The Alpha Gladiator by Erin M. Leaf Page A

he made
a feast of her succulent pussy.  
    “Alpha.” She greeted him demurely, bowing her
head to show respect.  
    “ Aleirah, ” he acknowledged.   He pointed behind him.   “When will
you join the revelers at that bonfire?”
    She peeked up toward the area where
the mating ceremony had turned into a stalking rite of passage.   The males would hunt the female that had
caught their scent, and in turn, she would run away.   If she was caught, truthfully if she wanted to be caught,
then the male would bite her and claim her.   If she got away, she was free to enter the ceremony the next year.  
    “I
have no wish to be mated right now,” she said.
    He narrowed his eyes as he studied
her in the blazing firelight.   “You have been
saying that for the past ten years.”
    “I’m
not sure if being a mate is where I see my life heading,” she said, a hint of
defiance in her tone.  
    He
decided to switch topics, show her a different reason of why she’d be a
terrific mate for him.   A strong Alpha
would need a strong mate.
    “You
help take care of the elderly, do you not?” he asked.  
    She blinked and then nodded.   “Ah, yes.   I take care of patients with dementia.”
    “That
is a sad way of life for a wolf to go,” he said.
    “Yes,”
she agreed.   “My grandmother had it.”
    “I
remember.”   He looked around.   “You are a compassionate woman.   Caring and kind.   You would make me a great mate.”
    Her mouth dropped open . “Excuse me?”
    “A mate.   I have been waiting for you to enter the mating ceremony for ten years,
Aleirah.   Surly you knew that?”
    She shook her head.   “No.   I … ah … no.   I don ’t think I would
make a very good mate for an Alpha.”
    “Why
would you think that?” he asked, a bit vexed.   Ravage was fast learning she could be a little stubborn.
    “I’m…”
She paused and cleared her throat.   “ I just don ’t think I would.”
    “I
beg to differ, and I hope you allow me to change your mind.”   He stepped closer to her and her breath
hitched in her throat.   He tilted her
face up and her mouth dropped open on a breathless little sigh.   The he offered her his elbow.   “Would you take a walk with me through the
night?”
    She bit her bottom lip with her top
teeth, and the action
had an interesting effect on his dick, which jumped to attention.   Ravage could just imagine her sinking her
teeth into his shoulder as he thrust into her beautiful body.   Hesitantly, she took his arm and as soon as
she touched him, he placed his hand on top of hers, trapping her by his
side.   Now that he had her, he wasn’t
about to let her get away.
    He pulled her away from both
bonfires, into the woods, letting the darkness shroud them.   Sometimes it was easier to let go of secrets
and fears when the other person was cloaked in shadow.   The night had always been a friend of the
Lycanis people, so Ravage used the moon to his advantage.
    “I
remember you from when we were children,” he murmured.  
    “I
remember you too,” she said softly.
    He grinned, pleased with her answer.   She may deny that she wanted to be his mate,
but the pheromones coming off her body indicated otherwise.   Aleirah found him desirable.   Whether or not she wanted to be his mate, her
body had already begun changing to accept his claiming bite.   Now, he just had to get her to admit it, and
he wasn ’t
above using seduction on his part.
    He halted her by a big tree and
pulled her around to face him.   He tilted
her face up.   Even though he couldn ’t see her in
the absolute darkness under the branches, he traced her face with his
fingertips.   Her breath hitched. A heady
aroma wafted from her, not a true scent but one layered under the pheromones.
Her arousal had spiked. He pressed his cock between her thighs to let her feel
how hard she made him.  
    “ Aleirah, ” he whispered, a moment before he bent his head and
captured her lips with his. One