My Female Alpha

FIFTY SEVEN

emery

After several minutes of clutching onto Lenora's fur for fear life, I realize that she's moving smoothly enough that I won't just fall off. My cramped fingers loosen and I straighten my spine.

The wind continues to whip around us, tossing my hair behind me like a golden flag. I've never been this deep into the forest so I soak in all of the lush vegetation—large pines, leafy ferns, shrubby bushes taller than me. Squirrels and rabbits dart away at the sound of her feet landing on the earth. I feel myself smile giddily as I try to take it all in.

This is life, I think. This is what's it all about.

Lenora's stride changes as we traverse up an incline. She carefully picks her way around sharp rocks and massive boulders. The trees begin thinning the higher we climb. All at once, the hill plateaus and we're surrounded by boulders. Lenora stops and glances back at me with a deep breath. I pat the silky spot between her ears before slinging my right leg over her back and sliding to the ground.

My legs feel like jello from hugging her so tightly so my first few steps are like toddler wobbles. I hear the eerie whoosh of her transforming back into her human body. When I glance at her, she's crouching in all her glorious nakedness. Lifting her face towards me, she unfolds into a standing position with a smile. My cheeks warm as I glance over her bare body. It feels so scandalous to be out in the open with her completely naked.

"Enjoying the view?" she asks with a smirk while extending a hand toward me.

"I mean, it is pretty spectacular." I place my palm in hers and laugh as she tugs me into her chest.

Her lips peck the top of my head. "You haven't seen anything yet, baby girl."

"Where are we?"

Lenora withdraws but keeps my fingers interlaced with hers. "Follow me and I'll show you."

We climb up onto one of the large boulders and I feel myself go breathless. Lenora grabs my hips and stands behind me, hugging my back into her front.

My gaze wanders to the incredible view all around us. We're higher up than I realized and surrounded by a vast, sprawling forest with no break as far as the eye can see. In the distance, jagged mountaintops fill the horizon. The sun is setting behind one of the crests now, casting a warm peachy filter across the landscape.

"This is Full Moon Hill," she says. "We're technically on pack territory but this place was sacred ground for the Cherokee. There's a legend about our ancestors holding celebrations here to worship full moons."

I tilt my head back to gape at her. "That's so cool!"

She smiles. "It's a special place."

"Thank you for bringing me."

"Took me long enough," she grumbles, delicately running her fingertips down my arms. "Everything that belongs to me . . . belongs to you also."

Her words send heat through my body, melting down each of my muscles until I'm a noodle in her arms. It's slowly dawning on me that this is it—this is my life now, with her. A never-ending adventure. I bite my lip as desire takes hold of me and a craving so fierce hits me that all I can do is hold onto her again.

"You're so gorgeous," Lenora says softly.

I smile bashfully and turn my burning cheeks away. "Thank you. You're one to talk." Risking a glance back at her, I say, "I'll never get tired of looking at you. You're the most—" I stop myself.

The words spinning through my brain suddenly sound miserably insufficient. Lenora isn't just the most beautiful person I've ever met. She's the most stunning, most powerful, and most enthralling woman I've ever had the pleasure of sharing space with.