“Do you doubt that I want to be your mate?”
Elena knew that as soon as a shifter claimed his mate, they were bonded inextricably, forever. Even for a human who was claimed by a shifter, they would feel connected to their mate across great distances and time. It is a bond that could never be broken or escaped. It was a greater commitment than marriage or the bond of shared children. It went deeper than a contract, or shared property. It went down into a person’s very soul. And she knew it was not a decision to be taken lightly. But it was a decision she’d made the very first time they’d made love.
“No. I don’t doubt you at all. I just wanted to give you space. I didn’t want to rush you.”
“I’m ready, Hawk.”
He took a deep breath and pulled her into his arms, enveloping her in his warm embrace. She took in the scent of his body, his true scent, no longer masked by the hyena spray. It filled her with so much longing, so much security, so much love.
“Then I will make you mine, and I will be yours,” he whispered into her ear.
They kissed there on the street, the emotion ripe and palpable. They then walked arm in arm back to the hotel, Elena smiling from ear to ear. They took the old-fashioned elevator up to the second floor where they shared a room that overlooked the oldest parts of the city. The ceiling was stucco and the bed was brass, the walls covered in Victorian wallpaper. There was a cozy fireplace in the corner that no longer burned wood but the gas gave the impression of a crackling wood flame. Hawk opened the little mini fridge that was disguised in a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of chilled white wine. He filled two glasses and offered her one. As they stood by the wide window looking out over the lights of the city, they shared their wine.
Hawk finished his glass and set it down on the table. He reached out and cupped her face in his hand, drawing her to him. His lips met hers in a rush of heat and intensity. She barely had time to set down her glass before he had her pressed against him, holding her tightly in his arms.
“Yes, Hawk. I want you so…”
His tongue slipped through her lips. His hands roved her flesh, sliding down her back, over her ass, and down her thigh. He gripped her hips, pulling her against him. He slid between her legs and pressed the hard heat of his shaft against her soft damp core. She groaned as he lifted her off the floor, pulling her body tight against him, her legs wrapped around his waist. He walked her across the room and set her on the soft, downy bed. He descended gently on top of her, pressing himself against her core. He kissed her deep and wet and full of love. His fingers stroked her face as his cock stroked her need. With each tilt of his hips, he slid over her rising desire, stoking the flames of lust until they threatened to burn her with intensity.
He slipped down her body and pulled at the cord holding her wrap dress closed. He slid the sides apart, revealing her body to his hungry eyes. He slipped her bra down over her breasts and sucked at her nipples.
Elena groaned as she gushed heat and moisture, soaking the strip of fabric between her legs. Hawk prowled down her body, pulling her panties with him. He slipped them down her legs and off her feet as Elena shrugged out of her dress and bra. He rested on the floor on his knees, taking in the sight and scent of her body. He gripped her thighs and lapped up the juices flooding from deep within her. His tongue pressed hard against her clit, and Elena shuddered at the electric shock of pleasure that vibrated through her.
He twisted his tongue over her tight, swollen bud, tapping and twirling as his fingers played with her breasts. She arched her back and groaned. His lips surrounded her clit and clamped on like a suction cup. While his tongue tapped and lapped at the tip, she groaned loudly and ran her fingers through his hair, feeling the flood of release barreling toward her. He slipped his wet fingers inside, sliding effortlessly into her channel. He tilted them upward and stroked as he sucked.
Elena gritted her teeth as the intensity built and then screamed when it hit her. Her full bodied groan filled the room as she held Hawk’s head against her core. The orgasm throbbed on and on and on for a mind shattering moment, as if time stood still and all that existed was pleasure.
Hawk loosened his grip on her thighs and crawled over her again. This time, his naked cock, hard and throbbing, pressed against her wet, quaking pussy. She ran her hands over his naked chest, loving the feeling of her fingers sliding over the hard muscle and bristly hair. The scent of him filled her senses and the feeling of his body under her hands drove her mad with desire.
He settled between her legs, tipping his hips gently, teasing her with the promise of it. She groaned and bit her lip and then whispered in his ear. “I want you inside me.”
“What my mate wants, she gets.”
She groaned and nipped at his earlobe as he tapped her clit with his cock, teasing her until every nerve ending was tight and at attention. She gripped his back and ran her hands down to his hips, pulling him against her. He chuckled softly and then kissed her. He gripped her thigh and angled her body before he slipped his hard manhood inside her. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide as she accepted him into her being. The feeling of being filled by her man left her in a silent groan until he sank to the hilt and sent her body into another frenzied orgasm.
She held him tight as he rested there, kissing her cheeks and mouth and neck. He gazed into her eyes and smiled.
“You are so beautiful,” he purred. “I need to make you mine.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” she said between kisses. “I want to be your mate. I want you to claim me.”
He growled and licked her neck and earlobe as he tilted back his hips and thrust hard into her throbbing core. Elena groaned, and wrapped her arms around his back, holding on for the ride. He took her, body, mind, and soul, with the relentless manliness of him. And she surrendered to it, to the complete pleasure of absolute release. She traveled on waves of climax as he thrust hard, deep, and fast, taking her like a ravenous beast.
He looked her in the eyes, his bright with his inner grizzly. “You are mine,” he growled, his sharp canine teeth descending in his mouth.
Elena quivered with fear and desire. She wanted him to consume her; to make her part of him forever. His tongue lapped at her neck as he thrust into her. She could feel another orgasm building as he increased his intensity. His sharp teeth pressed against her soft flesh. She gasped as he bit down, the pleasure mingling with pain. And together, they came with the intensity of an exploding star.
His teeth sank into her skin and bit down, silencing the scream in her throat. She felt the mating bite flow through her blood. And with their bodies mingled, and throbbing, and sweaty, their bond crystallized and came into full view.
The quaint hotel room disappeared, and they were together flying through the cloudless night. Stars spread out before them as she rode on the back of the beast. She held on to his furry hide as he galloped through the universe. She was naked and primal, feeling his body moving between her legs. She felt herself come again before he stopped in a pool of night and she slipped from his back.
He shifted and stood there with her as a man. Both of them naked, raw, their true perfect natures revealed. They held hands in the moonlight as they stood, face to face, in that eternal moment.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“This is the in-between world. This is the space where we are always together. The world of our unbreakable bond. If you ever need me, you can find me here.”
He pulled her into his arms and held her in his warmth. And just like that, she was back in the hotel room. His fangs slipped from her throat and she could breathe again. She gasped and looked at him, his eyes twinkling with recognition. She could feel every single cell of his being. She knew down to the very core what made Hawk who he was. And she also knew that he felt the same about her. Their thoughts, their emotions, their needs, their wants, they all mingled together into something that became bigger than the sum of their parts. Better, complete. They were something new now. Something that wa
s beyond just the two of them on their own. They became a completely new being. Something that could do and build and be more than she could have ever imagined.
In the afterglow of their mating, Hawk pulled her against his chest and slid the blanket up over their sweaty bodies. The gas fire flickered in the hearth and cast light and shadow in the dark room. She rested against his chest, listening to his heart beat, the rhythm so close to her that it almost felt as if it were her own. They were beyond words now; neither needed to speak. They could feel and understand each other through a more primal, more basic communication.
The cord of their mate bond vibrated like the string of a guitar, sounding out the most beautiful note. Like the sound of the Eastern monks when they intoned the eternal Om.
Chapter 16
Hawk slept better than he ever had with Elena in his arms. He dreamed of the life they’d share together: their love, their family, their home. And when he woke to find her there beside him, with her long blonde hair spread over his arm and her beautiful sleeping face kissed by the morning sun, a tear slid down his cheek.
It was the most sacred moment he’d ever experienced and his love for her was like an ever-flowing river that could fill the entire sea. He was not an emotional man by any stretch of the imagination. He’d gotten where he was today by being cool and levelheaded and thinking rationally in difficult situations. But claiming his mate and waking up beside her could bring a tear to the eye of a man as hardened as Colonel Hawk Barlow.
She woke and turned to him, a smile spreading on her lips. She cupped his cheek in her hand and ran her thumb over his cheekbone. He leaned in and kissed her, running his hands down her body and cupping her breast. His manhood was fully at attention, wanting to seek the warm dark caverns of Elena’s core.
Wordlessly, she pulled him to her, inviting him into her softness and warmth. They made love again, exchanging broken words of love and adoration, their worlds and souls mingling in that place beyond time and space.
When they were done, they wrapped themselves in big fluffy bathrobes and Hawk called for room service. Moments later, the cart arrived, covered in waffles and sliced strawberries under whipped cream, eggs, bacon, and a full pitcher of coffee.
They feasted together by the fire and the streaming morning light through the window. The weather shifted and the autumn British sky was low and gray with clouds. Rain started to tap at the window panes as Hawk poured Elena another cup of coffee. It was so warm and cozy inside as they created a sense of space together where there was nothing but peace and love and comfort. It was almost as if they could completely forget what had happened just two days before. As if it had never been.
When they were done with breakfast, Elena announced that she needed a shower and she excused herself to go wash in the modern bathroom. Hawk sat by the window sipping coffee. The thought of Elena in the shower with the water streaming down over her beautiful, lithe form made his manhood stir with desire.
He growled and put down his coffee cup before slipping into the bathroom.
“I came to join you,” he said, gazing at her through the glass shower door.
She turned to him and smiled, rinsing the last of the shampoo from her hair. She wagged her finger at him, inviting him into the shower. He dropped his robe on the floor and stepped into the shower. The warm, moist air enveloped his skin. He looked down at Elena as the hot water slid down her beautiful body.
She traded places with him, and he rinsed off his hair as she ran soap over his skin and down his hardening shaft.
“I need to get you all clean,” she teased in that adorable accent of hers.
He growled as she lathered him with soap and stroked him with her soft, gentle hands. He leaned back and rinsed off the soap, barely able to contain his need. And then she did something he wasn’t expecting. She dropped to her knees before him, stroking his length with both her hands. She smiled up at him as the water ran down over her hair. He growled, his excitement building. She opened her luscious mouth and slipped it over the head of his cock. Sucking lightly, she flicked her tongue over his head while she stroked him with both her hands.
Hawk enjoyed the feeling and the sight of her like this so much he thought he might lose control. Elena let out muffled moans as she slipped her mouth over his length. Using one hand gripped under her mouth, she bobbed up and down on him, holding onto his waist. He slipped his hands through her wet hair, trying desperately not to lose control and hurt her as she kneeled before him in this vulnerable position. Elena owned his cock like a master, sucking and stroking until he could take no more.
He gently slid her back and helped her to her feet. She smiled and giggled at him as he turned her around and pressed her against the cool tile of the shower wall. His blood was pumping through his veins and he could not hold back. When he pressed his cock between her legs, he found her gushing wet and open. He slipped inside with no preamble, gripping her hips tightly. She groaned and her pussy gripped him as she climaxed immediately. He let out a long sigh of satisfaction, basking in the pleasure of her orgasm.
He was ravenous for her, on the very edge of self-control. His inner grizzly was growling relentlessly. And all he could do was take her like the beast he was. She braced herself against the wall with her hands and he threaded his fingers through hers, slapping into her beautiful shapely ass as she came over and over on his cock.
He shot into her, pumping his heat deep in her core. He got a strong impression through their mate bond. An image of animals mating, of bees pollinating, of fish spawning. He groaned and nipped at her neck as the last of his seed spouted into her womb.
He let her go, completely spent. She giggled and turned to him and he wrapped her in his arms. They washed again in the warm water. Hawk was the first to step out. He handed Elena her robe before donning his own.
They emerged from the bathroom and ate the last of the breakfast before dressing and preparing for the day. Hawk had a meeting at the antiterrorist consulate and Elena wanted to go shopping with Bridget.
When they were done with their outings for the day, they returned to their hotel room in the afternoon and sat together by the fire reading and talking and enjoying each other’s company. After another night of lovemaking, the two woke early and prepared for the return flight home to Fate Rock and the rest of their lives.
Chapter 17
“I think you’re going to love this place,” Jamison said, leading them through a large open room with mirrors on one side and a highly polished wood floor.
Elena turned around, taking in the space. There were large windows on the other side of the room that looked out at an open field in the mountains beyond. It was incredible to have such a spectacular view this close to town.
“And the best part is, it’s only a block away from Squad Goals,” Hawk said.
Squad Goals was Rider and Darcy’s barbecue restaurant and sports bar. The gang loved to hang out there, especially in winter. Elena still hadn’t met the crew and their mates on a social level, having only just arrived in Fate Rock a week before. But Hawk had promised to rectify that soon.
“What do you think?” Jamison asked.
“We’ll take it,” Hawk said.
“It’s beautiful,” Elena said with a laugh. “But I think it’s too much. I don’t have anything for a down payment. No clients. I don’t know how I could possibly afford it.”
“Of course you can,” Hawk and Jamison said together.
They both burst out laughing and slapped each other on the back. “We take care of our own, Elena,” Jamison said.
“Jamison was the one that helped Darcy open up Squad Goals.”
“And I haven’t regretted it for one second since. Everyone in town loves that place as much as we do.”
“It’s always been my dream to have a place like this.”
“Then you’ll have it,” Hawk said, stepping close and taking her in his arms.
“Perfect,” Jamison said. “I have the paperwork righ
t here.”
After they signed the lease on the yoga studio, Hawk took Elena to Squad Goals for lunch. She had hoped to meet Darcy, but she wasn’t there for lunch.
“Don’t worry,” he said after the waitress set their burgers and fries down in front of them. “You’ll meet her.”
Elena absolutely loved the classic American burgers, fries, and milkshake lunch, and was giddy with happiness as she wiped her mouth with a napkin at the end of the meal. Hawk left a big tip for the waitress, and they walked outside into the cool autumn air. His Jeep was parked out front and they climbed inside.
“Where to now?” Elena said. The day really couldn’t get any better.
“Out to the pumpkin patch. It’s almost Halloween, and I haven’t finished preparing for the trick-or-treaters.”
“We don’t celebrate Halloween like this in Poland. But we do have similar customs at the same time of year to honor our ancestors.”
“You’re in for a real treat then,” Hawk said. “Pumpkin carving, caramel apples, and little kids in costumes. I know it’s based on older pagan customs, but we’ve made it a tradition all our own here in the good old USA.”
“I want to learn all about your traditions,” she said, gently squeezing his flannel shirt-clad arm.
He smiled at her and then turned back to the road. They were heading out of town and out into the country. Soon they turned off the paved roads onto a gravel one. In some ways, it reminded her of rural Poland. The trees were losing their leaves and the branches were becoming bare. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the forest. And then they turned out into a clearing where a large field was covered in big, ripe, orange pumpkins.
They pulled up to the farmhouse and parked the Jeep. When they climbed out, they were greeted by other farm customers, a big furry farm dog, and Mrs. Jenkins, the farmer’s wife. The farm had a store, stocked with all sorts of late harvest fruits and vegetables. Apples, pumpkins, squashes, jars of fresh honey, and even a few apple pies baked by Mrs. Jenkins herself.
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