by Lynn Howard
“Where’d you get that, sister? Your boobs look awesome in it. And purple looks really good with your hair,” Nova said, patting an empty chair beside her.
Was she making fun of Shawnee? She pulled the front of her shirt up, trying to conceal the abundance of cleavage.
“Girl. Do not hide those. I’d show them off if I had even half of what you got,” Emory said as she leaned against her mate, Eli, Shawnee’s former Alpha.
Shawnee looked from Emory to Callie then to Lola and Nova, then over to Peyton. All five women were nodding in agreement.
Maybe Nova wasn’t making fun of her. None of them were leaning toward each other whispering or giggling. No one was sneering at her or rolling their eyes. They just smiled. Nova even gave her a thumbs up.
Okay then. She situated her shirt again so it was hanging the way it was intended to hang.
Colton sat beside her, leaned over, and wiggled his brows. “Told you, you look hot.”
She ducked her gaze this time, but only because she didn’t want the Pack to see her tomato red cheeks from Colton’s nearness and statement.
“She has goo goo eyes,” Nova said.
Shawnee turned her attention to the Alpha’s wife. Goo goo eyes? What the hell were goo goo eyes? And why did she sound surprised?
“Probably because he’s only flirting with her instead of my mate,” Gray said, cocking a brow at Colton.
Shawnee turned and lifted her head to see Colton smirk at Big River’s Alpha. He’d flirted with Nova? What about the other women? Really, she shouldn’t get jealous. She’d been fully aware he’d been seeking a mate when she’d agreed to fill the role. That would mean he probably flirted with any female he met in hopes of winning her over.
Did that mean all his affections toward her was the same thing he’d done with the other women? She’d felt special in his eyes. But what if he talked to all women like that? Would it make a difference?
If she’d asked herself that a week ago, the answer would’ve been no. But she was growing to care for Colton and wanted to be the only woman he wanted. It didn’t matter. She was mated to him. He was mated to her. Whether he regretted his decision or not, they were stuck.
“Shawnee?” Callie said, leaning forward a little with a frown.
“Yeah?”
“I just asked where you got that outfit. It’s cute. I’ve been wanting to go shopping,” Callie said.
“Hey, I asked you to go shopping yesterday,” Nova said with a pout.
“You asked to go to a sex shop. I’m not buying cheap lingerie with the crotch missing,” Callie said with a wrinkled nose.
“We could’ve gone to Target after,” Nova said, her eyes wide as if confused and innocent.
Okay. That was funny. Nova had invited Callie to a sex shop? Shawnee had literally never stepped foot in one of those places, but she sure couldn’t see the sweet woman shaking her head at the Alpha’s wife stepping into a place like that.
“I got it at Kohl’s,” Shawnee said with a soft chuckle. “I got a few outfits.”
“I gotta admit,” Nova said, handing the toddler in her lap over to her mate. “This look is much better. It suits you. And those boobs. And that booty. Sister…why the hell wouldn’t you show all that off more?”
She’d thought the clothes she wore before accentuated her assets. They were snug and her mom said they made her look…
Nope. She had to get all thoughts of her parents and their warped views of her body and what she should do with it out of her head.
“Thanks,” she said.
She dropped her eyes, felt Colton nudge her with his elbow, and made a conscious effort to keep her head raised for the rest of the night. No matter what someone said, whether she felt she was supposed to show them reverence because of their position in the Pack, it didn’t matter. She met them head on, kept her head up and her eyes on the person talking to her.
And it was fucking liberating.
“What are you smiling about?” Colton whispered, leaning into her space again. She looked around at all the couples. She and Colton were the only ones not constantly touching, constantly holding each other.
Leaning closer until she was pressed against his arm, she grinned up at him. “I just said fuck in my head.”
Colton pressed his lips together but lost his battle to hold back the snort of laughter. “Well, that’s good.”
“And I’m having fun,” she said.
“I can tell.” He bent further into her space until their lips were barely a few inches apart.
“He has goo goo eyes, too,” Nova whispered to someone. Shawnee didn’t know who. And she didn’t care. She just cared about the man who was looking at her lips as if contemplating kissing her.
You know what? Instead of waiting for him to make the move, Shawnee did like she’d done in the kitchen a few days ago and closed the space, pressing her lips to his. He was tense for a half second, then cupped the back of her head, his tongue slowly invading her mouth. She was damn near sliding out of the chair to climb into his lap when someone chuckled and broke the spell she was under.
Colton pulled away first, leaving a few sexy pecks on her lips before winking down at her. The things that man did to her body with a mere look.
“You two are so cute,” Callie said.
“I’ve got to be honest; I wasn’t thrilled by this,” Nova said, waving her hand back and forth between Colton and Shawnee, “at first. But you guys look happy. I’m glad you two found each other.”
“Thanks,” Colton said, but his eyes were still on Shawnee’s face. Was he thinking about what was going to happen tonight? Because Shawnee sure as hell was.
If Shawnee had her choice, they’d run off to the truck and head home now. More chuckles sounded around her and Shawnee finally peeled her eyes from Colton’s. Every single person sitting there was watching them.
Like a bucket of ice-cold water, her desire cooled under the attention of Colton’s friends. There she sat, ready to beg Colton to take her home when not only were there people to witness her wanton behavior, but Carter and Luke had ridden with them. She’d have to keep her hands to herself the whole drive home. Now, she felt self-conscious all over again.
A true lady waits for her mate to come to her.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get her mom’s voice out of her head.
“Back to the important stuff…I mean, if you two are done sucking face,” Nova said with her brows raised. There was no way to hide the heat that rushed from her chest straight to her hairline. Even if she lowered her face, they’d see the color in her neck and ears. “Girl day next week. We’re going shopping. No boys allowed.”
****
Colton couldn’t keep his eyes from his mate. Even now, as she discussed an outing with the women of Big River, he couldn’t stop looking at her, at the way those full, pink lips moved as they formed words, at her tiny ears – seriously, she had some child-sized ears – at the way she used her hands to talk. At how hard she was trying to squash the bull shit her parents had convinced her was normal. After she’d kissed him, there was a second where he’d thought she’d shut down again. But she didn’t. Several times, he’d watched her head begin to lower, and as if mentally coaching herself, she’d raise her chin and make eye contact with whoever was talking to her.
His mate was amazing.
He wasn’t naïve enough to believe she could overcome twenty something years of indoctrination. But she was really trying. And he’d be right there to remind her of her worth any time she faltered on her journey.
And then Colton realized something: He had no idea how old Shawnee was. They hadn’t discussed birthdays or ages. He’d grilled her on her favorites to get to know her, but he’d never really asked about details about her childhood, about her family. Although, what he did know pissed him off more than anything in a long time.
Colton couldn’t wait for the day when he and Shawnee decided to expand their family. And he’d kill any moth
er fucker who even thought about treating his daughter the way Shawnee had been treated. And he still wanted to beat the piss out of Shawnee’s father for his treatment of her in the past.
Reaching over, he wrapped his hand around hers and brought it to his lips. She turned just her eyes to his face and smiled the sweetest smile. He’d told her he wanted to make love to her tonight. And he’d meant it. When he’d seen her in that outfit, when she did that little turn just for him, he’d had a hell of a time controlling his libido.
Now? Well, of course he still wanted to feel Shawnee below him. But he wanted to know her heart and mind even more than her body. He wouldn’t stop her if she made the move to get him naked, but he wouldn’t push her, either.
As the days were passing, he wondered if he would be pushing her. He could smell her arousal anytime they’d kissed. He’d seen the glow in her eyes just from his touch on her hips or a peck on her lips. She wanted him. Maybe she was still stuck in her mind and didn’t think she had the right to his body. Maybe she was waiting for him to make all the decisions.
That couldn’t happen. All he’d ever wanted was a mate to spoil and dote on. He didn’t want a servant or some submissive woman who waited for him to tell her how she felt. He wanted Shawnee to find the power within herself and that wouldn’t happen if he made all the decisions for her, including when they’d finally make love.
And would she want to use protection? He had condoms, but a major reason for wanting a mate was to have children. Yet, he really wanted to spend time with her, just her, before their attention was divided with cubs crawling around their house. And since she was a lioness, there was a good chance she’d have more than one cub at a time. Would that work the same if she gave birth to a bear cub? Would it still be multiples?
Colton glanced across the space at Callie and Micah. She was a lioness while he was a wolf-coyote hybrid. Because of the lioness’s tendency toward multiples and difficult pregnancies, they’d decided to hold off on building a family. Micah wanted children, but he cared more for his mate’s safety and sanity than his own needs.
And there Colton was dreaming of being a father as soon as possible.
With a nod, then a shake of his head when Reed frowned in question across the fire when he’d caught Colton mentally making a decision, Colton decided they’d use protection for a while. He definitely wasn’t ready to share Shawnee with anyone, and that included babies.
The sun began to set, and Shawnee looked weary. She’d leaned her head against his arm at some point and was quietly listening to the conversation still going on around her. It wasn’t that late; was she not sleeping well?
Of course she wasn’t. She was in a strange house, in Colton’s bed alone. He’d done it to protect her and might’ve made life a little harder for her by his actions. It was just that he knew his body well enough to know it would be damn near impossible to keep his hands off his mate if she were curled up next to him wearing nothing but his t-shirts. Damn, he loved when she wore his clothes. He loved the thought of her being covered in his scent.
Colton wished Shawnee felt more comfortable in his house. But even in his own head, he was still thinking of it as his, not theirs. There had to be a way for him to help her lay claim to the house, to the space, even if it was just one room. The kitchen was his haven. That was where he felt his best. He loved to cook and really loved to feed his mate. He wanted her to have the same joy over their shared space.
He needed to give her his debit card and give her free reign to do whatever she wanted to the bedroom. He didn’t relish the thought of sleeping under a pink or purple bedspread, but if it made her happy, if it made her feel more like the house was truly home, he’d sleep under any frilly shit she bought.
“You ready to go?” Colton whispered in her ear. Shawnee glanced up at him and nodded. “Come on. Boys, you ready?” he called to his Clan brothers.
“Already?” Nova whined. “I was just starting to get a buzz.”
Colton chuckled and shook his head. “My mate is getting tired. Time to get her to bed.”
The sweetest expression came over Shawnee’s face at his statement. He wasn’t sure why she looked like he was the nicest guy in the world, but damn if he didn’t want to see that look on her face, and in her eyes, more.
As the days had passed, she’d opened a little more to him, had become a little more receptive to his advances, and even started playing. The playing and teasing weren’t nearly as often as he preferred, but it was a start. He knew better than to push her too far past her comfort zone or she’d retreat back into herself.
Nova tried once more to get them to stay, but in the end, they all waved their goodbyes, Colton hugged the women to a chorus of growls from their mates, and then the Blackwater Clan, minus Noah, piled into Colton’s truck and were headed home.
Shawnee leaned her head against the window, her eyes heavy as she watched through the windshield. His mate was exhausted.
Carter and Luke climbed from the back and grumbled their goodnights. Colton rounded the hood and helped Shawnee from the passenger seat, scooped her in his arms, and carried her into the house.
“I can walk,” she said on a yawn.
“I know,” he said, carrying her straight to the bedroom.
Gently, he pulled her clothes from her body, careful not to stare too hard at her full breasts. But come on, they were right there. She didn’t blush, didn’t try to cover herself. In fact…she looked resigned to the fact she was standing there naked in front of Colton. Did she really think he’d try to take her for the first time when she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open?
Pulling another of his t-shirts from a drawer, he pulled it over her head, holding it out when she pushed her arms through the sleeves. A confused frown pulled her ruddy brows together.
“You need rest,” he said, kissing the tip of her nose.
Shawnee didn’t argue, didn’t pout. She smiled sleepily and climbed under the blankets. When Colton turned to leave the room, she sat back up.
“Stay with me tonight.” Her eyes dropped to the comforter then quickly darted back up to his face. “Please. I can’t sleep in here by myself.”
Leaning against the doorway, he tilted his head and smiled at how tiny she seemed in his big bed. He’d left her in there alone for the past three nights. And she still didn’t quite feel like his place was home. How had he thought she’d get any real rest?
Pulling his shirt over his head then pushing his jeans down his legs, he climbed into the bed wearing only boxers. He turned off the lamp beside the bed, turned to his side, and pulled Shawnee against his chest the way he had a few nights ago. The second time they were going to sleep in the same bed and it felt like they’d done this a thousand times. She just felt right against his side, like she’d been made just for him.
Mate, his bear growled in his head. Colton had agreed to pair with Shawnee out of his need for companionship. Now, his bear declared something Colton had known from the time Shawnee had scrubbed off her makeup and let her hair dry curly – Shawnee was meant for him all along.
Maybe they hadn’t met the way the others had, hadn’t had the chance to get to know each other before deciding to live together, but both his animal and his human half knew there was no one else who could’ve made Colton feel as alive and fulfilled as he did with the beautiful, curvy redhead in his arms.
Colton woke up to a hand making small circles on his chest. The sun was beginning to rise, but it was still a hazy purplish gray outside; it was barely dawn. Tilting his head down, he blinked and smiled at Shawnee, who was staring up at him.
Shawnee lifted onto her elbow and pressed her lips to his without a single word. It was sweet at first, tender, but quickly turned passionate. One arm draped over his chest and now she was half lying over top of him.
Colton cupped her head in his big hand, tilted his head on the pillow, and deepened the kiss further. The smell of fur and her arousal filled the air and his senses, making him
drunk with lust.
Lifting his other arm, Colton wrapped it around Shawnee’s back and pulled until her body was lined with his, her full, perky tits pressed against his solid chest. She opened her legs and straddled his stomach, her heat making its way through her thin, cotton panties.
Her heat. Was his mate in heat? He needed to stop her so he could grab a condom. But for the life of him, he couldn’t make her stop, couldn’t make himself stop as he lowered the hand on her back to her round ass. He squeezed and kneaded the flesh there, almost blowing his load when she writhed beneath his touch.
Her core wasn’t even over his cock, wasn’t touching him, yet just being with her, finally feeling her under his hands pushed him so close to the edge.
A purring sound rattled against his chest. His mate was purring. She was happy, content. She was perfect.
Both of his hands were now cupping Shawnee’s ass, urging her on as she moved and grinded against his abs as if seeking her own release. If that was all she needed, he’d let her finish then head to the bathroom for an icy shower. Because at the moment, his dick was so hard it was almost painful. He wanted nothing more than to bury himself balls deep in her warmth. But this moment, just like every moment, was about Shawnee, about her needs, about her happiness. He was letting her discover what she liked, what she wanted, what made her feel good.
They were exploring each other, but she was learning about her own body at the same time. He didn’t know facts about her life with Rhett, but he’d be willing to bet his left nut Rhett never let her do what felt good to her, let her take the lead, let her fill her needs in the way she desired.
He fucking hated Rhett. He’d never hated a dead man before, but he definitely fucking hated Rhett.
Shawnee sat up and stared down at Colton as she continued those little circles with her hips. Colton gripped her and watched as she grabbed the bottom hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, revealing the most perfect set of tits he’d ever seen. There was no more thinking. Colton was losing the battle between his head and body. He had to feel them, had to test their weight in his hands.