by E A Price
“If you don’t want to,” he started, ignoring the objections of his beast.
Lauren vigorously shook her head as pink spread over her cheeks. “No, it’s just, this will be our first time in your… our house. I want it to be… perfect. Should I light some candles or something? Do we have any candles?”
Carrick’s lips quirked in a half-smile. “No. You’re worrying about nothing.”
She was – they’d already been together. He knew he could bring her pleasure, and knew that she would give him pleasure. The only thing that had changed was the location, and possibly the state of the pride.
A cold thrill of fear went through him. The alpha was dead. The beta was gone. The SEA was temporarily in charge. There was no one enforcing the pride rules about mating. If Lauren wanted to, she could leave him. Tell everyone that the alpha forced her to mate him. She could have her freedom if she wanted it.
Abruptly he rose to his feet and his tiger forced a roar.
“Are you okay?” she asked in concern, blinking at him.
Carrick pulled his shirt off. “Yes.”
He snagged her hand and pulled her closer. The red sweater was soon dragged off and after a brief moment spent enjoying the pretty pink bra coddling her bountiful breasts, that followed.
Carrick knelt in front of her, pulling off her jeans and matching panties. He put her on the bed, pulling her legs apart and burying his face in her sex. Lauren squealed in surprise, and her head dropped back to the bed, her fists clutching at the covers as Carrick started a merciless assault on her pussy, his fingers and mouth working frantically to pleasure her and to quell the feelings of unease inside himself.
Her thighs squeezed his head and she constantly wriggled as he nibbled, licked and sucked at her flesh. He nipped at her tender clit and pushed his fingers inside her.
“Carrick!” she moaned throatily.
He growled against her, and she responded with an answering growl. Hearing her say his name, hearing her tiger respond to him was always too much for him. His cock was so hard and big he thought he might just burst out of his jeans.
“Oh, Carrick!” she breathed, her body writhing, hot and pliant and beautiful.
He couldn’t take it any longer. Carrick tore his mouth away from her.
He stood up, and she gazed up at him through hooded eyes, whimpering in objection from her halted pleasure, her body still trembling on the precipice of release. He dropped his jeans and lowered himself to her body and her face lit up expectantly. She welcomed him, wrapping her arms and legs around him, moaning as he thrust inside her over and over. His tiger howled.
Lauren was his, the one stable thing he could cling to, and he didn’t want to let her go. He’d show her so much ecstasy she would never want to leave him.
Twenty
The next week seemed to fly by. The SEA agents were still around, poking into the alpha’s dealings. It wasn’t actually that bad, but they wanted to straighten out the businesses before allowing a new alpha to take over.
Simone had her mating dissolved and left to be with her wolf, and her mother went with her, too. They heard rumors that other families were also considering leaving and finding new prides. Nita hadn’t shown her face since the alpha died. Her mate, Asher wanted nothing to do with her. It was now common knowledge that her cubs had all been fathered by Locke. Asher wanted their mating to be dissolved by another alpha. Everyone wondered why he had mated Nita to begin with, but the male was keeping the reason quiet.
Carrick and Lauren fell into a pattern. Spending their days shopping because, at Carrick’s insistence, Lauren was buying furniture she liked for the house, and picking out new wallpaper and drapes. Over the years, Carrick had spent very little of his pride earnings, and he had always been given a generous amount. Now he wanted to spend it on his mate, to ensure she felt at home. In the evenings, they would eat together, go for a run or hunt, or sometimes stay in and watch a movie, before they retired to Lauren’s room and had sex. He would wait until she fell asleep and then move to his own room.
Today had been slightly different. The SEA agents called him in to talk to him, to see what he knew about the alpha’s dealings. Thankfully, they already knew who he was, so weren’t too annoyed or surprised when he did nothing but growl at them. They were lucky that was all he did – his tiger wanted to go for their jugulars. The SEA put him in that pride; shouldn’t they have checked it out first?!
He walked into his house and immediately calmed. This was his den, his and Lauren’s. It soothed him before, but knowing that he shared this house with his mate elated him in ways he could never describe.
Carrick followed Lauren’s scent, mingled with fresh cooking, back to the kitchen.
He found her beating some batter, her round ass wiggling as she moved. Blood started making its journey south as he watched her almost hypnotic jiggling. He wondered how quickly he could get her up to her room and undressed…
“Hey,” he rumbled.
Lauren glanced over her shoulder. “Hey. I’m making a chocolate cake.”
“Smells good.”
Carrick moved to the refrigerator for a soda. He wasn’t bothering with beer anymore. After living with a father who spent half his time drunk, Lauren didn’t really approve of alcohol, and he could manage just as well with soda.
He paused at the bright picture attached to the fridge by a magnet he had no idea they owned. “What’s this?”
“The picture? It’s us. Lois made it for us. I went over to say hi while you were out. Gorgeous, isn’t it?”
The tiger snarled at the thought of her parents, but he couldn’t fault Lauren for wanting to see her little sister. The picture was a jumble of two stick figures holding hands, a house which was much smaller than the stick figures – which made Carrick wonder how they could live in it – and a vibrant rainbow.
“Isn’t it?” she repeated.
“Sure.” He pressed his fingers to the picture, and his beast virtually purred. Something strange kindled inside of him. Maybe one day they’d have cubs of their own to create pictures like these…
He grabbed a soda and shook his head as he sat down. He pawed through the papers scattered over the table. There were a couple of brochures for the nearby community college.
“You been to the college?” he asked.
“Actually Millie gave me those. She’s thinking of enrolling, too. They have quite a few interesting sounding courses – a lot of vocation kind of things. I was thinking about maybe dental hygiene, what do you think? I think it would be interesting.”
“Sticking your fingers in people’s mouths?” His tiger couldn’t decide whether the thought of his mate doing that would upset him or not.
Lauren giggled as she put the cake in the oven. “Well, not when you put it like that.”
She turned to face him, wiping her hands on her apron and Carrick smiled at her. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright and there was a smear of cake batter at the edge of her mouth.
“You have something…”
“Hmmm?”
Carrick got up and walked over to her; he cradled her head in his hands. “You have something here.” He leaned down and licked the chocolate mixture away before pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth. Lauren whimpered, and curls of arousal licked at her scent.
“That was nice. You’ve never kissed me before… on my lips anyway.”
“You’ve never had cake on your lips before.”
He shifted uneasily. He wasn’t much for kissing… on the lips anyway. It had always seemed too intimate for his previous partners, but Lauren was his mate – she deserved more.
Lauren whipped around, fumbled with something, and then quickly turned back again. “How about now?”
Her lips were smeared with chocolate, and there was such an innocent expression on her face that he threw his head back and howled with laughter.
“Not that funny,” she said grumpily.
“Not funny at all.”
> He licked her lips, savoring the sweet taste of chocolate, before enjoying the even sweeter taste of his mate. He pushed against the seam of her lips until she opened for him, moaning as she had her first kiss. He was the first; he would always be her first. This sweet, innocent tigress was all his. Mine snarled the tiger. His hands moved to her waist, pulling her against him as he kissed her for all he was worth. Her hands scrabbled against his chest, trying to pull him even closer, pushing and almost rubbing against him insistently like a cat. Rawr.
His hands clutched her ass, and he pulled her up his body. Her arms and legs wrapped around him.
“Want you,” he growled against her lips.
“Yes…”
With one arm locked around her, he swiped the kitchen table clear and laid her down. Barely leaving her lips, he pulled her skirt and apron up and ripped her panties away. He freed himself from his jeans and pushed the head of his swollen length against her. He hesitated, not wanting to hurt her.
“Hurry,” she whimpered against his lips.
That was all he needed to hear. His beast roared, and he plunged inside her. She finally broke away from his mouth as she threw her head back and cried out in joy. He gripped her legs, pressing them against her chest and started pounding inside her. Hell, he didn’t think he’d ever been so hard or big in his life – but then he felt that way every time he was with her. Each time, anew, he felt lust and desire that left him breathless. Her kiss, her taste, even the sound of her voice – everything conspired to drive him wild.
Lauren clutched his shoulders, claws pushing out and digging into his flesh. The twinge of pain made his tiger howl and incited him to crash into her with even more ferocity. To think he had thought her delicate and unable to take his roughness. She was a female made for loving - made to be loved by him.
She lifted her hips to meet him; trying to push herself against him with the same intensity he did her. Trying to take as much as him as she could, racing to completion with him.
This would be quick. Quicker than he liked. He wanted to be able to savor every moment with her, but their first kiss had stirred his need, hers too judging by the fervor in her eyes. He did not know what had possessed him to kiss the chocolate from her mouth, perhaps the prospect had been too delicious to resist, but he was glad he did. For all their times together, that small act had seemed even more intimate and even more precious.
He could feel the telltale signs that Lauren was reaching her end. Her luscious body was tightening around him. It wouldn’t take much to push her over the edge. But then, it never did. Her responsiveness to his touch amazed him. She may act shy and sweet, but she was a sensual creature.
Carrick pressed even further into her body with his thrusts, pushing her legs even closer against her chest, practically folding her in two. The added pressure sent her careening into her climax, immediately triggering his as her hot sheath clung to him.
His name tore from her lips, a strangled cry among his own growls and roars as he spent himself inside her.
He collapsed on top of her quivering body; his head nestled in her breasts as he panted, desperately trying to regain his breath. Lauren stroked his hair and traced a finger over his ear as she took long deep breaths.
“That was nice,” she murmured.
“Nice?” he grumbled. His tiger didn’t like the sound of that.
Lauren snickered, the vibrations of her chest resounded through him. “Very nice, but I am starting to feel a little bit squished.”
Carefully, after another kiss and with more than a little regret, he pulled away from her and she sat up on the table, looking rumpled and worn out and sexy as hell.
Lauren patted the table. “It wasn’t that uncomfortable, though I’m not sure I would want to do it more than once a row on it.”
Carrick pulled his pants up and smiled awkwardly. If he had been thinking clearly, he would have taken her upstairs to bed.
“Shower?” she asked biting her lip.
“Your cake?”
She smiled shyly and ran her foot up his jean-clad leg. “If it burns, I can always make another.”
Well, what they were doing was more important… Rawr. Gently, he lifted her and carried her upstairs, only stumbling slightly as Lauren kissed his neck.
Twenty-One
Lauren awoke to muffled, anguished moans. For a moment, she forgot where she was. She expected to see her old, shabby bedroom and to find Lois sleeping next to her, whining in her sleep. Her father had never been violent with Lois, at least not yet, but Lois had seen the way he treated Lauren, their mother, and even their brothers when they really misbehaved. It gave the cub nightmares. How long was the six-year-old safe from him? Lauren considered that maybe she should talk to Carrick about what they could do for Lois. Maybe she could live with them…
Her tiger yowled softly as another moan reached her ears.
Carrick.
Hurriedly, she pushed the bedclothes aside and ran to his room. She paused slightly before entering. Carrick did say it was her house, and she could go anywhere, but she hadn’t been in his room at all. Somehow it felt like a violation of privacy – which was crazy considering all the things they had done in her room.
Swallowing, she pushed her way into the room. Vicious scratch marks adorned every wall, but that wasn’t the worst part. Her huge mate was writhing on the bed, fur pushing out of his body as he tried to shift. One of his hands was tethered to the headboard. The sheets were in tatters from the damage done to them by his free hand. Every muscle in his large body was tensing and straining in pain.
“Carrick,” she whispered, horrified for her mate.
Her beast urged her to do something – help him, soothe him, save him!
She forced her legs to move, to go to him. His fangs were drawn and clenched as he groaned.
“Carrick,” she repeated, a little louder. “Carrick, please wake up.”
Lauren placed a hand on his chest and nearly yelped – he was virtually on fire. The pride didn’t have a healer or any members who were doctors. The old alpha considered that if anyone got sick, they deserved to die. There was a small human medical practice in town, but whether they would know what to do with a tiger shifter was anyone’s guess.
She tried rubbing his chest and murmuring his name, urging him to wake up. His movements lessened and a moment later his eyes snapped open, almost startling her.
Her beast whined as she stared into the bright yellow, glassy eyes. It was like he was seeing her, but not seeing her – as if he was still asleep.
Carrick’s free hand gripped her arm, pulling her closer to him, toppling her, so she was on top of him. He frowned at her as she inelegantly fumbled around, trying not to roll off him.
“Emily, is that you?” he croaked.
“N-no, it’s Lauren, your mate.”
“Lauren?” The glazed eyes narrowed, not seeming to see her at all. “My mate. My Lauren. Mine.” He snarled, and the almost punishing grip on her arm increased.
Carrick was soaked with sweat, his whole body slippery and hot and hell. He needed a cold shower and some fresh bedding.
She struggled to push herself up on his chest. “Yes, Lauren, now, come with Lauren and let’s get you cleaned up.”
He gazed at her blankly, not budging or lessening his hold on her. There was no way she was going anywhere while captured in his death grip.
Lauren cupped his cheek, and he rumbled lowly in the back of his throat. “Please, Carrick. Please, let me take care of you. I’m your mate.”
“My mate,” he mumbled wondrously.
His hand slackened and Lauren was able to clamber off the bed. But as he let go of her arm, he snagged her nightshirt. Perhaps worrying she was going to run away, or maybe he just needed her near him. She wasn’t going to dwell on the reason.
With shaking hands, she picked at the tether attaching him to the bed until he was finally free. Carrick immediately rolled out of bed and towered over her, his huge body swaying
slightly and his eyes unfocused.
Lauren gulped. Carrick wouldn’t hurt us thought the tiger. No, not in his right mind she agreed, but he was one hell of a big man, and if he wanted to, he could do a lot of damage.
“Lauren,” he breathed. “Mine, only mine. Forever.”
At least he did recognize her.
She took his hand. “C’mon, let’s get you cleaned up.”
Carrick allowed her to lead him to her room and bathroom. She pushed him into the shower, and he didn’t even flinch as the cold water beat down on his body. He wouldn’t let go of her nightshirt, so Lauren had no choice but to stay. If she tried to leave, he might just follow her or get upset anyway.
When his temperature was down slightly, she turned off the water and patted him dry. This was nothing new to her. How many times had she bathed her younger siblings? She knew how to take care of cubs, though Carrick was quite a bit larger than a cub and his claws a heck of a lot more menacing.
“Time for bed,” she declared, deciding to forgo the teeth cleaning. Again, forcibly cleaning cubs’ teeth was something she’d done before, but she wasn’t sure she wanted her hand near Carrick’s lengthy fangs at that moment.
Deciding Carrick’s bed was a no-go for the night, she pushed and pulled him into hers. She tucked him in and was about to run around to her side of the bed when Carrick took her hand and in spite of her pleading and coaxing, wouldn’t let go. Lauren ended up climbing over his body to get to her side.
Laid in bed, he fell asleep immediately, pressing Lauren’s hand against his thudding heart. Her tiger settled, enjoying having their mate sleeping in their bed. She curled up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder, worrying for her mate and wondering just who the hell was Emily.
*
Carrick awoke to momentary panic as he realized he was currently in a different room to the one he fell asleep in. Had he been taken again?
No, this was no cage - it was a bedroom. But rather than the usual claw marks and beaten furniture of his room, it was dark pink and mired in a soft, feminine scent.
