by Katie Reus
His eyes flashed to wolf for a fraction of an instant. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“But you’re so very pretty,” she whispered. And you could be all mine if I take that leap.
They were both silent for a long moment as they watched each other. Mate, mate, mate. She kept saying the word over in her head and really liked the way it sounded. Okay, loved the sound of it. She wanted to say it out loud just to taste it on her lips, but held off for the moment. “I don’t want to go back to Ireland. Not to live.”
He shook his head, misunderstanding her. “I’m not taking you away from your family. I’m adaptable, honey. I can live anywhere and as long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy.”
No, he wouldn’t be happy with her people, but she didn’t explain all that to him. He didn’t need to know how cold and unfeeling the majority of the fae were. How they would never accept a shifter into their ranks, even if she was royalty. To them, he would always be an outsider. She didn’t want to drag him to a place he’d grow to hate. It would be the worst way to start off their relationship. Not to mention, she loved living in the United States and yes, she’d found she really liked shifters. One in particular. “I’d rather stay and live on the ranch. Only if you think Connor will allow me to.” She couldn’t believe she’d just said those words. Speaking them aloud made her decision real. Her insides quivered as she thought about the mess this would cause with her family. Well, that’s what they got for sending her out into the world. Of course no one could have predicted she’d fall for a shifter, least of all her. She was so glad she had.
Connor Armstrong was a good Alpha—a bit overbearing and protective sometimes—but he was fair and she wouldn’t mind living in his territory if he let her. Especially if she got to wake up next to Angelo every morning. Even thinking about the many ways he’d woken her up using his mouth since they’d arrived in New Orleans had her shivering.
Angelo shook his head. “Honey, I don’t want to take you away from everything you’ve known.”
“I know that. I want to live in North Carolina. I might be called away for work more than half the time, which means I’ll be traveling a lot, but I want to stay. With you. I . . . I love you too.” She’d never told another man those words before and while it was foreign on her lips, it also felt right.
“Looks like you’ll be missing that flight,” Angelo growled before covering her mouth with his.
Yes, she would be.
Chapter 22
Noah clasped Erin’s hand and slid his fingers through hers, intertwining them as they walked out of the parking structure at the ranch. A light layer of snow covered the ground, crunching under their boots. It was also about twenty degrees colder than where they’d been the past week. Three days had passed since the first time he’d finally made love to Erin and marked her as his mate and it still felt surreal. Her scent covered him and vice versa. It was an all-consuming thing. The more he had of her, the more he wanted.
It didn’t matter that they’d had sex every chance they got until they’d finally left New Orleans early this morning. Erin had wanted to visit with all the rescued women, and her car had needed to be repaired. Luckily Noah’s father knew a guy who owed him a favor so the repair was fast and flawless.
After twelve hours of practically straight driving and being teased by Erin’s erotic scent in the enclosure of her car, Noah was ready to get naked with her and he hoped she felt the same. Even though they were connected as mates, much the same way humans married, they hadn’t bonded yet and part of him wondered if things would be different now that they were back with their pack. If she would be different about their relationship.
“It feels weird being back,” Erin said quietly.
He squeezed her hand. “I know.” All the houses were quiet, though a few lights were on in all of them. No cubs out playing and while he had no doubt some of the warriors were out patrolling, it almost felt as if they were the only people on the ranch. It was dark, but it wasn’t that late. What the heck was going on?
“It’s dinnertime,” Erin said suddenly, as if she’d sensed what he was thinking.
That’s why it was so silent. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. The past few months their pack had been under scrutiny by humans and outright attacks by some crazies. For a moment he’d been worried something else had happened.
As they walked, Kat strode out of the barn looking slightly flushed. Bits of hay were sticking out of her dark hair and she actually blushed when she saw them. “Oh, uh, hey, guys. Didn’t know anyone was, uh . . . welcome back.”
A second later Jayce walked out looking supremely proud of himself. Noah’s eyes widened, not that he was exactly surprised. They were newly mated after all. “Dude, you guys have a house now.”
Jayce just grinned and slung an arm around Kat’s shoulders. It was the first time since Noah had met the enforcer that he actually looked relaxed. And . . . happy.
“Our new house isn’t complete yet and Leila’s at our place right now.” Kat pulled a piece of hay out of her hair and tossed it to the icy ground.
“Why isn’t your house done yet?” Noah asked, his breath curling in front of him like winding smoke. Connor had hired a construction crew to expedite all the new construction and their house had been next on the list.
Kat shrugged. “We had the construction workers focus on the newcomers’ houses first. They hired an additional crew, though, so ours will be done in a few days. We just dropped by for dinner with December and Liam. Leila has a new human friend over and they were having a girls’ night. We wanted to give them some space.”
“That’s right. Are the new shifters here? Are the houses done?” Erin and Noah both looked to the west but the new homes were blocked by the ones that had been there for decades.
The pack owned God only knew how many acres of land, but all the homes were centralized, spread out in a circle like a village. When Connor had approved letting six new members join—two who were pregnant, one with twins—they’d started building right away, creating another circle of houses around the current one.
Jayce nodded. “Yeah, they’re getting settled in. Connor had the construction team start on a new house for you guys, too. Should be ready in a few weeks.”
Noah glanced at Erin in surprise. He hadn’t told anyone they’d mated. Not because he was ashamed, but there hadn’t been time and he wasn’t going to call up any of his packmates and tell them when they’d know the second he and Erin returned. For a moment he wondered if she had but her gray eyes mirrored his own surprise.
She turned back to Jayce, a calculating expression on her face. “When exactly did he start construction on it?”
“The day you two left,” Kat said matter-of-factly, a big grin on her face.
“That sneaky bastard.” Erin frowned, but Noah inwardly grinned. Yeah, that sounded like his Alpha. The man had a sense about stuff.
“What are the new shifters like?” Noah asked.
Kat smiled enthusiastically. “They all seem pretty nice. The males are a little reserved but the females sure can bake. They’re both pregnant and are as crazed as December in the kitchen. If you stop by and say hi, they’ll definitely give you a pie or something.”
Jayce snorted. “Kat’s been stopping by twice a day looking for a handout.”
They all chuckled and were silent until Jayce cleared his throat. “I heard from Ian a few hours ago.” His words made both of them pause.
Erin’s hand tightened in Noah’s and he found himself pleased she was still holding it. “And?”
“They’ve interrogated all the mates of the vampires involved in the ring. Two are actually pregnant now, but it doesn’t seem as if they knew anything about what their mates were doing. They’re horrified according to Ian. Out of the six, only one female knew and she’s being eliminated if she hasn’t been already.”
“What about our Council; anything new?” Erin asked.
Noah knew she’d talked to one of the members a handful of times and everything seemed to be settled, but he hadn’t pressed her for details about her job or interactions with her superiors. He was glad he’d been able to help in New Orleans but he understood that might not always be the case. That he might not always be able to go with her on assignments. Though he could hope.
Jayce shook his head. “Everything’s settled as far as they’re concerned. The perpetrators were eliminated and the problem is now over. Well, not the problem with the ferals, but that’s the vamps’ job to deal with, not ours.”
Noah almost relaxed when Jayce continued.
“We’ve got our own shit to deal with here though. Neither you nor I will be going on any other assignments until it’s taken care of.”
Noah was glad to hear Erin wouldn’t be going anywhere for the time being, but Jayce’s tone got his hackles up. Their pack had been through enough.
Erin frowned, a thread of annoyance rolling off her. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”
“I wanted you focusing solely on your case, but now that you’re back we have a lot to talk about. There’s something fucking weird going on in and around all the surrounding counties, but specifically in Winston-Salem.”
“What is it?” she persisted.
Jayce shook his head. “We’ll talk in the morning.” He flicked a glance at Noah. “You guys have been traveling all day and it’s a full moon, so . . .” Trailing off, he strode away with his arm snuggly around Kat’s shoulders.
Well, damn. Noah had planned to broach the subject later, but not during this full moon. He’d planned to wait until next month at least. Not because he didn’t want to bond with Erin more than he wanted his next breath, but because he didn’t want to push her too soon. He knew his stubborn, sexy female better than that.
Turning, he held her hips and pulled her flush against his body. He needed to hold her so bad his wolf cried out for it. Her eyes had turned a mercurial gray storm of emotions. She cleared her throat and the nervousness rolling off her stilled him.
“It is a full moon,” she said, stating the obvious.
Though it killed him, he didn’t say what he really wanted. “I know, but forget what Jayce said. We’ll wait.”
She looked at him as if he’d slapped her. “Oh.”
That’s when understanding slammed into his chest. “You want to bond tonight?” he barely managed to rasp the words out. It was almost too much to hope for. Once they bonded it would be forever. Mates could walk away if they chose and that mated scent would eventually fade. Nothing but death would separate bondmates. Which was exactly what he wanted. He and Erin deserved some damn happiness.
Erin paused for a moment, but nodded. “I didn’t want to pressure you or anything, but there will never be anyone else for me, Noah. I’ve been fighting my feelings for too long. Since you were dumb enough to fall in love with me, I’m not letting you go. I want to bond.”
That was all he needed to hear. As he scooped her up in his arms, she let out a yelp, but wrapped her arm around his neck. “What are you doing?”
“We’re doing this now.” His entire body hummed with energy, his wolf clawing at him in excitement. Yeah, his human and animal sides were in complete agreement. They were doing this before she changed her mind. The rational, human part of his brain knew she wouldn’t, that she was completely serious, but his wolf side wasn’t taking any chances. This was his female and he was making her his right now.
Noah stomped up the few stairs to the porch of the cabin where he lived with the rest of the warriors. After he practically kicked the door in, he paused in the entrance. Aiden was stretched out on one of the couches, a half-eaten sandwich in his hand. Nathan was reading a book on firearms by the fire and Ryan was at the kitchen table in front of his laptop looking pissed off as anything. Nothing new there.
“Where’s Lucas?” Noah demanded, looking at Ryan, the cub’s adoptive father.
Ryan looked at them, sniffed in surprise, then grinned because he could no doubt scent that they were mated. “He’s over at Ana and Connor’s playing with Vivian.”
“Good. Tell him to stay the night. The rest of you get the hell out and don’t come back all night. Tell everyone else to stay away from here too,” he growled, barely holding on to his restraint. He couldn’t wait until they had a house of their own and he and Erin could be naked all the time. He’d never want to leave the house.
Erin nudged his chest with her elbow. “Noah, you can’t just kick everyone—”
Ryan snapped his laptop shut with a click and without a word the males got up and filed out, though of course Aiden had a shit-eating grin on his face. Not that Noah cared.
He was beyond caring about anything other than pushing deep inside Erin and claiming her forever. Looking around the place, he was relieved to see that it wasn’t the usual pigsty. No dirty clothes or boxers anywhere. No food or dirty dishes lying around in weird places. There was even a fire blazing in the giant stone fireplace. He could move the coffee table out of the way and lay out some blankets.
He looked down at Erin to find her watching him with lust and curiosity. “What are you thinking about, Noah?”
“Are you sure you don’t want to wait a month? I can do something special.” With candles, flowers, and other romantic shit.
She snorted. “If you say you’ll do something cheesy with flowers or candles, I’m going to punch you.”
God, how did she read him so well?
“Have I ever indicated any of that crap is important to me? We could go find a private place in the woods right now and I’d be happy. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life. I want this now.”
Okay, that was all he needed to hear. He set her on her feet, then hurried to shove the table out of the way. “I’ll be back in a minute.” Without waiting for her response, he flew out of the room and up the stairs. They could have done this in his room, but he wanted space and the fire was kind of romantic. Not that he’d utter those words to anyone.
He scooped up a bunch of soft blankets he found in one of the linen closets and practically sprinted back down the stairs. He felt like an eager cub with his first crush. This was so much more than a crush though. Erin was his everything. He couldn’t imagine life without her. While he hated how dangerous her job was, he loved that she was strong enough to take anything life threw at her.
Soon she was going to be completely linked to him. They’d be telepathically connected, strengthening their bond even more. Striding into the giant open living room he stumbled, then froze in midstep. Erin was completely naked, on her knees in front of the fire. Her profile was to him but she turned as she heard him.
The firelight illuminated her, making her look like some kind of an angel. She’d taken the braid out of her hair so that it fell around her face in soft waves. Her gray eyes glittered with lust as she raked them over him. “Why are you still dressed?” she asked softly.
His cock jumped to attention at that. It was a good question. In a second he was in front of her. With trembling hands, he tossed the blankets out next to them, layering them for added softness. By the time he was done and had turned back to her, Erin had grabbed the bottom of his sweater and was tugging it upward.
She was so eager, which only spurred him on. She yanked it over his head then shoved at his chest, sending him sprawling back against the blankets. Her hands shook too, which soothed his inner wolf. She was just as turned on as he was. Not that he had any doubts. Her magnolia scent had spiked and wrapped around him like a sweet embrace.
Practically ripping at them, she managed to yank his jeans off in seconds. His cock sprung free and all he could think about was sinking into her.
Until she took him in her mouth. His brain almost short-circuited. All his muscles pulled taut as her lips circled the crown of his erection. He closed his eyes, struggling to breathe for a moment, it felt so good. She teased him as she flicked her tongue down his length, then bac
k up again. Sliding a hand through her silky hair, he cupped her head, but didn’t press down, letting her set the pace. He just needed to be touching her, especially now. They might be mated, but this would change everything.
Groaning, he rolled his hips, unable to stay still. She was going excruciatingly slow—on purpose, he was sure. He’d teased her enough to know exactly what she was doing. Over the past couple of days they’d had sex every way imaginable and she’d done this more than a few times, and while he loved it, he didn’t want to come in her mouth. Not tonight.
Tonight was all about the bonding.
“You taste amazing,” she murmured against him, the vibration of her voice slamming through him.
“No talking,” he gasped out.
She looked up at him in confusion. “What?”
“You can’t say stuff that gets me even hotter when your mouth is on me. In fact . . .” He pulled her on top of him so that she straddled him. He savored the feel of her completely naked body pressed against his, wanting to stretch the moment out, but he was too impatient. Rolling over, he stopped only when she was pinned beneath him. One of his hands clasped her hip possessively and he slid the other under her nape and threaded his fingers through her hair. “No touching either.”
A slow, wicked grin covered her face as she splayed her hands over his shoulders and squeezed. “You don’t trust yourself?”
“Hell no.” And he wasn’t afraid to admit it. Not to her. With Erin he could completely be himself and never worry about her judging him. Being with her was freeing on every level and in a way he’d never imagined. Hell, never even hoped for with a female.
She reached around him and clutched his back. When she slid her hands down lower and dug her fingernails into his ass, he jerked against her. He could feel the tips of her claws extend, not piercing his skin, just enough to claim him. “Can I touch this?” she asked, her voice a seductive whisper.
He couldn’t respond when she rolled her hips against his.
