by Kym Grosso
“I care about him, too. Samantha, she’s been good for him. Softens him up a bit. He can be a bit cranky.” She laughed. “He’s not exactly fond of humans…as in not at all. Frankly, I’m surprised he bonded with a witch. I only say that because he’s not tolerant of other supernaturals. He cooperates with them only because Kade’s his maker. He makes him help the wolves at times. But he and I? I don’t know. He was never like that with me. When we first met, he was unjaded. We were both still very young.”
“I want you to know that even though I said I thought I was in love,” Jax paused and carefully selected his words, “I’ve never felt this attraction, not like what I feel when I’m with you. When I first heard you laugh, I just…if you hadn’t left, I would have chased you for the rest of the night. And now that I actually have you? I’m never letting go.”
“I don’t want you to let go.”
“We’ll get answers tomorrow from the warlock. This thing is far from over.” Jax traced his finger over his mark and his lips tightened in determination.
“We may be out of time,” she whispered. “Samantha. She knows.”
“Knows what?” he asked, aware of what she was insinuating.
“I’m changing. I can still shift, but inside,” Katrina brought her fist to her chest, “something is happening. Tonight at the house…I don’t know how I did what I did. I’ve never even met Ilsbeth. But the magick? It’s almost as if she knew me.”
“It’s going to be all right, Kat.” Jax spoke with conviction. It terrified him that something evil had rooted inside his mate, but he wouldn’t let her see his trepidation. “Tonight…all I want to do is be with you.”
Jax’s hand found her breast. He took a slippery tip in between his fingers and let his other hand dip in between her legs.
“Jax…I want…this,” she breathed.
“I need to be in you again,” Jax admitted. Claiming her hadn’t been nearly enough to sate his wolf. He yearned to make love to her over and over, marking her with his scent, his touch.
Katrina cried out loud as he slid a finger deep inside her core. Her head lolled forward and she braced her arm against the glass.
Jax smiled. He’d never been with a woman so responsive to his touch. Made for him and him alone, his mate shuddered in pleasure. Her breath quickened and he knew she was close. Driving two more fingers deep inside her channel, he pumped into her, his thumb circling her clit. He wrapped his hand under her chin, and she parted her lips, her tongue laving at his thumb.
Jax’s shaft strained against the crevice of her ass. The thought of fucking her, taking her in every conceivable way hardened his cock to concrete. Nothing would be off limits with Katrina, and the excitement of exploring how far they could go sent shivers through his body.
A small whimper escaped her lips as her core spasmed. He didn’t relent as she came, plunging his fingers in and out of her pussy.
“Yes, yes…that’s it, baby. Let go. You don’t need to hide from me,” he encouraged her, as her small cry became a scream.
“Yes, yes, yes…” Katrina’s voice echoed in the shower.
Jax withdrew and spun her around toward him. Lifting her by the waist, he grazed his cock through her wet folds. He stumbled backward, his back slamming into the side wall. Katrina held tight around his neck and slipped her hand down between them. Jax hissed as she took his shaft into her hand and stroked it.
“Mine,” she whispered in his ear and guided it into her pussy.
“Fuck, yeah,” Jax grunted as he drove up into her. Her channel fisted him and he sucked a breath, the sensation quivering over his sensitive skin. “No, no, no…don’t move, don’t move.”
“You feel so good inside me. Please, I need this. I need you,” she told him.
The bite of her nails digging into his shoulders took the edge off and he slowly withdrew and rocked inside her again. Moving together as one, they made love. Water dripped down their faces, their lips crushing together. He’d never get enough of this woman, he knew. Tonight was just the beginning. Every time she revealed a slight vulnerability, she countered with a strength that could only be found within the arms of an Alpha’s mate.
His tongue swept against hers and he drank in her loving kiss. As she sucked his bottom lip ever so gently, he increased his pace. Thrusting up into her, he grazed his pelvis against hers, and felt her shake beneath him.
“Oh, Jax!” Her deafening calls urged him and he pounded up into her.
“That’s it. Fucking come, baby. Oh shit,” Jax cursed. From his root to its tip, her sheath tightened around him, and he called out her name as he came deep inside her.
Her teeth scraped down over his shoulder, and he noted how she’d been careful to avoid marking him. Despite her control, he suspected she’d snap soon, marking him regardless of whether she intended it or not. Her wolf would have its due.
As he slipped out of his mate, and gently set her on her feet, he locked his eyes on hers. Jax recognized the tears brimming on her lashes, and his heart caught as she wrapped her arms around him tightly, holding on for dear life.
“I don’t want to give you up,” she whispered.
“It’s going to be all right, Kat.” Jax meant the sentiment even if he hadn’t figured out how to make it happen yet. In time, he’d find answers. In time, she’d be his forever. No one would take her away from him, not when he’d just found her.
Jax reached for the spigot and shut off the water. Not willing to break contact, he simply stood, letting the heat from their bodies warm them. Katrina went to pull away and he cupped her cheek. She closed her eyes, resting her head in his palm.
“As long as I’m alive, I’ll protect you with my life. This thing…whatever it is, we’ll face it together. You’re not alone anymore.”
She blinked her eyes open, and gave him a small smile. A flicker of hope flashed in her eyes, and he knew that was all people sometimes needed to keep going. No one had said finding and keeping his mate would be easy, only that it would happen.
Jax held tight to her hand and opened the door. He grasped the edge of the towel and wrapped the cottony fabric around Katrina. She went to take it from him but he shook his head no. Without argument, Katrina allowed him to do as he wished.
Here and now, he’d tend to his mate. Jax patted the moisture from her chest and pressed his lips to hers, sucking the stray droplets into his mouth. Silence filled the room save for her gasp as he kissed along her collarbone, carefully drying her. Gentle swipes over her arms were met with moans, his lips finding her breast. He continued slowly, tasting her and moving the towel over her hips.
Stopping to lift his gaze to hers, he knelt before her, bringing the fabric down over the swell of her ass, then weaving it through her legs. As he glided it over her thighs, he exposed her bare mound. She whimpered as his lips brushed over her inner thigh, leaving her shivering in anticipation.
Her fresh arousal drifted throughout the room, her sweet scent tempting him. Jax ran his palms up the back of her thighs until her fleshy globes rested in his hands. Breaking eye contact, he brought his face to her abdomen. He inhaled deeply, hearing the rush of air escape from her lips in response.
“You’re beautiful,” he breathed, his lips ever so slightly grazing her pussy. “From the minute I saw you and now…”
“Ah…Jax.” Katrina’s muscles tensed as he teased her with his touch.
“So perfect.” He dragged the tip of his tongue through her slit, flicking it over her swollen nub. Her honeyed essence coated his lips and he hummed in delight. “Perfectly made for me.”
Jax smiled as she raked her fingers into his hair, fisting it. The prick on his scalp heightened his arousal, and as she tilted his head upward, he momentarily allowed her indulgence to take control. Her heated stare confirmed what he’d known. His little mate not only wanted to be watched but she loved watching his mouth on her.
With a growl, he drove his tongue through her folds. She cried out but held tight to his
head. His hands dropped to her pussy and he used his thumbs to spread her labia wide open, granting him access to his prize. But instead of sating her yearning, he mercilessly teased her, licking along the sides of her clit, but never providing her the full friction she sought.
“Jax…please. I can’t wait,” Katrina panted. “In me…please, I need you in me now.”
Jax heard the soft thud as her head rested back onto the wall. Her hands fell to his shoulders and she widened her stance.
He smiled and rewarded her by sucking her clitoris between his lips. As she went onto her tiptoes, quivering with pleasure, he spoke into her wetness.
“Easy, baby…hold on, now.”
“Jesus, Jax…please…oh God…” Katrina lost her words as Jax stretched her open further with his fingers and drove his tongue up into her core.
Jax stroked her sensitive ridged channel and delighted as her sweet juice coated his lips. She writhed onto his face, quivering under his touch. Struggling to breathe, Jax didn’t relent as he applied pressure with his thumb to her clit. She rocked atop him, heaving for breath. A scream tore from her lips as she convulsed, her orgasm slicing through her. With her palms pressed flat against the glass, she attempted to brace herself against the onslaught of spasms rippling through her.
Jax sprang to his feet, his mouth capturing hers. He wanted her to taste herself on his lips, to savor the exquisite flavor of her arousal. As the Alpha possessed his mate, she returned his branding kiss with fervor. Never in his life had he been more terrified and exhilarated at the same time. His mate, Katrina, owned his soul.
Chapter Sixteen
Katrina’s heart pounded as if she’d run a marathon. Her thoughts spiraled as he picked her up off her feet and carried her to the bed. When they’d returned from Ilsbeth’s, she’d grown contemplative within her own reflections on the experience. But from the second her mate stepped into the bathroom, the concerns about everything they’d found, her future, all of it, if for only a brief respite, disappeared. Her emotions were replaced with arousal.
She felt his eyes on her, watching and waiting as she washed her hair, bubbles sluicing down her back and over her breasts. Like a lover’s hands, she’d cupped her breasts, tweaking her tips into swollen points. After he’d made love to her in the shower, emotions surfaced once again. The magnificent man who’d taken her completely was so much more than a passing phase. As each intimate second passed, she’d exercised every last shred of self-control not to mark him as her own. As thoughts of losing him rushed back into her mind, she was unable to contain the tears that escaped.
But once again, he’d assured her he’d protect her. Yearning to hear the words, she wanted more than anything to believe him. Spoken with conviction, nothing but truth resounded in his statement.
When he’d fallen to his knees in front of her, the sight of her great Alpha took her breath away. His long locks fit perfectly into her hands, guiding his mouth to her pussy. Both vulnerable and ripe with a strength she’d never known a man to possess, he played her body, the maestro leading her in a symphony of pleasure.
She attempted to focus and catch her breath as he set her on the bed. The fire in his eyes told her he was far from finished making love. Her chest rose and fell in anticipation as she watched him stalk to the dresser and retrieve items. I’ll test your limits, he’d told her and she expected nothing less from the commanding wolf.
Although the lights were dimmed, she caught the blur of an object in his hand. She shivered in excitement, her fingers drifting over her stomach.
“I want you. All of you, Katrina.” His low and sensual voice washed over her as he climbed up onto the bed and straddled her legs. Her eyes darted to the item he held behind his back.
“Presents? And it’s not even my birthday.” She licked her lips and gave a nervous laugh, as a wicked smile crossed his face.
“You could say that. Do you like surprises?” His head dipped to her breast. She arched her back and mewled as his rough tongue swept around her areola. Without warning, he drove two thick fingers into her pussy. “Hmm…I see you do.”
Katrina gasped at the intrusion and moaned as her channel quivered around him.
“Jax…what are you…?” Katrina lost her thought as his teeth tugged on her nipple, the pleasurable sting bringing her attention to his mouth.
“You make me lose control, woman,” he growled. His fingers slowly pressed in and out of her slick core. “Everything about you…”
Katrina smiled as he lifted his head and she caught the mischievous glint in his eyes. His thickened shaft lay heavy on her thigh, and her pussy clenched around him. As much as she wanted to move, to seek his penetrating arousal, she thought better of it. Her palms moved to cup his unshaven cheeks and he turned his lips to her fingers, sucking them as if he were making love to them. His eyes never left hers as his tongue swirled over them, nipping softly as he let them slip from his mouth.
“I’m going to make love to you,” he promised. Katrina nodded as he withdrew his fingers and pressed his thick head to her entrance.
Jax smiled, and she gazed into his penetrating eyes. The sight of her magnificent Alpha stirred excitement throughout her body. Katrina had waited a lifetime to feel this way about someone. To be so utterly consumed by a man, his kiss meant more than breathing. Hundreds of years had passed and no one mortal or wolf had possessed her the way Jax Chandler had in a matter of days.
Seconds felt like hours as his lips hovered above hers, his warm breath on her mouth. His whispered name was all she managed before he kissed her. Melting underneath him, she brushed her tongue against his, reveling in the taste of her mate. His rough whiskers brushed her face, reminding her of the wild soul that lurked within his gentle kiss.
Her legs wrapped around his waist as he slid inside her core, inch by inch, slowly filling her. She protested as he tore his mouth from hers. His weight rested on her and he braced himself up onto his elbow, spearing his fingers into her hair. Her eyes blinked open and she caught him staring at her, his heated gaze causing her heart to flip.
“Don’t be afraid,” he told her, and she knew he was referring to losing him.
“I…I…Jax.” Katrina tilted her hips up as he rocked in and out of her.
“You can’t deny your wolf forever.”
“I can’t resist much longer.” She didn’t want to say the words out loud. She suspected that she’d mark him soon, unable to resist the lure of her mate.
“This, us, it’s everything.”
“I want to…” Katrina’s words faltered as he increased his pace, and she lost herself within his eyes. Her lover. Her mate. Her Alpha.
Before she knew what was happening Jax withdrew and rolled her on her stomach. Katrina squealed as he lifted her bottom into the air. She braced herself on her elbows and heard him command her.
“Like this,” he told her. “Hands and knees, princess.”
“Jax, please.” She wiggled and a firm slap to her bottom rewarded her sass. “Ah…yes.”
“Time to play, little wolf.”
“Please, just…” Katrina breathed as he slid his ridged shaft into her glistening pussy, stretching her open as he filled her.
“Don’t move even a little bit,” Jax grunted.
Katrina’s head rolled forward and she moaned, her sheath contracting around his rock-hard cock. She heard him exhale, and startled as the cool gel dripped down her cleft.
“I told you not to move,” he warned, gliding his palm down over her cheek. His thumb circled her puckered flesh, igniting every cell of her body with desire. “Right here, Katrina. I’m going to have you soon. But first…”
Katrina heard his soft chuckle. She turned her head and caught a glimpse of his devious smile as he waved a shiny gold object in the air, holding it by its looped handle.
“A new toy just for my mate. I told you in New York when I had you indisposed,” he paused and laughed, “tied up so nicely. Jesus, it makes me want to fucking come just
thinking about it. Hmm. But I digress. As I was saying, I told you I planned to push you, my sweet wolf. My tastes…they aren’t exactly vanilla. And I suspect that yours aren’t either.”
Katrina sucked a breath as the smooth metal surface brushed over her bottom. Although she’d fantasized over the years, there’d been no one she’d trusted to indulge. Tonight, she’d give herself over to her commanding Alpha, the one who’d settle for nothing less than raw honesty.
“I’ve always wanted…” She stilled as he probed her back hole, the tight ring resisting its entrance.
“Easy, now. Relax and trust me, Kat. I’d never hurt you.” Jax removed the tip and replaced it with his thumb. Wiggling it slowly, he pressed it into her bottom, stretching her muscle. “We’ve got to move slowly.”
Katrina closed her eyes, allowing him to prepare her. Her hips rocked forward and back, sliding him in and out of her pussy. Ripe with arousal, she moaned, “More.”
“There you go. See how good that feels. That’s a girl. Just push back. Look how amazing you are,” Jax praised. He withdrew his finger and gently inserted the plug. “I can’t wait to fuck you in your beautiful little ass.”
“Ah…slow…slow…oh…” A tiny twinge was soon replaced by a delightful fullness that she’d never experienced. “That feels…ah yes. Don’t stop.”
“It’s almost all the way in. You’re doing great,” he praised. “Just feel me. Let this happen. Let us happen.”
Katrina relaxed into the dark intrusion, accepting a pleasure she’d only ever allow her mate to give her. She reached for the headboard of the canopied bed and braced herself as he withdrew his cock and penetrated her core.
“Jax…so full. Please, yes,” she cried.
“You feel so good…” Jax muttered. “You’re so tight around me.”
Katrina gripped the wood, unable to think of anything but the pleasure rippling through her body. Strong fingers grazed through her slick folds, and she gasped. As he stroked her clitoris, Katrina shook, losing control. The most violent, mind-numbing release of her life crashed over her, leaving her body tingling all over. Her core contracted, fisting Jax, bringing him with her. She moaned as he clutched her shoulders and slammed inside her pussy. A triumphant call tore from his lips as he gave one last forceful thrust.
