by Hazel Gower
Layla stayed clear of Grayson, and even though Nara couldn’t read her thoughts—and she had tried throughout the day—she could tell Layla was…well, almost scared of Grayson. If Nara didn’t know better, she would think Layla knew what Grayson was, but wasn’t sure if he was good or bad. She would have to talk to Grayson later about what she thought. Now though, she was just enjoying her day of cooking.
Remy was swearing up a storm. Nara heard her voice, but it was in her head. Remy’s words were shouted every time she added too much to a mix, or when she got eggshells in and had to scoop them out and she didn’t get them all. She had a worse vocabulary than a trucker. Nara loved her sister, but Remy didn’t have much patience.
Right now they were icing cupcakes, and Remy’s thoughts were making her giggle. When she was pulling away she would knock the icing on another cupcake or the one she just did something on. “Fucking hell. Mother fucking cupcakes. Who the fuck needs to bake and cook shit? Wanker, husbutt, doesn’t need me to be goddamn Betty Crocker.”
Nara’s whole body shook from laughter as she watched Remy drop the frosting and turn to them.
“I’m getting some air.” Remy signed, facing her so she could read her lips, but then glared at her. Nara giggled when Remy shouted in her head at her. “Stop fucking laughing.” She flipped her hair before turning to leave. “I’m better at other things. Who needs to be barefoot and pregnant and stuck in the kitchen? That can totes be you, sis.”
“What’s your sister saying to you?” Grayson’s voice in her head had her turning to face him.
“Remy’s just being Remy, swearing up a storm and being my charming sister.”
Grayson’s smirk had her stomach flip flopping and her heart picking up speed. He winked and signed as he spoke to Roslin. She turned to the side and listened to Grayson and watched out the side of her eye to see when he was finished. She had been rude having conversations and excluding other people. “I’m sorry for being rude.” She signed and Grayson voiced what she said. “Thank you for today. It has been amazing.” Nara took a step back so she could get a better look at both Grayson and Roslin.
“Grayson has booked this for every fortnight for the next six months.” Nara watched Roslin’s lips but was again grateful she was easy to read as Nara was exhausted. Today had been a busy day and she wasn’t used to such busy days.
“Really? You did this for me?” She wanted to run to him and hug him. This man was so good to her.
“Of course. I would do anything for you.” He signed and said it in her head.
What the hell? She ran to him, wrapped her arms around him, and squeezed him tight. His arms circled her and held her to him. She breathed in his calming scent and knew that in that moment everything was right in her world.
* * * *
Nara stared at the big building. Her palms were sweaty, her stomach churned, and she really didn’t want to go in, but it was a goal. She wanted to further her education. TAFE was the next step.
Remy had organized a tutor that was coming for a couple of hours a day. Gena was nice, and she wasn’t easy to read, so Nara didn’t read the answers from her. Gena’s sign language was perfect, and she always spoke clear so Nara could read her lips too. Gena was also the reason why Nara was at the TAFE office, hoping she wouldn’t puke her guts up. Gena encouraged her to enroll in a couple of classes. She said that Nara was a quick learner and wasn’t as far behind as she should be for missing so much schooling.
Grayson was at his pub, catching up on paperwork. He’d wanted to come, but Nara knew how far behind he’d fallen because he spent so much time with her. She’d told him she could do this on her own, but she should have known he would make sure she had support. Remy grabbed her hand and threaded her fingers through hers. “Let’s go make TAFE your bitch.” She drew out ‘bitch’ and dramatically winked at her before yanking on her hand and pulling her to the door.
People were everywhere, and she wasn’t used to so many. Since being free, the biggest crowd she’d been around had been at Remy and Arden’s wedding, and shifters had strong minds, so they didn’t shout thoughts at her. Nara was keeping her walls up, but there were so many strong minds, and they weren’t good at blocking their thoughts. She wished more people had minds with thick walls she couldn’t penetrate, but it was the weak ones that had a headache starting.
The receptionist was really nice and knew a couple of words in sign language. She didn’t seem to mind Remy being her interpreter. The woman they were there to meet was running ten minutes late, and then she overloaded Nara with all these different options. Nara wanted to further her education, but truthfully, she didn’t know what she wanted to do. Most of her life she’d never thought she’d have a future, now she had more than she could ever have dreamed of.
Nara walked out of the meeting with her mind going over everything the woman had said. Her shield crashed down and a bunch of thoughts flooded her, turning her head into chaos. Remy was quiet. When they reached the car, Nara collapsed into the seat, closed her eyes, and hoped she didn’t vomit.
“Holy crap, my brain feels like it’s about to fucking explode. Can you say information overload?” Remy rubbed Nara’s shoulder.
Nara didn’t respond, she couldn’t, she opened the door and vomited. Maybe she wasn’t ready for this step in her list just yet.
* * * *
Grayson
The pub paperwork was behind, and Grayson knew he’d have to hire someone. He’d been a workaholic before he met Nara. He didn’t want to do that now that he’d found his mate. He was close to a hundred, and he’d worked a lot in his long life and had a decent-sized fortune. He’d lost hope of finding a mate, but now that he had one, he didn’t want to miss anything.
Tomorrow he’d have a chat with Remy. Since meeting her, she’d become almost as involved in the pub as he was, and if she knew someone to help work the pub before he made up an ad and posted it, he’d take her advice.
Hearing a sound, he looked up from his paperwork he’d read over and over for the last hour to see Remy standing in the doorway. Speak of the devil.
“I’m here to finish the work. My sister needs you.”
Bolting off the chair, Grayson rushed over to Remy and grabbed her shoulders. “What happened? Is Nara hurt? Where is she?” Gripping her shoulders, he resisted the urge to shake her.
“She’s not hurt. Do you think I’d be here if she was? Nara just had a sucky, overwhelming meeting that has left her sick, not just from the information overload, but the crowd of people, and her walls she made to stop hearing thoughts crumbled.” She removed his hands from her shoulders by shrugging them off. “She needs you. Mates calm one another, or at least it seems that way from what Arden does to me and what I’ve seen of others. You two need to discuss your future. So she knows goals and she can make a choice on the path to the job she wants and can have. I know you can’t stay away from each other long. I learnt that lesson the hard way.”
Stepping away from Grayson, she walked into the room and sat in the chair he’d vacated.
Giving her a chin lift as a thanks, Grayson turned and then stopped and looked back at her. “Thanks.”
“No need, we don’t thank each other, pussy cat. We do stuff because we’re family. Go. I’ve sent Mum and Emmett out for the night. You and Nara can have alone time.”
“Rem, you’re good.” Not waiting for her to respond, he ran home, eager for time alone with his mate.
* * * *
Grayson went straight to her room, which had become more like their room. He slept with her every night, but in his leopard form. He was changing forms later and later as Nara got more comfortable with him.
She was on her side in the fetal position with a cloth over her face, and she moaned as he got on the bed. It was strange as he hadn’t heard any noise from her before. Sure, he heard her in his head, but she never used her voice. Spooning her, he rose on an elbow and brushed her hair from her face.
“Honey, talk to me. T
ell me what’s wrong. What can I do to make this better?”
Her groan was long and drawn-out, and it was deep and different to the sounds he’d heard her send to him through his mind.
“I thought I knew what I wanted, but today, when given so many options, I realized I have no idea. I have so many choices, when months ago I didn’t have any.” Even in his mind her voice sounded slow and sad.
Leaning over, he kissed her cheek. “You don’t have to choose anything now. You’re young, and we have many years, even centuries, together. You don’t have to make any decisions now.”
Nara turned and uncurled from her position and plastered her body against his. “You always know just the right thing to say.”
He was shocked when she leaned forward, got up on her elbow, and kissed him. He eased back and she followed him. His dick became instantly rock hard. She rubbed her body on his, and he bit back the groan he desperately wanted to broadcast.
She ran her hands up and down his shoulders. “Will you kiss me? I like our kisses.”
This time he couldn’t hold back and he moaned. “Honey, I’m trying so hard to be a gentleman, but you’re killing me right now.”
She leaned up on her elbow, between his arm and torso, and her gaze went wide. “Can we try more?”
Shocked at Nara’s words, he wanted to make sure she understood what she was asking. “I’m hanging on by a thread. I’m holding back on doing what my body and leopard are hounding at me every night to do.”
Closing his eyes, he took a deep, calming breath in and slowly let it out before opening them again. He deserved sainthood. Shifters weren’t patient, and when they met their mate they didn’t take it at the snail pace he had been, they dove in and claimed what was theirs within hours if they could.
He stared into her eyes. “How about we go as far as you’re willing to take it. Once you say stop, I will, but I’ll need to go. I need to let off steam. I want you so bad, and it’s driving me slowly mad.”
Her face turned bright red. “I want you too. I’m nervous. I may be…er, um, new to all this lust and stuff, but you know, I want more.”
Grayson eased up and pulled off his shirt before he laid back again and then dragged Nara so she laid on top of him. He cupped her face and kissed her. He could do this. It might kill him if she said stop, but he could do this.
* * * *
Nara
Oh God, was she really going to do this? She enjoyed sleeping with Grayson even if he was in his leopard form. She liked being close to him, and she wanted more. She could do this.
Grayson ran his fingers down her body and lifted her arms. Then he slid his hands down and gripped her shirt and pulled it off. For a moment Nara wanted to lower her arms and cover her breasts, but she trusted Grayson and wanted more. She wanted to further their relationship. Letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, she smiled and relaxed. He trailed down her stomach, and she basked in his touch. He hooked a finger in her shorts and yanked them down, her underwear following.
He stopped and his hands came up in a surrender pose. “Do you want to stop?” His voice sounded strained, and his whole body tensed under her.
Did she want to stop? Hell no. Her whole body was burning up, and she was enjoying every touch. She didn’t respond with words; she balanced on his body and did some exploring of her own. Smoothing her hands up and down his muscular chest, she traced the ridges of his rock-hard abs. She loved his body. She’d seen it many times now, every night before he changed into leopard form, and had wanted to touch what she saw. Sighing in pure bliss, Nara let herself do what she wanted—she leaned down and took his mouth to her own.
The kiss deepened. Grayson was a good kisser—not that she had anything to compare to, but she always wanted more when he kissed her. Nara tried to match him, copying what he’d taught her, tangling her tongue with his and moving her lips to match his rhythm.
Nara wanted more. She was naked, and he needed to join her. “Take it off.” She continued to make-out with him as she projected to his mind; she hoped he got it because it was hard to focus when her body was in chaos.
His lips left hers, and he eased Nara and himself up to a sitting position and placed her on the bed. Transfixed, she watched as he wiggled off the bed and slowly slipped off his tracksuit pants. He didn’t wear underwear and his big, long, thick cock bounced out. He climbed back onto the bed and Nara’s gaze couldn’t stray from his dick aiming right at her.
Circling her arms around him, they both knelt on the bed and their lips locked. She wasn’t scared and didn’t want to stop. This felt right; Grayson was right. She enjoyed the feel of their naked bodies together. His mouth tore from hers on a groan that rebounded around in her mind. He rested his face into her neck and sucked on her skin. She was so ready. She wanted to be his mate. This was a goal she was happy to do. His teeth scraped the junction between her neck and shoulder and wow, sparks fluttered through her and stopped with a tingling at her core.
Grayson moved down and hovered over her puckered nipples. He blew on one before bringing it into his mouth. She gasped as sensations she’d never felt before sparked throughout her. Nara’s body shook as he sucked her other nipple in and switched back and forth. She didn’t know that her breasts could be so sensitive. Her body tightened, and a fire within her built so high she felt like she would explode. Needing an anchor, she gripped his hair, holding him against her, needing something, she didn’t know what, but she needed the burning fire to be extinguished.
His hands glided down, and she gasped as a finger slid into her core and moved in and out in slow motion as his mouth tortured her breasts. He added another finger and she shattered. Her whole body shook. She didn’t know anything could feel so good. A bliss fell over her. Grayson moved back, and she felt his heated gaze laser into her as she came.
That felt amazing, and if that was just with his fingers, she couldn’t wait to feel what it would be like with him inside her. “I want more.” She could hear the breathlessness in her own voice as she projected to Grayson.
“You sure?” His voice was a grizzly growl, and she shivered, tilting her head in offering.
“Yes, more than anything since being free. I want you.” Nara pulled him back to the crook between her shoulder and neck and straddled his lap. His cock jumped when it rubbed her pussy.
His hot breath feathered over her bare skin, and she arched up, wanting more. “Mine.” He snarled before his teeth sank into her shoulder. She screamed as pure ecstasy washed over her. His cock lined up with her entrance, and she felt his fingers part her pussy lips as he drove in.
It was quick. She always thought the first time was supposed to hurt, but it was more like a sting. She had a high pain threshold though thanks to the demons, but right now she didn’t want them anywhere in her thoughts. Her body was on fire, her pussy felt hot, but no pain. Grayson eased out, and she felt a slight sting from the stretching, but it didn’t feel bad…just different. He slid back in, and the sparks started spreading through her again.
Holding on to him tight, she gazed down at their joined bodies, amazed at what she was seeing. It was so sensual. She looked up into his beautiful green eyes; they looked just like cat eyes. He started moving at a steady pace, and she focused on the new sensations flowing through her: tingles and a building tension in all her muscles that made her whole body ready to combust. Pleasure shot through her, and the more he moved the better it felt.
Staring at Grayson, she moved her gaze up and down, watching their bodies as they joined. The sight turned her on, driving her pleasure higher and higher. The pressure built and she started riding him now that she knew what to do. She was so close to feeling that amazing high again. She wanted the rapture.
Grayson growled. She felt the vibration through his body and heard it in her head. “You feel so fucking good. Heaven.”
“I’m so close…I want more…please.” Her thoughts were scattered, and she didn’t even know if he was getting w
hat she was sending him. Nara could barely breathe as she searched for her release. She was so close, and she craved the feeling he’d given her.
Her pussy pulsed as his thrusts became more frantic. He leaned back, and his hands held her waist as she bounced, taking him in deep with each piston. Her muscles strained as she seemed to use every one of them to gain as much pleasure as she could. She’d wanted to move to the next level, but she never thought it would feel this amazing. Nothing had felt like this before, not even when she pleasured herself, not that she’d done that much, as being held captive in a room with a bunch of women didn’t give her a chance to do that.
Grayson’s head came to rest on her shoulder, and he licked where he’d bitten, sending quivers straight to her pussy. He picked up his pace, and Nara tried to keep up with him, but she was about to fall apart. His teeth grazed down her neck, and the sensations were just what she needed to drive her over and shatter her into a million pieces. Digging her nails in, she held on as her orgasm consumed her and euphoria washed over her.
Grayson’s teeth sank in deep as he gave one last deep thrust and stilled. She cried out, using the voice she never used, as the base of his cock swelled, locking them together. His release vibrated through her body as he shouted it in her head and she felt it from his yell. The knot at the base of his cock had little aftershocks pulsing through her and pure, utter bliss settling into every bone. Her first time had been more than she could have imagined.
Slowly and carefully—because they were still joined—Grayson laid them back on the bed and moved them to a more comfortable position.
Closing her eyes, she shivered as her whole body melted. “Mmm, that was so good. Thank you.”
He kissed her forehead as she snuggled in. “Never thank me for doing what we just did. That was…was…I have no words.” He gave her a squeeze, and she basked in their afterglow.