Finding My Mate

by Rylee Winters

  But she needed to sleep, and that was the immediate problem. Watching the hope in her eyes dull with each passing second, I rubbed my tongue against the roof of my mouth before speaking up.

  “I’ll watch over you, babe.” The grin Linne shot me was blinding, and a heavy weight lifted from my shoulders even as I continued. “But you can’t take them without me there. Deal?”

  “Deal!” Linne stuck her hand out, and I cracked a smile of my own as I grabbed her wrist to pull her to my chest. Her smell clung to my inner cheeks, and her feathers brushed up my arms as she enveloped me in onyx wings. Soft lips touched mine, searching as callused, nimble fingers slipped under my shirt, and I tensed as heat spread from her touch.

  “Linne – ” Cupping her ass, I groaned when my mate lifted her leg to climb up on me, and a growl built in my throat. Linne’s soft body chased away the sense of foreboding that washed over me when I agreed to her plan, and she locked her ankles against my back. Kissing her firmly, my tongue slipped between her lips when she gasped harshly as I ground my hardening erection against the crotch of her jeans.

  “Thank you, Derek.” Gratitude laced Linne’s breathy whisper, and my eyelids flew open as realization slammed into my gut. Tightening my hold on her, I pulled back to stare at her flushed face. Licking her essence from my lips heavily, my tongue tingled wildly as it caught her soft pants.

  “I won’t fight you anymore, babe. Whatever you decide, I’ll support you.” The gravity of my mumble bore down on us, and Linne cupped my face in warm hands as a smile stretched her lips. “I’ve been a shit mate.”

  “No!” Squeezing my cheeks, her nails dug into my skin as her smile vanished, and fiery passion blazed from her eyes. “You are not bad… we – us – we are… underdeveloped. That is nothing to be ashamed of. We will learn. Nothing can be tamed without practice.”

  “Yeah…” Long fingers trailed down my left bicep at my noncommittal response, and I strode towards my bedroom on firm legs. Sometimes, it was hard to remember that being mates didn’t make me a relationship expert.

  As someone that rarely nurtured any kind of relationship, this was beyond my limits of comprehension.

  “I’m gunna make it up to you.” Promise rang in my rasping voice, and I kicked my bedroom door open before Linne tore her eyes off mine to stare at my arm. Licking her lips heavily, she caressed my bicep and shoulder as my abdomen tightened and my thighs quivered in expectation.

  “If you had wings, I would pull them.” Groaning softly at the meaning rather than the words, I squeezed Linne’s ass even as my mind’s eye filled with images I didn’t want to see. My raging hard-on shriveled like a fucking raisin, and she frowned under furrowed brows while I dropped onto the foot of my bed. “It is very pleasurable…”

  I was sick. It was wrong, but all I could think of was myself bent over the couch and Linne behind me. My stomach roiled violently, and I cleared my throat roughly before daring to open my mouth.

  “How about you get some sleep first, my mate.” Hoarse, my voice scratched my throat, and Linne arched her brows but didn’t try to protest. Which was a fucking relief. We were rocky, so the sex was sparse these past two months. Carefully sliding off my lap, she pulled the bottle out of her pocket to pass it to me, while I inhaled deeply through my nose.

  This was one of those times where I wished Linne had kept her damn mouth shut. She had good intentions, but her delivery needed some work. There was no fucking way I was letting her anywhere near my ass so she could pull. Forcefully trying to push the thoughts away as I uncapped the bottle, I carefully jostled two pills into my palm before examining the label. I couldn’t even pronounce the name of this drug, but it was labeled as use for insomnia.

  Let’s hope for the best.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Linne

  Rolling over heavily, I slowly climbed into consciousness as heat and fur enveloped me. Sharp, deadly claws kneaded my lower back gently, and thick muscles shifted against my side and along my legs. Squeezing my eyelids shut tightly, I forced them open as I hoovered up air through flared nostrils. My low groan filled the bedroom, and long, coarse hairs brushed my forehead before a rough tongue slid up my cheek.

  “Did it work?” Grogginess slurred my question, and a deep rumbling reverberated against my side. My sluggish limbs shuffled as they slowly regained feeling, and I stared blearily at the ceiling. “I do not feel so good…”

  The fur that draped over me disappeared, replaced with coarse skin and coarse, thick hairs. Fingers grasped at me instead of claws, and Derek rubbed my belly with his warm palm to coax a sigh from my chest.

  “It’ll fade, my mate. The pills worked; it’s 9am. You’ve been asleep for sixteen hours.” Mumbling softly as he nuzzled my cheek, Derek kissed my jaw as his words sent a faint trill of happiness and relief through me. “I let Chad know you won’t be at work today.”

  “Thank you.” Struggling to roll into him, a small smile tilted my heavy lips when Derek automatically moved to help me. Inhaling deeply, I held his scent in the bowels of my lungs before exhaling heavily, and my eyelids drifted shut without any assistance from my slow mind. Working up the energy to stretch my wings, I sunk into the mattress as my spine popped from top to bottom as one, feathered appendage draped over the both of us.

  “Alpha Jackson is coming by today. He said he found someone that might help us – a witch that lives nearby that’s an expert in tracking stuff like this.” Callused fingertips swept up my back, and Derek’s breath caressed the bridge of my nose as he spoke slowly, considerately. “I talked to Muss, too. He said that Kaslni is still refusing to tell him what that pebble she gave you does. She just said it was important that you don’t take it out since it’ll help you. Things are getting bad over the Veil. Muss is almost certain that Bareiijnr is going to send someone after you.”

  “I expected that, though.” Muffled in his chest, my declaration only caused Derek to squeeze me lightly, and my fogged mind began to putter a bit faster. “There is plenty of time. I do not want you to worry. Right now, we must find who is hurting my brain.”

  “Yeah…” The noncommittal response pulled another sigh from me, and I forced my eyelids apart to peek up at Derek’s drawn expression. He wiped his face clean, sensing my gaze, and his lips grazed my forehead as they tilted up. “Just relax, Linne. It’ll take a couple of minutes to get out of the haze.”

  Laying in a peaceful silence, I closed my eyes once again and gave my mind the chance to switch to full operation. The entire time, Derek’s hands roamed my bare back, and my body temperature slowly rose as his touch sent tingles surging across my skin. As if sensing my growing discomfort, his fingers crept down to cup my butt outside my jeans, and I hummed softly when he squeezed and kneaded.

  “You’re so beautiful, my mate.” Shivering lightly as Derek’s hot breath traveled down my neck, I moaned softly when he ground against my hips. His hand slipped down to my thigh to pull my leg up over his waist, and I tilted my head to find his lips with my own. Our kiss was soft, tentative, a reacquaintance, and my fingers crept up over his shoulders to hold his jaw as it ticked.

  “You are so beautiful as well, Derek.” Rubbing his cheeks with my thumbs, I shuffled until Derek’s length pressed firmly against the crotch of my jeans. His tongue pushed past my teeth, and he tightened his grip on me to grind slowly. Our saliva mixed, pooling against my inner cheek as our tongues tangled sweetly, and I gulped greedily. Carefully, he rolled onto his back to seat me on top of him, and his probing fingers slipped under the waistline of my jeans.

  Moaning a low, guttural sound, I arched sharply to roll my hips, and a plume of musk wafted up into my nostrils. Reaching around my waist, Derek unfastened the button and zipper of my jeans, and I ground against his hand as it searched blindly for my underwear.

  “Fuck.” Growling roughly, Derek pulled his mouth from mine with a jerk to leave me panting, and I whimpered when he fisted my jeans on either side of the button. The sound of fabric
ripping sounded loudly, tearing through the room like lightning, and my thighs hugged his waist to push me up. Air assaulted my dampened panties, sending a shiver up my spine to nestle between my wings as they spread and shuddered.

  “A-oh-h-h-h…!” Eager fingertips parted my quivering folds, and I moaned loudly as I rolled my hips. Derek’s free hand dragged up to grip my left breast, and the head of his length twitched against my butt while he circled my nub with his thumb. Panting harshly, my breath caught in my throat as shocks pulsated through my abdomen, and my core ached fiercely with a need only he could fulfill.

  “Are you still tired?” I could feel Derek’s devilish grin when I shook my head wildly at his growl, and his fingers slid inside me with no resistance. Tensing at the familiar invasion, I held my breath in tight lungs as he withdrew only to plunge knuckle deep. “Ride me, baby. Ahhh fuck…”

  Bracing my palms against Derek’s chest, I rolled my hips and ducked my head as pleasure shot through me to spear my heart. Two fingers twisted and probed my channel while yet more pinched and tugged my nipple, and I trembled violently at the overwhelming sensations that washed through me.

  My wings fluttered high above my head, and I leaned down as my elbows wobbled weakly to grind my forehead against Derek’s sternum. My harsh pants faltered, and I squeezed my eyelids tightly shut as he worked deeper into me. Pressure built inside my skull just above my grinding teeth, and I whimpered into the small space between my mate and I.

  Inhaling sharply, I gasped for air as the pleasure coursing through my furiously beating heart subsided, and Derek exited my channel to push down on my waist. My lips throbbed for his, and I kissed him sloppily as I ground against his hard length. His hand on my chest fisted against the base of my skull, gathering up some of my hair, while his other hand reached between us.

  Expectation coiled in my belly, and I whimpered and moaned into Derek’s mouth as his tongue collided with mine. Our kiss turned ravenous and needy, and the past few weeks finally caught up with us. Poising himself at my entrance, he thrust his hips up and pulled me down with a tight grip on my hip.

  “Der-r-r-r-r-r-rek!” My moan when his head stretched my entrance became a loud, high-pitched squeal, when he surged into my channel to the hilt. “Oh-my-my – my-y – !”

  Holding my head against his, Derek’s grip on me tightened as his thighs supported my butt, and I arched sharply as he thrust hard and fast. My wings flapped uselessly, the cold air swirling to pierce my nipples and dry my mouth even as his grunts flowed down my tight throat. The furious fluttering, the moans and grunts, and the sound of skin slapping against skin, combined with the noisy kisses and squelching from between my legs – all fell into the background as blood pounded hard against my eardrums.

  “Fuck-fuck-fuck – fuck yes-s… Linne!” Gravel roughened Derek’s words as they squeezed through clenched teeth, and I clamped down on his rod tightly. Something, somewhere, fell and shattered on the floor, but neither Derek nor I so much as hesitated as he bit my bottom lip firmly.

  My implosion ripped through my chest, and my heart jumped into my lungs to escape the flood of pleasure that sloshed violently up from my core. Pushing myself up on unsteady arms, my nails dug into Derek’s muscular flesh as my knees banged together against his abs. Sinking down on him until discomfort spread through me, I twitched and spasmed as he thrust up to reach even deeper.

  Hot and swirling, Derek trained his intense, dark gaze on my face as my head flopped forward, and I forced my eyes open to find them watery. My body shook wildly, wings trembling to create a buzz that rang in my ears, and I flexed my toes against his hip bones. Moving without thought, I bounced up and down on his rod, and my wings stretched to their full length to help keep me steady.

  “You’re a goddess, Linne,” Derek rasped, groping my breasts and tweaking my nipples as I ground and rolled my hips faster. Panting harshly, I could only moan in response when he pinched the firm buds, and I arched sharply into his worshipful touch.

  “God-god-god – god-god… oh, my god!” My wings folded in on themselves with a speed that caused the muscles to cramp in my back. Derek’s sharpening nails dug into the tender, heavy flesh of my breasts, and I spasmed wildly as I undulated around his rod. Rolling in their sockets, my eyes ached, and he released a thunderous snarl that rattled my spine.

  Spending himself inside me, Derek released a long, heavy breath that rolled up his arms and my neck to cool my burning cheeks. His body shuddered, thighs twitching against my butt, and the world spun wildly when he rolled us over with a quickness I couldn’t follow. Kissing my lips roughly, he didn’t try to penetrate my mouth with his tongue, but the passion seeping from his pores stole what little breath I’d managed to retain.

  When we are together, nothing is wrong.

  The thought slammed into me with force enough to break the seal of our mouths, and I forced my eyelids apart to stare at my mate.

  He is a god – offering salvation even if it is only temporary.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Derek

  “I wish in this moment I could fly – it’s a very nice day.” Longing laced Linne’s voice as she stared out the window, and I adjusted my grip on the wheel absently. We sped down the highway leisurely, and she twisted to glance at me out of the corner of my eye. “You would like to fly, I think. It is very relaxing.”

  “Baby, I’m a lion shifter – I’ll keep my paws on the ground.” Cruising along at 70mph, I reached over the center console to caress her cheek. “I appreciate the sentiment, though.”

  “You are right, I suppose. I remember my first time flying. It was terrifying. My trainer was not amused. I do not think he was having a good day when he pushed me off the cliff.” My brows shot up at that, and I tore my gaze off the road to watch Linne shrug, a slight frown marring her face. “That is how we learn. If we fail, we simply fall to our deaths. I did not fall.”

  “Did you know anyone that fell?” Linne shook her head, frown deepening at my gruff question, and I forced my eyes back to the stretch of highway in front of us. Sometimes, it was so easy to picture what her home realm might’ve been like; other times, not so much. But one thing was clear: unless you were rich as fuck, you had a hard life. I couldn’t even articulate how fucked up it was that such a concept stretched beyond our realm.

  “Slaves were not permitted to mingle. If we did, we were punished severely. There was no reason to talk to them, anyway. They did not like me because my wings came in so young. It is a sign of power.”

  “How old were you when you were banished anyway?” Finally posing the question that had haunted me for so long, I couldn’t hide the curiosity in my voice.

  Linne’s minimized wings ruffled loudly in the silence, and my blood pounded against my ear drums waiting for her to answer.

  “Seventeen years old in my world. My wings sprouted when I was four. That is very early. Uh, I would be… three-thousand years old in your world.”

  Sucking in a sharp breath, I groaned as I flexed my fingers against the wheel. That’s messed up in so many ways.

  “What is wrong? How old are you?”

  “I’m thirty-one… It’s not wrong, Linne. It’s just, in this realm, it’s illegal to be in a relationship with someone under eighteen years old.” It hit me hard that Linne didn’t know how old I was, and I pursed my lips together as she made a soft ‘oh’ sound.

  “But I am not seventeen years old in this realm. I am three-thousand years old in this realm. Does that not negate the illegal relationship?”

  That’s a whole different damn problem. Reaching to swipe my jaw with my palm heavily, I silently debated what to do with this information.

  “I suppose it does… yeah.” Just contemplating the bare minimum of what kind of freaky fucking space-time shit was going on gave me a headache. Leaning back against the headrest, I forcefully pushed the thoughts away to backtrack to our original topic. “So, the other slaves didn’t like you, and you said you weren’t Kaslni’s f
avorite… how did you avoid going insane from being so alone?”

  Not that this is a much better subject.

  “I was not alone most of the time. I trained often with my trainer. All other times, I slept. That is just the way it was for me. I existed only for Kaslni’s use.” Long, nimble fingers gripped my bicep, and I glanced over to catch the tail end of a look I had seen so many times before. “Now, I exist for you – and for me. When we find out who has been infecting my dreams, we will not be distracted.”

  ‘Have I arrived at a bad time?’ Muss materialized on the center console, and I frowned even as my mate squeezed my arm. ‘I had expected you to reach this witch’s house already. These human contraptions are quite slow.’

  “We’re almost there, damn bird. Relax.” Flapping his translucent, glittering wings at my grumble, Muss blinked his biggest eye at me. “What are you even doing here? I thought you were in the other realm watching that whole shit-storm…”

  ‘I have no news to report. I simply wished to accompany you. I have never met a witch before.’ Flicking on my blinker to merge onto an offramp, I eased off the gas to cruise down to a manageable speed while Muss turned his attention to Linne. ‘Are you not excited to meet such a creature?’

  “I am excited to not have nightmares anymore.” Linne’s tone was serious, and I stepped on the brakes as a stop sign came closer and closer. “I am relieved to sleep peacefully, but I do not like having to take pills to do so. I do not feel right when I wake up.”

  ‘But witches are very unique. I have been learning about them, and I find them quite fascinating. Did you know that witches were first created by interbreeding with a Seelie?’ Arching my eyebrows at that, I rolled the car to a full stop and clenched my teeth tightly.