by Marie Mason
“I would have loved you as a mate, Maggie.”
Maggie closed her eyes. He’d always known what she’d been thinking. They’d both known they weren’t true-mates. His wolf hadn’t howled at the moon and her witchy senses hadn’t sparked.
But, oh, how they had loved.
“It’s time, Maggie.”
Maggie opened her eyes. She saw the lines around his eyes that hadn’t been there thirty years ago. The fullness of his shoulders under the dark blue tux. He was no longer the wild and untamed wolf that had taken her night after night that long ago summer. He was a mature man, a man who knew what he wanted.
The look in his eyes said he wanted her.
“Neither of us wanted a childless union, Maggie.” He was referring to the fact that wolves could only sire children with their true-mates. “And I wouldn’t give up any of my sons. But I would give a piece of my soul to have you in my arms again.”
“Oh, Adam.” She covered her trembling lips with her fingers. Her children were grown, the last of her daughters, even now, secure in the arms of her true-mate. Would it be so selfish to take a second chance?
“Come.”
The rough order made her insides tingle. She placed her hand in his and before she knew what was happening, he was guiding her onto the dance floor. Her body shook when his arms closed around her. That same tidal wave of pleasure she’d felt all those years ago when he’d first touched her washed over her. It held passion and fury…and a sense of home.
“Welcome home, mate,” he whispered right before his lips closed over hers. She’d remember that wolfish grin for the rest of her life.
Gunner watched from the doorway as his brother took his newly acquired mate from behind, rocking her curvy body as he slammed inside her. He’d fisted her hair in one hand, the dark locks spilling down the creamy, alabaster skin of her back and exposing her neck. He saw the mate mark that had barely begun to heal. As he watched, Hayden bent over and bit her neck again.
Gunner shuddered imagining the honeyed smooth taste of her blood. A mate’s blood.
He knew the wolf was riding his brother hard, demanding he mark his mate repeatedly. The look of rapture on the witch’s face told him that his brother had indeed found the woman needed to complete him. The other half of his soul.
Beside him, his younger brother grunted as if in pain, watching the couple fuck. He knew he should say something, alert Hayden to their presence, but damn, the woman was beautiful. She had a rounded stomach, curvy hips, and thick thighs. Her full breasts swayed with each pound of his brother’s hips. He caught only a glimpse of the berry-colored nipples before her arms collapsed, lowering her head, and raising her rounded ass higher in the air as his brother continued to possess her. That one glimpse was enough for his cock to harden into an unbearable tightness. It had been months since he had felt such overpowering sexual need.
Lucas grunted again and Hayden stilled for a moment. Gunner knew his brother was assessing the danger. He apparently decided the presence of his brothers was no immediate threat and continued to fuck his mate. Gunner didn’t think he would have been able to allow another male to watch as he took his mate. But then, Hayden was alpha. The need to prove dominance over everyone was instinctual. Not too long ago, an alpha might have mounted his mate in front of the entire pack to ensure everyone believed the mating had indeed taken place. The alpha could have also ordered other wolves to prove their matings were real by taking their mates in front of him or the pack. He thought it was just another way an asswipe of an alpha could get his rocks off.
Hayden continued to pound into the female until she fell to the mattress, screaming his name and the smell of her release flooded the room. Gunner thought his younger brother would come in his pants from the sound and smell alone.
Once he had emptied himself inside his mate’s body, Hayden pulled out. He flipped a sheet over her before rolling out of the bed, his cock wet and shining from their releases. His wolf growled at the men who had dared to enter his bedroom uninvited.
The witch was a bit slower to react. She turned over in the bed, no doubt wondering why her mate had left her so abruptly. Her eyes widened and she squealed when she saw the two wolves, still dressed in their dark tuxs, staring down at her. She flushed and they smiled. Wolfishly. That caused her to squeal again and burrow deeper under the covers.
“There are two women downstairs who would like to know when this lovely lady is coming back down.” Gunner kept his voice neutral, one wrong move or word would drive his brother’s wolf into a jealous frenzy and he’d attack.
Lucas wasn’t so smart. He grinned and kept staring at the curvy woman who was trying to hide behind the thin, satin sheet. Every time she shifted or squirmed, the sheet rode higher on her thigh and fell further off her shoulder. Her abundant flesh made Gunner’s cock sit up and take notice. But not his wolf. His wolf was so deep inside him, thrust there by events that didn’t bear thinking of, he didn’t know when the animal would reemerge. Seeing the love flowing between his brother and his new mate, he knew nothing short of that sort of mating would call forth the beast.
He allowed a small grin to tug at his lips as Hayden smacked the back of Lucas’s head for continuing to staring at his mate. The movement tugged at the scar that ran from his eye to the corner of his mouth. Not that he blamed Hayden. If he had a mate who was as curvy and luscious, he would guard her just as ferociously.
Amber huddled beneath the sheet as her mate spoke with two handsome men who had appeared in their bedchamber. Seeing the same dark hair and rugged profiles, she knew they could only be his brothers. She scrambled to cover herself, the moves making her grimace. Her body still ached from the night before. Night before? Her gaze swung to the windows and sighed in relief when she realized it was still dark outside. But she had been here a very long time. What must her mother and grandmother be thinking?
That you’ve found your mate.
Her head popped up and she stared into the dark dreamy eyes of the wolf who had taken her last night. Her mate. A smile blossomed on her face. Once they knew what had transpired last night, they would be overjoyed for Amber. If her grandmother didn’t already know. Amber had no doubt the sparkles of blue color she’d kept seeing last night had been caused by the crafty old woman. Not to mention the initial tipsy feeling that had allowed her wolf to carry her off without too much resistance.
Hayden turned away from the other wolves, a dark brow arched in disdain. Well, maybe he hadn’t really needed any help to seduce her.
“Alright, alright,” the youngest wolf protested, rubbing the back of his head, “we get it. She’s your mate. Now quit the shit and come back down to the party. Dad wants to see you, too.”
Hayden just sighed and shook his head at the wolf’s manners. “This is my brother, Lucas. He is the youngest and still has not been house broken.”
With a nonchalance she envied, he pulled on suit pants, leaving the zipper halfway undone. They hung low on his hips revealing that erotic vee of a man’s torso that drove her crazy. She licked her lips.
The other brother straightened from his slumped position against the bedroom door. “I think it’s time for us to leave. I believe Hayden’s mate would like another taste of him.” For his demeanor to be so dark and somber the wicked gleam in his eyes as he looked at Amber was devastating. She felt a stab of desire that wasn’t caused entirely by her mate.
Her mate’s growl filled the room and the brother who had just made her the tiniest bit wet, threw back his head and laughed. Her mate’s growl died abruptly as both he and his younger brother turned toward the brother who was laughing.
She guessed the man’s laughter wasn’t something they heard very often.
“Come, Lucas. Let’s leave the witch and her mate alone.” He placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder and urged him out of the room, leaving Hayden and Amber alone once again.
“Hayden.” She said the name out loud, liking the name of her mate. It was the fi
rst time they had even attempted to exchange names.
“Shall I continue to call you baby, mate?” He moved back to the bed. “Or love of my heart? My future? My past? My destiny?”
Amber’s pussy throbbed at the romantic words. “Amber. My name is Amber.”
“A beautiful name for my beautiful mate.” Hayden’s cock bobbed with each step he took. Amber let go of the sheet she’d been trying to hide behind and crawled to the edge of the bed. There was no need for any further words. They knew everything they needed to know.
They were true-mates.
As soon as Hayden reached the bed, Amber took him in her hand and stroked the still growing length. Pre-cum dripped from the swollen head and she licked it away with her tongue, making sure to press against the slit before she pulled away. She’d never given a blowjob to a man before and was working purely on instinct.
A low, hoarse groan sounded from Hayden’s throat. When she peeked up between her lashes, she saw him looking down at her, his eyes blazing with desire. And love. Turning her focus back to his cock, she licked it from the base to the head, biting gently on the flange that had given her so much pleasure. The flesh was smooth and hot. The taste a little salty. Again, working on instinct, she caressed his balls. She felt them tightened between his legs. She ran her tongue over every inch of hard-as-steel flesh. She let go of the base and placed her hands on his thighs before swallowing his cock, taking him deeper and deeper down her throat.
Hayden thought he would explode when Amber’s hot, moist mouth closed around the head of his dick. The strokes of her tongue engorged his shaft until the pleasure bordered on pain, it was so damn good. She was teasing his wolf. His eyes smoldered as she bobbed her head up and down, taking more of his dick into her mouth with each pass. His flesh glistened and her lips reddened. His wolf howled inside him. Unable to control the call, or the need, his fingers tangled in her dark hair, halting her movements. She looked up, a question burning in her blue eyes, her mouth still engulfing his cock.
“Like this.” He read the innocence on her face and in her thoughts. She’d never done this with a man before, thinking it was too submissive of an act. But with him, she seemed to revel in it. With that, he thrust his hips forward, hitting the back of her throat. She moaned at his show of dominance. He tried to go gently, to allow her time to adjust, but he couldn’t. The wet heat of her mouth made him loose control. His hips moved faster, ramming himself deeper and deeper down her throat. She opened to him, taking him inside. “Oh, God, yes, baby.” His fingers tightened painfully on her head as he cried out and his release rushed forth. He arched his back and his cock convulsed. With one final thrust, he buried his length in her mouth and threw back his head, emptying himself down her throat.
Amber struggled to contain the cum filling her mouth and throat. Her lips were bruised and her throat sore, but she continued to take him, swallowing him and his seed. His hold loosened and she drew back, deliberately scraping the bottom and top of his cock with her teeth. When he popped free, she licked the end, getting every last drop of goodness.
Her eyes widened when a low growl sprang from his throat. She realized his wolf was in complete control and she knew there was no getting away from the beast tonight. His face was a taut mask of need and lust and despite his release, his cock had lost none of its fullness, the heavy length bowing toward his thigh.
He had her on her hands and knees in seconds. The wolf was about to keep the promise he’d made her earlier, to tie her and bind her. She moaned when he yanked her hands to the headboard and secured them with the tie he’d discarded at the beginning of this surreal night. She was now bound and helpless to whatever he chose to do with her. Or to her. She raised her hips in submission. And anticipation.
He gave an appreciative snarl, slapping her ass cheek he spread her open. Nibbling at the fleshy lips of her pussy, he drew first one and then the other into his mouth. Amber squirmed beneath his touch. And he withdrew. That was not what she wanted so she arched backwards, seeking his talented tongue. Hayden grasped her buttocks, lifting her to his mouth, his tongue finding the entrance to her pussy. He licked and sucked, taking in the juices flowing freely between her legs. He ate at her, driving her hunger higher and his wolf wild. Suddenly, his fingers were inside her, fucking her. As she teetered on the edge of ecstasy, his tongue found the sensitive ring of her ass and licked, probing slightly with the tip of his tongue. Helpless at her master’s hand, Amber could do nothing. His fingers thrust deeper and harder in her hungry hole, finding nerve endings and bringing her sensations Amber had never imagined existed. Without warning, she exploded, arching into his touch and screaming out in wanton ecstasy.
Hayden sat back on his heels, his chin shiny from her cum. He wiped his hand across his mouth. He was not done with her yet. Before she could recover, he spread the wetness on his fingers across the rosette of her ass. “Push back,” he grunted. His finger slid inside. He continued to penetrate her until her muscles relaxed. When he sensed she was ready for more, he added another finger, then another. He felt the initial resistance, and then she opened for him. “That’s it, baby. Let the big, bad wolf inside.”
He continued to stretch her opening. And building her pleasure.
He pressed his swollen cock against the wet entrance. She whimpered as the head breached her body, stretching the taut ring. When she instinctively moved away, his hand caught her hip, holding her in place. “You will take me, Amber,” he spoke through gritted teeth the feel of her flesh strangling the head of his cock making him want to come. “You will take all of me.” He moved into her, hard, and solid and hot, so very hot. Amber took him deep. His cry echoed hers as he came fully inside and his balls rested against her pussy.
Amber clenched the fabric of the bedspread in her hands as Hayden took her ass. The burning, stinging sensation of his possession was almost more than she could bear. Almost. In minutes, she found herself moving into his thrusts. His dirty words of praise ratcheting up her arousal. He took what he wanted. And gave her what she needed.
When she thought the pleasure could go no higher, he pressed his hand into the small of her back, forcing her ass higher in the air. And his cock deeper. Then he took her. If she thought he had possessed her before, she was mistaken. This was his wolf claiming its mate. He fucked her with hard, short thrusts that had her exploding. And his wolf howling.
Stars—or lights—exploded behind Hayden’s eyes as he emptied himself into Amber. His wolf had claimed its mate in a final act of submission that the animal—and man—craved on a primal level. He sought the mark he’d placed on her earlier and bit into her again, drinking her blood. It was done. She was his.
He collapsed on the bed, rolling to the side so as not to crush her beneath his weight. He kept their bodies joined. When she groaned, he asked. “Too much?”
She reached behind her and grabbed his buttocks before he could pull away. “No. Stay. It feels wonderful.”
He thought so too as aftershocks rocked his body. That and the continuing clenching of her ass muscles around his cock made it impossible for him to withdraw.
He pulled her close, spooning her against him, his arms wrapped around her. Unable to resist, he found her breasts and pinched lightly at the nipples. He nuzzled her hair aside. A mate’s mark became an erogenous zone. He sucked the still tender skin into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue.
Amber lay in exhausted bliss, caught in a tangle of sheets. The room was washed in the sweet and spicy scent of sex. The fire in the fireplace burned low, just like the fire inside her. For now.
It took Hayden and Amber another hour to find their way out of his bedroom and back to the ballroom. Trepidation filled her. A few couples still swayed back and forth on the dance floor, but most had already left or partnered up with a potential mate and dancing was the furthest thing on their minds. She realized the lights in the ballroom had dimmed even though the night was still midnight black outside. As she looked around, she gasped,
watching the shadows on the edges of the room sway and dip. Some couples weren’t just dancing.
Hayden grinned and squeezed her hand. Each remembering the sway and dipping they’d done all night long. She ached in places she’d hardly ever noticed before and was decidedly—wickedly—aware of the tenderness between her legs. She knew each and every wolf in the room was aware that she’d been claimed. Taken.
You are mine. Always.
Hayden’s voice in her head now reassured her, instead of startling her.
When they’d walked across the length of the room, he guided her up a staircase tucked away in the corner. It led to a wide balcony overlooking the dance floor. It reminded her of a balcony on a castle where nobility would wave to the common people.
As they neared, she caught sight of her mother and grandmother. A great big wolf stood beside them. This one was older, but just as fierce as the one by her side. Oh, shit. Had they done something wrong? There was no welcoming expression on any of their faces.
Do not worry, little witch.
Easy for you to say. You’ve not met my grandmother yet.
She knew her mother and grandmother would be happy that she’d found her mate. But she also knew they hadn’t expected him to carry her away for a night of debauchery.
Hayden couldn’t contain his laugh at his mate’s over-the-top thoughts.
They stopped in front of the gathered group and Amber waited for the sparks to fly. Instead, she was floored when her grandmother came forward and hugged Hayden. “Welcome to the family.”
Hayden laughed at Amber’s affronted expression and returned the hug. “Thank you, ma’am. My I call you grandmother?”
“Now wait a minute.” Amber finally found her voice.
The older man stepped forward and before she knew it, he’d dipped her over his arm and looked as if he was about to give her the kiss of her life. Her eyes widened. Then he winked and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Before she was steady on her feet, Hayden pulled her roughly to his side. “Will you stop being turned on by the males in my family, damn it.”
