Taking His Mate

by Delta James

  “Nay, love. The hot water is fine, just not very helpful in trying to get rid of this hard-on.”

  She smiled slyly. “I know how to take care of that.”

  He chuckled and growled low at her. “Aye, you do, but I don’t have time to do that. Now get out so I can try to get presentable and go join Jean-Michel and the others.”

  Maddie smiled and wrapped her arms around him. She rubbed herself along his body and sighed when he pulled her closer. That sigh turned into a yelp, when Griffin’s hand connected with her naked bottom.

  “See here, mate, I’d like nothing better than to bury my cock in that sweet pussy of yours. So if I tell you no, you can rest assured I have no choice. And while I do not have the time to enjoy all that you have to offer, I do have time to rewarm your backside if you need to be reminded about doing as you’re told.”

  “Jesus. And to think I came in here to snuggle up to you and tell you I love you too,” Maddie said.

  She went to turn away and was prevented from doing so by Griffin, who pressed her into the wall. He kissed her until she was breathless and was soft and yielding in his embrace.

  “Say it again,” he whispered.

  “I love you too, you arrogant jackass,” she said, ensuring her bottom was against the wall where he couldn’t swat her easily.

  “Not jackass, sweetheart, wolf—shorter ears, bushier tail.”

  Maddie laughed out loud. “I stand corrected.”

  Griffin laughed as well and released her. Maddie look down and caught her breath. Griffin realized that the sizeable knot that had formed at the base of his cock had just snagged her attention.

  “What the hell, Griffin?” she asked.

  “That is too long an explanation for now. The short answer is that it’s a knot. Alpha males get them. Most often in the presence of their mates and always when said mate is aroused and able to accommodate his need.”

  “I could barely take all of you last night. That thing will mean you can’t stroke me as deeply.”

  “Let’s just say, it’s a different kind of experience. One that, given your passionate nature and ability to respond to me, will be beyond measure. But for now, naughty girl, I have other things that need my attention. Behave yourself and you are not to leave the house except for the patio. We will talk later.”

  They returned to the bedroom and Griffin got dressed. He was headed out the door when he stopped just outside and leaned back in.

  “Say it again,” he rumbled at her. This time the growl wasn’t angry but was seductive and filled with lust.

  She smiled and said, “I love you.”

  “And I you,” he said softly before leaving her.

  Maddie took a shower, got dressed, and trotted down the stairs.

  Even though she’d had some breakfast with Griffin she found she was still hungry and breakfast was still laid out on the buffet.

  “Maddie,” called Megan. “Come join us.”

  Maddie filled her plate and went to the join the Holy Trinity plus two. She had already met Skylar and assumed the beautiful dark-haired woman was Oliver Halsey’s turned mate, Roz.

  She put her plate down and extended her hand. “I’m Maddie. You must be Roz.”

  Roz said nothing, but looked her up and down.

  “Well, la-de-dah, don’t we have fancy manners.”

  There was a kind of stunned silence before Roz burst out laughing.

  “Gotcha!” she said to the others already seated at the table. She stood and embraced Maddie. “Sorry ‘bout that. I just couldn’t help getting the lot of them. Did you see their faces? I think they all believed the Hamptons had gotten the better of me.” She laughed again. “You’re right, I am Roz… mainly because no one else wanted the job.”

  Maddie smiled, liking the woman who, like herself, had started life as a human. Maddie sat down and looked at the plate of food. “I can’t believe I’m this hungry, but Darby, your cook is amazing.”

  “She is,” agreed Darby, obviously enjoying having her friends around her.

  “It’s the wolf DNA,” said Roz.

  “I’m… I’m not a wolf.”

  “No, but Sky said it looked this morning like you’d had several injections of it overnight.”

  “Oh, my God, Roz,” said Skylar.

  Maddie started laughing. “More like numerous,” she said, causing the rest of them to join in the laughter. “So I’m going to have a ravenous appetite?”

  “Yep. And best of all,” said Roz, leaning into her, “should you choose to become a wolf, between your dramatically increased sex life and your new metabolism, you can pretty much eat whatever you want. I swear they try to persuade you to turn with all this longer, healthier life bullshit. What they need to lead with is eat everything you want and never gain an ounce. Then if you get mated to an alpha you get knotted and tied.” She turned to look at Skylar. “I still haven’t forgiven you for not telling me about that, by the way.”

  Skylar laughed, happy to see her former beta in such good spirits. “I’ll try to figure out a way to make that up to you.”

  The women finished their breakfast. Maddie again was struck by the strong bonds that the wolf society seemed to have—not only within their packs but this group of women in particular to each other. After they had finished and caught each other up on the latest news, they pushed back from the table.

  “So, ladies,” said Darby, “as Jean-Michel is insistent we not leave the plantation, I’ve arranged for some pampering to come to us.”

  “Why don’t you girls go ahead, I think maybe I am in a unique position to answer some questions Maddie might have right about now.”

  “Good idea,” said Summer.

  The rest of the women adjourned to another room.

  “Why don’t we go find somewhere more private and have us a little girl talk?” said Roz, drawing Maddie out of her chair and linking her arm in hers.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Griffin entered the room and was introduced to both Oliver Halsey of the Hamptons and Dylan Grainger of Calon Gwyllt—the man who was mated to Skylar.

  Oliver extended his hand. “Griffin, I’ve heard good things about you. Welcome and thank you for agreeing to meet with us.”

  Dylan stood back and watched Griffin. He knew the man by reputation, but was unsure as to how he might react having seen his brother’s former mate marked and claimed by another. Griffin’s easy smile allayed his concerns.

  “Dylan, welcome to the family so to speak. When we’re finished here, Ioan sent me with a sealed envelope for you. It’s from my brother.”

  “It isn’t ticking, is it?” asked Dylan.

  Griffin laughed. “No. And it doesn’t feel like it has the strap he used to have to take to her backside.”

  Dylan laughed as well. Both Oliver and Jean-Michel relaxed visibly. While both had known the two men would find a way to work together because of the importance of the gathering, they were pleased to see each was willing to accept the other and his place in Skylar’s life.

  “That’s a shame. I hear from Ioan it was very effective.”

  “It was after the fact… not so much as a deterrent.”

  Jean-Michel called for his beta and omega to join them. The six men sat down at the conference table.

  “So, Griffin,” said Oliver, “is it as bad as we’ve heard in Eastern Europe?”

  “I’m afraid so. And it’s spreading. I’d say all over Eastern Europe and fairly widespread through Central Europe. I’ve been in covert ops and have seen my share of nightmares, but I’m not sure I’ll ever forget what I saw. Women were chained to beds and used whenever one of the men involved was capable of breeding her.”

  Griffin went on to describe the circumstances of the women he was able to rescue and get into stable packs where they wouldn’t be mistreated.

  “The worst of it,” he continued, “was that packs with men I’ve known for years were involved. Packs I thought might be safe, I had to bypass for fear I’d b
e taking those women out of the frying pan and into the fire. In the best circumstances one woman would be shared amongst four or five men who would take turns breeding her. Once she was pregnant and delivered the offspring, they’d determine the sire and she’d be formally mated to him. In one or two instances the woman seemed fine with it, but most often… the haunted looks and the way they would flinch was enough to make you want to declare war on all of them and wipe them out.”

  “Shit,” said Dylan. “And Skylar thought her girls were given no choice.”

  “Some of those men I mentioned are still good men and want no part of this. A few have agreed to work with us if we move against them.”

  “There are also whole packs who are turning a blind eye and a few who will join us in a fight. Our mutual friend Marco DeMedici being among the latter,” said Jean-Michel.

  Jean-Michel flicked a switch and the conference table lit up with a projection of the European continent. Through his own web of spies and informants, Jean-Michel was able to show the various pack territories and ones he thought might be of help. Griffin was able to add a wealth of information.

  When they had finished, the depth and breadth of the problem was clear.

  “Your friend DeMedici’s place might well be a good place to do some of the staging. Do you think he’ll sign up for that?” asked Oliver.

  Griffin and Jean-Michel looked at each other and laughed.

  “He will if he wants to be able to sleep with his eyes closed around his mate.”

  The rest of the group chuckled.

  “Not a quiet, demure girl, I take it?” asked Dylan. “What is it about the spitfires? My beta Nick swore all he wanted in a mate was a quiet girl who liked to fuck and made his life easy. Bianca is the best thing that ever happened to him, but quiet she is not.”

  “My brother always said that an alpha was only as good and as strong as his mate,” said Griffin.

  “Your brother was a wise and good man.”

  The men spent what little time remained before dinner making an outline of what needed to be covered with those who had been arriving and would arrive first thing in the morning.

  “Well, mes amies, we should probably go collect our mates and get ready for dinner. I fear we may find with all of the former Bae Diogel pack here this weekend, that they incite each other to a bit more misbehavior than usual.”

  * * *

  Roz and Maddie had found that Jean-Michel’s office was not in use. They had checked with the general manager of the plantation, Vachon, who had indicated they were welcome to use it for a private conversation.

  “So,” Roz said, sitting down and making herself comfortable. “I suspect you have lots of questions. I’m happy to answer any and all of them as honestly as I can.”

  “Thank you. I’ve just had so much thrown at me. I’m not sure of anything.”

  “Here’s the thing, Maddie. Oliver was very impressed with you last year. He said most women, especially human women, would have been panicked and completely overwhelmed by what happened. He said that you were cool as a cucumber and seemed able to digest the information he gave you. And you’ve kept our existence a secret. Whatever comes of this thing with… Griffin? That’s his name, right?”

  Maddie nodded.

  “You’ll be able to handle it. What do you want to know first?”

  “I don’t even know that. How about just start with the beginning. How did you get turned?”

  Roz smiled. “My sister and I thought we had won an all-expense paid vacation to the Hamptons. Big swanky hotel; our own private cabana. Only it was a trap. A small, desperate pack out of Pennsylvania had set it up hoping to trap a woman they could turn and take back with them. They were thrilled when it was my sister and me. They couldn’t believe their luck.”

  Roz went on to give Maddie a brief rundown of all that had happened—waking up at Oliver’s compound, leaving, living on her own, finding Bae Diogel, and then being disbanded and put into pairings.

  “How could they think that was right?” asked Maddie, thinking that perhaps she had been too kind in her assessment of the wolfen society.

  “Not all of them did. My Oliver among them. Dylan and several others cautioned disbanding Bae Diogel, not because the knuckleheads wanted to admit that a group of women didn’t need them, but because it might mean the Council would start trying to impose their antiquated ways of thinking on other packs. Dylan and the rest truly believed that the best thing they could do for us was to step in and handle it. As much as I hate to admit it, they were right. I think few of us would have ended up happy had it not been for Dylan and those who chose to stand with him stepping in.”

  “But you didn’t want to be with Oliver.”

  Roz laughed. “Not at first. He forced me to run and ran me to ground. Then made me take my vows accepting him as my alpha.”

  “Didn’t you hate him?”

  “At first. Skylar had already begun making a life with Dylan and clued me in on some things. And then Oliver seduced the hell out of me. Oh, my God! I’ve had lovers that I thought were truly top shelf. None of them ever came close to Oliver… ever. And after he’d knotted and tied me to him for the first time? I was all in.” Roz laughed again, remembering.

  “Yeah, about that knot thing. I saw Griffin’s this morning.”

  “Scary things, the first time you see them.”

  “Looks like they aren’t all that comfortable for them either.”

  “Mother Nature’s way of leveling the playing field. They aren’t. They are extremely uncomfortable anywhere outside of a woman’s pussy.”

  “That thing won’t fit.”

  “Oh, he’ll make it fit. And when he first breaches you with it, it hurts like a sonofabitch. It’s worse than losing your virginity. But a good alpha knows to just be still and let your body accommodate him. Then the damn thing swells up, sealing you to him. That feels incredible for you and is excruciating to them. But then they start to do this kind of rocking thing. I can’t even begin to describe the intensity of feelings, both physical and emotional. It is beyond words. It’ll make you lose your mind.”

  “What’s the tie?”

  “After he comes and my God it feels like he’s got a fire hose in there—there’s so much of it and it just gushes out. But he’ll still be sealed to you… for a couple of hours. It too is intense but in a more quiet way. I never feel closer to Oliver than I do when I’m tied to him.”

  Maddie couldn’t help buy envy whatever experience it was that put that look on Roz’s face.

  “I’m telling you,” continued Roz, “if they want a woman to agree to be turned, they need to lead with you can eat anything you want, the sex is amazing, and the whole knot and tie thing. Nothing you’ve ever done sexually can prepare you for how incredible it feels. So, I take it you enjoyed having sex with Griffin.”

  Maddie burst out laughing. “You don’t pull any punches, do you?”

  “Nope. Life’s too short even when you’re a wolf.” Roz watched as Maddie’s face took on a well sated glow she knew all too well. “Amazing, isn’t it?”

  “I’ve always had a good time in bed. Always been able to achieve orgasm, but nothing like last night. I write romance novels for a living. And if I put that scene in a book, Jamie, my editor, would have a field day slashing it to hell.”

  Roz laughed. “And that’s not even taking his knot. Anyone tell you the downside?”

  “You mean the whole turning me might kill me and oh, by the way, the men think it’s their right to spank you whenever you piss them off?”

  “Yeah, the first one is overrated, especially if you have a physician who understands the process. I suspect that’s why Oliver brought Greg if you were so inclined. Honestly, I think it’s much harder for those who have to witness it. The one being turned is out of it for the most part. You wake up with what feels like the mother of all hangovers but that goes away in a couple of days and then you feel great! And if you were sick, it’s gone. My sister
had a cancer of the blood. The human medical society didn’t think she’d live another six months. She gets turned? Presto, change-o, she’s cured. And falls stupid for our beta, Bash. Never been happier.”

  “So you didn’t fall for Oliver right away?”

  Roz laughed. “He was in Europe when they brought Liza and me home. He says he looked at the picture Bash sent him and was relieved to hear that Bash was called to the blonde—my little sister. He came home all ready to seduce me into his bed, and I was gone. He tried for several years to catch me and bring me home. So when he heard I was at Bae Diogel, he moved heaven and earth to maneuver me into his evil clutches.”

  “Stupidly in love with him?”

  “Worse. I make my romantic, over-the-moon little sister look like she ain’t trying.” Roz laughed again. “He’s everything I ever dreamed of and all the things I didn’t even know to dream.”

  “So how do you deal with getting disciplined?”

  “First, you quit dancing around it. You get your ass beat… you get spanked. Hurts like hell, but it really does resolve things on both parts and the sex afterward is mind-blowing.”

  Roz looked at Maddie squirming uncomfortably.

  “So been there, done that?” she asked.

  “I’m afraid so. The worst part is I got so turned on.”

  “I know, annoying, isn’t it?”

  “Very,” laughed Maddie. “Darby said that Jean-Michel had told her he’d never spank her harder than he was prepared to love her afterward.”

  “Did you get to experience corner time?”

  “No! I would never…”

  “Oh, yes, you will. Not a lot of fun, but the sooner you just shut up and stand there, the sooner they’ll let you out of it. And they can come up with a whole list of ways to add to your punishment. Oliver tends to ground me to our room. I hate that. I so love being with the rest of our pack. I think he likes it because then I’m even happier to see him when he joins me.”

  “Do you think Griffin knows all of this?”