by V. A. Dold
Cassidy removed her hands from him and rose on tiptoes to kiss him thoroughly. “I want that too,” she whispered, her lips brushing his with each word.
“We only do this once and I need to do it right.” He tucked an arm behind her knees and swept her off her feet.
“Marcus!”
“Shh. Since I can’t carry you over the threshold, I’m carrying you to the bed.”
“Seriously?”
“I was told that women like romantic gestures. And this is romantic, so you should like it,” he informed her as his swift steps took them to the bed.
“Is that right?” she asked, snark in her tone.
“That’s right,” he insisted, right before he dumped her on the bed.
Cassidy bounced, laughing up at him with her arms flung wide and her hair fanned out across the pillow like a golden halo. The votive candles on the bedside table wavered but steadfastly remained lit, illuminating the glint of desire in her eyes.
The heat of her hunger was scorching as he drank her in. Her chest rising and falling with each breath drew his gaze. God, she was gorgeous, and his. His mate. To have such a woman at his side for eternity. He couldn’t believe the blessing he’d received.
She reached for him, need in her gaze. Marcus leaned in and claimed her lips. Her warm palms cupped his face and drew him down. The warmth of her soft beckoning body called to him like a siren’s song to a lonely sailor.
He answered Cassidy’s call by stretching out beside her. Propped on one arm, he stroked her from shoulder to fingertips. Closing his eyes, he savored the feel of her body against his. Finally, he gathered her in his arms and made sweet love to her mouth with his own.
He stroked his palm down her hip to the curve of her backside. Her quivering response and the catch of her breath made his wolf rumble with pride.
Cassidy kissed him back just as ferociously, her hungry kiss claiming him unapologetically. She growled something unintelligible, if she had uttered words at all, and pressed closer to him.
After one last, long kiss, he started his foray south, laying a line of hot kisses down her body. He caressed and tasted every inch of her as he slowly backed toward the foot of the bed.
When he gripped her knee and lifted her leg over his shoulder, Cassidy whimpered and lifted her hips. The position exposed her most intimate part to his every desire. Marcus licked his lips at the sight of her damp folds. “I can’t wait to taste you.”
“Then stop staring and get to it,” she demanded good-humoredly and rocked her hips enticingly.
“Never rush an artiste,” he quipped, marking his words with a gentle nip to her inner thigh. The playful bite drew a gasp from her before he laved the sting away. That turned her gasp to a moan as he kissed his way to the apex of her thighs.
Marcus glanced up and held her gaze, then took one slow lick, parting her folds as he went. Her stomach muscles clenched as her hips flexed.
His cock twitched and wept in anticipation, but he ignored it. He was far from finished pleasing his mate. Hell, he was just getting started.
“So sweet,” he growled before plunging his tongue deep.
He took his time, alternating with small circles around her clit and thrusting deep, almost bringing Cassidy off the bed.
Marcus mixed it up with a scrape of his teeth across her clit as he inserted a finger.
Groaning, she rocked her hips. “More. I need more.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He added a second finger stretching her further.
Cassidy dug her hands into his hair, holding on for dear life as his mouth and fingers drove her out of her mind.
Then he took her tight little pearl between his teeth, biting down only enough to hold it in place while he tormented her with wicked flicks of his tongue.
Marcus, please…
Let go, mon amour. Fly for me.
Arching her body, she pressed her shoulders into the mattress. He pushed her higher and higher. His mouth and fingers moved in a rhythm designed to drive her wild. Insane was more like it.
She clutched fistfuls of his hair as her pleasure built to the point that her entire body clenched. “I can’t breathe.”
“Don’t fight it, sweetheart. I’ll catch you.”
Then he curled his fingers and massaged a bundle of nerves she’d never felt before. Her hips bucked wildly, and her channel clamped down on his fingers. Then she exploded into a million pieces. “MARCUS!”
She lay spent, panting for air. Her mind was so foggy she barely noticed Marcus kissing his way up her body until he took her lips again.
“I love hearing my name on your lips,” he said between kisses.
“What?” What was he talking about?
“It’s rather validating when my mate screams my name,” he explained.
She blinked her eyes open. Blinked again. “I screamed your name?”
Marcus chuckled and nuzzled her neck. “Yes, mon amour. And rather loudly, too.”
Cassidy pressed her palms to her face and groaned. “God, that’s embarrassing.”
“I thought it was sexy as hell.”
She spread her fingers and peeked between them. “Really?”
“Oh, yeah. My goal is to make you do it again when I make love to you.”
“We’ll see about that,” she panted.
It took several minutes for her breathing to even out, which was fine with him. He spent the respite worshiping his mate, caressing and stroking her body. The satiny softness of her skin fascinated him.
He licked his lips, savoring her essence, and gazed deeply into her eyes. Leaning over the side of the bed, he fished a condom out of the nightstand.
Cassidy took advantage of his change in position and stroked his aching length with nimble fingers. When he knelt between her thighs, she wrapped her fingers around his length and stroked him from head to hilt again and again. Relishing the sweet torture of her hands on him, he tore open the condom with his teeth, the crinkle of the foil wrapper loud to his ears.
To his surprise, she held out her hand. When he hesitated too long, her brows rose in unspoken demand. Grinning, he handed the open packet to her.
A look of concentration crossed her face as she pulled the latex-free and positioned it over his erection. With a firm grip, she rolled the condom down his length, drawing a growl from his wolf. Watching her was the most erotic thing he’d seen in a long time.
“Woman, you’re killing me.”
Her gaze shot to his, a smile tugging at her lips. “Now you know how I felt a few minutes ago.”
He settled his hips between her thighs. “Is that right?” Ever so slowly, he rocked against her without fully penetrating. Easing his chest down, he leaned on his forearms to kiss her one last time before asking, “Are you ready, to be mine forever?”
“Yes,” she stated resolutely. “I memorized everything Thomas wrote down for me.”
Marcus chuckled. He appreciated that she was taking the ritual seriously, but her solemn, resolved expression was so adorable he couldn’t help himself.
“Will you give yourself, body and soul, to complete this man and his wolf?
“Will you unite your life with mine, bond your future with mine, and merge your half of our soul to mine, and in doing so, complete the mating ritual?”
Marcus watched her intently, waiting for her response.
Cassidy cleared her throat, gazed into his eyes, and answered, “I will give myself, body and soul, to complete you as a man and his wolf.
“I will unite my life with yours, bond my future to yours, and merge my half of our soul with yours. I will complete the mating ritual with you.”
“I’ve wanted to hear you say those words to me since I saw you in the lobby,” he breathed against her lips.
“So long? Such patience,” she teased as she pulled him down and claimed his lips.
“Absolutely, it’s been long. It feels like months have passed since I first laid eyes on you.”
Their tongues dance
d sensually as he slowly rocked deeper into her heated core. Marcus had waited decades for this exact moment, and he wasn’t going to rush it.
He eased through her tight channel. God, she felt good, gripping him tightly, washing away hundreds of years of loneliness until he felt new again. With each rock of his hips, he sank a little deeper and felt a coming home like he’d never felt before.
Cassidy wrapped her arms around him as they began to move together.
Sliding a hand under her hip, he angled her for deeper penetration. He loved Cassidy slowly, gliding in and out, relishing the love he felt through their bond.
When he felt her teeth on his neck, both he and his wolf rumbled. Her giggle rubbed her breasts against him in the most delicious way.
“I like that, do it again,” he encouraged.
She nipped him again, a little harder than before. His hips jerked forward, burying him fully and eliciting a loud growl from him.
“Oh,” she exclaimed.
He froze and searched her face. “Did I hurt you?”
“Hardly. You feel great.”
Marcus began to move again. “Let’s see if I can improve on that. I’m shooting for mind-blowing.”
“If mind-blowing is what you’re after, get a move on Le Beau,” she panted, wiggling her hips against him.
He drew back and thrust in with purpose. “I can do faster.”
Cassidy moaned, the sexiest sound he’d heard and met him thrust for thrust.
After a few minutes, he slowed their pace to small shallow thrusts. “I could make love to you all day,” Marcus rumbled, “but we have a ritual to finish.”
He kissed her one last time, a sweet lingering kiss, then locked his elbows and gazed into her eyes.
“I willingly accept you as my mate.
“I am yours, as you are mine.”
A breeze, kicked up by their magic, rustled their hair as a gust swirled around the room.
“I give you my undying love and passion.
“I give you all that I am and ever will be.
“I share my half of our soul to complete you.
“I share my magic with you.”
He bent down and nuzzled her neck, urging her to turn her head for better access. Rubbing his nose over her skin, he breathed her citrus scent deep into his lungs and rumbled almost a purr. His canines elongated, triggering the need to leave his mark. “I can’t wait to bite you,” he whispered in her ear.
He grinned when she gasped. “You’ll see.”
He lapped at her neck, preparing the spot. Knowing Cassidy was on the edge of panic, he bit without warning. His razor-sharp fangs broke her skin easily with minimal pain, and then the ecstasy kicked in.
Cassidy cried out, then moaned. “Oh. That’s—oh.” Her hips thrust in response to his bite.
He suckled and licked his bite mark savoring every drop of blood seeping from the tiny wound. Then he tenderly licked her skin clean as he started his gentle thrusting again.
“I beseech the Creator to bless you and your wolf guardian.
“You are my mate to honor and treasure onto the end of time.
“Before the one true Source of all, I proclaim: you are my mate.”
When the sound of rushing wind filled the room, Cassidy’s eyes widened. Her hair fluttered around her face as the air swirled faster. Her gaze shot to his. “What the hell is that?”
“Our magic. Don’t worry, its nothing to fear. That’s your wolf soul coming to you.”
Suddenly, she clutched her chest. “Something just hit me.”
As the wind died down, Marcus smoothed her hair from her face. “It didn’t hit you, it entered you.”
“Entered—” she stammered. “What the—”
“Calm down. That was your wolf soul entering your body. Do you feel any different?”
Cassidy rubbed her chest. “Yeah, now that you mention it. But I didn’t see anything. Is it invisible? And why didn’t you warn me about that?”
Marcus had the grace to feel contrite. “Sorry, I’ve never done this before and didn’t realize it would be so dramatic.” Then he tilted his head and considered his wolf soul. “I suppose a wolf soul isn’t something tangible. Aren’t souls normally invisible?”
She shook her head and laughed. “How would I know? I’m not a ghost hunter.”
He laughed along with her. “Neither am I. I suppose it’ll remain a mystery. Can you feel your wolf inside of you?”
“I feel… something.”
“Quiet your mind and listen. Do you hear anything?”
She closed her eyes for a long moment, then smiled. “I can hear her sniffing around in my head. I think she’s checking me out.”
“That sounds about right. If she annoys you, just tell her with your thoughts to go lay down.”
“Ah, okay.”
He chuckled again. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, you’ll get used to it.” When she looked skeptical, he bent closer and kissed her until they were breathless before adding, “Right now, we have a ritual to finish. This is the part where you say the words back to me and bite me back. Fair warning, I’ve heard it feels odd and sometimes tickles when our souls knit together.”
That got her attention. “Thank you for letting me know. So… where was I? Oh yeah. I willingly accept you as my mate.
“I am yours, as you are mine.
“I give you my undying love and passion.
“I give you all that I am and ever will be.
“I share my half of our soul to complete you.”
Cassidy gasped. “I can feel it,” she whispered in awe.
“I can too. It’s odd, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. I swear I feel the souls fusing together.” The phenomenon gave her an unexpected charge of energy. She couldn’t help laughing. “It feels so strange.”
Grinning, she took his face in her hands and kissed him. “This is cool!”
“Yes, it is,” he chuckled as he lowered himself so she could reach his neck and tilted his head to the side. “It’s time to finish this. Bite me, baby.”
Still giddy, she nuzzled him and inhaled his crisp thunderstorm yumminess. She was blinking to clear her mind of his intoxicating scent when razor-sharp canines erupted in her mouth. “Holy thit,” she lisped around the unfamiliar teeth. They felt strange and took up way too much space in her mouth. “Theeth fangth are an ithue.” Suddenly, instinct took over. Her mouth watered, and she felt compelled to bite.
Marcus yelled out as her fangs sank deep. “Fuck, that’s good.”
When she suckled the bite, his hips jerked, and he hardened more than he’d ever been in his life. He strained to still his grinding hips, shaking with the effort. Then she licked the mark, and he jerked again. “Cassidy!”
“I think you like that,” she teased and licked him again.
Marcus growled and ground his hips against her pelvis, buried balls deep.
Whispering in his ear, she recited the last of the ritual. “I beseech the Creator to bless you and your wolf guardian.
“You are my mate to honor and treasure onto the end of time.
“Before the one true Source of all, I proclaim: you are my mate.”
“Thank God,” Marcus growled. “You pushed me to the limit, woman.” He pulled back and pounded home. “Hang on. This is going to be a fast, hard loving.”
Gripping his shoulders, she yelled, “Fast now, slow later.”
“Yes, ma’am,” He lifted her hips and pounded into her. They ignored the headboard banging a dent into the wall. He’d fix that later.
Much later.
Nineteen
Cassidy woke with a start. After the night she had, she’d anticipated sleeping in, but from the sunrise colors in the sky, that wasn’t going to happen. That begged the question, why was she awake? Highly trained as she was, she studied her surroundings without opening her eyes. The sounds of nature filled her ears. A gator roared, frogs croaked, and water lapped. Nothing was amiss as far as she knew. But what
did she know about the bayou? Diddly squat, that’s what. So, what had disturbed her sleep?
“Son of a bitch!” she snarled when a sharp pain sliced through her upper arm.
“What’s wrong?” Marcus asked groggily, blinking the sleep from his eyes.
She twisted to inspect her arm. “Something bit me.”
“Let me see,” he said, sitting up beside her and turning on the bedside lamp.
She turned sideways in the bed to show him her triceps.
He turned her arm this way and that. “All I see is an old scar—” His voice trailed off.
“Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. I sliced my arm making a getaway two years ago.”
“And you’re feeling it again now,” he growled.
Cassidy spun to face him fully. “I’m what?”
“You’re going through the conversion, and your old injuries are mending themselves. Like I said, you’re feeling it again.”
“Well, that sucks,” she groused.
“That’s about right. I’ve heard it can be unpleasant.”
Cassidy clapped her hands over her mouth and made for the edge of the bed. “Shit,” she moaned between her fingers right before she emptied her stomach on the floor.
“I’ll get you a glass of water to wash out your mouth. Lie back and breathe through it while I clean that up.”
Cassidy clutched her tummy and groaned but didn’t lose her lunch a second time.
He handed her the water and then made quick work of wiping up the granite tile before he rejoined her on the bed. “Come here, sweetheart. Let me hold you.”
She wriggled closer as best she could.
Marcus pulled her onto his lap and brushed her hair from her face. “Feeling any better?”
“Not even close,” she growled through clenched teeth.
“What hurts now?” he asked, massaging her triceps.
“What doesn’t would be easier to answer. I stopped counting how many cuts, slashes, and bullet wounds I sustained at around twenty.”
Marcus sucked in a sharp breath.
“On top of that, I’ve broken five ribs, my collar bone, left wrist, right humerus, left tibia, and right fibula, to name a few,” she joked weakly.
“Shit, Cassidy, you’ve had that many broken bones in the last few years!”
