The Alpha's Concubine (Historical Shifter Romance) by Claudia King Read Free Book Online

shakily.
    "Then I was not wrong in choosing you. What is your name?"
    "Netya."
    "Netya. Are you unwilling to be my consort?"
    She hesitated, unsure of what to say, or even think. She was anxious. Perhaps even afraid. But unwilling? She had no desire to flee or plead her fate. She wanted to understand the things her body seemed to be telling her. The alpha's appearance and scent and powerful voice awakened all the feelings she had begun to notice in herself since becoming a woman, and for once she had the opportunity to explore them.
    "A man who takes an unwilling female to his bed is no man at all," the alpha said when she did not respond.
    "I am not... unwilling, no," she whispered, the words catching in her throat.
    "Good." The alpha moved his hand back up her neck, sliding his fingers through the hair at the base of her braid.
    It was strange for her to be so close to an unfamiliar man, to have him touching her in this way. It was not like being touched by anyone else. His hands slid over her body as if she were an immaculately crafted ornament, seeking out the fine details to make them more real through his touch. He tilted her head back and pulled her in with an arm around her waist, bringing his lips to hers for a kiss.
    Netya expected the same soft warmth she remembered from Layon's kiss, closing her eyes and opening her mouth gently to savour the soft feeling of the alpha's mouth against her own. Instead of giving her gentle pleasure, he took her breath away.
    The alpha's firm grip tightened around her hips, the hand on the back of her head steadying her as he kissed her hard and deep, his tongue plunging into her mouth and curling around hers, bearing down with passion and power. Netya's whole body tightened as she found herself crushed against his broad chest, putting up her hands to steady herself and finding only his muscular body to cling to. A low whimper sounded in the back of her throat, and she reeled with a heady rush of desire as the alpha's lips continued to work against hers, like a wolf devouring his prey.
    She let herself go limp in his grasp, her trembling hands resting against his chest, but not making any attempt to push him away. The heat in her belly burned hotter than she had ever felt it before, the sensation spreading like an itch until she was pressing up against him without any need for encouragement. The feeling kept on building, going further and further beyond the brief glimpse she'd caught with Layon. It would have startled her had she not been so caught up in the moment.
    Finally the alpha broke the kiss, leaving Netya's mouth full of his taste and her chest heaving as she gasped for air. She had never before experienced something so intense, and yet the alpha seemed barely fazed by it. His breathing was steady, his grip just as firm, and his brow was free of the perspiration that had begun to bead on Netya's skin.
    He spoke to her again, his voice a smooth murmur, like the sound of thunder in the distance. "There will be pain at first, but afterwards comes pleasure."
    Netya swallowed, the tightness in her stomach returning. "How much pain?"
    "Every female is different. Perhaps much, perhaps little." He looked at her curiously, but he made no question of whether she still wanted to continue. He read the language of her body, bending down to lift her into his arms with ease.
    Netya inhaled sharply, her hands finding their way to his body again as she clung to his neck for support, allowing him to carry her to the high bed and lay her down on the furs. The soft texture tickled her bare skin, and without being prompted she kicked off her slippers to savour the sensation of the fur running between her toes, satisfying the tingles that rippled across her body.
    The alpha stepped out of his boots and unfastened his kilt, allowing it to drop to the wooden planks with a heavy thud as he freed himself from its confines. Netya's eyes were drawn to his thick manhood, swelling with expectancy between