The Mating Game

by Melissa Snark

  “Ah, you’re so unbelievably wet. That’s it, love.” Zach pumped his hips, rising and falling behind her so his member withdrew and then entered her pussy again. A slick sound accompanied the motion, exquisitely erotic as he cleaved her flesh, cutting into her with his rod.

  Theresa whimpered and thrust back to meet him, loving the intrusion of his cock, savoring the slap of his balls against her clit. So many hours she had spent with her fingers buried in her sex, fantasizing about him, dreaming of this moment, and the reality far exceeded her wildest expectations.

  His hand slipped between her stomach and the mattress, then slid downward, so his long fingers caressed her mound. His middle finger pressed against her sex, the tip seeking her clit. He found and flicked that tiny erect nub of flesh with the decadent precision.

  Without warning, a convulsion seized her pussy and spread outward in devastating tremors through her core, obliterating her sense of individuality. Her climax came so easily, flowing across her skin like warm water, pouring into every nook and cranny of her body. Existence beyond her physical body ceased and ecstasy overtook her as a devastating tsunami of pleasure. Blood roared in her ears and her heart pounded against her ribcage, trying to escape.

  Distantly, she heard Zach speaking words of encouragement. “That’s it, love. That’s it. Give yourself to me.”

  Gradually, the tremors dissipated and she lay gasping upon the bed. Zach remained rigid behind her, holding his body upright so his full weight did not crush her. His cock remained as stiff as steel, and it amazed her that his self-control had weathered the climatic convulsions of her pussy.

  “Don’t move, Theresa, or I’ll lose it,” Zach said in a voice rife with tension. His tone assured her that he wasn’t nearly as self-possessed as she’d thought. She became aware of his labored breathing and the tremors running through his limbs. Sweat coated his body and dribbled onto her back, ass, and thighs.

  “I’ll keep still,” she promised, recognizing the precarious state of his self-control. She wondered why he denied his own climax, but she had a patient nature.

  Quickly enough, Zach satisfied her curiosity. He withdrew his dick entirely from her channel, wringing a soft moan of disappointment from her. But the head of his cock moved upward and repositioned against that tight ring of muscle, causing Theresa’s eyes to widen. Disbelief and then the titillating shock of sexual taboo flowed through her. A tremor of nervousness passed through her body.

  “Relax, love, and this will go easy. I want to know you like this, to claim you in every way possible, to make you mine. I won’t hurt you. I promise.” Zach’s voice filled her ears. His fingers probed her pussy, gathering her moisture as a lubricant. His index finger probed her ass, ever so gently as he eased into her. He sank to the first knuckle, and then the second. “That’s it,” he whispered gentle encouragement. “Don’t resist.”

  “Zach, I’ve never done this before,” Theresa said, biting back the urge to squirm at the unfamiliar sensation. His touch felt right, naughty but right, and so amazingly erotic. The same as his tongue had earlier when he’d rimmed her.

  “Love, I’ve been dying to sink my cock into your sweet arse since the day I met you,” Zach gritted out, his tone conveying raw sexual frustration. His free hand spread, grasping her buttock, depressing the skin and digging into the muscle beneath.

  “When you said you were an ass man, I wasn’t quite expecting this.” Laughter shook her, thwarting her attempts to remain still.

  The sharp click of his teeth snapping together served as his reply, conveying the limits of his need. Abruptly, another finger joined the first, both buried inside her ass to the third digit.

  Theresa gasped and jumped at the extraordinary feeling of fullness. She clenched and unclenched the muscles of her buttocks, making a conscious effort to release all of the tension in her body. Her pussy contracted and she experienced a fresh gush of fluids between her thighs. He thrust his hand against her, fucking her ass with his fingers, and she mewled in response.

  “That’s it. You’re gorgeous.” His fingers withdrew, leaving her bereft, but soon enough his cock replaced his fingers. He positioned the thick head against her sphincter and breeched the ring of muscle. So much bigger than his fingers had been.

  “Oh, oh my.” Sobbing with desire, Theresa arched off the mattress to meet his advance. His long, thick cock entered her inch by inch, an inexorable advance that ended when he filled her to bursting and his balls rested flush with her aching flesh.

  Panting, they remained still while her body adjusted to having him inside her virgin passage. The forbidden nature of what they were doing added a razor’s edge of thrill to the act. Her arousal peaked once again, causing tiny tremors to tug at her core, cascading toward yet another orgasm.

  “Fuck, you’re so tight. I’m not going to last,” Zach said from between gritted teeth.

  “Don’t hold back. Fuck me, please. I need to feel you.” She had never felt so full to the point of bursting, so thoroughly possessed. The naughtiness of it thrilled and excited her.

  “Holy hell, love, you’re as hot as fuck.” Without warning, Zach drew back, just a few inches, and then thrust. The motion wrung a cry of delighted pleasure from Theresa. He rocked back again, further this time, and entered her with a harder motion. He grunted and moaned, and she sensed the reverberation in his chest throughout her entire being, and knew he needed to howl as much as he needed to come.

  Their bodies crashed together in violent union, all control lost over their wolves. A white hot blaze of ecstasy enveloped Theresa and she threw back her head to release a low howl of pleasure. Behind her, Zach surged against her with short, hard thrusts. Sweat made his skin slick. His shouts rose in volume and ferociousness, the triumphant song of a dominant male wolf claiming his mate. Her climax blindsided her, hitting without warning, sending her into a wild spin. Her pussy clenched and every muscle in her body contracted.

  “Theresa!” Zach shouted her name at the top of his lungs. His cry turned into a wolf’s howl. He bucked against her with hard, impatient lunges that caused their bodies to clash together. Against her mons, his balls tightened as he spilled his hot seed.

  Afterward, he collapsed on top of her, crushing her beneath his weight. She mustered her strength and turned her head to the side. Her eyelid lifted in a lazy motion.

  “Did you really only bring one condom?” she asked.

  His mouth yawned open, a rumbling snore her only answer.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The shrill ring of her house phone nudged Theresa from her stupor. She opened her eyes and lifted her head from the pillow. Beside her, Zach stirred. Her lover lay atop her crisp white sheets in all of his naked glory. One eyelid crept to half-mast and his yawn fired off the yawn center of her brain so her jaws peeled apart in involuntary reaction even as she reached for the receiver.

  “Hello,” she said into the phone.

  “Theresa, this is Becky Teller.”

  The stern voice of the pack’s Alpha female startled Theresa fully awake and she sat up straight. “Becky,” Theresa squawked before she managed to school her voice. “What can I do for you?”

  Zach’s scent altered, adrenaline and aggression becoming more prominent, and he sat erect on the bed so that the mattress issued an audible creak. Following the sound, a significant silence ensued before Becky spoke again.

  “It sounds like you have company. Have you chosen a mate, dear?”

  Theresa bit her lower lip and stared at Zach. “I’m making some very nice progress.”

  Becky produced a harrumph sound in the back of her throat. “I’m pleased to hear it, but that’s not why I’m calling. Adam has called an emergency pack meeting. The pack is to assemble at Foxtail Creek before moonrise. I’m sure you know why.”

  Theresa stiffened. Bitch, please. “Yes, I know why.”

  “I expect you’ll tell Zach,” Becky said.

  “I’ll do that,” Theresa said and hung up the phone w
ithout saying goodbye.

  Zach cocked his head. “What did the queen bitch want?”

  Theresa exhaled and felt the weight of the world settle on her shoulders. “The shit has hit the fan. It’s time to face the music.”

  He frowned. “That’s two idioms that don’t go particularly well together, love.”

  She knelt and scooted across the bed to take a swat at his shoulders. He fended off her attack with his hands. “Zach, you’re an ass.”

  He flashed an unrepentant grin and captured her wrists. “Yeah, but I’m your ass.”

  The stupid declaration made her teary, and she sought to hide her embarrassment, averting her eyes. He captured her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. “I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you, Theresa.”

  She believed that he would do his best to protect her, but would it be enough? She forced a brave smile. “I know.”

  He flashed a quick grin and kissed her. “Good.”

  Wild, disconnected thoughts ran through her head, disrupting her sense of peace. Theresa inhaled a long breath and then she blew the air out through her nostrils. Shifter blood ran hotter than human, but she shivered and crossed her arms across her chest, chilled to the core. The prospect of what was yet to come scared her to death.

  Zach sat upright. His face contorted with concern. “What’s wrong, love?”

  Theresa bit her lower lip. “I’m scared that you and Robert are going to be forced to fight each other and one of you will wind up dead.”

  He cocked his head and stared at her with thoughtful eyes. “Yeah, it’s a possibility, but I’m doing my damndest to avoid it.”

  “I hope so,” Theresa said in a prayerful tone. She grabbed hold of his hands to reinforce the empathic pack bond and because she wanted him to experience her sense of urgency.

  “I’m scared, Zach, because if Adam has his way, you might not have a choice.”

  Zach sighed and the corners of his mouth tugged downward at the corners. “Look, Theresa, I don’t want to fight Robert. Hell, I don’t even really want—”

  “Leadership of the pack,” she said, finishing his sentence for him.

  They stared at one another for a long time. The truth, spoken aloud, carried myriad implications. She sensed that they’d both known for some time, but had not wanted to admit it aloud.

  Zach’s nostrils flared. “I want you,” he said. “And I will fight for you, love. Have no doubt.”

  She closed her eyes, too tired to think, and sagged beneath the immense weight riding on her. When she opened them again, they felt too dry and her mouth quivered with the effort not to twist into a sob. “That’s the thing, Zach. I don’t have any doubts. Not about you or your willingness to fight to keep me. I don’t even have any doubts about us. At least, not big ones. Little ones, maybe, but I think that’s normal…”

  “Why won’t you seal the mate bond with me then?” Zach demanded with burgeoning impatience. His blue eyes held endless torment. The stoic mask he wore for the world had a crack, revealing his turbulent emotions.

  Her breath hitched. It was the first and only time he’d come out and stated the words aloud. To speak of the mate bond—it was the language of lifetime commitment. Not the ephemeral union of marriage that humans entered into, but the irrevocable joining of two wolves as a mated pair. Only the death of one or both partners could terminate a mate bond, and it was never entered into lightly.

  She chose her next words with care, aware that so much rode on what happened in the next few moments. “Because the second I seal the mate bond with you, then you become Alpha,” she said. “And become leader of the pack. A responsibility you don’t even really want…”

  His lips compressed, a grim not-smile curving his mouth. “But Robert does,” he said. “You think he wants it enough to fight and kill me. Is that what your magic has shown you, Theresa?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe. I’m not sure. The one thing I do know is he wants to lead more than anything else. When he’s close, I can sense his ambition. His drive. I believe he has the best interests of the pack at heart, but…”

  “Instinct is a powerful motivator,” Zach said, nodding his understanding. “We’re territorial creatures by nature, and social ones as well. I admit I’ve always been something of a loner.”

  An involuntary chuckle escaped her. She pantomimed surprise and disbelief, raising her hand to her throat. “Really? No. I’m shocked! Not you.”

  “Silence, wench.” Zach also laughed and some of the tension bled out of his body, which was held tight as a bowstring, as if he expected to have to fight at any moment.

  She caught his hand and his gaze, and looked him straight in the eyes with unwavering devotion, so he could have no doubt as to her sincerity. “I don’t want you to have to fight your best friend, Zach. It’s the only reason I haven’t chosen yet.”

  “You’re my best friend.”

  Her heart caught in her throat, aching as if a giant hand had closed on her chest. “Oh, Zach…”

  He flashed a sardonic smile. “Don’t get all sentimental on me, pet. We’ll figure some way out of this mess.”

  Her breath caught on a hitch and fear wrung her heart. She clung to his hand, drawing on his solid strength for support. She offered him a brave smile. “I know we will,” she said, burying her doubts down deep.

  ****

  “We need to hurry. School lets out in ten minutes,” Theresa said as they climbed from Zach’s sports car, which was parked two blocks from the elementary school. She hurried to the sidewalk and then waited while he locked the vehicle.

  “We’ve got plenty of time, love.” Stepping onto the path, Zach settled his arm about Theresa, resting his hand upon the crook of her hip, so they could walk together. He found shortening his gait to match his companion’s stride to be a bit of a trick, but well worth the satisfaction of having his lover close.

  As they approached the kindergarten playground, he noticed heads turning in their direction and felt the pressure of prying eyes following their movement. “Has everyone always got their noses in other people’s business here?” he asked Theresa in a hushed whisper.

  She glanced at him and grinned. “Yes, absolutely. You made a big impression with the other moms the day you picked up Isabel. I’ve never seen so much speculation. No one wanted to believe that we’re just friends.”

  Zach huffed and adopted an expression of mild annoyance. “We’re not just friends.”

  She laughed. “Yes, I know that but—”

  “We should give them something to talk about.”

  Without warning, he spun and pulled Theresa into his arms with a great flourish. A startled cry escaped her, but she offered no resistance when he bent her backward and captured her lips in a marauding kiss. Her hands clenched on his biceps, holding tight as he plundered the sweet depths of her mouth. She tasted spicy and sinful, and the enticing scent of her arousal flooded his nostrils.

  The watching eyes did not avert, but rather intensified with avid interest. He heard gasps and whispered phrases, picking up on their jealousy and speculation. Secretly, he enjoyed the primitive act of claiming Theresa publically as his own, relishing the fact that she could no longer insist on calling him nothing more than a friend.

  The clanging of the school bell interrupted their heated embrace, and they broke contact to stand a couple feet apart. Zach faced her with an unrepentant smile. She tilted her head back to gaze up at him, looking pretty and delectable, sides heaving with exertion, lips bruised and rosy.

  Her eyes narrowed and she flashed her teeth. “Don’t look so smug, mister,” she said. “I’ll get you for that.”

  “Promises, promises,” Zach said, tone teasing. He waggled his eyebrows. “Take your best shot, pet. I’m looking forward to it.”

  Laughing together, they joined hands and made their way to the gate. Along with a group of five-year-olds, Isabel emerged from her classroom and headed toward them.

  The girl
’s face lit up and she broke into a run. “Zach!”

  Zach dropped to a crouch and opened his arms to catch her in a hug. “Hey, there’s my girl. Did you miss me?”

  Isabel grinned up at him. “Did you bring me a present?”

  Zach frowned. “Is that a condition of you having missed me?”

  “Maybe.” Isabel pouted, turning down her lower lip. “How big is my present?”

  He threw back his head and laughed, setting her back on her feet. “I suppose you’ll have to wait and see. It’s at your house.”

  Theresa reached down to hug her daughter hello. “Big things come in small packages, sweetheart.”

  Isabel’s head tilted to the side. “What does that mean?”

  “It means that small presents cost more,” he said.

  Theresa took her daughter’s hand and they started back to the car. He followed a pace behind mother and daughter, watching over them with marked protectiveness until they reached the vehicle. They buckled Isabel into the tiny backseat.

  As he drove, Zach listened to Theresa and Isabel chat, and played with the radio, flipping channels until he located a station playing a Radiohead song he liked. He sang along with great enthusiasm, loud and off-key, until the girls dissolved into hysterical giggles.

  “What’s that?” he said, affecting the coarse Cockney accent of London’s East End. “Are you birds laughing at me?”

  Theresa pretended surprise, round eyes and mouth, hand fluttering before her throat. “No, never! Goodness, was that terrible sound you?”

  “It was pretty scary,” Isabel said, chiming in from the backseat.

  “At first, I thought it might be a bull moose in love,” Theresa said. “But then I realized no moose would commit such crimes against music.”

  Theresa and Isabel laughed all that much harder, giggling up a storm and prompting a good-natured grin to cross Zach’s face. He quelled the impulse to join in and instead orchestrated an audible snort. “A man’s car is his castle.”