by Bianca Cole
“No moving, baby, what did I tell you?” He slides out of me, making me whimper. The sudden empty feeling makes me long for him even more. He moves around the bed and unclips the restraints, before sliding his fingers into my hair. “I want you to taste yourself from my cock.” He drags me toward him, making my mouth water.
I lick the tip, tasting his salty masculine seed mixed with my arousal. It’s dirty but so good.
He slides his thick girth into my mouth, making me gag instantly. I remember how he shoved his cock down my throat back at City Hall. My pussy gushes at the memory. I set my hands on his thick thighs as he starts to do the same again, grunting above me.
His power is attractive and sexy.
Tears spring to my eyes as he slides every inch to the back of my throat, making it impossible not to gag. Saliva spills down his shaft, dripping onto his balls and the bed.
“Fuck, your mouth is amazing,” he groans, sliding his cock out.
He grabs both my wrists and forces me to stand in front of him. My knees hardly hold me up as he supports me with one hand.
He lifts me as if I’m as light as a feather grabbing me by my ass cheeks. He lines my dripping wet, quivering pussy up with the head of his thick shaft.
A shudder of anticipation runs through me.
He holds me for a few more seconds, before letting me down on him.
I groan as I’m impaled on him. His biceps strain as he moves me up and down his shaft, fucking me mid-air.
My hard nipples brush against his muscled chest with every thrust of his arms. I keep my arms around his neck, staring into his gold-flecked eyes. I’ve never felt a connection as deep as this, as we fuck. No, not fuck. This is making love. No matter how much I fight the truth because it’s insane, I love this man. A man I met no more than twelve hours ago.
My soul mate. My fated mate.
I’d heard the stories of humans finding mates in shifters, but it’s rare. Humans are one of the only races in this world that don’t usually find mates.
I feel unbelievably lucky to have found Rhys.
He captures my lips, slipping his tongue deep into my mouth.
I feel the pressure build as he sets me back down on the bed. His body moves over me. I let my hand run over every inch of muscle, from his shoulder, down his chest, to his abs.
His eyes flutter shut as he tries to hold on. I can see the tension coiling through his shoulders. “Fuck,” he growls, pumping into me even harder. “So fucking tight. I can’t hold on much longer.” His eyes shoot open. “Come for me, baby. I want to feel that perfect pussy come all over my cock.”
I moan, arching my back as the pressure builds.
It’s electric, it’s fire, it’s hotter than anything I’ve felt before. I feel like I’m floating as he tips me over the edge, biting my collar bond hard enough to break the skin.
“Fuck, Rhys,” I cry out, spasming beneath his hard, solid body.
My muscles clamp down harder around his cock, and he roars against my skin. His hot seed spills deep inside of me. I claw at his back, trying to find a way to ground myself. It feels like if it weren’t for his body pinning me to the bed, I could float away and never come back down to earth.
He pants above me, keeping his cock deep inside of me. This moment is perfect, and I never want it to end. We could spend the rest of our life joined together like this, and I would be infinitely happy.
I wake the next morning to the scent of pancakes cooking. My stomach rumbles, and it’s at that point I realize I haven’t eaten in about twenty-four hours. I stretch my arms above my head and yawn. As I slide out of bed, I groan at the soreness between my legs.
I’m not sure it helped that we couldn’t keep our hands to ourselves all night.
My knees wobble a little as I walk out of the bedroom and toward the kitchen. My mouth salivates at the smell.
I feel my heart start to pound frantically the moment I set my eyes on him standing in only his boxer briefs, cooking. It’s ridiculous the way I feel whenever I see him.
“Good morning, princess,” he murmurs, not turning around to look at me.
I’ll never get used to his super-human senses. “Morning, I hope you’ve got coffee here. Please tell me shifters drink coffee.”
He laughs. “Of course, people forget we are half-human.”
I move into the kitchen and take a seat at the island, wondering when he’s going to look at me. The pot of coffee is sitting in the center with two mugs.
“How do you like your pancakes?” he asks.
“Stacked with loads of maple syrup.” My stomach rumbles, just thinking about it.
He turns around. “No bacon?”
I raise a brow, realizing he’s a wolf. A meat-eater through and through. “Sure, I like bacon too.”
He smiles and returns his attention to the pan, turning over the strips of smoky bacon.
I reach for the coffee and pour myself a mug before pouring him one.
My heart pounds harder as I move toward him. Every time I get too close, I want to pounce on him, which is annoying.
How can I even function if all I want to do is have sex?
I grind my teeth into my bottom lip as I set the mug down next to him. “Coffee.”
He meets my gaze and smiles easily. “Thanks, baby.”
A shudder pulses through me at that word. Rhys used it last night, but only when we were fucking. It sounds natural and easy the way he says it.
His eyes are so bright they are glowing, but he seems to be handling our closeness a little better than me.
I tear myself away from him and move back to the island, sitting down with my hands firmly closed around the hot mug of coffee. A long sip helps calm my nerves as I try to take my mind of the half-naked man in front of me.
“How long have you lived here?” I ask, hoping a little small talk will help ease the palpable tension between us.
He turns around, holding a plate piled high with pancakes. “Since the truth came out, about thirty-three years ago.” He sets the plate down in the center island and grabs another plate, piled almost as high with bacon.
My stomach makes a ridiculous rumbling sound, making him laugh.
“Someone is hungry. Tuck in, princess.” He pushes an empty plate toward me.
Heat floods my cheeks in embarrassment. “Thanks,” I say, grabbing a stack of pancakes and lifting them onto my plate. “I’m starving. “
“A night like we just had can do that,” he says, making me heat from the tip of my toes to the top of my head.
“Yeah,” I murmur, grabbing the bottle of maple syrup.
Rhys’s eyes don’t leave me as I smother the pancakes in it.
I won’t apologize for the love of the sweet stuff. I can’t get enough of sugary food, it’s my favorite.
“Are you going to let me have some?” he asks, teasing me.
I shoot him a warning glare. “Of course, I told you I like them with a lot of maple syrup.” I screw the cap back on and push the bottle across to him. I grab a few strips of bacon and pop them on top. My mouth salivates as I pick up my knife and fork.
I chew my first mouthful of sweet pancakes and smoky bacon, having a food orgasm as it tastes so good. At least my mate can whip up a delicious breakfast.
“How is it?” he asks, smirking at me.
I nod my head. “So good.”
A moment of silence passes between us as he stares at me. The sexual tension still palpable despite the fact we really should have fucked that out of our system last night. We didn’t hold back at all.
Rhys clears his throat. “So, what is a beautiful, intelligent woman like you doing working at O’Malley’s?” he asks.
I shrug. The answer to that question brings up too many hard subjects. My mom’s murder. My father not giving a shit. The fact she was murdered by a shifter just makes it worse. “I’ve worked there for three years.”
He narrows his eyes. “Don’t hide from me, Anastasia, I’m your mate,
you can tell me.”
I meet his gaze, knowing I can, but I’m not ready. “We met yesterday. You may be my mate, but there are certain things I’m not ready to discuss.”
He doesn’t mask his hurt. “Fair enough, is there anything you want to know about me?”
I think about his question. “Do you have any family?”
He swallows slowly. “Not blood family, no. My parents were killed when I was twenty years old and I was their only son. My mom struggled to get pregnant. I only have my brothers in my pack now.”
“Who killed them?” I ask.
His bright blue eyes dull, and I can tell his wolf has retreated. “It’s never been proven, but I’m pretty sure Hugh’s father killed mine.” He shrugs. “After my mom’s mate died, she couldn’t bear it. She went mad and ended up taking her life shortly after.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, feeling guilty that I didn’t share my story with him. It has a lot of similarities to my own. My mom’s killer was never found, and she hasn’t been avenged.
I take another bite of pancakes, suddenly feeling less hungry. “Do you miss them?”
His jaw clenches. “It was a long time ago.” With that, he stands and walks to the fridge.
I can tell he doesn’t want to talk about them anymore. I’m surprised he told me at all. Wolf shifters are renowned for being closed off from their emotions. “What’s your favorite sport?” I ask, hoping the lighter subject will help diffuse the tension in the air.
He pulls out a carton of orange juice and returns with it, grabbing the glasses from above the sink. The only thing that could make this breakfast better is a cold glass of orange juice to wash it all down. “I used to love football, but since I’m banned from the city, I haven’t attended a match. Thirty-four years without.” He shrugs. “But a few of us here like to play our own match now and then.”
I frown at him. “What about cable?”
He laughs. “Unfortunately, we can’t get that here. They don’t service the shifter pack towns, princess.”
He’s got a point. They are way out of the city here and off the grid. “Do you even have the internet?” He shakes his head. “No, only 5G, which is good, but not out here. It doesn’t reach this far.”
He sets a glass of orange juice down in front of me.
“I didn’t say I wanted orange juice.” I glare at him, hating when people assume.
“You didn’t have to. I heard your thoughts when I pulled it out of the fridge.”
I shake my head. “I’m not going to get used to that.” Heat pulses through my cheeks as now I look like I’m trying to be stubborn. “Thank you.” I take a sip.
He smiles and drags his eyes down my body for the first time this morning. I feel like he’s been trying not to ever since I stepped into the room. A groan escapes him. “Did you have to wear my shirt?”
I shrug. “It’s comfy.”
He walks back to his side of the island and knocks back the orange juice. Silence laced with sexual tension pulses through the room.
“Do you wish you could return to the city?” I ask.
“Yeah, sometimes. I like living here, but the city has a lot of perks. I wish I could have the best of both worlds. I want that freedom to choose.”
I nod. “That makes sense. I think anyone would.”
He smiles at me and forks more pancakes and bacon onto his plate. The amount he made looked like enough to feed a small army, but it’s quickly disappearing. It seems shifters appetites for both sex and food are way beyond human levels.
We fall into a comfortable silence, eating together. I can’t help but wonder if it’s weird that I’m so naturally at ease in such an unnatural setting.
It feels like we’re an average couple going about our daily routine. We only met yesterday evening. Something tells me that this is only going to get more complicated the longer it goes on.
13
Rhys
I sit at the head of our council table, staring at the members of the pack council. All of them look pissed off, as I expected.
Today is the first day I’ve shown my face in seven days. I wanted to make my point, not to mention, I could hardly tear myself away from my new mate.
“I called you all here to discuss the matter of my mate.” I stand from my seat, towering over them. “For a while now, you’ve been telling me to choose a mate to settle down with. Well, I found my fated mate in New York City, and we have chosen her.”
Hugh stands, growling lowly. “She’s a fucking human, Rhys.”
I nod my head, feeling a flood of rage slam into me at his insolence. He’s speaking out of turn and building up to the inevitable. He’s going to challenge me. “Yeah, she is, and the daughter of Landon Carmichael.”
The entire council gasps.
“Are you insane?” Jackson asks, standing.
I growl, feeling my wolf straining to break free. He hates a challenge to his power without the chance to prove his dominance. If I were to let go, the pack would have a lot of losses—losses we can’t afford right now. “Careful Jackson, remember who you are speaking to.”
Hugh crosses his arms over his chest. “What is your plan?”
Ever since I realized Anastasia was my mate, a plan has been forming. It only solidified the moment I found out she is the daughter of Landon. “I intend to unite the humans and shifters, finally abolishing the bullshit New York City Council.”
Hugh laughs, irritating my wolf further. “How the fuck will you do that?”
I walk toward him, keeping my shoulders pushed back. He may be big, but he’s not as big as me. My wolf needs to assert his dominance before he breaks free and rips all these assholes to shreds. “I will do it easily, don’t you worry about how Hugh.”
He shrinks back slightly, but the fight is still there in his eyes. His wolf wants to challenge, and my wolf loves the idea. “What about the rest of the packs? They won’t want the outright alpha taking a human queen.”
I shrug. “Until one of the members challenges me, they can’t do fuck all. Even if someone does challenge me, everyone knows that I’m the strongest wolf in North America.” I’m goading Hugh’s wolf. He is strong, but he’s not strong enough to defeat me in a fight.
“Bullshit,” he growls, staring me right in the eye. “I’ll challenge you, Rhys.”
Jackson smirks, clearly this was his plan.
“Perfect, I can’t wait to rip you apart, Hugh.” I rub my hands together. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time.”
We’ve never got on with each other. Hugh’s family has always hated mine. I’m sure his father killed my father when we were younger, but there was nothing anyone could do about it. We never found any evidence.
It feels like my chance for revenge.
Jackson stands. “That’s settled then. At moonrise three nights from now, you two will fight for the position of alpha.” He fixes his eyes on me. “It will be a fight to the death. May the best wolf win.”
I grit my teeth together and push my wolf back. He wants to fucking kill everyone on the council, which wouldn’t go down well with the pack. “Yeah, he will. Meeting fucking dismissed.”
I walk out of the council chambers, tension coiling through every muscle in my body. I need to get my plan in place, and I know who can help me.
Most wolves may be opposed to a human mate for their alpha, but I know one that won’t give a shit.
Karl.
I walk along the path through the pack’s town. Whispers break out as I pass my subjects, men, women, and children. They all hate the idea of a human standing by my side. Well, soon enough, they’ll learn their place.
Karl’s home is on the edge of the town—he’s a bit of an outcast. I knock his door and tap my foot, waiting.
“Who the fuck is it?” He pulls open the door, and his face drops when he sees me. “Oh shit, sorry sir, I didn’t realize it was you.”
I laugh. “Don’t worry about it, Karl. I need your help.”
> His eyes widen, but he steps aside, allowing me in. “Of course, come in.”
Alicia, his wife, is standing to one side. She bows her head slightly. “I’ll get out of your—”
“No, I want you to stay, Alicia.”
Her eyes widen, and so do her husband’s. Alicia is human. It’s the reason he’s the outcast of our pack. The only member whose fated mate was human—until I found Anastasia. “Have a seat,” Karl says.
I sit down on his tatty sofa, and he sits opposite on a chair.
“How can I help?”
I tilt my head to the side slightly. “Karl, I assume you haven’t heard the news?”
He shakes his head. “Sorry, sir, I’m not exactly kept in the loop because...” He trails off.
“Right, well, I found my mate. A human.”
He sits up straighter, intrigue burning his eyes. “Have you accepted her?”
I nod. “Yes, Hugh has challenged me, and we will fight on Friday night. Not that I’m worried, the guy can’t beat me.”
Karl shakes his head. “No, he can’t.”
“What I need help with is eliminating the New York State Council.”
“Why, Sir?”
I draw in a deep breath and glance over at his wife, Alicia. “For too long, the New York State pack has been dictated to by a human council, that ends now. I want to unite humans and shifters, just like it has been done across most of North America.”
Karl clears his throat, shuffling in his chair. “I see, why do you need my help?”
“I thought that would be obvious, Karl.” I glance at Alicia, who has now taken a seat by her husband’s side.
“Because he’s the only other shifter with a human mate,” she says.
I nod. “Exactly. You understand why humans and shifters can live together.”
She smiles kindly, and guilt rises in my chest. Even though I’ve always hated living our lives dictated by the human council, I’ve been prejudice myself.
Alicia and Karl have been outcasts under my rule. I didn’t do anything to change it. “I’m sorry I haven’t exactly taken the time to get to know you,” I say.
