Alpha Will

18. Will

This was good.

Dire circumstances be damned, I wouldn't have traded anything else in the world for this.

Soft. Kiara's shorter figure, pressed against me was soft and yielding, her scent that same mouth-watering cotton candy that always had me wondering if she tasted the same. I traced a thumb on the side of her neck, the pulse there wild beneath the smooth chocolate skin. Other than her racing heartbeat, Kiara was frozen with shock, hazel eyes big and vulnerable as they regarded me. A mouse caught in a trap.

I smoothed an arm around her waist and lifted her until her face was aligned with mine. Then I stepped closer into the haven that was her.

I sighed.

Her heart was a loud gallop against my chest, her breathing erratic. "Will?"

I tilted my head, trailing my nose along her throat. "Yes?"

"You're too close," she breathed out.

"Not close enough." My lips were tracing her chin now.

Just below her bottom lip.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to kiss you."

"Don't do it."

"I'm doing it."

"You shouldn't."

My lips brushed across hers, tasting. "Give me a good reason not to and I won't."

On second thought, I'm not letting this tasty morsel get a away from me.

She opened her mouth to protest. I let go. No more precaution, no more fear of rejection, just Kiara (my Kiara). Total possession. Somehow her wrists ended up bound above her head and my left hand was in her hair, holding her head in place as the rough crush of my mouth conveyed exactly what I was thinking: mine. All mine.

The hold on her head tightened, teeth nibbling mercilessly at her lips yet unable to stop nonetheless- but if what was left of any rational thought was worried about hurting her, it wasn't necessary. She was kissing me back. I groaned. Kissed her harder.

At some point, through the haze of almost drunken desire, I remembered that oxygen was an nonnegotiable requirement. Reluctantly, I pulled away and lowered her to feet gently, fingers shaking as I did so. I stepped back, then took another one when I saw just how flustered she looked.

She wiped at her lips with a hand, pointed a finger at me. "Best kiss ever. It isn't going to happen again."

"You've kissed someone else before?"

Kiara let out a frustrated sigh.

She was angry. Old habits suggested I put some space between us, let her cool down. I moved forward instead, shoulders and chest light in my newfound freedom. I couldn't stop the grin that was spreading across my face.

"Oh, it's happening again," I poked her cheek. "A lot."

She glared, but the look was quickly diverted when her eyes wandered to my mouth.

I smacked my lips, jerking her eyes back to mine. "Round two?" I asked.

She folded her arms over her pink sweater, frowned. "What's with the sudden attraction to me?"

"It's not sudden, its always been there."

Eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why are you showing it now?"

"Regret. When you almost die you realize there are a lot of things you wanted but didn't get to have. I'm going to have you all to myself. And you'll like it."

It took her a minute to digest that. She shook her head sharply as if to shake my words out of her ears. "Get rid of the contract and let Audrey help you or stay out of my way."

"Why, Kia?" I asked, feeling her words like a slap to the face- one that actually hurt, not the pat-like thing she'd given me last night. "Stay away so you can go back to acting like you don't like me?"

She flinched. "I only pretended so that so you wouldn't run off like you do with the rest of the girls that try to get serious with you!"

I rolled my eyes, unable to help myself. "Yet you're the only one I kept so close for so long. How are you so smart and naive at the same time?" I grabbed both sides of her head, examining it. "Is there some sort of malfunction in here? Do we need to go see a doctor?"

She shoved my hands away. "If there's anyone that should visit a psychiatrist, it should be the idiot that sold his soul to some witch he just met."

"I did it for you," I replied quietly. "Why not thank me instead of repeatedly attacking me about it?"

She cursed under her breath, the words clearly audible to me, repressed werewolf hearing or not.

"I heard that."

"Good," she said, stalking over to the couch and patting the spot next to her. "Sit down. I want to see your foot."

I raised my brows. "That's all you want to do?"

"Sit."

Her voice wavered with the order, which was why I did as she asked, took off my sneaker and let her study my foot quietly for the next ten minutes.

Her eyes were blazing when she finally finished her inspection and looked up at me. "No more jumping in front of swords for me."

I took her hand, bit the index finger. "If you consider that a malfunction, it's something I can't fix."

She pulled her hand away. "I need to go to school."

I stood up. "Watch your back, Kia."

She frowned. "I know. The sword lady will probably be back soon, right?"

I shook my head. "Not for her, me."

I left before she could start another argument, it was time to start hunting.