Chapter Fifteen
A guttural groan slipped past Cord’s lips just before he wrapped his arms around Winn and pulled her against his body. When she moaned, he took full advantage by sliding his tongue between her lips.
Winn felt off-balance about every other aspect of her life, but this made sense. She might not remember much about Cord, but her body recognized him. It seemed every part of her being recognized him. Inside, she felt the stirrings of her jaguar, and she gasped in surprise. Although, she wasn’t sure how she knew it; she’d never shifted and suspected she didn’t feel a strong bond to that part of herself.
Cord pulled back and scented the air before studying her. “I was right,” he murmured, brushing his lips against hers again. “You’re very good at masking your scent, but you seem to have trouble doing it when you’re aroused, like you are now.”
“You smell her?” Winn asked.
Cord’s brow furrowed, and he looked genuinely confused by her question. “Her?” he asked. “Your jaguar isn’t a separate entity. You are the jaguar.”
Winn opened her mouth to reply and closed it. She wasn’t quite sure what to say, or how to explain what she felt. What Cord said made sense. When she was with him, she sensed he was both cougar and man. With Vexx, she had sensed her being both cougar and witch. They weren’t two separate beings sharing the same space, so she knew that’s how it was meant to be. Still, she felt separate from the jaguar. “I don’t feel that way about her,” Winn admitted.
“It could be your mage side,” he remarked, brushing her hair back from her face. “I wish I hadn’t said anything. It wasn’t my intention to upset you.”
Winn wanted desperately to get back to the abandon she’d experienced when Cord was kissing her, so she grabbed his hair, pulling his head toward hers. Cord groaned at her bold move, and his arms tightened around her waist as his mouth settled over hers. His kiss was anything but tentative, and Winn soon found herself clutching his biceps, struggling to get closer to him.
Cord tore his mouth from hers, looking at her with eyes so hot they warmed her all the way to her core. “I want you so badly,” he rasped out.
His words spurred her jaguar on, and pins and needles moved along her skin as the jaguar shifted and stretched, trying to bring them closer to Cord, their mate. Reaching up, she placed a hand on the back of his head to draw his mouth closer to hers again, and he immediately obliged, letting her control things, even though she sensed that went against his nature. Still, he let her kiss him, tease his lips with her tongue while gripping his hair. Cord’s erection pressed against her belly, and she felt no shyness as she reached between them to grip it. That one action seemed to snap Cord’s control, and he bit her lower lip, sliding his tongue into her mouth when she moaned. Her hand tightened around his erection, and he growled into her mouth.
His kiss became ravenous, and Winn found it impossible to hold back her needy little whimpers. When his thumb brushed against one of her nipples, her hand tightened on his cock, and he broke the kiss, hissing as if in pain.
“We need to stop before things get too out of control,” he said with obvious regret.
“Why?” she asked, blinking in confusion. “We’re mates. I’m assuming we’ve never been intimate since you just found me.”
A strained chuckle slipped past Cord’s lips. “Intimate? I can’t believe you used such a pristine word to describe the dirty things I want to do to your body. No, I haven’t claimed you.”
“We are mates, so it only makes sense for us to be together this way,” she continued.
“You don’t remember me, Winn,” he told her, pulling her hand away from his cock. “I’m essentially a stranger to you. More than that, you’re a stranger to yourself.”
“I need you,” she practically pleaded, aching to have him in her.
There was a moment of indecision before he lifted her and carried her into his bedroom. She inhaled deeply and shuddered as the scent of his arousal wrapped around her. Dropping to his knees on the pallet, Cord gently laid her down, and she allowed her gaze to travel along his tanned skin, skin that seemed both familiar and strange. When she reached for the fastenings on his shorts, he caught her hand.
“No,” he told her. “Not like this, Winn.”
“Why?” she asked.
“I want more than anything to take you and mark you,” he admitted. “I want you to be mine completely, but I’m not being totally honest.”
“You lied to me?” she asked, her arousal fading some.
“I didn’t tell you everything,” he admitted.
She considered his words for a moment, not really upset with him. “You already told me you couldn’t reveal everything because it would be better if my memory comes back naturally.”
“This is something I should reveal,” he muttered, climbing off the pallet and stalking across the room before turning to face her. “We are mates. I felt it when we first met. I only got to spend a few hours with you before you left.”
“When you said you’d just found me again recently, I assumed I’d left for some reason, even if it doesn’t make sense. Why would I have left?” she asked. “I feel safe with you, drawn to you, and I know you’re my mate.”
“You have no idea how much I needed to hear that, but it still doesn’t change the fact that you had reasons for leaving me. You’re a mage, and from what you told me, that means you need to stay separate from emotions. I’d never met a mage before, and you made a good argument for why it’s so important to protect the environment. At the time, I was fighting for the same thing, so I got it. While I didn’t want to let you go, you’d never have forgiven me if I’d tried to make you stay.”
The idea that she had a higher purpose seemed foreign. The only thing she felt was her connection to Cord. That was the only thing she remembered, and she didn’t want to lose that.
“When you came here, I was planning to do whatever it took to claim you and mark you,” he admitted. “The last century away from you has been hell.”
“A century?” she asked.
“A little more than that,” he replied.
“I must have been very cold to have left you,” she said softly. “Even though I don’t remember my life, I know it’s unnatural for mates to be separated. I hurt you, and I must have known I was hurting you at the time.”
“You had a higher purpose,” he reminded her.
She met his eyes. “I made you suffer. I’m not sure I like the woman I was before I lost my memory.”
“Maybe that’s because you don’t remember your higher purpose,” Cord suggested.
Winn shook her head. “It’s wrong to hurt others, and I hurt you.”
Cord looked stunned. “Hurt? I wouldn’t say you hurt me. You left, and yes, I felt a sense of loss because you’re my mate.”
When she didn’t say anything, he let out a sigh. “It hurt. Being away from you was like having a limb missing. The day I let you go, I told you if I found you again I would mark you and never let you go. It’s what I planned the moment I saw you, but this isn’t what I was picturing. Taking advantage of you like this would be wrong, and I’m not sure you’d forgive me.”
“I want you to claim me,” she told him, her blood heating, making her feel wild. “Nothing can change that.”
“You don’t even remember who you are,” he argued.
“I know who I’m meant to be,” she insisted. “Please, Cord. Every part of me feels like I made a horrible mistake leaving you. The pain wasn’t one-sided, I’m sure of it. The only thing I remembered was you, so you must have been much more important than I was willing to admit. There are many things I’m not sure of at the moment, but you aren’t one of them. I appreciate you trying to protect me from making a mistake, but I don’t need to be protected from you.”
Winn stripped the shirt over her head, leaving her naked. She reached out a hand to Cord.
Cord only hesitated for a moment before stalking across the room and dropping to hi
s knees on the bed. Pulling Winn close, he kissed her, and the aching fire in her body became nearly all-consuming, seeming to thaw parts of her long-frozen. She reached for his shorts, desperate to touch him, and Cord didn’t push her away this time. Once his erection sprang free, she ran her hand up and down his shaft, enjoying the way he shivered under her touch.
Breaking the kiss, Cord pulled her hand away from his cock. “Enough of that, or I won’t last long.”
“Please,” she panted out. “I ache.”
Cord guided her back onto the bed and kissed his way down her body. She watched him with fascination as he settled between her legs, using his fingers to open her for his tongue to stroke her clit.
Winn moaned, and her eyes drifted closed, allowing the sensations to wash over her. His tongue was hot and slightly rough, scraping against her sensitive nub with just the right pressure. Her hips rolled against his mouth while her hands gripped the sheets beneath her.
The whimpers coming from the back of her throat sounded wild and almost animalistic as Cord’s tongue began to move against her clit with more urgent strokes. Her body tightened. She was close to the edge when Cord’s strokes gentled just enough to draw out her pleasure. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to moan at how good it felt or scream at him for not taking her over the edge she’d been perched on. It was such exquisite torture, she almost hoped it never ended.
When Cord’s tongue left her, she whimpered and clutched at his hair, trying to push him closer again. Cord’s response was a strained chuckle. “I promise to make you come on my tongue later. For now, I need to be in you when you climax. I need my cock buried deep in your body and my teeth in your throat.”
Winn moaned.
“Let go of my hair, honey, so I can make you mine,” he coaxed.
When she released his hair, Cord ran his tongue along her inner-thigh, making her shudder under him. Working his way back up her body, he took his time, savoring every part of her. His tongue stroked one nipple while the pad of his thumb brushed against the other.
“They’re so sensitive,” he praised. “I could enjoy these for hours. What do you think of that? Should I suckle these until they’re aching? Look how they’re practically begging me to feast on them.” To emphasize his point, Cord took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked hard.
“Please,” she panted out. “I can’t take any more teasing. Please make me yours and prove to me you’re mine.”
A low growl rumbled in the back of Cord’s throat as he positioned himself at her entrance. “I’ve always been yours,” he assured her as he slid into her body with a groan.
Winn’s breathing increased as her body stretched to accommodate him.
“You’re so tight,” he said in a strained voice.
Tears formed in her eyes, and Cord looked panicked when he saw them. “Am I hurting you?”
She shook her head, not sure how to explain the sudden onslaught of emotion. “It’s like a missing piece of me has finally been returned. I feel so much.” Trying to explain her intense reaction was impossible.
“We’re one,” he murmured, moving slowly in and out of her body, giving her time to adjust to his invasion.
The tension quickly built within her again, and Winn found herself rocking against Cord, her hips moving on instinct. As Cord’s pace increased, the passion building in her became almost violent. She lifted her body slightly to grip his ass, pulling him even closer as they rocked in time with each other. Winn’s body tightened even more, and her whimpers became screams. She was close, but she needed more, only she had no clue what she needed.
Cord pulled out and repositioned her on her hands and knees. Before she could form any protest, he thrust into her from behind. As he thrust into her body, Winn pushed back against him, increasing the delicious pressure until she was ready to scream. The unintelligible whimpers and pleas coming from her became louder as Cord continued to move in her body. When her body was coiled so tightly she felt like she’d explode any moment, Cord leaned forward to sink his teeth into the back of her neck. She cried out in ecstasy as her climax rushed through her body.
Cord groaned without removing his teeth. His cock jerked inside her as he found his own release, and her jaguar practically purred. Through it all, Winn heard herself screaming and moaning as her orgasm seemed to go on for hours. When the spasms finally eased, only one word slipped past her lips. “Mine.”
Chapter Sixteen
Looking down at his mate, Cord felt a strange mix of emotions—possessiveness, relief, and guilt. He was grateful she was finally his. Grateful actually came nowhere near describing what he felt about having his mark on Winn. His teeth were still in the back of her neck, and even though she could cover the mark with her hair, it was there, and other males would recognize her as his. A primitive part of him reveled in the knowledge that they were fully mated. He was also relieved that, even after he’d told her the truth, she’d allowed him mark her. He still felt guilty knowing, when she was herself again, she might regret allowing him to mark her.
He’d taken advantage of her situation, and some of his guilt came from the knowledge that he’d do it again, because this went beyond his desire to have his mate with him always. His mark also offered Winn more security. His clan would accept her as one of them and offer their protection. While he suspected Winn didn’t need much protection under normal circumstances, with her memory gone, she was left with fewer defenses.
Removing his teeth from her neck, Cord stared down at his mark, unable to believe he’d almost missed this opportunity by marking another female. While he’d found Quinn attractive and believed he could be content with her, he’d been almost relieved when her vampire mate had prevented him from marking her. He definitely owed the irritating vampire for saving him from making a huge mistake, not that he’d tell the vampire that.
They both settled on their sides, facing each other. Winn let out a contented sigh as her hand moved to the bite.
Cord leaned forward to rub his cheek against hers. “You seem pleased.”
“I feel complete,” she told him.
“I feel like an asshole,” Cord admitted.
Winn laughed, and it sounded more genuine than he could remember hearing from her.
“Are you laughing at me, mate?” he asked, trying to look stern but finding it hard when her laughter made him want to smile.
“Yes,” she said around a giggle that made her seem much younger than he suspected she was. “You’re so worried about doing the wrong thing and making me hate you. We’ve already been over this. The only thing I remember is you, and there must be a reason for that.”
Cord snorted. “You don’t remember me. You’re just grateful that I saved you.”
Winn looked pissed all of a sudden. “That must be why I let you mark me and have sex with me,” she snapped. “Naturally, I’m a helpless female who needs a male to take care of me.”
The wind picked up and thunder cracked in the sky.
“I’m sorry,” he began. “That was really insensitive of me. I just don’t think you can guess how you’ll feel about all this when your memory comes back.”
When he reached for her, she pulled away. “I’m going for a walk. Something tells me I need space from you.”
“I said, I was sorry,” he huffed.
“I don’t believe you,” she replied with a flip of her blonde hair. She grabbed some clothing and started to dress, much to his annoyance.
He wanted to argue and tell her she was being unreasonable, but having six daughters, he’d learned it was best to take a step back in situations like this. Obviously, he’d fucked up, even if he wasn’t quite sure how.
“Don’t wander far,” he warned when Winn reached the door, before quickly adding, “It’s for your own safety. Someone tried to kill you, and I don’t want you getting hurt.”
She nodded. “I’m just going to look around some. You’re my mate, even if you are being an ass, and I’d like to learn more abou
t your home.”
“It’s your home now,” he reminded her, and he didn’t miss her slight smile. As she walked out the door, he decided she couldn’t be too mad if she’d mentioned them being mates before leaving.
Chapter Seventeen
Mitchell was glad Rand was in charge of training that day since Rand usually let him join the classes. Shelby tended to view him as some kid who needed protection, which he was willing to admit to being. They had no clue how old he was, and Mitchell wasn’t sure if he’d known his birthday even before he’d been forcibly turned into a vampire. There were a lot of holes in his memory, but something told him his human family hadn’t done much celebrating, mostly because they were too busy surviving. From what he could remember, life had always been hard, with them struggling to make sure they had enough to eat and trying to keep others from taking their land. Still, Mitchell remembered loving his family. His mother used to tell him he’d been a gift from an angel. Now, he was the only member of his family still living. His original family, anyway.
Kyleigh and Ian were his parents now, and they’d made up a birthday for him. This year, they’d celebrated his seventeenth birthday, but none of them knew if that was his age. He supposed since he looked the same age as his classmates that was probably a good guess. Mostly, they were going by the age he’d looked when he’d first arrived since it was harder to guess age with vampires.
Other than self-defense classes taught at school, Connor didn’t usually let vampires spar in his regular training classes until they were twenty-one. It seemed like a strange rule to Mitchell since Connor had been fighting in the vampire rebellions at fifteen. Mitchell was an exception. He suspected Connor understood his need to keep busy and knew the other trainees went easy on him.
“Are you going to watch or train today?” Rand asked. When he’d first arrived at the vampire settlement, Mitchell had spent many hours watching training sessions, largely because he’d been bored. There hadn’t been much for him to do until he’d been enrolled in school. Only recently had he started to participate in training sessions part of the time.
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