by Tl Reeve
She fisted him. Her slim fingers wrapped around the base of his dick and stroked. He sucked in a breath between clenched teeth. The heady sensation left him dizzy with lust. She bumped the tip of his erection against her clit then teased her folds before sliding him to her entrance. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he smirked. The second he thrust, he ground his hips against hers. The mix of pleasure and pain whipping through him only served to excite him more.
“Oh God.” She shuddered.
He gave her a scant few seconds to accommodate his intrusion then retreated and filled her again. He didn’t make love to any woman. He rutted. He fucked. He performed a function. Scratched the proverbial itch. But, with Kizzy, he found himself curious about what it would be like to make love to his mate. To slow it down. To caress her body in encouragement while whispering sweet words of his devotion to her as she came apart in his arms. Shit. Don’t become a little bitch right now. You’re fucking her. Be happy.
He wasn’t.
He didn’t want this.
Didn’t need this complication in his life.
Mate.
He blocked out the wolf and returned to the task at hand—getting Kizzy off enough times she passed out. He changed the angle of penetration, and she pulsed around him. The long low groan falling from her lips signaled her impending orgasm. Sayer fit his hand between them and manipulated her clit. She clung to him. Her thighs tightened around his hips. “Do it. Give it to me.”
She let go with a cry, shaking and bucking in his arms as her release rolled through her. Then her body went lax. He knew she could take more. He smacked her hip before flipping her over, placing her on her hands and knees.
He bit the inside of his cheek to squelch the groan threatening to spill forth. All ass. All pussy. All his. Easy now. Don’t be falling into the trap of feelings. For tonight, her ass and pussy were his. He shoved into her and rode her hard. Kizzy came apart in his arms again and fell forward, giving him better access to her body.
“One day, you’ll give me this, too.” He rimmed her puckered entrance with the tip of his thumb while shifting his hips, filling her balls-deep. “You’ll love it.”
“You’re a pervert.” She gasped as his downstroke rubbed her sweet spot. “Always talking dirty…like you want to scare me.”
He meant to. However, he seemed to do quite the opposite. She wanted him there, with her. Never turned him away. “No talking.”
The grip he had on her hip tightened as fire raced down his spine. It was inevitable. She had this way of milking him…. No matter how much he wanted to stave off his orgasm until he wrung every one of them out of her, he fought a losing battle. His palm cracked across her ass cheek.
“Ah.”
“Uh-huh.” He lay over her back, while wrapping his hand around her throat. “One day, my cum will fill your pussy. You’ll walk around with my scent and my seed in your body.” When he unleashed the wolf, his thrusts became even more erratic, until he slammed into her twice more and came with a roar. The powerful urge to mark her burst within his chest, knocking him off-balance. He pushed the wolf back, clamping his mouth shut while he rode through the initial wave of his release. “Shit.” He chuckled, placing his palm to her bed to steady himself. Once he’d gathered some shred of control, he kissed her shoulder blades while his dick continued to throb.
“Mmm.” She sighed.
“Don’t move.” He pulled from her, still hard as a rock and ready to go again, then retreated to her bathroom. Once the condom was disposed of, he grabbed a washcloth to clean her up. He’d done it every time they had sex. He’d convinced himself it was to erase his claim from her. Wanted to make sure no wolf would know he had sex with her, so they couldn’t rat him out. However, his wolf did it to connect with her. To care for his mate.
Dammit! Don’t go there. Stick to the routine. The plan was simple. Fuck her brains out then wait till she fell asleep to hightail it out of there before she woke to notice him gone.
“Stay tonight,” she mumbled.
“I have to be up early for work.” Not technically a lie. He did have to meet Luc on the eastern edge of the pack lands to patrol the borders.
“All the more reason to stay.” She grinned. “Plus, I’ll get more of your monster cock.”
“I’ll hold you.” Bad idea. Nevertheless, he realized she wouldn’t stop with the questions until he came up with a compromise.
“Fine.” She snuggled into his side and closed her eyes.
Sayer turned out the light then wrapped an arm around her. “Sleep well.”
An hour later, he eased out of bed and dressed. He had to get back to the pack, in case someone needed him. As it stood, two families, in less than three weeks’ time, had welcomed their pups. Fawn Truesdale, Kalum Truesdale’s mate, had a daughter, Annmarie, a couple of days after Thanksgiving, and Gabby Hawthorn, Kru Hawthorn’s mate, had given birth to her twin boys, Carver and Jefferson two days ago. All were doing well, but it meant more pack members to protect from noisy humans. Plus, Gabby was also caring for her family. Through the midst of all the happiness, her “second mom” had passed away in a tragic accident. The man she relied on as a father-figure, beyond inconsolable, had actually become a recluse.
He understood the need to be alone. To shut the whole world out, pack or no pack.
Dressed and out the door, he allowed a bit of regret to fill him. She deserved better than his half-assed attempt at whatever the hell he should call it. Hopping into his four-wheel drive truck, he threw it into neutral and coasted out of her driveway then down her road a piece, before starting it. The beast roared to life, just like his wolf whenever he was around his…mate.
On the drive to Los Lobos, he thought of all the ways he could break off their hookups. Though he’d promised the matrons he’d follow the girls to protect them, it became increasingly harder to distinguish between duty and needing to be there. As a protector, he understood his desires warring with his duty wasn’t a good combination. If they ever got hurt because he paid more attention to Kizzy’s ass than what happened around them, first Graham would kill him then Drew.
In the morning, he’d tell his alpha someone else needed to be assigned to watch over them. Shouldn’t be hard to fill the position. Elle and Kizzy got together once a week or so. Not a bad gig in the grand scheme of things. Yet, the idea of someone taking his place had his wolf snapping and snarling at him.
Shit.
He pulled off the highway and took the hidden dirt lane to the town of Los Lobos. His new home had been built courtesy of Ross Luparell and his construction company. They’d finished his house in no time flat, which surprised the hell out of him. Plus, Ross gave him the option of adding on if need be. About the only thing he wanted was a bed to lie on when he slept. The rest of the fancy doodads were for show. When he bought his bed, he’d tested several different styles to find the right one. Now, he slept like a baby.
He turned off the dirt road onto the main street and drove through the darkened stretch of town. At the second dirt path to the left, he turned once more and crept along the rutted way. He’d have to fix it soon. With the snow coming, those ruts and holes would become potential danger spots.
The lights from his headlights bounced off the trees and fence poles leading to his home. In the distance, a rather large, imposing figure loomed near the front steps of his porch. He’d know that stance anywhere. Hell, the hostility in it rolled over him in waves. Coming to a stop a few feet from Gee, he sat for a minute, trying to figure out why the damn bear would be there to see him at such a late hour.
Might as well get out.
True, or he could wait him out. At some point, he’d get tired and walk away. However, when the bear cocked his brow, Sayer shut off his vehicle then got out. “Gee.”
“Sayer.”
“Why are you here?” A gust of bitterly cold wind fluttered the end of his coat, chilling his overly sensitive skin.
�
�Where is she?”
Huh? “Who?”
“Don’t play games, boy. You know exactly who I’m talking about.”
He shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t.” He stepped around the imposing form in front of him, only to have the bear stop him in his tracks.
“She is your mate. She should be here, at your side.”
“I’ve got no clue what you’re talking about, old man. I don’t have a mate.” He wrenched his arm free—not that Sayer won their little pissing contest but more like Gee let him go.
“You going to lie to me?” Drew rose from the rocking chair in a darkened corner of the porch.
Shit. Shit. Shit. “No, Alpha. I’d never lie to you.”
“But you would to Gee?” He limped toward him, his brow cocked. “Answer his question. You stink of Elle’s human companion, Kizzy.”
He closed his eyes and scrubbed his face. “She doesn’t belong here.”
“She’s your mate. I would have expected you to come to me when you knew.”
“And tell you what?” He shook his head. “She’s human. She shouldn’t be here.”
“Ah.” Drew gave a short nod. “I understand. What you’re so eloquently saying is, with the human mates in the pack, we’re leaving ourselves vulnerable. And we shouldn’t trust them.”
Well…. “No, Alpha. I’m not sure I can be a mate, first of all, and, second, she’s human. I don’t want…you know. I’m not good for this type of relationship or commitment.”
“So you’ll fuck your mate away from the pack and suffer?” He shook his head. “There’s always got to be a few stubborn ones.” He gave Gee a knowing glance.
“Excuse me?” He curled his lip. “Isn’t this my decision?”
“No.” Drew narrowed his eyes. “Your sneaking away from pack lands to be with your mate in the middle of the night will only lead to something bad happening.” After the murders, the pack’s safety had become paramount. Too many families had been devastated by the acts of a crazed, feral mate no one even knew about. Dammit.
If anything, it proved his point. Humans were nothing but trouble. “It won’t happen again, Alpha. I am sorry.”
“You’re damn right it won’t happen again. You’re bringing her here.”
Wait. “Come again?”
“You will return to Custer, pack her stuff, and bring her to this house.” He pulled a knife out of his pocket.
Whoa. Pump the brakes here. “I’m not sure I should be taking a blood oath yet. I’m not sure she’s my mate.”
His alpha gave him a droll stare. “What did I tell you about lying?”
“Fine.” He took the proffered knife then cut his palm. Why wouldn’t anyone listen to him? He didn’t want this. Yet, his wolf grew more excited by the thought of giving his word to his alpha and bringing his mate home. He was fucked, with a capital F.
Drew accepted it from him and did the same. Then they clasped hands.
“I take full responsibility for Kizzy Rhapsody while she is on pack lands. Any transgression she makes against the pack, I will be held accountable for. I will take whatever punishment is deemed necessary, including death. This is my solemn vow.”
Energy flowed between them, crackling as it pricked at his skin. The fine hairs on his arm stood on end, and his wolf stepped forward as the bond sealed into place.
“So it shall be.” Drew let go of his hand. “When she is settled, I expect to see her, understand.” Not a question but command.
“Yes, Alpha. I’ll bring her by.”
“Good. Sleep well. You’re working a double shift after you bring her home, as punishment for sneaking off pack lands.” Drew smacked him on the shoulder, leaving him there with Gee.
The bear watched him—studied him. Why, he didn’t know. When the man got enough of him, he, too, would leave Sayer. “She will do you some good. You’re full of hate.”
Well, la-de-fricken-da. Wasn’t like he hadn’t watched his parents die because they dared to help a lost, stranded couple.
Sayer’s father had guided he and his mother to Deadwood only a handful of miles away from where his father had been hiding a pack of their belongings. A few days later, the couple his father helped, came snooping around near the pack lands. From the rumors going around the pack at the time, the couple asked for his father by name. The wolves, part of Magnum’s squad, brought the humans to their insane alpha. After repeating their story, the alpha laughed and told them they had a two-minute head start. One minute in, he sent two wolves after the couple. Later, Sayer’s parents were tied up, and he was forced to watch while they were taken apart piece by piece.
“Yet to be seen, bear.”
“You dwell too much. Old wounds fester, if you let them. Maybe you need to rethink your fears.” Gee started for the woods then paused. “At the Winter Solstice festivities, I want you to bring me tricolored bumblebee honey. It’s made here. Your mate can help you.” He pivoted and sauntered off into the darkness, leaving Sayer to stare after him.
Blowing out a pent-up breath, he entered the house and slammed the door. He slid to the floor. Tension filled his frame. He couldn’t do this. He wasn’t cut out to be anything to anyone. Now, in a span of no time, he had to bring Kizzy here and mate her. Shit, he didn’t think he could. Even if the wolf was determined to make her his, the man had reservations. There were too many trust issues. Too many questions and what ifs. His chest tightened as the all-too-familiar anxiety and fear took hold of him.
Living in Los Lobos and being part of the Tao Pack had its own challenges. Add in someone he’d be responsible for and shit…. He’d be killed if she ever told their secret. So would she. Damn it. I’ve just signed both our death warrants.
