Aurelia groaned, her head thrashing back and forth on the pillow.
“I’m sorry, love. I can’t go slow. I need to claim you, now.” Zack bit her lightly on the shoulder and then slid down her body. He nudged her thighs apart and used his fingers to comb through the fine pelt of dark curls and spread the lips of her sex. He could smell the moisture pooling between her legs. He plucked and teased her clit, slipping his finger inside, moving it slowly in and out. Aurelia gasped and thrust herself against his hand, beginning to ride it.
“I can’t wait to lap up all your sweet juice,” Zack said, his heated breath stirring the hairs protecting her pussy. He heard her groan as his tongue made the first swipe, her juices exploding over his taste buds. The cry that was torn from her was little more than a hoarse gasp. He drilled his tongue as deep as he could, savoring the flavor of his mate. Needing more, he flicked her clit with the tip of his tongue and then sucked it into his mouth, letting his fingers slide in and out of her sheath. Aurelia screamed and convulsed, her inner walls clutching at his fingers as she came.
“Want you inside me.” She panted. “Need to feel you come inside me, filling me.”
Her words inflamed him. He moved up between her thighs and grabbed his cock. Aligning his body with hers, he guided the head, pushing it just inside her heat. Grabbing her hips, he slowly moved forward. The feel of her warm wetness closing around his shaft made Zack want to growl. With a groan, he began moving, slowly at first, and then quicker as desire and need overtook him.
Aurelia wrapped her legs around him, urging him on, meeting his every thrust. She moved restlessly beneath him, caressing his arms and his shoulders as he plunged in and out of her silky sheath. She moaned, drumming her heels on his back as he kept up the relentless rhythm.
He withdrew and thrust deeply inside her again and again in almost a frenzy of deep, stabbing thrusts. Aurelia’s body tensed, and then she screamed, her pussy contracting around his cock as she came again. Leaning close, he licked at her lips, slipping his tongue inside when they opened. Gentle kisses gave way to deeper ones, their tongues dueling.
Pulling back, Zack wiped the damp hair from his mate’s face. “I want to take you from behind when I claim you. Have you ever had anal sex?”
Aurelia’s breath caught as her eyes widened. “No, never.” She worried her lip with her teeth for a moment. “But I’m willing to try. I trust you.”
Zack kissed her softly and reluctantly slid out of her pussy. “Turn over, love,” he whispered. “I’ll be gentle, I promise. If you need me to stop, just say so. I’ll never make you do anything you don’t want.”
Zack caressed Aurelia’s ass as she turned over. Leaning close, he cupped the soft cheeks in his hands and dragged the flat of his tongue up the curve of her spine. He smiled when she shivered, and began kneading the twin globes. “I need you to get on your knees, love. It’ll be easier that way.”
Without a word, Aurelia went up on her knees and presented her beautiful ass. A surge of hunger made Zack’s mouth water. “Relax your bottom, love.” He separated the cheeks of her ass with one hand and slid his tongue down her crack to tease her hole. A few swirls around the rim had her legs trembling. “Easy, mate. We’ll go slow.” Zack leaned over and pulled a tube of lube out of the bedside table.
Aurelia watched him. “Why do you have lube here? Are there other women in your life?”
Zack bit back a grin at her jealous tone. “There are no other women in my life, I swear. I keep the lube for when I can’t take the pressure anymore and I jerk off. It’s easier on me if I use a little lubrication.” He chuckled when her eyes widened and she turned her face back into the pillow.
Zack popped open the tube and oiled one finger. He spread it around her opening, hearing her moan as he prodded her entrance. Pressing his finger against her rosette, he closed his eyes as he worked the finger inside. Her muscles clamped tight against his digit as he gave her a moment to relax.
“You doing okay, love?”
Aurelia nodded. “Feels weird, but it doesn’t hurt.”
“Okay, let’s try another one.” Zack slid a second finger into her ass, scissoring them to start opening her up. She shivered as her ass muscles clenched tight. “Still okay?” he asked.
“Burns a little, but it’s not unpleasant.”
Taking a deep breath, he slid in a third finger and felt her body tense. “Are you okay?”
“Burns,” she gasped. “Give me a minute.”
Zack kept still, waiting while her body slowly relaxed. He smiled when she looked over her shoulder.
“How many more fingers are you gonna use?”
“No more, love. Next is the real thing.”
She chuckled and wiggled her ass. “Go ahead then. Let’s move forward.”
Growling softly, Zack wrapped his hand around his cock and pressed it against her rosy opening. His fingertips dug into her hips as he slowly pushed forward, groaning harshly when he broke through the outer muscle and slipped inside her fiery heat. He pushed steadily in until his balls pressed up against her ass.
“God, I feel so full.”
“Are you in pain?” he asked.
“Not really. It’s like the pain and pleasure are all tied in together. Move, please. I need to feel the movement.”
Slowly he withdrew and then slid back into her. He took his time, drawing his cock slowly out of her wet tunnel, then shoving it back in. His balls pulled tight, and the electric feel of an approaching orgasm raced up his spine.
Zack dropped one hand from her hip and reached between her thighs, stroking his fingers through her sleek, wet lips. Her pussy clenched around them as he searched for her clit. She moaned loudly when he flicked the little bud back and forth. “That’s it,” he crooned. “Feel the pleasure.”
Her scream echoed through the apartment as her orgasm burst upon her. His climax rushed from his body, stealing his ability to breathe. With a deep moan, he came, his seed shooting into her depths. Choking cries of pleasure filled the small room. Throwing his arm around her waist, he leaned close and sank his canines into the fleshy part of her neck, savoring the taste of her blood as it coated his tongue. He felt her tremble as another, smaller climax coursed through her body. Zack held her until the trembles stopped. He felt the mate bond snap into place. Her thoughts, a jumbled puzzle, rambled through his mind.
Zack gripped Aurelia’s hips and gently disengaged their bodies. He carefully turned her over and smiled when he heard her light snore. Apparently, three orgasms were enough to put his mate to sleep. He hurried to the bathroom to clean himself and then got a warm, damp towel and came back to take care of his mate. She never moved a muscle, just continued with her dainty snore.
Zack felt his coyote relax as he snuggled up to his mate’s back. She was theirs now, and nothing could change it. Smiling, he closed his eyes and breathed in her new, mated scent.
* * * *
Aurelia opened her eyes and glanced at the clock on the bedside table. The late afternoon sun slanted across the bedroom floor, and from outside came the muffled sound of someone mowing his lawn. When she finally realized the time, she sprang from the bed.
Zack jumped up in a fighting stance, a sharp growl slipping from between his lips.
Aurelia giggled and reached for the jeans he’d left lying on the dresser. “Down, boy. There’s nothing dangerous here.” She could sense his relief right before her senses were bombarded with his desire to head back to the bed. “It’s gonna take some getting used to, having your feelings and thoughts in my head.”
Zack frowned. “If you know what I’m feeling, why are you still putting on your clothes?”
She giggled again. “It’s late, and we have to get back to Remus’s house.”
“Why? What’s the hurry?”
“I’m not sure I can explain it, but I feel energized in a way I’ve never felt before. I’ve experienced my healing gift coursing through me in the past, but nothing like this. It’s like it’s
consuming every particle of my being. I can heal them, Zack. I know I can make them well this time. But it has to be now.”
Without another word, Zack grabbed his clothes and quickly dressed. “There’s not much in the way of food here, but I know Aunt Maddie will take care of us when we get there.”
Aurelia nodded. “That’s fine. Let’s just get there so I can see the kids again.”
* * * *
Remus watched Maddie set a plate in front of him and inhaled deeply, the scent of bacon making his canines tingle. When she set a cup of coffee by his plate, his mouth dropped open. “Not that I’m complaining, but what’s with the coffee? I thought you’d banned it from my diet forever.”
Maddie shrugged and returned to the table and sat down, a plate of mixed fruit in her hand. “You haven’t been sleeping well, and last night you hardly slept at all. Zander is due in today to discuss some council business, and you’re gonna need to be at your best. I thought, just this once, a little caffeine might be just what the doctor ordered.”
Remus leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, mate.” She nodded, picked up her fork, and stabbed a piece of cantaloupe on her plate. Remus frowned and watched her chew the cold fruit and sighed. “Why are you just eating fruit? Where’s your breakfast?”
“This is my breakfast. I’m cutting back meat in my diet, and eggs are bad for cholesterol.”
Remus choked back a laugh. “Maddie, has Tehran said you need to worry about cholesterol?”
Maddie shook her head and speared a piece of watermelon. “My last tests showed I was in perfect health.”
“Then why are you determined to change your diet?”
“I’m in perfect health now, but who knows how long that’ll last. All the shows I watch on television say you can prolong your life by eating less meat.”
Remus rolled his eyes and picked up the biscuit on his plate and began buttering it. “Maddie, honey, how old do you wanna live to? You already have an expanded life just being a shifter. We’re gonna enjoy a couple hundred years together, mate. Nothing you eat or don’t eat is gonna change that.”
Maddie looked at him for a moment and then put down her fork. She reached over and took the buttered biscuit from his hand and promptly sank her teeth into the soft bread.
Remus frowned. “You could have buttered your own, you know.” He looked up when a single knock sounded at the door. “The door’s open,” he yelled. He started when the door slammed open and the newest member of his pack came barreling in.
“Can I see the kids?” asked Aurelia.
Remus sniffed the air and smiled. “Congratulations on your mating.”
Zack nodded. “Thanks, Alpha Remus, but could we save that for later. It’s really important that she sees the pups right away.”
“Why now?” Maddie asked. “It’s my understanding that it didn’t do anything but make you even more tired. The children haven’t shown any improvement this morning.”
Remus shook his head. “This disease is getting the best of all of us. None of the doctors have been able to get a handle on it no matter how many tests they run.”
“That’s because it’s not a disease,” said Aurelia.
Remus dropped his napkin on the table and stood up. “What are you saying? Is it some kind of poison?”
“I was too tired last night to recognize all the factors when I connected with the little girl. It feels different when I heal an injury, compared to when I heal someone that’s sick with an illness. Last night was totally different. “I’m not sure I can explain it, but it was more like an invasion of a foreign substance. Something not natural, but manmade.”
Remus studied the petite woman. “Can you get rid of it, or identify it?”
“I won’t know until I try.” She bit her lip and ran her fingers through the hair she’d neglected to braid when she got up. “I have to try, Alpha Remus. I have to win this battle here and now.”
Remus narrowed his eyes. “What’s different today?”
“I’ve been infused with some kind of special energy that’s just begging to be let out. I need to do this. I can’t explain it better than that.”
Maddie laughed. “It’s the mate bond. She has her own magical gifts. Somehow, the mate bond has affected her differently. Maybe it’s enhanced her abilities.”
Remus was quiet for a moment. “Wait here and I’ll make sure Marianne and Jeremy are up.” He started down the hall, determined not to get his hopes up.
* * * *
Aurelia shifted her weight from foot to foot, waiting for Remus to come back. Maddie walked over and took her hands into her own. “Calm yourself, Aurelia. You’re gonna need all your concentration when you go to the girls.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Maddie smiled. “You guys want some breakfast, or some coffee or tea?”
“We’d love some after Aurelia spends some time with the girls, Aunt Maddie. I’m sure she’ll be starving by then. But, I’ll take a cup of coffee now if you can spare it.”
Maddie grinned and walked to the stove. She’d just finished pouring the cup when the back door opened revealing a young, blonde woman with big, brown eyes.
She walked in wearing a cream, silky shirtwaist dress that flowed caressingly against her body emphasizing the curves beneath the soft, sensual material as she crossed the kitchen. She placed a large, manila envelope on the tabletop. “My father said to make sure Alpha Remus gets this today. He didn’t say what it was, only that it was important.”
Maddie nodded. “He’ll be back in a minute and you can give it to him yourself.” She walked over and handed Zack the filled cup and turned to Aurelia. “Aurelia, I’d like you to meet one of our pack members, Lyssa Wind River. Lyssa, this is Zack’s mate, Aurelia Salazar.
Aurelia held out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Lyssa ignored her hand. “You’re the one that got everyone’s hopes up that you could heal the pups just by laying hands on them.” She sneered. “I heard you bombed out last night and lit out of here with your tail between your legs.” She turned her gaze to Zack. “Real winner you got stuck with.”
Maddie placed her hands on her hips. “Lyssa, you apologize right this minute.”
Aurelia took a deep breath. “No, that’s all right, Maddie. She’s entitled to her opinion, and she’s partially right. I did get everyone’s hopes up and then failed last night. Hopefully, I can redeem myself today.”
“You don’t have to prove anything to anybody,” said Maddie.
Zack glared at Lyssa and then turned to Aurelia. “We all know you did your best last night. And, Lyssa, I couldn’t have found a better mate.”
Before Lyssa could answer, Remus walked in with Marianne and Jeremy right behind him.
“Who’s with the girls?” asked Maddie.
“Tehran is looking in on them,” said Marianne. She turned to Aurelia and smiled. “Alpha Remus says you want to try again. Are you sure it’s safe for you?”
“You can’t be serious,” Lyssa cried.
“Who can’t be serious about what?”
Aurelia looked over to see a handsome young man who clearly took after his father, the alpha. He came further into the room and smiled when he saw Aurelia. Holding out his hand, he moved closer. “Hello, we haven’t met. I’m Victor Wind River.” He sniffed the air around her when she took his hand.
“I’m Aurelia Salazar.”
Victor grinned. “Zack’s mate.” He pulled her into a hug and laughed when Zack growled. “Welcome to the family and the pack, Aurelia.” He turned to his father. “What’s going on?”
Lyssa snorted. “I can tell you what’s going on.” She pointed at Aurelia. “This woman is trying to con them again today. She’s trying to make them think she’ll have better luck healing the pups today than she did last night. It’s cruel to let her keep getting their hopes up when she’s just trying to make people think she’s something she’s not.”
“That’s not true, Lyssa,�
� said Marianne. “I witnessed some of her power last night, and I can assure you, it’s real.”
Lyssa put her hands on her hips. “Did they get better after she put on her show?”
Marianne frowned and glanced at Remus. “No, they haven’t improved yet.”
Lyssa smirked. “I rest my case. She’s a fraud.”
Remus growled loudly. “Lyssa, enough.”
Victor placed his hand on his father’s arm. “Relax, Dad. Let me handle this.” When Remus nodded, Victor walked over and grabbed Lyssa’s arm before she could leave. He held her firmly and turned toward Aurelia. “My apologies, cousin. I can assure you that none of the rest of us is listening to the garbage that spews out of Lyssa’s mouth. You do what you need to, and I’ll take care of everything else.”
Lyssa struggled. “Let go of me, Victor Wind River. Just because you’re the heir apparent doesn’t mean you get to put your hands on me.”
Victor pulled her out the door. “We’ll see.” The door slammed behind them, and for a moment, there was total silence.
Maddie giggled. “Wasn’t that fun?”
Aurelia laughed and let out the breath she was holding. She turned to Marianne. “I need to try again. Something feels different today, and I believe I can make a difference.”
Marianne took her hand. “Please, whatever you can do would be great. Tehran said they’re no better or worse today, so that’s encouraging. Maybe you halted its progress last night.”
Jeremy moved closer. “Tehran said to send you on back if you still want to try.”
Aurelia looked at Zack. “Are you ready?”
He put down his coffee and took her hand. “Let’s do it.”
Aurelia walked into the children’s bedroom and saw an elderly man encouraging the largest girl to drink from a cup. Marianne walked over and took the cup, running her hand over the child’s tangled curls. “Kelly, please take a little for Mommy.” The child obediently swallowed and fell back onto the pillow. “That’s Mommy’s good girl.”
The Touch of Her Hands [The Wind River Pack 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 12
