by Maia Dylan
“Ohh pancakes please! I’ll just get cleaned up a little beforehand.” She moved the sheet back and carefully slid her legs slowly out of the bed, intent on standing up and making her way to the bathroom in her room.
“Whoa there, you’re still recovering from a gunshot wound. I don’t think you should be up and about just yet.” He leaned over, plucked her off the bed, and lifted her up into his arms, making her gasp. There was just something about a man who insisted on carrying a woman. “Besides, this way I get to have you in my arms, and I gotta tell you, Miss Casey, you feel mighty fine in my arms.” He gave her a sexy smile as he carried her into the bathroom and set her on the closed lid of the toilet.
He pressed a kiss against her forehead, and then smiled while looking into her eyes. “I’ll be right outside if you need me, just holler when you’re done and I’ll get you back into your bed.” Then he left her alone to do her thing.
When she caught her reflection in the mirror, she did a comical double-take. Good lord, she looked terrible! Huge dark circles under her eyes and what in the hell was that stuff in her hair? “Micah?” she called and he popped his head back into the room. “Do you know if the doctor said I was allowed to have a shower?”
“Yeah, he said it was all good. You have waterproof dressings on your two wound sites. So as long as you stay sitting on that chair thing in there you should be good to go.”
“Excellent!” She gave him a huge smile and loved the fact that his eyes darkened. He winked at her and then closed the door.
Thirty minutes, some soap, and a hairbrush later and she was feeling almost human again. She had managed to stand and shuffle her way over to the door. When she opened it, she was alone in the room. She started to make her way back to her bed when the door opened, and Micah came in carrying a takeout bag.
“Hey!” She grinned at him. “Check me out, all mobile and shit.” He rolled his eyes, put the bag down, and swept her into his arms and back onto the bed again.
“You’re feeling better then, that’s good. I brought us some breakfast.” He pulled the hospital table over to the bed and started pulling food out of the bag, reaching in again and again.
“Good lord! How many are we feeding here?” She laughed as the hospital tray was soon packed with food.
He grinned at her pulling out the last two containers. “Only you and me, but I happen to be a wolf with a pretty big appetite!” He pulled out a breakfast burrito and downed it in two bites. Casey wasn’t sure he even chewed. Smiling, she helped herself to some of the fruit salad and a pancake. A mug of steaming hot coffee was placed in front of her and she was one happy little camper.
“So, you’re a writer?” Micah asked around his third burrito.
“Yep, I write erotic romance books.” Micah froze with his burrito halfway to his mouth. Yeah, she was used to kind of reaction. So she grinned and let him process that while she munched on her breakfast.
“I’ll…have to read some of your books sometime.” His eyes had taken on a very cool glow. Me thinks he likes that idea. They ate their fill, chatting and getting to know each other. The more that Casey learned the more she liked her wolf. He was very close to his family and loyal to the core. He had a sense of humor that matched her own, and she could see a lot of laughter in their future together, potential end of the world aside. He also had a protective streak a mile wide.
“How did you know I was your mate?” Micah asked suddenly, and Casey smiled. She had been wondering when this was going to come up again.
“Well, because of—let’s just say circumstances in my life beyond my control, I have a very strong interest in the supernatural. I have met with and spoken to a lot of shifter communities and leaders over the years. I met the Sharman for one of the northern wolf packs who told me I was the mate to a wolf, and that he would come for me when I was in danger. He told me that I would recognize you immediately and would feel the mating bond form and I did.”
Casey smiled shyly as Micah’s eyes softened as he looked at her. She had left out a few other indications like the fact that she had dreamed about him for years, but if he didn’t remember those dreams then perhaps the Fates had only meant them for her.
“I learnt a lot from each and every person I spoke with, and the fact that for wolf shifters you won’t fully merge with your inner wolf spirit until you actually scent your mate was something I found beautiful.” Casey was quiet for a moment as she struggled to but her thoughts into words.
“That moment when you scent your mate and everything aligns within you, it’s like the coming together of heart, body, and soul and it is so beautiful to me. What was it like for you?”
Micah smiled. “It was exactly how my dad described it to me and my brothers. I scented you and felt this huge swell of power and strength and it dropped me to my knees. I had to fight my wolf for control for a moment, the merge shook the both of us I think, but I managed to force the change back to human. “
“Can he force you to change form?”
“Before meeting you, there was always the possibility of that. He’s a strong wolf and quite stubborn. They need to be allowed to exercise and take control in order to cede control at other times, if that makes sense. It is a privilege and an honor to have a wolf spirit, and he and I will work as one to protect you from now on.”
“I’m not quite sure what we do now?” she asked after a moment.
“Yeah, you and me both, sweetheart.” Micah cleaned up their breakfast and then moved to sit facing her on the bed. “I wasn’t exactly looking for a mate, Casey.”
Casey felt her heart shudder at a sudden thought. “Oh God, do you have a girlfriend?” Jealousy bloomed through her body with a speed that surprised her.
Micah grinned, the bastard. “No, I don’t, baby. But I do like that jealous streak you have going there. Makes my dick hard.” If he expected her to blush and get all embarrassed because he used the word dick, then he was tripping. And he had never met a woman who wrote erotic romances for a living.
“Well, that’s good to know, and I can assure you that there are a lot of things I can do that will make your dick hard.” She winked at him when his jaw dropped open a little. “What? Did you think I’ve never seen a hard dick before or to that point, never even touched one?” This time it was his eyes that sparked with jealousy, and she liked it too. A lot.
“Yeah, new rule. No more talking about other dicks you’ve seen and certainly none that you’ve touched, deal?” Grinning, she nodded. Then his eyes lowered to her lips. His eyes darkened when she wet her suddenly extremely dry lips. He made a low growling noise that had her creaming herself. Hot damn, he was one hot shifter. His eyes suddenly changed from steel gray to pale blue, telling her that his wolf was near the surface.
He wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck, pulled her into him, and then he just devoured her. She had no other word for it—one minute she was in control of herself and then he simply took over, leaning up and over her bending her to his will. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, gliding it over hers, twining them together, and when she sucked on his tongue, he growled. Then he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth.
Pulling away, she took a moment to get her equilibrium back before she opened her eyes. When she did, she saw him smiling gently at her. When she smiled back, he stroked his fingers over her cheek. “When you get the all-clear to leave, would you come home with me?” His tone was hesitant, as if fearing her rejection. Silly wolf, did he not own a mirror?
“I think that would a really good idea.” She watched a smile spread across his face, one that matched her own. Then she reached up, mirrored his move from moments before, and pulled him down for another kiss.
* * * *
Casey was in hospital for a total of four days. The doctors wanted to ensure that there was no infection after the surgery. During that entire time, Micah never left her side. Ryan would come and go, bringing him clothes and food, and Micah even had Cole pop in to see them a couple of
times. He enjoyed watching them get to know his mate and loved when she had called them on their shit or verbally knocked them down as only Casey could.
He loved her sense of humor already, and the more time he spent with her, he knew that the fates had truly chosen the perfect woman for him. She had a love of the outdoors, and he longed for the warmer summer months when he could take her hiking into his forest and show her some of his favorite campsites. He discovered that they both adored country music, but more so the modern stuff like Luke Bryan and Rascal Flatts, and the pièce de résistance? She was as sensual as hell, got his motor revving more than he thought humanly possible, and was a self-professed lover of great sex.
He knew, just fucking knew, that when they finally got to go back to his place, and he could get her alone and naked, that the sex between them was going to be explosive. He had lost count of the times he had scented her arousal in that hospital room. They had made out a lot since that first morning, and she had loved exploring his body as he had hers. By mutual agreement, they had decided to wait until she got out of the hospital before they got to any of the really good naked parts, and he couldn’t fucking wait!
She had him so damn triggered that each time he had used the family bathroom to shower, he’d had to take matters into his own hand, literally, stifling his moans as much as possible. After that first time, she had noticed a change in him. A change in what, he had no idea, and he had blushed like a damn teenage girl when she came right out and asked him if he had jacked off in the shower thinking about her. Not teasing, just simply curious.
Once he finished stuttering and yeah that little high school throwback was beginning to fuck him off no end, and admitted that he had, her eyes had flashed and she told him that she had as well, thinking of him. His dick had hardened when she admitted that, and he had to fight the sudden urge to come when she made him promise that they could watch each other pleasure themselves one day soon. That drove him back to the shower the minute she fell asleep and Ryan had turned up.
Micah was still too nervous to actually leave her alone. Hell, some bastard had taken potshots at her only a week earlier, and Ryan still had nothing to go on. Micah had tried to get her to talk about it, but she had refused, telling him it needed to wait until they were able to talk without the possibility of being overheard. He didn’t know if she was being overly cautious or if she was plagued by paranoia. Either way he waited, which really pissed off his wolf.
As he waited for her to sign herself out of the hospital on the day of her release, he had this feeling in the pit of his stomach that he couldn’t identify. It was only as he was walking out with her to his truck that he realized it was nervousness. He was nervous about taking his mate back to his house! And being nervous was very new for him. He must have been a little too quiet because as he reached forward to start the truck, Casey placed her hand on his arm.
“I can go to a hotel if you’d rather.” She watched him intently, no doubt seeing more than he really wanted her to.
“No!” He spoke a little louder than he probably should and she jumped. He shot her a sheepish grin. “No, Casey. I want to take you back to my house. Both my wolf and I need to know that you are protected and safe and, quite frankly in my house and covered in my scent. I would get my ass kicked by my brothers for admitting this, but I’m nervous about showing you my home. I love it, but it’s pretty rustic.”
Casey leaned over the center console and pulled him to meet her halfway. Then she kissed him, eyes on his, open-mouthed, slow kisses with her tongue dancing across his, that had his dick standing up and screaming, “Hell, yeah!” When she pulled back, her eyes sparkled and her skin shone with a touch of heat in her cheeks. Obviously she was as affected as he was.
“Micah, I’m sure your house is lovely, but right now, as long it has a bed in it, then what the hell else do we need?” Micah’s arousal went from simmering to boiling in seconds. He reached over her, making sure to graze the back of his hand against her nipple to make it peak beneath the soft shirt she wore, and fastened her seatbelt. Then he started his truck, threw it into gear, and made for his house as fast as he could.
The trip through town was quiet. Micah fought the urge just to stop the truck, drag her to him, and fuck her in the front seat of his truck. Not exactly romantic, but hey, he would bet his right nut that both of them would walk away smiling. Faster than he ever had before but slower than he would have liked, they reached the turnoff to his house.
He had built his home not far from the entrance to the park. He needed to feel close to his forest, and this way when he shifted he had a huge forest area to run in, which was absolute heaven for a wolf like his. Slamming on the brakes, he leaped out of the truck, walked around to Casey’s side, and then lifted her out and into his arms. He ran up the steps to the porch, into the house, and upstairs to his bedroom before he even comprehended that she was giggling.
“What are you laughing at?” He growled as he placed her on her feet in his bedroom. His. Bedroom. His mate was in his bedroom and in his house. Something deep inside him that he had never known was slightly off center suddenly fell into place.
“Just that a few days ago, I was content with just being me. Casey Rika. Author, daughter, sister, and all wrapped up in a little magic. I wasn’t looking for any type of relationship or anything. Then I was drawn here, and met you.” She reached up and placed her hand against his cheek and he couldn’t help but nuzzle it against her soft palm. “I’m not sure what the future holds, but I do know that I need to be here for now. And I need to be with you.”
Micah wanted to throw his head back and howl. He needed her here too, not just for now but for always. He figured he would work his way up to that. “Well, that works out pretty well, because Casey, I need to be with you too. Hell, to be more specific, I need to be in you as soon as fucking possible.” He reached for the bottom hem of her shirt and gently pulled it up over her head, groaning at the sight of her beautiful breasts, nipples peaked. She hadn’t worn a bra and he was thankful that he hadn’t known during the drive home.
He dropped to his knees in front of her intent on worshipping them good and proper, when his eyes fell to the gauze on her side. “Are you sure you are up for this, baby? I don’t want to hurt you.” He looked up into her face, smiling when he saw her scowl.
“If you stop then I will be the one to hurt you!” Casey threaded her fingers into his hair. “Babe, you have had me in a constant state of sexual frustration for the past five days and if you don’t make good on that, then we are going to have a huge problem!”
“Well, we can’t have that now, can we?” Laughing, he wrapped his left arm around her back, pulling her closer. Then he slid his right hand up over her flat tummy to cup her left breast, testing its weight in the palm of his hand. He felt her fingers tense in his hair and give a slight tug. Then he pulled her breast into his mouth, flicking his tongue against her nipple. With a moan, she arched her back, pushing her breast farther into his mouth.
He inhaled deeply through his nose and the sweet, enthralling smell of her arousal assaulted his senses, making him shudder. Damn, she smelled delicious. Using his left hand, not taking his mouth from her, he unsnapped her jeans and worked his hand down the back of them to cup her ass. She rolled her hips into him. He had always been a man who appreciated a woman with a great ass. Casey’s was heart-shaped and drool-worthy all the damn way.
He pushed his hand farther into her jeans and panties, so he could run his fingers along the seam of her pussy. They both groaned at the feel. He could feel the heat of her and it was driving him crazy. He pulled off her breast loving that she growled and tried to pull him back to her. He gripped both sides of her jeans and slid them down her legs, dragging her panties with them.
Micah felt his mouth dry up at the sight of her pussy. She was beautifully bare, her gorgeous lips glistening with her cream. “Damn, Casey, your pussy is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.” He threw her jeans away and lea
ned back a little so he could see her in all her glory. And she was most definitely glorious. Curvy as a woman should be, high breasts peaked with rosy pink nipples, and a naked pussy dripping and ready to welcome him home. He sent a prayer of thanks to the gods. Who knew perfection walked the Earth?
He grinned up at her, loving that she was so comfortable with her own body that she grinned back and ran the backs of her fingers down her sides. “See something you like, Micah?” He laughed, remembering asking her the same thing the morning after they had met.
“Hell, yeah.” He growled as he ran his eyes down her body slowly. “There’s a whole lot here that Micah likie, and if you tell my brothers I said that word, I will spank your ass.” A splash of black low on her right hip caught his attention. “What’s this tat here, baby? It looks like a line with a plus sign on it?”
She giggled as she ran her hand over it, “No, silly, it’s a Chinese character. It’s the character for ‘Earth.’”
“That’s cool and sexy as hell on your hip, but right now, I need you to spread your legs a little, baby. Give me room to move, I gotta get my mouth on your pussy. I’m going to make you fucking fly.” He placed his mouth on her pussy and devoured her, making her squeal and grab onto his shoulders. Not able to get to all of her, he lifted her left leg and placed it over his shoulder and dived in again.
He swallowed every drop of her cream, sucking her labia into his mouth and then thrusting his tongue in as far as he could. She was rolling her hips into his mouth within seconds, her breathing coming faster. “Oh shit, Micah, that feels so good. Damn baby, you’re gonna make me come so hard!” She didn’t know how right she was. Micah placed two fingers of his right hand against the entrance of her pussy, teasing and rubbing before plunging them inside her.
