by DJ Bryce
Chapter 10
Natasha
I think I’ve just been fucked into a coma…
Never, ever, in my life, did I know that sex could be like this. And I’d had really good sex in my life, at least, I’d thought I had. Boy, was I wrong. Sex with Logan was like that first bite of mint chocolate chip ice cream, that moment you jumped out of the plane when skydiving, and the thrill of spending your first night in your own home, coupled with a fantastic freaking orgasm.
It was everything, and although I was exhausted, I was already craving more.
Here’s what struck me as funny, though. I mean, not funny ha-ha, but weirdly funny… I’d had one one-night-stand in my life. I’d been young, about twenty-one, and had just started working with my sister at Howlers. A pretty stranger had walked in for dinner and a few drinks. We’d gotten to talking and one thing led to another.
He’d left the next day and I’d never seen him again. It wasn’t that I wanted more, or missed him, or wanted to see him again, but crazily enough, I’d been disappointed in myself. I’d even felt guilt for days afterwards, and still, anytime I thought about it, I felt regret.
Five seconds after allowing Logan to rock my world, even though he was a virtual stranger himself, and I knew, without a doubt, that it was the best decision I’d ever made. Logically, I knew the difference was because he was my mate; I could feel it in my bones, and that other guy would only ever be a stranger.
Still, it struck me as funny that not only did I not feel an ounce of guilt, but that I was already ready to commit to him. No matter the terms. To give him babies and set up our live together, no questions asked.
The rarity of the situation had me first smiling, and then I literally laughed out loud, causing Logan to stir and grunt next to me. I turned my head to see him drowsily open one eye and look at me, slowly shaking the sleep that had already taken him under.
“W’as funny?” he asked, causing me to laugh harder.
He looked absolutely adorable, all satiated and confused. I started to fight the urge to touch him, then realized that for the first time, I didn’t have to second guess myself with a man. This was my mate. He wanted me to touch him.
So, I reached out slowly and gently caressed his brow.
Logan tracked the movement of my hand, then closed his eyes at my touch. A low rumble started in his chest, almost like a purring sound, a hum of utter contentment.
“I’m just happy,” I responded, then snuggled deeper into his ginormous bed.
“Me, too,” Logan admitted. Just like that. No pretense on his part either, and it was the most refreshing thing I’d ever heard.
I was about to lean in and get things heated up again, when my stomach let out a large rumble, causing Logan’s eyes to fly open.
“You’re hungry,” he stated.
I flushed. “Yeah, I haven’t actually eaten anything today.”
Logan frowned, then leapt from the bed, leaving the bedsheets behind and affording me the view of his gloriously naked form. “I’m so sorry,” he said, before letting out a string of curses. “Of course, you’re hungry after the day you’ve had, and here I am jumping you at the first opportunity. I should’ve taken better care of you.”
I turned onto my stomach and grinned as I enjoyed the view.
“I think you took fantastic care of me,” I replied, in my best vixen voice.
That made Logan pause and shoot me a sexy grin. He sauntered over, bending to my upturned face to give me a sweet, sexy, kiss on the lips. Pulling back a few inches, Logan ran his thumb along my lower lip and said, “I’m going to make you some food. Rest, take a shower… whatever you’d like. Relax. I’ll let you know when it’s ready.”
I kept my eyes on him as he pulled on his cut off sweats and sauntered out of the room, then rolled onto my back and pulled a pillow over my face to muffle my squeal.
Yesterday I’d been waitressing at Howler’s, worried over my sister’s new claim about Max being her mate after years with Mateo, and wondering how badly my parents were going to annoy me about finding my mate now that both my brother, and sister, had been basically disowned by them.
Now, I had to wonder if finding out my mate was a bear shifter, and although still technically the Alpha of his clan, not exactly what my parents had been hoping for, if they would put me on the disowned list as well.
I had to say, I could see now why Gilly hadn’t cared one iota that our parents had approved of her and Max. Now that I’d found my mate as well, I understood that nothing, and no one, would keep up apart, let alone change the way I feel about Logan.
I owed my sister an apology for my initial reaction over her confession. I’d been so upset over her lying to me for all those years, and worried over how Mateo was feeling, that I’d forgotten to put myself in my sister’s place and empathize with the turmoil she’d been going through.
Fate is a strong and powerful thing, and the connection I felt with my mate was even more so. I knew down deep that I would die for him, kill for him, and turn my back on anyone who tried to keep up apart.
Deciding not to worry about my parents narrow-minded opinions just then, I got up and strode into the bathroom, intent on taking a shower, before joining Logan in the kitchen for food, and then jumping him for dessert.
Chapter 11
Logan
I was completely torn.
Torn between wanting to feed and nurture my mate, and wanting to get back to claiming her as my own.
As I fried the French toast in butter, I couldn’t stop grinning. Fuck, but the sex had been great. I mean, sex was like pizza, even when it was bad, it was still pretty fucking good, but the act of claiming your mate just took sex to a whole nother level.
The bacon sizzled as I flipped it over, then moved to pour eggs into the ready skillet on the stove to scramble. Once everything was ready, I put it all together on one giant platter and took it to my square rustic table in the corner of the room, then went back to the kitchen to get the coffee and orange juice.
I was just placing syrup, hot sauce, and creamer on the table, when Natasha came strolling in wearing one of my t-shirts, her hair still wet from the shower. I growled as my gaze swept over her still free breasts, then down to where the hem of my shirt hit her mid-thigh. Even though it was about five sizes too big for her, she looked amazing.
Amazing enough to have me wanting to forget food and take her back to bed. But, at the sight of the food on the table, her eyes widened and her stomach growled, and I knew I’d have to be patient.
“Oh my God, do you always make that much food?” she asked as she crossed to the chair I was holding out for her.
“Yeah,” I said, looking at the spread and thinking it looked about right for the two of us. “I can put away a lot of food, and I live out here most of the time, away from the town and the rest of my clan, so I had to learn how to provide for myself. Believe me, it takes a lot of calories to keep my bear happy.”
“Wow,” Natasha exclaimed, the gingerly took one piece of French toast, a spoonful of scrambled eggs, and two pieces of bacon. “It all smells great.”
“Thanks,” I replied as I took the seat across from her and began loading my plate much more generously.
“Mmmm,” she moaned as she bit into a slice of bacon, causing me to pause, my fork of eggs suspended in air. Her eyes were closed and her face looked rapturous as she chewed, and my cock hardened in response to the sight and sound.
Averting my gaze to my fork, I began shoveling my food in as quickly as I possibly could, without looking like an uncivilized animal, and prayed Natasha would fill up fast. I needed to be inside of her the next time that noise came across her lips.
“So, ah…” I began, clearing my suddenly dry throat. “Tell me about yourself. I know Gilly and Brick are your siblings, and that you work at Howlers…”
Natasha gave a short laugh and replied, “Well, then you know just about everything…”
“I’m sure that’s not t
rue,” I countered, catching her gaze and holding it.
She nodded slightly and slid a bite of French toast into her mouth. When she licked the fork afterward, I averted my gaze once more, as my cock got so hard that it became painful.
“Well, you know Gilly, so you know growing up we were all taught, repeatedly, that we were the lucky ones, the chosen, who would eventually grow up to marry an Alpha and help rule a pack. My parents took this blessing as they called it, very seriously. There were history lessons, lessons on entertaining and public speaking. They had us offer our services to babysit cubs, so that we would know how to handle it when the children shifted unintentionally. Brick would get to go off and play, to have fun, while Gilly and I were stuck with our lessons.”
“Doesn’t sound like much of a childhood,” I muttered, thinking of my own childhood, which was spent exploring the woods and playing with my friends in the clan.
“Oh, the three of us still made time to get in trouble, much to our mother’s disappointment,” Natasha said, smiling at the memory. “We were all very close growing up, maybe because our parents always pointed out how different we were from the other kids, like we were special or something. Except, we didn’t feel so much special as excluded, that is, until we met Max and Mateo.”
“Your brother left a few years ago?” I prodded, loving the sound of her voice, as I learned more about her.
Natasha frowned and nodded.
“After he came out, my parents disowned him and basically threw him out. He found his way, going off to college and making friends, but, I’ve never forgiven my parents for the way they treated him, and I really missed him while he was away.”
“We talked a bit at Mateo’s party, he seems like a really good guy.”
“He is,” Natasha said, smiling again, just like I’d hoped she would.
“And, Gilly? You two are close?” I asked.
“Yes, we’ve always been close, even more so since we’ve been working together at Howler’s. At least, I thought we were, although she never told me about her and Mateo over the years. Not until she and Max realized they were mates.”
Natasha frowned again, opened her mouth as if to speak, then shut it again.
“What?” I asked, wanting to know what she was thinking.
“I don’t know, it’s just, if the three of us were destined to be mated to Alpha’s, as we’ve always been told, why is everything changing now? Are the prophecies wrong, or are we not the actual chosen ones?”
“Well, as the Chief of my Clan, I’m the equivalent to the Alpha of a wolf pack, and we are mates,” I said, finally saying out loud what we’ve both know since the moment we’d met.
“And, Gilly?”
“It’s not uncommon for two Alpha’s to be born to a pack, and over time, depending on how their raised, one will grow to be the obvious leader, while the other slides into the Bravo position. It’s entirely possible that, if Max left and went to another pack, he would be an Alpha, although I don’t see that ever happening.”
“Really?” Natasha asked, her face full of wonder. “I’ve never heard that before. Wow, a lesson my parents didn’t teach.”
“And, Brick…”
“Brick?” Natasha cut in, confused.
“Yeah, Brick, as a gay man, it goes without saying that since he follows your bloodline, there’s a good chance that he is also fated to be with an Alpha.”
Chapter 12
Natasha
Why had this never occurred to me before? I wondered, as I took a sip of the delicious coffee Logan had made. In fact, everything had been delicious, surprisingly so. Not only was Logan tall, gorgeous, and the best love maker in existence, he could also make a mean breakfast.
I had only known the man a short while, but to me, he seemed positively perfect.
“Brick is going to mate with an Alpha?” I mused, quietly. “Where? When? Who?”
Logan watched me patiently, as if waiting for me to figure something out.
After a few moments, my eyes widened and I put my cup down a little too hard. “You don’t think… Mateo?”
“Well,” Logan began contemplatively. “I haven’t spoken to Mateo about it, but I have talked to your brother, and from what I understand, yes, Mateo and Brick… However, Mateo doesn’t seem to be as on board with the concept as Brick is.”
“But, how? Why?” I was so confused.
First, Gilly had been lying all this time about being fated to be with Mateo, and I understood it was because they knew they weren’t and she’d been worried about being shipped off to another pack to be with a different Alpha. But, I’d never wondered why Mateo had been willing to go along with it.
Could it be because he was gay and knew Brick was his mate, but didn’t want to accept it?
Suddenly, my vision blurred and heat suffused my veins.
“That son of a bitch,” I seethed angrily. “He thinks he’s too good for my brother?”
Logan reached out and placed his hand over mine, the gesture, somehow, instantly calming me down.
“I think it’s more complicated than that,” Logan began softly.
“How so?” I asked, my heart bleeding for my brother. I couldn’t imagine knowing that Logan was my mate, and having him deny me. It would kill.
“Mateo is pretty young for an Alpha, and although he’s already proven that he’s going to do great things for his pack, I’m sure he still feels the need to prove himself. From what I’ve gathered, there hasn’t historically been a lot of diversity in your pack. And by that, I mean same-sex mates, and interspecies mates. Coming out is hard enough, but coming out as the Alpha in pack that’s a little more old school than most, is a terrifying thought. What if the pack revolts and takes him out? You know, there’s only one way to overthrow an alpha, in any species, unless they’ve served their time and a new generation is stepping up… death.”
“But, if they’re mates, how can they stand to be apart?” I asked, the thought physically painful.
“I have no doubt that it’s the hardest thing in the world,” Logan replied, squeezing my hand gently, and I knew he was thinking about what it would be like if he had to leave me. “But, I’m sure Mateo thinks he is protecting Brick, as well as his position. It’s not like he could choose his mate over his position and run away, he’s too honorable for that. So, his choices are to come out and risk not only losing his position, but his life, or pretending that he hasn’t found his mate, and that he was helping Gilly out all of these years as a friend.”
I listened to what he said, let it sink in, and processed it before saying, “I don’t think our pack is as ignorant as Mateo is assuming. Sure, we’ve never had a gay Alpha, or a gay couple, in the past, but that doesn’t mean that our people will shun them, or for God’s sake, kill Mateo. Yes, we still have the elders who are set in their ways, but the council would have his back… Max would have his back. The pack loves Mateo and what he’s done as their Alpha, I think if he’d give them the chance, they’d surprise him.”
“I hope you’re right,” Logan said, rubbing his thumb over my hand. “But we can’t force Mateo to do something he isn’t ready to do. It’s a decision that he, and Brick, have to make on their own.”
“That sucks,” I murmured.
“Speaking of… have you eaten your fill, because there are a few things I’d like to suck, but I want to make sure you’re no longer hungry.”
At his words, my blood heated again, but not from anger this time. Images of him sucking on my breasts, then on my clit filtered through my head, and I was no longer hungry for food. In fact, I had the immediate urge to do a little sucking of my own.
“I’m full,” I replied huskily, causing his eyes to darken.
Logan rose from the table, his hand still on mine, and urged me to stand as well. Once I was on my feet, I rounded the table and he gave my hand a little tug. I went freely to him, my body colliding with his, and my head tilting back to offer him my lips.
Logan accepted my
offer and lowered his head until his mouth brushed softly against mine, and I opened for him, gasping when the kiss turned from gentle to hungry. I could tell the moment Logan’s animal took over and all thoughts of sucking and savoring went out the window.
I matched his fervor with my own, grasping and clutching, and finally lowering my hand into his waistband and taking his large cock in my palm. I fisted him and began stroking his length as hard and fast as I could, my movements meeting his own hurried, practically frantic ministrations.
With a growl, he bucked into my grasp, then turned me swiftly and bent me over onto the table we’d just been eating at. The cool air hit my bare bottom as my t-shirt was pushed up, and I heard a rumble emit from Logan’s chest at the sight.
Logan’s hand moved from my ass to my clit, then through my wet pussy, ensuring I was ready for him, and causing me to rear back at the glorious sensation. He entered me with one deep stroke, causing us both to yell out.
I cried out and met his thrusts as he fucked me hard and good. One hand on my hip, the other on my clit, it didn’t take long for me to call out his name as I gripped the edge of the table and came.
Logan followed soon after, his teeth once again finding that place at the base of my neck and triggering another, more intense orgasm. Once we were both left gasping, coming down from euphoria, I felt him gently lick the bite on my shoulder, then lay a soft kiss there.
Chapter 13
Logan
“Did you always know you’d be Chief?” Natasha asked softly.
We were laying in my bed, wrapped up in each other, with her head lying on my chest. We’d been playing getting to know you for the last few hours. Things were good. Great actually. And, as I ran my fingers absently across her bare shoulder, I realized I’d never felt this comfortable, this at ease, with anyone before in my life.
