by Jenny Frame
Caden scrubbed her face with her hands. “It’s not that simple. It hurts to be apart from her, and I don’t know how long I can control my wolf.”
Dante raised an eyebrow. “You mean you haven’t mated yet?”
“We’ve been intimate but…ugh.” Caden stood and started to pace in frustration.
“Tell me, Cade. You can tell me anything.”
She stopped in front of Dante and sighed. “I’m frightened of hurting her. She’s a human, and a pretty delicate human at that. We talked about how we mate and she said she wanted that with me, but I looked at her body this morning and saw the marks on her neck, and”—Caden grinned, half pleased, half embarrassed—“other areas, and I panicked. I mean, for two wolves it was nothing, but she’s not a wolf.”
“I don’t think you’re giving Selena enough credit.”
“What do you mean?” Caden snapped. “I love her, and I want to protect her.”
“When I look at Selena, I see a strong young woman who has been beaten down by her family, who’ve pointed out her faults and decided what’s best for her. Don’t be like her family, Cade. It must have taken strength to walk away from all she knew to come back to us, and we’re not exactly everyday people.”
“It took courage,” Caden said, proud of her mate.
Dante put her hand on Caden’s shoulder and said, “Of course it did. Trust her to know what she wants, and you need to trust that your wolf would never hurt her mate.”
“You’re right, I know you are. My heart and head feel like they’re out of my control. When I’m not with her, I ache to be with her, and I feel like I have no control over what I do or say. Love is scary.”
Dante smiled. “It is, Second, but nothing will give you more happiness than going home to your den and finding your mate there. I hope I will be presiding over your mating ceremony soon.”
“You and me both, Alpha.”
*
Dante and Eden invited them to stay for dinner. Caden sat with one arm round her mate while she ate, and Lena rewarded her with smiles and blushes.
“This is beautiful, Eden,” Lena said. “I don’t think I’ve ever tasted nicer or fresher food before I came to Wolfgang County.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you think so,” Eden said.
Dante took Eden’s hand and told Lena, “We have the best ingredients to choose from here because we take care of our animals and our crops, and they take care of us. A hunter who does not take care of his environment will not hunt for long. Caden is essential to that process.”
Lena moved closer to her mate, looking immensely proud of her. “I could see that from my time at the ranch. She works so hard.”
Dion had finished her meal in record time. “Mom, can I go out after dinner? A bunch of us are meeting at the park.”
“Have you done your homework?” Eden asked, and she nodded enthusiastically. “Okay, then.”
Dion hurriedly cleared her plate away into the dishwasher.
“Can I come too?” Megan said.
“As long as you don’t take Tia away to play stupid missie games. I’m going to get changed first, so be ready or I’ll go without you.”
Dante turned to her mate and said, “Do you think this is a good idea, with Leroux out there? I have a bad feeling…”
“They’re only going to the park, they’ll be in a big group, and they have cell phones. It’ll be okay.”
“Have you got homework, Meggie?”
Megan frowned at her mom. “No, we’ve got no homework because we have that stupid math project due next week. I don’t understand it. I hate numbers.”
That piqued Lena’s interest. She hated the fact the kids had a poor opinion of numbers and loved to explain how wonderful they could be.
“I don’t mean to interfere, but would you like me to help Megan with her math project? I’m good with numbers.” She looked to Caden, who smiled proudly and nodded that she was doing the right thing.
“Oh, yeah, Mommy, Pater? Can Miss Lena help me? I’d love that.”
“That would be wonderful, Lena. Are you sure you have time?” Eden asked.
“Of course. Why don’t I come over the day after the picnic. We could work on it then, Megan.”
“Great.”
*
Caden and Lena stopped by her apartment to pick up some of her belongings.
“Do you want to pick anything up from the store before we go back to the den?” Caden asked.
Lena locked the door, and Eden’s words and advice ran around her head. Be confident, be strong, and always challenge her.
She gathered her courage and kissed Caden softly on the lips, and as they enjoyed the sweet kiss, Lena scratched her fingernails down her mate’s neck. Not enough to break the skin, but enough to get her attention.
She heard Caden give the smallest of growls and knew she had achieved her first goal. “I think we should go back to your den and have an early night. What do you think, my Big Bad Wolf?”
Caden grabbed Lena’s bag and her hand and led her to the apartment stairs. “Let’s go.”
When they made it down to the sidewalk, Lena noticed an unfamiliar person striding toward them, a storm cloud in his face.
Caden stepped between this stranger and Lena. “Kurtis, out for an evening walk?”
“Yes, Caden. I thought I’d take the evening air, although the stench of human threatens to ruin it.” Kurtis looked directly at Lena when he said that.
Caden grabbed him and slammed him up against the wall of the building. “Learn some manners, you mutt. That human is my mate, and you will respect her as the Second’s mate or you will be sorry. Understand me?”
“You took a human for a mate? This pack really has lost its way. You will pollute our pack.”
Caden’s face had shifted. Her rage was frightening as she held her claws inches from his face, ready to strike.
“Caden, stop. Just ignore him. It doesn’t matter.” Lena rubbed Caden’s back, trying to soothe her anger. “Just leave him, Cade, and take me home to your den. Please?”
Caden let herself shift back to skin. “You are lucky today, Kurtis. Learn some respect or the next time you’ll be sorry.”
Kurtis smiled as he watched them get into their car and called after them, “You are about to get your arrogant tail bitten right off, Caden.”
*
The journey to Caden’s had been quiet, but Lena could feel the anger and aggression rolling off her mate. They walked into the den and Caden dropped Lena’s bag with a bang. “Why are you so angry?”
“Because he disrespected my mate right in front of me. Why do you think?”
“What does it matter? Not every wolf in the pack is going to accept a human. I’m fine as long as the ones that count do.”
“They will accept what I or Dante tell them to. I am pack Second, and the Second’s mate will be treated accordingly. You wouldn’t understand,” Caden said and began to walk off.
Lena grabbed her hand to stop her leaving. “What? Because I’m a human I don’t understand? You’re dismissing my views because I’m a human?”
Caden turned around. Her eyes had started to turn the first shades of yellow. “I’m not discussing this any further.” She ripped her shirt off and said, “I’m going for a run.”
Lena jumped in front of her mate and put her hand on her bare torso. “You’re not running out on me because of some person…wolf…whatever, who doesn’t even matter.”
Caden took a breath. She put her hands on Lena’s shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. “No, I’m leaving because my wolf feels hot and aggressive and wants to fuck you. That’s why. Now let me go.”
Lena tried not to show her slight shock at those blunt words or any nervousness that she felt and reminded herself this was what she wanted. The real Caden, the Caden who was a werewolf. She took off her glasses and placed them on the end table before walking up close to Caden and stroking her fingers down her chest.
“Don’t
play with me, Lena. Let me go.”
Caden sounded frustrated and near the edge, so Lena placed little kisses over her chest while her fingers slipped under her belt buckle. “I’m not playing, Cade. I want my Big Bad Wolf.”
Caden’s eyes were wild and yellow now with lust. This was what Lena wanted. She wanted Caden to take her so badly.
“Leave me now, Lena, I mean it.” Caden was breathing hard.
Lena could see how hard her mate was fighting her. Challenge her, always challenge her dominance. Lena remembered Eden’s advice and knew what she had to do.
She pulled Caden down to her, so she could whisper in her ear, “Trust me to be strong enough. I love you, all of you.”
When she finished speaking, Lena dragged her nails across her mate’s chest. Caden roared in disbelief at what her human mate had done.
Lena saw that she had drawn blood. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”
Caden ripped the dress from her body before she could finish speaking and carried her to the rug in front of the fire. “You wanted the Big Bad Wolf, my mate? You’ve got me,” Caden said.
She bit off Selena’s bra while her claws ripped off her panties. She sucked her way around her mate’s breasts, allowing her fangs to graze the side.
“Oh God, Cade…”
“Is this what you wanted, mate?”
“Yes. I want everything.” Lena tried to put her uninjured hand on her mate’s back, but Caden held it above her head.
“You challenge me? I am your dominant wolf, and I will prove it.” Caden moved between her mate’s legs and opened herself up. Her engorged clitoris slipped easily into the mating position. She groaned as they started to move together, and Lena moaned along with her.
“Cade, I can feel you. I can feel you.”
Caden’s thrusts got faster as her ego was stroked, and Lena struggled in pleasure. “You’re mine, Lena, I want to bite you.” Caden knew she couldn’t bite, but she drew her teeth along her claim mark, freshening the wound.
“Cade, harder,” Lena demanded.
Caden was happy to oblige, and her thrusts got faster and harder. She could feel herself readying to shoot her essence into her mate and growled, “You’re mine. Tell me you’re mine.”
Lena looked up at her with dazed and submissive eyes. “I’m yours, only yours. Fill up my belly.”
Caden was caught off guard with that request, and within seconds she started to come. Her hips were powering and slapping into her mate, and with a final howl, she came.
Caden collapsed onto Lena, and Lena wrapped her arms around Caden’s back. “Thank you, Cade, thank you for giving me everything. I love you.”
“I love you. It’s not enough—I have more to give you, mate.” Caden grew hard again in seconds and flipped her mate over onto her front.
“What are you doing, Cade?” Caden sank her teeth into Lena’s buttock and she squealed in pleasure. “Cade…”
Caden smiled when Lena raised her ass and presented herself for her pleasure. She growled and thrust her throbbing clitoris between Lena’s butt cheeks. She held the back of her mate’s neck down and began to pound her hips into Lena. “I’m going to fill you up, mate.”
Lena gripped the rug in front of her and moaned in higher and higher pitched tones. Caden slipped two fingers inside Lena, and she heard her deep guttural scream as her orgasm threatened to spill over.
“I’m going to fill up your belly, mate, fill it up till it’s full. I wish I could give you a cub.”
Lena screamed out her orgasm, and the sound of her mate’s pleasure made Caden roar and explode into Lena. “Mine.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Caden returned from her morning run and grinned from ear to ear at the scent that welcomed her home. In a short period of time, Lena’s scent had mingled with Caden’s, to create the comforting warmth of home and pack.
After last night, any lingering doubts that Caden had about taking a human for a mate dwindled away to nothing. Lena took all the passion she had to give her and gave just as much back in return, as the marks she had found this morning on her own neck and chest could testify to.
Her pleasant memories were disturbed when she heard her mate banging around upstairs and sensed her anxiety. Caden immediately bounded up the stairs, into the bedroom.
Lena, dressed only in a towel wrapped around her body, was frantically looking through her purse and overnight bag.
“Lena, what’s wrong?”
Lena jumped back in fright. “Don’t sneak up on me like that,” Lena snapped.
Caden immediately covered the distance between them and took Lena into her arms. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t find my pen case, I’ve looked everywhere. I need it.”
Caden could not only feel and scent Lena’s anxiety, it was written all over her face. She lifted her overnight bag and took the pen case from the side pocket. “You put them in your bag, remember?”
Lena took hold of the case and began to ritually count the pens out. After she was satisfied they were all present and correct, she let out huge sigh of relief.
There was something wrong, and Caden was determined to find out what it was. “Come and sit with me.” She sat on the bed and pulled her mate onto her lap. “What’s wrong?”
“Why do you think there’s something wrong? I’m fine. I’m just going for a shower.” Lena tried to stand, but Caden kept her in place.
“Oh no, there’s something. Before I went out for my run, you were snug and content in bed, and now you’re desperately looking for your pens. You do that when you’re stressed.”
Lena sighed in resignation. “How can you know me so well?”
“You are my mate. I know everything about you, so tell me.” She rubbed noses with her in a tender and sweet way that seemed to put Lena at her ease.
“It’s the picnic today. I’m nervous.”
“Why would you be nervous?” Caden didn’t see any problems that would concern her.
Lena laid her head on her mate’s shoulder and said, “You said it was a pack picnic. Everyone there will be werewolves, and I will be the only human.”
“But you’ve met a lot of those wolves and like them.”
“Of course I like them. It’s just, it’ll be the first time everyone will know that we’re together, and I know your secret, and you know I panic around a lot people, and what if some act the same as that Kurtis guy…”
Caden stopped her rambling with a kiss. “There are very few in our pack like Kurtis. He is a jealous, envious wolf. Anyone you meet will be delighted to meet you, and you need never worry about anyone doing anything inappropriate, even if I’m not near you. No wolf would dare to disrespect the Second’s mate. My scent is now all over you.”
Lena smiled. “I have my very own guard wolf now?”
“You have had me ever since I saw you on the forest floor, my mate.”
Lena held on to Caden’s neck and kissed her softly. “I’m so lucky to have you, my Big Bad Wolf.”
“I’m sorry, but your Big Bad Wolf is all hot and sweaty from the chase, and I need to shower.” Caden wrapped her arms around her mate, and nuzzled her neck.
“I don’t care.” Lena pulled her towel off and dropped it to the side of the bed.
Caden’s hands started to wander her mate’s body, squeezing her breasts, and teasing her hardening nipples.
Lena traced Caden’s face with her finger, and Caden snarled, threatening to bite the appendage.
Lena laughed. “Those big wolf teeth do make a mess of my neck and chest, not to mention the yelp I gave when I sat down this morning.”
Caden couldn’t help but feel proud at having marked her mate, and she chuckled remembering the particularly strong bite she’d given her buttock. “You didn’t seem to mind when I gave them to you, and in fact you gave me plenty in return. I wish they didn’t heal when I shifted. I would wear them like a badge of honor at the picnic today.”
Lena’s smile and burgeoning a
rousal faltered a little, and her fingers tapped nervously as they always did when she was working up to ask something.
“Hey? What has you worried, Goddess?”
“My mind is trying to make me feel guilty about enjoying your bites. It tells me that it’s bad, dirty somehow to enjoy it, but I do. I crave your nips and bites, and when you do, it feels like the bite is connected to my…you know, down there.”
Caden smiled at the sweet, bashful comment. “Please don’t feel bad. It’s part of the way we make love. Your body, your nerves, and your sex organs react to my saliva and the bite because we are mates. It is quite natural, I assure you. That’s why after the mating ceremony, the two wolves bite each other. It seals our bond, and we carry it till we die.”
“I won’t turn into a werewolf or anything, will I?”
Caden laughed out loud. “Oh, Goddess. You have been watching too many movies. No, the only way a human can turn is if they mix blood with a werewolf—a great deal of blood. You’re quite safe.”
“You wouldn’t want me to?”
Caden’s face and tone of voice became serious all of a sudden. “No, I wouldn’t. Not ever. It’s a difficult thing to go through.”
Lena breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, good, I was worried, and I didn’t want to disappoint you.”
“You never could.” Caden flipped her mate onto her back and descended for a kiss.
“Cade? I know you can’t yet, but show me where you would bite me, and maybe we could practice with a little nip?”
Caden’s lip lifted to a sly smile. “You are a naughty girl, Miss Miller.”
*
The picnic was in full swing when Caden and Lena arrived. As they walked across the grass, wolves smiled and saluted as they passed. “What a beautiful place, Cade.” Lena had never seen a happier group of people, than the wolves around her.
Little kids played games and chased around them, while the older ones played baseball in the center of the meadow. “I’m glad you think so. I want you to stay.”
“I’m not going anywhere without you. I’ve found my hunter, and I want to build a den with her.”
Caden put her arm around her mate’s shoulder and gave her head a kiss. “I’m glad. You still want to ask Dante?”
