world is. Along with how petty and backward the pack Alpha was. I doubt he had it in him to challenge the witches.”
Ragnar stares straight into the flames, lost in his own thoughts, shadows gathering under his eyes. Everything about him screams Alpha, from the determination in his expression to the energy he gives off, the impression that he’ll never back down if challenged.
“Have you seen any of the witches from this sector in the flesh?” I ask.
He nods. “Upon our arrival in Romania, we saw two of them destroy a small wolf pack’s village. They were ruthless. I watched from a distance how they called to the elements, cracked open the land that swallowed everyone. Then the ground closed up as if the village never existed. That’s when we learned that the Alphas in this region feared them, and for good reason.”
“So what are you going to do when you meet them? Aren’t you afraid they will kill you just as quickly as they killed that other pack?”
I tell myself I shouldn’t ask or care because I don’t want to take sides, that this is just a job for me to get my sisters back. Yet I sit there, waiting for his response, dying to find out.
“Are you always this curious?”
“When it comes to survival I am,” I say. “I prefer not to be surprised at the last minute.”
A smile cracks his mouth, but he says nothing, holding onto his secrets. Of course, I shouldn’t have expected him to share his plans with me, but I had hoped for a small hint, at least.
I search his face for anything to tell me what he’s thinking, while he stares right into me like he always does, alert and focused, fully aware he is in control of the situation.
He reaches over and skims his hand across my cheek before threading his fingers through my hair, his other arm wrapping around my waist and drawing me closer. He brings his face close to mine and says, “Why do you look scared?”
I sit breathless, staring at this beautiful man, drawn by his touch. Up close, his pale blue eyes are like a summer’s day, calling me closer, while his chiseled cheekbones and strong jaw remind me how out of my league I am with him. His fingers move lower down my back until they find bare skin beneath my shirt, and a small moan slips past my lips.
“I’m not scared,” I murmur.
He smiles again, making me weak in his arms.
I want to push him away, but I don’t. Maybe I’m just another woman who falls insatiably easily for such powerful Alphas. Or maybe I’ve longed to know what a man’s touch feels like.
When his hand glides farther up under my shirt, his touch grows feather-soft across my skin, and I find it harder to speak.
His gaze lowers to my lips, and all I can think is please kiss me. He leans in as if reading my mind, but his mouth presses to the corner of my lips, then sweeps down to my neck, where he nuzzles and takes a deep inhale.
My heart races.
His lips trace the length of my neck, taking mock bites out of me. My hands slide over his shoulders as he raises his head and claims my mouth. We come together quickly, our mouths mashed together as he stakes a claim on me.
There is nothing soft or sweet about the way Ragnar kisses. He’s rough and dominating. His tongue presses into my mouth, tasting me, exploring, taking what he wants.
I press myself closer to him, my breasts up against his chest, my nipples tight with a roaring desire that takes me by surprise. My wolf doesn’t miss a beat and makes herself known, her whimpering sounds the opposite of the wolf that wanted to submit to another. She doesn’t make any sense to me, but as Ragnar takes my lower lip into his mouth, gnawing gently on it, holding me in place, I release my own moans of pleasure. Noises I can’t help but make as fire burns between my thighs so intensely, it heats me up in moments.
His hand cups my breast, a thumb brushing over my tight nipple. I press my fingers into his shoulders, pulling closer, and all the while, electricity buzzes through me. No man has ever touched me this way, and I draw in each breath from excitement and fear of the unknown.
He runs his tongue over my lips and whispers, “Are you feeling more