by Jane Jamison
The kiss was hard, brutal and primal. She shoved her tongue into his mouth, twirling it around his as though daring him to catch it. He sucked, taking charge of it even as she tried to pull it out.
When he finally let go, she jerked her head away, her eyes wide and staring. Her luscious lips were swollen, showing that she’d been fully kissed.
He thrust into her again. She turned his hands loose and sat up then leaned back to rest her palms on top of his thighs. He dropped his ass back to the bed then shoved his hips forward to drive into her again. Her breasts bounced prettily, and he had to sit up to claim them.
Yet when he tried to palm her breasts and bring one of them to his mouth, she growled and grabbed his hair. Tugging his head to the side, she clamped down on his shoulder, driving her fangs into his neck.
She’s claiming me.
Pain seared through him, but it was the pain he’d longed for. Her bite wasn’t deep, but it was enough to let him know she wanted him, now and forever.
When she finally turned him loose, she gave him a quick look, blood around her mouth, then slid her tongue over his wound. He’d heal soon enough, but with her saliva his wound would heal faster.
He grabbed her hair and tugged her head back as he slammed into her again. She cried out as her orgasm took her, her body tensing then trembling as it rolled through her.
Seeing her climax written on her face sent him over the cliff and flying into his own orgasm. He tensed, wanting to delay it, but he had no power against it. Groaning, he wrapped his arms under hers and clutched her shoulders from behind. The wave rolled outward as he shot his cum into her. Fangs broke through his gums, his inner wolf telling him to claim her as she’d claimed him, but he held back.
He couldn’t claim her until she knew everything about him.
Instead, he forced his fangs to withdraw and skimmed his teeth along her shoulder. He could feel her surprise at his refusal to bite her, but she couldn’t do anything about it. Instead, he held her as their bodies shuddered out the remaining throes of their orgasms.
When at last they could breathe steadily, he kept her in his arms and rolled her to his side. The question remained in her eyes.
“I’ll explain. But not now. Not yet.”
Anger flashed across her face and tensed her body as she pulled away. He gave her time to let it pass, and once she had, she relaxed and studied him.
“So, will you at least tell me your name?”
He laughed. “If you tell me yours.” He stuck out his hand and she took it. Once again, the sizzle between them was unmistakable. “Hi. I’m Matthew Hudson.”
She let out a sigh. “Oh, thank goodness. I was so afraid you’d have some weird name like Fuckenwhacker or Gittenwiggen.” She gave his hand a good shake. “Hi. I’m Milly Swinson. Welcome to Forever.”
He chuckled. He loved that his mate had a sense of humor like him. His brother was the serious one. “I’m glad you approve of my name. And Forever? So that’s where I am? Good to know.” He skimmed the back of his fingers along her cheek. “I’m happy to meet you, Milly. No, wait. That’s not right. I’m more than happy. I’m thrilled.”
“Why didn’t you come to me last night?” She tracked a fingernail down the middle of his chest.
Her touch drives me wild. Just as I knew it would.
“I thought about it, but I wanted to make sure you were all right first. Besides, I wanted you to get a good look at my handsome face in the daylight.”
Her expression said that she thought he wasn’t kidding at first. Once she got that he was, she bopped him on the end of his nose. “So you’re pretty full of yourself, huh?”
He did a one-shoulder shrug. “Well, look at me. Wouldn’t you be if you were me?”
She rolled away from him again, and at first, he wondered if he’d taken the joke too far. “Hey, I’m not really as vain as I put on.”
She was on her feet and pulling clothes out of the dresser. Damn, she had a great butt. He couldn’t wait to plant his cock inside her ass.
“Yeah, I figured.” She pivoted to face him. “Just as long as you understand that I’m still better-looking than you.”
“Is that so?” He chuckled then leapt out of bed and reached for her.
She squealed and made it all the way to the door before he caught her from behind. He wrapped his arms around her as she giggled and tried to get free, but he wasn’t turning loose. Instead, he tugged her around so he could see her pretty face again.
“You know what this is, don’t you? You feel it, right?”
She stopped struggling, her blue eyes fixed on his. “You’re my intended mate.”
“And you’re mine.”
“Good to know we’re on the same page.”
She had both wit and a sense of humor. Two things he found irresistible.
“I have a brother.” He said it half in warning, half in trepidation. Even though he was her intended mate, there was always the possibility that his brother wouldn’t be. It was extremely rare, but he’d heard of it happening.
“And what’s he like?”
He nuzzled his face against her shoulder, pushing at the collar of the old T-shirt to get a better whiff of her sweet scent. “He’s not half as handsome as me.”
“Of course not. But then again, who is?” She pushed back and shot him a saucy grin. “Except me, that is.”
“You’re still sticking with that assertion?”
“I am. Come with me.”
She took his hand and led him into the adjoining bathroom. Positioning him so that he saw his reflection in the medicine cabinet mirror, she moved behind him then rested her chin on his shoulder.
It’s amazing how comfortable we already are with each other. Thanks to the connection.
“You’re still bleeding.”
He hadn’t noticed since he’d been so focused on her. “I guess you need to take care of my wound. You know. Since you’re the one who injured me.”
She let out a scoffing laugh. “I don’t think so. You’re a big boy. Handle it yourself.” She reached around him and flipped open the cabinet. An assortment of antiseptic gel, gauze and even a small role of bandages rested on the three shelves.
“Do you injure your lovers a lot?”
“What?”
She was cute when she was confused. “You have a lot of first aid materials here so I’m assuming that you’re usually violent in bed.”
She slapped him on the arm. “Nope. You’re the first I’ve ever wanted to hurt.”
“Touché. But still…”
She made a funny face then whirled around just as he started to complain that she should help him and disappeared into the bedroom. But what had he expected? Their mate was an independent, strong woman who wasn’t about to coddle him.
And he already loved that about her.
* * * *
Milly was almost too overjoyed to think about finishing hanging the laundry on the line outside. Finally, just as she was about to leave her home and start searching for her mates, one of them had walked straight into her life. She was torn between keeping him her special, private secret to enjoy a while longer and shouting her news to all of Forever. In the end, she chose to keep quiet. Once she announced it, she’d have half the town wanting to meet him and make sure he was good enough for her.
As if they have any say in it.
Although she couldn’t begrudge them that. They’d want to chime in simply because they cared about her.
She sensed him behind her before she heard him. He slid his arms around her waist and tugged her butt against his crotch. The hardness of his cock pressed against her.
“Are you trying to rob me at gunpoint or are you just happy to see me?”
He groaned at her horrible joke.
“Yeah, I know. That was lame.” She finished putting the clothespin on the last sheet and turned, sliding her arms around him.
“Yeah, it was.” He nuzzled her neck as he’d done before.
She slid her fingers over the bandage that peeked out from under his shirt. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. I loved the hell out of it.”
“Then if that’s true, why didn’t you return the favor?”
He hesitated, sending unruly butterflies fluttering inside her stomach. Was he hiding something?
“I’d rather wait until my brother gets here.”
“He’s coming? When?” The attraction between them burned in her abdomen, but the heat grew stronger at the mention of his brother. She would’ve been happy if Matthew was the only one meant for her, but the idea of another man, another mate lying beside her in bed, thrilled her.
“As soon as he can get here from California. I called him last night.”
“Ooh, California. I’ve always wanted to go there.” She eased her hips against his. It amazed her how comfortable she already was with him. “You’re a long way from home.”
“You’re my new home.”
He couldn’t have said anything nicer.
He took her hand and led her to the porch then sat down on the step and pulled her on top of his lap. She snuggled against him, the heat getting even hotter. “I’ve been looking for our mate, for you, for two years.”
She let out a breath. So that was the explanation. “I was wondering why it was taking you so long to find me. In fact, I was about ready to pull up stakes and track you down myself.”
“Really. Female werewolves don’t usually do that sort of thing.”
She nipped him on the earlobe, loving to nibble on the tender flesh. “I’m not the usual kind of female.”
“I can believe that.”
His hand slid to take her breast, and the flash of desire coursed through her. She wiggled her ass against him, tempting him to do more. “Did you break from a pack to come and find me? Are you going to want to return home?”
She hadn’t thought about that before. But it made sense that her future mates would want her to return with them to their home. Although it hurt her heart to leave Forever, she’d go wherever her mates wanted her to go.
“No. We’re kind of loners. We grew up in a little town in South Carolina.”
“I thought I heard an accent. But just barely.”
“We moved to California about four years ago and never fell in with any pack. I guess we don’t consider much of any place as home. Not yet anyway. Not until now.”
Was he hinting at staying in Forever? That would give her the best of everything. She started to ask, then decided to save the question for later, once his brother had arrived.
“Why did you leave South Carolina?”
He broke his gaze from hers, and she couldn’t help but feel that he wasn’t going to tell her the whole truth. But why wouldn’t he? As his intended mate, she had a right to know and would no doubt find out eventually. Still, it was too early in their relationship to push.
“I guess we wanted something different.” He changed the subject, confirming her suspicions. “Hey, do you cook? Because I’m starving.”
She laughed. “Do I cook? Yeah. In fact, I own the diner in town. I’m on vacation right now and I’m not doing any cooking.” She slid her tongue around the outside of his ear. “But for you? I guess I could heat up the frying pan. Do eggs and bacon sound okay?”
“What? No steak and eggs?”
Typical werewolf. Wanting his rare steak with his morning eggs.
“Sorry. Fresh out of steak.”
He licked his lips. “No matter. Bacon and eggs sound terrific.”
“Great. Then later we can head back to bed.” She stretched. “I think I need some extra time resting in the sack.”
He pushed her off him, making her yelp, then took her hand again and led her into the house. “Bed, yes. Rest? Not a chance.”
Taking the lead, she brought him into the kitchen. “Okay, we’ll eat for now then head back to bed later. But after that, I want to run with you.”
She gave him a quick kiss. The question was a simple one, but somehow asking him to run with her was like asking him to commit to her. Funny how everything had seemed easier and more natural in bed.
She swallowed then asked, “Will you run with me, Matthew Hudson?”
He grew serious, his dark eyes flickering under the overhead lights, and she knew he understood that the question meant more than the spoken words. “I will, Milly Swinson.”
Instead of kissing him, she turned and reached for the refrigerator door handle. She was ecstatic, of course, but then why did she still have the impression that he was holding back?
* * * *
Milly had always loved to run, free and wild in her wolf body, as most werewolves did. It wasn’t uncommon for her to run into one or more of her neighbors while out enjoying the night air and stars. But running with Matthew was better than anything she’d ever known. Aside from having sex with him, of course.
The past two days had gone too quickly. They’d spent the daytime talking and laughing, finding out about each other’s quirks and interests. Then at night, they’d gone running under the stars.
He was beside her now, his dark brown fur blending in with the shadows. Her own golden fur stood out more, but she’d never worried that a human or another predator would see her. Forever had always been a safe place for wolves, and hopefully, it always would be.
Her mind flitted to the teen vampires, and she growled then pushed the image away. She had to trust that Jackson and the others would take care of that problem.
They ran together, their paws pounding into the dry Texas ground as they surged forward. An hour had passed already and she knew they could run for many more, but Matthew had already started taking them in a path that would lead them back to the rental house.
The part of her that was still woman smiled inwardly. She knew what he was doing. Instead of running until dawn as she often did, he wanted to get her back into bed.
She didn’t bother pretending she didn’t want him in bed, too. Instead, she sped up, taking him into the yard. She jumped over the steps onto the porch and shifted. She was used to the pain that came along with every transformation, and once she’d finished, she concentrated on watching him.
He stayed on the ground, his amber eyes fixed on her. They were hungry eyes, filled with a yearning that had nothing to do with food.
He shifted, his bones breaking and reforming as hers had. Fur disappeared along with fangs to be replaced with human flesh and teeth. Before long, he stood in front of her and stretched, ridding his body of the lingering effects of the change.
He stopped and looked at her as though for the first time. “You’re so beautiful.”
How many times had he told her that since they’d gotten together? Yet no matter how many times it was, she’d never hear it enough.
“As a woman or as a wolf?”
“Both.” He joined her on the porch and took her hair to slide his fingers through it. “Although I think I prefer you as a woman.” The big, easy grin she’d already learned to love came. “Especially as a woman in bed.”
She laughed as he snatched her up into his arms. Pushing the door open for him, she let him carry her to her bedroom.
Milly-girl, life just doesn’t get any better than this.
* * * *
“How long until we get there?”
Dan Hudson glanced into the rearview mirror at Riley, his niece, and gave her a not-again look. “Five minutes less than when you asked that same question five minutes ago.”
He loved the fifteen-year-old girl and had been happy to take her in after the untimely death of her parents in a car accident. Riley, then eleven at the time, hadn’t been with her parents the night the drunk driver had run a red light and plowed into them. If she had been, she wouldn’t be sitting in the backseat and complaining about the trip.
He sighed and remembered how the young woman at the last gas station had looked at him. She’d smiled until her eyes had drifted to the soccer-mom-style van. From that point on,
he was invisible to her just like every other dad in the world.
Not that he was interested. But a guy still liked to think he appealed to the opposite sex. And he did. He knew he did because women checked him out a lot. Except when he was driving the damn van.
What was I thinking when I bought this thing?
But he knew the answer. After taking Riley into their lives, Matthew and he had thought—mistakenly so—that driving a family-type car would make her feel more like they were a real family. As it turned out, Riley had acclimated to her new family situation with ease. Maybe with too much ease. But that was four years ago, so why was he still worried about her?
He drove past a small sign with one word and then the population of the town. “Forever. We’re here.”
Riley sat up then, pulling the earbuds out of her ears as she gazed at the quaint town. A barbershop with an old-fashioned red-and-white-striped pole caught his eye, but he doubted Riley was looking at that or any of the other small shops that lined the street.
He glanced at her then followed her gaze to the diner with the simple sign that read Milly’s Coffee Spot. “Are you hungry?”
“Nope.”
So much for that idea.
“Okay, then, I guess we’ll keep going. Your Uncle Matthew said the house isn’t too far out on the other side of the town.”
“I still don’t know why we’re going there. Why couldn’t we stay in Bakersfield with all my friends?”
“Riley, come on. We’ve been over this.” Her eyes, the same brown that his sister’s had been, stared back at him through the reflection. She had his sister’s long, dark hair as well as her oval-shaped face. Freckles, just like the ones he’d teased his sister about, were sprinkled across her nose.
He arched his eyebrows, hoping they didn’t have to have another discussion about werewolves and mating. He’d already sweated through one of those and figured it was Matthew’s turn to give it a go.
She dropped her gaze and slumped back into the seat. “Yeah, I know. Connection, bond, mating. Got it.”