The Gamma’s Second Chance (Crescent Lake #3)

31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

CASSANDRA

A howl echoes off the trees as my light brown lycan races through the forest, using her front limbs to propel herself faster. Pounding paws rustle the underbrush, and I speed up, leaping onto a tree and pulling myself into the cover of the canopy. I spring from tree to tree, then crouch low on a branch, honing in on Nolan’s wolf as he sprints in my direction, his nose leading the way.

His wolf is large and powerful, with a gorgeous rust red coat. He stops under the tree I’m hiding in, nose twitching and muzzle bouncing as he sniffs the air for my scent, spinning in a circle underneath me. The silvery moonlight reflects off his fur, adding a dazzling luster to it. I’m tempted to drop from my branch and shift back into my human form so I can hug his wolf and bury my face in his fur, soaking in his warmth and the softness of his thick red coat.

He plops down on his haunches and stares up into the branches, his eyes narrowing when he spots me watching him from the trees. He growls, his lip curling, but his tail wags behind him, letting me know he’s teasing. My lycan lifts her paw, almost like a wave, and I swear his wolf rolls his eyes. A howl leaves my mouth, and I leap towards the next tree, heading deeper into the forest. Nolan’s wolf lets out a yip behind me, and the skittering of pine needles alerts me that he’s on the move again, chasing after me.

I laugh in my mind as true elation fills me while he chases me through the forest of his home.

No. Our home.

The beautiful forest passes by me in a blur, my lycan moving too fast for me to absorb the view. I’ll have plenty of time for that, though. I’ll be here for the rest of my life. A light, cool breeze swirls through the forest as we run, rustling my fur and the needles of the trees around us. Nolan’s wolf lets out the occasional happy yelp, and I glance back every so often, beckoning and teasing him, spurring him to run faster.

He chases me all the way to the lake, where I pause and take in the view from the treetop. He stalks around the trunk, staring up at me, whining quietly and pawing at the ground. I glance down at him, then gaze towards his house before taking off again in that direction. Nolan is quick to follow, darting off like a speeding bullet.

I drop to the forest floor when I’m within the treeline behind his house, crouching on all fours as I wait for him to reach me. He’s not far behind, and when he sees me waiting, he picks up his pace, sprinting towards me. His wolf is on my lycan in a heartbeat, jumping onto his hind legs to lick my face and neck.

No longer able to restrain myself, I shift into my human form and hug his wolf’s neck. His fur is as soft and thick as I imagined it would be while watching him in the forest, and his wolf is huge. Much bigger than my human form and almost as large as a beta wolf. When I hug him, I feel safe and comforted. A sense of peace settles over me as I cuddle his wolf in the forest of my new home.

We may not be mates, but I think part of me always knew Crescent Lake would be my home. Every piece of music I’ve composed brings the colors of their lake and their forest to life in my mind. From the moment I stepped foot on their grounds, I’ve felt this tug, this serenity in my soul. Towards him and towards the pack.

And now, as I hug Nolan’s wolf in the forest after agreeing to be his mate, I understand why.

This is my home. He is my serenity.

“Hello there, handsome,” I say, scratching behind his ears.

His tail wags. One thump, and then he’s shifting into his human form and wrapping his arms around my waist, holding my naked body to his.

He lowers his face, chest heaving and breaths heavy as he holds his mouth only an inch away from mine. “I like your wolf,” I say, tilting my chin, teasing him with the barest brush of my lips and my breath across his mouth.

Nolan chuckles, and his massive hand slides across my lower back and over my ass, pressing me closer to him. My back arches, and he slides his nose along my cheekbone. “He likes you too.”

I lean into him, tilting my chin higher and pressing my breasts against his chest, rocking just enough so my nipples scrape against his skin and my pussy rubs against his hardening cock between us. “And I love you.”

I rise on my tiptoes to kiss him and reach down between us to wrap my hand around his cock, gliding it up and down with a twisting motion. “Daisy…” he groans, jerking from the unexpected touch and rolling his neck back so he faces the sky, keeping his lips from mine. “Inside,” he orders, pointing towards his house, every muscle in his body rippling with tension and every hair on my body standing on edge from the power laced within his command.

I squeal and dart away from him again, sprinting through his yard to the back door as fast as I can, praying no one peeks out their window. Nudity isn’t uncommon for us as shifters, but my mate is territorial, and he would not react well to another male seeing me naked. Especially since I am unmarked. The thought of the possessiveness he’d show if someone saw me like this—it has my pussy clenching and dripping, and a growl echoes in his chest as my scent wafts behind me and into his nose.

“Goddess, Cassandra,” he says, his voice thick and heavy with desire. “Your scent…” He inhales, and I yank the door open and fly through the house towards the stairs. “It’s addicting. It’s a drug.”

His heavy footsteps aren’t far behind me. The heat of his body radiates towards me, setting my blood on fire. A moan falls from my lips as the shadow of his touch brushes against my ass while we climb the stairs.

Maybe it’s my imagination, or maybe it’s real, but either way, it’s erotic as hell. The way he plays with my body, teasing me until I’m begging him to fuck me as hard as he can, is beyond anything I’ve experienced or imagined. Our sexual inclinations align perfectly.

I race into the bedroom and practically throw myself on the bed, crouching on all fours, facing the foot, just as I did last night when he punished me. Panting, I wait for him to circle the bed and put his thick cock in my mouth, but he instead moves to the headboard, taking something from the drawer of his nightstand. I have the urge to glance over my shoulder at him, but I don’t. I keep my eyes forward, knowing that’s what he’ll want, my body quivering in anticipation, my pussy utterly soaked.

With as much subtlety as I can, I spread my thighs wider and arch my back so my ass is raised in the air and my tits hang low enough for him to see them through my spread legs. I’m completely at his mercy, displaying my body, encouraging him to torment me until I’m boneless and my throat is raw from moaning and screaming his name.

I feel his eyes on me as I wait, licking my lips and catching my breath. My impatience almost kills me. My pussy throbs with its desperate need to be touched and filled by him.

“This is exactly how I wanted you,” Nolan says from behind me, his hands sliding up my outer thighs and resting on my hips. “Needy and desperate and ready to beg me to fuck you.” He kisses my hip, right next to where his thumb rests on my skin. “I bet you’d sound so pretty while begging for my cock.” His lips travel to my ass as he speaks, and he punctuates his words with a kiss to my cheek.

And then he backs away from me, leaving me cold from the absence of his touch and his massive, solid, warm torso at my back. But his hands return to me in a fraction of a second, guiding me backwards until I straddle his hips, his hardened dick waiting for my dripping wet pussy.

I brace myself with my palms on his thighs as he lowers my hips, biting my lip as I prepare for his cock entering me. But instead, he positions us so my pussy lips wrap around the base, his hands palming my ass and massaging it, digging his fingertips in hard.

“Lean forward, Cassandra,” he says as he spreads my cheeks apart, his thumb circling my asshole, coated in something cool and wet.

I gasp and finally let myself look at him over my shoulder. He’s leaned back against the pillows, his eyes locked on my ass and his hands as they play with me—especially his thumb while it teases my hole, applying more pressure with each circle he draws around it as he works to push it inside. A bottle of lube sits near him on the bed, and my body heats and tenses.

“Oh Goddess!” I exclaim as the tip of his thumb barely breaches my hole, my neck arching and my mouth dropping open.

“Relax,” he says, his voice calm, warm, and soothing, his hands still caressing my ass and keeping me open for him. “Lay on your stomach and let go, Cassandra. Give in.”

I inhale, sending the oxygen through my muscles, easing the tension caused by his intruding thumb. It’s pleasurable, but still a surprise, since I wasn’t expecting him to enter me there. I stretch out along his legs, my breasts resting on his thighs and one hand on his shin as the other curls into the covers.

“Nolan…”

I groan deep in my throat. My toes curl, and I grind my pussy on his dick, rubbing my clit on him as he pushes in deeper, his fingers pressing into my ass hard enough to leave bruises.

My favorite type of mark he’s given me so far. Other than his name on my thigh.

My neck arches, and I close my eyes, enjoying the fullness I feel as he gently and slowly stretches me. I sense his eyes on me, watching me and drinking in my pleasure as I continue to rock myself against him, adding to the decadence with the friction of his dick against my lower lips.

He slips one hand lower, inserting a finger into my pussy, and I claw at the blankets and his leg, shaking from the added pressure and the orgasm I’m holding back from the intensity of it all.

Everything freezes. All movement, all sound. Even time. Everything except my heartbeat and his.

“Breathe, Cassandra,” he reminds me, twisting his finger in my pussy. My inhale is loud and sputtering, and then I find myself relaxing further on my exhale. “That’s it…” he encourages, his movements almost imperceptible. “That’s it,” he repeats as I melt against him and writhe without inhibitions. “Show me how good I make you feel.”

My neck strains, and my cheek brushes against the cool cotton of the bedding, a stark contrast to my flushed skin from the heated blood in my veins. He works me to the edge, murmuring to me and watching me with a burning intensity I can feel in my soul. He inches me to the precipice, and just as I’m about to fall, he removes his digits from my holes, leaving me aching and empty.

I almost sob in desperation. But before I can, Nolan lifts my hips, repositions his cock, and drops me down onto it, slamming his hips up to meet me.

He fills me completely. He’s a perfect fit. Every inch of him fits inside me, hitting all the delicious spots in my pussy that have me seeing stars, the spots no other male has been able to hit all at once like he can.

Bracing my palms on his thighs again, I lift my upper body to control his depth better. I bounce up and down as our bodies slam together over and over, both of us giving in to the primal need within us to stake a claim. We may be waiting to mark each other, but Nolan is the most possessive male I’ve been with, and he’ll ensure there is no doubt in anyone’s mind of who I belong to while my neck remains unmarked, for however long that may be.

He stays reclined, and I gaze over my shoulder at him, twisting enough so he can see my breast bouncing. He grits his teeth, and his jaw ticks, but his eyes roam my body freely, taking in the swell of my ass, the curve of my spine, and the movements of my breast before he skims over my neck and locks his eyes with mine. I caress my body as he watches me and restrains himself so he doesn’t give in to his wolf’s urge to mark, the urge he’s currently fighting. My hands travel up my stomach to my breasts, touching, massaging, and teasing my nipples. I circle the tips with the pads of my fingers, then tug on them and pinch them before repeating the motions.

His hands stroke wherever they can reach—up my sides and back and down my thighs—but he keeps his body away, and I know it’s because he wants to mark me. To claim me. But he holds himself back, respecting my wishes to mark each other in the temple.

And that makes me love him even more.

My fingers wander down between my legs, and my chin tilts towards the ceiling as I flick, then circle my clit, drawing a figure eight over it. Nolan pounds into me from below, groaning and panting as he watches me pleasure myself on top of him. His thumb wanders back between my cheeks, gliding up and down. Our eyes meet, and he raises his brow in question, seeking my permission to play with me there again.

“Yes,” I moan out on a sigh. “Goddess, yes.”

His hands leave me for a second that feels like a lifetime, the movements of his hips slowing as the lid of the lube snaps open. I continue riding him, rolling my hips and my body, my heart racing and blood rushing with the anticipation of his thumb being in my ass while his cock is in my pussy.

The lid clicks shut, and then his thumb is between my cheeks again, his massive hands spreading them and holding them apart as he presses the tip of it into my hole.

The noise I make as his thumb slips in further and he continues pounding me from below is inhuman. It’s loud, deep, and long, my body trembling from the intensity of having him filling both my holes.

It’s almost too much.

My eyes squeeze shut, and stars burst to life inside my lids. Euphoria spreads through my veins like sweet, honeyed mead. The frantic rocking of my hips melts into a luxurious rolling dance as I draw out my orgasm, doing everything I can to make it last longer.

Nolan tenses underneath me, his cry of “Oh Goddess, Cassandra!” echoing in my ears, making its way to my brain through the haze of bliss we’re both caught in.

Neither of us stops, although our movements slow. I never want this feeling to end, and something within me senses he desires the same. He lifts me up and slams me down onto him as hard as he can, holding me in place as he pulses up into me, sending his cock as deep as it can go, deeper than I thought possible. Ragged breaths from both of us mix with soft moans from me and my murmured name from him, all of it creating a piece of music as beautiful as the song I played earlier today.

As the orgasm fades and my vision returns to normal, my impassioned movements finally stop, until all my muscles can handle is a slight twitch of the hips or a delicate stroke of a hand.

I’m about to collapse, but before I can, Nolan lifts me off him, cradling me to his chest and laying me down on the bed with absolute tenderness. His touches are sweet and soothing, caressing my spent muscles, easing me down from the extreme sensations of our joining.

His warm, solid chest welcomes me like a cozy sanctuary, and my palms rest on his pecs, my cheek right over his heart. He places the blankets over me, keeping me secure and creating a comforting refuge for me to relax in as he rises from the bed and darts into the bathroom. He emerges moments later with a washcloth, and he returns to my side, cleaning me and then massaging my tired muscles more, coaxing out any remaining tension.

I soak it all in as he pampers me, reveling in the sweet contrast between the gentle Nolan taking care of me now and the Nolan who fucks me hard until I think I can no longer take it, then fucks me harder, showing me I can take more than I think I can.

“Do you want some water?” he asks, his eyes scanning me, examining my demeanor. “Or one of my T-shirts?” I shake my head and pull the blankets tighter around me. “Are you sure?”

Nodding and smiling, I pat the mattress next to me. “I’m fine, Nolan. I promise.” He exhales, his jaw tensing and his eyes scanning me one last time, searching for cracks in my expression, like he doesn’t believe me. “Lay with me. Please,” I implore him, reaching for his arm, brushing over where my name fades from his bronze skin.

He stares at my fingers as they stroke his arm and trace the swirling lines of my name. Then he jumps from the bed, returning the cloth to his bathroom as fast as he retrieved it. I prop myself on my elbow and watch him, staring at his naked ass as he walks, watching how it tightens and moves with his strong, purposeful steps. On his return trip, my mouth waters as his cock comes into view, still semi-hard even after our little escapade.

A warning growl rumbles in his chest, and I drag my eyes up from between his legs, lingering on the carved muscles of his abdomen that I still haven’t had the chance to lick, before finally meeting his eyes.

“If you keep fucking me with your eyes, I’m going to fuck you again for real,” he threatens, leaning his knuckles on the mattress, those glorious muscles rippling.

“If that’s supposed to scare me, it’s not working,” I say, shaking my head and collapsing back against the pillows.

He inhales through his nose and crawls over me, bracing himself on either side of my head. His face lowers, and I bare my neck to him—an automatic, natural reaction—submitting to his dominance without a fight. His nose drags up the length of my throat, and I claw at the mattress beneath me, arching into him.

Without warning, he circles his arms around me and rolls us so I’m on top of him, palms flat on his chest, as he kisses my neck and my jaw. I melt into his warmth, and my lycan devours his possessive, dominating, yet gentle treatment of my body.

“I love you, Daisy,” he says, placing one final kiss on my marking spot, making me sigh and relax further into him.

“I love you too,” I say with my exhaled breath. “But don’t ever leave me alone like that again,” I add, scolding him as he removes his face from my neck.

He swallows and gazes up at me, caressing my hair and tucking it behind my ear as I settle myself more comfortably on his chest. Guilt flashes in his eyes. “I left my phone here.”

I raise a brow at him. That’s not an excuse, and he knows it.

He flinches, and his eyes dart around the room before they meet mine again. “Maddie was supposed to spend time with you until Harrison and I got back.”

“She did,” I say, and he relaxes, his fingers combing through my long hair and down my back. “Until the bonfire started. Then she took off with some friends.”

His hand freezes, tangled in the ends of my hair, and he groans and drops his head backwards. His chin tilts to the ceiling, and his eyes squeeze shut, his other hand curling into a fist as he shakes his head. “Maddie…” As soon as her name leaves his mouth, he jerks his head up again and cups my face in his hand. “No,” he says, shaking his head. “She may have gone back on her word, but I’m the one who abandoned you, and I shouldn’t have done that.” He strokes my cheek with his thumb and gazes at me with pure and complete sincerity and remorse. “I am sorry.”

“I know,” I say, encircling his wrist with my hand. “I forgive you.”

He leans up and kisses my forehead, then hugs me to him, his fingers threading into my hair as his arm wraps around my upper body and his nose buries into the top of my head. “I’ll never do anything like that again,” he says into my hair. “No more secrets, no more lies. I promise.”

I close my eyes and nod, curling up and relaxing into his powerful chest. He adjusts his position and tucks the covers around us, getting himself comfortable with me in his arms. He hums the tune he played on his guitar earlier today as he rubs my back and plays with my hair, and I fall asleep with his beautiful music in my ears, his protective arms on my body, and my love for him in my heart.