by R. E. Butler
She walked to him and stood between his legs. Staring down at him, her hazel eyes flashed with heat and curiosity. Cupping his face with her warm hands, she lowered her head and brushed her lips over his.
His heart skipped a beat.
“Tell me what’s on your mind,” she whispered, her breath fanning over his face. He drank in her sweet scent, his cat practically drooling over how good she smelled.
“I want to mate you. The moment you were in my arms, I wanted to strip you in the woods, lay you down, and make you come a hundred times.”
A smile quirked the corner of her mouth. “Just a hundred?”
A little tension eased from him as he chuckled and brought his hands up to rest on her waist. “To start.”
“I want you to know something.”
“What?”
Her thumbs rubbed the sides of his face and he felt a fine tremble in her hands. “I can’t stand talking about us being together like it’s some kind of job to be done or an activity to tick off a list. I didn’t bring you home because I think you’re gorgeous – I brought you here because something deep inside me wouldn’t let me walk away. But now I need to know something.”
“Anything.”
“What’s the timeline?”
He frowned. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
“You said that when a girl catches a guy during the Hunt, she takes him home and mates him.”
“Right.”
“How long do they have? Is there a... I don’t know, a person in the prowl who checks on the new couple to make sure they’ve had sex and whatever else goes into becoming official mates?”
“You mean is there a set amount of time the pair have to consummate the mating?”
She nodded.
“Twenty-four hours. If they haven’t presented themselves to the queen by sunset the next day to prove they’re mated, one or both will be punished.”
“One or both?”
“It depends on why things didn’t move forward. Say a male didn’t want to mate the female who caught him. She could tell the queen that he refused, and he’d be punished. But if a couple chooses not to mate for a mutual reason, they could also be punished by the queen. It’s not just mating bites, it’s sex. A newly mated couple smell like each other after the mating bites and sex, and the mixed scent can’t be duplicated with only a bite.” He cleared his throat and dropped his gaze to her stomach.
“I don’t have fangs.”
“You can still bite me.”
“Won’t it hurt?”
“I won’t care, I promise.”
She opened her lips and ran her tongue slowly along her top teeth. He stifled a hard shudder that wove up his spine.
“Do I know everything?”
He looked at the digital clock on the nightstand. “You know that we’ve got less than twenty-four hours until I have to make an appearance before the queen. If I show up alone and unmated, I’ll be punished for leaving the territory during the Hunt. But I want to make this really clear – I won’t rush you into anything you’re not ready for. You’re the most important person in my world, and I don’t want to hurt you in any way. “
She tilted her head. “But if we’re not mated according to your prowl’s laws, you’ll be forced to take Sybil as your mate, right?”
He nodded.
“Well, that’s damn unacceptable.”
His cat let out a curious and hopeful yowl in his mind. “Are you certain?”
She inhaled deeply. “Yes. But you have to do something for me first.”
“Anything.”
“Ask me to be yours.”
He wrapped his hands around her wrists and kissed the inside of both palms. Then he flattened her hands on his chest over his heart, and let his cat out a little. His vision sharpened and his gums throbbed, his fingertips tingling with the press of claws. “Thea, will you be my mate? Will you let me mark you, and will you mark me, in the way of my people so that our mating will be within the bounds of our laws? Let me make you mine forever.”
She breathed his name and lowered her head to kiss him. “Yes. I’ll be yours forever. Mark me. Mate me. Love me.”
“My beautiful mate.”
Chapter Seven
Thea grabbed the hem of her top and tugged it up her stomach. Savage leaned forward and buried his face against her belly, and she felt the wash of cool air as he inhaled deeply. She took her top all the way off and tossed it behind her as Savage wrapped his arms around her and held her close.
She dropped her hands to his broad shoulders, feeling the strength and tense muscles under her fingers.
He buried his face in her soft skin and inhaled her scent, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. A purr rumbled in his chest, and she could feel the vibration.
He unhooked her bra and pulled it slowly over her arms, then dropped it to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her again and twisted on the bed, bringing her underneath him. He rose above her, straightening up on one arm and running his fingers over her jaw and down the column of her throat. His fingers made a hot trail along her skin as he swept them over her collarbone, to her shoulder, and all the way to her wrist. Lifting her hand, he kissed the inside of her wrist and met her gaze.
“Here’s where we bite,” he said, his breath fanning over her skin as he spoke. She shivered, her nipples hard little points, aching even though he hadn’t touched them. “You’ll bleed a little, but it’s part of what binds us together as mates. You’ll bite my wrist, too.”
“Why not the neck?” she asked.
“It’s not our way.”
She hummed and then closed her eyes as he kissed his way up her arm. Her body tightened as he plumped her breast and kissed the nipple. He licked a slow circle around it, dancing his tongue over it before closing his lips and sucking gently. Her skin erupted in goosebumps and she opened her eyes to watch the rapturous look on his face as he licked and sucked her nipple until her stomach twisted and she let out a moan. He kissed across the valley between her breasts and tended to her other nipple in the same way, not stopping until she was writhing under him and digging her fingernails into his arms.
He gave her a sweetly devilish grin and licked a path of fire down her belly to her navel, pressing a kiss to it before pushing himself off the bed and straightening.
Resting his fingers on the waistband of his jeans, he said, “We can’t go back after this, Thea. Once we have sex and mark each other, we’re as good as married. And not just in the eyes of my people, I’ll expect that your family and coven will understand what we are, too.”
She rose onto her elbows and stared at his lickable abs and the flat discs of his nipples that she wanted to taste and tease. “I’m not having second thoughts, are you?”
He shook his head. “Absolutely not. You’re it for me, Thea. I don’t want anyone else, ever. But I just wanted to lay it out there once more.”
“I’m yours, Savage. I want to be your mate. When we get up in the morning, I’ll take you to meet my family, and I’ll be introducing you as my mate.”
He let out a breath and she saw his shoulders droop as if he’d been worried about her answer. “Now about those pants.”
His mouth curved and his eyes darkened, from chocolate to bordering black. His fingers played at his jeans. “These?”
She nodded.
He unfastened them, far slower than necessary, and she was tempted to help him out so he could stop teasing her. But she liked that he was having fun, because she sure was. Still, there was an edge of seriousness to what they were doing. It was for his safety, but she wasn’t tumbling in the sheets with him simply to save him from being forced to mate the bitch-princess. She wanted to be his. She hadn’t been looking for a mate, but she wasn’t about to let him slip through her fingers.
He shoved his jeans down his legs suddenly, toed off his shoes, and kicked his jeans to the side. He straightened and leaned over her, undoing her jeans and hooking his fingers again
st her skin so he could draw her panties and jeans off together. She laid back fully on the bed and lifted her hips, and when she was naked, he put one knee on the bed and froze as he stared at her.
She opened her mouth to ask what he was thinking when he let out a growl that made her spine tingle.
“Fuck, you’re so beautiful.” He put his hand on her knee and gently pushed it, and she spread her legs and bent her knees to make room for him as he settled on his knees between her legs. He gave her a sweet smile laced with enough heat to set her skin on fire, and then he leaned in closer, his lips brushing lightly over her hips and sending goosebumps racing over her flesh. He settled on the bed and curled his hands over her hips, leisurely licking a slow line up the apex of her thighs. His tongue curled lightly around her clit and she shivered, biting her bottom lip. He pulled her close and played with her, licking and tasting, freeing one of his hands to stroke her with his fingers, adding to the sensations that coursed through her. She crested a wave of pleasure and arched her back, crying out his name and grasping at his head, holding him close. He prowled up her body with a soft growl and when he hovered over her, she cupped his face and drew him to her lips as he thrust home inside her. Her whole body seemed like a live wire, pleasure arcing over and over within her, over her, through her, and it was all because of Savage. This gorgeous jaguar male who'd caught her in his arms, saving her and him in the process.
As they reached a climax together, she knew in that sweet, perfect moment that they were destined to be together. It didn't really matter that he'd been on the run for his freedom in mating, or that she'd been on the hunt for a special flower. It only mattered that they were together now.
As bliss rolled through her, Thea was dimly aware of Savage bringing her wrist to his lips. She was too fogged with pleasure to even make a sound when his fangs bit into her flesh and sank deep. Her skin tingled and ached, but she couldn’t think over the sweet feelings that twisted and tumbled through her. He locked his gaze to hers and brought his wrist to her lips.
She opened her mouth wide and bit down, tasting the salt on his skin. She winced as she broke through his skin and tasted the coppery tang of his blood. He released his fangs from her wrist and gently licked the wound. She eased away from his wrist, gasping when she saw the mangled flesh.
“Savage, I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Don’t be,” he said. He licked her wound again, catching her blood on his tongue, and swiped it across his own wrist. Then he gathered his blood and did the same to her wrist. The wound began to tingle, and she watched as both of their wrists began to heal. As if answering the question she was about to ask, he continued, “It’s the mixing of our blood that encourages the accelerated healing. You’re not a shifter, so I didn’t expect you to have fangs to bite me with. I’ll wear the marks with pride because they came from you.”
The wounds continued to heal until all that was left were scars that looked as if they’d been on their skin for a long time, not mere minutes. Hers were neat circles from his fangs, and his were slashes that matched her teeth. Pride wove through her to see them on his skin, even though the action of biting into him had made her jaws ache.
He settled on his back and she snuggled against him, seeking the warmth of his skin and the sound of his heartbeat under her ear. She knew there were many things they needed to discuss, but she couldn’t stop the yawn that made her jaw crack.
She flung her arm behind her and grabbed the quilt, pulling it up and over them as much as she could.
“Cold, baby?” he asked, kissing the top of her head.
“Tired.”
“Because I rocked your world?”
She chuckled and peeked up at him. His eyes were dancing with humor. “You definitely did.”
“You did mine, too. I didn’t know it could be like this. I’m so glad you fell into my life.”
“Me, too.”
Chapter Eight
Savage dozed for a while, but his cat was too anxious to really rest. He wanted to ensure that Thea was safe, and while he was certain the coven had protections for their people, his cat wasn’t interested in being vulnerable. There were two questions running on repeat through his mind: did Sybil go immediately to the queen, and would they try to find him?
His wrist tingled where the mark Thea had given him was still healing. When he’d told her she needed to bite him to complete the mating, he wasn’t sure she’d actually be able to. He’d been willing to put up with the pain of her blunt teeth tearing through his skin so there would be no confusion about the legitimacy of their mating claim. If he’d bitten himself as well as her, it might create a loophole that the princess could exploit. He wouldn’t take any chances with Thea’s safety.
Thea.
Gorgeous on a hundred different levels. Powerful. Sweet. His.
She’d stood by his side facing an unknown foe without fear. She was worth her weight in gold.
Their children would be half-breeds, which meant they’d never be faced with the Mate Hunt. He was instantly grateful for that and hugged his sleeping sweetheart a little tighter. He pressed his nose to the top of her head and inhaled, picking up the newly mated scent that would tell everyone they were together. The mating and marking created a mixed scent for both of them – a spicy, sweet smell with a tang of citrus. He let out a soft purr and she snuggled closer, her warm breath skirting across his chest.
He hadn’t been lying when he said he didn’t know sex could be like it was between them. He’d had lovers in the past, one-nighters to take the edge off the need to mate that was always at the back of his mind. His jaguar hadn’t been content until this moment, when Thea was well and truly theirs. Every female he’d had before her was like a shadow of how amazing it was to watch her fall apart and to feel her surrounding him. He tucked one arm under his head and stared at the ceiling, the moonlight through the window casting shapes along the smooth surface.
He closed his eyes to rest, even though he knew he wouldn’t be sleeping soundly. His cat was attuned for danger because they had to keep Thea safe at all costs.
“I’m so glad you’re mine, Thea,” he whispered, spreading his fingers over her back and letting out a deep sigh. She was his and he was hers, and their lives would never be the same.
* * *
Savage woke to a soft noise outside the bedroom window. His eyes popped open immediately, his claws and fangs tingling. He heard the sound again – metal against metal.
He was out of bed and through the house in a heartbeat, rounding the corner by the bedroom with his claws and fangs bared.
A figure was bent over underneath the window, and the moonlight caught the metal in their hand. A knife!
He lunged, tackling the person away from the window. A feminine scream rent the air as the metal implement thudded a few feet away.
“Oh, help!” the woman cried, shielding her face with her arms.
Savage rolled away from the woman in confusion, sniffing the air and trying to figure out who she was. She didn’t smell like a tigress.
“Savage!” Thea called him from the front of the house.
“Back here,” he called in return, rising to his feet.
After Thea had rounded the corner of the house, Savage saw that she’d put on a robe and was using her phone’s flashlight to illuminate the ground. “Oh, Bernie!” She rushed to the woman and knelt next to her. “What are you doing here? Are you okay?”
“That brute attacked me!”
Savage pressed his lips into a thin line as Thea looked over her shoulder at him. “What?”
“My cat woke me to the sound of metal and someone underneath the window. I thought it might be someone from my prowl.”
“Oh gosh, Bernie, I’m so sorry. My mate’s a little on edge.”
The woman rose to her feet with help from Thea and harrumphed. “Well, I never!”
“Apologies,” Savage said. “I hope you’re not harmed.”
“It would take a lot more t
han a football tackle like that to take me out.”
Thea repeated herself. “Bernie, what are you doing here?”
“Harry’s knee is acting up again, and my Cat’s Claw isn’t doing well. I came to get some from your vines to help with the inflammation.”
Thea walked a few steps away and picked up a pair of shears. She clicked them together a few times, and asked, “Savage, is that the sound you heard?”
“Yes.”
She carried them to the wall and snipped several of the vines that climbed the rough surface of the cottage, then handed both to Bernie.
Savage rubbed the back of his neck as his cheeks heated in embarrassment. He’d never attacked a female before.
Bernie gave Savage a once-over and then looked at Thea with a chuckle. “I think you must have had a better night than I did. I’m sorry my actions caused you to feel like you and Thea were in danger. I’ve done this a hundred times, it’s normal in the coven. Next time I’ll knock.”
Savage lowered his hands and covered his nakedness as best he could. Thea looked like she was trying to stifle a laugh, which made him grumble.
“Night, Bernie,” Thea said, patting her shoulder.
“Goodnight to you both.”
Thea joined him as the woman walked away. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“Aside from being mortified? I’m fine.”
“It’s not uncommon for people in the coven to help themselves if they need something. Anne and I grow several plant varieties that are useful for healing and pain, and we’ve made it known that anyone can come by and take some at any time. I’ll spread the word that it should only be in the daylight from now on.”
“I don’t want to cause a problem.”
“You’re not. This is our house, and we can say when people can be here.”
“Ours?”
She smiled up at him. “Of course. We’re mates.”