Before he could tell her that was she was doing was more than good enough, Evangeline swung her right leg over his middle. A wet heat touched the area right below his belly button as his mate straddled him. Maddox felt better knowing that she was as primed as he was which was why, as Evangeline lifted her ass and, grabbing his cock, started to slip inside her tight pussy, he knew that she was ready to take all of him all the way.
It took her a few seconds to get seated right before she slowly lowered herself on top of him. Only when she was fully seated, skin touching skin, did Maddox let out the breath he’d been holding.
The urge to start stroking in and out of her was almost undeniable. He just managed to hang onto it, though. This was Evangeline’s show—he was just going along for the ride. As her mate, he would just sit there and let her do whatever the hell she wanted to do with him.
And he’d do it while wearing nothing but a smile.
At first, she went slow. Maddox clutched the covers with his fingers, trying desperately to hold his claws back. His wolf was going wild inside of him. To the beast, there was nothing so important, nothing so freeing as the bond it shared with its mate. When the two became one, all that existed was their unbreakable bond.
Pleasure, too. Maddox couldn’t forget that.
She placed both hands against his chest, scratching the shit against his skin, massaging his nipples, scrabbling to find some kind of purchase as she began to pick up her pace. Up, down. Up, down. Her tits seemed to fly in his face the fast she rode him. Maddox’s mouth watered for a nibble and, feeling playful, he snapped his teeth when one got near enough.
Evangeline’s moan turned into a chuckle when she realized what he wanted. She ground her pelvis against his, putting pressure against her clit as she braced herself on one hand. With the other, she fed her tit into Maddox’s mouth. He latched on, sucking it with as much enthusiasm as he could since he knew especially how sensitive Evangeline was there.
It was like her nipple had a direct line to her pussy. With every pull he took, her pussy clenched, nearly strangling his cock.
It felt so fucking good.
He could tell she was enjoying his ministrations by how distracted she suddenly was. Her rhythm slowed down, though her panting picked up. She was getting close. He could tell from the breathless sighs, the way she grabbed onto his side, squeezing his flesh, kneading him in frustration.
Well. He couldn’t have that.
He opened his mouth, letting her tit free with an audible pop. Her pouty lips formed a perfect ‘o’ as the heat from his tongue was replaced by the cooler air. Evangeline didn’t have long to look disappointed, though, since Maddox took advantage of her distraction to flip the tables on her.
With his cock still lodged deep inside of her, he quickly reversed their positions. He laid Evangeline on her back, angling her toward the pillows at the font of the bed. Her mahogany hair fanned out beneath her as he rose up high so that he was towering over her. Grabbing her from under her knees, he yanked her legs so that he could urge her to link her ankles behind him.
Then, once she was comfortable and he was in a position of power, Maddox started to pound into her.
He knew his mate. As much as she liked to take her time, playing with him, teasing him, loving him, nothing excited her more or got her off quicker than a hard, fast, rough mating. He thrust in and out, giving her only what she could take, and when she started chanting his name in time to his thrusts, pleading with him to make her come, he knew he was doing it right.
A soft cry, a throaty moan. Her heels digging into his ass as she tried to swallow him whole. The way she threw her head back, her tits so close, he barely resisted the urge to bury his face in her mounds.
She squeezed him so hard as her orgasm hit that he couldn’t control himself. All of his good intentions flew out the window when she whispered his name one last time, the aftershocks of her explosion still reverberating through her. Her pussy clenched, his cock responded, and with a howl that probably echoed past the trees surrounding the cabin, Maddox shot his mate full of his seed.
Oops.
He, uh, didn’t mean to do that.
* * *
“Wow.”
“Mmm.” Evangeline wanted to echo his sentiments, but she’d been nailed so thoroughly, the soft murmur was all she had the energy to let out.
Maddox threw his arm over her tits, tugging her close to him. “I’ve missed that.”
“Yeah. Me, too.”
“We shouldn’t have done that, though.”
That comment right there sure as hell perked her up. It wasn’t regret in his voice, not really, but she caught enough of a hint of frustration to immediately feel on guard.
Shoving his arm off of her, she turned so that she could glare over at him. “Excuse me?”
“Not all of it,” Maddox quickly corrected. “But I should’ve pulled out at the end.”
Her stomach twisted. “What for? I’m your mate. Isn’t the whole point to come inside of me?”
“Normally, yeah. But, Angie… look, the Nightwalkers have a bounty on your head all because of Wright. I hate even thinking it, but I know damn well that Cilla has it out for you because of me. We’re all we got. Now I’m the fucking Alpha, and, yeah, that gives me the might of the whole pack to back me up against those assholes, but it’s not the right time to bring a pup into this.”
Forget twisted. Her stomach tightened so much, Evangeline thought she might hurl. “You don’t honestly mean that, do you?”
“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, though. Shit, Ang, I want to start a family with you more than anything, but now?
“You do want to have pups, though, right?”
“‘Course, I do. Except for you, it’s all I’ve ever wanted. And if it happened just now, we’ll make it work. As long as it’s you and me, Angie… you and me and our kid… I know I can handle anything. I’m just saying… wait. Why are you looking at me like that?”
She gulped. “Like what?”
“Evangeline Wolfe. Are you trying to tell me something?”
She couldn’t find the words. Not yet. Not when he just said two seconds ago that he had wanted to wait.
Too bad Junior didn’t get the memo.
He took a deep breath. His nostrils flared and he jolted. The next moment, Maddox had braced himself on his elbow as he stared down at her.
Just… stared.
Evangeline met his unblinking gaze. She chuckled weakly.
“Merry Christmas?”
6
In retrospect, she wasn’t quite sure what she expected his reaction to be. When Sarah said that Maddox would figure it out eventually—or, as her mother-in-law put it, pulled his head out of his ass and finally noticed her scent had changed—Evangeline thought he’d be as excited and stunned and, well, overjoyed as she was when she found out.
Except, only a good couple of seconds had passed by now and Maddox was still staring at her.
She cleared her throat. “Um? Babe? You gonna say something?”
He didn’t. Instead, slowly inching his way down her naked body, he snuffled at her midsection, nosing her belly as he sniffled, then breathed in deep again.
She knew when he confirmed what she told him the second he pulled himself up to his knees, threw his head back, and howled.
Evangeline had to check. She was almost sure, but… “Uh… was that a good howl or a bad howl?”
His eyes flashed while his fangs punched out of his gums. “You have to ask?” he said, his voice a hoarse rasp as his wolf came to the forefront.
Moving gently, but with purpose, Maddox shifted his body so that his arms were a cage around her and she was trapped.
And then he leaned in.
He nuzzled her neck the same way he had nuzzled her belly. The boneless, relaxed feeling returned and Evangeline absolutely melted back into the sheets. Maddox nipped at her earlobe, her jaw, then her bottom lip. She gasped and he took the opportu
nity to plunder her mouth, stroking her tongue with his until she was breathless and, most importantly, had no doubt how he felt about her surprise.
When she finally got her breath back, she gulped. “Well, I guess that answered that.”
Maddox’s laugh was a rush of heat against her bare skin. “I thought it might. But what about you? My human mate doesn’t howl, I get that, but she’s been so quiet lately. How do you feel about it?”
Evangeline went still.
She had been quiet, hadn’t she? So concerned with how distant he’d been lately—even if Sarah explained how her pregnancy might have changed things in some ways—Evangeline had used the excuse of heading into the mountains to keep to herself, never opening up to Maddox about what was bothering her—or what she needed.
Not anymore.
They were mates. Partners. Soon to be parents… they needed to be able to communicate.
You know what they say. No time like the present—ha, present—to start.
“I’m happy, too,” she confessed as he moved back to press his lips over the skin inches away from her belly button. “Ever since you claimed me, I’d known this was a possibility, and I’ve wanted this. I just… I needed to know you did, too.”
Lifting his head from where he was nuzzling her, Maddox scowled over at her.
If it was anyone else, the grimace on the wolf shifter’s face would’ve been enough to have her running for the window—and Evangeline knew, since she’d had reason to do just that when her memories were stolen. But not now. Not after the way his whole, weathered face lit up with love as he looked down on her moments ago.
Still, she raised her eyebrows. “Hey. What’s wrong?”
Maddox schooled his features, making his expression go blank. He moved again, stretching out beside her, wrapping her up in his arms. “Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing.”
She poked him in his side, curling into him, resting her head on a pillow she made of his bicep. “No more secrets. Something’s on your mind. I want you to tell me.”
“It’s stupid.”
“Maddox, I spent the last couple of weeks convincing myself that you regretted mating me because it seemed like you’ve been avoiding me.”
“I would never do that, Ang—” he began.
She cut him off. “I know. Maybe it was the hormones making me crazy, and I know better than to doubt you, but it seemed like it. You said I was quiet. Well, you’ve been quiet, too. We’re in this together, now and forever—”
“Richard Marx,” interrupted Maddox. “Good song.”
“Mad. Be honest with me.”
“Okay,” he huffed, realizing that she wasn’t going to drop it. “Fine. But I warn you, it’s ridiculous.”
She poked him again.
Maddox’s lips twitched. It was a half-smile, and it was something. “It’s just… nothing can top the gift you’ve just given me. You think I’ve been avoiding you? Not even a little. In all honesty… I’ve spent the last couple of weeks working on your present and, yeah, there’s no way it can compare. And now I’m pissed at myself for being so preoccupied with it that I never even picked up on the fact that you’re carrying my pup. Some Alpha I’m gonna be with a weak nose like that.”
“Oh, hush,” Evangeline teased. “Your nose is fine. I talked to your mother. She actually explained that that’s kinda common for a wolf shifter who’s got a lot on his mind. You were too close to my scent to notice the gradual changes or something like that.”
“Shit.” Maddox closed his eyes for a second. “My mom knew before me? She’s never gonna let me live it down.”
That was probably true. Since Evangeline didn’t want to agree with him and make him more embarrassed, she changed the subject. “So, wait… Is that what you were doing, with all the sneaking around? Getting me a present?”
He shrugged, the movement forcing Evangeline to snuggle even closer as she shifted. “Patrolling the mountain, making sure you were safe… that was my priority. But I might’ve used any of the extra time I could find on your gift.”
Evangeline’s heart beat a little faster. What a sweet mate she had. Her pregnancy must’ve already started doing a number on her because how else could she have, for even a minute, believed that Maddox didn’t want her.
What just passed between them was enough to prove he did, and as she felt him stirring against her thigh, Evangeline was ready to show him how much she wanted him back.
“Whatever it is, I’m sure I’ll love it,” she said, lowering her hand so that she could give his cock a leisurely, loving stroke.
Maddox moved suddenly and she missed.
“Okay. Let’s go find out.”
When Maddox started to slide out of the bed, she tilted her head back to look at him.
He was serious.
“Wait—now?”
“Why not?” His golden eyes lit up. “It’s Christmas.”
It was. Glancing over at the nightstand, the alarm clock announced that they’d boned their way right out of Christmas Eve. The display read 12:05. It most definitely was Christmas.
A laugh bubbled up in her throat. “You haven’t changed one bit.”
And he hadn’t. Despite what they’d gone through, despite the time they lost, Maddox was still her Maddox.
They might have only spent one Christmas together before this, but she’d heard stories about his childhood, growing up with Colt. When they were pups, their parents gave them each a special present on Christmas Eve because they were too impatient to wait until morning. Once they realized that all of the presents were from Terrence and Sarah, Maddox argued that—come 12:01—it was Christmas and he wanted all of his gifts.
Wouldn’t you know? The born alpha managed to argue his way into opening them all as early as possible.
It was the same when he was an adult. Their first Christmas? Very close to this one. While they fell asleep in each other’s arms after a vigorous round of mating, Maddox was wide awake and full of energy as soon as the clock struck midnight. And he insisted on giving her her present right away.
Just like now.
His smile widened, hope written in every line of his handsome face as he leaned back into her. “You remember?”
Remember…
She couldn’t wait until he felt confident enough in their relationship—in their mating—to not have to ask that question every time she mentioned the past. Now that they had a pup on the way… hopefully it would be soon.
For as long as she had to, she would assure him, though. Maybe they both needed a little reassurance: Maddox, that Evangeline remembered who they were to each other; and Evangeline, that Maddox was never going to leave her on her own again.
“Remember how my big, bad wolf is really a big kid?” she teased. She stretched her hand, closing her fingers over his left pec. Evangeline couldn’t quite get to his heart, but the dates inked on his skin—the jailhouse tattoo of the day they were married, and the elaborate design commemorating the day they were fully mated—was close enough.
His chuckle rumbled deep in his chest, vibrating all the way to her fingertips. “You sure you’re ready for another one?”
“I’ve always been ready. I just wasn’t sure you were.”
“A pup of our own? A little bit of you, and a little bit of me? Except for you, Angie, it’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Who needed presents? His open honesty, the hint of vulnerability, and the steel underlying his words as he made an unsaid vow to her and their growing family… did she need anything else?
No. However, Maddox was so excited about Christmas, she had no choice but to nod as she rolled away, ready to climb out of the bed herself.
“Okay,” she conceded. “Let me clean up and get changed, then we can go open presents.”
Maddox hopped all of the way out of the bed, throwing the covers back, and revealing the tightest ass she’d ever seen as he landed in a protective crouch, then spun back around. Like she thought, his cock was already get
ting ready for a round—even half-hard it was super impressive—and Evangeline started to wonder if she could convince her mate to stay in bed and open presents in the morning when he gestured for her to stay.
“Sounds good to me. And, hey, if you want, go on and take a shower. Get comfortable. I’ve got the perfect thing for you to start with. I’ll put it on the bed for when you’re done. So stay here, right? Good.”
There was no time to argue. In between a stifled laugh at his eager features and her quickly mumbled, “Um, okay?,” Maddox blew her a kiss, then bounded out of their room, bare-assed naked and all.
That was something else she remembered from their first Christmas. Maddox wasn’t the one and done type, and that included his Christmas shopping. She could only imagine what that massive pile under the tree contained.
After she hurried through a quick shower, threw her long hair up in a ponytail, and walked back into the bedroom wrapped in a thick robe, Evangeline discovered what the first package held.
It was a set of cozy Christmas pajamas. Red flannel with candy canes printed all over them and Ho Ho Ho scrawled in white letters. And, she noticed when she lifted them out of the box, they were zip-up pajamas, a one-piece with enclosed feet.
Even better?
When she followed her end of the bond to where her mate was, she found Maddox waiting next to the lit Christmas tree—wearing the same set of pajamas.
Her tall, buff, Alpha mate was wearing a pair of Christmas footie pajamas, complete with a fluffy Santa hat and a smile that, even when Priscilla was holding her memories hostage, Evangeline still saw in her dreams.
That, she decided, definitely counted as another gift for her.
Maddox was a big kid at heart, but he was super generous. His exuberance when it came to opening presents had more to do with his delight at handing Evangeline hers and then watching her reaction as she saw what was beneath the wrapping.
Up first? The big, bulky, strangely wrapped contraption she’d walked in on as he was hiding it behind the tree. After gleefully tearing through the paper—what can she say? Maddox’s enthusiasm was contagious—she saw that he’d bought her a perfectly-sized bicycle for a woman of her height.
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