The fight didn’t last very long. In a matter of minutes he’d raked his claws along her side, leaving a bloody trail through her fur. Atticus took her down with his jaws around the back of her neck and bit down hard enough to go through her thick fur and into her skin. Marla yelped and whimpered. He gave her a good shake to get the message across that he could have easily snapped her neck this way, then released her. With a growl and a snap of his teeth, he sent her on her way. This time Marla would go home. She took off into the trees at a fast run, her tail tucked.
The threat to Rylee now out of the way, Atticus turned in her direction. She still stood on the other side of the barrier clutching it with both hands. As he slowly approached, she let go and held her palms out as if to hold him off. His heart jumped into his throat when she took a step back, putting her even closer to the edge of the steep drop.
He smelled the acidic scent of her fear. This was not good. Her fear of him as a wolf could make her do something rash. That only left one option—he’d have to shift in front of her to talk her back over the barrier. He only hoped she wouldn’t fear him more afterward.
Standing still, his gaze meeting hers and holding it, he called on the magic inside him and shifted. Her eyes widened and she breathed at too fast a rate, but her gaze never left his while he made the change from wolf to man, willing his clothes back on at the same time.
Atticus held out his hand. “Rylee, it’s all right. Marla’s gone. Come back over the barrier.”
Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she managed to speak. “The other wolf was Marla? What the fuck are you?”
She still hadn’t moved from the edge. “I’m a werewolf.” He motioned her with his hand. “Come away from the gorge and I’ll explain everything.”
Rylee shook her head. “I don’t think so. Stay away from me.”
He saw her take another step back, her foot partly hanging over the edge. No longer able to stand there and do nothing, he jumped the barrier faster than any mortal could and pulled her into his arms. He spun and leapt over to the other side.
Rylee punched and slapped him. “Let go of me, freak!” she screamed.
Atticus grabbed her by the wrists and forced them behind her back. “Stop it, Rylee. I’m not going to hurt you.” Once she settled, breathing heavily, fear a real thing in her eyes, he said, “I’m no different than I was before you knew what I am. Now that it’s out in the open, I can finally tell you what you are to me.”
She shook her head. “This changes everything. Let me go.”
“No. Not until you hear me out. You’re my mate, Rylee. I knew it the instant I smelled your scent and my mating urge kicked in. You’re the woman who is meant for me. I’ve been alive for nine hundred years and have waited a long time to find you. I don’t want to lose you.”
“I don’t want to be a mate to a fucking werewolf, especially an immortal one at that.”
“I’m not immortal, just long-lived.”
“No difference. I don’t want it. I don’t want you.”
The last thing Rylee said had Atticus letting her go. It hurt to hear her say she didn’t want him because of who he was. It was obvious he wasn’t going to be able to get through to her. Her fear of him was too great.
“Can’t you at least try to give us a chance?” he asked in a low voice.
“I can’t,” she said as she slowly sidestepped around him. “I just can’t. What you are freaks me out too much. Marla was going to rip me to shreds. Who is to say you won’t do the same to me one day.”
“Forget about Marla. She only went after you because you’re mortal and she wants me as her own. But you’re my mate, the woman I want to have at my side, always. And being what you are to me, I could never hurt you. The mating bond that would form between us once I claimed you would never allow it. Our souls join, become one.”
Rylee shook her head again. “You’re asking too much of me. I can’t.” She took a step back from him. “I’m going to walk away now. Please don’t come after me.”
Atticus then did the hardest thing he’d ever done—he let his mate walk away and out of his life.
Chapter Six
It was Tuesday and Rylee was back to work. After Atticus had revealed what he was to her, she’d raced back to her campsite, bullied the three teenage boys into quickly taking down the tents and then had them on the road back to Kitchener in a matter of an hour. They hadn’t been happy with her, but she’d ignored their protests.
After getting the boys home, and talking her way around why they’d returned so early when her parents had asked, she’d gone straight to her apartment. There she stayed for the rest of the weekend, not even bothering to join her family when they’d gone to the Centennial Stadium to watch the fireworks on Monday night.
She’d also spent much of that time thinking about Atticus. Now over her initial fear of him, she found herself coming to grips with what he was. If she hadn’t seen him shift from wolf to man, she’d never have believed werewolves existed. When she really thought about it, he didn’t appear all that scary in his wolf form. Marla had been the one who’d scared her more than anything. Atticus had defended her, fought Marla off.
Then there was the whole thing about her being his mate. Did she want to be the mate of a werewolf? She didn’t know, mostly because she really didn’t know all that much about his kind. Not that she’d stuck around long enough for him to teach her.
Even now she couldn’t stop thinking about him. If she was honest with herself, she missed him, a lot. It almost felt as if there was a part of her missing. She felt on edge, unable to settle. And she didn’t like it. If being with Atticus again was the cure, there really wasn’t much she could do about it. Yeah, she knew he lived in Toronto, but she had no idea where. And in a moment of weakness, she’d tried to look him up on the internet and found nothing. Being rich, his phone number was more than likely unlisted.
At the end of her shift, she heard her name being paged over the loudspeakers, telling her to go to customer service. Wondering what was up, she logged out of her till while the girl who was to take over waited for her to leave.
Hoping it wasn’t a pissed-off customer, Rylee headed for the customer service desk. What she saw there when she arrived had her coming to a standstill. Atticus stood there smiling at her. He’d found her.
He crossed the distance between them. “Hi, Rylee.”
“What…what are you doing here? How did you find me?”
“Well, there is only one Real Canadian Superstore in Kitchener. I figured I would take the chance and see if you were working today.”
“You came from Toronto to see me?”
“No, just from Elora. I stayed until today. When I found out you were working today, I waited until your shift ended to come.” He gave her a pleading look and said in a quiet voice, “We need to talk, Rylee. Please don’t push me away. I missed you. I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Rylee closed her eyes for a second and swallowed. Being around Atticus again stirred up all the memories of how good it had felt to be in his arms. How badly she’d wanted him to make love to her, and how she still wanted him. Right now, all she saw was the man she’d fallen for, and she had. And the way he looked at her, with love showing in his eyes, she found herself unable to refuse him.
She nodded. “All right, we can talk. My apartment isn’t too far from here, just down on Highland Road. You’ll have to drive since I decided to walk to work today.”
“Thank you, Rylee.”
Once they were outside in the parking lot, Atticus guided her to his BMW. The drive to her apartment only took all of two minutes. She directed him to the visitor parking and then she let them into the building. Taking the stairs to her second floor apartment, Atticus followed behind her.
Inside, she closed the door and locked it. She leaned against it and stared at Atticus. God, she’d missed him. He wore blue jeans and a dark gray t-shirt that molded his powerful upper body to perfection. She
felt drawn to him, as if the edginess she’d been going through would disappear as soon as he held her once again.
She pushed away from the door and motioned for him to follow her into the living room. They sat on the couch facing each other. Rylee looked into his eyes and saw they mutedly glowed. “Your eyes are glowing. They did that just before you shifted from a wolf.”
“I’m not going to shift. It’s because I’m aroused. I can’t help it. You’re my mate, I want you. My mating urge has been riding me hard for days, and not being with you has made it worse.”
“Don’t you have any control over it?”
“No. All male werewolves go through this when they first meet their mates. And it won’t go away until he has claimed her. Made her his so no other male can take her away from him.”
“Until the mating bond forms. How does that happen exactly?”
“Making love, our souls will join. Once in place, we won’t be able to stand to be apart. You’d be mine for the rest of our lives.”
“You mean the rest of my life. I’m what you called a mortal, remember?”
Atticus shifted closer and wrapped his hand around her nape. “No, our lives. I don’t think I could live another two thousand years without you.”
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Rylee asked hesitantly. “You would give up the rest of your long life when I…”
“Yes. Life wouldn’t be worth living without you in it.”
“Oh god. I’m starting to feel a little bit freaked again.”
“Just breathe, Rylee.”
“This is all so much. You being a werewolf, living for so long. Us being mates.” She let out a shaky sigh. “I want you, but I don’t know if I can handle everything that comes with you.”
Atticus lowered his head to meet her gaze. “This will work, Rylee. We will work. I need you to believe in that. Without you, I’ll feel as if a part of me is missing, never to be whole again.”
She closed her eyes for a second before opening them again. “Then help me to understand.”
“Know this, once mated, I can never leave you, never cheat on you, will be there for you always.”
Hearing him say those words made her heart pound in her chest. The prospect of having him forever was a temptation she couldn’t ignore. To never have to worry he’d stray, that them being mates literally meant it was for life, wasn’t something she could ever get out of another man. Only with Atticus would she get that kind of guarantee.
“What of your family? Will they be willing to accept me?”
He sighed. “I’m not going to lie to you. My father, who is leader of my pack, won’t be thrilled with you being mortal. But I don’t care. You’re mine. If he won’t accept you, I’ll go lone wolf if I have to. Give up everything.”
“Lone wolf?”
“That’s what a werewolf is called when they are no longer a member of a pack. An outsider.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“No question.”
She gave him a tremulous smile. “Then how could I possibly refuse you if you’d do all that just to be with me?”
Before she said anything more, Atticus leaned in and kissed her. She sighed, feeling as if everything was right in her world once again. This was what she’d been missing, this was what she’d been longing for. Just him and her and the passion that flared to life between them.
Knowing she wanted him with every fiber in her being, Rylee kissed him with all the pent-up emotions that had ridden her when they’d been apart. She wanted him, wanted to be his mate. And being his would be the only thing that would make her feel whole again.
She put her hands up his shirt and ran them across his wide chest and down his defined abs. Landing on the top of his jeans, she undid them and shoved her hand inside to wrap around his hard cock.
Atticus jerked away, meeting her gaze. “Are you sure this is what you want? Once it’s done there is no going back. That’s why I didn’t make love to you before. I wanted you to have the choice. You have to be able to accept what I am.”
She squeezed his shaft, eliciting a groan from him. “I want this. I want you. In Elora, I was scared. I’ve had a few days to think about it, about what you are. Just take your time easing me into your world.”
“I can do that.” He claimed her lips again and kissed her until they were both panting with need. “I love you, Rylee, my mate.”
“I love you too, Atticus. Make me yours.”
Holding her close, he stood, and with his mouth sealed to hers, he carried her down the short hallway to her bedroom. He crawled onto her bed and slowly lowered her to the center of it. The feel of him coming down on top of her, his hips settling between her legs made her libido skyrocket. An ache built in her pussy as wetness pooled, her body readying itself to take his.
Rylee yanked at his shirt and said against his mouth, “Off. Take it off. Take it all off.”
Clothes went flying as both of them undressed. Rylee sighed, arching against him as they came together skin-to-skin. Her heart thundering against her ribs, she buried her hands in his white-blond hair and kissed him with all the need and longing building up inside her. He growled, feasting from her mouth. The sound kicked her libido up another notch.
Atticus took her hand and led it to his cock. She wrapped her fingers around it and pumped up and down. He rocked his hips into her. Wetness leaked between her legs. She wanted him inside her, now. She was more than ready for him.
Holding him, she led him to her slick entrance, rubbing the head of his cock against her until he was bathed in her wetness. As she pressed down on him, taking the tip inside her pussy, he didn’t stop her. With a loud groan, he seated himself to the hilt with one stroke.
Squeezing her inner muscles around him as he moved in and out, Rylee put her legs around his waist, taking him even deeper. Their moans filled the room as they strained against each other.
An orgasm built. Just before she fell over the edge, Rylee felt a part of Atticus reach out to her. A part of her reached for him in return. They both sucked in a breath as the two parts joined and became one. Atticus rode her harder, sending her flying into a climax. Whimpering his name, her inner walls clutching his shaft, she rode out the waves of pleasure that bombarded her.
After the last wave hit, Atticus lifted her head and led her mouth to where his shoulder and neck met. “Bite me, Rylee. Hard. Leave your mark on me.”
He shuddered when she licked him there, his muscles tightening. Doing as he asked, she bit him. He moaned, thrust into her one last time, his cock pulsing deep inside her, filling her with his cum.
Atticus collapsed on top of her. Rylee held him close as she caught her breath. “I felt it,” she said.
“So did I. The mate bond formed. You’re mine now.”
“And you’re mine.” Rylee shifted under him and felt his cock filling her up. “You’re still hard.”
He grinned and kissed the tip of her nose. “Something all male werewolves can do. It allows us to take our mates over and over again for hours.”
She moaned. “You’ll wear me out.”
“One more time, my mate. The way my wolf wants you, then you can rest.”
He pulled out of her and urged her onto her stomach. With hands on her hips, Atticus got her up on her hands and knees. He licked the indent of her spine up to her neck as he shifted to kneel between her spread thighs. The head of his cock brushed her clit when he nipped the top of her shoulder.
Aroused again, she pushed back against him, wanting him inside her pussy. With his hands on her hips to hold her in place, Atticus surged forward, giving her his full length. He took her in fast thrusts, his balls slapping against her as he rode her. Rylee pushed back to meet his strokes, feeling another orgasm quickly building.
Atticus thrust faster, his cock growing even harder. In and out he moved. Reaching around her, his fingers found her clit. All it took was a couple of strokes and she came. He howled, coming with her.
Out of breath and still buried deeply within her, he rolled them to their sides and held her close. Rylee closed her eyes. Happy to stay just where she was, she snuggled deeper into his embrace. Content as she hadn’t been in days, she let herself drift off to sleep knowing her werewolf mate would always be there to hold her close.
* * * * *
Spending the rest of the day and night in bed, Atticus and she had managed to do a lot of talking in between bouts of lovemaking. She’d also agreed to return to Toronto with him to meet his father the next day. Now that they were mated, Rylee figured it was best to get it over and done with as soon as possible. Atticus had explained how Marla would have more than likely left Elora and gone straight to the pack leader. And the longer they waited to confront Atticus’ father, the more lies Marla would have the chance to tell.
The over an hour drive it took to reach Toronto had Rylee’s stomach twisting with nerves the closer they got. The sensation increased when Atticus drove them to York’s King Township where the mansion he lived in with his parents was located.
Atticus reached across the seat and squeezed her leg. “Relax. You’ll do fine.”
“Right. As if I can relax when I know you’re risking the ties with your family because of me.”
“It’s a risk I’m more than willing to take. You’re my world now.”
Nothing like putting a ton of pressure on her or anything. As Atticus slowed and turned into a long drive of a mansion, Rylee blew out a breath to calm her nerves. It didn’t work. Once he parked his BMW, she got out and walked around the back of it to stand beside Atticus. He linked their hands together and guided her to the front door.
He opened it and allowed her to walk inside ahead of him. The foyer was a display in rich elegance with its gleaming hardwood floors and high cathedral ceiling. Atticus led her through and into a spacious living room. The two people in the room, a man and a woman who sat on the large, black leather couch, looked in their direction once they stepped inside.
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