The Greystone Ridge Pack Series: Warwick

WARWICK

He’s the one who’s brought this war upon us. I can only pray that Alpha Hawk reaches Black in time. My horse is returning home, and he’s not alone.

“What the hell?” I mutter, moving slowly toward him so as not to startle him. My stallion is wild, untamed. No one can touch him, let alone ride him.

I slip a rope around his neck and guide him toward the paddock where the others are. Apricot neighs, calling him over. But instead of rushing to her as he usually would, he snorts at me, as if instructing me to take care of the human.

Her body is cold as ice, and she groans when I lift her into my arms. A surge of heat shoots through me, almost making me drop her. I’m not sure what just happened, what I just felt. A powerful energy fills me. A spark of light ignites something in my heart, and I hold onto this strange woman.

“The time has come,” the Seer’s voice echoes in my mind. She’s been spouting nonsense for the past few days. I thought it was all related to Akasha and the war.

Her dirty, matted golden hair falls around her face as I hold her. Her head lolls back, and I see her face for the first time. She’s the same woman I saw when Akasha brought his men and wolves through my home.

“What happened to you?” I whisper, staring at her dirt-streaked face. A jolt of energy shoots through me when she moans and shivers in my arms.

This is so damn strange. I’ve lived a life of solitude because that was my destiny. A mate was never part of the plan. So what am I feeling now? I can’t just leave her here, and my own horse brought her to me. Is this a sign? I can almost hear the Seer laughing in her cell.

My wolf is pondering things inside my head. He rarely surfaces, only when it’s necessary to control an alpha. From a young age, we were bound to this duty. It’s a responsibility you can’t take lightly, as you hold the power to bring an alpha to his knees.

“Who is she?” he grumbles in my mind. ~“Do you feel it too?”~

“Yes, but what does this mean?” I carry her toward my cottage.

“She needs to be cared for and protected,” he insists. ~“She came to us. She is ours,”~ he adds with a fierce need.

Her eyes are closed, and her body is freezing, which isn’t surprising. I’ve only ever had to care for my horses before. Now, I’m not sure what to do with her.

“Take her inside, give her a bath,” my wolf orders.

I don’t have a choice when it comes to him. My heart races as I carry this human. Being this close to her keeps igniting something inside of me. My throat is dry as I carry her over the threshold.

At the back of my cottage, my bathroom has a huge bath. I’m over seven feet tall, so when I moved here, I had the bath carved out of a massive fallen tree.

Over the years, with time on my hands, I’ve learned different skills. Carpentry was one of them, along with metalwork. My infamous neck collar is now used by jailers nationwide.

But this creature in my arms is delicate and beautiful. I lick my lips as I carry her through and place her shivering body down on my bath rug.

A soft whimper escapes her trembling lips. “Hold me,” she whispers, her eyes still firmly shut.

“What did he do to you?” I stroke her face, pushing back her hair.

My wolf growls at me for taking too long. I plug the bath and start the hot water. Bubbles fill the tub, releasing a scent of lavender and sandalwood into the air.

I stare at the woman on my floor, wondering what to do next. I’ve never been this close to a woman before. The few humans I’ve met were scared of me because of my size.

“Take off her clothes,” my wolf commands.

I’ve faced many hostile alphas before, but this makes me nervous. The clothes she’s wearing cling to her, revealing more than I’m used to. I’ve seen she-wolves naked before, so why is this different?

Swallowing hard, I peel off her top, or what’s left of it. A dirty white bra clings to her breasts.

My wolf snorts at my inability to remove it.

“What? She’s human,” I snap at him.

Her breasts spill out of the bra as I remove it, and something shifts inside of me. My wolf feels it too.

“Could she be our mate?” He echoes my thoughts.

“It’s not possible,” I say. “A jailer’s life is a solitary one,” I remind him.

“I know. I know,” he mumbles. ~“But what if?”~

With trembling hands, I remove the rest of her clothes and gasp when I do.

“Get her in the bath, or she’ll die.” My wolf is getting anxious. ~“You’ll have to get in the bath with her. Keep her from drowning.”~

Those words send a shiver down my spine and ignite a spark of excitement. With each piece of clothing removed, my heart pounds with anticipation. I can feel the thrill building up inside me as my body responds with renewed energy. I’ve never experienced the touch of a woman before, not even the wild embrace of a she-wolf.

“She better not wake up,” I tell my wolf as I pick her up. Her icy body fills me with dread. I step into the bath and slowly lower both of us into the tub.

Soft whimpers escape her, and her lips are blue and trembling. I take the sponge from the side and soak it in the water before running it over her body. With each gentle stroke, the mud and grime loosen, revealing her delicate, white skin. I move her hair and start washing it, revealing its true golden honey color.

The paleness of her skin still worries me, and my wolf is becoming more agitated. Her eyes are still closed, and only soft murmurs have escaped her lips.

The water has turned cold, so I pick up her trembling body and climb out. My wolf purrs in his throat as I hold her close to me. I can’t wait to see her eyes open so I can look into them.

I wrap her up in one of my enormous towels, enveloping her in warmth. It wraps around her like a protective cocoon, shielding her from the outside world.

As I lay her on my bed, her small size and delicate features captivate me. God help me if she opens her eyes now. I’m naked, and my dick is hard.

My wolf seems to enjoy this new experience. I’ve relieved a few sexual frustrations when I was younger, but it slowly fades as you get older. But with her in my bed, I’m fighting the urge to take hold of my dick and stroke it. I lean over to pull up my covers and keep my mate warm.

“Mate,” my wolf whispers, still confused.

Next, I have to go visit the Seer.

I go to find some clothes to put on and groan when my erection refuses to subside. “Fine.” I grit my teeth and head to the bathroom. For what feels like the first time in centuries, I grasp my dick and stroke it. “Ah, fuck.”

I slam my free hand against the wall. My eyes flicker as I stroke myself, and my body tenses. I look into the mirror, and my wolf stares back at me, snarling.

“We should be marking her.” His rough tone makes my knees weak.

Beads of sweat form on my brow as I fight his control and my impending orgasm. We are both losing control. “Ah,” I cry out and cum.

My wolf howls as he feels the purity of what is happening to us.

I release my hold and grasp the sink to catch my breath. As I gaze at my reflection in the mirror, I see a shift occurring within me. I can sense a stirring in the air, awakening my senses and making me feel alive.

It’s time to see the Seer and find out what she says.