by A. Mashburn
“Don’t worry. Your mate is the one destined to be yours for all time. He’s the other half of your soul as you are his. You will not be rejected,” he assured her.
She smiled at him as she climbed down from the rock. “I pray to the Moon Goddess you are right.” And with one last look in his direction, she swam away.
When she got out of the water, he watched her beautiful body as it emerged. Droplets rolled over her hourglass shape, down her perfect ass and long shapely thighs, into the grass where she stood. Her raven-black hair flowed down her back in perfect contrast with her caramel skin. He was not ashamed as she looked around and caught him ogling her body and he knew she wasn’t either. Not that she had anything to be embarrassed about—her body was sublime.
There was a fire in her eyes as she looked at him over her shoulder. “Jade?”
He coughed and cleared his voice, which was suddenly thick with desire, “Yeah?”
“Make sure when you find your mate, you love her better than you loved the Princess. Maybe your mate could even help you to protect her.” She gave him a half-smile and shifted into her sleek white and black wolf. She was midnight black with a white face and paws and ice-blue eyes that shone like glaciers in the sunlight. Her wolf's body was larger than most females because of her Alpha blood, but she had a sleek frame that made Archer purr in delight.
It would hurt too much to tell her he had no mate, so he let her think what she would. His destined mate, however, had died at the hands of his own brother, or so he had thought until recently. He pondered that for a moment. Archer, did you feel the mate pull towards Gretchen?
If I had, I wouldn’t have intended to kill her initially, Archer answered honestly.
“Go ahead make yourself comfortable wherever you want while this is finishing up.” Nicoli motioned around the small room. “If you’re more comfortable at the table, have at it; but you’re more than welcome to set the pillows up on the bed, sit back and turn the TV on if you want.”
She bit her lip and admitted to herself that the bed sounded more comfortable than the oak chair she had been sitting in. After a little internal deliberation, she decided to take advantage of Nicoli’s hospitality. “You know, I’ve never had a man cook for me before,” she said as she climbed up into the king-size bed and arranged the pillows in a comfortable position.
“I do know that, actually.” He smiled.
“Oh yeah, you’ve been my shadow stalker for the last what, decade at least?”
“Yeah, something like that.” His eyes twinkled with mirth as he sat a small bed table in front of her and another on the other side as he placed the plates down.
“This smells amazing, Nicoli.” She beamed up at him and took a bite, moaning, “Oh my God, this is the best chicken parm I’ve ever had, and I love Italian.” She groaned as her tastebuds delivered the savory delight, then took another large bite. “Where did you learn to cook like this?”
Her love for food made him smile as he asked, “Red wine?” He held up a bottle.
She put up her finger indicating to wait a moment while she swallowed the food in her mouth. “Yes, please.”
“I learned to cook from my grandmother. She always said that when I found my mate, I was to treat her like the Queen she was and wine and dine her with food made with my own hands. I liked the thought of that, so I was an attentive student.”
She smiled up at him and then frowned. “You say mate with such an affectionate tone.”
“Ahh, you caught that, did you?” he said with a cheesy grin.
“Forgive me for being naïve, but is a mate like a boyfriend or a girlfriend for our kind?”
He sighed and shook his head. “Yes and no.” She frowned harder and he chuckled again.
“Typically, this is a conversation between a parent and his or her pups. But since your memories are locked away, I’m not surprised you don’t remember the conversation. All Werekind and other mythological creatures have mates and are taught our entire lives to respect the mate bond.” He checked to see if she was keeping up and she nodded enthusiastically.
“Obviously, we are born with a soul, but typically we gain our wolves around the age of sixteen to eighteen-ish, very rarely sooner because when we gain our animal counterpart, we also gain a mate. There are a few exceptions to when we get our mate, but it all depends on if we both have our animal counterparts since that’s what tethers us to the other person. A mate is created as the person who is supposed to balance us out, the other half of our souls. Mates will challenge each other to be better people, just by being present and sometimes it’s with a less than gentle nudge. It depends on the people and the bond. Regardless, typically you only have one, and in very few instances, you get a second chance mate, but it’s unheard of to have a third chance.”
Her eyebrows furrowed as she frowned. “Uhm, okay, that’s a lot to take in. Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure, if you think your brain won’t melt.” He cocked his eyebrow at her and gave her a lopsided grin.
“Ha—Ha—Ha.” She rolled her eyes at him. “If I overstep, just let me know, okay?”
“Alright, shoot.”
“Have you found your mate?”
He was silent for a long moment before clearing his throat and looking away. “Uhm, that’s a hard question to answer right now, Gretchen.”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pried. The whole concept of everything you’re telling me is just so new to me. I know that I should know these things but until I get my memories back, I’m kind of relying on you.” She looked at him again and sighed. “Listen, the reason I asked was that I heard the obvious affection you have for a mate. I would hate to think that because you’ve been watching over me, you may have missed that connection with the one person you were meant to be with.”
She felt the bed dip as he leaned over and placed his hand below her chin and made her look up at him. “Watching over you has been the greatest honor of my life, understood?” She tried to look away from his intense stare, but he stopped her. “Gretchen, look at me,” he said sternly, and she did. “You need to understand something. My mate is a touchy subject because, well—” he sighed and continued, “because she doesn’t realize we’re mates. Her wolf recognizes me, though, and I can feel the pull. But there is nothing either of us can do because protecting you and ensuring that you are safe has been both of our first priorities. Being your guardian, watching you grow and keeping you safe, has been the greatest honor I could have ever hoped for. You must believe me when I tell you; I would do it all over again with no regrets.”
The sincerity that reflected both in his eyes and in his voice cut Gretchen to her soul. She didn’t know why his words broke her heart, but it did. “I just wish there was a way for you to have both your mate and be my guardian.”
He swiped away a renegade tear and said, “You never know, Aingeal—maybe one day. But for now, I’ll just have to be patient and trust that she will accept me when the time comes. Until then, you and I have to work on a plan to get your memories back and unbind Genesis.”
With that, she grinned at him. “I have my passport already because I travel for work. I can book us a flight to Romania next week if you’ve got yours?”
He frowned at that. He didn’t want to wait a week and he definitely didn’t like flying in an aircraft.
“Nicoli?” Gretchen prompted.
“Sorry, yeah, that’s fine. But I think we should leave sooner. Maybe this weekend?”
“Well, I don’t have work lined up until next season, and everything I’m working on right now can be done remotely. But I don’t know if I can get lodging and tickets in just two days.”
He grinned at her. “I’ll take care of that. You just be packed and ready to go.”
She smiled back at him and felt the excitement bubbling inside of her. “Alright, two days then.” She paused briefly. “Uhm, Nicoli? Where’s my Jeep?” she asked as an afterthought.
He laughed, “You’r
e just thinking of that now?”
“Yeah, this has been a lot to take in.” She frowned wondering if she would ever work it out.
“Of course it has and I’ve got to say I’m pretty impressed with how well you’ve taken it. But, in answer to your question, your Jeep is still in the parking lot at the gym; both your gun and hunting knife are over there.” He pointed to the dresser.
“Oh my God, my phone; where’s my phone?” She jumped up from the bed and began to look around the room.
“I assume in your Jeep, why?”
Gretchen pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration and placed her hand on her hip. “Oh nothing, my roommate has probably blown up my phone a bajillion times and might have even sent a search party, that’s all,” she answered sarcastically.
He eyed her knowingly. “Oh yes, Mo. Okay, let’s get you back to her.”
“Do you know her?” The way he said that made Gretchen feel a little uneasy.
He stood and pointed his thumb at himself. “Stalker, remember? I’ve seen Mo around enough to see how protective she is of you.”
Still, Gretchen eyed him wearily. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not telling me something?” She watched as his shoulders stiffened and she knew she was right. “Nicoli? What is it?”
“Listen, there is a lot you don’t know and a lot that I can’t say until your memories are restored. It’s not that I don’t want to; it’s just hard to explain.”
She couldn’t help but be miffed at his response. “Well, whose fault is that?”
He frowned and pursed his lips together as he ran his hands through his black hair, trying to decide what to tell her. “I didn’t bind you, Gretchen.” He decided on the truth.
“Your mother, the Queen,” he answered her unasked question, “gave me the potion for you to take that would bind your wolf, your powers and your memories. In the letter she gave me, she explained that it was the only way to keep you safe and if the time came where the binding failed, or began to, she’d let me know where to go to restore your memories or be re-bound.”
“But I thought you went to Slovenia?”
“I did. Before I gave you the potion, I wanted to know what exactly it would do and make sure it was reversible. Not that I didn’t trust your mother, of course. I needed to keep you safe, but not at the risk of losing you forever.” He gave her a half-smile, cupped her face and put his forehead to hers. “You’re too important. You don’t know how much so, but hopefully, once we get to Romania, that will change. Now, we should really go before Mo files a missing person’s report,” he offered, amused.
The feeling of his skin against hers lit her up like a fire from the inside out and she found herself not so worried about the ramifications of not going home. “Well, I have to be missing for over twenty-four hours before the police will do anything. I am an adult, after all. So, I could stay a little while longer.” As she spoke, her body leaned into his and she felt him tense as her hands slithered around his waist.
“Why am I so drawn to you, Nicoli? Why do I trust you even though my common sense tells me there’s no way all of this is true?” she asked softly.
He gulped audibly. “Gretchen, we should get you home.”
She could feel his pulse accelerate and even as he said those words, she felt his hands snake around her waist and pull her body flush against his. As one hand glided up her spine to the nape of her neck, he pulled gently on her hair and tilted her head back so he could see her clearly. As she looked into his eyes, she saw passion so bright it was as though embers danced in the turquoise depths.
She gasped at the sudden reminder that he was more than just a man. She licked her lips as he bent towards the junction where her neck and shoulders met and ran his nose gently up the side to her jaw, inhaling deeply. The movement sent shockwaves of pleasure through her body, a small groan left her lips in anticipation of a repeat kiss or the possibility of more.
She couldn’t slow her rapid pulse when she felt his mouth on hers as it began to move against her own. Her heart tugged at the tenderness behind the kiss, a burning desire sliced her to her core. She heard a low rumble that emitted from the center of Nicoli’s chest that sent tingles of awareness up her spine. As the kiss deepened, he licked her lips to gain entry, which she readily allowed. Their tongues knew this dance well, as if they had done this before, but she knew that couldn’t have been right. She was sure she would have remembered something as profound as his kiss.
Their bodies moved together, her hands roaming his body as she felt the hard planes of his muscles. She ran her hands up and around his neck as he moved his down under her thighs, lifting her from the ground as she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. He took one step, lips still locked, her hands clutched his hair as the kiss became more desperate. Two steps, three, and she felt the cool hard wall against her back but it did little to quell the burning desire that raged through her body.
His hands found the hem of her sweater and one of his rough, calloused palms found the bare skin at her waist. As he gripped her tightly, she could feel his hard length at her core. As he ground against her, she moaned loudly as she tilted her head back giving him free access to her neck. He ground against her again as his hands gripped the flesh of her ass through her pants and she whimpered at the pressure he had placed between her legs.
“You feel that?” He growled into her neck. “Goddess, Aingeal, I want you so bad it hurts.”
The sound of his gruff, husky voice sent chills through her body; her skin prickled with awareness. “Nicoli—” she panted and pulled his lips to hers. No longer sweet or tender, but fire meeting fire. Their eyes glowed with unbridled passion. Heat radiated from their bodies and raised the temperature in the room. Her hands reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head as he did the same to her sweater.
Nicoli curled his body as he kissed down her neck and raised her higher so he could bury his face in her lace-clad breasts. He growled and nipped at the tender skin there, as a whimper escaped her lips at the sensation.
“Nicoli—” she breathed out. The scents of arousal and passion enveloped them and permeated the room.
“My name on your lips like this will be my undoing, Aingeal,” he growled as he ground his hardness against her again.
“Nicoli, please,” she pleaded with him for more. He grinned against her skin as he suckled and nipped everywhere his mouth touched. Her hands pulled at his hair and roamed the large expanse of his chest, sliding down to his pecks where she pinched his nipple. A guttural groan rose from Xander. His eyes flashed with awareness and Nicoli had to push him back down as he heard him say, well, that’s not very fair, my friend.
You’ll see Genesis soon enough.
It was enough of a reality check, though, for Nicoli to at least give her a chance. “Gretchen, if we don’t stop now, I don’t think I’ll be able to. You don’t have your memories; you hardly know me.”
“My body knows you, my heart knows you, and I don’t want to wait until my mind catches up. Nicoli, I want you… I need you.”
And that was that. Nicoli’s restraint snapped and he kissed Gretchen again, as he stoked the flames of passion between them and her hand drifted down his body. He moved back to give her access to whatever she wanted while his cock twitched in anticipation. He bent his knee and she slid back straddling it as her soft hands found the hem of his sweats. “God, you are so sexy,” she breathed out as she traced the lines of his pelvis. She slid her hand inside his pants and traced her fingers along his aching shaft, then moved even further south, cupping his heavy sack in the palm of her hand.
Nicoli hissed and his canines elongated as he tore through the front of her bra with his teeth, her large breasts bursting free from their wretched cage. He latched on to one perky nipple as he groped the other breast with his hand tightly. She massaged his balls and gently tugged, the sensation sending waves of pleasure up his spine. Both of them were moaning and grunting in sheer ecstasy as
Nicoli heard his name being yelled outside the door.
“Fuck,” he growled in frustration and Gretchen eyed him quizzically. She heard him as he began counting to ten and breathed deeply as his chest expanded. He leaned over to hand her his discarded shirt and then pointed at the door.
“Nicoli, Nicoli,” a frantic female voice started shouting and banging on the door. The flames of passion easily morphed in to rage and jealousy as Gretchen recognized that voice; she could have sworn that was—she looked at Nicoli, mouth agape not wanting to believe what she had heard.
He put his hands up in surrender and lifted his head and bared his neck to Gretchen. “It’s not what you’re thinking, I swear it.”
Gretchen’s heart slowed and the fury she had slipped away as she realized she believed him.
The female's voice sounded off again, “Nicoli, stop screwing around. I don’t give a flying fuck what she-wolf you’re with; open the door before I bust it down. Gretchen is missing.”
The pounding continued as Nicoli placed Gretchen on her feet as he stomped to the door and cracked it just a bit. “You have the worst timing in the fucking world, you know that?”
Gretchen couldn’t help but grin as she held his shirt across her naked breasts while she walked over to the kitchen. Out of the corner of his eye, Nicoli saw Gretchen pick up her ruined bra and place it in the trash. She leaned back against the counter and he noticed a wicked glint in her eyes as she removed the shield his shirt had once created and began to trace circles around her nipples, returning them to their previous hardened state. She watched him with hooded eyes as his body stiffened.
She grinned devilishly and knew full well what she was doing to him.
“Nicoli, are you listening to me?” The woman snapped her fingers in his face to get his attention.
“Yes,” he growled at her, his eyes never left the curvaceous woman who now leaned against the counter. The female, who was at that moment, allowing one hand to slowly trail down her stomach to the waist of her pants. As her hand disappeared under the fabric, his mouth went dry and his aching member throbbed mercilessly, painfully so. Her head fell back in a silent moan, her red hair cascading down her back as she pinched her nipple, teasing him.