Claimed and Mated

by James, Delta

  And Catherine knew that while that was true, it was not the only reason she had left. Part of her wanted to confide everything in him, but she feared he would look at the evidence rationally and conclude there was no hope of finding Shannon and would prevent her from continuing her search.

  “Would that be so bad?” he said softly. “I have already lost myself in you. That is the nature of fated mates.”

  A single tear started to roll down her cheek.

  “Do not weep, my Catherine. There is nothing to fear.”

  Trying to lighten the mood, she quipped, “Why does a single tear bother you, but when I’m crying my eyes out when you spank me, it does nothing to move you?”

  He smiled. “The single tear shows the depth of what you’re feeling. Your caterwauling when I am expressing my displeasure at your behavior is simply part of your tantrum throwing.”

  “Tantrum throwing?”

  He nodded. “Yes. But it is of no consequence. It is, after all, supposed to hurt enough that you refrain from doing it a second time.”

  “And what if a woman doesn’t have a mate to discipline her?”

  Marco leaned over and kissed her. “If she is part of a pack, then she has her alpha and her beta to provide her with the structure and correction she needs. If she is allowed to be on her own, as you have been for far too long, she becomes unsettled and unruly. It is then up to her mate, when he finds her, to give her boundaries within which to live happily and to correct those bad habits that have been allowed to flourish.”

  “Pack? Alpha? Beta? What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Calm yourself, my Catherine. That is a discussion best left for a better time and location.”

  “And what if I want to discuss them now?”

  Catherine wasn’t sure why, but she knew the answer to those questions was important and would impact her life greatly. She wanted answers and she wanted them now.

  “Do not fret, tesoro. I am here now and will give you what you need...” He laughed. “Even when you don’t want it. I will not allow you to merely twist in the wind or to be blown about and not be able to enjoy all the sweetness that our life will give you.”

  “You know, Marco, I’m pretty damn good at taking care of myself.”

  “Are you? Then why are you not already mated? Why has no one ever given you the loving guidance you so desperately need?”

  “You’re a few years older than me. Why aren’t you already mated... or are you? Sera said you had plenty of secrets... is that one of them?”

  “I am not mated because you have been good at staying hidden... just enough out of reach that I couldn’t find you. I knew you were my fated mate and would settle for nothing less. And that had best be the last time you ever accuse me of infidelity.”

  “See what I mean? You make me unsettled and then I get nasty. I just don’t think this will work.”

  Marco growled low and seductively and watched as her body responded. She softened and her body quivered in response. He knew if he scented the air in the backseat of the car he would be able to smell her arousal.

  “Shhh, my Catherine,” he said as he pulled her unrelenting body closer to his. “It will be all right.”

  Catherine struggled, but could not get away. Marco did nothing but hold her in his arms and gently rock her as though she were a small child to be comforted. His gentleness... his somehow knowing what she needed even when she didn’t were her undoing. Once again, she started to cry.

  “There, there, sweetheart—your mate is here. I have you. There is no need for you to fight any longer. That is my duty and responsibility. I will keep you safe whether the danger be physical or emotional, real or imagined.”

  Catherine gave up whatever fight she had left in her and nestled deeper into his lap, burrowing into his chest and seeking his comfort. Part of what left her feeling a bit disoriented was how quickly she vacillated from one extreme to the other. One minute all she wanted was to feel his cock thrusting in and out of her like a battering ram and the next all she could think was how to get far, far away from him.

  Catherine wasn’t sure when she’d fallen asleep or for how long she’d slept. She started to stir as Marco got out of the limo with her cradled in his arms. She felt him enter the hotel and once again climb the grand staircase. This time he negotiated the door on his own, closing it before laying her on the bed.

  “Why are we back here?”

  “There are a few remaining things I need to do. That will be more easily accomplished if I am here in Florence and they can bring papers for my signature here to the hotel. I will not leave you again, sweetheart, to worry and fret. I will be here to reassure you and see that you get what you need—whether it be food, spanking, or my cock stroking your pussy. I’m going to order dinner. Is there anything special you’d like?”

  “No,” she said quietly. “Whatever you want.”

  He leaned over and kissed her, igniting the spark of passion they both knew he would fan into flames later. “What I want is for you to get naked. You will remain so until we leave for home.”

  Marco watched her undress and demanded she surrender her clothes to him. She had resisted but acquiesced as soon as he growled at her. Once she was naked, he ran his hands over her body possessively. He smiled at her shivered response and then sent her to stand in the corner to await his forgiveness for running away.

  He sat back and observed her demeanor. He was learning to read her body language quite well. When she was first made to stand in the corner her spine would be straight, her shoulders back, and her overall posture rigid. As he continued to watch her and she accepted not only her punishment but his authority, her body would soften, her shoulders would slump, and often she would lean against the wall.

  It was only then that Marco knew she was ready to be forgiven.

  * * *

  Catherine felt him close in on her. She felt his hands come up to reposition her body to be more easily mounted. This very act—putting her body where he wanted for his use—was both humbling and arousing at the same time.

  He fondled her breasts and nipples with a degree of roughness that served only to inflame the arousal that had begun as he watched her undress. She swore she could actually feel her body producing the amount of lubrication he would need to mount her without causing either of them any physical distress. He nuzzled her neck and she moaned in response. It seemed so easy for him to produce his desired effect. She wondered how he could make her body respond to him by seemingly doing so little.

  Her nipples were beaded and hard and her breathing was more shallow and erratic. Having his body so close to her, feeling his cock probe between her legs and nudge the entrance to her sheath made her go weak at the knees. She leaned against the wall to help hold herself up, but it was Marco’s strong embrace that kept her where she needed to be.

  “Please, Marco.”

  “Are you ready to be forgiven, my Catherine?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “Then ask me,” he commanded quietly.

  “Marco, please forgive me.”

  “What for? Were you a naughty mate who got her bottom spanked and now needs to be fucked to know she is forgiven and reminded that her mate loves her above all else?”

  “Yes,” she cried.

  Catherine knew it to be true. She had disobeyed him and found herself beginning to accept that she needed him to punish her for that and then to forgive her and reestablish the sensual dynamic that existed between them. She needed to know she could rely on his strength and love and that she could surrender to both.

  With no further preliminaries, Marco powerfully thrust home, causing her to orgasm in response.

  She heard him make the provocative half growl/half chuckle that made her feel as though the sound itself skittered across her skin. She knew that he knew she had a primordial response to that sound and to the dominant way he possessed her, taking them both to heights of sexual bliss she had never experienced before.
>
  His thrusting was strong, deep, and practiced. If nothing else, the man knew how to fuck a woman to complete and total satisfaction. He never even began to seek his own release until he was assured she’d climaxed at least twice and usually more than that. Catherine found she was becoming used to being a bit tender in her feminine parts... and was enjoying that.

  Anger gnawed at Catherine’s insides. She wasn’t even angry at Marco. She was angry with herself. She should be looking for Shannon and instead she was falling hopelessly in love with a man she knew very little about. She could hear her heart and soul cry out that the latter wasn’t true. She knew Marco the way he knew her—in a way she had never experienced and had come to believe didn’t exist. But why then did she feel the need to hide her true reason for coming to Florence from him?

  Chapter Thirteen

  Marco had been as good as his word. He had rarely left her side. Catherine had basked in his attention. Her emotions had continued to fluctuate wildly. One minute she wanted to escape and to find her sister and the next she wanted to tell Marco everything and beg him to help her.

  Through it all he continued to speak of the villa, the business, his past, and his extended family. In some ways he was an open book willing to share anything. But she felt that there was a lot he wasn’t telling her. Things that were important and that she needed to know. He would typically brush off her concerns and then divert her attention with his commanding lovemaking. Whatever fears she might have would be pushed aside the moment Marco began to seduce her—heart, mind, body, and soul.

  Catherine felt him nuzzle her. She snuggled back into his body, seeking his warmth. They most often fell asleep either with him spooned around her or with Marco on his back and her being snuggled under his arm with her head on his chest. This morning they were spooned together. It never ceased to amaze her that she had become so used to sleeping with him. Not just having sex with him, but actually sleeping with him.

  Catherine smiled. So far she’d been able to avoid a face-down over-his-knee spanking since the train, but had earned the occasional swat here or there. She had put his shirt on one morning and he’d told her to remove it. When she sat down instead, she found herself pulled off the couch, the shirt stripped off of her, and her bottom swatted hard several times. Marco had warned her that if she disobeyed him again, she’d earn herself a true punishment spanking. He seemed to understand that accepting his authority and leadership was new for her and not necessarily a natural fit, but insisted it would come easier for her in time.

  “Marco?”

  “Yes, my Catherine?”

  She smiled. He rarely used her name that the possessive ‘my’ wasn’t in front of it. The thing was it no longer bothered her and in fact now seemed perfectly normal.

  “If I am your Catherine, does that make you my Marco?”

  He chuckled—the deep rumbling sound she always felt surround her completely.

  “But of course. Who else’s Marco would I be?”

  She giggled. “Why does that make me so happy to hear you say that?”

  “Did you doubt it?”

  “I don’t know that I doubted it, but it’s nice to hear you say it.”

  “As you no longer seem to object to being my Catherine, I will tell you that I have waited a long, long time for you. I love you, my Catherine. Now and forever.”

  Catherine wiggled around in his arms until she was facing him. She searched his face for any sign of deception. There was none.

  “You do?”

  “Do you doubt me?” he asked softly.

  Catherine thought for a moment. “No. No, I don’t. But I do wonder what it is you aren’t telling me.”

  “As there are things you have yet to tell me... including, I might add, that you love me too.”

  “Are you sure that I do?” she teased gently.

  Marco smiled. “Yes, my Catherine. I am sure you do. If you are not ready to say it or even admit it to yourself, I can be patient. But know that all of your secrets are safe with me.”

  “But you don’t think that I can be trusted with yours?” she chided.

  Marco thought a minute and seemed to make a decision.

  “Do you still see me in your dreams?”

  “No,” she said. “Ever since the first time we were together you no longer inhabit my dreams, but your buddy the big black wolf is still there. He is usually off on the horizon, but always watching.”

  Marco smiled and chuckled again.

  “Do you remember the first night we saw each other?”

  She nodded.

  “You were wearing the red cloak with the hood?”

  Again she nodded.

  “The very embodiment of little red riding hood.”

  “So, what does that make you? The big bad wolf? Because for damn sure you aren’t my ailing grandmother.” She laughed as she said it and then realized Marco wasn’t laughing. She tilted her head and looked at him closely.

  Marco kissed the tip of her nose and then each of her eyelids. “I am the one who gobbled you up, am I not?” he teased.

  “Marco, don’t tease. What is it?”

  “The wolf is a part of me.”

  “What do you mean? Like he’s your spirit guide/animal? I didn’t think that was a part of the Italian belief system.”

  “I am not pure Italian. The blood of the Romany flows through my veins as well. But no, the wolf is not my spirit guide, but he is a part of me.”

  Catherine sat up and looked into his seemingly bottomless eyes.

  “I don’t understand.”

  Marco sat up and pulled her into his embrace, arranging it so her head was against his chest.

  “For thousands of years, there have been two types of humanoid lifeforms inhabiting the earth...”

  Catherine pushed off his chest, sitting up again. He allowed her to pull away but not to put any real distance between them.

  “What are you saying?”

  “What I’m trying to tell you is that humans such as yourself are not the only humanoids who evolved on earth.”

  “Of course they are.”

  “No, my Catherine. There is another line that can shift between their purely humanoid form and their animal form. In my case, the wolf.”

  “That’s fantasy or science fiction... I can never tell the real difference between the two...”

  Marco shook his head. “It is neither. It is simply something that my kind have hidden as best we could from your kind. There are those of your kind who have known and in much earlier times, my kind was more widely known and accepted by some.”

  “Your kind? What the hell do you mean by that? You’re human. Hell, Marco, I’ve seen you naked. I’ve had my hands on every part of your body. There’s nothing not human about you. I don’t think this is funny.”

  “It is not meant to be funny. And I realize it is difficult to understand, but in our human form we are outwardly indistinguishable from humans. But we have the ability to shift to an animal form. In my case, and that of my pack, wolves. The wolf you have always seen with me in your dreams and who now continues to stand vigil is me.”

  “That is complete and total bullshit.”

  “Catherine, I realize what I’m telling you is difficult to accept, but you mind your language.”

  “You want me to believe you have the ability to change into a wolf and you’re worried about my fu... freaking language?”

  Marco’s growl had cut off the word she had been about to use and caused her body to shiver in response to him as it always did.

  “I will not warn you again, my Catherine. Remember how much you disliked the taste of soap. As I was trying to explain, in ancient times, the ability to shift between human and wolf gave my kind a definitive advantage. We were able to adapt to less hospitable environments. We were also gifted with enhanced genetic immunity, rapid healing ability, and longer life.”

  “You want me to believe you can just blink your eyes and you change into a wolf? Or is it
more that there’s a full moon and you go through some horrific, painful change where your clothes get torn asunder.”

  “None of the above,” he said with a smile. Marco kissed her softly and then got out of bed. “Normally we remove our clothing as it gets in the way, but as I am already naked...”

  He moved so that he was positioned between Catherine and the door.

  Catherine watched him with a combination of horror and fascination as his body shifted smoothly from that of the man with whom she had experienced the most incredible sex and intense emotions of her life to the black wolf of her dreams. She tried to scream, but no sound came out.

  The wolf approached her cautiously. He was larger and appeared to be more powerful than the wolves she had seen in the wild or in the zoo. In fact he was much larger.

  “Marco?” she said quietly as she tentatively reached her hand out to him.

  The black wolf nuzzled her hand and rubbed his head against it. His eyes never left hers and his tail wagged slowly.

  Catherine brought both of her hands up and put them on either side of his head. She lowered her forehead to his and again he rubbed against her.

  “It really is you,” she said in a whisper filled with wonder. “Can you understand me?”

  She giggled as his tail wagged with more enthusiasm.

  “Holy shit!”

  The wolf growled.

  “Hey! I get a pass on that. It is way outside of the norm for the man you love to change into a wolf. Can you change back that easily? Is it easy? It looked easy. But does it hurt?”

  The wolf backed away and she watched again as the wolf became her lover. He smiled at her and then stood to his full height.

  She shook her head. “I say again, holy shit.”

  “That, my Catherine, is the last pass on your language. And am I?”

  She looked at him with confusion.

  “The man you love?” he whispered.

  She nodded and then started to giggle. “Apparently man and wolf. Okay, that’s going to take some getting used to.”

  He drew her out of bed and into his arms. “I didn’t frighten you?”