Rise of the Dark Alpha

READER SHOUT OUT: Thank you (yes, YOU) for all your support of Zev & Sasha this month. I've been truly blown away. To say thank you, I've managed to write some extra content for the next couple weeks: Tomorrow when the month resets there will not only be 5 new chapters in Privilege, there will also be 2 standard release chapters as well (so if you buy top-tier privilege you'll receive 7 new chapters over the course of the day). And I am working on a mass release for the beginning of Volume 2 in about 12 days, so look forward to another FIVE chapters that day!

Thank you for everything you've given--your votes, gifts, comments, and encouragement have been a true gift to me to kick off 2022! (This was added after publication so you aren't charged for the words.)

*****

~ ZEV ~

Zev had intended to make her breakfast, but when she looked up at him, her eyes shining, and not just with love, but with heat…

Between the aggravation he'd been battling since he woke, and then all this talk of the others bringing images to mind of her in the forest, facing some of the more aggressive males… it had woken his wolf. He was suddenly glad of the snow barrier to the cave because he suddenly couldn't shake the feeling that Sasha might be torn from his grasp. He was desperate to reach for her, to love her, to take her, but she'd seemed reluctant.

He swallowed as Sasha searched his eyes, then as if she saw the plea in his, her expression becoming shy.

"Maybe… maybe part of just being is… enjoying each other as much as we can?" she asked quietly.

Zev growled and let her go only long enough to take the pan and kettle off the fire and drop them to the stone to cool. Then he was back, sweeping her into his chest and taking her mouth with all the banked passion he'd swallowed when he woke. He was far more hungry for her than the food, feverish with it.

Sasha giggled—then sighed when he started on the buttons of her furs.

His kiss was deep and insistent, and probably overwhelming. But despite a slight gasp when he took her mouth, Sasha returned it in kind. When he descended on her and started stripping her bare, she didn't fight, arching, pressing into his hands when he got the buttons of her jacket undone, sucking on his lip when he was too slow, stroking her hands under his jacket, up and down his chest, then untying the waist of his leathers.

Zev shuddered as he pushed her jacket off her shoulders, then filled his hands with her. Sasha whimpered when he leaned her back, his kiss bruising and insistent.

She struggled with his clothing and he hadn't gotten her leggings off yet, but Zev refused to give her more space, his instincts suddenly jangling, demanding, alarmed—as if another male was close and would try to take her from him again.

Images of Xar, of that sickening moment when the tiger had taken that blade between his teeth and raced for her—Zev growled into her mouth and his fingers dug into her waist as he pulled her closer.

His instincts surged forward, screaming at him to possess her, to make her his and only his, to mark her to her soul so no male would ever challenge their bond. The strength of the urge to lay his teeth to her skin was shocking and made him catch himself, break the kiss and drop his forehead to hers as he tried to catch his breath.

A tiny voice in the back of his head said this was the Solitude—the instinct to solidify the bond, to ensure it was unmistakable to others. He'd have thought they'd already achieved that, but the curling, snarling pressure in his gut said differently.

"What is it, Zev?" she whispered, her breath rushing against his lips. "What's wrong?" She held his face in her hands, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs.

"I need you, Sash," he rasped. "I need you to be mine. Just mine."

"I am, Zev," she whispered breathlessly, curling her fingers into his hair and holding him there. So close. "I'm here. I'm yours."

He groaned and reached up to take her hands, twining their fingers as he took her lips again, open mouthed and panting, his tongue darting and dancing—and nipping her lower lip as they kissed.

Sliding one hand up her spine until he cradled the back of her skull, Zev let a growl of possession putter in his throat.

*****

~ SASHA ~

She could feel Zev trembling and alarms rang in her head. What was wrong?

His grip on her tightened and he croaked her name, sending a jolt of desire through her as she clung to his neck and arched into him.

"Zev, I—"

"Mine," he rasped, fisting the back of her leggings in a tense hand, pulling her against him. "Mine."

"Yes. Only yours," she whispered urgently. "I don't want anyone else."

He pulled his head back just far enough to meet her eyes, his dark and shining in the low light. But his jaw was tense, the muscles twitching as if he ground his teeth.

What was wrong? What had happened?

"Fuck… Sash… the Solitude… it's instinct, I'm… I'm trying to fight—" He growled and clawed at her back, his breath rasping in and out of his throat.

"I'm here. What do you need? I'm here."

"I need you."

"You have me. Anything."

"I need you, Sash. Just you."

She took his face in her hands again and forced him to meet her gaze, his own feverish and flashing.

"Whatever you want, Zev. Whatever you need. I'm here. I'm yours. I trust you."

His head dropped back and he howled, a long, keening cry that raised the hair on her arms. Then he broke off, the howl dissolving into another growl as he took her mouth, desperate.

And far from being afraid, Sasha's heart raced in anticipation, something within her—that small piece of him that she'd felt slip into place the first time they made love—throbbing, pulling for him.

She wanted him, desperately, suddenly. Trembled with it.

But before she could think beyond that, he started walking her backwards, towards the bed, and Sasha's breathing got faster, more shallow, every nerve ending in her body quivering with want, her hands shaking as she reached for him.

"Zev, what's happening?" she gasped, grabbing at him, pulling him closer.

"Mine," he growled into her mouth in the same moment she bumped against the end of the bed and they stopped moving. Zev tore out of the kiss, his shoulders heaving, eyes dark and intense, staring out at her from under his hair.

Their eyes locked. Desire quivered in Sasha's belly. Sucking in a breath, she grabbed for his neck to pull him back down, but after one scorching kiss he fisted his hands in her hair and tugged her head back, baring her throat to him.

"Mine," he rasped, then descended on her.

**** DON'T BUY PRIVILEGE UNTIL THE MONTH RESETS! ****

If you purchase expensive privilege tiers now, they will only last 2-3 days. If you wait until monthly reset (8am Pacific, 31 January 2022) you will receive MORE chapters for your money because I'm adding chapters to the tiers, AND you'll continue to read in advance of standard readers for the full month.. So just hold tight for a couple more days! (This added after publication so you aren't charged for the words.)