R H Y S

When I returned home, I found Dove passed out on the living room couch, dark hair sprawled out around her head. Her pink lips parted as she mumbled something in her sleep, pulling her legs up toward her chest. My beast pushed forward, wanting to curl up next to her on the couch and watch over her while she slept. She looked so fragile in her unaware state, the need to protect what was mine, riding me hard. I’d had trouble completing simple tasks all day, my focus always turning to my little bird.

"She's quite lovely for a human," my mother remarked as she walked into the room. I should’ve known she would be here waiting to ambush me. I’d been avoiding her as much as I could since Dace brought Dove to my house, just having brief conversations here and there.

"She is," I replied. It was easy to see from the expression on my mother's face that she was not pleased by the situation. I knew that she respected my position as Alpha and didn't question my decisions often, but the look in her eyes told me she had a lot to say on the matter. And I wasn’t in the mood for a lecture.

I held back a groan, walking past her as I made a b-line for the fridge, grabbing a beer. I twisted off the cap and threw it into the sink. "Out with-it mom," I growled as pressed the bottle to my lips.

She pursed her thin lips together, dull green eyes sparkling amber for a moment. "You’re shacking up with the human, now?”

“Shacking up?”

“Don’t be an ass,” she sneered. “You’re fucking her. Did you think I wouldn’t smell your mating hormones all over her?”

I groaned, turning my face away from her. “I’m not having this conversation with you.”

“I’m not happy about this, Rhys.”

"Well, it's a good thing I didn’t ask you for your opinion on the matter.” I was not in the mood to deal with any more doubt about my decisions regarding Dove. First, it was Dace and now my mother. “But maybe, if you’d been this vocal with Dad he’d still be here.”

She flinched at my comment, and I almost regretted what I said.

“That was different.”

I snorted. “Whatever you say.”

“The Pack was on the brink of financial ruin. There were a lot of families depending on that supplement to keep food on their tables and roofs over their heads.” We had gone around and around about this issue so many times I could recite her arguments like they were scripted.

“So, you’re telling me that there weren’t any other options?”

“He did what he thought was best, Rhys.”

“Bullshit.” I hissed out, glancing toward the living room, hoping Dove would stay asleep. I took in a deep breath trying to reign in my anger. I turned my gaze back to my mother, her face looking a little flushed. “Open your eyes. Dad took the easy way out. He got blinded by all the zero’s.”

She turned her face from mine, jaw clenching. “That doctor tricked him…Quintin thought he was just going to collect some samples and run a couple of tests on us. That’s all.” I rolled my eyes but she continued, turning the topic back to me. “And you don’t get to judge him for that. I mean what do you know about this girl, Rhys?"

I kept my mouth shut, staring back at her without a response. I didn't know anything about my mate, other than the fact that she’d gotten mixed up with the wrong person. My mother shook her head, lips drawing down into a disappointed expression. "You're a bleeding heart just like your father. It's an endearing but dangerous quality to have in your position. This girl is a liability to you and this pack. I won't lose you like I lost your father. If she doesn't go away soon, then I will have to do something about it." I knew she would do whatever she needed to if she believed it was what was best for the pack – what was best for me.

My wolf bared his teeth in her direction. I would not allow anyone to harm to a single hair on Dove's head. My body was moving before I could process my actions. The next thing I knew I had my mother pressed back against the counter, my free hand wrapped around her throat as I sneered down at her. My body was vibrating with the force of my anger.

She was staring up at me with wide eyes. It didn’t matter that she was my mother. My wolf was ready to devour anyone that thought to get between Dove and me. "I won't hesitate to kill anyone who even thinks to harm her. I see the twinkle of tears in her eyes, and I'll cut down whoever put it there...Am I making myself clear, Astrid?"

My mother went slack in my hold. A sign of her submission to me. I snapped my teeth together in frustration before releasing her. I took a small step back, watching as she reached up and rubbed her neck.

"I don't like threats.”

"Neither do I," she replied.

We locked into a stare off, neither of us blinking. I had relied on my mother for too much. Maybe I’d expected too much from her after the loss of my father. It was clear that she couldn't see past her need to protect me as her son at the moment.

I took a sip of my beer, rolling my shoulders. "I think that you should go. Take some time for yourself, mom."

Her lips twitched, eyes narrowing. "Are you relieving me of my position? Because of a girl you just met?" I could see why it would look like that to her, but it wasn't about that anymore. It was the fact that she had challenged me here and now. What was to stop her from doing it when more pack members were around? We needed to look like a united front, and at the moment we were anything but.

"This has nothing to do with, Dove.”

She snorted.

“This has everything to do with your continual overstepping your boundaries because you only see me as your son. Don't worry, you are still the Luna of this pack, for the time being, mom. But I think it would do you some good to re-evaluate the fact that, though I may be your son, I am Alpha of this pack."

She straightened her back. I knew I had hurt her pride, but I had been too lenient with her that it was time to correct the situation while I still could. I opened my mouth to say more but shut it tight at the sound of movement. I peered over my shoulder to see Dove was awake, sitting up on the couch with her hazel gaze focused in our direction. I wonder how much she saw, how much she heard.

"Rhys...is everything okay?" The gentle concern in her voice had me feeling like a real bastard.

"Everything’s fine. I was seeing my mother out." I turned back to my mother. I hoped she would come around, but until then I wouldn't allow her anywhere near my mate. Dove was one of my priorities, at least until it was safe for me to let her go.

The floorboards creaked, and Dove’s scent drifted closer. I clenched my teeth as she came to stand beside me. "Thanks for keeping me company while Rhys was away today." My female was too naive for her good.

"Of course. If you need—"

"If she needs anything I'll be here to take care of her," I interrupted.

My mother shot me a glare as she turned away and walked silently out of the kitchen. I followed close behind her. She opened the front door, pausing in the threshold, turning back to me with a pinched look. "I will always be your mother above and before everything else, Rhys. Time won't change that."

My stomach soured but I kept myself from reacting. "Goodnight, Mother.”

“Goodnight.” She stepped out of my house and I shut the door behind her, feeling the heat of Dove's gaze on the side of my face. I knew she must be confused by my behavior, but I didn't have the energy at the moment to explain everything to her. Honestly, at the moment all I wanted to do was lose myself inside of her and forget about the world for a couple of hours.

“What was that about?” Dove asked.

“Nothing.”

“Didn’t seem like nothing.” She pressed.

I turned to Dove, the sight of her in my clothes pleased me more than I wanted to admit at the moment. “Well it was.”

Her brows furrowed. “Rhys…”

“Let’s not talk.” I stepped toward her, all the hunger and need I had been holding back all-day surging to the surface. I watched her cheeks turn pink under my lusty stare, fingers tugging at the hem of the shirt she had borrowed from me as if to try and hide from me.

"Stop looking at me like that," she whispered to me as she took a small step back.

My lips twitched upward as I followed her retreat, setting my beer down on the side table. "How am I looking at you, Dove?"

Her pupils dilated as she lifted her gaze to my face, swallowing hard. "Like you want to devour me..."

My wolf and I shared a deep rumble of approval at her words. "I am going to devour you, Dove. I'm going to taste every inch of your body until I've had my fill." Her back hit the wall, with a soft thump. Her eyes were opened wide, tongue swiping over her lips in anticipation. I reached out to her, grabbing the hem of the shirt in my hands.

"Rhys," she said my name like a plea, body shivering.

I ground myself into the softness of her body, pressing my cheek to hers. "Relax. It's nothing I haven't seen already." I pulled back, enjoying the flushed color of her cheeks as I raised the shirt up over her head.

Her body was just as perfect as I remembered it, a pair of nice rounded breast that fit in the palm of my hands. Her nipples were like little pink pebbles, hard and begging to be touched. I growled as my eyes followed the path of her soft stomach to the waistband of my boxer briefs that hung low on her hips. I needed to bury myself deep inside of her.

Her hands pressed into my chest. "Sit down on the couch."

I met her gaze, seeing her hunger reflected at me. I wasn't one to give over control, but I found myself stepping away from her, slowly taking off my clothes as I moved to the couch. Her eyes followed my movements with greed.

I sat down on the couch, arms spreading out on the cushions behind me. Dove approached me with slow seductive steps, licking her lips. I shifted on the couch, growing harder with the anticipation of her slick heat wrapped around me. She was close enough now that I could reach out and touch her.

"I told myself that this wasn't going to happen again..."

I listened to her words as she eased her knee onto the couch, my hands moving to hold onto her waist.

"I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you...I know you're not good for me, but that doesn't seem to matter..." She was straddling me now, the heat of her rubbing against the head of my cock. I let out a groan, my eyes focusing on the pale column of her neck. My wolf wanted to sink his teeth into it, hard. "We aren't right for each other, Rhys,” she whispered to me in a needy voice that had my control splintering.

“Enough talking.” I grabbed her waist harder, pulling her down onto me as I thrust my hips upward. She let out a loud gasp as I filled her. My forehead pressed into her shoulder. "Perfect. You're perfect."

"Oh god, yes," she moaned, wrapping her arms around my neck as I cupped her ass in my hands. I pushed her upright, sliding her up and down on me. We are both panting as we kept up the hungry rhythm of our bodies. I could have her a thousand times, and it would never be enough. There seemed to be no end to my need for her.

I changed up the pace, placing a hand on her lower stomach as I rubbed her clit with my thumb. She threw her head back as her pussy tightened around me. "Fuck, Rhys...so close." I drove myself into her harder, over and over. I let my teeth scrape against the flesh of her shoulder up to her neck, nipping at the skin. I could feel myself growing harder inside of, which only made her tighten up more around me.

I lifted her up until she was almost all the way off me, before dropping her down back on me hard. We both let out loud moans of pleasure. "Do you like the way I fill you up, Dove?" I asked as my thrusts became more forceful. My wolf was starting to take control, wanting to leave his mark on our female.

"Yes," she moaned into my ear as her insides tightened around me and she lost herself in her pleasure. Her body quivered in my hold as I continued to thrust into her, meeting each pulsing wave of her orgasm. The walls of her vagina were milking my cock. I felt her teeth as she bit into the strained cord of my neck and that was all I needed. I thrust into her one last time with a loud groan as I lined her womb with my hot seed.

We collapsed on the couch, breathing heavily. Dove shifted slightly after a moment, and I tightened my arms around her. I didn’t want her to start overthinking what had happened between us. "If you don't stop moving, I’m going to fuck you again," I warned.

Her pussy clenched around me at my words, and I nipped at her neck, smirking.