His fangs lengthened as he kissed a path between her breasts. He sliced the fabric open with a single rapid movement. Beth gasped in surprise.
“Hey, that was my favorite bra!”
“I’ll buy you a new one.”
Gus continued his path lower, working his way over her soft stomach, circling her belly button. Glancing up at his mate, he was surprised to see her sapphire eyes glowing down at him.
“You are so fucking hot.”
“I’ve dreamed of this very moment for so long. I’m not about to miss a second of it.”
“That’s my girl.” Gus’ tongue slid over her panties, catching the soft silky materiel on a fang and freeing it from her body. He tossed it to the side before spreading her legs wide, admiring every inch of his mate.
Needing to see his mate’s reaction, Gus was careful not to break eye contact. He leaned down and slid his tongue over her clit. He watched as her breathing grew heavy, and her moans intensified as he slid two fingers deep inside of her.
“Gods, you are so wet for me.”
Beth tossed her head back. Her body shook as her climax rushed over her. Gus pumped his fingers hard, in and out, sucking her clit into his mouth.
“Oh yes!” Beth screamed.
A beautiful blush spread across her body. The shaking slowed until only a few tremors of aftershocks remained, but Gus didn’t slow his pace, bringing her quickly to a second orgasm. He lapped up her sweet juices, moaning as the taste of caramel covered his tongue.
“I could easily become addicted to your sweetness,” he warned.
“I really wouldn’t have a problem with that, but right now, I need you inside me.”
Gus had never been happier to hear those words in his life. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
After one final lick from top to bottom, he placed the head of his cock at her entrance, teasing her just a bit before slamming home.
“Yes,” Beth moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer.
His lips met hers as he set a steady pace, his cock sliding in and out, their bodies moving in unison, rocking back and forth.
Her nails scored lines up and down and across his back and he loved every second of it. The feel of her body beneath him was what he had longed for all his life. Leaning back, he pulled her into his arms, her chest flush against him.
Their fangs lengthened, each of their wolves begging to complete the mating ritual. Beth leaned her head to the side, exposing the mark he had given her only a short while ago.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked.
Gus’ wolf chided him. “What the fuck? Why would you even ask that? She’s our mate. It better be okay!”
“More than anything in this world.” Beth’s voice was calm and sure.
Without giving it another thought, Gus struck hard and fast, burying his fangs deep in her neck. His mind swirled once again from the taste of her blood. Flying higher than a kite, he picked up the pace.
Beth gave no warning before her fangs descended upon him, completing the mating ritual. Gus had heard many stories over the years, but hadn’t been prepared for the flood of feeling and emotions as their mating connection clicked into place, sending them both over the edge. Her pussy clenched tight around his cock, coating it in her sweet honey. Gus shouted her name, his pace frantic as he pumped his seed deep inside his mate.
Gasping for air, he collapsed beside her, not wanting to crush her with his weight. Gus pulled her close, wrapping her tight in his arms.
“I may never let you go.”
A warm smile spread across Beth’s face. “I may be okay with that, too. We have a lot of lost time to make up for.”
“We have the rest of our lives.” Gus kissed her on the tip of her nose.
“I don’t know why the Fates sent you here today, but I couldn’t be more thankful if I tried.”
“I actually came to see Rafe about pack business. I’m meeting another wolf here today to discuss him taking over at Twisted Tail.” Gus felt Beth tense up the moment the words slipped from his mouth. “What’s wrong, love?”
“Bad memories. It’s something I’m still working through.”
Her memories flooded his mind, one by one. His wolf snarled at the sight as the images skipped past. His mate had endured horrors beyond imagination. By the luck of the Fates, she’d found a way to survive and to keep her children safe from the hands of an abusive animal. Gus tried to keep his voice calm as he spoke. “Make no mistake, the wolf who did this to you will die by my hand. All those who participated in the callous ways of the former leader of Twisted Tail have been sentenced to death. I sincerely hope your children have no attachment to him.”
Beth shook her head as the tears started to flow freely. “They have no attachment. My girls are the ones who helped me escape. My son had been taken from me years ago. Until a few weeks ago, I’d thought he was dead. It wasn’t until Rafe brought us to Black Paw that we had any idea Eric had survived.”
“We’ll figure everything out together, love. You are my fated mate.”
Chapter Twenty
“Wait! You did what?” Nothing about this day had turned out the way Rafe had thought it would. First the whole almost-disaster mating situation with Beth and Gus, and now, Erin and Lucas were at each other’s throats. There was also the fact that Calder’d had front row seats for all of it.
“You heard me. She tried to zap me on my ass—in the middle of the fucking town. Everyone saw her do it,” Lucas shouted.
“If you had let me go, you beast, none of this would have happened in the first place,” Erin shouted back.
“Both of you sit down and knock it off.”
Rafe’s voice rang with the full command of his Alpha, forcing the pair to do as they were told.
“Peace and quiet, finally.” Rafe glanced down at his cellphone as it buzzed again. “One hundred and two new text messages. I’m just going to assume this is because of the little stunt you pulled outside of the diner.”
“I’m sorry, Rafe. It’s my fault.” Tears poured from Erin’s eyes. “I can’t handle this whole mating thing with Lucas, and I’m tired of hiding from everyone. I’ll pack my bags and head out of town immediately.”
Erin rose from the couch.
“Sit down. You’re not going anywhere. We’ll figure this mess out.”
Erin sucked in a deep breath. “If my mate can’t deal with the fact that I’m part witch, how is the rest of the pack going to be okay with it?”
Lucas sat on the opposite end of the couch, with his palm over his eyes and his lips sealed.
“Wait, you’re what?” Calder looked up from his magazine.
“See what I mean? It’s always going to be that look of surprise and disgust. I’m never going to get away from it. Which in our supernatural world is ridiculous.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. It was a surprise to hear that you are both witch and wolf. I’ve never heard of such a unique gift.” Calder tried to make amends.
“Gift? You call this a gift? When I’ve had to hide from everyone my entire life?” Erin looked at Calder skeptically.
Rafe caught Gus’ scent and looked up from his desk just in time to see a horrified expression on his face. “You’re harboring a witch? They slaughtered my brother and half your pack!”
“It’s not what you think, Gus. Come in and have a seat.” Rafe issued the command to his uncle, wondering if it would even work. His uncle was one of the most powerful wolves alive.
“You’ve grown powerful, my boy. But not quite that powerful. I’ll play along for now, but keep in mind I’m still the head of the Wolf Council—and I know you both heard the decree that all witches found to be consorting with wolves are to be killed on sight.”
“And what does the law say about witches, or half-witches, who are members of the pack and whose fated mates are wolves?” Rafe asked.
“That’s impossible. I’ve never even heard of such
a thing. My wolf can’t pick up the scent of a witch.”
“Yet here we are, Uncle. Erin, can you remove your charm please?” Rafe pointed to the necklace her mother had given her as a little girl.
Erin nodded and removed the necklace, carefully setting it on the coffee table in front of her.
“What do you smell now, Gus?” Rafe asked.
Gus inhaled deeply, trying to discern each scent. The three male wolves in the room, along with one female wolf, and a witch. “How is this possible?” He looked to Rafe in confusion.
“Erin is half-witch and half-wolf. Lucas is her fated mate.”
“Well, that does complicate matters, doesn’t it?”
“Indeed.” Rafe’s reply was short and sweet. He had no idea what to do now that Erin had outed herself to the pack.
“Rafe, may I?” Calder stood and faced Erin.
Rafe sighed. “Sure. Why not?”
Calder sat on the coffee table in front of Erin and grabbed her hand, much to the annoyance of Lucas and his wolf.
“I believe the Fates sent you and your family to Black Paw for a reason, much like the teleporting wolf I met earlier today.”
Gus interrupted, asking, “You have a wolf who is capable of teleportation? That’s how the giant wolf showed up so fast to protect you and your family?”
Rafe nodded. “Yeah. I’ll explain later.”
“This should be good.” Gus shook his head in disbelief.
Calder continued, “So yes, I consider the fact that you are part wolf and part witch a gift from the gods. I also believe you were brought here by the Fates. We have yet to know that reason, but it will be revealed in good time.”
“I hate to break it to you, but it’s always been a curse for my family. My mom’s had to hide her identity since my father claimed her as his mate. I’ve had my powers bound from the time I came of age until just recently.”
“Why does it have to be a curse?” Calder questioned.
“Nothing good comes from being part witch. Not when you’re surrounded by biased and prejudiced wolves who would love nothing more than to see you burned at the stake for being born differently.”
Calder pulled her closer, staring intently into her brown eyes.
Lucas growled a warning to the male touching his mate.
“Easy, Lucas,” Rafe warned.
“I see people, Erin. Really see them. It’s one of my gifts, if you will.”
“And what is it that you see?” Erin said with a roll of her eyes.
Calder’s eyes began to glow a luminescent shade of gold just before turning into large black circles. In a different voice from the one he’d been using, he began to speak. “When I peer into your soul, I see a woman filled with resentment and hurt caused by her mate. I see a witch unaccustomed to the powerful majik running through her veins—a witch without a coven, who seeks only to help others when they need her healing strength. I see a fierce wolf who was also bound by the spell and is just now on the cusp of discovering her strength and abilities. She longs for her mate and acceptance from not only her mate, but her pack as well.”
The tears flowed freely for Erin once again. “None of it matters if my mate won’t accept me for who and what I really am. My wolf will die.”
“Why haven’t you accepted your mate?” Gus asked Lucas.
“My entire family was murdered by witches. I find it completely amazing that everyone thinks I should be perfectly fine with the Fates pairing me with a witch. A witch who hates me, by the way, and tried to kill me today.”
“Would you quit being such a baby? It was a tiny blast of majik. Just enough to knock you on your ass and get your hands off of me. If I’d wanted to kill you, I would have.”
“See the hostility? How can I possibly even have a civil conversation with her when she skirts the crazy zone at the drop of a hat?”
“Lucas, I’d be caref—”
Rafe couldn’t quite finish his warning to Lucas before the shit hit the fan.
“Crazy? Are you fucking kidding me?”
Lucas flew from his side of the couch in an effort to get away from an irate Erin.
“You want crazy, asshole? I’ll give you crazy!”
Sparks flew from her fingertips directly into Lucas’ chest.
“Erin!” Rafe scolded.
Her majik immediately receded, leaving Lucas’ clothes a little charred and his face slightly sooty.
“That’s exactly the crazy I’m talking about.” Lucas brushed off his clothes and tried to smooth his frazzled hair.
“You are such an ass!” Erin was ready to pounce on him again.
“Easy, Erin. I don’t want my office burned to the ground today. I finally have it just the way I like it.”
Lucas’ eyes widened. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re joking with her about her death majik?”
“It’s not death majik unless she chooses it to be so. Besides, I’m going to have to side with her on this one. Rule number one when it comes to women: You never call them crazy unless you want to see just how crazy they can really be.”
“Absolutely,” Gus agreed.
“True story.” Calder added his two cents.
Rafe tilted his head to the side, deep in thought. “Not long ago, we had an unexpected visitor show up here. I can’t help but think of the old volva and her warning.”
Rafe looked up to see both Gus and Calder staring at him in shock.
“We’ve had some strange shit happen here in the past couple of months.”
“I’d say.” Gus ran his fingers through his hair. “Who was the volva? What did she want with you?”
“Her name is Dagrun, but she wasn’t here to see me. She came to see Tanner.”
“Are you certain she was an authentic volva? To the knowledge of the Council, they died off centuries ago.”
“I’m positive. She possessed powers I’ve never seen, things much more powerful than witchcraft or any form of trickery.”
“What do you mean?” Calder asked.
Rafe leaned against his desk. “When Tanner went to Blue Creek, he not only found his mate, but found that he had the power to teleport. But the way it came about was quite strange. He sensed his mate needed help, and out of the blue, Odin appeared—just like in a reccurring dream Tanner’d had for years. Anyway, Odin told him that it was time. The next thing Tanner knew, he found himself miles away from where he had been, magically transported to the side of his mate.”
“Is he certain the voice came from Odin himself?” Gus looked on in shock.
“When Tanner returned to Black Paw, he told us about the dream and what had happened when he was away, and asked if we knew where he could find an ancient volva. Mom nearly had a heart attack because a few weeks prior to that, she’d had a dream about a volva coming to Black Paw. I knew one had in fact taken up residence, but I kept my distance, knowing she would reveal the reason for her presence when the time came.”
“What happened next?” Gus asked.
“We went on a field trip to see the volva. She had indeed been waiting for Tanner’s arrival, and gave him hell for making her wait so long. When he asked about the dream and what it meant, she transported us inside of his dream, where we watched Odin explain that he was about to bestow a great gift on Tanner. Odin had given him the same powers as Freki and Geri—his size, his ability to hear others’ thoughts, teleportation, and a few others. The catch was that Tanner had to die and be reborn in order to accept the gifts. Odin explained that his soul would only be reborn when one of his great wolf-warriors needed his powers for survival. When the dream ended, Dagrun explained that trouble was coming to Black Paw and Tanner would be the one to save us.”
“Did she say who planned to attack Black Paw? Or by when you’d need to have your shit together?” Calder asked.
“Nope. She disappeared into thin air.”
Gus stood and paced slowly in front of the picture window in Rafe’s office. “I’m not sure I like any of this. Your ma
te was granted special powers by Freyja in the last battle. A volva visited your lands, Odin has been in contact with one of your wolves and apparently given his power to your pack, and you have a wolf-witch hybrid. Am I forgetting anything?”
“We also have Erin’s mom, who is a full-blooded witch mated to a full-blooded wolf.”
“And now that I’m mated to Mina’s mom, you have me.” Gus sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes.
“There’s trouble coming to Black Paw. With this many warnings from Odin and the fact that the Fates have sent you quite a few wolves with powerful gifts, trying to deny it would be asinine.” Calder glanced around the room.
“Agreed.”
Erin, who had been silent through the exchange, looked to Rafe before speaking, “I’m sorry I’ve brought more trouble to your doorstep. You should be concentrating on the real problems. Not the issues I’m having with my mate or the fact that I was so blind with anger I revealed my powers to the pack.”
“It’s probably for the best that your secret came out now. We’re going to need your powers in the future. At least this way we can put our thinking caps on and deal with the pack issue now. The Fates wanted you and Lucas together for a reason. That’s why your mom and dad ended up here at Black Paw. We need to make the pack see and accept you for who you are.” Rafe leaned against his desk.
“With everything that happened in the past, I’m not sure it’s a possibility.” Erin looked over at Lucas. “If I can’t even get him to accept me, how am I ever going to get the pack to?”
Rafe walked over to Erin and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Erin, you have been a valuable member of Black Paw as far back as I can remember. Your work at the clinic and with the community has been unparalleled. If it weren’t for you, my mate wouldn’t be alive. Neither would her sister. I don’t care what it takes. We will earn their trust one by one if we have to. Either way, I’ve got your back—and if your mate were smart, he’d get his ass in gear and beg for your forgiveness.”
Fur Ever Witched (Black Paw Pack Book 2) Page 9
