by Bianca D'Arc
He nipped her again as he brought the head of his cock to her folds and slid around in the wetness there, teasing her, tormenting her, holding what she most wanted just out of reach. She tried to push back onto him, but he wouldn’t allow her to move.
“Please, Jesse. I need you,” she begged. She wasn’t above pleading for what she wanted, and he seemed to like it. She felt him pulse against her and his cock slid inside her, just the tip of him, before he stopped.
“Tell me how you feel about me, Maria. I need to hear it.”
Now? He was denying her and he wanted her to talk to him now? If she could growl like him, she would have. As it was, she turned her head to look up at him, ready to speak her mind when she saw the expression on his face.
He looked…needy. Open. Uncertain. And absolutely adorable. He’d let down his barriers and wanted her reassurance in a stunning move that made her respect him all that much more.
Her heart melted and she couldn’t deny his need.
“I love you, Jesse,” she said simply, her voice full of the love in her heart for the man who had made all her dreams of a lover come true.
His eyes showed his relief as his lips smiled in pleasure of the emotional kind. “I love you too, my mate. Don’t ever doubt it.” He shoved fully inside her, joining them in the way of mated couples.
His strokes were long and languorous at first, escalating over time into hard, fast digs that nearly lifted her knees off the bed. He moved her body around as if she weighed nothing at all, adjusting his hold on her hips and his position in her pussy to suit his whim and to bring her the most amazing pleasure she’d ever known. She came and came for him, crying out his name multiple times before he finally joined her in the spasming bliss that was theirs alone in this vast and beautiful universe.
Chapter Twelve
Jesse woke her early for more leisurely loving. They’d spent the whole night drifting between intense pleasure and blissful sleep. She woke to another round of ecstasy and then joined him in the shower for a playful romp that included a full demonstration of all the creative uses for a loofah.
Maria felt decidedly naughty when they emerged from their suite and went down for breakfast. Jesse led her to the big hall at the back of the house where meals were served. It was set with long tables and chairs and an almost overflowing buffet had been set up along one end of the room. People sat in small groups or pairs at various tables in no seeming order, and the noise level was low since it was still relatively early in the day.
“Most of us get up kind of late compared to humans,” Jesse explained as they took plates and began walking down the buffet, taking portions of whatever appealed. “The safest time to run is at night, when humans are in bed and it’s dark enough that anyone who is out and about can’t really see us.”
“That makes sense,” Maria commented as she noted the wide selection of different kinds of breakfast meats.
There was even a station where one young wolf was making omelets to order. It wasn’t terribly formal. The college-aged kid wasn’t in any sort of uniform and he was sitting at a nearby table reading what looked like a chemistry textbook until someone wanted an omelet. Everyone seemed to know everyone else and the atmosphere was friendly. Maria liked the vibe right away.
When they neared the young man studying chemistry in between making what looked like amazingly fluffy, giant omelets, Jesse greeted him with a pat on the back. He spoke a few words in the youngster’s ear and the young man immediately jumped up to make whatever Jesse had requested.
Maria already had a plate full with a couple of slices of crisp bacon and French toast dripping with butter and powdered sugar. That was plenty for her, but Jesse’s plate was already heaped with meat when he led her to a table near the center of the room. They settled in, using the thermal carafe filled with coffee already on the table to pour two cups for themselves. The young man brought over his completed creation on another plate a few minutes later. From what Maria could see, it was a four-egg omelet with all kinds of vegetables and cheese oozing out from the sides.
“So what do you think?” Jesse seemed eager for her approval and she smiled as she dug into her French toast.
“I think if you guys eat like this every day, I could get really fat here in no time at all.” She laughed, and he did too, but in the back of her mind she realized she’d have to moderate her own eating around here. She wasn’t a werewolf. She didn’t have that super-fast metabolism that allowed them all to eat so much amazingly good food.
“You’re perfect, Maria. You will always be perfect to me.” His tone was touchingly sincere, as was the look in his eyes when she met his gaze.
“I love you, Jesse,” she whispered, reaching out to touch his hand, sharing the special moment with him. Those simple words said everything that was in her heart. All the complicated feelings could be boiled down to that simple, life-altering phrase.
She wasn’t sure how long they sat there, gazing goofily into each other’s eyes when a throat cleared rather loudly right behind them. She jumped back an inch or two, swiveling her head to look up, and found Zach’s Uncle Rocky standing behind them with two plates of food in his hands.
“I’ve been looking for a moment to speak to you both privately,” he said gruffly. “This seemed like an opportune time…unless you want to be alone?” He smiled knowingly at them and Jesse laughed, welcoming the grizzly shifter to sit with them.
“Yeah, I think it’s about time you met Doctor Garibaldi,” Jason said as if he knew something she didn’t.
“Garibaldi.” Rocky repeated her surname with significance as he sat down opposite them and placed his plates on the table.
Maria held out her hand politely and Rocky took it in his. When their skin met, she felt a strange tingle of magic. Something familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. Now she was intrigued.
“Maria, you haven’t formally met Zach’s uncle, Rocco Garibaldi.” She could feel Jesse studying her reaction and Rocky’s grip tightened a fraction, sending that little zing of familiar magic up her arm.
Maria was confused. “But Zach’s last name isn’t the same, right?” She couldn’t remember if they’d ever discussed her surname or Zach’s. It seemed a bit too much of a coincidence that they should all have the same last name.
“Zach is my sister’s cub. She married a Collins. He took his father’s last name, as did my sister, but she was born a Garibaldi.” He finally let go of her hand and she felt the residual tingle. “The question is are we related somehow? It seems odd you would get mixed up with Zach and his troubles if you weren’t somehow already joined to us by blood and magic. Is there shifter blood in your background?”
“I don’t honestly know. My real dad died when I was young. My mother remarried and my stepdad thinks my aunt and grandmother are crazy old hippies. They’re the ones who tried to teach me about magic, but they never mentioned shapeshifters. The first time I ever heard of such a thing was when I treated a cougar brought to me by a rescue organization. She’d been hit by a car, they thought. I performed surgery to fix her up and over time, as she healed and began to trust me, she took a big chance and shifted in front of me. I was shocked. I never thought such a thing was possible. She calmed me down and we became friends. She eventually healed and left my sanctuary. She didn’t want to stay too long in one place in case her husband caught up to her. He was the car.” She saw the confusion on Jesse’s and Rocky’s faces and knew she had to explain.
“Sorry.” She shook her head. “What they’d thought was damage caused by collision with a car was really the result of a beating. Her husband was abusive and nearly killed her. I listed the cougar as having died of its wounds on all official paperwork and she was free to start her life over. She contacts me every now and again. So far, he hasn’t found her and she’s living a much better life.”
“That was a good deed you did, Doctor,” Rocky said in his gruff voice. Maria was uncomfortable with his compliment, so she went on with he
r explanation.
“I didn’t realize Zach was a shifter when he came to me. He’d been shot and I removed the bullet and took care of him like I’d care for any of the animals brought to me. I still feel so bad about locking him in the cage. I’ve had problems with people trying to steal some of the exotic animals, so I started using locks. I had no clue about Zach until Jesse spotted him. I’m very sorry.”
She was afraid of the older grizzly’s reaction, so she’d come clean as quickly as possible. She didn’t want this standing between them. If he was going to have a problem with her, best to get it out in the open and deal with it right away.
But she needn’t have worried. Rocky shrugged off her words and remained calm.
“It’s one of the hazards of wearing our fur. You did what you could for him and it was really up to him to let you know he wasn’t a regular bear—like your cougar friend did. Zach should have sensed the magic about you and realized you could be trusted from your actions.”
“He was pretty out of it most of the time.” She found herself defending Zach. “His wounds were extensive.”
“Thank you for patching him up and taking care of him. And for everything that came after. You did an amazing job in helping to free my sister and her mate and capture those responsible. Our side won a decisive victory this time, and it’s due mostly to your actions, Maria. I’m sure the Lords will want to thank you as well.”
Maria felt her cheeks heat with a flush as she smiled. “You’re welcome,” she replied softly. “It was the least I could do.”
“And more than anyone else, my love.” Jesse took her hand, holding it on top of the table where everyone could see.
“So it’s true then?” Rocky asked with a growing smile. “You’ve tamed the wild wolf at last.” His gaze invited Maria to join in his obvious merriment. “Congratulations to you both.”
“Thanks,” Maria replied softly while Jesse only grinned.
She was going to say more when Jason and Sally walked over and joined their table with greetings all around. It was a few minutes before they all settled again and Rocky brought the conversation back to the point he’d been asking about before.
“How far back can you trace the Garibaldi name in your ancestry, Maria?” Rocky asked casually as they ate.
“I’m not sure, but Nona—my father’s mother—would have those records. She keeps track of the family.”
“There’s an easier way,” Sally piped up from her end of the table. “Leonora showed me how to see my family tree. I bet you could do it too, Maria.”
She couldn’t quite imagine what Sally was talking about, but she was definitely interested. Jesse had mentioned something about this early on when they’d first met and the idea had taken root in her mind.
“I’m willing to try. If it works it could answer a lot of questions.”
Sally smiled brightly. “Okay. After we’re finished eating we’ll go outside. Our kind of magic is best suited to the woods, so it’ll be easier if we’re in them.”
“That makes sense,” Maria agreed and the conversation turned to other things.
Jason talked about his early morning conversation with Marco the vampire and how the Lords were sending representatives to observe and take part in the questioning. Rocky told them how Zach and his parents were being served breakfast in their suite. They were slowly regaining their strength and planned to stay a few days at the Pack house before moving on with Rocky to his home territory.
“Their home was completely compromised,” Rocky added with a frown. “Not to mention destroyed by the bastards who abducted them. Apparently, they ripped the place apart looking for anything magical or any information that would lead to more members of their Clan, family and friends. We’re all pretty careful not to leave that kind of information lying around, so I don’t think they got much, but it’s best to be on guard. I’ve alerted the rest of the family and Clan. There aren’t many of us, so it’s easily done.”
“And the bad guys were mostly captured,” Maria thought out loud.
Jason frowned at her. “I’m sorry to say that’s no guarantee of safety. The Venifucus have a worldwide operation with tentacles everywhere. Whatever information the group in Nebraska stole from the Collins home is no doubt already in the databases and being studied by other members of their organization.”
That didn’t sound good.
“And there’s more, Maria,” Sally broke in with a concerned expression. Maria had seen Sally checking something on her smartphone. “I just heard that the people you asked to watch your animals reported a break-in early this morning when they went over to your place to do the morning feed. The local cops went out to check things. Looks like the perps ransacked your home but left the animals alone for the most part.”
Her stomach sank at the news and Maria put her fork down. She couldn’t eat another thing. Her appetite was shot.
“Excuse me for a minute.” She pushed away from the table and moved out of the room. She heard Jesse following a few steps behind her and she was glad of his presence and the fact that he was giving her a little space but not leaving her alone at this awful moment.
Maria went for the wide doors that led out onto a deck that faced the backyard bordered by dense forest. She removed her cell phone from her pocket. She’d kept it switched off and used it only once the day before during the long drive to check with her friends who’d promised to take care of her sanctuary. Everything had been okay at that time.
Maria hit speed dial and waited impatiently for the call to connect. She stood on the deck in dappled sunlight and her heart wanted to appreciate the beauty all around her, but her mind was caught up in what might be happening back home.
Although…it really wasn’t home anymore when she stopped to think about it. Home was standing a few feet behind her. She turned to look at him as the call connected.
As she talked to her friend, she realized something of major importance. The sanctuary she had built really wasn’t her sanctuary anymore. Her home, her place of safety, her security was tied to Jesse now.
Somehow, knowing that, she calmed and was able to deal with the nuts and bolts of what was going on back in Iowa. Her friend went over the sequence of events as she knew them and Maria pieced together the rest. She reassured her friend that everything would be fine before ending the call and disconnecting. Her friend would continue to care for the animals and Maria had promised to either send someone or return herself as soon as possible.
She put away her phone and leaned against the deck rail with one hip, looking at Jesse.
“You heard all that, right?” she asked, becoming more sure of herself as the seconds passed.
Jesse nodded and stalked silently closer. “Now that the storm is over, I can have some of my guys there in a couple of hours. Unless you want to go yourself?”
She liked that he was giving her the option. “I guess I’ll have to at some point, but if your men can at least secure the house for now, we can go later and see what happened there.”
“Do you have to call your family? Chances are they’re going to be getting visits from the Venifucus agents if they know about you. If they’re magical at all, they could be in trouble.”
“Mom has no magic. My stepdad doesn’t either, but he’s rich and has private security, so they’re pretty well protected. My aunt and grandmother are probably still at the cabin, if they’re not already on their way to Wyoming, but I don’t keep their information in my house anywhere anymore. It’s all in here.” She tapped her temple. “Since I made friends with a werecougar and saw what she went through, she impressed on me the need for secrecy when it came to certain things. I’m glad now that I took her advice and destroyed any written record of addresses or phone numbers. Although I do keep some numbers in my smartphone. The werecougar probably wouldn’t approve.”
Jesse shook his head with an expression of relief. “That is good news. Just to be safe, though, I can dispatch some men to keep an eye on your m
om and stepdad. And to escort your aunt and grandmother here, if you like. I know Sally would like to meet them and their magic may be needed to help heal Leonora. You can keep your phone on. The bad guys know by now that you’re with us, and they know where we live. There’s nothing to be gained from trying to track your number, if they even have it.”
Jesse moved closer, wrapping his big hands around her waist and leaning back to look at her while he spoke. She felt the love in every move he made toward her and knew she’d been right. Her home was here now—wherever Jesse was.
“I can try to call Mom and Nona.” she offered.
“Good idea.” He leaned down and kissed her gently.
She didn’t know how long the kiss went on before the opening of the door from inside broke them apart. She looked around Jesse’s broad shoulders to see Sally walking toward them.
“Hope I’m not interrupting,” she said with a wink and a grin. “There’s an impatient grizzly in there who wants to know if you’re a long-lost cousin to both of us.”
Maria let go of Jesse as he removed his hands from her waist and stepped back. She noted that he retrieved his phone from his pants pocket and began making calls as Sally took his place next to Maria.
What followed was a twenty-minute lesson on how to bring forth the most amazing magical glowing tree that sprouted from the ground up, like a real tree, but consisted solely of energy. It could be summoned and dismissed at will now that Maria was aware of it, and the first examination of its many branches showed that yes, indeed, Maria was related both to Sally, through Leonora, and to the weregrizzlies named Garibaldi through her father’s line.
Maria was lost in the study of her personal family tree when she realized a small crowd had gathered around her and Sally. Jason had his arm around his wife’s waist and Rocky was standing to one side with Jesse, seeming impressed by what he was seeing if his expression was anything to go by.
When Maria noticed him, she looked up and smiled. “Looks like I’m your long-lost cousin too, Rocco.”