by Trina Lane
"Oh my God, what's happening to me?” Nicole whispered.
Jaryn placed kisses along the graceful column of Nicole's neck. “What do you feel?"
"I'm all hot and achy. My head is spinning and my blood feels like lava. I want...oh God...something tells me that only you can put out the flames, Jaryn."
He rested his forehead against hers. Their noses rubbed together, and Jaryn licked at Nicole's sealed lips. “That's the mating heat. Our bond is strengthening."
Nicole's lips opened right as Jaryn's tongue came out for another taste. The tip flicked between her plush lips, and they both moaned. He'd tilted his head to seal their mouths together when there was a loud banging at Nicole's door.
"Son of a— What?” he yelled.
"Sorry, Alpha, but your pack is waiting."
The voice of his Beta on the other side of the door had Jaryn mentally cursing the man to all manner of unpleasant depths of hell. He looked down when Nicole began to softly laugh.
"And what has you so giggly?"
"I feel like I was just busted by my older brother for making out with my boyfriend while our parents are still at work."
Jaryn rolled so Nicole was spread out on top of him. “You haven't mentioned an older brother before."
Nicole spread her legs so she straddled Jaryn's hips as she rested on his chest. “He lives in San Francisco. Cameron flew the coop after high school and never looked back. We only see each other maybe once a year."
"But you love him."
"Of course. He's my brother. Part of me is actually a little jealous. While I wanted to escape, I only made it as far as Madison—a mere three hours from home. He went clear across the country. All throughout college, I kept getting sucked into the vortex of family responsibility and he was able to live his life however he wanted. Never had to deal with feeling obligated to show up for holidays, or being called home for the weekend."
"Have you contacted him since you got here? Does he know you're still alive? What about your parents?"
Nicole shook her head. “I... What if I do and find out that they simply went on with their lives? I mean, I know when people die their loved ones live on, but what if...they're happy?"
"Do you think your family loves you?"
"Yes. At least, they always told me so."
"Then how can learning you're still a part of this world be anything but a blessing to them? Call them, Nicole. We'll do it through a secured line so Adam can't trace the link."
He weaved his hand through her hair and pulled her head down towards his. Their lips were only a fraction apart from each other. It was time. Time to finally taste his mate. Nicole's head tilted. Her breath panted across his lips. Her green eyes darkened and for a moment Jaryn swore he saw an actual glow in their depths.
"Jaryn!” Shaun yelled through the door.
"We're coming!” he yelled. He rocked his hips up against the juncture of Nicole's legs. “Of that you can be sure...later.” Nicole ground down on Jaryn's cock, and he captured her hips in his hands. The scent of her arousal filled the air. Jaryn inhaled deeply, and his entire body tightened in response. Their mingling pheromones made Jaryn all but desperate to claim his mate. “Have mercy woman,” he begged.
A sweet smiled graced Nicole's face and there was a definite sparkle in her eyes, but one of a satisfied woman—not the otherworldly glow from a moment ago. God, it was amazing to look into her face and know that she belonged to him. That her heart beat for his, that their souls would link for all time. Jaryn revelled in the knowledge that never again would he be alone. He'd always have a home with Nicole, in her arms.
"Come on, baby, the pack's waiting. We'll continue this later tonight."
Nicole climbed off him and Jaryn couldn't stop his eyes from devouring her sweet little round ass encased in hip-hugging jeans. When she bent over to slip on her boots, Jaryn nearly tackled her to the floor. His wolf clawed with eagerness inside him.
I know—we've never been very good with patience.
Jaryn swung over to the side of Nicole's bed and stood with reluctance. He adjusted his aching cock then took Nicole's hand. Raising it to his lips, he took a little lick at the pad of her palm then clasped their hands together. He opened the door to Shaun's annoyed face.
"It's about time."
"It's not as though they're going to leave before we get there."
"It's also not polite to keep them waiting in anticipation."
"Anyone who has a mate will understand. Something I can't wait to torment you with when you find yours."
Shaun slapped Jaryn on the back of his shoulder as he and Nicole moved past him. “From your mouth to the heavens’ ears."
The three of them climbed into Jaryn's Jeep. Nicole sat beside him, and as soon they were settled and secured, he took possession of her hand once again. They made their way onto pack lands and he pointed out the turn off for his parents’ house, as well as his own. They moved on and Jaryn smiled as Nicole's head kept craning around to see more of the scenery. He'd taken her onto the land owned by the Phantom River pack several times since she'd been in town, but it was a source of pride that his mate appeared to continually appreciate the natural beauty of her new home.
They pulled up to the lodge, a multitude of vehicles outside the structure. The barn-like structure had lofty ceilings and an open interior. It had stood on the land for nearly a hundred years. When Jaryn's dad had been Alpha, they'd used the building mostly for storage, but when Jaryn became Alpha he, along with Shaun's help, had converted the building to act as a meeting place for the pack. Recently Jaryn had updated the full kitchen with modern appliances that members of the pack used to prepare and serve food at the meetings and other pack events. Threaded throughout the interior were small white lights that gave the large space a soft glow. The design had initially been set up for the grand opening, but everyone loved the atmosphere they created so much that the pack had made the decision to keep them up year round.
Power for the structure was generated by the windmills scattered around the land. Jaryn's own home used a combination of wind and solar power to operate, as did many of the pack members’ homes.
He pulled in next to his dad's brand new four wheel drive beast. Jaryn's mom called it a testament to his dad's mid-life crisis. Jaryn just called it cool. He took Nicole's hand and led her to the entrance. He scented her anxiety and pulled her to a stop before opening the door.
"Go on in, Shaun. Give us a second."
Shaun went inside and Jaryn pulled Nicole into his arms. “Everyone will love you. Relax and be yourself."
Nicole's arms circled Jaryn's waist and she nuzzled against his chest. It seemed to be her favourite spot, and Jaryn couldn't find a single fault with that.
"Will I be able to do that after we're mated?"
"Do what, baby?"
"Detect your emotions?"
"I bet if you look deeply enough, you can sense them now. You don't need special powers to know how your mate feels. Try it."
Nicole lifted her head and took a step back. She stared at Jaryn and he stood under her scrutiny. Her nose scrunched up and her eyes squinted in thought. It was the cutest thing he'd ever seen.
"You're happy."
He nodded. “Go on."
"You...you're eager for me to meet your family.” Nicole's head tilted to the side as she studied Jaryn. “But, you're a little nervous, too. You want me to like them."
"And what is it that tells you all that? You keep asserting that there's no shifter blood in you, so you shouldn't have a wolfie sense."
"Well you're smiling for one, hence the happiness. You eyes keep shifting to the door to see the people inside, hence the eagerness. And your pulse is rapidly beating at the base of your neck, which could be from excitement, but I know that if it were me about to introduce you to all my family I'd be nervous about everything going well. So maybe chalk that one up to transference."
"See? There's nothing to it. Having said that, there will be
a few biological changes in your system after we mate. I'm sure you've heard of them from one source or another over the years. You'll take my DNA through the enzymes from both my saliva and semen, and it will alter yours. You'll still be you, but...I guess the most appropriate word is enhanced."
"Will I be able to shift like you?"
"No. Only someone with the actual shifter gene can change shape. We'll talk more about that later. For now, let's have some fun."
Nicole nodded and smiled.
Jaryn pulled open the door and led Nicole inside. As soon as they stepped into the open interior, the clapping of almost one hundred and thirty shifters and town members close to the pack filled the space with a roar. There were a handful that'd shifted and now howled. Their song filled the rafters and Nicole jumped. Jaryn steadied her with his palm on the base of her back.
He placed a little kiss on the back of her ear. “It's okay, baby. They're just welcoming you home."
"They startled me, is all. It was beautiful, but I hadn't actually expected to see any of them like that."
"You mean in their wolf forms?"
Nicole nodded.
"It's not typical of pack meetings, unless we're all going out for a run. But they wanted to make the occasion special for you. Come on. I'll introduce you to everyone."
Jaryn took Nicole's hand and led her deeper into barn-like structure. They were surrounded by all the members of the Phantom River pack, and Jaryn smiled as Nicole turned in circles trying to see everyone.
Jaryn held up his hand and the room went silent. “I know many of you have met this young woman since she came to town, but it is my honour tonight on the night of our harvest moon celebration to formally introduce Nicole Holland, my mate."
More applause and howls rang out, and he and Nicole were quickly surrounded by dozens of well wishers. When the excitement simmered down, he took Nicole on a tour of the lodge. There were several cosy pockets of sitting areas scattered around, made up of furniture donated to the pack when members updated their homes. Large rugs scattered around softened the wide-planked wood floors. When pack business took place they set the space up like a conference room, but this was a social gathering so all of Jaryn's friends and family were drinking and dancing and having a good time. Pups darted in and out of the crowd, playing and searching out their parents. The smell of rich homemade food floated out from the kitchen, and Nicole's curvy little body filled his arms. There was nothing better in his mind.
* * * *
Nicole accepted a drink from Jody, one of the female pack members. Over the course of the night, she'd learned much about the man who was her mate. Small towns were good for getting to know someone's intimate secrets. She heard all about the pranks Jaryn had pulled in his youth, as well as his academic achievements from a couple of his former teachers. Nicole had talked to them for some time about the possibility of joining the faculty at the high school.
She'd met Jaryn's parents, who thankfully had welcomed her with open arms, and his little brother, Charlie, who was a laugh riot in Nicole's opinion. He was a bright young man, and it was clear the younger Chaunterel had no intention of shrivelling under the bright aura of his older brother.
Her eyes instinctively sought out Jaryn, as she had been doing with regularity since they'd separated a little while ago. Most of the time, Jaryn had spent the party plastered to her side, his arm secure around her waist or their hands locked together, but unfortunately a little while ago, one of the pack members had needed his counsel and Jaryn had stepped away.
When their gazes locked, Nicole was caught by the glow of his silver eyes. How such a cool colour could emit such heat was a mystery. As they continued to stare his lids got heavy and his chiselled face softened somehow. His wide shoulders seemed to fill the space around him. His look of lust and need caused every rational thought to flee from her brain.
"Wow. I don't know how you're actually able to stand still over here. If my mate looked at me that way, we'd be half naked already."
Nicole broke away from Jaryn's spell to see Jody smiling over at her.
"Yes, well. Um..."
"Honey, I suggest you leave politeness at the door. The mating heat between the two of you is so obvious, it's making everyone a little frisky tonight."
Nicole looked around in shock. Sure enough, tucked into quiet corners there were several couples doing some heavy petting on the couches. In the open area, mates were wrapped up in each other's arms, dancing and talking between kisses to their partners’ necks. The pups had been corralled earlier and were tucked away in the annex, being watched over by a couple of teenagers. It was still odd to think of children as pups, but Nicole assumed she'd get used to it.
"Does the mating heat of one couple of normally have this kind of effect?” she asked.
Jody smiled. “It's not your mating heat that's sending everyone into a tizzy. It's sensing the chemistry between the two of you. Haven't you ever watched another couple make out at a party and become aroused yourself?"
Nicole felt heat infuse her cheeks. She'd always had a bit of a voyeuristic streak in her, and it seemed that her new family wasn't any different.
Jody chuckled. “Now give me that glass, go get your mate, and get the hell out of here."
Nicole looked over to find Jaryn had silently moved across the room, and now stood next to them. She blindly held out her glass, and with her other hand took Jaryn's. They slowly made their way to the door. In the distance, Nicole vaguely heard more than one wolf-whistle, but she was so caught up in Jaryn's presence that the teasing innuendo barely registered.
Jaryn led her outside. Under the clear night sky, they walked the pack lands. The air was scented by Mother Nature and in the distance a single howl sang. Leaves crunched under their feet, and when Jaryn brought them to a standstill, Nicole eagerly stepped up against his body.
Their eyes met, and Jaryn's eyes mirrored the glow of the moon. His dark hair disappeared into the blackness above. Nicole lifted her hand and threaded it through the strands on the back of Jaryn's head. The soft ends wove through her fingers. This was it. There was no going back. Jaryn had said their first real kiss would begin the formation of their mating bond, but Nicole believed it had already happened. Jaryn was constantly on her mind. The sound of his voice made her smile and her body quiver. Was the mating bond responsible for the ache in Nicole's chest every time she pondered her life without Jaryn in it?
She tilted her head up. Her lips parted. Her eyes drifted closed as she pulled Jaryn's head down to meet hers. Jaryn's mouth moulded to and caressed hers, then with one hot, delicious stroke his tongue sank inside. She moaned as the sensual slide of his tongue rubbed against hers. He locked his arms around her waist and pulled her deeper into his embrace. Her hands slipped over his shoulders to encircle his neck, latching on to his strength.
Nicole sank into the kiss, meeting Jaryn's tongue. A powerful flavour filled her senses and Nicole arched against Jaryn, desperate for more. The muscles of his body rippled and tightened as they clung to one another. The longer the kiss continued, the higher Nicole flew and the hungrier she became. Jaryn's erection pressed into her belly, and she wished in that moment to have him buried deep and feel his seed shoot high inside her womb.
Jaryn tore his mouth from hers then buried his lips against her neck. Nicole felt his canines lengthen and score the skin at the base of her neck. Fire spread throughout her body and she tilted her head to the side to give Jaryn more room. His hot breath sizzled her skin, but the teeth did not sink into her flesh. What was he waiting for? She needed him!
He cupped her ass and lifted her more tightly against him. Nicole climbed his large body to wrap her legs around his waist. One of Jaryn's arms came around her back and held her to him, while the other kneaded the mound of her ass. Their mouths fused together once again and something inside Nicole sang with pleasure as Jaryn's flavour filled her. A small voice inside her head screamed out, Finally!
Finally what, Nicole ha
d no idea, but she had to agree with the sentiment. At that moment, she thought she could spend the rest of her lifetime happily kissing Jaryn, but her body craved more. It craved a deeper touch. She needed Jaryn inside her, and she needed him now. This time it was she who tore her mouth away.
"Take me home, claim me. Please."
Jaryn held her in his arms as he ate up the distance between them and his Jeep. Before they got to the vehicle, though, Shaun appeared, blocking their way. Jaryn growled and tightened his hold on Nicole.
"Beta and best friend or not, I'm not about to let you stop me from claiming my mate again. Now move."
Shaun dipped his head in submission to his Alpha. “I have a car ready for you. You're in no condition to drive. I'll have Cooper bring your Jeep home later tonight."
Jaryn nodded then set her into the backseat of the awaiting vehicle. He quickly climbed in and took Nicole back in his arms. She sank into his warmth. She knew the vehicle was moving, but all of Nicole's focus was on Jaryn. His touch, his kiss, the feel of his strong body against her. It must be the result of the mating heat, because Nicole had never been one for public displays before. But at that moment her hormones had control of her actions, and there was no stopping her need for Jaryn.
"I'm going to eat you alive when we get home. After tonight there's no going back, Nicole. You're mine. My mate. Forever."
"Yes, forever. Mine, too, Jaryn."
"Always."
The vehicle came to a stop and she separated from Jaryn only long enough for him to get out, before he lifted her back up into his arms. He crossed the distance between the driveway and his front door in ground-eating strides. The recognition software unlocked the door quickly and in moments, Jaryn had her ensconced in his master bedroom. Their bedroom now. Nicole's lips slid along Jaryn's neck. She licked at his skin as he'd done to her.
"Hmm. You taste so good. Is it a wolf thing?"
Jaryn set Nicole down, but kept her in the circle of his arms. “No, it's a mate thing. My taste to you, and your taste to me, is like the universe's biggest aphrodisiac. That's part of what I've been trying to explain to you. You are everything to me, Nicole. Finding you is the greatest blessing upon my life."
