Claiming His Mate (A Werewolf Romance)

by Stuart, Savannah

  “I’m not having this conversation while I’m naked.” Her eyes narrowed on him in warning. And damn it, he still couldn’t scent any desire coming from her even though he knew damn well she’d had her hand buried between her legs a minute ago. Had she been thinking of him while she stroked herself? His cock swelled even more.

  “Would it make you feel better if I was naked too?” he murmured, ready to strip completely. His blood pounded hot and heavy through his veins, pulsed in his cock. The wolf was there, clawing for freedom and the chance to take what it wanted. Lauren. Wet and naked and willing, responding to his every touch, each nip of his mouth on her smooth skin.

  “No,” she snapped before grabbing the shower curtain to cover herself. She held it up above her breasts, the water splashing over it and spraying everywhere. “Have you lost your mind?”

  Max certainly felt like it. He’d never reacted to a female this way. Before he could respond, she continued.

  “You don’t get to tell me who I can or can’t talk to. I’ll take phone numbers from every guy in that bar next time I’m there. We made our deal and that was that I was to stay with you, which I’ve done. I even helped out at your pack’s bar. What I didn’t agree to, was letting you push me around or harass me while I’m naked in the shower.”

  He was silent for a moment as he watched her breathing become erratic. The rise and fall of her chest was unsteady and the anger rolling off her was palpable, but he also scented something else. Desire. Triumph rolled through him. His inner wolf growled in pleasure. Everything she’d said was true. He shouldn’t have come in here, but there was no reining his wolf in right now. Max didn’t want walls between them.

  “Were you touching yourself when I walked in here?”

  She hissed in a breath, but didn’t respond. Just swallowed hard and glared at him. Holy shit, she had been.

  “What were you thinking of? Me?” Yeah, it was arrogant to ask. But he needed to know.

  She rolled her eyes, but he didn’t miss the way she subtly trembled. “You wish.”

  He did. Knowing he needed to clear the air, he said, “That woman from earlier kissed me, not the other way around. We’ve been done for a long time. She came in tonight and was drunk. You saw me pushing her off. Nothing more. And I’m not sleeping with anyone right now. Haven’t been for over six months.” Let her make of that what she wanted.

  Lauren’s hand slackened slightly, the shower curtain dipping low enough to show the soft swell of her breasts, but still covering her. “Why do you think I care?”

  He saw the indecision warring in her eyes, and pounced on it. “You care for the same reason I wanted to claw Derrick to shreds for giving you his number. For the same reason I wanted to do the same to every male you flirted with tonight. You’re mine.” Admitting that made him feel vulnerable, but he knew he had to put himself out there.

  Her lips parted a fraction, surprise in her gaze. She watched him, her eyes wide and that same scent of desire still rolling off her. It was growing stronger each second that passed, but she still didn’t say anything or reach for him.

  Finally he forced himself to take a step back, ready to leave. There was nothing else to say. And if he stayed, his wolf would win the fight and he’d be naked and taking her against the shower wall in seconds.

  “Don’t go,” she said, so softly he barely heard her words above the rushing water. He stopped, unsure if it was the invitation he’d been dying for. Then she dropped the shower curtain, baring all of herself to him. No hands covering herself this time, though she looked incredibly nervous.

  He barely stifled a growl at the sight of her naked body. Petite, lean and soft in all the right places, she was his hottest fantasy come to life. With her honey brown hair wet it appeared darker as it fell in ropes over and around her breasts.

  His throat clenched as he struggled to talk. “I want you.” Fucking understatement of the century.

  She tracked his every move with those big brown eyes. When he stripped his shirt off, her eyes grew heavy as she watched him. It was almost as if she was mesmerized by what he was doing. He took off his jeans, but kept his boxers on. It was a struggle in control, forcing him to go against all of his instincts, but it was necessary.

  Frowning, she opened her mouth to say something as he stepped into the shower, but he placed one finger over her lips as he grabbed her bare hip and tugged her close with his other hand. “If these come off, I’ll be inside you, fucking hard and rough. Right now I don’t want that.” Okay, that was a huge lie. He wanted exactly that. But…he wanted to taste her, to learn her body first. She deserved it and even though his wolf was raging at him, clawing and snarling with a vengeance to take what he wanted, he knew on a primal level that if he pushed her too far, too fast tonight it could damage his chance with her.

  Though she kept her smoldering gaze on his, her swallow was audible as she reached up to place her delicate hands on his shoulders. Her touch seared him. The second her fingers made contact, his hands fisted on her hips and he lifted her up, moving until he had her flat against the wall.

  She wrapped her legs around him, her bare pussy rubbing against his lower abdomen. Max let out a soft growl. He kept her up high enough on his body that she wasn’t directly rubbing over his cock. Not yet. He wasn’t that much of a masochist.

  Lauren molded her lean body to his as she linked her fingers together at the back of his neck. He loved that she still held his gaze, even when he could see the nervousness lurking there. “Do you feel…” She trailed off, almost as if she wasn’t sure how to continue, but he knew what she meant.

  “The fucking strongest attraction I’ve ever experienced in my entire life?” Attraction was such a lame word for what he felt. Magnetic pull, hunger, desire…even those didn’t describe his need.

  She nodded and pushed out a breath, her hard nipples rubbing against his chest. “I’m glad I’m not the only one. I’ve been trying to…hide my need for you but it’s killing me.”

  It was the same for him. Holding her so close, feeling her lush, naked body against was soothing the most primal part of him, even as it was making him insane with desire.

  Lauren was his and he wanted her to know it in every cell of her being. Before he was through with her tonight, she would. Reaching between their bodies, he cupped one of her breasts, holding it firmly as he began to slowly stroke her nipple. Their embrace was intimate and he was going into sensory overload having Lauren naked and in his arms, but they had all the time in the world and he refused to rush this. He wanted to see her reaction to every single touch.

  “Did you flirt with those shifters tonight to make me jealous?” he growled.

  “Yes.” Her answer was immediate and non-apologetic.

  He lightly pinched her nipple and she gasped. She arched her back, pushing her breast farther into his hold, another pleasured sound escaping her lips.

  Unable to stop himself, he cupped the back of her head in a dominating grip and covered her mouth with his. Her lips were soft, pliable and she opened immediately for him. Her tongue stroked against his, her kisses teasing and playful as she wrapped her legs tighter around his waist.

  Continuing to strum her nipple in lazy movements, he blazed a trail of kisses away from her mouth, down her jaw line and to her ear, only stopping to rake his teeth over the spot below her ear. She shivered in his arms. “I didn’t like it. Never again, Lauren. You’re mine.” A delayed admission to her answer.

  “Well I didn’t like that woman kissing you,” she rasped out, another moan escaping when he lightly tugged on her earlobe with his teeth.

  Max could only imagine how he’d react if another male had kissed her. But even the thought of that made his inner wolf swipe out in anger so he shoved it away.

  Lauren was on fire, burning up from the inside out. She reached between their bodies, running her hand down his washboard abs in a slow, determined path. She wanted to feel his hard length between her hands. But when she reached the t
op of his boxers, the strong hand cupping her head moved with supernatural speed to stop her.

  Max lightly grasped her wrist, his fingers slightly flexing. “No.”

  The word sounded almost guttural, torn from him with clear effort. His wolf flashed in his gaze for a second before once again she was looking into pale blue eyes that made her lose all her common sense. Her entire body was primed for this male, ready to take him deep inside her. She was already soaked. Had been from the moment he’d displayed all that dominance and shredded the phone number that shifter had given her. It had angered her, but mainly turned her on.

  Then when Max had barged into her bathroom a tiny part of her had been outraged, but she’d been glad he followed her from the bar. It was all part of her animal instinct, she knew that. But she’d never cared for the male-female chase before.

  Tonight she’d finally understood why her oldest sister had led her soon-to-be mate around on a merry chase for months.

  There was a thrill in being pursued and she wanted to enjoy a week of raw sex with Max. Talk about the best punishment ever. She knew there was no viable way for them to be together long term—not when he was a wolf and she was a jaguar—but for now she could enjoy herself. And lord, she’d never wanted a man as badly as she wanted him. She wanted to feel all that raw power unleashed on her, to be the focus of his formidable sexual energy, even just once.

  She didn’t understand why he wouldn’t let her touch him though. She wanted to wrap her fingers around his cock and feel him slide deep into her. “Why?” she tried to demand, though the question came our breathless and unsteady.

  In response he kissed her, his crushing lips hard and dominating. His tongue invaded her mouth as he rolled his hips against her. She gasped at the feel of his thick erection pressed against her. His kisses mimicked sex—no, fucking. There was something primal about the way he was stroking his tongue against hers. Flicking, teasing and hungry, he didn’t let up on his assault and she didn’t want him to.

  She slid down his body until his covered erection rubbed over her wet slit, coming in contact with her pulsing clit. While she hadn’t seen that part of him yet, what she could feel was impressive.

  She was aching for him, her body on fire with the kind of need only he could sate. She’d had only a couple lovers in the past and they’d always left her wanting. Right now she was more turned on by Max than she’d ever been and it was because of the power he radiated, because of the way he looked at her, made her feel. Like she was the most beautiful woman on the planet.

  Taking her off guard, he tore his mouth from hers, his breathing uneven, his eyes flashing from wolf to human. As if he was barely holding onto his control. The tense muscles beneath her hands quivered with restraint.

  Before she realized his intent, he gripped her hips and dropped to his knees. But there was nothing submissive about his gesture.

  “Put one leg over my shoulder,” he commanded.

  A demand she would gladly follow. Hot water flowed from the showerhead, spraying both of them as she lifted her right leg and placed her foot on his shoulder. In this position she felt so exposed and almost vulnerable but he didn’t give her time to think.

  His mouth zeroed in on her most sensitive area, his tongue licking along the length of her wet slit, up and down, over and over before he pushed his tongue inside her, tasting, teasing.

  Dropping her head back against the tile wall, she closed her eyes and let herself just feel. She threaded her fingers through his dark hair as he pleasured her, her inner walls clenching to be filled completely. As if he read her mind, Max slid his fingers inside her. He didn’t test her slickness with one, he just pushed two right into her.

  Thrusting deep, he curled his fingers against the sensitive spot that drove her insane and began stroking her as he worked her clit with his tongue. The sensations were too much, pushing her over the edge before she was prepared.

  Nipples tingling in the most delicious way, she arched her back off the wall as the beginning of her climax rippled through her. It built and built, the sensation pushing out to all her nerve endings as Max continued teasing her body, until suddenly she felt as if she was in a freefall.

  The orgasm slammed into her, pleasure overtaking everything as she gripped his head, holding onto him so she wouldn’t collapse. She tried to bite back her shouts, but couldn’t restrain her cries. The moans fell freely from her lips as the pleasure rocked through her. She wasn’t sure how long it lasted, but it seemed to go on forever until her knees weakened. Feeling almost boneless, she could barely move as the last of her climax subsided.

  Still kneeling, Max withdrew his fingers as he stared up at her. His pale eyes flashed with hunger as he slid his fingers into his mouth, licking them clean. Despite what they’d just shared she felt her face flame at the erotic action.

  She reached for his face, cupping his cheek and jaw, needing to touch him. To her surprise, he leaned into her touch, rubbing against her. Her heart squeezed at the sweet show of tenderness. His stubble was rough against her palm and she savored the sensation of stroking his face.

  Though she wanted to take off his boxers, she was afraid he’d stop her again. Before she could decide if she wanted to try, he blindly reached for the shower handle and turned it off.

  When the water stopped flowing, the only sound left was their erratic breathing. Max moved with supernatural speed, scooping her off her feet and into his arms, cradling her against his bare chest. She savored the feel of his skin against hers, the strength he radiated, as she wrapped an arm around his neck.

  He nuzzled the sensitive spot behind her ear as he wordlessly stepped from the shower. They were soaking and dripping everywhere but he didn’t seem to notice and she didn’t care. She just hoped he would let her strip off those boxers once they made it to a bed because there was no way they were done for the night.

  Chapter 5

  Bypassing the guest room, Max strode down the hall to his room with Lauren in his arms. He wanted her scent all over his sheets, his room, and him. Everyone would be able to scent her on him and know he was taken. Max laid Lauren out on his king-sized bed, savoring the sight of her there.

  Petite and lean with a perfectly bronzed body, he wanted to kiss every inch of her. After feeling her come on his fingers and tongue, he wanted to experience her coming around his cock, to feel her tightening and climaxing around him as she shouted his name. And he wanted to bury himself balls deep inside her, pumping into her until he was completely sated. He could barely think as he stripped his boxers off.

  Blindly he threw them through the open door of his bathroom. He heard them land with a wet smack against the tile before he knelt on the end of the bed. Light from the slightly parted window blinds was their only illumination. Not that he needed it with his supernatural eyesight, but with the moonlight bathing her in a soft glow, she looked like a goddess stretched out for him to feast on.

  “You waiting for a written invitation, wolf?” she practically purred, her dark eyes flashing to her jaguar for a moment before turning back.

  Not trusting his voice, he let out a low growl. His cock felt like a club between his legs. He ached to completely claim her even if that was way too soon. He couldn’t bite her, marking her for all to know she was his, but he wanted his scent all over her, his cock buried deep inside her. It was a primal need to imprint her with his scent.

  He wanted her to be branded by him, to know she belonged to him. And vice versa. He wanted Lauren’s scent deep in his skin so that all he smelled was her. This wasn’t just the most intense attraction he’d ever felt. It was the mating call.

  He knew it in a bone deep way and accepted it. He didn’t care if she was a jaguar and he was a wolf. It was uncommon in the shifter world for different species to mate, but they could make this work. Yeah, they needed to get to know each other a hell of a lot better, but his wolf had already accepted her. On the most primal level possible, his animal knew what he wanted and would accep
t no other female. That was the most important thing.

  As he started to crawl up the bed, a predator intent on claiming his prey, Lauren let her thighs fall open, exposing her mound and that delicious amber and vanilla scent. The soft hair on her pussy was a shade darker than the hair on her head and was trimmed into a perfect little strip. He was tempted to taste her again, but right now he needed inside her like he needed his next breath. The thought of feeling her tight sheath clenching around him made him shudder in anticipation.

  When he settled between her legs and dragged one finger down the length of her wet slit, she shuddered and arched her back. Pushing his finger inside her, he closed his eyes when he felt how wet she was. This was going to be heaven.

  Bang, bang, bang.

  His eyes flew open and Lauren straightened, inadvertently pulling away from him when she sat up. Someone was pounding against his front door. For the most part these condos had extra insulation because of their sensitive hearing and all the front doors were steel reinforced. Whoever was pounding wasn’t taking no for an answer.

  “It’s almost four in the morning,” Lauren murmured as she brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “Is that normal?”

  Frowning, Max shook his head. “No.” Most of his pack members would just call if there was an issue. Annoyance settled over him. Ever since Grant had left, it was like half the pack had forgotten how to take care of their own problems. Either that or Grant dealt with more than Max had ever realized.

  Max grabbed a pair of boxers from one of his dresser drawers and tried to will his cock to go down. “I’ll be right back. Someone better be dead or dying,” he muttered as he left.

  He could hear the sheets rustle as Lauren got out of his bed, but he hurried down the hall as the incessant banging continued. When he neared the front door he scented four different packmates, including a male he didn’t care for. Max immediately tensed. For the most part he got along with everyone in his pack, but Wade Burks was a pain in the ass. Grant had taken him and his sister in about two years ago and the guy just rubbed Max the wrong way. There better be a damn good reason for him to be at his place this early in the morning, especially because they’d just interrupted him and Lauren.