Ruthless Alpha, and his Curvy Saint-Chapter 25

Terrell’s POV

I stood frozen like a goddamn statue, watching Angel explore her own body with the kind of innocent curiosity that should be illegal.

My cock throbbed painfully against my trousers, demanding attention, demanding release, demanding I march over there and show her exactly what that wetness meant.

Control had never been an issue for me. A thousand years of life had taught me iron discipline. I’d stood in the midst of battles without flinching, had negotiated treaties while bored out of my mind, had endured torture without breaking.

But this?

This was a special kind of torment.

Usually when I got this hard, I was already buried inside a woman, taking my pleasure with the efficient brutality that had become my signature. Hours of hard thrusts, a release, and I was done. No lingering. No tenderness. Just scratching an itch.

But right now, there was no woman beneath me. No quick release available. Just me, standing here like some lovesick fool, watching my mate discover her arousal and trying desperately not to explode in my pants like an untried boy.

Get control of yourself.

Angel’s fingers moved again, dipping between her legs, gathering more of that glistening moisture...

"Alpha! Alpha, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!"

The voice behind me shattered the moment like glass.

I spun around quickly, my hand shooting out to clamp over the idiot’s mouth before he could say anything else.

Kade’s eyes widened in surprise as I grabbed him bodily and dragged him away from the river, away from where Angel could see or hear us. My enhanced strength made it easy to haul him through the underbrush, ignoring his muffled protests.

I didn’t stop until we were a safe distance away - far enough that Angel couldn’t hear our conversation, but close enough that I could still see her form through the trees.

Only then did I release Kade’s mouth.

He gasped for air, stumbling back. "What the..."

"I specifically warned you," I hissed, my voice low and dangerous, "against calling me that name. I am Uriel now. Or have you already forgotten?"

Kade’s lips twitched, fighting a smile that would probably get him killed. "It’s... difficult. My mind has accepted it, Alpha - I mean, Uriel - but my tongue just won’t cooperate. It’s too sweet a name for someone like you."

I glared at him with enough intensity to make lesser men wet themselves.

He wisely took a step back.

"What do you want?" I demanded.

"There’s a situation that needs your immediate attention."

"I’m busy."

Kade looked around, his expression confused. "Busy doing what? You’re standing in the forest alone..."

"Busy," I repeated firmly.

His gaze swept the area again, clearly trying to figure out what I could possibly be doing out here by myself. Then his eyes dropped - instinctively, unfortunately - straight to the obvious bulge straining against my trousers.

The confusion on his face transformed into pure mischief.

"Oh," he said, drawing the word out. "Oh, I see. You’re with a woman right now?" His grin widened as he started backing away, self-preservation finally kicking in. "Is she hiding in the bushes? Behind a tree? Should I..."

"Kade."

The warning in my voice was clear.

He continued retreating, hands raised in surrender, but that infuriating grin never left his face. "No, no, I completely understand. A man has needs. Especially after several days on the road. Take all the time you need, Al... Uriel. This can definitely wait. Your... situation... is clearly more pressing."

He turned and ran before I could lunge for him.

Smart man.

I stood there, fists clenched, trying to will my raging erection into submission through sheer force of will.

It didn’t work.

Nothing about this cursed mate bond worked the way it was supposed to.

I took a deep breath, adjusting myself as discreetly as possible, and turned back toward the river.

Time to check on Angel and...

I walked directly into something soft and warm.

Someone.

Angel stumbled backward with a startled gasp, her feet tangling. I reached for her instinctively, but my reflexes - usually lightning-fast - failed me completely.

We both went down.

I managed to twist at the last second, taking the brunt of the fall, but that meant Angel landed directly on top of me, her body pressed flush against mine.

Oh, fuck.

Every soft curve molded perfectly to my hard planes. Her breasts crushed against my chest, separated only by the thin fabric of her still-damp dress. Her thighs bracketed my hips, putting her core - still wet from her bath - directly against my aching cock.

We both froze.

I could feel her heartbeat racing against my chest. Could smell her scent - vanilla and wildflowers and that underlying musk of arousal - filling my lungs with every breath.

My hands had landed on her hips automatically, and now I became acutely aware of how soft her ass was beneath the worn fabric. How perfectly she fit against me.

How much I wanted to flip us over and...

"You’re so strong," Angel murmured, her voice breathy and awed.

The innocent observation nearly undid me.

I smiled before I could stop myself. "You didn’t take long in the river."

"I didn’t want to keep you waiting." Her blue eyes were wide, guileless, staring down at me with an openness that made my chest tight.

For a moment, we just stayed there. Looking at each other. The forest around us faded away until there was nothing but her weight on top of me, her breath mixing with mine, her face close enough to kiss.

Then she shifted, trying to push herself up, and her movement ground her core directly against my erection.

I bit back a groan.

"Oh!" She froze again. "There’s something poking me. Probably a stick or something."

A stick.

Jesus Christ, she thought my cock was a stick.

"Sorry," I managed, my voice rougher than intended. "Yes. Probably a stick."

I helped her up - carefully, trying not to touch her more than necessary - and stood quickly, turning slightly to hide the obvious evidence of my arousal.

But Angel was already looking down at me with concern, her brow furrowed.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Fine. Why?"

"There’s a long stick in your trousers."

I looked down. The bulge was impossible to miss, straining against the fabric like it was trying to escape.

Of course she noticed.

"Ah. Yes." I adjusted myself quickly, wincing at the pressure. "Must have picked it up when we fell. We should get back. The others are probably waiting."

I started walking immediately, moving in front of her before she could ask more questions.

Before she could look too closely and realize that "sticks" didn’t usually pulse with heat and strain toward someone like plants toward the sun.

Walking in front of her was both a blessing and a curse. It hid my persistent erection from her view, but it also meant I couldn’t admire the sway of her hips, the bounce of her breasts, the way her still-damp dress clung to her curves.

Probably for the best.

One more glimpse of her body and I’d be dragging her behind a tree and to hell with the consequences.

When we reached the clearing, I spotted Kade immediately. He was trying very hard to look innocent, which only made him look more guilty.

"I need to speak with Kade," I told Angel, perhaps more abruptly than intended. "Wait here."

I crossed to where he stood, grabbing his arm and pulling him aside.

"What’s the problem?" I demanded. "This better be important."

Kade’s grin had faded, replaced by some level of seriousness. "There are travelers at the edge of camp. A family - an old man with his two daughters. They’re on their way to Black Wolf territory and they’re requesting to join our group for protection."

I raised an eyebrow. "Protection from what?"

"Slave traders. Bandits. The usual threats on the road." Kade shrugged. "They heard we were Black Wolf warriors and figured traveling with us would be safer than going alone."

"And they want to speak with the Alpha."

"Exactly."

I glanced back at where Angel was standing, her arms wrapped around herself, looking small and lost.

This was a problem.

If I met with these travelers as the Alpha, Angel might overhear. Might see. Might start asking questions about why everyone was calling Bellick "Alpha" when clearly I was the one making decisions.

But I couldn’t exactly refuse. Denying travelers safe passage - especially a vulnerable family - wasn’t something an Alpha did. Not if he wanted to maintain any semblance of honor.

"Tell them I’ll meet with them in an hour," I said finally.

"An hour?" Kade raised an eyebrow. "That’s unusually generous of you."

"Did I stutter?"

"No, Al... Uriel." He caught himself, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I’ll let them know."

He walked away, and I returned to Angel.

She looked up at me with those trusting blue eyes, and something in my chest twisted painfully.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Yeah." I replied with a single nod.