Page 64 of Alpha Claimed

River's eyes sparkled, and she stepped to him and wrapped her arms around his torso. Apollo closed his eyes and pulled her tighter, taking in her sweet scent.

His wolf howled as a ripple of desire traversed his body, making Apollo's pants tighten around his arousal.

Calm down,he told himself.Calm the freak down before she thinks you want her for nothing more than sex.

He took several slow breaths, but her scent did nothing to calm him or his wolf. He never wanted to smell anything else for as long as he lived but her scent. He wanted to be surrounded by it. Drowned in it.

A strange rumble started deep inside and turned into a mix of a purr and a growl. He had no idea where it started or why. All he knew was that when he did it, she relaxed into him like there was nowhere else in the world she'd rather be.

"Thank you."

Tears moistened his shirt, and he looked down at her and lifted her chin.

"I know I'm not a poet or anything, but I didn't think I was that bad."

She smacked his chest. "You know that's not it." She sniffled twice and wiped at her eyes. "No one's ever said something like that to me before. I just…"

"Just what?"

"Never thought anyone ever would."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "I've never fit in. Not in the human world. Not in the shifter world. And I never once met a guy that felt… right. Then you come along with your sweet words that know where to hit me deep inside to make me…"

His chest squeezed. "Make you what?"

"Make me want to be your mate."

Apollo leaned in and kissed her. "You are my mate, Kitten."

She gripped his t-shirt and pulled his lips against hers. Apollo's wolf roared inside, and Apollo lifted her off the floor. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he pressed her into the wall behind them. Her breasts smashed into his chest, and he groaned.

Pressing his weight against her, he reached up and rubbed a thumb over her pert nipple. She gasped and moaned into his mouth. He did it again, and she shuddered at his touch.

She was so warm. So lush. So beautiful. So perfect. He knew then how his father must have felt the moment he'd met his mother. Why his father abandoned Titan and his mother as if they had never existed. If River didn't choose him, it wouldn't matter. There would never be another for him. Not ever.

River ground her hips into his and moaned again. She pulled her lips from his and laid her head back against the wall, looking into his eyes.

"Apollo…"

The heat that radiated off her body and the look in her eyes said it all. She wanted him. And he wanted her.

Take her. Make her ours. Our mate. Our Omega.

Apollo kissed her again and then worked his way down her throat. He slid his hand between their bodies and under her legging waistband.

He growled as she gasped and bucked against his fingers as they slid down the inside of her underwear. So wet. So willing.

Apollo's fangs lengthened, and his arms prickled as fur threatened to sprout. He shook as his instincts threatened to take over and take her right there against the wall in the hallway. Claiming her for himself.

"Apollo-" she gasped.

"I'm sorry," said a voice behind them.

Apollo whipped around, shielding River from view.

Theo.