by Celia Kyle
His dad’s attention wasn’t on him, but on his squirrel. The old man snarled, baring those aged teeth once again, and Elly froze at the bottom of the porch steps. “Get out of here, prey.”
Fuck no. He shoved his father aside and Deuce placed his body between his mate and his dad. “You will never speak that way to her again.”
Golden fur coated him in a rippling wave and his fingers shifted into claws. The cat was pissed. Adrenaline pumped through his veins in a rapid thump, thump, thump. Flooding him with additional strength. No one would ever refer to his mate as prey. Ever.
His father glared at him, narrowing his dull yellow eyes, and spit on the ground at his feet. “Leave before it’s too late, boy.”
Deuce kept his gaze focused on his father and brothers, remaining bodily between them and Elly while they returned to his dad’s truck and left his property. The cat remained alert even after their departure, tense and waiting to see if another threat would appear.
A small hand against his back sent a shiver down his spine and, as quickly as his lion had jumped to the fore, it retreated. With Elly’s touch, relief and a soothing calm enveloped him.
“Deuce?” Her voice was timid, musical despite her worry, and he turned toward her, anxious to feel her in his arms once again.
The bruises were gone, purple no longer marring her delicate features. The bridge of her nose still had a tiny bend, residual effects of her break, and anger suffused him. Alistair had escaped during the raid, running with his brother and a few of his top supporters.
The subtle scent of honeysuckle wrapped around him in an arousing embrace and his cock throbbed, desperate for her warmth.
She was so damned beautiful. And so damned his.
He ached to touch her, feel her supple skin beneath his palms. But he’d wait. He wouldn’t grab her. Not yet. Not when the air was still clouded by lies and—
“You’re my mate.” Awe tinged her voice and her chocolate eyes were wide in surprise. “You’re mine.”
*
“And you’re mine.” The words washed over her, consumed her with the truth.
She’d craved him for the last month, worried and wondered, unable to figure out why an hour spent with a stranger affected her so much.
And now she knew.
Elly ached to crawl into his arms, revel in the heated, woodsy scent that clung to his skin. Her squirrel chittered and danced inside her, thrilled at finding their other half while another part of her broke at the time they’d wasted apart. The council, Stone included, had brushed aside her inquiries and informed her that Deuce was no longer her concern. He’d be punished for his offenses against her. They hadn’t cared when she told them there were no crimes.
She took a step forward, reaching out to him, anxious to touch him once again. “But… How… If you knew… Is it safe for you to be here?”
That worried her the most. Had he come to Colwich due to Freedom or her?
Deuce grimaced. “It’s safe. And the rest is a long story.”
He clasped her hand, twining their fingers. He tugged until she was pressed against him, snuggled tight with his arm draped over her shoulders.
She buried her face against his chest and inhaled, drew his natural flavors into her lungs. Desire snaked through her, crawling over her skin in a ghostly caress, and all she could think about was completing their mating. She wanted to sink her teeth into his skin, suck, nibble, and then claim him as hers. She couldn’t wait to feel his fangs slide into her shoulder and mark her as belonging to him.
When he gripped her shoulders and nudged her back, she whimpered, body drawn to his like a magnet. She didn’t want to let him go, didn’t want there to be any space between them. She’d waited and waited…
Deuce glanced back at the house and then returned his attention to her, worry etched in his features. “We can’t stay here tonight.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Of course we can. It’s your home and I’d prefer to do the whole mating thing in a bed.” She peeked around him. “Unless you’ve got another house hidden somewhere.” She paused, invitation to her bed on the tip of her tongue. “We could go to my place, but…”
“But they wouldn’t be happy about their little squirrel mating with the town pariah.” His lips quirked in a rueful smile.
“Probably not.” She still wasn’t sure what Deuce’s great sin had been, but Miss O’Leary had made it clear that he was persona non grata in Colwich.
“And this place hasn’t been cleaned in sixteen years. I hadn’t planned on finding you until I could bring you back to a proper den.” A frown marred his features and she reached up, brushed away the lines between his eyes.
“You’ve known all this time.”
“Yes. The second you walked into my room.”
“And you didn’t say anything.” Awe filled her at his level of control.
Deuce cupped her cheek, stroking her lower lip with his thumb, and his gaze bored into her. “I needed you safe. Your well-being came before anything else.”
She pulled back and punched him in the arm, smiling at his wince. She doubted she’d really hurt the massive lion, but she was glad he at least attempted to look injured. “Took you long enough to come get me.”
Pain flitted across his face. “I’ve been searching for you since the moment I regained consciousness. There are things you don’t know. I’m not really with Freedom. I was undercover, and the council wouldn’t give me any information and then Stone—”
“Stone? Stone Redd? He knew…” She’d take him at his word, at the truth ringing easily in his statement. It was the rest that irked her. She growled, an odd sound coming from a squirrel, but she growled nonetheless. “I’m gonna kill him.”
Deuce leaned down, brushed his lips across hers in a chaste kiss, and she melted into a puddle of goo. Well, not really, but she couldn’t feel her feet any longer.
“I almost did. Let’s try getting a room at the B and B and then we can talk about things and mate.” He pulled her tighter against him, pressed their fronts together, and she could feel the solid length of him against her. “Not necessarily in that order.”
Elly snorted and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, come on, kitty. Grab your stuff and I’ll follow you.”
In minutes they were on their way, weaving through the slow traffic of the small town and then pulling into the parking lot of Rosie’s Bed-and-Breakfast. The second Deuce’s motorcycle quieted, he was at her door, holding it open for her as he helped her climb from her little car. He held a pair of saddlebags in his free hand. The moment she was on two feet, he tugged her into his arms, brushed another one of those shiver-inducing kisses across her mouth, and she let him take her weight.
Lord, if they ever truly kissed, she’d go up in flames. Poof. No more Elly.
“Come on, kit.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the large home that served as a vacation spot. The Victorian building was massive, boasting fifteen suites, two large sitting rooms, and a full formal dining room.
Arousal thrummed through her, growing with every step closer, the reality of what was to come pumping through her veins. Her inner beastie danced happily, bouncing around, tail twitching and flicking. The squirrel was beyond thrilled with their mate.
Deuce didn’t hesitate to push open the front door and step into Rosie’s, holding the door open for her to enter after him. His gaze swept the place and took in every detail.
The rhythmic click of high heels on solid wood announced someone approaching and her mate was quick to nudge her behind him.
She poked him in the back.
He reached around and squeezed her hand in warning.
This time she let her finger shift, just enough to transform her nails into sharp claws, and poked him again. Take that!
He simply tightened his hold.
Jerk. She got his need to shield her. Really. Mostly. Her father was the same way with her mother. Didn’t mean she had to like his behavior.
The
click-clack neared and then abruptly ended with a shuffle of feet. “Deuce Pierce?”
Rosie. Well, at least they’d been greeted by a friendly face.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing here?”
Or not.
“My mate and I are here to rent a room for a few days…”
Yeah, Elly could see how they’d need at least a handful of days to take the edge off. Her body felt as if it were on fire with desire and she couldn’t wait to have him deep within her, stretching and filling her pussy over and again.
“Mate?” Rosie’s voice was filled with disbelief and Elly nudged Deuce aside.
“Hey, Rosie.” She smiled wide, full of pride at being with Deuce.
Rosie took a step toward them, worry evident. “Elly. Did he kidnap you? Are you okay? I can call your family—”
Elly narrowed her eyes. What was with the people in the damned town? “No. He’s my mate. My mate. Why would I want to be separated from him?”
Her friend licked her lips, gaze flicking to Deuce and then back to her. “Do you know what kind of man he is? He—”
She raised a hand and silenced the woman. “I know that he’s a man who puts my safety above his own. I know that he was made for me. That’s enough. Are you gonna rent us a suite or not? Because we can easily drive to the next town and—”
“No, no.” Rosie stepped back and moved around the small counter nearby. “I’ve got a secluded room at the end of the hall with its own exterior entrance.”
Exterior entrance. Right. Without a doubt, Rosie hoped that she and Deuce would avoid the main areas of the place.
Elly felt the tension in Deuce’s body, his muscles strung as tight as a bow, and she ran her hand along his spine. She stroked him gently, silently urging him to calm as they waited for Rosie to complete their paperwork and hand over the key.
Thankfully, they didn’t have to wait long. It looked like the woman wanted the two of them out of the lobby as soon as possible.
She had no problem with that since if people didn’t start treating her mate better, Elly was going to go badass squirrel on them and gnaw at their Achilles tendons. Then, once she got them down, she’d go to town on their asshole-ish asses.
Nom, nom, nom…
As if able to read her thoughts, Deuce squeezed her hand to snare her attention. “Bloodthirsty thing, aren’t you?”
Elly stuck out her tongue, transfixed as his eyes flared to a darkened gold and the scent of his heated arousal seared her.
“The room is this way.” Rosie broke through their connection.
Deuce was the first to look away and then move, drawing her along in his wake as they traversed the interior of the bed-and-breakfast. Before long, they were standing in front of their assigned door, Rosie unlocking the room and then handing Deuce the key.
For a moment, Elly thought that’d be the end of things. Rosie would go on her way and they wouldn’t see her for a while.
Only, the woman had to say something else. “This is a dry establishment. There will be no alcohol or drinking here.”
Elly turned her attention to her mate, watched as his expression shifted from arousal to rage in an instant and then was replaced with a distant mask devoid of emotion. “Understood.”
Worry churned in her belly, warring with anger at how Deuce’s family, and now Rosie, treated her mate. She had no doubt there were things she didn’t know about her lion, but she judged Deuce by his actions. And those actions, coupled with his assurances that all was not as it appeared, earned her unwavering trust and faith in him.
She didn’t have all the details, but she couldn’t imagine her other half would be some evil jerk looking to take over the world while hurting everyone on his way to the top.
The tension she’d just brushed away was back. It thrummed through him in barely perceptible vibrations and she squeezed his hand, letting him know that she was at his side. Always.
“Thanks, Rosie. We’ll let you know if we need anything.” Elly practically spat the words, more than ready to be alone with Deuce and away from the hostile, judgmental assholes.
She pushed open the door and dragged her mate into the space, thankful he slammed the entrance closed in their wake.
“Elly…” His voice held a mixture of sorrow, anger, and need, and she couldn’t help but answer.
Elly rose to her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, forcing him to lower, and then she laid her lips against his. It wasn’t gentle by any means. No, she needed to show him she didn’t care, wasn’t concerned in the least about the town’s hostility, Stone Redd, Freedom, or the council. They were nothing compared to Deuce and Elly together.
She moaned against his lips. She slid her tongue into his mouth, lapping at the flavors hidden in his depths and groaning when he returned the caress. They tangled, searching, giving and taking as their kiss continued. Heat suffused her, slithering through her body, delicate roots of arousal increasing and spreading along her veins. Excitement surrounded her and she ached for Deuce’s touch. Nothing mattered but him. Them.
Her pussy responded to his nearness, growing slick with evidence of her desire, and her clit throbbed with the need to be stroked. Her nipples hardened to sensitive nubs.
Elly wanted his hands, his mouth…everywhere.
Deuce’s hands tightened around her, pulling her inexplicably closer, aligning them from chest to knees, and the evidence of his arousal was hard against her.
Groaning, he broke their kiss, slowing the erotic rhythm until their lips barely touched.
“Elly… There’s so much I need to tell you before we do this.”
She kissed him again, a gentle meeting meant to soothe rather than arouse. “I don’t care about what you did with Freedom or why the hell the town thinks you’re some kind of monster. I know you’re a good man, Deuce. And nothing, nothing, in your past could make me turn away from you. So get over it and mate me already.”
With a groan, he kissed her again, taking control and leading instead of being led. He delved into her mouth and she went along for the ride, enjoying his carnal possession, the tangle of their tongues and shared flavors. She moaned and writhed against him, pussy desperate for him, and having his thick, hard cock so close simply teased her even more.
Deuce’s hands traveled south, moving past her lower back and then on to cup her ass, knead the globes, and sending further bits of growing ecstasy over her nerve endings.
Her squirrel nudged and prodded her, small nose poking at the back of Elly’s mind, encouraging her to get on with the show already.
Apparently Deuce’s lion had the same opinion. In the next breath, he held her ass tightly in his hands and then lifted her, urging her to wrap her legs around his waist. Elly did so willingly, reveling in the feeling of his thick cock nestled between her thighs, pressing intimately against her heated pussy.
“Mmm…” She used her new position, rocked against his thick length and let his shaft massage the juncture of her thighs. She cursed their clothing, furious that his leather and her jeans separated them.
She felt him move, every jarring step sending another nibble of arousal through her pussy. In a half dozen strides they paused, and then her world tilted and her back suddenly rested against the soft cushion of a bed.
Deuce growled against her lips. “Now I have you.”
He trailed his lips along her jaw and skimmed her neck, yanking a blissful gasp from her chest. “You’ve had me from those first moments.”
The words had him stilling, pulling back, and she whimpered at the loss. “In that hellhole?”
“In that hellhole, Deuce. When we were rescued and then every day while I harassed the council and Stone for your whereabouts. Every. Day. I didn’t know you were my mate, but I wanted you.” The words were nothing but the truth and she didn’t hesitate to hand them over to him.
That had her lion growling, eyes darkening, and the seductive flavor of arousal surrounded them. It mixed with the salty m
usk of her cream and created the alluring scent of sex and need within the room.
“You’re mine.” He snarled the words, fangs now long and shining in the waning light.
Golden fur pushed through the pores on Deuce’s arms, coating him with evidence of his inner beast. Those fingers that’d stroked her with such passion shifted until claws tipped each digit. And then he moved, bringing his hands to her shirt. She watched as those nails slid through the fabric with ease, exposing her to the room’s cool air.
Self-consciousness speared through her. She had no doubt that he was attracted to her and they were mates, but would he still feel the same when presented with the proof of her curvy body? Clothes could mask some of her lovely lumps, but there was nothing to hide behind when she was nude.
“Goddamn, you’re beautiful. So pretty and so mine.”
Well, that answered that question.
Another slip of nails through cloth, and her bra parted, breasts easily bouncing from their bindings. He held her mounds in his palms, cupped them with those deadly hands. He traced the hardened nubs of her nipples with his callused thumbs, circling the sensitive buds and gently flicking them with his claws.
She arched into his touch, increasing the pressure and easing some of the ache growing within her. He eased farther onto the bed, sliding one of his thick thighs between her legs and nudging her pussy.
“Ooh, yes.” She moaned and rocked against him, enjoying the pressure of his body against hers. She rolled her hips, reveling in the sensations that he evoked, soaking in the pleasure.
“That’s it, kit. Take what you want.” His voice was more animal than man and the deep vibrations plucked her nerves, slipping through her like molten lava and searing her from inside out.
Deuce pinched her nipples, adding the tiniest bite of pain to her increasing pleasure, and she gasped with the sensation. She moved against him, writhing, searching out more bits of ecstasy. Damn it, she wanted more. Her pussy throbbed with the need to be filled, spasming and practically begging for his cock, while her clit trembled and twitched within her wet folds.
