by Delta James
“Bethan is mistress here.”
“Yes, and always will be until Ioan dies or steps down and another takes his place. But Ava is convinced that if we were mates, she could convince me to challenge Ioan.”
“You would never do that,” said Maddie.
Griffin smiled as he knew that she wasn’t asking, but was stating a fact.
“Thus, why I chose you for my mate. If Ava gives you any trouble, just say something to Ioan.”
“It’ll be fine. Griffin, I don’t want to argue, but you have to know, I’m not staying here without you.”
“I don’t want to argue either,” he said with resignation, “but you will stay here when I leave tomorrow. And you will mind Ioan and not conspire with Catherine and Skylar.”
Griffin sought to pull her into his embrace. He had need of her soft, sultry, and sensual nature. She resisted him at first, but he held her tighter, leaning down to capture her mouth. His tongue plundered her mouth, dueling with hers. His hand slipped from her waist down to cup the sweet curve of her flank and draw her into intimate contact with his rampant cock as it strained against the fastening of his jeans.
Maddie moaned against his mouth and he felt her acquiesce to his desire. He felt her arms wrap around him as she pressed herself against him. He cupped her ass with both hands as he held her close and she responded by rubbing her ever-hardening nipples against him.
Griffin growled low and seductively to her. Her answering growl was just as seductive and as full of needy desire as his own. He felt her call to him in the way female wolves had called to their mates for thousands of years.
Griffin reached down and tugged her sweater over her head, tossing it across the room. His hand quickly unfastened her bra and released her glorious tits from their confinement. He palmed both of them before taking one in his hand to fondle and capturing the other with his mouth.
Maddie arched back, supported by his embrace of her waist to hold her close. He switched hands so that he could bring the other to roughly play with the nipple he had just stimulated to an almost painful state as he latched on to the other one.
Griffin positioned his thigh between her legs and chuckled as she began to ride it, trying to rub her clit while still wearing a pair of jeans. He reached down between them and opened the fly of her jeans, pushing them down past her ass. With his leg positioned between hers, he could not lower them further.
With a growl, he swept her up and walked to their bed, unceremoniously dumping her into it so that she was on her back with her legs hanging over the sides. Griffin knelt between them and tugged at her jeans, rendering her naked. He stood back up and looked down at his mate. Her body was flushed and her hips were moving in an unmistakable invitation.
Griffin knelt again, putting his head between her thighs and putting a leg over each shoulder. He stood up, lifting her lower body off of the bed. Maddie gasped with both surprise and a fresh spike of desire as he lowered his mouth to her and began to treat her clit to the same licking and sucking attention that he’d given each of her nipples.
He smiled as she thrashed her head back and forth. He could see, feel, and scent her arousal going into overdrive as she climaxed, pushing her sweet honey to the edge of her pussy. Before it could leave its nesting place to drip somewhere else, Griffin caught it with his tongue and began to lick and suck her hot little honey pot. Maddie bucked and bowed, simultaneously trying to get away from him and closer to him.
Griffin wrapped his arms around her as he continued to use his tongue and mouth to their best advantage. Griffin held her steady with one hand and then reached down with the other to play with her nipples. Maddie quit fighting him and allowed him to completely possess her with his mouth. He plundered her sweet channel with his tongue repeatedly until finally he felt her orgasm explode in her center, moving outward like rings in the water when a pebble has been thrown. He held her suspended until the crest of climax had come and gone.
“Oh, God, Griffin,” he heard her say.
Gently he lowered her body. She opened her eyes and stared at him. He said nothing as he removed his clothing and revealed not only his very proud and erect cock, but an enormous knot at the end of it.
“On your hands and knees, mate, in the middle of the bed.”
Griffin smiled as she obeyed his order without question. He crawled up on the bed behind her. He covered his body with her own, his cock throbbing between her legs, desperate to breach her from behind.
“Griffin, aren’t you going to knot me?”
He chuckled. “Aye, cwningen bach, in the way our kind has done for thousands of years. Did you think I could only knot you in human form face to face? Nay, love. ‘Tis a far deeper and even more long-lasting tie when I breach you from behind. And this time you’ll take my knot when you aren’t in the midst of your own climax.”
He got upright on his knees, positioned his cock at the entrance to her sheath. He took hold of her shoulders, applying light pressure backwards to hold her in place and then breached her core in one hard thrust.
Maddie screamed, partly from pain but partly from the increased pleasure she could already feel.
Griffin released one of her shoulders, stilled himself deep within her and then reached under her to play with her clit. He used some of her honey that he hadn’t lapped up as she came in his mouth to rub into that tight little nub as she began to moan incoherently.
“Good mate. Now that you’re properly breached you come for me, take my knot, and let me ride you until I’m done.”
Griffin could tell she was no longer capable of coherent thought. She had become one with him and all she could do was feel her pussy stretched around his cock and the knot that began to swell to seal her to him.
“Oh, God,” she panted.
When her body had fully accepted his knot and was sealed to him, Griffin took hold of her hips and began to rock within her. The different position created new sensations and he could feel her shatter as her pleasure spiraled out of control.
Over and over he rocked her hard until finally the strength of her arms gave way and she stretched out her upper body in utter supplication. He growled and muttered words of sex and love in his native tongue. Griffin rocked her harder and longer than he thought was possible before he finally felt his balls harden and then release the built-up cum. He roared as it rushed up from his balls and the knot and shot down the length of his cock, pumping Maddie’s sealed pussy full of his seed.
Griffin had never experienced an orgasm on that magnitude. He gushed semen into her first as full, hard stream and then in spurts as her pussy climaxed around him, pulsing and milking him dry. When he finally emptied himself into her, he held her gently as he lay down and intimately spooned with her.
He felt Maddie nestle against him, getting as close as possible. Griffin could tell she was completely sated and spent. He didn’t have the heart to tell her she would be sore as hell come morning. He had heard that knotting your mate from behind could often result in a tie that lasted almost twice as long but left the woman sore from having been stretched for a greater length of time without relief.
He hoped when he took her to the tower that all he had to leave sore was the sheath within which he had buried his sword of flesh. He feared, however, if she realized he’d deliberately exhausted her and made her pussy painful from his possession that he would have to leave her with a well welted bottom to match.
He felt his cock throb within her at the thought of seeing her standing in the corner with a well punished backside before he fucked her one last time before leaving her. She sighed and turned her head for a kiss. He obliged her and listened to her give in to her exhaustion and relax into a deep slumber.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Maddie woke spooned against Griffin. It was still dark. She was startled to realize he was still tied to her and that his cock was still buried deep within her pussy. He must have felt her stir as he reached down with one hand to gently fondle her breast an
d with the other to slide a finger onto her clit and rub slow circles.
“What time is it?” she whispered.
“Very, very early or very, very late, depending on your point of view,” teased Griffin.
“Keep your voice down; we don’t want to disturb anyone.”
She heard him laugh before he said, “This from my mate who screamed her pleasure several times last night?”
“Oh, God, I didn’t, did I?”
He chuckled and nuzzled her neck. “Aye, cwningen bach, you did. But this is a castle with thick stone walls and solid oak doors. No one save me heard you.”
“I’m still sealed to you.”
“Aye, when a man mounts and breaches his mate from behind, both the knot and the tie are longer and more intense.”
“That’s nice,” she sighed as she closed her eyes and fell back asleep.
* * *
The second time she woke it was full light. What caused her to wake was the painful uncoupling as Griffin’s knot had finally resolved itself and he slipped from her body. She glanced at the clock. She had been impaled on him for more than six hours.
Griffin felt her stir and nuzzled her.
“I’m going to hurt, aren’t I?” she asked.
“Hmm, I’m afraid so.”
“You did it deliberately, didn’t you?” she softly accused.
“Let’s just say I want you to have something to look forward to.”
She rolled over within the circle of his arms.
“No, what you want is for me to be too tired and too sore to object again to you trying to leave me.”
“There will be no try, mate. You will stay at Calon Onest. Was the primary reason I breached you from behind to make you sore enough to remind you why you need to be a good girl while I’m gone? No, I breached you from behind because I had always heard it was the most intense way to do so. I wanted both of us to have that before I went into battle. Did I think that a nice side effect might be my mate being too tired and too tender to put up much of a fight? Guilty as charged.”
Maddie caught her breath and her eyes filled with tears. “I hadn’t even considered that you might be hurt or killed.”
“Nay, love. Don’t fret yourself. I didn’t wait this long to find you to only get to knot you once from behind. I’ll return to you, Maddie. I swear it.”
Maddie clung to him. “I can’t lose you. Promise me you won’t get yourself killed.”
“I won’t, sweetheart. As much as I’d prefer to spend what remaining time we have before I leave with my cock buried in your sweet cunny, we need to get up and join the rest of the pack.”
Griffin got up and helped her out of their bed.
“Sonofabitch,” Maddie gasped. It felt like a hot knife had ripped through her.
Griffin picked her up and took her into the large shower. “The hot water and steam should help.”
Maddie relaxed in his embrace and enjoyed his attention as he gently lathered soap all over her body and rinsed her off. Once he’d gotten himself clean, he got a towel and gently dried her off. He helped her dress before donning his own clothes.
“Okay, that’s just not right,” she said.
“What?” he asked.
“I can barely move and you’re fit as a fiddle.”
“That’s because I was the breacher and you were the breachee,” he teased as he kissed the tip of her nose.
They walked out of their room and started down the staircase before they heard something hard hit the front door. Maddie felt Griffin push her behind him and to the relative safety of a small niche before the massive door swung in.
“This is such bullshit! I’m not having it! Somebody get that misbegotten sonofabitch I used to be mated to on the bloody fucking phone.”
“Madonna, please, calm yourself.”
“Don’t you Madonna me, you traitorous asshole. Griffin? Griffin, I know you’re here and partly responsible for this.”
Maddie watched as Griffin left her and approached Catherine. “Now, Catherine. Unless I’m mistaken, you’re still mated to that misbegotten sonofabitch.”
“Not for long. Once I kick his balls up around his teeth and kill him I won’t be bloody mated to anybody. I’ll take over our fucking vineyard and open my own sanctuary for female wolves and we’ll use his arsenal and weaponry against the lot of you.”
“Catherine?” called Ioan as he came striding out of his office. “I know you’re upset and worried about Marco.”
“I’m not upset, I’m pissed off. And the only thing I’m worried about is that the Serbs will kill him before I get a chance to. Somebody get me a pilot, I’m going home.”
With that she whirled on her heel and strode back out the door. Maddie saw her opening and charged past Ioan and Griffin.
“I’m going with her,” she called over her shoulder. “Catherine, wait up. We’ll go together.”
Catherine, still in full-on tantrum mode, turned and saw Maddie. “Maddie! I’m so happy to see you. This is bullshit! I’m going home.”
Maddie grinned. “I know. I’m going with you.”
They hadn’t gotten far when Maddie felt Griffin catch her by the scruff of her neck. She could see he had Catherine as well. Catherine lashed out, but Griffin kept her just out of reach.
“Colum,” Griffin called for Ioan’s second in command. “Can you come take hold of this blonde hellcat for me?”
Colum laughed and went and took Catherine’s arm even as she tried her damnedest to kick, scratch, or bite him.
“Catherine DeMedici,” came the cold, demanding voice of Ioan Smith-Davies. “That is quite enough. You cease your caterwauling this instant or you will be sent to your room immediately and until I’m convinced you’ve had enough time to decide to behave yourself.” He looked at one of the men DeMedici had sent with his furious mate. “I believe one of you has an envelope for me?”
One of the men grinned and took Ioan the requested item. Ioan opened the padded manila envelope, opened it and emptied the contents into his open palm. He turned to look at Catherine, whose face lost all of its color when she saw what he held.
Maddie looked at the object that had caused her friend such consternation. It was a thin, Italian leather strap.
“Now, young lady, your mate has sent this to me with the express instructions that if you misbehave in any way, I am to put you over my knee and take his strap to your behind reminding you that I act in his stead. Are you going to force me to do that or will you behave yourself?”
Catherine turned to Griffin. “You wouldn’t let him do that to me, would you?”
Griffin smiled. “Only if I wasn’t here to do it myself.”
Maddie realized he was once again focused on her. “And either you settle down this instant or I’m going to borrow Marco’s strap and see if it is as effective on naughty mates as he says it is. Do I need to welt you before I leave, cwningen bach?”
Maddie shook her head. “No, Griffin. I’m sorry.”
Griffin once more looked at Catherine. “Catherine, do you need to feel Marco’s strap across your ass several times?”
Maddie saw all of the air leave her body. She looked much like a deflated balloon. “No, Griffin.”
“Very well,” said Ioan. “We have a nice brunch laid out. Let’s show our guests to the dining room.”
They headed back into the house. Griffin wrapped his arm around her and leaned in to whisper, “You’d best be happy I have to go back with the plane. Otherwise, little girl, you would be getting your first taste of leather across your bottom. You behave yourself while I’m gone. I want to be able to look forward to making your girly parts sore upon my return, not your pretty little backside.”
Maddie looked up at him. “Yes, Griffin. I’ll behave.”
The group enjoyed lunch. Marco’s pilot informed Griffin that Marco had wanted them back as soon as possible.
“No, Griff…” Maddie started.
“It’ll be all right, cwningen bach. I w
aited too long to find you, I will not be parted from you so easily. You be a good girl. I’ve told Ioan to put you up in the tower. If you think you can behave, I’ll let him know you can stay in our room unless you misbehave. Can you obey me and stay safe here at Calon Onest?”
“Griff…”
“No, Maddie. I have to go. I love you.”
“You’d better come back to me.”
He smiled at her. The look was at once apologetic and yet firm. He didn’t want them to part quarreling but it was obvious he meant to have his way. Maddie straightened her back and softened her body language and eyes.
“I love you too,” she said softly.
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. “I miss you already.”
With that he turned and left. Maddie felt as though someone had just taken a battering ram to her middle. She felt an arm wrap around her shoulders. It was Catherine.
“When this is all over, I say we do something really rotten to the lot of them…”
Maddie smiled. “I’m in.”
“Do you know Marco told him to lock me in the tower… literally, my rooms are in that tower. Apparently, Skylar will be on another floor and there will be guards.”
“Griffin backed off and said I could stay in our room. I figure that way, at least one of us will be able to move around more freely. And Anna will be here soon.”
Catherine smiled at her. “I knew there was a reason we were going to be good friends.”
* * *
Evening was a quiet, subdued affair. Ioan informed Catherine that she was allowed freedom within the keep but would have a guard with her at all times. If she misbehaved or took advantage of his largess, then he would confine her, the baby, and two of her women to the tower.
As the Calon Onest pack began to break up for the evening, Catherine and the baby were shown to their rooms in the tower. Maddie had asked to go with them and Ioan had refused.
When she questioned him, he reminded her that he was alpha and she was subject to his authority.
“In addition, I am not besotted with you as is your mate. I think you want to go get the lay of the land thinking perhaps you and your friends can do as you please. Keep in mind, Maddie, your mate left you in my care. I will keep you safe. You may go to your room now.”
