Of Doms & Subs

Tweaking Tails

A slight narrowing of his eyes was the only indication of his opinion on that plan of action. "I can work from home until you're... settled," he said in that way that indicated he expected no argument. The more fool he, I frowned as I followed him deeper into the house. Damn, that ass looked so firm in those black slacks my hands itched to grab a handful. I shoved my hands in my pockets to quell the urge.

"The sooner I have a job, the sooner I can get a place of my own, and the sooner I'll be out of your hair," I pointed out, then nearly jumped out of my skin when he suddenly whirled to face me. Not that I was concerned that he'd hurt me. It was the sheer determination in the line of his jaw and the flashing in his eyes that set me back. He was relaxing the hold he kept on his dominant wolf, in a way more so than when we'd run together through the forest. Or when he killed John. Now I truly knew how fettered he'd kept his natural inclinations to take control. The brakes were off and my heart rose in my throat like I was dropped down a roller-coaster in the pitch dark.

"What makes you think I want you out of my hair?" Those husky words were filled with the sheer power of him; and just like that I was suddenly at a loss for words, for air, even thought. When I could finally breathe again, his scent filled my lungs with the mint of werewolf and all things masculine, like I was drowning in him. I was so flustered his next words almost didn't register. "I want... I need to ensure you are safe." There were at least a half dozen reasons for his statement, most of which had nothing to do with me as an individual, but I had to know.

His eyes, like two bottomless wells, remained on mine when I tentatively raised them in tandem with my hand. The line of his jaw was smooth with a hint of stubble under my palm. I could feel the Alpha's considerable strength coiled beneath the placid surface. Some restraints were still in place.

Angus' hands settled lightly on my hips. I could still pull away if I chose, although that possibility was the furthest from my mind. Trepidation kept my spine ramrod straight, but his scent wrapped around me like a favourite blanket and I soon melted against him until he had to adjust his grip to help keep us both upright.

Continuing to move slowly, I rose up on my toes and pressed my lips to his. It was strange to kiss someone of similar height since Will had been far bigger, which he had used against me. Angus' power and personality were so much larger than his physical being that the tangible reminder of his actual size came as a bit of a surprise to me.

I was tentative. When was the last time I was allowed to take the lead. Remaining perfectly still, and extremely receptive, he allowed me to control the pace. Parting my lips slightly he mirrored me; the soft curve of his bottom lip was too tempting to resist. Nipping the tender flesh, I quickly released him with a laugh. He growled and his mouth curved into a wicked grin. I clapped a hand over my mouth to stifle the giggles, which subsided in the tightening of his arms around me. Chuckling, he buried his face in my neck. My fingers wove their way through his silky hair.

Withdrawing to looked at me, he cradled my face like it was antique china in his hands and rested his forehead against mine.

"Before we go any further, I should tell you that my wolf and I want you for a mate," he confessed with closed eyes. Not that he'd ever hide anything about himself from me, I knew that truth with every inch of my body; his expression was that of a man at prayer. "And we won't go easy on you."

The tension in her shoulders eased instead of ratcheting upward as I'd feared. Her body relaxed into mine, the soft feel of her hardly had a tranquil effect on me.

"My wolf's picked you as well." Her white teeth worried at a plump bottom lip, one slightly swollen from our kiss. That constant, insouciant grin quickly returned and she added, "And I don't hate you, so that's something."

I drew back to avoid literally laughing in her face. "Do you understand what this means?"

"As long as you understand what will happen if you betray me." The predatory gleam in her eyes made me harden even more. It soon faded as something apparently occurred to her. "A submissive and an Alpha sounds like a recipe for disaster." She flashed a twisted grin that seemed born of nausea more than humour. The thought of her asshole ex-husband and her tattered self-confidence filled my mouth with iron and the imagined taste of his blood.

"Why?" I asked, although I already had an inkling of what she was about to say.

"I'm not a leader. I have no desire to be in charge. I suck at politics." A finger was ticked off at each point. Bits of mud caked under her fingernails, which was the first time I saw them not clean and well trimmed.

"You are good with people, not machinations." Her chocolate tresses felt like a lush waterfall under the hand that feathered up to grasp the nape of her neck. Lashes fluttered, her lips slightly parted and she relaxed into my embrace. "I spoke with your supervisor not long after you arrived. You did what's right by your patients despite how many doctors or petty management types you crossed while following the letter of the rules."

"You had no right to call my boss!" She jerked out of my arms to glare at me. Her hazel eyes were greener today, sparkling like peridot in her affront.

"I do now. You forget that." I was quiet, calm even, but those brilliant eyes faded and dropped to the floor at the gentle reprimand. Closing the distance she put between us, I gently tipped her chin back up until she looked at me. Proper respect was required at certain times; discussing us was not one of them. "You cared for those weaker than you while avoiding confrontation with the higher ups. Even when you do tweak tails, your earnestness and passion soothes. That's not just your level of dominance, that's who you are." Her jaw clenched under my palm in her attempt to remain angry.

"I don't think I could handle it if someone challenged me," she whispered, gaze dropping again to straighten the collar of my shirt. "I don't know much about how mating works, but I do know it-it would affect you. If you were weakened because of me, the pack..." Shaking her head, she wrapped her arms around herself and tried to take a step back, but I kept my arms loosely banded around her. My heart swelled at the unspoken confession and I wanted to take her to mate more than ever. My wolf surged to the surface, nearly frantic in his desire to claim her.

"There's no honour or rank to be gained in challenging you." I shook my head. I'd hoped that Mickayla would explain the ability of a wolf to draw on their mate's strength, and mated to an Alpha, she would have my power to back her up if necessary. Since she was dominant in her own right, and to my knowledge, hadn't yet been challenged and therefore hadn't needed to pull on their bond.

"But I'm weak, easy prey." There was more truth than lie to her statement. She truly believed that she wasn't strong in any sense of the word. I had to bite back a growl at that. Nothing I could say would convince her otherwise.

"And by God, there's nothing wrong with that," I said so soothingly that it bordered on condescending. "I'll just have to work around it to mitigate all risks. You can't work, of course, not that you'll need to." Ellie drew back to stare at me with the beginnings of betrayal dawning on her face, tamping down my humanity and the associated guilt, I plowed onward. Although it twisted my gut to hurt her. "Although this would be easier if we didn't mate, but I don't let go of what belongs to me so easily."

"That is not what you said," she snapped, small hands fisting at her sides. The melange of emotions rolling off her made my nose want to curl in on itself. "You said that I was free to find work that wouldn't put anyone at risk. Or was that a lie? And what do you mean 'what belongs to you'? Even if I was a member of the pack, I am not a possession!" She took a step towards me, invading my space. My wolf and I didn't see it as the violation it would have been if she were any other wolf. Our mate would never challenge us. Well, not my position in the hierarchy, anyway.

"If you do join, you will be one of my wolves, whether we mate or not," I replied with far more equanimity than I felt. Neither part of myself liked the possibility that she might yet change her mind. "But now that you realize how weak you are, the others will pick up on that."

"You know what, I changed my mind." Ellie threw up her hands between the two of us and waved them back and forth as if to ward me off, hair flying as she shook her head. "Send me to Eugene, ship me off to the Marrock, I don't care. I won't... mate with someone who thinks I'm inadequate. So ya can take that benevolent dictator oppressor attitude and shove it where the sun don't shine!"