Wolf’s Princess

by Maddy Barone

  She obeyed, but it took a few tries because her hands were trembling.

  “Stop,” he commanded. “Don’t take it off. Let me.”

  “Bossy,” she complained, but it was only a murmur.

  He sent her a grin before taking one shoulder strap between his teeth and drawing it down her arm. Even though the air in the room wasn’t particularly cold, her nipples puckered. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the mirror and stared as if she were watching strangers. That handsome man with the messy short dark hair was Sky. But that pale woman with her plump, pouty breasts tipped with nipples the color of raspberries couldn’t be her. She didn’t look like that. The woman in the mirror was sensual, her body arched to offer herself to her lover.

  Heat blazed through her at the sight. A photograph of them, in this exact pose, would be art worthy of display at a gallery. Sexy art. She didn’t want anyone else to see Sky like this. He was hers. His body was hers. He was nipping at her breasts now, barely scraping his teeth over her nipples. The feel of it stoked the heat even higher. He said her panties were damp but not wet? He didn’t know what he was talking about. Right now her body ached to have him inside.

  She glanced down between their bodies and saw his penis standing straight. It was dark with blood, and a drop of moisture glistening at the tip.

  “Sky.” With her palms on his cheeks, she drew him away and leaned to press her lips to his. “I want you. I’m ready now.”

  Still kissing him, she peeled her panties down her legs and stepped out of them. She lowered one hand to his penis to guide him to where she wanted him, and slowly lowered herself. It wasn’t as easy as she’d thought it would be to impale herself. Her body was too tight to allow him to slide in, so she bore down for a few seconds, then relaxed, and did it again. Each time she forced him a little deeper. He tightened his hands on her waist.

  “Slow down,” he said in a voice tight with strain. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

  It didn’t hurt. Maybe it was just slightly uncomfortable. He was the one who looked like he was in pain. “Are you okay? Am I hurting you?”

  He laughed. “If this is you hurting me, please keep going.”

  She did, gradually forcing his penis all the way inside her. When she was seated in his lap, her legs trembling with the strain, she dropped her forehead to his shoulder with a panting groan. The change in position pressed his penis against a certain spot inside her. Pleasure shimmered.

  “Oh,” she said, blinking. She rocked her hips to find that pleasure again. “That’s nice.”

  “Hell, yes,” he muttered. “I can help. Here, let me.”

  Under her thighs she could feel his muscles bunching as he thrust up into her. Each time he bucked in the chair he rubbed over that spot. G-spot, that’s what it’s called, she thought vaguely, but she couldn’t hold any thought in her mind at all. Now that she knew what an orgasm was, she wanted another one. Together they strove for it, until he slowed.

  “Are you done?” she cried, disappointed.

  “No, I just need to find a more comfortable position. My ass is going to be one big bruise.”

  Somehow she found a giggle. “Oh, no. I’m sorry, I didn’t think about that.”

  He kissed her. “I’m fine, but let’s try another position.”

  Holding her securely with one arm under her hips and the other around her back so he wouldn’t slip out, he stood and walked the two steps to the bed. He laid her down so her feet could touch the floor, and stood between her legs.

  “Let’s see, where did we leave off? Oh, yes, here.”

  He moved inside her, pulling out and pushing back in, but the angle wasn’t right. She tilted her hips, trying to guide him over that one perfect spot. Sky seemed to understand what she was trying to do. He pulled out, making her moan in protest.

  “Quick, up on your hands and knees,” he said. “Let’s see what this is like.”

  “Doggie style?” A little astonished, and a lot turned on, she flipped over, presenting herself to him.

  His hands settled on her hips and she felt his penis nudging her opening. He pushed inside her in a steady, gentle drive. Her body welcomed him far more easily than before, and the angle was even better. With each thrust, he glided over her G-spot, re-igniting her incipient orgasm. She thought, in a distant, dim sort of way, that she must be moaning. Or maybe she was just breathing really loudly. Behind her, Sky growled low in his throat, the sound rising and falling in time with his thrusts.

  “Oh.” She moaned. “Oh, right there! That’s good, Sky, that’s so good. I’m almost there. More! Don’t stop yet, please don’t stop.”

  “I won’t,” he said. It sounded like he spoke through clenched teeth. “Come on, princess, come now.”

  The orgasm didn’t hit her that very moment, but it was only a few seconds later that her back arched with the force of her release. Sky kept his steady rhythm going until she stopped shuddering. When she fell to the bed, limp as a wrung out rag, he hooked one arm around her waist to hold her up, and then his pace quickened into wild, desperate thrusts.

  With her brain still sluggish with the force of her orgasm, she realized how lucky she was. He said something about ten minutes being plenty of time for a man, but only a selfish man would give so little time to a woman. No, that wasn’t exactly what he said, but that was what he meant. He’d shown himself to be generous. He’d held back to be sure she found pleasure, and only then did he search for his own. She gathered her strength to lift her head to look over her shoulder at him. His face was clenched, and the next moment his mouth opened in a hoarse howl.

  Like their reflection in the mirror, it was a beautiful sight worthy of framing. She wished she could take a picture of him like this. He was beautiful. Too bad her phone with its camera had been dead for eight years. If she wanted to see him like this again, she knew what she would have to do. A smile curled her lips. It wouldn’t be a chore.

  He collapsed on top of her, driving the breath out of her. He mumbled an apology and shifted a few inches so only his shoulder overlapped hers. Face down on the bed, their legs hanging off the mattress, they panted for long moments while their bodies calmed.

  Rose turned her head to look at him and found him looking back at her with a half-smile of smug male satisfaction. A week ago that expression would have driven her to hit him, but right at this moment she admitted he was entitled to look like that. His expression sharpened and he lifted his head to look at the door.

  A yowl from across the hall pierced the quiet. Rose lifted her head too. Was that Stone? He’d never made a noise like that before, but maybe in the throes of passion…No, that wasn’t Stone. His voice sounded next, the irate snarl of a wolf warrior about to do battle.

  “I’m going to kill that cat,” he hollered.

  Sky pressed his face into the mattress, his shoulders shaking.

  Rose lifted up to stare down at him. “Sky?”

  He didn’t answer. She put her feet on the floor to get up to go rescue Mitzi, but he threw an arm over her shoulders and dragged her back down again. That’s when she realized he was laughing. Actually, giggling. She stared until he finally took a deep breath and turned his head to look at her. His face was flushed with passion and mirth. The blue of his eyes was brightened to a shade close to neon with the tears of laughter. His dimple bit into his cheek adorably. Rose simply stared at his face. He was stunning.

  “Sky, you are so beautiful.”

  Mirth was replaced by surprise. He glanced away from her, his brows puckering slightly. He appeared almost embarrassed as he looked back at her. “You are the beautiful one, Rose.”

  She knew darned well she barely passed for pretty, but it was nice of him to say it.

  “You think I’m lying?” He sounded annoyed. “Look at you. Your nose is perfect.”

  That was the best he could come up with? “My nose?”

  He ran the tip of his finger down it. “Yes. It’s a small, straight, elegant nose.
And it’s right above your mouth. I can’t tell you how much time I’ve spent admiring your mouth.”

  “Admiring? Or lusting after?”

  “Both.”

  “You sure tried to kiss it every chance you got.”

  “Of course I did. And that’s not going to stop now.” He kissed her gently. “I think it’s the shape that has me fixated. It’s a perfect mouth for kissing. I love the way the top lip has those two arches right there in the middle. And the lower lip is so full and plump.” He kissed her again. “Or it could be the color of your mouth that I love best. Most of the women I know here in Omaha use lipstick to make their mouths red, but yours does that naturally, especially when you’re excited. I look at your mouth and think of strawberries. I love strawberries.”

  He leaned up on an elbow and nudged her onto her side so they were facing one another. “Your skin is so fair and clear I can see your veins. Like these ones here.”

  He used the same finger he’d touched her nose with to trace a line from her throat to her breast. She’d never spent a lot of time staring at her own breasts, but she looked now, seeing the faint blue lines of veins beneath her skin. “I hate blushing,” she confessed. “My face gets so red, everyone can see when I’m embarrassed.”

  “Or aroused?” He rubbed a thumb over her nipple. “These are like your lips: beautifully, naturally red like strawberries.”

  “I think they look like raspberries,” she countered.

  “I like strawberries better.” He sat up and urged her to stand. “This is getting uncomfortable. Let’s get into bed properly.”

  She was getting uncomfortable, curled on her side with her bent knees hanging out over the edge of the bed. She scooted off the bed. He looked her naked body up and down and held out a hand to stop her from moving. “And that’s another thing I find extraordinarily beautiful.”

  “My body? I’m skinny and maybe a tish over middle height for a woman.”

  “Slender,” he corrected, getting up to stand beside her. “With legs that go on forever.”

  She smiled at that. Maybe he was making the rest up, but she did have long legs. Trying not to show how his words touched her, she got into bed and held the blankets open for him to join her. “I think you’re most beautiful when you laugh,” she said, to change the subject. “You don’t laugh enough.”

  He settled onto his back beside her and pulled her against him with one arm. “There hasn’t been much to laugh about here in Omaha.”

  “I suppose not.” Rose lay on her side, her head on his shoulder, her arm over his waist, and one leg draped over his. It was a surprisingly comfortable position, but worry made it impossible for her to relax completely. “What happens now that the vote has failed?”

  His chest rose and fell in a deep sigh. “I don’t know, but nothing good.”

  She peeked up at him. “What do you think will happen?”

  He was silent for a long minute. “I think the fathers and brothers of Omaha will rebel. I talked to plenty of them today, and they’re set for a battle. They’ve been stockpiling illegal weapons for the past several months, along with food and water. I don’t know how much success they’ll have against the City Guard, but I bet McGrath will be caught by surprise. He has no idea how serious they are.”

  Rose listened to the beat of his heart. “When do you think it will start?”

  “I don’t know.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Soon. The mayor ordered me to turn Odell over to Gabe. No,” he said when she jerked her head up. “I won’t turn her over to anyone. Even if she wasn’t Snow’s mate, I wouldn’t do that. But my refusal could be the excuse the mayor is looking for to start trouble on his own terms.”

  She tilted her head to look up at him. “When you tell him no, what will he do?”

  His lips flattened in a thin line. “It would be grounds for him to arrest me and take over the house.”

  Her arm tightened almost convulsively over his waist. “But…”

  “We’ll need to find a reason to keep people out.” He rubbed soothing circles over her hip. “A fire in the kitchen that causes damage to the house? No, that wouldn’t keep people out. Maybe a measles outbreak? I’ll think about it.”

  She blinked. Lies and manipulation was something she’d never seen from any of the Pack or Clan, but her mate used them with ease. “I want to go home,” she said without thinking. She felt him look down at her. “I mean, the den. I miss it.”

  He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I do too. I’m glad you’re here, but at the same time I wish you weren’t. I wish you were safe at the den. I could send you home,” he offered. “I’m not sure they would let you out of the gates, but White Horse and Mike can take you out by the river, the same way they brought Thomas in.”

  She shook her head. “No, I won’t go without you.”

  “I can’t go. What would happen to Cayla and Tasha and Ms. Mary? I can’t just abandon them or any of the other people who work here.”

  She knew that. “Then we have to find a way to fix things here so we can leave.”

  He kissed her forehead again. “We will,” he promised.

  He reached an arm to turn off the lamp by the bed. “Good night, princess. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day and we need to rest.” Even in the dark, she could tell he was smiling by the roguish note in his voice when he said, “Besides, I think I’ll wake you up early to remind you how beautiful you are and how much I want you.”

  A tremor of desire shimmered through her at the promise of more lovemaking. She kissed the taut swell of his pectoral muscle, which was about the only part of him she could easily reach. “Then you better get your rest. You’ll need your strength.”

  She relaxed into slumber with his low chuckle of satisfaction in her ears.

  *

  Sky held his mate as she drifted into sleep. His heart twisted at the thought of her leaving him. If…no, when the mayor came against The Limit, she would be safer at the den. All of his ladies would be safer at the den. Maybe some could be sent via the river out of Omaha, but Odell was far too injured, and Ms. Mary far too old, for such an arduous journey. And there were simply too many women for them all to escape by the river. He toyed with the idea of using his cousins to storm the city gate and force their way through, but that was too dangerous. The Guards would shoot, and although any wolf warrior would be willing to stop a bullet to protect a woman, none of them would want to risk a woman being shot. That left him with few options. They would all have to stay here until matters were settled. Shortly after lunch tomorrow, the women who spent weekends with their families would be back, safe inside The Limit’s fence. He wanted them all here now, before any trouble started.

  Dammit, why hadn’t he just killed the mayor eight years ago? All of this could have been avoided if he had just done what his wolf wanted. He searched inside himself for the wolf who’d ignored him for the past six years. He was there, alert and ready for action. Sky couldn’t talk to him, but he clearly felt the wolf’s willingness to find the mayor right now and kill him.

  He couldn’t do that. He needed to talk to Ryan Thomas McGrath before any action could be taken against the mayor. If only the younger McGrath would show himself, Sky knew enough of the people in Omaha would be willing to follow him that the mayor would be forced to step aside. More than half of the lieutenants of the City Guard were childhood friends of Ryan’s. Sky had contacts in the Guard and they all agreed that if even a minority of the City Guard backed Ryan, the citizens of Omaha would easily win any rebellion. The problem was, the idiot thought he could sneak in and visit his mother, and then sneak out again without anyone knowing he was here. Sky set his teeth. He couldn’t allow that. Ryan had to step up. Lives would be saved if the citizens of Omaha had a leader everyone could follow. People remembered how the mayor’s son tried to stop the Women’s Acts. Everyone Sky spoke with today agreed Ryan McGrath would be an acceptable replacement for his father as mayor. Somehow, Sky had to find a way to convince Ry
an his duty was here.

  At least Taye and the others were here. Never in a million years had he expected to see them all in Omaha. A shadow of the relief he’d felt when he’d seen them washed over him again. It was good to know his house and his women would be well protected. It was one less thing for him to worry about.

  From across the hall, he heard Stone and Sara talking. With her human ears, Rose wouldn’t have heard, but she would be glad to know Stone and Sara’s wedding night had gone well. At least, he believed it had gone well. Sara’s giggles said she was pleased with her mate’s attentions. Stone must have followed Taye’s directions. Smiling, Sky inhaled his mate’s precious scent.

  What he had told Rose earlier was true. Tomorrow would be a very busy day. He couldn’t stop the grin from curving his lips. And the best part of the day would be when he woke up and made love to his mate.

  Chapter 21

  Something warm and wet touched the edge of Rose’s jaw. She pushed at it, complaining, “Mitzi, stop.”

  “Damn,” said Sky’s voice. “If you think I’m your stupid cat, I’m doing something wrong here.”

  Her eyes flew open. The level of sunlight in the room told her it was past sunrise, but not much past it. The disappointed look on Sky’s face made her laugh. Or maybe it was just the joy of waking up with him leaning over her that released her mirth. “Why, Mitzi, how you’ve grown,” she teased.

  He pressed his penis against her in exactly the right spot. “Something has grown,” he said meaningfully.

  Her breath caught as desire burst in her. “Oh, Sky. Do that again.”

  “First I want to kiss you.” He held up a finger. “And don’t tell me you haven’t brushed your teeth, because neither have I. Do you care?”

  She tapped her finger on her chin, pretending to considering it. “Nope,” she decided, and opened herself to his lovemaking. He was wild this morning, demanding and aggressive, and he gave her the most shattering orgasm she’d yet experienced.

  When her orgasm had faded to merely a faint pulse, she rolled on top of him and kissed his lips very gently. “That was wonderful. I didn’t know it could be so different.”