by Alisa Woods
“Where are we going?” she asked, breathless.
“Did you, or did you not, just tell me you wanted to be my mate?” he asked, his eyes blazing. He was heading straight for his room.
She smiled. “I did.”
“Then I have some urgent business to take care of.” He smirked. “With you. In my bedroom.”
Her heart hammered as he bent to turn the doorknob of his room, kicked the door open, and then backed up against it to close it again. Then he set her down and whipped her shirt up over her head.
“Clothes off, now.” He pulled off his own shirt and went to work on unbuttoning his jeans. He was already hard for her, and her mouth was watering for him even as she hurried to shed her bra and kick off her shoes. Her jeans were only halfway down her legs by the time he was fully naked and hoisting her by the hips up onto the bed. She tumbled backward, half laughing at his haste to pull her pants off the rest of the way.
He tossed them over his shoulder and crawled onto the bed after her. His hand landed on her breast, kneading it and urging her to lay back. She thought he would take her that way—in fact, she was dying to have his gorgeous cock inside her—but instead of sliding his body against hers, he hooked her leg over his shoulder and dived in, tongue first, for her sex. She arched against him as he immediately found her nub and gave it a long, luscious kiss.
“God, Marco!” She gripped his shoulders, bucking up into his mouth.
He moaned into her, and it made her shiver. Then his hand left her breast and found her sex, pumping two fingers fast into her. She gasped as he thrust with his fingers and worked her with his mouth, bringing her fast to a near climax that had her writhing underneath him in seconds.
“Ahhh!” she let out, arching into him as her orgasm rushed at her, making her arch against him again.
He growled and pulled his hand out, kissing his way up across her belly and breasts and finally arriving to devour her neck.
“Wrap your arms around my neck, baby,” he breathed against her skin. “I need to be inside you.”
She did as he said, and he straightened up to kneeling on the bed, taking her with him. He gripped her hips and hooked her legs around his waist, so she was straddling him. He eased her into position, lining his cock up with her entrance, then pulled her hard against him, impaling her. Every time he took her was like the first—she would never get used to how much he filled her up and stretched.
He tipped his head back. “Baby, you feel so good.”
She wriggled against him, seated fully on his cock. “I need more.”
“Oh fuck,” he whispered. Then he lifted her hips away from him and brought her back, slamming her against him again. She was like a pendulum swinging into him, her hands tight on the strong, rippling muscles of his shoulders as he pumped into her again and again, faster and stronger, grunting pleasure with each swing. “Yes,” he panted. “Like this. I want you like this more often. Fuck.”
The angle was so deep and the power of his arms so strong, all she could do was whimper in response and hold on for the ride. Her belly tightened again, another orgasm low and building and rocketing its way through her system.
“Marco,” she gasped, her head tilting back as he picked up the pace and slammed her against him, harder and harder.
“Come for me, baby.” His voice was strained. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful.” His gaze was hot on her breasts bouncing in front of him and the sight of his cock sliding in and out of her. She moaned and gripped harder and let the orgasm climb and peak and wash over her. Marco stopped his frantic pace, pulling out of her completely and edging back. Grasping her hand, he brought her with him as he stood up from the bed. He held her as she wobbled, light-headed from two orgasms in two minutes.
He pulled her gently against his chest. “Tell me again.”
She was out of breath. “Tell you what?”
He cradled her cheek just the way she liked. “Tell me you want to be mine forever. That you’ll let me protect you. That you’ll be my world and help rule my pack and make me the man I’ve always known I could be. I can’t do any of it without you.”
Her mouth worked, but her tears were choking off the words.
“I need to hear it from your lips, my love.” He was almost begging her.
“I want…” She was barely able to speak through the flood of emotion. “I want your magic inside me,” she finally managed.
A growl rumbled deep in his chest. He stepped back and said, “Shift for me.”
The words were a command, and she didn’t even think of disobeying. She shifted to her wolf form, and he changed right with her.
Submit. That word sent a delicious shiver through her body, and she nearly collapsed into the submission pose—paws forward on the floor, rump in the air, tail and head bent. Marco’s shaggy black wolf form was standing tall and proud, and as soon as she was in the pose, a magical flush went through her that enlivened every part of her body. If she weren't already in a rush from their lovemaking, this would have made her feel completely high. As it was, she floated on the bond between them. How much better would it be when they actually mated? Her mind swooned a little at the idea of it.
Rise, my love, he commanded, and she popped up. Now shift.
When she did, she was instantly in his arms again, naked. His rock-hard erection pressed between them.
“Turn around,” he ordered, his voice rough.
She did, and he bent her over until her hands landed on the bed, her rear end pressed back against his cock. He gripped her hips tight and slammed into her so hard, she nearly pitched forward. She gripped the edge of the bed and braced herself.
Then she threw a lust-filled look over her shoulder and said, “Take me harder, Marco Wilding.”
His groan was almost as satisfying as his cock.
Holy fuck, his girl was hot.
Marco could hardly believe the position he was in. Not just the actual position, bending Julia over his bed, taking her from behind, hearing her moan and gasp with each thrust. But the fact that he was about to claim her for his mate.
The best thing he’d ever done was hold out for his true mate. There was no question in his mind that Julia was it, and that without her, his life would have been a dim mockery of what it could have been. If he’d taken Isabel for his mate—out of obligation and a sense of duty to his pack—he would have robbed them both of their true mates. Stefan for her, and Julia for him. Even worse, he would have robbed his pack of the brilliantly brave wolf his mate was—he wasn’t lying when he told her he needed her. That he couldn’t do half the things that would be required, that his pack needed from him, without her.
But with her by his side, he could conquer the world.
And with her in his bed, his joy would have no bounds.
He was gripping her hips and thrusting into her, enjoying every little sound that wrenched from her sweet lips, but he was quickly being overcome by all of it. The building orgasm that was like nothing he’d ever felt, seizing up his entire body, including his heart. His love for her was threatening to burst it. Not to mention the tremendous joy and triumph that he’d done it—he’d won her over, won her heart and not just her lust or her need for a safe harbor.
This beautiful, strong, brilliant woman had chosen him for a mate.
And now he had the privilege of making her his… forever.
He leaned over her as he continued to thrust, sliding his hand up into that beautiful honey-brown hair and grabbing a fistful of it. He pulled her head back and to the side, exposing that gorgeous neck. His mouth watered and his fangs came out. He couldn’t wait to sink them into her, but he needed her ready, close, coming hard around him as he finished the act.
The perfect mating for his perfect mate.
She whimpered again under the slight pull on her hair, and he could feel her body quivering around his cock. She was bracing herself against the bed, holding herself strong against his onslaught. He cupped his hand around her breast, holding
it from behind as he leaned over her back, driving his cock deeper and stronger with each thrust. She was urging him on with her soft cries of yes and oh god and please, please.
Her breathless cries had always turned him on like crazy—she was so strong, yet so soft; heroic yet submitting to him. Her submission bond was still singing through his body, throbbing every part of it.
He bent close to her neck, still holding her hair and her breast and pumping deep inside with his cock. He wanted to possess her completely—fill her and hold her and love her. And complete all of it with his bite.
He planted a wet kiss right at the spot where her shoulder met her neck. She arched and bared it even more for him. That was all he could take.
“You are mine, Julia Holloway,” he panted against her neck, then he sank his fangs into her and filled her with his magic.
She cried out, the pain tipping her over the edge into an orgasm that rocked her body and his. As she clenched around him, his own climax shot over the top. He was emptying himself into her—his seed, his magic, his love. Everything he had to give, and it all belonged to her, binding her to him in a way that filled his heart more than he ever thought possible.
She moaned and bucked against him, but he kept riding her until they were both spent.
Then he retracted his fangs and pulled out from her body, but the connection between them—forged by the mating bond—was so extreme, he felt like he was still utterly entwined with her. Panting hard, he drew her down to the bed with him, cuddling her into his arms, her back to his chest, his hands holding her breasts, his lips dropping soft, soothing kisses on the bite he had just marked her with.
“Holy shit, Marco,” she breathed.
He smiled wide. “Did you like that?”
“Oh my God. I feel like… like…”
“Like you’re connected to me in a way you’ve never been connected to anyone else before?” he asked, still grinning. He was flush with it, too—that intimacy that only mates could have. A gift from the magic of their wolves. The thing that every wolf, including him, had no fucking idea what it was until they experienced it… and then they knew it was the best thing they would ever have in life.
“Yes. That.” There was wonder in her voice.
He caressed her breast, in awe of the soft feel of his steel-strong woman. He nuzzled into her hair. “Me, too,” he whispered. “I almost can’t believe I have you. It’s like you’re everything I’ve ever wanted, and even a few things I didn’t know were possible.”
She cupped his hand, the one holding her breast. “You mean, like a crazy woman who makes you do things you didn’t plan on?” She said it tentatively, like she thought she had somehow forced him down some path he didn’t want.
He pulled her around to face him. “I mean exactly that.” He kissed her softly. “Your heart is so good, Julia, so instinctively good, that I’m kind of in awe of you sometimes. You definitely push me to be better. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“You mean that?” she asked, her eyes a little wide, like she didn’t believe him.
“Absolutely.”
“So… do you want to hear my ideas?”
“Always.” He grinned. “What about in particular?”
She settled into his arms and gave him a solemn look. “You know all the videos that the Wolf Hunter has made?”
A shadow fell across his heart. “Yes.” He hoped she hadn’t seen too much of the one where he was tortured. Or that she thought less of him because of it.
“I think we should make one of our own.” Her eyes lit up.
He was confused. “You want to make a torture porn video?” He winced a little. “I mean, if we can catch the Wolf Hunter, I’m not averse to—”
She smacked him lightly on the shoulder. “No, you dork!” She gave him a look like he was impossible.
But he was truly at a loss. He kissed her just because she was particularly adorable with that little scrunched-up look on her face. “Sorry, my love. All the blood has left my brain and pooled in a different part of my body. You’re going to have to spell it out for me.”
“I can do that.” She ran her hands through his hair, and he loved the feel of that. In fact, he wouldn’t mind if they skipped the talking part and went for round two on the lovemaking, but he wasn’t quite ready. Not that he couldn’t put his hands to good use in the meantime. He cupped her ass and drew her closer to him until the softness of her breasts pressed against his chest. He tucked his head into the crook of her neck and ran the tip of his tongue along the sweetness of her skin.
“You talk, I’ll nibble,” he said.
She sucked in a breath. “I’m not sure I can talk while you do that.”
She wasn’t exactly complaining, but he stopped anyway. “Talk,” he commanded. “I want to understand what this video business is about.”
She pulled back a little and peered into his eyes. “We should make a video of the shelter, one that counters all the lies, all the hate that the Wolf Hunter spews in his rants. Right now, the public is on our side. They were shocked when the kids were kidnapped, and they cheered when they were rescued. They want to be part of this, Marco. So we make a video about the work you’re doing here at the shelter, providing a safe haven for shifters, whether they’re full wolves or halflings or kids without parents. Shifters who have lost their jobs due to the hate. Whoever is in need.”
“That sounds great,” he said softly. “I think it will really help the humans realize we’re people, too.”
She nodded eagerly. “But we can’t stop there.” Her eyes were bright with her enthusiasm. “We should set up something so that people can donate to help out. Not just a charity, but a business that people can support.”
“A business?” He pulled back a little. “What do you mean?”
“People want to help,” she said. “So we give them a way to do that. We have a lot of shifters who are out of work—who can’t find work because they’re shifters. What if we created a business that was explicitly for employing shifters? And that made a product that people could buy to support those shifters? Then the public could buy our product and know that they were supporting shifters.”
“My love, I’ve seen shifters be put out of business precisely because they were shifters,” he said with a frown, not wanting to crush her dream. “Things like that are just a magnet for haters.”
“But don’t you see? That’s precisely it.” In her excitement, she moved around in his arms, sitting up a little so she could gesture with her hands. “The tide is turning, and normal people are figuring out that they can’t just stand by and let the haters win. If they do that, things like this—the Wolf Hunter kidnapping the kids—are going to happen. But if we provide a counter to that, a way for ordinary people to show their support for shifters, then we show the world is filled with people who want to choose love over hate.” She dipped her chin gave him a very serious look. “I know you probably don’t believe this, Marco, and I’m not sure that I would’ve believed it even a few weeks ago. But there are people out there who believe that love is stronger than hate. Even people like Cruz and his gang—even people like him draw the line at the hatred the Wolf Hunter is spewing. Think about how many ordinary people there are who only need a way to express what they already believe is right. If we can give them that chance and use it to support our people…”
Marco sat up a little bit more as he listened. Because if there was one thing he knew about Julia, it was that he should listen to every damn thing she said because the girl was just flipping smart. “So you’re saying you would give people something to buy to show that they support shifters. That they choose love over hate.” It seemed crazy, especially because Marco wasn’t at all sure that, given the chance, people would to choose loving shifters over hating them… but hadn’t he just seen that demonstrated in real life? Hadn’t Kaden just come around and helped him free Julia of the investigation that was hanging over her? Hadn’t the mayor, hell, the entire poli
ce force, turned a corner with that?
“Yes! Exactly.” She bit her lip. “Although… you might think my idea about how to do that is, well, kind of silly.”
He ran his finger down her nose and tapped it once. “There’s nothing silly about you and your ideas, my love. Tell me.”
She took a deep breath and sat up straight. “We could make stuffed wolves.”
“Stuffed wolves?” He tried not to wrinkle up his face. “You mean like those taxidermy things that people stuff and mount on their walls?”
She let out a huff of a laugh. “Oh my God, no. No!” She grinned. “I mean like stuffed toy wolves—you know, like the furry, soft cuddly things that the kids have. Something you would cuddle and… love.”
A small smile snuck on his face. “Love. Stuffed toy wolves that people would love.”
She dropped her gaze. “I know it’s silly, but—”
He cut off her words with a finger against her lips. “It’s fucking brilliant.”
Her eyes went wide again. “You think?”
“I do.” And he did—all of a sudden, the ideas were tumbling through his head. “I have no idea how you even make a stuffed wolf, but that has to be something that we can do, right? I mean, how hard can it be?”
She put on a serious face. “I don’t know that it’s going to be super easy, but I’ve got all kinds of ideas on how to get started. Casey and I can work together to get an online store set up. That way anyone could support us. Maybe we’ll even use one of those pledge programs like Kickstarter to get the initial funding—that way we wouldn’t have to have everything ready to go right away, but people could pledge to support us right now. We want to get started right away while the news of the shifter kids being rescued is still hot. Then we could turn the gym into a production center. Or one of the other buildings in your territory. There are so many abandoned ones, we’ve got plenty of space. And we’ll get everyone in the pack involved, from the grandmas to the kids to the big, burly guys making adorable little wolves. Can’t you just see it?” Her excitement was ramping him up like crazy.
