Chapter 5 The Mating Bliss

• “You again?” Alpha Chase’s voice cut through the quiet woods, low and rough.
• Dali froze, caught mid-step by the sound of his voice. She turned slowly, nervously brushing her hair behind her ear. “I didn’t know you’d be here,” she said, voice light, almost apologetic.
• His gaze locked on hers, and something crackled between them again—the same heat, the same magnetic pull that had haunted her since yesterday. Alpha Chase took a slow step forward. Then another. Dali’s breath caught. The pull in her stomach grew tighter.
• She stepped back quickly, pressing herself behind the wide trunk of an old oak. There was a long bench beneath it, half-forgotten and dusted with leaves. She crouched beside it, heart racing. What was she doing? Why hadn’t she run?
• Because she wanted to see him. Needed to. Her instincts screamed at her to flee, but her desire rooted her in place. Maybe just one more glimpse…
• His footsteps drew nearer. Alpha Chase’s presence was like a storm closing in—heavy, electric, unstoppable. When he reached the tree, he didn’t hesitate. His hand grabbed her arm, firm and warm, and pulled her upright, pressing her against the rough bark.
• Her breath hitched. He was even taller this close, shadowing her completely, his scent—earthy, masculine, laced with something wild—filling her lungs.
• “Are you stalking me?” he asked, tone casual, but his eyes burned into her.
• “No! I—I wasn’t stalking you,” she stammered. “I just… wandered here.”
• His eyes narrowed. “You just happened to wander to the only secluded spot in these woods?”
• “I needed a place to think,” she whispered. “I didn’t even know this was your spot.”
• He studied her for a long moment, his gaze dropping slowly—unapologetically—from her flushed face to the curve of her waist, to the way her chest rose and fell with every shaky breath. A low, guttural sound rumbled from his throat.
• “You’re lying,” he murmured, more amused than angry.
• Dali looked away, cheeks burning. She wasn’t lying—not entirely—but she hadn’t exactly turned around when she saw him, either.
• “I swear,” she tried again, her voice soft. “It was a coincidence.”
• When she tried to step aside, his hand shot out, gripping her wrist and pulling her back—hard. Her back hit the tree trunk with a thud, and he leaned in, his body close, lips inches from hers.
• “You smell like sin,” he growled. “And you keep running into me like you’re begging to be claimed.”
• “I’m not—”
• He didn’t let her finish. His mouth crushed hers, hungry and hot. She gasped, and he took advantage, his tongue sliding past her lips, claiming her with fire and heat. Dali clutched at his shirt, overwhelmed by the intensity, but not frightened—never frightened. It was too much and still not enough.
• Her thoughts scattered as he deepened the kiss. His hands were everywhere—one in her hair, tilting her head, the other gripping her hip with barely restrained force. He tasted her like he needed her to breathe, as if he’d been starving and she was his only salvation.
• “You’re driving me fucking insane,” he muttered against her lips, dragging his mouth down her jaw to her neck. “You don’t even realize what you’re doing to me, do you?”
• She whimpered, the sound involuntary as his tongue flicked against the hollow of her throat.
• “Do you want me to stop?” he asked suddenly, voice hoarse.
• She shook her head, breathless. “No.”
• He growled in approval. “Good girl.”
• With swift, practiced motions, he unzipped her dress. She tensed for a moment, but his mouth was there again, kissing, soothing, claiming. His fingers brushed the edge of her bra, then slipped underneath, finding her nipple and teasing it until she arched against him, her moan soft and needy.
• “You like that?” he asked darkly, voice thick with hunger.
• She nodded, trembling. “Yes…”
• He bent down, lips wrapping around her nipple, sucking and grazing it gently with his teeth. Her knees nearly gave out. She clutched his shoulders for balance as waves of pleasure rolled through her.
• “Chase,” she whispered.
• He paused only to mutter, “Say that again.”
• “Chase.”
• That did something to him. His name on her lips was like a fuse. He growled, tearing her bra free and tossing it aside. Then his hands were under her thighs, lifting her with ease and placing her on the old wooden bench.
• “I need to taste all of you,” he said, voice low, reverent.
• He knelt between her legs, spreading them slowly, deliberately, and dragged his tongue up her inner thigh. Dali gasped, watching him, too stunned to speak. When he finally reached her center, he groaned, burying his face between her legs.
• She cried out at the first contact, back arching as his tongue worked expertly, teasing her clit, then sucking it with rhythm that made her dizzy. Her hands flew to his hair, fingers curling tight as her moans filled the air.
• “That’s it,” he murmured. “Let me hear you.”
• When she came, it was with a loud, helpless cry, legs shaking around his head. He drank her down like he’d been waiting his whole life for this taste.
• Before she could catch her breath, he was on her again, kissing her fiercely, letting her taste herself on his lips. He unbuckled his pants, eyes burning into hers as he freed himself.
• Dali’s eyes widened. “You’re…”
• “I know,” he smirked, lining himself up. “Breathe for me.”
• She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, clinging to him. He entered her slowly, stretching her inch by inch until she gasped, her nails digging into his back.
• “Chase—” she whimpered.
• “I’ve got you,” he whispered, kissing the corner of her mouth. “You’re mine now.”
• Once he was fully inside, he stilled, letting her adjust. She trembled around him, overwhelmed by how full she felt.
• “Move,” she whispered.
• That was all he needed. He began to thrust slowly, deliberately, each movement sending sparks through her body. Then faster. Harder.
• She held onto him like he was her anchor, crying out with each stroke as he rocked into her over and over, his control unraveling.
• “You feel too good,” he groaned, burying his face in her neck. “So fucking tight…”
• Her second climax built quickly, crashing through her with violent pleasure. She clenched around him, and with a growl, he followed, spilling inside her with one final, deep thrust.
• For a moment, they didn’t move. Just panting. Tangled. Sweaty. Alive.
• Then, Chase pulled back slightly, brushing her damp hair from her face.
• “You’re trouble,” he said softly, but there was a faint smile behind his words.
• She blinked up at him, still breathless. “So are you.”
• “Leave.”
• Something shifted in him. His eyes darkened and his tone turned drastically cold.
• “What?”
• “I need you to leave!” He repeated colder than before.