Chapter 3
A few days had passed since Nova arrived at the village, and she had met nearly everyone in the pack. She took to spending much of her time dozing in the clearing, laid out among the flowers as a handful of Stella’s pups circled and played nearby. From a distance she watched Leon train the young adults, running them through militaristic drills. He had hardly paid a bit of attention to her since she arrived, and it left Nova wondering if she hadn’t just dreamed the shirtless man sat on the end of her borrowed bed. She flushed at the memory of his broad schest, the thick wall of abdominal muscles under taut skin, the way his pants clung to his thighs. He was a remarkably attractive man.
The gentle buzz of insencts brought her out of her daydream about Leon and she sat up, running her fingers through her hair to remove petals and grass which had gotten tangled within. Stella and the pups were headed back to the Alpha’s quarters, and she watched them disappear inside. Looking around, she did not see anyone else outside. Nova chose to take advantage of the privacy and jogged toward the clearing’s edge. She tossed her clothing over a low hanging branch and shifted into a large bear, her black fur shimmering in the dappled sunlight passing through the trees.
Nova explored the forest around the clearing, her head low to the ground as she searched for the source of a tantalizing bitter each scent. The ground cover was thick, but she soon found the telltale five leaf clusters of ginseng root. She dug at the ground, searching for a mature plant to snack on. The root was small in her paws as she ecraped the excess dirt away before popping the whole palnt into her mouth. Most of the ginseng in her former territory had been harvested by humans and she intended to eat her fill while she had the option. Nova continued exploring as she chewed the savory root, picking through the symphony of scents surrounding her. As she ventured further from the village, her nose picked up whomever was approaching. She stopped to listen and heard the faint patter of small feet slipping through the foliage. Mere minutes passed before she made eye contact with a large wolf, his bright green eyes surrounded by fur as dark as her own, fading back into a milky brown across his back.
Leon.
Nova turned back toward the village, initiating the run Leon had previously demanded. Almost as soon as she began to sprint away he was right alongside her, softly padding the ground as she stopped far less gracefully. She did not understand why he had desired to run alongside her - she didn’t have anything near his endurance, but could easily match his speed. Occasionally she glanced over to him, watching as he dodged exposed roots and felled tree limbs with ease. She could withstand to barrel through the dense forest, but he required more finesse. She did enjoy watching him, for what it was worth.
The pair circled the clearing completely before winding around to find where Nova had hung her clothing. She was breathing heavily, having pushed her endurance to the limit, while he seemed mostly unfazed. She stood behind the tree and shifted back, quickly slipping into her shorts and t-shirt.
Leon shifted back and caught a glimpse of her skin when she had reached toward the branch, pulling her clothing behind it to redress herself. He felt that overwhelming pull toward her again, far stronger that it was a few nights before. The ease with with they had navigated the forest together made this run feel like the hundredth instead of the first. She felt familiar, like she had always belonged beside him. His thoughts turned to his mate, remembering how their first meeting had felt just the same, before his mind clouded with memories of how that evening with Stella ended. For a brief moment, Nova’s golden skin and warm eyes replaced his mate’s. He remained in the fantasy until Nova walked around the tree, her breath still labored from the run, her skin slicked with sweat, cause his fantasy and reality to crash together. He watched her eyes drop below his waist and widen at the sight of him standing to full attention, not realizing his reaction to her had been so visceral until seeing for himself. She gasped out an apology before attempting to run into the clearing. He saw embarrassment and maybe, hopefully, a hint of desire lurking behind it.
“Our run is not complete, Nova,” he growled while grasping her shoulder, holding her in place. “You have intoxicated me, overwhelmed my every sense,” he whispered as he pressed his bare chest to her back, his lips hovering above her ear. “I would have you here if you let me.”
Nova shivered in his grasp. She feared crossing his mate, but she could not deny the excitement she felt at his touch. “But Stella-”
Leon pressed his mouth to her ear, taking the lobe gently between his teeth. “Do not worry about her.” He released her ear and ran his tongue down her neck, nipping her flesh on his way toward her shoulder. He pulled her closer, their bodies flush, and smiled when she pushed back against him. He knew she felt his desire through those thin denim shorts, but he dared not move against her.
“Cohen already thinks I am problematic. I do not need to prove him right,” Nova sighed, leaning further back into the man behind her. Her mind and body were operating on different signals, much like the ones she was presenting to him.
Leon chuckled and pulled away, guiding her by the shoulder to turn toward him. “Cohen knew I would crave you, but Elise knew better than to keep you away.” He gazed into her golden eyes, desperate to dive into her. “I would have you alone, or with Stella. I have seen her suck the soul from a woman with just her tongue.” A flush rose in Nova’s cheeks as she raised a hand to cover her mouth. Leon pulled her hand down, tracing her jaw with a finger before cupping her cheek in his hand. “You are not accustomed to a forward approach?”
“I favor the chase,” Nova said before she slipped from his grasp and returned to the clearing. Her mind was racing at what had been said, at what she had felt, but she would not deny herself if his mate approved. Even before her journey had begun, it had been far too long since Nova felt that fire stirring deep within her. Her thoughts briefly turned to the last time she had been touched, and the countless times before, when there was no fire within her. It had long since been extinguished after years of silently fighting against a man she had once loved, whose love for her was replaced with a craving to see her tearful and broken while laying beneath him. Nova let herself feel the grief, having learned long ago that pushing it down would not give her back the control she needed. She accepted the thoughts, gave them space to complete their course, before willfully deciding that she would not let her fire be extinguished again.
Leon watched as she ran into the clearing, his head cocked to the side as she stopped amidst the lush flowers. She had stopped in her tracks, and he was unsure of what halted her sprint toward his quarters. He remained at the edge of the clearing; his expression curious as he watched from the short distance. What had changed? She had seemed so eager until the moment she wasn’t. He frowned upon the realization that he had caused whatever this was. The seconds passed like hours until he saw Nova glance over her shoulder, her smile renewed as she beckoned him before resuming her sprint to his quarters. He did not understand the shifting tides of her emotions, but her hand reaching toward him in that moment was all the convincing he required. A hungry smile spread across his face as he pondered aloud, “Perhaps it’s time for that tour of the loft, after all.”
Leon threw open the front door of his home, his eyes darkened with lust as he scanned the wide-open room before him. The air was thick with the scent of his mate and their guest, seemingly waiting just for him. He darted to the foot of the loft stairs and slowly ascended, trying to control his more primitive urges, before approaching the closed door to his den. He pressed against the heavy wooden door and took a deep breath before entering the room.
Stella sat in bed with her bare back against the headboard, her eyes immediately homing in on her mate’s. She could smell Nova on his skin, but not in the way she had anticipated. “I did not expect you to share the first time. How deeply has she infiltrated you?”
“To my core,” Leon panted in response, “in a way I have not experienced since we met so many years ago.” He watched his mate’s eyes soften and she beckoned him toward her. He crawled into the bed, knelt between her legs, and rested his forehead against hers. “Once I have her, I’m not sure I will be able to let her go.”
“Then she will stay,” Stella tilted her head to briefly press their lips together, needing time to will herself to continue, “until she is ready to move on. And then you will have to let her go.” She pulled him into her arms and he dropped against her, resting his head on her shoulders and his hands on her hips. Leon’s pulse slowed while wrapped in his mate’s grounding embrace.
Leon shot up and turned in Stella’s arms when the door opened, her legs instinctively wrapped around his as he sat facing away from her. Nova entered, her eyes cloudy with lust despite her tentative stance. She wore just an over-sized shirt that barely skimmed the tops of her thighs, the neckline stretched to hang off her shoulder. Her bronze skin glowed against the white top, her curly hair shower damp and shining as she walked through the beams of sunlight coming through the skylights. She stood at the foot of the bed, pausing to look at the entwined mates before her, and sat on the edge.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” Nova said through a small smile. She watched Leon pull against his mate’s embrace, his hunger evident. “There’s no need to rush, Alpha,” she purred his honorific, enjoying the sight of his eyes fluttering back. Nova crawled up to straddle Leon, trapping the man between her and his mate, and placed her hands on his shoulders. Before he could lean in for a kiss, she pressed her chest against his and leaned over his shoulder to brush her lips against Stella’s. “Thank you for sharing.” The pair gently explored each other, their deep purrs filling Leon’s ears as he remained pressed between them. He slid his hands up the over-sized shirt, his calloused palms learning every curve and dip of Nova’s body. His mate released a gasp, and it stirred something deep inside him. With Nova still saddled in his lap, his hands gripped her waist and pushed her backward, relishing the look of disbelief on her face As she hit the bed he captured her mouth in a deep kiss, muffling her soft moans. He felt electrified and her touch, his entire body buzzing from her taste. Nova was quick to roll him onto his back and was surprised when he broke the kiss with a growl. She inched backward and sat on his lower abdomen, her hands pressed against his chest to keep him pinned. “I thought I told you I favor the chase.” He growled again while pushing against her hands, unable to flip her this time. He had underestimated her strength.
Stella chuckled before sliding up behind Nova, the movement trapping Leon’s arousal. He groaned at the pressure and bucked his hips, stroking himself between their bodies. Stella brushed Nova’s hair away and lavished her neck in deep, nibbling kisses. Nova leaned into the touch and ground down on the man beneath her, the pressure at her core causing another soft moan to slip past her lips. Leon bucked his hips again, cursing both women for teasing him as he watched Nova’s hands travel down toward his hips before sliding up her thighs. Her shirt inched higher as her hands continued up to her waist, her sex on full display for Leon’s hungry gaze. He reached forward to grab her hips, thumbs pressing into her inner thighs hard enough to mark the tender flesh as he watched Nova grinding against him as she reveled in his mate’s soft touches. He squeezed her harder, pulling her attention and her gaze back to him, and snarled, “I need you.”
Stella moved up her mate’s side and watched as Nova lowered herself onto Leon with a low moan. The girl leaned forward and Stella helped remove her shirt. Leon cursed and pulled Nova toward him, capturing one of her nipples in his mouth, circling the firm bud with his tongue. Nova rolled her hips tantalizingly slow, drawing out each movement until Leon could no longer control himself. He sat up, the girl still riding his cock, and pushed her onto her back. He was frenzied with his thrusts, escalating Nova’s moans into screams of ecstasy. Stella claimed Nova’s breasts with a series of kisses and flicks on her tongue. Leon ran one hand down his mate’s back until he reached her core, slipping three fingers inside. Stella threw herself back on his hand, never breaking contact with the girl beneath them, and moaned against Nova’s breast as Leon fucked them both.
“I want to finish you,” Nova gasped at Stella, struggling to find her words between moans. She pulled the older woman off Leon’s hand and brushed the hair from her face, offering Stella a seat. Stella turned to face her mate and lowered herself onto the girl’s flushed face, her eyes instantly rolling back as she was licked and suckled toward release.
Leon lost his rhythm as he watched his mate ride Nova’s face, his thrusting becoming erratic. Nova shook beneath the Alphas, her body jerking each time Leon sank fully into her core. Her legs wrapped tightly around Leon’s waist, holding him deep inside as she trembled through her release, her moans vibrating into Stella’s core until the older woman raised her hips, longing to hear the symphony of Nova’s release. Nova forcefully brought Stella back down to her face, nails dug into the older woman’s slender hips, holding her tightly in place as Stella’s legs began to tremble.
Stella made hazy eye contact with her mate before her gaze lowered, watching him sink repeatedly into the girl beneath them. She could see him twitching, just as close to release as she was. “Together?” She asked, and he nodded. Leon pulled out and stroked himself to the view before him, shooting across Nova’s stomach as Stella rode out her own quaking orgasm, her release dripping down the girl’s neck to soak the sheets below. When Stella rose from her seat, she saw Nova staring up her, the girl licking her lips to get a final taste of Stella’s sweet nectar.