FOUR - SEBASTIAN

When a fist banged on my door, it was almost 9 p.m., and my eyes were blurry and hurting from too much writing, typing, and squinting at the small print of online business guides. I was so focused on my work when I heard the sound, and it was so sudden that I jumped and dropped my protein bar wrappers, a notebook, and two highlighters. The noise made me feel even more uneasy, and my heart was pounding loudly in my chest as I jumped down to pick up the things I had dropped and then put them back on the messy table.

Who could be knocking on my door so late at night? Maybe another guest got my room mixed up with someone else's. I made a face and hoped they weren't lost and drunk if that was the case.

When I stood up, my right foot hurt, and I winced. I would learn one day not to sit on it while I worked. Maybe. As I stumbled toward the door, I tried hard to shake off the feeling of being startled.

Even if it was a drunk hotel guest, so what? It wasn't like I hadn't dealt with them a million times before. I also learned how to do martial arts. No matter what it was, I would be able to handle it.

I put on my most professional manager face and turned the knob to unlock the deadbolt and the chain lock. I then opened the door... and I couldn't think of anything.

The sexiest man I'd ever seen stood in my doorway with a suitcase and a carry-on bag at his feet and a clothing bag hung on one long, elegant finger over his suit-jacketed shoulder. His short, smooth, almost-blue-black hair was styled into spikes that moved away from his face. His angular jaw was so strong that it looked like it was carved out of granite. His close-cropped beard gave him a dangerous, rogue-like look. Eyes that were the deep, shiny green of polished emeralds swept over me and pinned me down.

"My name is Sebastian Wellington. The words were too smooth to be real, and they were said with just a hint of a Boston accent.

The sound of his voice and the electric energy in his eyes made my skin heat up in strange and dangerous ways.

"I'm looking for Nikita Palmer." He looked past me and into the hotel room with a frown on his face. His brow furrowed and his mouth turned down. "Are we in the right spot?"

Wellington. Wellington. Oh, what the hell. He must have been Amanda's child. Amanda's very hot, very unimpressed son, who I had no idea about and was not at all ready for. Shit shit shit.

My nerves were shaking with fear, and my skin was hot with self-consciousness, but old, well-trained instincts saved me.

"Yes," I could say. I was a little out of breath when I said the word, and I cringed inside. Before I tried again, I licked my lips and cleared my throat. “It is. "Come in, please."

I put my chin up, took a step back, and waved my free hand in what I hoped was a royal way. I reminded myself that he wants an Alpha. Just be one, and everything will be fine. Right?

Grabbing his bags, he walked into the room with all the grace of a cat.

I tried to get a hold of myself and the situation as I closed and locked the door again and again. I had a vague idea that I would try to look nice when we met. Of meeting for the first time in a neutral place. About polite, formal talks. All of that was too late now. I'd have to get along on my own.

I thought that Amanda might have planned for me to be caught off guard by her son, giving her the upper hand from the start. Or did he come up with the idea? In either case, anger grew. As I turned around, I could feel my mouth go flat.

Sebastian had thrown his clothes bag over one of the chairs at the table and left his other bags next to it. I watched him turn around once and then stop facing me with a face that showed he didn't like what he saw.

"Okay," he said in a hurried tone. "Who are you, and where is Ms. Palmer? I had to take a very long detour because the roads were so bad, and I'd like to meet people and be shown to my room as soon as possible."

My anger was made worse by the fact that he was so condescending. I closed my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. "My name is Nikita Palmer, and for someone who didn't get an invite, Mr. Wellington, you're being very demanding."

It took a while for the words to sink in. Then my stomach dropped, and fear and confusion shot through me like a rocket.

Oh, goddammit. This was the beginning?

I ran my eyes over her again, from head to toe and back again. My mind was racing, and I couldn't get my expectations and reality to match up. I thought she would be an older, power-hungry woman, but she wasn't. In fact, with her loose, comfortable pajamas and messy ponytail, she looked like a college girl from the west coast who was home for winter break.

The soft fabric of her top made it easy for me to see her tanned skin and big breasts. Her waist was small, and then her hips were full and curvy, which was very attractive. Her arms and shoulders were thin, but there were ripples of muscle underneath. It was clear that she worked out or enjoyed sports. Her hair was the color of expensive caramel, and even though the top of her head didn't reach my shoulder, her whiskey-colored eyes were on fire.

In other situations, I'd be interested—I liked it when a woman had a good temper. But this woman, whose name I made up in my head to be Nikita, wasn't human. She could change shape. A wolf, and even better, an Alpha. From what she said and how I could almost feel her hair standing on end, it was clear that she hadn't been expecting me. As if that wasn't bad enough, I had just walked blindly into her personal space with my foot so far down my throat that I might as well have been chewing on my knee. I could not have done a better job of fucking myself over if I had wanted to.

I silently swore at my mom for setting me up like this, and then I used all my years of experience with calming down angry women. I folded my body into a bow and made sure my face and voice showed perfect respect, with just a hint of obeisance.

"Forgive me, Alpha. My mother told me to come here as soon as possible. I thought I was going to be sent to a vassal to wait for you. A stupid error."

I didn't like the idea that I was a careless snob, but it was something I could, in theory, get over later. If I had put the blame on her or my mother, whether directly or indirectly, it would have been like putting dynamite in my own grave.

"If you want," I said after a quick thought, "I can rent another room and stay there until you send for me whenever you want."

As the words left my mouth, I thought, Please take the bait. If she sent me to a room by myself, we'd both have time to think about what went wrong and try again. It would also let me take a few deep breaths without having to worry about being watched all the time.

"You won't have to do that." Her voice was harsh, and I could feel my back get stiff. "I'm going to be your friend." She stopped while I stood up.

"You... well, you might as well sleep in my bed now."

She was going to take me right away to her bed? I couldn't help but snarl. When it happened, my mother wasn't the only one who was crazy.

This wolf did really want to take me as his own. How is it that someone so young could be so old-fashioned?

I cleared my throat and tried to swallow the snarl and think of a good answer. I did well for the first half of the time I tried. But instead of giving a good answer, he said, "So, do you plan to fuck me tonight?" I saw her eyes flash, which set off alarm bells in my nerves, but I had already said what I needed to say. "I didn't know you were so old-fashioned."

Not surprisingly, she snapped her teeth at me for being so rude, and her whole body stiffened with anger.

Shit shit shit. It wouldn't help to make her angry right now.

"Maybe I should," she said with a challenge in her eyes as she looked at me. "Unless your drive has made you too tired?"

The words were mean, and even though I had good intentions, I got angry. Goddamn Alpha women and their big, arrogant egos that don't know any shame. They didn't care about anyone other than themselves. Also, what the hell did she think—

Once more, when my mouth opened, words spilled out that I wasn't intending to say. "If that's what pleases you, My Lady. Will you have me in front of you then without clothes? Or do you have preferences that run in a different direction?"

Again, her eyes flashed, but this time it wasn't because she was angry. Her face was filled with pure fear. Time sped up. I felt like every predatory instinct in my body woke up.

After a second, her face again turned angry, and she clenched her teeth. Her hands fisted at her sides. "Take off what you're wearing."

I reached for my belt without a second thought. Energy flowed through my nerves and under my skin. As my animal senses whispered in my ear, I went from being angry to being interested. Pay attention, pay attention, look and watch—

I pulled the buckle open as I fixed my eyes on hers and didn't blink. It stopped moving.

I took the leather by its loops and threw it away. Her breathing got shallow, and my inner panther noticed this. As I took off my boots, socks, and pants, I watched as her dark eyes got bigger and her chest moved. When she saw that I wasn't wearing anything underneath, her cheeks went white as a sheet and then turned red.

As I grabbed the bottom of my shirt and pulled it over my head, I felt a rush of wicked pleasure. Either this Alpha didn't "dabble" with her males or she chose ones who weren't very good. I threw my shirt away because I thought it didn't matter. I could tell when a woman wasn't getting enough attention.

I knew what to do with one, too.

"Can I help you get dressed, Alpha?" I mewled.

"That...we won't need that." Her voice was weak now, and all of her fake confidence was gone. "I—ah, thank you."

I was used to making an impression on women, but her weak, tongue-tied response was much more startled than I had expected, even from a woman who had been waiting a long time for a good fuck. I cocked my head and narrowed my eyes as a small doubt started to form in the back of my mind.

I took a few steps forward to test out my new idea. She didn't step back, but she almost did.

"I don't mind at all," I said, squeezing into her last bit of space. From this close, she gave off a lot of heat. I could smell the sugar and coffee she had been drinking, and I could also smell that she was excited. "After all," I growled, starting to really enjoy myself, "an Alpha's mate has a duty to please."

"I—" she began, out of breath.

I put my hands on her hips. She was startled and lost all of her words. I bit back a smile.

Even though she tried to act like she wanted to be an Alpha, she didn't want to be one at all. Certainly not in bed. This would be much too easy.

I put my head down and nuzzled under her jaw. She shivered when my beard pricked her skin, and while she was distracted, I kissed the corner of her mouth. She squeaked, and I mouthed at her throat to hide the smirk on my face.

I rubbed her hips with my palms to feel how tight her body was. It looked like she didn't know what to do with her hands, which were flailing a little near mine. Not even close to an Alpha in bed. So, it was very helpful that I was.

I was pretty sure that we were past the point where she could recover and get the upper hand, so I put my fingers under her tank top's hem and started to lift it.

"Come to bed, Alpha," I urged her, nuzzling her ear while my fingers slid up past the bottom of her pants and touched her smooth, warm skin. "Let me—"

She jerked away quickly and said, "No!" There was a sharp smell of fear in the air and in her voice. She fell back half a step and wrapped her arms around her stomach. Her eyes were wild.

Ah. Sloppy, I scolded myself and made a mental note of the response. Most women who didn't work as models were self-conscious about some part of their bodies. It was stupid of me not to realize that the looseness of her top might have been as much about comfort as it was about hiding her worry spots.

"I—I think—I think you should..."

She tried to get back in charge, but I didn't give her a chance. I was behind her in two quick steps and had one arm around her ribs to pull her back against me. As my erection pressed against her behind, she made a jumbled sound. I was happy and sure that I had the upper hand again, so I ran one hand down her side and then under her pants' waistband.

I said, "Please forgive me, Alpha."

"Of course you're right. You should put yourself first."

As I ran my fingers across her cotton underwear and between her legs, her back arched. When she moved, I got a good look at her breasts, so I rubbed my fingers along her covered slit to thank her. She gasped and wiggled, which was a very satisfying reaction that made her bottom rock back against my throbbing cock. She also felt it, and she whimpered.

The sound was so strong that it made me feel high. I suddenly realized that this little Alpha was something special, and she was mine. Screw the wedding and my mother's plans. This one I wanted for myself.

I breathed her in by putting my face against her throat. Her smell was strange and strong. I could feel her shaking. It was dangerous to let another shapeshifter get so close. They could rip out your jugular vein and leave you for dead. No, I thought, as I turned my arm, which was locked around her ribs, so I could touch one of her soft breasts. You won't get hurt. I promise you'll like this.

She whimpered as I ran my thumb over the tip of her breast. She was probably shocked by how quickly it moved when I touched it, letting me know how much she wanted me. I gently brushed my teeth against her skin where her shoulder met her neck and purred. At the same time, I used a firm, skilled hand to stroke between her legs.

A female panther would have snapped at me or done something worse. They would have been angry at the first touch of positive reinforcement because they would have known what it was. Not my little wolf. She whimpered and pressed herself hungry into my hand. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her hands were on the banded part of my arm that was under her breasts. Smug, I did it again, nipping and stroking in tandem. Then I ran my jaw along her shoulder, enjoying the way my beard gently scratched her skin, which turned pink, and made her whole body shiver.

Fuck. I felt the same way about her thighs. I decided right away that I would. As soon as she said I could go, I knew it was time to stop playing. I pulled my hand out of her pants while she was close to me.

I turned her head so I could kiss her by taking her chin in my hand.

It was a rude and greedy kiss, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she let me tease her mouth open and claim her with my tongue, like someone who didn't know what else to do. Again, I gave her a treat by pinching and pulling on her nipple, this time where it was rubbing against the fabric of her top.

Her whole body jerked with a squeak, and I couldn't help but smile as I tried to kiss her. I kept her there, stealing from her mouth as I put my hand back on her flat stomach.

This time, when my hand went under her waistband, I kept my palm against her skin. I dug under both her pants and her panties until my fingertips found her wet slit. She moved, so I pinned her hips between mine and my hand so she couldn't get away. I then sank two fingers into her up to the second knuckle. She jumped back and gasped, and I bit her lower lip in a possessive way.

Mine, I thought, barely being able to hold back my growl. I wrapped my arms tighter around her and pushed my fingers deeper into her. Then I started pumping them in and out of her at a slow but steady pace. She writhed, rubbing her body against mine and making sounds that didn't make sense.

My whole body throbbed with need, and the way her ass rubbed against my cock only made it worse. Having her there like that was a sweet pain. Part of me wanted to see how long I could keep her on the edge and how far I could stretch her pleasure before she broke. But the lust that was tight around the base of my spine told me I couldn't try that right now. I grabbed her mouth again and pulled my fingers out of her and up over her clit with just the right amount of force.

She wailed as her orgasm hit, and as her knees gave out, her body fell into mine. When I smelled how she was getting excited, I lost control. Getting my hand out of her clothes, I picked her up, carried her a few steps, and put her on the bed.

My little Alpha stared at me with wide-open eyes and a heaving chest as she gasped for air. Her body was still shaking from the shock.

I got on the bed and hooked my fingers into her waistband. Then, with one strong pull, I took off everything she was wearing below the waist.

I threw her clothes away and crawled between her legs, lapping at the top of her thighs with my tongue. She jumped because she wasn't expecting that kind of attention, but I curled my hands around her thighs and kneaded, pinning her down and taking her mind off of what I was doing at the same time. She moaned, and the sound spread through me like smoke, making me feel good until my whole body hummed.

My little Alpha was sweet like honey. The first time I accidentally brushed my jaw across the soft skin of her inner thighs, it turned bright red, and when I teased her with my tongue, her muscles tightened.

"Sebastian!" she said in a gasp. “Sebastian—oh.”

She whimpered and shook, so I knew she was getting ready to come back. Even though I liked the idea of my little Alpha losing control on my tongue and crying while I ate her, I couldn't risk making her too sensitive.

I pushed myself up and away. I grabbed her under her luscious hips and pulled her behind up until her shoulders were against the bed and my swollen cock rubbed against her slit. I held her there with one hand and pulled down the neckline of her tank top, which was already crooked, to show her breasts.

Her nips were the color of a dark rose and hard as pearls when she was excited. Above them, my little Alpha was looking at me with her mouth open and her eyes wide open. When she walked in, I pressed the head of my cock and felt a happy rumble start in my chest. As I pushed in, she grabbed the sheets and threw her head back with a shriek.

The tight, slippery heat of her made me groan. The angle let me get deep inside her, and when I reached the bottom, her full breasts bounced in a beautiful way.

"Sebastian," she said, her voice shaking.

"Do you like that, Alpha?" I ended the question with a small roll of my hips, which made her whole body move.

She whispered, "Yes," and licked her lips nervously. Her hands worked nervously, clenching and releasing fistfuls of the sheets as if she couldn't hold in all the energy she had been saving up for the climax I had denied her.

"Do you want me to bring you back?"

“I—” Her already red face turned bright red. "I—ah—already did."

When I heard that answer, my eyebrows went right up to my hairline. Did she think that she had only one? How did a woman this beautiful and perfect not get fucked so much by her choice of lover that she couldn't walk? Well, it didn't matter now, did it? Now that she had me, I was going to have a great time setting her straight on all her wrong ideas.

"Mmmm," I hummed. I pulled her legs up over my shoulders by putting my fingers around each of her ankles. Then I put my hands around her waist, where the fabric of the tank top she was still wearing was bunching up. "Well, you can probably come after me again."

She opened her mouth wide and cried out as I pulled almost all the way out and pushed back in. I had planned to take my time and enjoy the look of shock and surprise on her face and the way her breasts moved as I fucked her. But the sheen of sweat on her skin and the way her inner muscles tightened around me in desperation made it hard for me to stay in control.

I gave in to the primal needs of both of our bodies and rubbed hard and fast into her. She thrashed around under me, and her wordless cries went from sad to demanding as I took her back up to the peak of pleasure and held her on the edge of freedom.

"That's it," I grunted, my hips snapping as the pressure under my skin reached a breaking point. "Just like this, Alpha, come get me. Come—”

I couldn't finish the sentence because she screamed and every muscle in her body seized up as her second orgasm hit her with a crushing force. The way her muscles locked around mine broke the last bit of control I had and threw me over the edge into a white-out finish as I rushed into her.

When I came to, my baby Alpha had no bones and was barely awake. As I slid out of her arms with a groan, I felt a mix of smug amusement and unexpected love. I grabbed her waist with one arm and pulled her up until her head was on one of the pillows. I did my best to tuck her in by pulling up the blankets. Then I stomped over to make sure the door was locked and the lights were off.

When I got back to my bed, I laid on my back and felt calm and happy. This wasn't at all the disaster I'd been expecting. Immensely pleased, I let myself slide into sleep.