by Jen Talty
“I can’t mate with just anyone. I don’t really get to choose, it just happens.”
“You’re not making any sense.”
He opened his eyes and got hung up in the scrutiny of her turquoise eyes. He cleared his throat. “Most often, mating happens during courtship and we affect the process by falling in love.” He lied just a little, but only because he so desperately wanted to believe that. “But I’ve seen wolves in long term-relationships that never mated with the other person because they aren’t destined to be together. It would appear you and I were preordained to lead my pack.”
“That’s crazy and I’m not a wolf. I don’t mate.” She cocked her head, and shot him a sarcastic grin.
“You don’t have to be a wolf for us to mate. The only requirement is that fate decided it.”
She burst out laughing. “You’re pulling my leg.”
“I wish I were.” The longer he looked at her, the more his heart swelled with love and fierce protection. His mother always told him that someday his mate would find him and he’d understand how important it was for him to return home.
While he knew there was a mate for him out in the world, he enjoyed pretending she didn’t exist and hoped he’d never meet her. A shot of anger flowed through him. He should have known the dating agency had been a set up. That his parents knew Gerri Wilder would find his mate and force his hand home.
He stared at Daphne, who’s laughing fit slowly subsided. The intense rush of emotion filled his body like the swirling of water being pushed by the propeller of a large boat. There wasn’t anything he could do about his growing affection but accept his destiny.
But could she accept hers?
The thought crippled him.
“Once a mate is selected, there is no going back. We were chosen to be together and we can fight it all we want, but that won’t change the facts, nor the feelings that will soon grow so intense we won’t be able to deny it anyway.”
“Try to deny hearing my voice right now,” he projected.
She opened her mouth, but quickly snapped it shut. He couldn’t hear her response because she hadn’t projected it, but her narrowed eyes said it all.
“Try talking to me this way.”
“No.”
He let out a short laugh.
She bolted from the sofa and started pacing. “If this is all true, I think I should have a say in it, and I say hell to the no!” She paused for just enough time to tuck her hair behind her ears. “No offense.”
“None taken.” He swallowed the bruised ego forming in the pit of his gut, though her stubborn, independence only made his attachment to her stronger, a feeling he both welcomed and resented. “When you stood at my side, hand on my back, staring down Cosmo and his friends, you committed yourself to me.”
“I did no such thing.” She turned her back and glanced out the side window, hands on her hips.
He certainly didn’t blame her for being skeptical. “I know it’s an overwhelming concept. If my mom were here, she’d be able to explain it better since it happened to her much like it did you.”
Daphne glanced over her shoulder. “What do you mean?”
“Come here and sit.” He patted the cushion, needing to be near her. Even if she didn’t let him touch her, he would still be able to feel the heat rising from her skin, coating him like a warm bath.
Thankfully, she moved across the room with the grace and dignity of a princess, joining him on the sofa.
She settled in on the other side of the couch, tucking her hair behind her ears.
Her beauty was undeniable, but her innocent smile and deep contemplative stare dove to the core of Chaz faster than a bullet ripping through the air. He understood the depth of desire as he had always been a passionate man, but this went beyond anything he’d ever experienced. It was like the Fourth of July fireworks exploding in his heart.
“I’m listening,” she said.
“My dad had been dating this girl, who according to my mother was working pretty hard to figure out how to force my dad to mate.”
“A girl or a wolf?”
He smiled. “A wolf, who should have known you can’t make it happen. Mating only occurs when it’s a perfect match, but she wanted to be a pack leader’s bitch.”
“I hate that word.”
“If you ever met her, you’d use the word,” he said biting back a laugh, remembering his mother introducing him to his father’s ex-girlfriend, who then tried to turn the charm on him. Gross.
Daphne tucked her feet up under her adorable round butt and leaned against the arm rest.
Stretching his legs across the sofa, he rested his feet on her ankles, getting a quick shock in the process. He could have sworn a couple of sparks floated from her legs, but when he blinked, they were gone.
“How did your parents meet?” she asked.
“My mom was a bartender at The Rail Room—”
“The place right outside the village?” Daphne asked with a hint of excitement laced to the words. “A known hang out for… for… ” She bit down on her lower lip.
“It’s a popular hangout for all kinds, humans included.”
Her gaze dropped to her lap. “I was forbidden to ever set foot, in a place like that.”
“I’m not surprised, but how old are you and do you still do everything your parents tell you?”
That got her attention as she snapped her head up. “I’m twenty-five and no, I make my own decisions. I was just making a statement.”
“And I was just teasing you.”
“Finish your story.”
Wanting to be closer, he twisted his body, turning, and rested his head in her lap. He held his breath for a moment, waiting for her to push him away, or yell at him. But instead her fingers glided through his hair, scratching his scalp.
He sighed. “My dad brought the girl he’d been seeing into the Rail Room and my mom was their waitress. My dad will tell you he fell instantly in love and my mom will tell you she barely noticed him until a few days later when he came in alone and asked for her.”
“So, your dad had feelings for her from the beginning?”
“He lusted after her, much like I did the second I saw you at the airport, standing in line waiting to check your bag.”
“You were watching me?”
“For about fifteen minutes.”
She yanked his hair.
“Hey, that hurt.”
“Good. Now continue.”
He adjusted his head so he could look at her angelic face. The confusion in her eyes still lingered, but he could tell—no, he could feel her slowly accepting the impression mating with him had left in her mind and heart. As much as he wanted to resent the process, he couldn’t because as he looked intently at her now, he knew his life wouldn’t be complete without her.
“My mom had grown up surrounded by shifters, who wolves sometimes have conflicts with, so she had sworn off ever dating a wolf. But that evening, when my dad left the bar, he got jumped by a couple of thugs. Beat him up pretty badly.”
“No way. That’s horrible.” Her hands continued to massage his scalp and if he wasn’t careful, he’d be moaning like a pathetic puppy in seconds.
“My mother stepped outside at the tail end of the beating and actually punched one of them in the face, giving the dude a black eye.”
“I like your mother already.”
He smiled. “She took my dad home, cleaned him up, fed him, and let him sleep on her sofa, at least that’s where they say he slept. I don’t buy it. The next morning, while making breakfast, my mom heard my father’s voice inside her head. She turned around, looked at my dad sitting at her kitchen table and said, and I quote, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Really? I’m stuck with you for the rest of my life? My dad shrugged his shoulders and they married two weeks later and less than nine months after that, well you’re looking at him.”
“She accepted it just like that?” Daphne raised her hand and snapped her fingers.
“She didn’t question it? She wasn’t upset? I mean, you don’t just love someone in a flash.”
“Wolves do.”
“I’m not a wolf.”
“That’s the interesting piece. Somewhere in your DNA there is wolf blood. A distant relative. Maybe a half breed that mated with another half breed. Who knows. But a very small part of you belongs to wolves.”
“And now I guess all of me,” she said with a long sigh. “My parents are going to kill me right after they kill you.”
“That’s an unpleasant thought. Perhaps we don’t tell them.”
She laughed. The soft, sweet sound quieted his own fears and concerns. Her life was going to change drastically, but he couldn’t tell her everything.
Not yet.
Besides not wanting to overwhelm her, he needed some time to process what this meant for his future as well. A future he fought hard for but now he could no longer ignore his rightful place in the world.
“You do realize how absurd this all seems to me?”
He rolled, scooting to a sitting position, cupping her face. “I do, but I can promise you that I’ll never hurt you. Ever.”
She nodded. “I have a strange question.”
“What’s that?” he asked, patiently waiting until the time was right to kiss her again.
“Can you read all my thoughts or just when I talk to you?”
“I can only hear what you want me to hear, and the same goes for me. It’s not mind reading. It’s communication.”
“You can talk to other wolves and people like this?”
“Just other wolves. The only other human I can project my thoughts to is my mom.” He fanned his thumbs over her high cheekbones. “It’s a lot to take in, even for me. I spent a lifetime trying to avoid this.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
“Why don’t we push it aside for a few days and go about getting to know each other like we had planned.”
Her eyes widened as she visibly swallowed.
“I want to give you everything you’ve ever fantasized about.”
***
Seconds ticked by as Daphne stared into a swirl of bourbon and fiery-red that captivated her both emotionally and physically. She should run away and never look back. The mere idea that she was attached to Chaz for life before they’d even slept together was beyond ludicrous. The concept of wolves mating, while she’d heard of it before, couldn’t actually be happening to her. Part of her wanted to believe that Chaz had some weird ass sense of humor or that this was all some wicked dream.
She reached up, running her fingers under his chin, like she’d done when he’d been a wolf. He arched a brow and bellowed a low throaty groan. The noise vibrated her skin, making her nipples pucker.
Her sexual experiences in the past had been pleasant enough.
Mainly satisfying.
However, something had always been missing. She didn’t know if it was her, or the men she dated.
She suspected she was about to find out.
Tilting her head, she brushed her lips across his cheek, gliding her tongue to his mouth. His kiss was like pure adrenaline wrapped in sweet sugar cane. His strong hands roamed her back, pulling her to his chest before scooping her up into his arms like she weighed next to nothing.
He continued to kiss her as he effortlessly glided across the main room toward the bedroom.
No man had ever carried her anywhere and she had to admit she enjoyed it, especially when his eyes continued to be a mirage of rich colors drenched in passion.
He stood at the edge of the bed, holding her in his strong arms. “Are you ready?” he asked, nuzzling his nose in her neck.
A shot of confidence infused with desire rippled across her skin. “I think the question should be: are you?”
“Be careful how you play.” He winked, tossing her on the bed.
“Whoa.” She bounced once before settling into the thick plush mattress. Biting down on her lower lip, she scanned his magnificent bare chest. His muscles were defined like a perfect sculpture displayed in a museum for all to admire.
Crawling to the edge of the bed, she raised to her knees, her hands gliding over his soft skin, grazing his taught nipples. A rainbow of white sparkles followed her fingertips. She blinked.
He hissed and grabbed her wrist, cocking his head.
She’d never been aggressive in the bedroom, and while her touch might have been bold, it wasn’t overly assertive.
Gently, she lowered her free hand, letting her fingers rest on the opened button of his jeans, feeling his hardness pressing against the zipper. Her chest heaved up and down as she held his gaze. Insecurities and the way she’d been raised had kept her from exploring her sexuality, much less taking control.
But with Chaz, none of that existed. She had no anxiety about letting him see all of her imperfections. She felt no trepidation about asking for what she wanted, or giving him whatever he needed.
She pressed her lips against his soft skin in the middle of his chest, flicking her tongue out. He tasted like sea salt dusted over a piece of candy. She traced a path down his stomach, feeling the deep growl that escaped his mouth when she began to lower his zipper.
Curling his fingers in her hair, he tugged gently, forcing head back.
“Take what you want, but remember my warning about how you play, because at some point I’m going to turn the tables and take what I want.”
Her pulse hammered across her body. Heat floated from her skin like fog lifting from the lake with tiny snowflakes. “I’m looking forward to it.” She released him into her hands, feeling his firm shaft between her fingers. His skin was softer than a mink coat.
With every breath he took, a slight rumble filled the air. She glanced up at him and her heart nearly stopped beating. His orange eyes glowed in the night, admiring her.
It was like he was looking into the essence of the woman she wanted to become.
The woman he’d mated.
A thought that made her pause for barely a second, but it didn’t go unnoticed by Chaz.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she whispered, even though her mind fought the intense feelings that filled her heart. Feelings of admiration, desire, respect, and a growing sense of love that rushed through her veins like a high-speed train. She wanted him. Desired him. Needed him.
But she couldn’t love him. No way would she allow herself to fall for him and not because she didn’t want to, but because her family would never accept him and as screwed up as her family’s thinking was regarding other species, they were her family.
And she loved them.
“I don’t believe you,” he said.
“Maybe this will help.” She licked her lips before pressing them against the tip of his hard cock, twirling her tongue, continuing to hold his gaze. As she sucked more of him into her mouth, his growl deepened, and his fingers dug into her scalp. This was her two weeks to discover herself sexually and she was going to enjoy every second of it, no matter the cost to her heart later.
She ran her hands over his powerful thighs. His skin felt like the finest leather. A strong desire to bring him the purest of pleasure seared her mind.
He yanked her off him, pulling her to a standing position, fisting her hair tight. He glanced between her mouth and eyes before crashing his lips on hers with a fierce groan. His tongue probed and prodded, leaving nothing untouched. Taking a small step backward, he ripped her shirt and masterfully unclasped her bra before she could even gasp.
A trickle of passion dripped down on the inside of her thigh as he took her nipple between his teeth before sucking one into his mouth. He popped it in and out while his fingers twisted and plucked at the other breast, occasionally massaging with a firm grip. He was rough, but it didn’t hurt. Or if it did, it was the kind of pain that felt good.
He dropped to his knees, yanking her pants down, and shoved her back to the bed.
She lay there, propped up on her elbo
ws, naked, staring at him kneeling, his fingers wrapped around her ankles.
“Tell me what you want,” he demanded.
“Everything.”
He arched a brow. “Neither one of us could handle everything we could possibly think of to do to each other, much less enjoy it.” His fingers danced up her calf.
She shivered.
“What do you fantasize about?” he asked, bending over, raising her leg, kissing behind her knee.
She hadn’t told Gerri anything overly specific, as in positions, which she’d tried many and orgasmed in most. She had never been left feeling completely satisfied, knowing that no one other than that particular lover could ever bring her to those heights. She wanted wild abandon. She wanted to be desired and worshipped.
Mostly, she wanted to be taken.
Daphne allowed a slow smile to draw across her face as she spread her legs. “Right now, I want to know what it’s like to have—oh God.”
He rubbed his finger over her hard nub, moving it left and right, squeezing gently.
She arched her back, raising herself to him as he glided a finger inside her, slowly at first, but he quickly picked up the pace, along with adding a few more fingers.
Thrashing her head back and forth, she moaned, calling out his name, perspiration beading across her skin as her body shuddered. She gripped the sheets, tensing her muscles, trying to savor every sensation multiplying in every cell in her bloodstream. His fingers dove inside over and over again. With each stroke, he moved in a different direction. Sometimes his motions were fast and rough, other times gentle, with his thumb rubbing tenderly across her hard nub.
When he lowered his lips to her, sucking on her throbbing nub, her juices poured out of her like a raging waterfall.
“Chaz,” she managed to moan out as she clutched his head, digging her heels into his back. His fingers and mouth continued to stroke her, bringing her higher and higher.
“Oh, fuck,” she said, grabbing his hair, trying to pull him away, but he dug in deeper, pounding her with his hand, sucking on her harder.
Her heart thumped so fast she couldn’t tell when one beat started and the other one stopped. Squeezing her legs together, she squirmed until he relented, kissing his way up her belly.
