by M. L. Briers
“What was that?” She demanded as she landed on her knees beside him, blanket in her hands, and she wrapped it around his broad shoulders as he turned his head to meet her eyes.
“My past.” Aidan growled out.
“I thought you were going to fight them?” Tammy didn’t understand – but then, they were leaving and Aidan was alive, so she didn’t much care either way.
“They didn’t come for me.” Aidan pushed up with a hard breath. His body hurt. His muscles were sore, and the cuts were healing, but tender, pulling against his skin like stitches…
“They’re not coming back are they?” Tammy scowled as he dragged her up to her feet with him.
Then he wrapped her inside of his arms, inside of the blanket with him, and he closed his eyes and held onto her.
She was his only family now.
“No.” Aidan promised.
“I need to take care of you…” She tried to push away but he wouldn’t let her go.
“I’m healing.” Aidan cradled the back of her head in one large hand while the other palmed her back. He couldn’t move, didn’t want to – he wanted to keep her in his arms like that forever.
Now all he needed to do was woo his mate.
That thought scared him more than facing down his whole clan.
Merry damn Christmas!
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
~
“No!” Tammy snapped as she slapped his hand when he reached for a fresh out of the oven cookie. “You’ll burn your tongue.” She scowled at him as he grinned back at her.
“But, baby – I’ll heal, and it’s worth it.” Aidan’s grin melted her heart and she rolled her eyes… She had to learn some defences when it came to him.
One flash of that sexy shifter smile of his and she was mushy. She hated that.
“You need to learn some restraint.” She grinned back – infected by his smile and those damn come to bed eyes of his.
He saw her mood change – saw the way that her cheeks blushed, and he knew what she was thinking. Those thoughts were X-rated, and he loved them, almost as much as he loved her cookies – no… more.
He was around the other side of the counter before she could blink. She was in his strong arms a moment later…
“Wait… no… you said you’d stay on your side if I let you in my kitchen while I was cooking…” She chuckled, because now his face was nuzzled between her neck and shoulder and he was doing sinfully wicked things with his tongue.
“I lied.” He whispered on a hungry growl against her ear and felt her body shiver in his arms.
“Little white lies never hurt anyone.” She chuckled again at the feel of his hard length pressed against her stomach… “I’m cooking!” She protested, but it was very half hearted and he could hear that in her tone…
She was hungry too, and he liked it when she got hungry, because it was never food that she craved – just him.
Five days and nights together since the clan had left and they’d spent most of it in bed, or, having sex and making love – he couldn’t say that it was mainly in bed…
“And I’m hungry…” He growled, lifting his head and looking down at her like a starving man…
“Ohhh, hungry?” She nodded, knowing exactly what he was hungry for.
The man liked to eat, sleep, and mate, and in no particular order, and she was really liking their holiday schedule.
Aidan tossed her up into his arms and started out of the room with her. She giggled like a schoolgirl as he took her into the bedroom and laid her out on the bed.
His hands were already working on her clothes…
“When are we going to discuss the elephant in the room?” She giggled when he got all fingers and thumbs with the buttons of her shirt and just ripped it apart… she was going through so much clothing that she had to wonder if he was doing it deliberately so that she had nothing left to wear but a blanket.
“Elephant?” He scowled, flicking his eyes around the room, before yanking down her sweatpants…
“Mating…” She chuckled.
“We are mating…” Aidan yanked his jeans down to his ankles and snapped upright as her meaning slammed into his brain and his heart hit his ribs… “You mean…?”
She opened her mouth and snapped her jaws together. The sound of her teeth clicking was like honey to a bear…
“Damn, woman, don’t tease me…” He growled.
Tammy rolled onto her hands and knees and started to crawl slowly towards the edge of the mattress. Her eyes were on his cock…
“I never tease…” She licked her lips and he roared a growl…
“No…” He bit out, kicking off his jeans and lunging at her, rolling her onto her back and coming down over her body, caging her in… “I want to be inside you…”
“My mouth isn’t exactly outside my body.” She sniggered and he growled again…
“Deep inside you…” He started down her body.
His hands wrapped around her thighs and he thrust her legs wide open for his big shoulders as he dipped and took the scent of her feminine arousal before he went to stroke his tongue against her sex…
He stopped – held in place – didn’t move a muscle…
“What’s wrong?” Tammy frowned, normally he’d have dived right in… “Don’t tell me my scent is off.” She chuckled, remembering what the wolf shifter had said to her that night.
“It is…” He growled gently. Looking up over her body at her as she pushed up to her elbows and scowled down at him…
“What?” Her voice took a higher tone…
“I… damn Tammy… I’m sorry.” Aidan growled out and she almost freaked out… “Now don’t freak out…” He growled, seeing her reaction.
“Don’t – say – that!” She ground out…
Aidan pushed up the bed, giving her no option than to lay back down with her head against the mattress…
“I’ve done something…” Aidan winced and her eyes widened.
“Well, don’t.” She snapped back – unsure.
“I didn’t think to use protection…” Aidan scowled and heard her gasp in a hard breath…
“O-k…” She looked worried…
“I can scent that your hormones have changed…”
“Changed? Like I’m a bear…?” She shrieked…
“No, like you’re pregnant.” He shot back, trying to calm her, and then realising that he could have broken that news to her better…
He mentally kicked himself. Nothing that he did ever went to plan. Now he’d screwed up again and she’d hate him for it.
Hell, they hadn’t even really talked about bonding yet, and here he was telling her that she was pregnant.
He wanted to run outside and head butt the nearest tree, and yet… he didn’t want to leave her side, now more than ever… she was carrying his cub… that had to count for something, didn’t it?
“B-a-b-y?” She spat out and her head dropped right back against the mattress as she stared up at the ceiling. His face came into view… he grimaced.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
~
“Sorry. I should have told you that better…”
“Ya think?” Tammy growled back at him and his bear roared within him. He rattled off a growl… “Don’t you growl at me.” She snapped.
“I wasn’t – my bear’s…” He shrugged.
“Tell him not to growl at me either. It’s not my fault!” Tammy grimaced. “Well, ok, it takes two so it kind of is…”
“My bear’s happy you’re pregnant.” Aidan scowled down at her.
“It is?” She rolled her eyes. “And you?”
“I’m so very damn happy.” Aidan blurted out…
“Oh.” She gave him a look of pure innocence. “Well, ok then.”
“You’re not mad?” He asked.
“Mad? Me? No…” She shrugged and watched as he twisted his head on his neck and narrowed his eyes on her. Then he sniffed… “Why are you sniffing me?”
<
br /> “Because.” He shrugged again and her eyebrows went up in perfect little arches. “Because I wanted to see if you were lying. A little white one.” He bit out and she snorted.
“You don’t trust me?”
“Of course I do…” He protested.
“Then why sniff?”
“Just… to make sure you weren’t saying you weren’t mad when you really were because females do that, and then they fester, and then they get sullen and mean.”
“We do?” She shot him a questioning look.
“Yes.” Aidan scowled.
“Ok, maybe sometimes. But I’m not mad.”
“Good. You want a cub with me?” Aidan’s lips started to pick up at the corners and his eyes brightened.
“Oh, look at you – Mr Ego.” She teased and his grin burst out across his face.
“Answer the question.”
“Ask me another one.” Her eyes flashed with amusement.
“Will you be mine, now and forever?” Aidan rushed out and she drew a hard breath in.
“Wow, you like to sneak them in there, don’t you?” She chuckled in disbelief.
“Will you?” Aidan needed the answer from her lips. He wanted nothing more.
He was going to be a father. She had his cub inside her belly and he wasn’t ever going to leave her side. Even if she didn’t want to be his mate – he’d be there – keep sane for the sake of the cub…
“Yes, Aidan. I want to be your mate.” She saw that smile broaden until his lips couldn’t stretch any further. “I want you to mark me as yours…”
His beast roared at her words. Tried to push forwards, and Aidan slammed the door on the bear.
She wasn’t there yet. He climbed back down her body. His black eyes locked onto hers…
“Then I need to taste you…” He growled…
Tammy didn’t get to say one damn word. He was already devouring her by the time she’d thought of one – and then – she had nothing much to say.
Aidan had tasted her on his tongue before – of course he had – her scent had called to him and he’d been too damn weak not to answer that call, but not like this, not knowing what came next… Now he couldn’t contain his lust, his need, or his desire to take her over the edge…
She didn’t try to hold out and he didn’t tease. He took her right up to that edge of insanity and thrust her off with his tongue inside her channel, the pad of his thumb on her clit, and a hungry growl on his lips…
She was flying. The orgasm swept her up and she rode the pulsing winds all the damn way to her next orgasm…
When he finally released her she could barely catch her breath…
Aidan reached down for her and turned her onto her hands and knees on the bed. Finally – the sight of her naked back, the curve of her spine as she thrust her backside out for his viewing pleasure – the way her hair fell against her neck and shoulder – the shoulder where he’d place his mark…
It seemed like forever ago that he was holding back and she was begging for him to be behind her. Now she could have him like this and he could finally let go – let his beast out.
Claim her as his own.
Mine…
His bear wanted nothing more, and the beast wouldn’t be denied this time. Their cub was growing in her belly and neither man nor beast would ever have walked away from something so precious.
A family.
It was a gift, and he might just like Christmas after all.
Aidan’s hands curled over her hips as he nudged her knees apart and moved against her. His cock was twitching like it had a mind of its own, couldn’t wait to be seated deep inside of her hot wet channel, and then he was pushing in, slowly at first, stretching her body around his girth, taking her down his length…
She pushed back, taking him to the hilt and he groaned long and hard at the feel of her body sheathing his… she cursed and rolled forwards, but when she went to push back again, his hands held her in place…
“No…” He curled his body over the top of hers, caging her in, locking her against him… and then he moved, deliberately slowly at first, allowing her body to get used to his, taking her more deeply than he had ever done before…
Then she moaned out what sounded like a damn growl and all bets were off. He’d been blindsided by her. His bear pushed forward and his fangs elongated.
He wanted to roar with pleasure as he thrust into over, over and over, the friction building between them. And she was getting tighter as her inner muscles tried to keep him deep inside of her…
She cursed, over and over, as his hips slapped against her backside – skin against skin – his cock devouring her.
Aidan wrapped his arm around her waist and dragged her back with him. His hips didn’t miss a beat as his other hand fisted her hair and he tugged her head to one side, opening up her neck and her shoulder as she clamped down on the pending orgasm that threatened her sanity…
The moment that she cried out – the moment that her body relaxed and was swept up in the intensity of her release – he dipped his head and scrapped his fangs against her skin, opening up the wounds – not a bite – a bite would change her – make her like him – but a mark that bled his claim into her flesh…
He tasted her blood on his tongue and revelled in it. His bear roared at their joining. The bond between them that could never be broken…
Aidan licked over the wound, cleaning and sealing it. His hips still pounded against her backside…
There was a fever within him and it was building. A desire, a need, a lust to bury his cock against her womb and plant his seed.
Crazy. She was already pregnant, but his instinct wouldn’t be denied…
He took her back down to the bed. Caged her body in with his, curling over her back. His hands locked with hers against the mattress and he allowed his wild side free reign – took her like a wilding until her body clamped down so hard on his cock that he strained and grunted to get deep enough…
She cried out once more… her inner muscles clamped and released around his cock, suckling his seed right from his balls, and he thrust to the hilt – held – and his seed exploded against her womb, over and over until every muscle in his body quivered and burned – begged for mercy…
His head went back on his neck and he roared with the intensity of the pleasure that she gave him… until he had nothing left to give.
CHAPTER NINTEEN
~
Christmas morning brought fresh snow.
Aidan had already climbed out of bed early and started the fire, turned on the tree lights, snuck himself one of the cookies that she’d left out for Santa, and had placed a package for her under the tree.
Then he put the coffee on and put two cups down on the coffee table before he went in to wake her.
She looked so peaceful, so beautiful curled up under the duvet. Her hair spread out on the pillows, and she was hugging his pillow to her chest.
He couldn’t resist climbing back into bed and nuzzling her neck, bringing her body to his as he coaxed her awake with gentle kisses…
“It’s Christmas…” He whispered against her ear.
“I already got my presents – you – and chubby cubby.” She giggled when he growled.
“You can’t call the poor kid chubby cubby.” He groaned. “It’ll stick.”
“Noooo, it won’t… maybe.” She sniggered. “Depends how mean he wants to be while he’s brewing in there.”
“You are an evil woman.” He berated her on a chuckle of his own. “Time to get up.”
“What? No sex? No nookie nookie?” She shot a look over her shoulder at him and a cackle of laughter burst from her lips…
He was standing there wearing the Christmas jumper that she’d bought for him with a big old cartoon turkey on the front, its eyes bulging, and the words – fit to be stuffed – written across his abs…
“I wear this under protest.” He scowled and she sniggered some more.
“I have t
o get pictures.”
“No pictures.” He growled.
“But you are.” She assured him as she turned in the bed and pushed up onto her elbow…
“Am what?” He scowled.
“Fit to be stuffed…” She sniggered again.
“You should be the one wearing this…” He reached for her and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her from the warmth of the mattress against the heat of his body.
“I can walk.”
“Why bother when I can just as easily carry you.” He growled gently as he stalked into the living room and set her down on the sofa, tossing a blanket over her legs, and turning towards the tree. He dipped and retrieved a small box… “I got this for you.”
He looked sheepish as he handed it to her, and she took it, swallowed down hard and ripped the wrapping off it like a she-demon devouring souls…
“I like presents.” She chuckled as he eyed her.
“I noticed.” He chuckled back.
Her fingers shook the moment that she released it was a ring box. She used her thumbs to push back the lid and inside were two rings. A band of pure gold and a sparkly diamond engagement ring… her eyes snapped up to his and he growled on a scowl…
“I did everything else wrong. You’re human. Is this right?” He asked shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
Tammy screeched out with happiness as she pushed up and wrapped her arms around his neck…
“Deaf now.” He growled, but his arms went around her and he held her close.
“Sorry…” She chuckled as she pulled back a little and his lips came down on hers…
She climbed up his body and wrapped her legs around his hips and he groaned… then she snapped her head back on her neck and shook her head.
“I got you something. Nothing like this…” She grumbled.
“You got me you and chubby cubby…” He grinned and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that’s so gonna stick. I hope for its sake it’s a boy.” He growled and she laughed.
“Put me down.” She demanded and Aidan complied. She bent over and snatched up her present for him, thrusting it into his hands… “I just… it’s silly, but…” She shrugged.