooded by her growing need. "What are you going to do to me?" She whispered, voice dripping with her own lust. Instead of pushing me away like she should've, Dove was drawing me in closer, weaving her seductive spell over me. The little human girl was inviting the big bad wolf into her house.

I pressed my hips into her stomach. "You feel that?" Her lips parted and her cheeks tinted red as she nodded her head. My little bird's innocence only made my inner beasts need for her that much stronger. I found myself smirking as I brought my lips to her ear. "I'm going to fill up your tight little pussy with this. But first I'm going to make you come with my mouth and then, little Dove...then I'm going to make you come with my cock." I pressed harder against her, letting her feel how much I desired to do just that.

"Are you going to invite me in? Or do you want me to fuck you here against your door for everyone to see?" I bit the tip of her ear with my pointed canines.

She shivered against me, leaning into my body. "I don't think this is a good idea..." Her words sounded forced as if she was trying to convince herself the truth of them. She was right, of course. We shouldn't do this but I couldn't resist the craving for her. The need to have her – to taste her, if only once. I doubted she wanted to resist her need either.

"We both know that you want me just as much as I want you. Invite me in, Dove. " I commanded her with a voice doused in hunger. I needed to be inside of her. Now.

She pressed her palm against my chest and I let her push me back a step. Her hazel eyes sucked me, leaning more toward an ocean of heated jade. "That's presumptuous of you, Rhys. And If I say no, would you to leave?"

I held her gaze. "I'd leave. But I don't think that's what you want." I let a heavy silence hang between us for a moment. I needed her to know that of all the beasts in the world I wasn't the kind to take a woman against her will. Dove twisted away from me, brushing her butt against my cock. I had to bite back a groan. This female really had no idea how tempting she was.

The door opened and she took a step forward, casting a look at me over her shoulder. She gave me those come fuck me eyes. "Would you like to come inside?"

I didn't need any more prompting. I stalked toward her like the predator I was as she backed up into the room. I kicked the door shut behind me. "Take your clothes off." My wolf was too close to the surface at the moment for me to feel safe touching her. She had no idea what her little invitation had done to the both of us.

Dove reached for the hem of her t-shirt, pulling it up over her head just as slowly. Her stomach was lean, her breast spilling from the black lace bra that held them captive. It was almost painful to watch her dance out of the skin-tight jeans. Part of me wanted to tell her to put them back on just so I could watch her take them off again. I would've If it wasn't for the fact that she hadn't been wearing any panties. My mouth had gone dry at the sight of her.

"Go sit on the bed and spread your legs for me," I growled out the words as my beast scratched under the surface.

She did as I said, backing up and seating herself on the edge of the bed. Her eyes held mine as she parted her thighs, giving me a good view of what I had been hungering for since the moment I had walked into the bar the other night. I stood frozen before her, overwhelmed by my need for her. What if I lost control? What if I hurt her? I had never felt anything as powerful and consuming as what I felt at this moment.

"Rhys," she said my name with a vulnerability that swept all my thoughts away.

I crossed the room, dropping to my knees before her. The only person I would ever willingly kneel before. I took my first taste of her, groaning. This was what I had been waiting for, maybe for my whole life. This was heaven. I swept my tongue over her. I enjoyed the way she dug her fingers into my hair, dragging me in deeper like she needed more of me. I was happy to give her what she wanted, fucking her pussy with my tongue.

I watched as she squeezed and kneaded her own breasts, freeing them from her bra. It was a beautiful sight to watch Dove lost in her own pleasure. Her head thrown back, moaning as she pinched her own nipples. "So good, Rhys. So damn good."

She looked as good, as she fucking tasted, and I needed more of her. I needed all of her. I found her clit with my thumb, circling it slowly as I continued to fuck her pussy with my tongue.

"Oh god, yes! I'm coming," she cried out, causing my cock to pulse painfully against my jeans. "Fuck, fuck, fuck..." She thrust herself upward, grinding against my face as she came hard. My lips and chin were wet with her juices when she fell back, trying to catch her breath. I rose up from the ground, pulling my shirt over my head and tossing it away.

She watched me behind heavy-lidded eyes, greedily looking me over as I reached out for her again. I cinched my hands up her thighs.

"Are you ready for me, Dove?" She gasped as I circled her still sensitive clit. I undid my button and zipper, dropping my pants. My cock stood at full attention, ready and waiting to sink deep into her heat. I wanted to be buried in her. Her eyes widened at the sight, the pink tip of her tongue peeking out between her lips.

"Maybe later I'll let you have a taste, but for now, turn around," I ordered her. She hesitated for a moment before, turning around. Dove crawled forward onto the bed, keeping her back to me as she positioned herself. I admired her for a moment, the smooth skin of her back to the dimples above her shapely ass. I wasn't a sappy bastard, but she was fucking perfection.

"Kneel forward." She followed my orders perfectly, lifting her beautiful ass up in the air. I couldn't help the appreciative rumble at the sight of her pussy on display for me. It was swollen and wet, waiting to be filled up.

"Do you want me to fuck you, Dove?" She whimpered as I reached out and ran my hand over her ass cheek, the skin soft. I gave it a hard smack, feeling the firmness of her muscles underneath. She sucked in a shocked breath but I enjoyed how her pussy clenched, more of her juices leaking out. "I asked you a question, do you want me to fuck you?"

I pressed the tip up against her. "Oh yes, yes." she sighed. That was all I could take, driving myself deep into her pussy. She cried out, dropping her head onto the mattress. The feeling of her around my cock was enough to have me on the verge of coming. I had to wait a moment to let the feeling of her settle over me. Slowly, I pulled out only to slam back into her, deeper than the first time.

"You're so tight. So damn tight." I hissed through gritted teeth from the pleasure-pain of her wrapped around me. I pounded into her from behind, letting my balls slap hard against her clit. I gave her ass another smack, which had her pussy squeezing me tighter. The sight of my red palm staining her pale skin only made me want to fuck her harder.

I circled my hands around Dove's waist pulling her back up against my chest, driving myself deeper into her. Small moans of pleasure were turning to cries of passion as my hands roamed upward to her breasts. I gave her nipples a hard pinch, while I ran my nose down the length of her neck. My beast was so close to the surface. I had to fight to maintain control, to keep him from sinking his teeth deep into her soft flesh. Instead, I sucked the skin between my lips, pricking it gently with my pointed canines.

Dove stiffened as she tossed her head back, laying it on my shoulder as she cried out. I thrust into her harder, grabbing onto her hips to hold her steady as I drove myself into her again and again. She came hard, bringing me closer to coming.

I pulled out of her quickly, pumping my cock until I was spewing my fluid between the two of us with a loud groan. I stared down at her naked body sprawled on the bed, my come staining her skin. The sight only made me want to fuck her all over again, but I could tell she didn't have the strength for that. I walked away from her to the bathroom, grabbing a towel.

When I returned she was sitting on the edge of the bed, her hazel eyes looking more a deep brown. I could see from the look on her face that she was over thinking what had just happened between us. Dove clearly wasn't a girl who did things like this often, which made me feel like a real dirty bastard. She deserved someone who would treat her nice, give her romance, flowers, and all that other shit. I wasn't that guy, though deep down I wished I could be.

I wiped myself clean as she rose up from the edge of the bed, grabbing the comforter and wrapping it around herself. I got dressed in silence, not sure what I should say to her now. Not because I had nothing to say but because I wasn't sure what things were best to say.

I met her gaze. "Listen, Dove—"

She lifted a hand to silence me. "Don't say anything, please."

I tongued my cheek, giving her a nod. I turned away from her and walked to the door without looking back. If I looked back then I would stay and I couldn't. I ignored the heavy ache in my chest as I walked through the parking lot toward the main road. I was a real bastard for doing what I had done. I should have let her go the other night, let myself be the nice stranger at the bar who bought her a beer.

I was never going to be able to forget her now that I'd actually had a taste. She was my true mate. My little slice of the moon.

But to her, all I could ever be was some fuck in a dirty motel room.