Shattered

by T. L. Reeve

  She wondered how he could sound so damn calm, especially when he was about to stick his dick in her ass. He must have sensed her panic because he began to run his fingers up and down her spine. Her anxiousness eased, and he pressed his tip against the tight star of her rear while mumbling encouragement to her.

  “That’s it. A little more and the hard part is over,” he said.

  He was lying, he had to be. The pressure and pain was so intense, Aurora thought she was going to pass out. Maybe, just maybe, he was too big, and she was too small for something like this. Or maybe, anal just hurt.

  “Oww,” she cried, convinced Keeley had lied to her. No way did the alpha female, or any of the females mated to any of the male wolves enjoy this. Especially during the full moon when the base of their dicks enlarged, locking them together.

  “Breathe, star, and push back. It’ll help. I promise.” Mackenzie hissed when she willed her tight muscles to relax around him. “I’ve almost got the head of my dick in.”

  “It hurts,” she whimpered, tears running down her cheeks.

  “I’ll stop,” he stated.

  For a second, Aurora almost agreed, ready to get up from her kneeled position on the steps, get a shower and go to bed, forgetting entirely about anal sex forever! If she were honest, though, it no longer hurt. It was more a sense of pressure, of being too full there. Maybe if he moved, it would ease, or even turn to pleasure.

  “No,” she whispered, holding him in place while she worked her ass onto his dick. “Don’t stop. Mac.”

  “Aurora—” He moaned.

  “I’m okay,” she said.

  He pressed forward, and the earlier pressure returned, but there was no pain. Within seconds the pressure eased, and Mackenzie sank deep. His big body bent over her, one hand on the step by her head, the other hand between her legs, strumming her clit, building her need back up. Aurora felt safe and secure with his big body encased around her.

  “Thank you for trusting me, star,” he said against her temple, his voice strained and filled with lust. “Fuck, I need to move.”

  She couldn’t answer him, so she nodded her head instead.

  He needed no further encouragement and began to rock his hips, pulling out to the tip and then slamming into her, until his balls smacked against her pussy. He rutted into her ass hard and fast, moaning and groaning in her ear the whole time. His pleasure became her pleasure. She came several times before he sunk two thick, fingers into her needy pussy while his thumb continued to work and manipulate her engorged clit.

  He was simultaneously working and overwhelming her body with pleasure. Her pussy flexed, cramping as yet another orgasm began to build. This one when it came, would change her on a level she never experienced. It would form bonds with the man who pounded her ass.

  “Gonna cum, gonna fill your ass up,” he mumbled against her neck, giving her the only warning of his pending release. When he did come, he’d also sink his teeth into the mark at her neck.

  Aurora felt him get bigger, harder. Then, the searing heat of his seed throbbed from the tip, filling her with his essence. His release triggered hers, and she exploded around his fingers, coating them and the steps under them with her cream.

  Aurora couldn’t think, she could only feel Mackenzie inside her, around her. His sweat dripping onto her back. His warm breath against her damp skin.

  When she was finally able to catch her breath and speak, she said, “I’ll never be able to walk these steps without blushing.”

  Mackenzie nuzzled her neck and placed a gentle kiss on their mark. “Me, either.” He turned her face to him. “Did you like it?”

  She laughed. “You mean you couldn’t tell from your soaked hand?”

  He chuckled. “Well...”

  “I liked it.”

  “Not at first, though,” he said.

  “I was scared. I didn’t think you’d fit.” She shifted her weight, trying to ease the ache in her knees. Next time they did this, they needed to be on a softer surface. The steps were hell on the bones.

  “Thank you for trusting me.”

  “Always, Mac,” she said, fighting back a yawn as her body began to relax.

  “Don’t fall asleep on me,” he warned. “You’re going to want to a bath to help ease the soreness away.”

  “Too sleepy,” she mumbled, her body already starting to tumble toward slumber.

  She didn’t even protest when he pulled his fingers from her sex or eased his still hard dick—yes, she was still awake enough to notice he still was sporting an erection—from her ass.

  “I’ll do all the work, mate,” his deep voice rumbled against her ear.

  Moments later, he dumped her unceremoniously on his massive bed, pulling a shriek from her. He chuckled as he headed toward his master bathroom. Aurora took the time to admire the flex of his ass as he moved. She also appreciated the front view when he returned, especially the hard dick glistening in precum.

  Water filled the tub, and she agreed a bath would help. Mackenzie gathered her up in his arms before returning to the bathroom. A mix of lavender and Eucalypts reached her nose, and she sighed.

  Mackenzie stepped into the large garden tub with her in his arms and sat down. Aurora hissed when the warm water lapped against her sore flesh. “It’ll help. Many nights, I’d come home from a long day at a site and take a long bath to help ease my aches and pains.”

  “Um-hm,” she said, fighting the urge to fall asleep.

  With each inch the water rose around them, the aches and pains eased bit by bit. Mackenzie emptied and filled the tub a couple of times before he emptied the tub. He then worked on getting them both dried off and tucked into his bed. Aurora gave a hearty yawn.

  “Love you, star,” he whispered.

  “Love you, too, Mac.”

  “Starting tomorrow, I want you and Abby to move in with us, okay?” he asked.

  “All right,” she mumbled before sleep finally claimed her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  What should have been the ending deliberations for the trial, turned into three days of haggling by Holly’s attorney. First, Alexander Walker tried to claim Holly was mentally deficient and unable to stand trial, which was almost over. Holly rejected the offer of seeing a state-certified psychologist, instead contending she was of sound mind. Second, Walker tried to, unsuccessfully, file for a dismissal of all charges due to, once again, faulty evidence and stupid, fucking conspiracies. Like all of the other attempts, his motion failed. As far as Mackenzie was concerned, Walker could try all the underhanded bullshit he wanted to, didn’t mean it would work.

  Then, when he’d been balls-deep in Aurora working off some of the stress he’d been experiencing, the phone rang. It’d taken all of his will power to pull out of her and answer it. Thankfully, he did, too. They were going back to court. Holly had finally agreed to a plea deal. What it would consist of, he wouldn’t find out until the day of the hearing, which pissed him off. He didn’t like walking into the situation blind, especially knowing everything Holly was capable of.

  “You ready to face your past?” Aurora asked, joining him in the shower.

  “With you by my side, of course.” Mackenzie wrapped her into his embrace and nuzzled her neck. “Fuck! I shouldn’t be this damn horny.”

  Aurora laughed. “Maybe it’s due to the situation?”

  He shook his head. “No, it’s all you.” His dick hadn’t gone soft since the minute he caught her scent, but it’d only been worse since he mated her. His wolf craved his mate. All. The. Time. It didn’t matter where they were.

  She batted her lashes at him and gave him a coy grin filled with intention. “Well, as much as I would love to scream your name, I think we have business to attend to first.”

  “Damn it, star.” He groaned, pinning her to the wall. “You’re too fucking tempting, and I know what you’re doing.”

  She glanced up at him. “Oh? What am I doing?”

  He lifted her into his arms and sank i
nto the heat of her body pressed to his. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he lowered her onto his rock-hard cock. “Distracting me from this damn court hearing.” He cursed on a harsh exhale as she took him inch by inch.

  “Oh.” Aurora gave him a sly grin. “I might be, yes.”

  He knew it and even still, he couldn’t stop himself. He gave over to the pleasure coursing through him, not caring if they’d be late. “Shit, you feel so good. So soft and hot. I could stay inside you all day long.” Mackenzie loved the way her sweet body melted around him. It turned him on to the point of pain, and for some fucked up reason, he got off on it.

  “You’re so open.” She stared up at him. “You say exactly what’s on your mind.”

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  She shook her head. “No. It’s surprising. I like it.” Aurora draped her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead to his chest. “You’re always so big like this. Churning everything up inside me. Always looming over me, protecting me while exploiting my vulnerability for both of our pleasure.”

  Shit, sometimes he forgot how little she was and how young she was, too. “My ego doesn’t need a boost, star. As for exploiting you,” he shrugged before kissing her, “you’re so open and so sensitive, it’s my pleasure to get you off and watch you come.” Mackenzie palmed her ass and squeezed. “Now, work your sweet pussy on my dick and get me all wet. I can’t wait to fill you up.”

  She shuddered in his arms and moaned. He loved how she was always so expressive; so trusting when she had every right to not be, and she accepted him, lock, stock, and barrel. Mackenzie buried his face in the crook of her neck, where he’d bitten her again, the night before. With each thrust, he could feel himself growing closer to his release.

  Aurora whimpered his name as she clenched around him, and the first ripple of her release grabbed him by the balls. He yelped and bit down on that mark—his mark—the one she’d wear for the rest of their lives and gave over to the bliss spreading through his body. His breath came in soft pants as he released the soft skin from between his teeth to stare down at his mate. The one truly made for him. Shit... He still didn’t deserve her.

  Didn’t think he ever would, either.

  “Good morning.” She drew her thumb across his bottom lip and stared up at him before drawing his face closer to hers to brush her lips over his.

  “Good morning, mate,” he whispered, before setting her down. “Now, we’re going to be late.”

  “Totally worth it, though.”

  They finished their shower in relative haste then got out and dressed. On the nightstand sat the two letters he’d asked Riley and Liam to write. At first, he wasn’t sure the kids would do it, but with a little encouragement from Jasmine, they did. He, like Jasmine, believed they needed an outlet for their anger and sadness. They needed to have the ability to tell Holly what she did to them and how it affected them. Mackenzie never read what they said, he figured both of his children deserved privacy when it came to their thoughts about Holly. He picked up the envelopes and slipped them into the back pocket of his pants.

  “Do you think she’ll read them?” Aurora joined him, twisting her hair into a bun.

  “I’m not sure,” he said, tucking her into his side. “She might rip them up, and that’s fine, too. This isn’t for her. It’s for Riley and Liam. This is their closure.”

  She gazed up at him. “You’re right, it doesn’t matter if she does or not. It’s for Riley and Liam.”

  Mackenzie pressed his lips to the top of her head. “It’s for all of us. It our new beginning free of her.”

  When they were ready, they exited their room. He still couldn’t believe she’d agree to move in with him without taking time to think about it, especially after their argument about her apartment. Having her out of that death trap settled a bit of him. He realized his irrational anger hadn’t been about her not being close to him, it was due to the conditions she lived in. Aurora and Abby deserved better than what they were getting from the fucking slumlord who owned the complex.

  As they headed down the stairs, Mackenzie paused a few steps from the bottom, drawing Aurora’s attention. A deep laugh followed Abby’s squeal of delight. There was someone in the house besides his children and Abby. The unfamiliar voice came again, and Mackenzie lifted his head. He inhaled, trying to draw in the new person’s scent, but his senses were still filled with that of his mate. Aurora put her hand to his forearm as the deep, though still juvenile voice came again. He wasn’t even sure if the kid spoke English. Aurora glanced up at him, giving him the same curious look, he swore he wore, too.

  He shrugged. There hadn’t been a hint of malice to the atmosphere of their home. Mackenzie inclined his chin in the direction of the kitchen, and they continued down the stairs once more.

  “Hey, Alika, you want something to drink?” Riley asked, crossing to the kitchen. If she saw Mackenzie standing there, she didn’t acknowledge him.

  “Whatevahz,” the boy, Alika, answered. “Joosh, you no can do dat, brah.”

  Liam laughed. “All’s fair in this game.”

  Mackenzie stepped into the kitchen and found his son, a boy—Alika—he’d guess, and Abby sitting in the living room playing video games while Riley grabbed drinks from the fridge. Mackenzie cleared his throat, and Liam jumped to his feet, as though he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t be. Then, the scent hit Mackenzie in the chest. This boy, speaking whatever hip, new language he was speaking, was Liam’s mate.

  “Dad,” Liam said, joining Riley as he shoved his hands into his back pockets. “It’s a teacher day, and Alika’s parents work—teach in New Mexico, so I thought he could spend the day here, with us. He’s new here.”

  He stared at his son. The boy’s cheeks were pink with embarrassment or frustration, but the dark circles he’d witnessed since before the full moon were gone, and it surprised Mackenzie. He appeared genuinely happy for the first time since they returned from Everett, too.

  The boy stood then, turning to face them. Surprise filled Mackenzie. The kid was human, Japanese, it appeared. If he had to choose a word to describe the boy, he’d say cute. And, though he had a big voice, standing there with Mackenzie, he’d been almost awkward and shy. His short, black hair had been styled at an odd angle and his almond-shaped, brown eyes sparkled with happiness. He was also a good two or three inches taller than Liam. “Good morning, son. It’s good to meet you.”

  “Howzit?” The boy held out his fist.

  Mackenzie bumped it with his. “Uh, it goes?”

  The boy laughed. “Good.” He glanced at Aurora. “You da meme Abby been talkin’ bout?”

  Aurora tilted her head. “Huh?”

  Liam shook his head. “She’s not my mom. She’s uh...”

  “Aurora,” she said. “For now, you can call me Aurora.”

  “Aurora,” he replied. “L’dat.”

  “Here you go,” Riley said, handing Alika a glass of orange juice. “Alika’s from Maui.”

  Explains the accent, Mackenzie chuckled to himself. “How long have you been in Arizona?”

  “Few months,” Alika answered before taking a sip. “Tanks, Riley. First trip to da mainland, too. My parents are professors at the University of New Mexico-Gallup campus. Whatchu do?”

  “Alika,” Liam said, elbowing the boy. The scent of his son’s embarrassment had Mackenzie chuckling.

  “I’m in construction, and Aurora works for the Sheriff’s Department as a dispatcher,” Mackenzie answered.

  “Hinna,” Alika said. “You work fo’ da po-po?”

  Aurora nodded. “I do.”

  “Our uncle is the Sheriff,” Riley added.

  “Whoa. Impressive.” Alika grinned before taking another sip of his orange juice.

  “So, can he stay?” The pleading glint in his son’s grey eyes, tore at Mackenzie. How could he say no? “Yes. We have rules, though.”

  “I remember,” Liam said.

  “Good. When court�
�s over, we’ll go out to eat. Alika, you’re invited, too,” Mackenzie said.

  “Awesome, Mr. Raferty.”

  Mackenzie blew out a breath and snorted. “You’ve got a lot to learn about us Rafertys. First, it’s Mackenzie or Mac. My father was Mr. Raferty.”

  “I like Mac.” Alika grinned.

  “Then we’ll get along just fine.” Mackenzie crossed to the coffee pot then grabbed two of the travel mugs out of the cupboard. “I don’t know how long we’ll be this morning. But, if you need anything, call Caden or Jase. If you can’t get ahold of them, call Rapier, he’ll send one of the brothers.”

  “Charisma already called,” Riley said. “She’s on her way to watch us. Said you’d probably need the help, and Royce would meet you at the courthouse.”

  He sighed then laughed. “Of course, she’d be here. Good, then listen to your sister and help her with the twins and Mikey.”

  “Who is Charisma?” Alika prodded.

  “Our brother’s wife,” Liam replied. “I still have so much to tell you about our family. I think you’re going to like them.”

  Aurora wrapped her arm around Mackenzie and gave a content sigh. “He’ll make a fine addition to our family one day.”

  Happiness and love filled Mackenzie. “Yeah, he will.” He kissed the crown of her head then filled the cups for them. “Now we’re really going to be late.” He handed her one of the cups. “We’ll be back later.”

  “Better hurry, mumsy,” Abby called out. “You’re really late.”

  Aurora laughed. “We’re out the door. Love you, Abby.”

  “Love you, too.” The little girl waved at Aurora as they left the house.

  As he stepped outside he saw a small, black BMX bike parked against the detached garage. Mackenzie instantly knew it belonged to the boy inside his house, playing video games with his son. To say he was thankful to the boy for giving him back his son was an understatement, however, he also worried about the boys when others found out about their relationship. We’ll just have to take it one day at a time and let them be kids for as long as possible. Sometimes, it was easier said than done. Mackenzie would try, though.