by Renee Rose
She sank into the wall, her muscles going limp.
“Baby…” Cody eased his hand from her eyes. “Oh, God, you’re crying.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not.”
But Cody thumbed tears away from her face.
He pulled out of her and shifted to scoop under her knees. “It’s okay, baby. You’re going to be all right.” The anxiety on his face as he peered at her made her heart twist.
He cursed.
“Cody,” she mumbled, wanting to soothe him. “I’m okay.” But the room spun and she felt cold.
“Can you stand up? Just for a second, so I can get your clothes back on?”
She did her best to stand on her feet as he crouched to pick up her clothing. When she swayed, she caught his back, leaning on him to steady herself. Somehow he dressed her, then swung her back up in his arms and carried her out to his truck. Although it was completely insane, and she tried to tell him so, Cody insisted on driving with her cradled on his lap, her back leaning against the door, feet spilling into the passenger side. Fortunately, it was less than a mile to his house.
He carried her into his house and onto his bed, where he sat with her nestled in his arms, dropping kisses on the top of her head as she drifted in and out of consciousness, floating on a euphoria of love and peace.
* * *
Cody balanced the hot coffee and bag of breakfast sandwiches and muffins in one hand to unlock the door. The sound of the shower running made him smile. His mate was up.
Yes, mate.
The concept still stunned him on a minute by minute basis. He’d spent the entire night holding Melissa, watching her wounds close and start to heal, painfully slowly compared to a shifter, but still far faster than they would on a human.
Ben and Ashley had shown up at his door not long after they’d returned, but he’d refused to let them in. He’d been covered in his own blood and hers, and Ashley had been terrified, but Stone guessed at what had happened.
“You marked her,” he’d said, nostrils flaring.
He half-expected Stone to challenge him, and his inner wolf growled, willing to fight to the death for her. But once he’d assured them she was all right, just sleeping off the serum and healing, they left.
The shower turned off. He set the coffee and goodies on the dresser and waited for her to emerge.
She came out with a towel wrapped under her armpits, her pale skin flushed from the water. The smile she flashed him dazzled.
He stepped over to her and moved her hair from her shoulder, examining her wounds for the millionth time, then kissing each one. “How are you, baby?”
“I feel wonderful, actually.” She beamed up at him. She did, in fact, radiate good health and well-being. Her skin glowed, her eyes were bright, smile so full of joy, he wanted to be sure he never wiped it from her face again. “How are you?”
He’d showered and changed but hadn’t slept—his worry over her had kept him up all night. “I’m fine—see.” He grinned and pulled up his shirt to show her the bullet wounds had completely healed.
She reached out to brush her fingertips over his abs, sending a shudder of the deepest recognition through his being.
Mate.
He gripped the edges of her towel and pulled her up against his body. Her damp heat permeated his clothes, made his skin itch to be in direct contact. “We do have a score to settle before we can move forward.”
Her eyes dilated, nipples stiffened against his ribs. “I had a feeling this was coming.”
He slid his hand under the back of her hair and stroked her nape. “Technically, you were under Stone’s protection when you went rogue, but since you’re now my mate, punishment falls to me.”
Her arousal filled the room. “I was hoping you’d say that.” Her voice was husky.
He opened the corners of her towel wide, then let it drop, drinking in the sight of her. Now that he’d marked her, the itchiness was gone, but incinerating desire still flamed bright.
“Because it would be kinda weird if Ben spanked—”
He growled and picked her up by the waist, tossing her on the bed. “I would’ve killed him if he tried.”
Melissa giggled, pushing up on her elbows to send him a heavy-lidded look.
He kicked his shoes off and crawled up on the bed, settling with his back against the headboard and patting his knees.
She crawled over to him, her breasts bouncing with the movement, hair falling over her shoulders like a curtain. “So this is how it’s going to be now?” She moved to settle over his lap, but he caught her before she lowered and held her shoulders.
“Never in anger. Never against your will. If you disagree with the punishment, we’ll talk instead.” He needed her to know this—that a shifter mate was loving, not abusive. He wanted her to feel safe. Cherished.
She blushed and bit her lip. “Get on with it.”
He laughed. It was the last thing he’d expected her to say, and her throaty intonation made his cock throb. With a tug, he pulled her over his lap and popped each cheek with a loud smack.
“This is how it’s going to be, princess.” He slapped her lovely ass again, right and left. “You disobey, you get punished. You will take off your clothes and get into position like a good girl.” He rubbed her perfect globes and squeezed, then began to spank her at a faster rate, alternating one side, then the other. “I will decide how to punish you, when you’ve had enough.”
She squirmed under the onslaught, hands flying back to cover her ass.
“Uh uh.” He caught her wrists and pinned them against the small of her back with one hand, still spanking with the other. “You don’t get to cover.” He applied his hand to the backs of her thighs where he knew it stung more and she squealed.
“Owww, ow,” she howled. “Mercy!”
He laughed and rubbed her ass again. “I admit I am inclined to show you mercy. Especially considering what I did to you last night.”
“Yes, mercy,” she pleaded, waggling her reddened ass in beautiful temptation.
“But considering how much the trouble Ben took to keep you safe—sending his pack and his money, asking a favor from me, which he’ll have to repay—only to have you run off and try to get yourself killed anyway—”
“I didn’t—” she interrupted.
He spanked her fast and hard, causing her to gasp for breath.
“Princess, if you’re going to argue, there will be no mercy.” He kept spanking her, loving the sight of her cheeks flattening and springing back with each whap.
“Sorry! Sor-ry!”
“That’s more like it,” he murmured and stroked her heated flesh.
She moaned and parted her legs.
His fingers slid between them, delving into her sweet nectar and rubbing it over her clit.
She raised her ass higher and parted her legs more.
“Baby, what happens after you’ve been spanked?”
“Punishment fuck,” she panted immediately, as if she’d been waiting for it with great anticipation.
He continued to rub between her legs. “You get fucked long and hard, don’t you?”
“Yes,” she gasped.
“But I don’t think I’ll let you orgasm today.”
Her body stilled. “Wh-what?”
“You heard me.” He slapped her ass. “This is for my pleasure only. To teach you a lesson.” He picked up her ankles and slid her off his lap, then flipped her over and lifted them high in the air. In this position, he gave her another spanking, turning her cheeks from pink to raspberry, while she cried out and squirmed.
Her juices leaked from her exposed pussy, coating his fingers when he spanked her there.
His own desire took over and he dropped her legs and fell down over her, pinning her wrists above her head as he kissed and bit down her neck to suck the stiff peak of her nipple.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled his hips against her core. “Take me,” she breathed. “I need you n
ow.”
The beast roared to life within him. He tore off his shirt and shoved down his jeans, impaling her with his cock.
Her eyes flew wide, mouth opened, but only a strangled gasp came out.
“That’s right, baby. Take it. Take all of it.” He rocked into her again, shoving deep, stretching her wide. “I’m not wearing a condom, do you know why?”
“Why?” she gasped.
“Because you belong to me, baby. And I’m going to put a pup in that sweet little belly of yours before the month is through.”
He didn’t even know where those words came from. He’d never thought about having pups, except in the very distant future. But mating Melissa had changed everything. The idea of starting a family with her seemed the only right thing in the world. Besides keeping her in his bed and making that smile stay on her face, forever.
“I belong to you,” she agreed, desperation creeping over her features. He had a feeling she’d say just about anything at that moment. “Cody,” she pleaded, rocking her pelvis up to meet his thrusts. “I have to come. I’m going to come, please?”
He made his face stern as he leaned on his fists and pounded into her. “You… will… not… come,” he growled.
“Mean,” she sobbed, rolling her head back and forth on the blankets. “You’re mean, mean, mean.”
“You were a Bad. Girl.” He shoved in deep on the last word and she climaxed, her internal walls squeezing his cock, milking it.
He pulled out before he came, too.
“Very bad girl,” he growled and rolled her on her belly, delivering another flurry of spanks.
Her moan this time had the languor of post-climax.
“Bad girls get their asses fucked.” He grabbed the lube and stroked it over his cock. “Reach back and hold open your cheeks, baby.”
Her immediate obedience sent shockwaves of pleasure through his body, making him lightheaded. She parted her buttocks, revealing her clenching rosebud.
Nesting his pelvis against her ass, he pushed the head of his cock against her anus. “Take me.”
She panted, clearly trying to relax for him.
“Good girl,” he murmured when the tight ring of muscles softened to allow him entry.
She squealed as he eased in, but once the bulbous head of his cock had pushed through, her body softened beneath him.
“That’s it, baby girl. You take my cock in your ass when you’ve been a naughty girl, don’t you?”
“Sorry!”
He smiled. “Who owns this ass, baby?”
“You do.”
“Mmm hmm.” He built a rhythm, rocking in and out of her as waves of satisfaction cascaded over him.
She turned her face and her hair fell to the side, exposing his marks on her shoulder.
With a roar, he came, still fucking her deep and hard, thighs shaking with the pleasure of release.
He held himself up on his forearms and nipped her neck, kissing and sucking down to her shoulder. Still buried in her ass, he stroked her hair back from her face.
“We can live in the house you put an offer on while I finish the big one,” he said. He had a list of important items to discuss with her and didn’t want to wait another minute.
The eye visible to him crinkled as she smiled. “What about this place? What will you use for a workshop?”
He kissed her temple and eased out of her. “This could still be my workshop. And my man cave when you get sick of me and kick me out.”
She laughed. “No way. You don’t get a man cave. Why don’t we just stay here?”
“Because you hate this place.”
She rolled over to face him and nestled right up into his arms. “I don’t hate it. I wouldn’t mind redecorating, though.”
He kissed her nose. “Anything you want, baby.”
She raked her fingernails through the hair on his chest. “I want to be your real estate agent,” she mumbled, not quite meeting his eye.
“Yeah. I want that, too.” It had been on his list of things to settle between them.
Her gaze flew to his. “You do?”
“Are you kidding? You think I’d let anyone else show my houses? Or help me buy them, for that matter? I didn’t even know there was such thing as the right buyer for a house until I met you. I’m not settling for anything less again.”
She beamed at him.
He leaned his forehead against hers. “Are you really all in with me? No regrets?”
“Not yet.” She flashed an impish smile. “I am scared, though,” she croaked a moment later.
“About what?” He wanted to slay every dragon she had.
“Everything. I’m afraid you’ll change your mind. Or end up being an asshole, or a drug addict or pimp or something.” She giggled at his outraged frown.
“We both already know I’m an asshole, so there’s no solving that. But a mated wolf doesn’t change his mind. Once you’re marked, you’re mine forever, baby, and I’ll never grow tired of you. That’s the way it works. And I haven’t really considered a career in drugs or pimping, but I guess there’s an outside chance I’ll look into it.” He tickled her and she shrieked, tucking her elbows against her ribs and rolling against him.
When he stopped, she looped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
“Do you really want kids?”
“Yep. Definitely.”
“Right away?”
“Didn’t you promise me I’d be pregnant in a month?”
He grinned and pushed her onto her back, kissing her hard. “I’m sure as hell going to try, baby. Morning, noon, and night.”
The End
For a special bonus scene featuring Cody and Melissa’s attendance at the shifter games in Estes Park, click here.
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