Chapter 35: Insistence
Roman
Over the last week of training, Ayla has alternated between excitement and frustration. She’s a quick learner, but my father was right. She wants to learn more quickly than she is and that causes her to be frustrated.
Each night, she falls into bed exhausted. Between the four hours a day of sparring training for Samara and another four to six hours of training for Ayla, my mate is exhausted. One night, after I’d gone over some pack business after sparring all day, I went up to our room and found her asleep in the tub I’d finished bathing her then sat in the tub with her, letting the Epsom salts relieve my aching body as well. Each day, Ayla is getting stronger and it’s forcing Pierce and I to work harder to keep from getting pinned and to pin her.
My father has been great. It has been so many years since I’ve seen him have a purpose. He is once again acting like the man that he was when Alpha Royal and Luna Jessica were alive. I realize that it’s all because of Samara. I’m not sure why Althea didn’t bring out this same level of togetherness in our family or our lives. Maybe it’s because we thought we’d lost Samara and now we have her back. But having her here, having her as my mate, is not only settling me and the pack, but also my
parents. (1
This morning, we’re in sparring training for Samara. She’s gotten strong quickly and she’s fast, really fast. Working with both Ayla and Samara is making them stronger much more quickly. I’ve put Samara up against my warriors, but she takes them down quickly. Dad suggested having multiple warriors attack her at once, but she’s so fast that she can still defeat all of them. It makes me proud to see her strength and her fighting intelligence. But it also means that Pierce and I have to be the ones to fight her. Even though it’s only been a week, she’s already able to knock me on my ass. She hasn’t pinned me yet, but
she’s getting close.
“We need to get Althea away from Sawyer,” she says as we spar. This is a daily conversation that we have. She wants to go get her sister, but I refuse to go until my father and I both agree that she’s strong enough to protect herself.
“We’ve talked about this,” I say, swinging my arm at her head. She ducks, landing a punch to my ribs. Based on the power of
the punch, I can tell she’s agitated that it’s been a week and we’re no closer to going to get Althea. Even if she didn’t need to
learn to fight, we wouldn’t be ready to attack two packs at once. That’s going to take a bit more planning.
“When? When are we going to get her?” she insists, spinning away fast enough that I barely graze her shoulder with my
punch.
“Samara, we’ve talked about this. Althea has been with Sawyer for nine years. He isn’t go to do anything to hurt her.”
“You don’t know that,” she says, swinging her leg at my head. I feel her heel graze my ear as I duck just in time. I take the opening as she spins around to swat her ass hard. I’m irritated that we’re having this conversation again. I don’t want to hurt
her, but I want her to know that I’m tired of having this conversation over and over. We’re not going until we’re ready. Until
she’s ready.
“I do know that, Samara. If he was going to hurt Althea, he could have done it at any time over the past nine years. I’ve been with them, and I’ve never seen any indication that he’s ever laid a hand on Althea. We would put her at more risk by attacking before we’re ready than we would if we continue as we are. I know you want to protect your sister, Samara, but we need to be
ready and we aren’t.”
“I’m ready,” she insists, getting out of her fighting stance and challenging me.
I stand over her, using my height to try and intimidate her into agreement. I know I can’t force her submission, nor would I ever want to, but she has to realize that rushing into a battle unprepared will not only put the pack at risk, it will put her at risk. And I will never, ever, put her at risk.
“You’re NOT ready. You’re getting there, yes. But you are not prepared to take on a pack of warriors, some of whom will follow Sawyer’s command to kill you once he knows what you saw. I refuse to put you at risk, Samara! We will not go to war until I know for sure that I can keep you safe!” I yell.
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Chapter 35: thaistence
+25 BONUS
“And how do you propose to keep me safe, Roman? You and I will most likely be in different parts of the pack lands while you fight Sawyer’s warriors and I work to keep Althea and her pups safe,” she yells back. 1
“I’m not taking you to war until my mark is on your neck. Once it is, I will be able to stay in your mind and I will know if you are at risk. I refuse to let anything happen to you, Samara,” I growl.
“Then maybe you should put your mark on my neck, Roman,” she growls back.
I jerk at her words. It feels like she just doused me with ice water, taking all the heat of our argument out of me. However, right behind that is a very different kind of heat that spreads quickly through my body.
A very loud, very possessive growl rips out of my chest.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” I say.
In one swift movement, she’s in my arms and my mouth is devouring hers. I feel her legs wrap around my waist and her arms go around my neck as I begin walking inside the packhouse.
나
barely hear the sound of the pack cheering and howling as the heat of desire rages inside me.
Since we’ve been on the sparring field, I head straight to the showers, turning on the water without releasing her mouth. While I wait for the water to get warm, I shred her clothes, feeling her desperate need to get me naked as well.
When the water is warm, I step under the spray, getting us wet before pressing her against the shower wall. I take her face in my hands and pull away from her.
“I need to hear you say it again, Samara. Are you ready for me to make you mine forever?” I ask her.
“Make me yours, Roman,” she says, softly.
I search her eyes, but find no hesitation, only certainty.
I set her on her feet and grab the soap. I keep my eyes on hers as I begin rubbing my soapy hands over her body. Her body responds instantly to my touch. Her nipples pucker into hard peaks and the scent of her arousal fills the steamy air around
- us.
When I slide my hand between her thighs, I can feel her slick heat coating her pussy lips and thighs. I feel her hands roaming over my body, exploring me and making my hard length twitch with desire.
I spin her around, pressing her back to my stomach. Using my arms, I hold her against me and begin teasing one of her nipples. She moans softly, leaning her head back against my shoulder. I kiss her neck, feeling her body shiver in my arms as I slide my hand between her folds and begin to rub circles on her clit.
I growl softly when her body arches, pressing against my hard length. Then her hands reach up to grasp my arm and I feel
her body tightening.
“Roman,” she gasps.
“Yes, my sweet mate. Come for me,” I murmur in her ear.
She whimpers a moment before her body begins jerking against mine. I hold her steady and continue to rub the circles over her clit until she comes down. Then I build her up again, watching her as she comes undone in my arms again.
When I bring her down the second time, I quickly finish washing, then rinse us both off before lifting her up again and carrying her out of the shower. I grab a towel and wrap it around her as I walk us to the bed. Then I lay her down and look at her beautiful body.
It’s time to make this woman mine.
