by DJ Phoenix
Her lips followed the trail her hands made, until she was kneeling before him. She slowly unbuckled his pants and pushed them down his muscled thighs. To her surprise, her mate had gone commando today. His already hard member sprung free as soon as the denim no longer held it captive. She took the base in her hand and squeezed gently. His cock felt heavy and thick, and she relished the feel of it in her hand.
She gave him a few strokes, and he moaned. Then she licked the underside, following the vane that throbbed beneath. Twirling her tongue around the crown of his shaft, she licked the slit, collecting the precum already pearled there.
Luke grasped her hair, wrapping it around his fist, but allowed her to continue exploring at her pace.
She followed the same pattern a few times, then slowly wrapped her lips around the throbbing head. She sucked and twirled her tongue around it until his legs began to shake; only then did she take as much as she could into her mouth. She let the head hit the back of her throat, and she moaned. Cynthia had never been so turned on. Seeing her mate coming undone at her hands was the most erotic thing she had ever experienced. She felt exhilarated being the one to give him such pleasure.
His moans became deeper as they filled the silence in the room. His musky scent filled her senses, and her core contracted, becoming so wet she felt her juices running down her inner thighs. She was torn between wanting to taste his release and her need to have him fill her and sate her aching core.
She continued her ministrations, stroking with her hand the length she couldn’t fit in her mouth, and allowing the head to constantly hit the back of her throat.
Her mate’s grip on her hair tightened and his legs began to shake again.
Cynthia was getting ready to taste him when Luke pulled her up and bent her over the tea table so fast she didn’t register what was happening until she felt his pelvis become flush with her ass. He was buried to the hilt inside her and she loved it.
There was nothing that could describe the feeling of being filled so completely by her mate.
Then he was moving, an erotic rhythm that had Cynthia murmuring incoherent thoughts. She was climbing higher and higher, and all she could do was hold on to the edge of the table.
Luke’s grunts got louder, and Cynthia answered them with her own. He yelled her name as he buried himself deep in her core, and she came with him, both too gone to care how loud they were; there wasn’t anyone there to hear them anyway.
Their night was filled with their lovemaking, and their sleep was sated.
Chapter 22
Cynthia
The week had gone by at a snail’s pace, and Cynthia was beginning to feel claustrophobic. Ever since the day she had encountered that strange bird, Luke had been insufferable. There were guards running the perimeter of the cabin mansion twenty-four seven; if she wanted to go anywhere, and Luke wasn’t available to drive her, he appointed someone to go in his stead, and was ordered to stay close by as she took care of her errands. It was ridiculous! There had been no sign of any strange birds or individuals in town or around the woods, and there had been no suspicious guests staying in town or the resort.
She smiled to herself. At least today she was heading to the nearest city to purchase a dress. Lucy had done her best this past week to teach her what the ceremony would be like and what was expected of her. It all seemed to be really close to a human wedding, with the exception of the biting that thankfully was to happen in private. She, however, had jumped the gun and skipped the ceremony, going right to the biting part of it all. Lucy had explained how that wasn’t typically done, but no one had frowned upon it and were all excited their Alpha had finally found his mate.
She took in a deep breath and finished pulling her hair into a high ponytail. It was going to be a busy day slipping in and out of dresses, so she had opted for a maxi dress and flats. She was really looking forward to some girl time with Mindy and Kristy, who were joining her and Lucy on their search for the perfect after-party dress. It wouldn’t be a wedding gown, thankfully. She wasn’t sure she wanted to ever go through the whole wedding ordeal again; the first time had left a bitter taste, no matter how much she had tried to make it work.
She shook her head. She wasn’t letting any bad thoughts ruin this moment for her. She had found a man that was devoted to her and that, in the short time they had shared together, had showed her, in so many ways, what love was supposed to be like. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror and walked out of the master bathroom.
Immediately, Luke took her into his arms and kissed her senseless. Hmm . . . maybe she could let the girls buy her dress and she could stay with her mate. Luke broke the kiss and took her dazed look in, then smiled seductively.
He knew exactly what he was doing to her.
She pulled away and took her purse from the dresser. “You don’t play fair, mate.”
He chuckled and took her in his arms again. “Sweet … I but took the time to thoroughly kiss my mate so she doesn’t forget who eagerly awaits her return.”
“Well then, I should hurry on my way so I can return as soon as possible. My mate has some unspoken promises to keep.”
They walked down the hall, Luke holding her hand like two young lovers.
Lucy and the girls were walking in as they reached the bottom step. Evan and James walked in right behind them, serious faces that Cynthia couldn’t help feeling annoyed with. It wasn’t her idea to have guards, and she really didn’t appreciate them being sore at her over the whole ordeal. It was their Alpha that wouldn’t relent to the twenty-four-hour guard duty. She harrumphed as pleasantries were exchanged and headed for the door, giving her mate an annoyed look as she passed him. He couldn’t accompany them because he had a meeting with another pack Alpha, but he had made sure that guards were in place.
He walked her out, guiding her to the parked SUV. “Cynthia, please be careful. We haven’t found the Fae, and we don’t know for sure if there is any danger lurking. James and Evan will keep you safe. Please stay close to them.” He kissed her sweetly and closed the door.
The SUV merged onto the interstate, and Cynthia felt a sudden chill run down her spine. She shivered slightly, and Lucy placed her weathered hand on hers, giving her a motherly pat. “Everything will be fine, dear. The boys will keep us safe.”
Cynthia smiled as sweetly as she could muster; no use hinting at her sudden fear. “You’re right, Lucy, I know we’re safe. I was just letting my imagination get the best of me.” Inwardly, she hoped it truly was just her imagination. She had this sense of being watched again. That was, however, impossible, since they were in a moving vehicle.
By the time they reached the mall, Cynthia was so wound tight with concern she had to physically shake herself out of the stupor she had found herself in. The whole ride there she had felt someone’s eyes on her, and it hadn’t been from those in the car with her. She had looked forward to this outing, even felt that she needed the distraction, but she was really considering telling Evan to turn the car around and take her back to her overprotective mate.
Everyone began exiting the car and she reluctantly followed. She stood next to the SUV and looked around the parking lot: people were walking to and from the mall entrance and cars were driving around, looking for a parking space. It was busy, no one would dare attempt anything against her in such a busy place.
She shook her fears away and walked toward the mall entrance with the group, Evan and James bringing up the rear. Lucy quickly ushered them toward a high-end department store on one end of the mall. Cynthia had shopped in such a store before, but for some reason now it seemed like she was out of place. All the beautiful things she saw as they walked toward the designer dresses seemed vain. She didn’t want a dress that was so extravagant it would hide who she really was.
A male sales associate walked up to them and asked what he could help them find. Cynthia couldn’t help but notice how gracefully he moved—it was almost as if he glided instead of walked. He was tall and le
an, but even through his slacks and button-down shirt, the strength of his lean muscles was evident.
Lucy was quick to take charge, and soon Cynthia found herself ushered into a dressing room by the sales associate, whom they had learned was named Adam.
Adam unlocked a door to a large dressing room and handed Cynthia two dresses. As she hung the garments on a hook on the wall, a note fell to the ground. Cynthia picked up the folded piece of paper and read.
“We must talk before I make myself known to your mate’s pack. If you are ready to learn who you truly are, excuse yourself to the ladies’ room. I have the answers you seek.”
A knot formed in her gut. What if whoever wrote the note meant to harm her? But this person had answers she needed. How long did she have before the person hightailed it out of the mall?
Cynthia bit her lip as she thought about her options. She could show the note to Lucy, who would end up showing Dan and Evan, which in turn would result in the males getting all worked up and on defensive mode over it. That would most likely get her and the girls rushed out of the mall and on their way back to Clear Creek in a heartbeat. Or she could risk getting hurt and just go meet this person and possibly get some answers. A knock startled her out of her thoughts.
“Are you okay in there?” Mindy’s voice came through the door.
“Um … yes, just a minute.” Cynthia dropped her maxi dress to the floor and slipped into the first gown faster than she thought possible. She opened the door and asked Mindy to help her with the zipper. It was a beautiful, mermaid-style, silver dress with a low back that dipped to just above the seam of her panties. It had a boat neckline and long sleeves. The bodice was covered in embroidered lace with the long sleeves made of only the lace.
“It looks beautiful on you. Silver is definitely your color. It just needs the length altered. What do you think, Grandma?”
“It’s beautiful, and very flattering. Let’s put that one in the maybe pile and then Cynthia can pick the one she likes best when she’s done trying on gowns.” Lucy unzipped the gown and sent Cynthia back into the dressing room.
Cynthia’s mind was working overtime. She was trying to decide whether to go to the ladies’ room to meet whomever had written that note and trying to pay attention to the gowns she was trying on. She robotically slipped out of the current gown and slipped into the one hanging on the hook. This one was black. Same mermaid style, but it had sequins covering the entire gown. Cynthia scrunched up her nose and put it in the no pile.
One hour later, she was staring at the long mirror wearing the seventh gown she’d tried on so far, and it made her look like an overgrown blueberry; definitely not the one. Adam had been patient and helpful in bringing out gowns for her to try on. The ones he had picked were actually the ones she had put in the maybe pile. Guess he had an eye for fashion; probably why he worked this department. She went back into the dressing room and slipped into her maxi dress.
Cynthia walked out to where Kristy sat waiting her turn to try on a gown, and excused herself to go to the restroom.
Adam informed her it was on that same floor and that she would find it if she followed the walkway to the left. She had picked the perfect time; Lucy and Mindy where currently in the dressing room trying on their own gowns while Kristy watched their purses, so no one insisted on going with her. The guys were walking around the store, making sure the area was safe, so as long as she didn’t run into one of them she would be clear to make her meeting and get back to the dressing rooms before anyone had a chance to miss her.
Chapter 23
Cynthia
Her hands were clammy by the time she made it to the ladies’ room, and she found herself wiping her hands on her dress. Slowly, she pushed the door open just enough to stick her head in and peek inside. There was nobody in sight, and there was no noise; the room seemed to be empty. Okay, she could do this. She took a steadying breath, straightened her spine, and walked inside. She really hoped this wasn’t a trap, otherwise her mate would surely blow a gasket, and she’d end up glued to his side for the next thirty years. And even though she loved him and loved the time they spent together, she also liked having time to herself.
Before her mind kept rambling on, someone cleared their throat and Cynthia looked up to find Adam, the sales associate, standing by the hands-free towel dispenser. Her mouth went dry, and it moved, but no sound came out. She pointed at him and still no sound came out. How had he gotten there when she’d been in front of the door the whole minute she’d been in here?
He seemed relaxed, so that was a good sign, or maybe he was just a good actor. He was leaning on the wall next to the towel dispenser. His hands were in his pant pockets and he had a smile on his face that seemed genuine. “It’s nice to see you had faith in my good intentions.”
“Yeah, well I hope I was right, otherwise we’re going to have problems.” Her voice sounded a lot more confident than she felt. She was still trying to figure out if she had made the right choice or was about to fight for her life.
“You are your mother’s daughter. You look just like her, too. It’s good to see your father’s blood didn’t taint your regal ancestry too much.” He pushed away from the wall and took several steps, until he stood right in front of her. “Now, I’m sure you have many questions, and we don’t have much time. Your guard dogs will be looking for you.”
Finally, her vocal chords caught up with the present. “You know who we are, or rather what we—”
Her question was cut short by his answer. “That those you travel with are shifters? Yes, I am aware of that, as I’m aware that your father was a shifter. Making you half shifter. But the question is, what about your other half? Do you know what your mother was?”
“Alright, so you know about shifters. That means you are part of the supernatural world. What are you? And how do you know anything about my parents?”
“Ah, straight to the point, I like you. No beating around the bush. I am Adam, knight of the Fae council, and one of your first cousins.” He let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. “Aunt Viv was always my favorite relative, you know.” A faraway look filled his eyes, as if he were reliving some long-ago memory. “She was full of laughter and joy. When she stepped into a room she owned it. Her mere presence filled the atmosphere with light. It was impossible to resist her charm and charismatic personality. She was to be our queen one day, until she met your father. My mother tried to talk sense into her, but she wouldn’t listen; she had already given her heart to him and nothing would dissuade her from his side. Or, at least, that’s what mother said.” He shook his head and refocused to the present. His eyes seemed ageless, though he didn’t look older than thirty.
Cynthia swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. “So, in short, you are telling me that you are my cousin, and that I’m half Fae?”
“That is correct. You are half Fae, and as such you have gifts that will manifest when you go through the magic of the bonding ceremony. That is why I am here, to help you cope with your gifts.”
The thought of turning into a wolf was scary enough, and now this Fae person was saying she would also have some sort of gifts. Cynthia’s face paled and she swayed a little, but kept herself from falling by holding on to the sink counter. “What kind of gifts? And how did you know about the bonding ceremony?”
“Well, we’re not sure about your gifts. Every Fae is different. Though, the ones that belong to the royal family tend to have very strong empathic abilities besides the magic that comes naturally to every Fae. Your mother had several gifts.”
“Alright, assuming this is true, how come my parents kept us in the dark about all of this? They never so much as hinted that supernaturals existed. They died leaving us ignorant to all of this. And you still haven’t said how you know about the bonding ceremony.”
“I know it seems unfair, but that was their way of keeping you safe. Your parent’s union was prophesied to change our world. Our people are still divided over the m
atter: some feel their union shouldn’t have ever happened, and others feel it is time for a change. Your parents knew they were in danger and disappeared amongst the human world as soon as their bonding was completed. For decades, we didn’t know where they were. Your mother had put a cloaking spell over all of you so strong that not even the king and queen could find your trace. It wasn’t until your father was attacked that Aunt Viv contacted our grandmother. The cloaking spell weakened when your mother reached out to her and completely fell when your mother died, leaving you and your sister exposed to anyone looking hard enough. That is the other reason I’m here, to keep you safe.”
“How did keeping us in the dark keep us safe? I was completely shocked and embarrassed when out of the blue I grew fangs and bit my mate’s neck! And what about Cassie? Who’s keeping her safe?”
“Okay, though I’m sure it would be very entertaining to hear all about how you were the one to bite your mate first, there are more important matters. Just as our grandmother sent me here to keep an eye on you, she sent a Fae knight named Eve to watch over Cassie. So, Cassie is safe. Now, you must go back to your shopping entourage before they raise the alarm and start looking for you.”
“But I have questions. And you still haven’t told me how you know about the bonding ceremony.”
“I know it’s a lot to take in, and I understand you have questions. Now that you know who I am, you will be able to contact me when it’s safe to talk. All you have to do is call my name outside, and I’ll hear you. I will show myself only if it’s safe. Also, don’t shoot any ravens you see flying around or that stop by your windowsill, that would be me.”