Memory (Tails Book One)

by R. E. Butler

  “And you’re not biased at all,” she said with a laugh.

  “Not one bit.”

  He shrugged off the shirt and tossed it aside, and she got her first real look at him. He was built like a tank. His shoulders were broad, and his arms were covered with ropes of muscles. Every inch of him was defined, from his sexy pecs to the washboard abs that begged to be licked.

  “You like what you see, kitten?” he asked huskily as he closed the distance between them.

  “You’re gorgeous.”

  “So are you. Look at all these beautiful curves, just for me.” He climbed onto the bed and pushed her gently to her back, stretching out next to her. He cupped her face and kissed her once. “I have so much I want to tell you about what’s happening between us.”

  She’d never been very bold. She wasn’t shy, but she’d never taken the lead with a guy before.

  “Can we talk tomorrow?”

  His brows rose. “Are you sure?”

  “You’re not planning to kick me out, right?”

  He growled. “Never.”

  “Good. Then right now, I want less talking and more off-with-the-clothes.”

  He lowered his head and kissed her. He touched her chin with his finger, tracing the line of her jaw as he sucked on her tongue. He brushed a finger down her throat and over the swell of her breasts, dipping it inside to brush across her nipples. The bra had a center catch, and she flicked it open and felt him smile against her lips.

  Lifting from the kiss, he watched as he pushed the cups of her bra open and bared her breasts, running his fingertips over her nipples. He bent to kiss one, licking a lazy circle around it and slowly sucking it into his mouth as he trailed his fingers down the center of her body to the apex of her thighs. She curled her toes into the blanket as his large, warm hand cupped her pussy over her panties.

  He licked and sucked on her other nipple as he stroked her through the satin, rubbing her clit and teasing her with light touches. With a wet pop, he released her nipple and kissed her lips, delving his tongue into her mouth as his fingers wiggled under her panties and he touched her pussy. He sank a finger into her slowly and groaned against her lips.

  Pulling his finger from her, he pulled the material to one side and leaned over, stroking his tongue over her clit. She pressed her head back against the bed as he pushed his finger into her, flicking her clit with his tongue. Laying his tongue against the bundle of nerves, he growled, the sound vibrating against her. She shrieked at the pleasure that pulsed through her, her back bowing as the sound of fabric ripping reached her ears and she was dimly aware that her panties were now gone. He added a second finger as he sucked and licked her clit, driving her to the peak of pleasure, her whole body turning to fire before she came apart on a keening cry, Duke’s name on her lips.

  She clawed at the blankets as he drew out her pleasure with deep strokes of his fingers and lazy circles with his tongue, and when she could peel her tongue from the roof of her mouth, she reached for him. “I need you.”

  He sucked his wet fingers into his mouth, his eyes blazing bright gold, and when he swiped his tongue over his bottom lip, she saw that he had fangs. Before tonight, she might have been freaked out to see a man with fangs, but in bed with Duke, it seemed entirely natural. She had curves, he had fangs.

  Reaching for his pants, he undid the button and lowered the zipper, then slipped from the bed. She wiggled free of her bra, chucking it behind her and never taking her gaze from his hands as he pushed his pants down his hips. She couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped her lips as his cock sprang free, thick and long.

  He crawled up the bed between her spread legs with a growl, his cock pressing against her pussy as he slid one hand behind her neck and lifted her to his lips. As he pushed inside her, she gasped into his mouth, his cock filling and stretching her. She gripped his shoulders, sliding her tongue along his as pleasure sparked within her. He tilted his hips and slid out, until only the thick head of his cock was still inside, and then pushed back in faster. He lifted from her mouth with a growl, gripping the bedding on either side of her. She wrapped her legs around his hips and reached behind to grip the headboard, lifting her hips to meet his thrusts. Her body sang, every nerve ending on fire.

  He let out a low snarl and pulled from her body. Before she could protest, he flipped her to her belly and hauled her up onto her knees, slamming into her from behind. She reached for him, curling one arm behind his neck and bracing herself with her other arm. Each thrust stole the breath from her lungs and each pull made her groan. He pressed one hand to her belly, his fingers digging into her flesh for a moment before he pushed them downward, sliding over her sensitive clit. She bucked under him with a squeal and he chuckled, kissing her neck.

  “Come for me, kitten. Wanna feel you,” he said with a low voice.

  “Fuck, Duke,” she moaned.

  He rubbed her clit side to side and she jerked and screamed as she came for the second time. He grunted, his cock thickening within her as she felt the heat of his come.

  “Mine,” he said, and bit the juncture of her neck and shoulder. His teeth broke through the skin and she whimpered at the pain, but it swiftly disappeared in the wake of a peaceful contentment she’d never experienced before.

  “Duke?” she whispered.

  He pulled his fangs from her neck and tenderly licked the mark. “You’re mine now, kitten. You’re wearing my mark on your neck.”

  She groaned when he pulled from her pussy, her sensitive channel not wanting to let go of his cock. He pulled her close, kissing her forehead, each eyelid, her nose, and then her mouth. “Say something, Ree, please,” he said.

  Lifting her gaze, she saw happiness and worry etched into his features, and she brought her hand to his cheek and smiled. “Give me a minute. You just rocked my world.”

  He laughed and squeezed her a little tighter. “I should have asked you if I could mark you, but my cat would not let me stop.”

  The pain of the mark was nearly gone. “Am I really yours?”

  “It’s official. You’re my marked mate. That’s like marriage for my kind.”

  Her brows rose. She really didn’t know what to say to that.

  “Before you made me see stars, you said you had a lot to tell me. Maybe start with mating?”

  He sat up enough to grab the blanket at the bottom of the bed and drew it up over them. Then he rested his head on his upturned hand and settled his other hand on her waist.

  “Our kind has two mates – heart and match. A heart-mate is one who’s chosen by the beast. A match is one that’s what you’d probably think of as being an arranged mating – a matchmaker chooses the best mate and they join at a mating ceremony.”

  “So, you don’t just meet someone and take them out on dates and fall in love naturally?”

  He shook his head. “Shifters don’t date. Well, not like you’re thinking of. It’s a simple part of our nature – when we meet someone, they are either our true, heart-mate or they’re not.”

  “The matchmaker only picks lions?”

  “Yeah. Our pride has laws about matings.”

  Her heart rate spiked suddenly. “Is what we did okay?” The thought that he could get into trouble with his pride because of her made her eyes sting.

  “Yes, kitten, please don’t worry. I knew when I walked across the bar to meet you what choice I was making. It was the fucking easiest thing I’ve ever done, okay? I am so fucking happy right now that nothing else matters.” As if to punctuate his words, a purr rumbled in his chest and she smiled.

  “You’ll have to talk to your pride leader about me?”

  “It’s my dad, so I’m not really worried, and you shouldn’t be either. There are laws I’d change if I was alpha, but I’m not. And if the worst thing that happens is that I get exiled, I still get you at the end of the day and I’m good with that. Better than good, actually – fan-fucking-tastic.”

  “You just said fuck like ten times in two minu
tes.”

  “It’s a good word. Very effective.”

  She brushed her finger over his jaw, the stubble making her skin prickle. “You’re talking about losing your pride like it’s not a big deal. If I couldn’t see Mercy anymore because I was with you, at the very least, I’d be angry. I mean, not a lot, since she makes me buggy, but I wouldn’t be so cavalier.”

  “One more way our kind is different, and that’s not a bad thing. Exile from the pride doesn’t mean I never get to see my family anymore, it just means I’m out of the pride. I care, and it sucks in some ways, but my cat is purring so loud in my head that all I can think about is that I get to wake up with you tomorrow. As my mom likes to say, when the heart is happy, everything else is just details.”

  “Important details, though.”

  He brushed his lips over hers. “I’ll talk to my parents tomorrow, and then I’ll bring them here so you can meet them. Humans aren’t allowed on the pride’s hunting grounds. The bar belongs to me and Titus, not the pride, and isn’t officially in pride territory, so the only thing that changes is that I’ll be hunting for you and not with the pride.”

  “Why would you hunt for me?” she asked.

  “Because deer meat is awesome.”

  “Um, no. I like to get my meat all cut up at the grocery store, thank you very much.”

  His whole body shook as he laughed. “Don’t worry kitten, I won’t make you clean anything. But I will hunt for you, and I’ll show you just how tasty venison is.”

  “Okay. But I’m not making any promises.”

  With a purr, he kissed her, pulling her close as he rolled to his back and drew her with him. Her legs fell to either side of his body and she moaned as she straightened and looked down at his hard cock. Wrapping one hand around the thick length, she said, “My, my Duke. What a big, hard cock you have.”

  “I’m not the big, bad wolf, sweetheart,” he said with a snarl. “But I will eat you.”

  “In a minute,” she said as she rose above him and placed his cock at her entrance. She settled down on him slowly, closing her eyes at the sweet fullness that engulfed her. Duke was her mate. She didn’t entirely understand it, but she believed him when he said that they were going to be together. She’d been burned in the past, but the strange connection she felt to him grew stronger with every minute. She felt closer to him than she ever had a man before, and she trusted him not to break her heart.

  “You feel so good,” he said, arching under her and pressing into her a little deeper. “So fucking good.”

  “You do, too.”

  “Say it,” he growled.

  “So fucking good.”

  Chapter 5

  Duke woke slowly, his lion snoring happily, thanks to their new mate. Ree slept next to him, tucked safe and warm in his arms. They’d spent most of the night talking in between making love, and he could honestly say that it was nothing short of love, because he was full-on crazy about her. She was witty and sweet; family was important to her, which was something they shared. Although her upbringing had been entirely different than his, they found common ground and similar interests.

  Glancing at his phone, he saw that it wasn’t even six a.m. yet, and considering that they’d been up until after three, he was surprised he was even coherent, let alone waxing poetic about his mate’s finer qualities. He wanted to stay in bed with her all day, but he knew he needed to speak to his parents as soon as possible. The sooner he talked to them and accepted the exile, the quicker he could get back to Ree and her sweet embrace. Slipping from the bed as stealthily as possible, he managed to get dressed without waking her. He went into the kitchen and found a notepad and pen, and scribbled a message.

  Ree, I’ve gone to speak to my pride about our mating. Make yourself at home. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Your mate, Duke

  He looked at the message and then added his cell at the bottom in case she wanted to get in touch with him. Leaving the note on the pillow next to her, he took one last look and then walked out, shutting the bedroom door softly, and exiting the apartment. He texted Titus as he jogged down the stairs.

  Keep an eye on Ree. I’m going to talk to my parents.

  Not waiting for a response, he tucked his phone into his pocket and walked out into the bar. Pushing open the back door, he hurried to his car and pulled out of the parking lot, his foot on the floor and the engine roaring. His lion didn’t much care to leave their mate in the apartment, but it was a secure floor, in a secure bar, and he knew she’d be safe.

  His parents were early birds, and it was a habit that he’d inherited. He couldn’t sleep much past sunrise, even on the nights when he was out late hunting. He would have had a good reason for staying in bed late this morning, considering Ree’s sweet scent called to him like nothing he’d ever experienced before, but he’d rather handle things with the pride now while she slept. He’d told her a lot about the pride, but he’d left out the part about being next in line for alpha. She didn’t really understand that hierarchy, and she was already worried about him giving up so much.

  She just didn’t realize that it was no hardship. At the end of the day, his title – or even if he had one – didn’t matter. It was strange how quickly his perception of what mattered changed, from wanting only the best for himself to only the best for his mate.

  He parked in front of his parents’ home, turned off the engine and got out, striding up the walk to the front door. He knocked twice and pushed the door open.

  “Mom? Dad?”

  “Duke? What are you doing here?” his mom called from the kitchen.

  He walked down the hallway at a fast clip, finding his parents sitting at the table, coffee mugs in hand and the newspaper spread out before them.

  “I hope you don’t mind that I came over without calling,” he said, sitting. “I wanted to talk to you in person.”

  “Is something wrong?” his dad asked.

  “No, actually, everything is really great.” He paused for a moment, and then said, “I found my mate last night.”

  Both of their mouths fell open, which under other circumstances he would have found humorous. At the moment, however, it was anything but comical.

  “Her name is Ree and she’s human. She came into the bar last night, and I… I just knew. I left her sleeping in my apartment so I could come tell you.”

  His dad opened his mouth and Duke put up his hand. “I know what you’re going to say. Yes, I know that breaking the mating contract nullifies my alphaship, and also is grounds for exile.”

  His dad cleared his throat. “Are you certain she’s your heart-match?”

  Duke nodded. “I mated and marked her last night. The only reason I left her in my apartment is because I wanted to get this ball rolling. I know you need to convene the elders and rule on this situation. But yes, I’m one hundred percent positive that Ree is my true mate, and my lion is doing backflips just thinking about her.”

  No one said anything for several moments. Duke watched as his parents stared at each other silently, almost like they were communicating telepathically, although he knew that wasn’t actually what they were doing.

  His mom stood and said, “Give me a hug! This is cause for celebration.”

  He stood and hugged his mom, thankful for her acceptance.

  “She’s looking forward to meeting you.”

  “Good. Maybe for dinner tonight?”

  “That would be great.” He looked at his dad. “What am I supposed to do about the contract?”

  “I’ll send for Abbie. I believe that you will need to be present to break the contract, and then Abbie will take it to Madison’s parents,” his dad said. “I’ll call for the elders now, and you can share your story with them. That way it will be a firsthand account instead of my word.”

  He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Will this take long?”

  “They’ll be here soon,” he said as he picked up his cell from the table and began to dial.

  “Okay.
”

  He wished he’d gotten Ree’s cell number so he could call her and check in. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he looked at the screen and realized that Titus hadn’t texted back. He stepped out of the kitchen and dialed Titus’s cell.

  He answered on the third ring. “Yah?”

  “You didn’t respond to my text.”

  “You texted me?”

  He growled. “Yes.”

  “Oh, sorry,” he said, yawning. “I had a couple of beers with a lioness and we hooked up at my apartment. What the fuck time is it anyway?”

  His mind spun for a moment. “A lioness? From our pride?”

  “Nah. From Lewiston.”

  His lion snarled in worry. He hadn’t been aware that any Lewiston lionesses were even in Kedrick, let alone in Tails.

  “What’s her name?”

  “Emma. Why are you asking so many questions about my love life anyway? You found your heart-match, let the rest of us enjoy life where we can.”

  “Was there anyone else with Emma?”

  “I don’t really remember.”

  “Is she still with you?”

  There was a rustling sound and then he yawned, “Nope. Bed’s cold. I’ll try not to take that personally.”

  A solid blade of fear spiked through him. “Go knock on my apartment door. If Ree doesn’t answer, use your key. I’m with my parents. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

  Because Titus was such a good friend, he didn’t ask any questions, simply snapped into gear with a clipped, “On it,” before ending the call.

  “What’s wrong?” his dad asked.

  “I have to go. There were females from the Lewiston pride at the bar last night. I need to check on Ree.”

  “Call her,” her mother said.

  “I don’t have her number. I’m such a fucking idiot.”

  “Get going. We’ll handle things here,” his dad said.

  With a nod, he rushed from the house, nearly taking a header off the porch in his haste. He had to get the bar. He just hoped that Ree was okay.