“What’s that? How many languages do you speak?”
A dark fantasy of tying him to the bed while he slept then teasing him until he shifted, kept her from retorting. Instead, she pleaded again—in English.
He rewarded her with several feather light rubs that made her tingle and begin to reach for an orgasm, before backing off to insert that finger inside, working it in and out against her clenching walls as she tried to match the rhythm.
“You’re so wet for me. Me, River.”
“You,” she agreed. Surely he knew it was only him she thought about? “Only you.”
He replaced his finger with the broad head of his cock and pushed the tip inside. River froze and waited for that first full thrust, the one that she’d come to crave as he filled her. Instead, his wet finger pressed gently on her puckered star, making her start.
“I won’t hurt you, sweetheart. Can you relax?”
Uh, probably not. She tensed to keep him out, but the broad pad of his digit worked inside the tightness. “Jett?”
“Does it hurt?”
It didn’t. It was uncomfortable, sort of, and something else … something different and not totally unwelcome. “No. But—”
Coated her natural lubricant, his finger delved deeper and a jangling sensation caused her pussy to draw up and his cock slipped in further. She sucked in a deep breath against the pillow and tried to process the foreign impression, even as Jett worked an arm beneath her to hold her steady. His large cock made forays forward and back, filling her up as always, but his finger in her ass made him feel even bigger.
Was he wiggling that finger? Twisting it? The forbidden touch didn’t mean it felt horrible, in fact, she was being carried along on a myriad of sensations. Unable to catalog them, she surrendered to the magic Jett was wreaking on her senses and burst apart as nerve endings beyond her control fizzled and popped.
“Fuck, sweetheart. You’re—” Whatever she was, it was lost as Jett climaxed on a drawn-out groan, his weight dropping over her. His hot seed bathed her channel and prolonged her orgasm.
Panting, she whimpered as he carefully withdrew from her bottom hole, and then from her pussy. Her heart thundered several beats before beginning to slow and the spots behind her eyelids diminished.
“Just imagine how hard you’d come with my cock in there, and your clit stimulated.” Jett nuzzled her temple before climbing off the bed. She simply lay there, trying to decide if she could even entertain the possibility.
She clenched and detected no residual discomfort, but his finger and his cock differentiated in size—considerably. Definitely not.
Water ran in the attached bath and she straightened her legs, wincing at the pins and needles. He was at her side in an instant, smoothing his big, roughened palms along her limbs to work out the kinks. Kinks. As he drew a warmth cloth between her thighs, she blinked up at him. “How kinky are you?”
His brows climbed toward his hairline. “As kinky as you’d like me to be.”
She hadn’t forgotten his idle comment about tying her to the bed. It didn’t frighten her now, but she still wasn’t sure… Brightening, her dark fantasy resurfaced. There was nothing to say that two couldn’t play.
“What was that look about?” He regarded her with interest. How could such icy-blue eyes hold such warmth?
“I was thinking about tying you up.”
He tossed the cloth on the floor and gathered her against him. “I’d trust you to do that, sweetheart. Do you trust me?”
“I do. Though maybe not your … penis in my backside.”
“Did my finger hurt? During?”
“No. But there’s a difference in size.”
He chuckled, his sweat-damp chest pressing harder against her. “I hope so. But I’d make sure you were ready to take me, you know. I understand there’s some pressure and a bit of discomfort even so, but the experience is worth it.”
“You understand?” He was spoiling the glow.
“Sorry. I’m trying to reassure you is all.”
“Uh huh. And talk me into it because you like it.”
Hauling her up, he sat her on his lap and looked in her eyes. “I do like it. I won’t lie. But if it’s not for you, I’m good without it. Promise.”
“We’ll see,” she concluded. “Now, tell me about your other … interests.”
“How about I surprise you?”
“I suppose.” She relaxed against him, content to rest and recover and to savor the closeness. Anticipation had its perks.
Besides the intense physical draw, she trusted him and felt safe, the foundation for a far deeper connection. Jett had never said the words, but if what she felt was love, she believed he felt it too. She wasn’t going to consider her reaction should he consider them no more than mates, if a fated pair. The casual conversation she’d had with Marlene confirmed the rarity of such a claiming—and the sobering fact that an intense emotional connection didn’t necessarily accompany it.
“I’m falling in love with you.” It was surprisingly easy to say because it felt so right and she knew he’d understand.
His hand faltered in the stroking of her hair before resuming the soothing motion. A beat of silence passed, then another, and her heart lurched. She desperately wanted to look at his face but was equally afraid of what she might read there. How could she have drawn such a wrong conclusion?
He saved her the trouble. “You honor me, River. Our connection grows stronger each and every day. You mean a great deal to me, and as my fated mate, I can only imagine how our bond will intensify.”
She borrowed a page from Desiree’s book without a thought. Somehow remaining relaxed and managing her breathing, she hung onto her pride with her fingernails. If her sister-in-law had withstood this body blow, then River would as well. When she was certain she could trust her voice, she replied, “I can only imagine, as well.”
Jett set her away from him and tipped her head up with a gentle finger beneath her chin. “You okay?”
“Yes.” She willed a smile to twist her lips and gave him what she desperately hoped was a calm and unaffected look. He leaned to kiss her and she turned to catch it on her cheek, slipping off his lap. “Bathroom.”
****
He’d fucked up. Royally. He should have responded in the same vein. What would be the harm? He did care a great deal for River. She was his bonded mate and likely his fated one. All the signals were there. He could have told her loved her back and how would she have known any different? Except he couldn’t lie to her. He stared at the bathroom door and wondered if he should follow her. And say what?
Jett had simply never thought about being in love. His mother hadn’t loved Jericho, and her relationship with Frederick had been that of a mated she-wolf. And while she had lavished maternal love and attention on Jett whenever she’d been allowed time with him, that certainly wasn’t the kind of love River was suggesting. Nor was the affection he bore his sisters.
He considered other relationships within the pack and conceded that some of them had blossomed into more than a claiming, witness how distraught Marsha was over the loss of her mate. But many were but a suitable match imbued with respect and affection that withstood the test of time.
Of all the women he’d been with, the physical lure had been the mainstay, and even that had been fleeting and interchangeable. He got up and paced to the dresser, pulling out a pair of boxers and stepping into them. He had to talk to his mate and it was best he wasn’t naked doing it. His cock tended to rule his head.
He’d claimed River, drawn immediately to her and finding her eminently suitable, as his sire had insisted she would be. Solving the mystery of her determined independence had been a challenge he’d embraced, and his faith in her assuming the role of Alpha’s mate hadn’t been misplaced. He was proud of her, respected her, enjoyed spending time with her, and found her immensely pleasing in his bed. But was that love?
Oh, he was possessive, to a fault. But that was his alpha ta
lking, and he was committed to her for life. He liked her and would take care never to disparage those loftier feelings she appeared to have for him—even if he didn’t understand them.
“I’m expected at the Sanctuary.” River had pattered to the closet and was sliding hangers back and forth. A towel was wrapped around her small form, masking the view, and his fingers itched to tug it free. But he resisted the impulse, somehow wary.
When she turned to face him, clothing dangling from her hand, he searched her sweet features but found nothing to warrant his concern. Her comment about Desi hiding her feelings away flitted through his mind, but it was easier not to think about it—or draw a comparison. “Austin will take you.”
“Sure.” She tossed the garments on the rumpled bed and went to the dresser, picking out some underwear. The froth of lace caught his eye, so very different than the plain stuff she’d worn when he met her. His lovely little mate looked spectacular in sexy lingerie.
“Most of the women should be returning home in the next month or so.”
“Most,” she agreed, stepping into a pair of barely there blue panties and pulling them up underneath the towel. “A couple want to stay here, and then there are the ones who left voluntarily and caused a rift. All of them have accepted a placement. And Denise still isn’t talking.”
“You’ll work it out,” he said. And believed it. River had a way about her. Many of his pack members, with the exception of those like Tawny, found her to be unprepossessing at first, but the calmness she projected and her innate kindness soon won them over. And she could stand up for herself when needed.
The towel pooled around her hips as she fit the matching bra around her breasts, her back to him. He crossed to her and took the ends from her fingers, efficiently hooking them up, and dropping a kiss close to his claiming mark. River tensed, and then grabbed for the flowing top she’d chosen, pulling it over her head and masking her face.
As she drew on the pants women wore, the ones that came just below the knees, she said, “Desi and I are meeting for dinner, so I’ll see you later.”
He frowned. He didn’t think a day had gone by when they hadn’t shared the evening meal. “I’d prefer if we ate together.”
“Sorry.” She looked up, her pants fastened, and brushed her hair back. “I promised.”
“Then I’ll have to accept it. But it’s not to happen again,” he teased, although his heart wasn’t in it.
River’s mouth set in a straight line before the plump curve of her bottom lip relaxed into a smile. “Yes, Alpha.”
Every instinct told him to address whatever was transpiring. His wolf shook its head and paced. Jett wasn’t a coward, preferring to face every life challenge head on, but he had no weapons—or the skill—to fight this particular battle. So he conceded. “See you later.”
And for the first time since coming to live with him, his mate left without a kiss.
Chapter Eleven
Riding shotgun with Austin meant keeping her guard up and her mask firmly in place. River had nearly fallen apart in the bathroom upon realizing her feelings for Jett weren’t returned, but her history of burying her issues had come to her rescue. Besides, her tears seemed frozen in some cauldron deep inside.
She focused on the screen of her phone, pretending something important kept her interest, and Austin stayed quiet and drove. When she let herself think about it, she realized that Jett hadn’t made her any promises other than assuring her she was suitable as his mate. Love obviously didn’t enter into the equation and she was foolish to think such a thing.
Attachment, yes. As Cass had insisted, their father and mother were attached. She could do attached. Jett liked her—a great deal—and he respected her. They were highly compatible sexually, although the idea of him touching her now… With a tiny shake of her head, she shoved the ridiculous thought away. Her body would melt beneath his expert touch as always and her next heat cycle would be mindless as always. And so it would go, month after month unless she conceived. She felt vaguely ill at the thought before tamping that down too. At least she could count on his fidelity because nature ensured it.
Taking deep breaths and calming her thoughts, she considered her lot. She had a life here outside of a loveless match with her Alpha, and once she had children, all this unrequited longing could be lavished upon them. He’d be a solid, protective father and she would make up for his inability to go that extra mile. Unless he might be able to love his offspring—just not her.
“Are you okay?” Austin’s concerned voice broke into her reverie.
“What?” Had she made a sound to reflect her pain? “Oh, sure. I’m fine. A bit lost in thought.”
“It’s going to be a difficult visit.”
“Not really. Mostly I’m concerned about the mated she-wolf.”
“And rightly so. Do you get a sense if she’s attached to the male?”
“She won’t talk to anyone, including me.”
“Maybe she fell for him.”
“Like, in love with him?” Stab her in the heart.
Pulling up in front of the Sanctuary, Austin threw the vehicle into park. “Lots of claims go that way. Love grows out of the connection.”
She wanted to lash out at him for giving her a glimmer of hope. She wasn’t sure she had it within her to recover from the disappointment again. If disappointment even coined how she felt. “It’ll make it even harder, then. And we don’t even know the male’s name.”
“Chances are he’s one of the deceased.”
“Wouldn’t she … feel it? Like a loss of part of herself?”
“Good point. Maybe she’ll talk to you today.”
She forced a smile. “I’ll give it a try. We can’t keep her confined forever.”
Moira opened the door to her, appearing far less worn and troubled. “It’s good to see you, River.”
“And you. How are you doing?”
“Better. I see Toni individually and a few of us have met to support one another in a group setting. Only time and a safe place is going to get most past what happened. And even then…”
She couldn’t imagine. Her thoughts about being claimed and at another’s mercy weren’t even accurate and she’d been tortured by them, but these women had experienced far worse.
“How’s Denise?”
Moira shrugged. “The same. I quit taking trays up to her, thinking she’d be forced to come out of her room, but I got worried she’d starve to death. Not that she’s eating much of what I bring her.”
“Who’s her mate?” River had no idea what possessed her to ask.
“The—” The redhead blanched, her already pale skin turning nearly gray. She took a step back.
“Moira.” River breathed the other woman’s name. “What are you doing?”
Glancing over her shoulder, she reached for River’s arm. “Can we talk in private?”
She let the female escort her to the kitchen and they huddled in a corner. Moira whispered, “Denise had no choice. He—the Regent—forced his claim on her, and you know what transpires with a mating heat. She was powerless against him.”
“But why hide it? It’s not her fault. Did she—did you—think the members of this pack would retaliate against her?”
“No. At least not once we got to know some of you. You’ve been nothing but kind. But Denise is resigned to her fate, and only wants to die.”
“What?”
“Shh.” Moira glanced toward the kitchen door. “She knows he’s still alive and out there. There will be no escaping him. Claiming is for life, remember?”
“Then Jett will increase the efforts to track him down. And—” Holy crap. She was about to pronounce a death sentence on the Regent’s head. A thought struck her. “Does she … I mean, has she developed an attachment?”
Moira snorted. “There are a couple of female shifters I know that would get off on being humiliated and tormented and fall for their captor, but Denise isn’t one of them. She’s mortally afraid an
d shamed. And she’s pregnant.”
“Jeez.”
“Exactly.”
“You should have told us all of this before.”
With a shrug, the other woman said, “I hoped the asshole would be tracked down and die in the struggle when your men caught up with him. It would have solved the dilemma. But as for Denise, I’m not sure she’s ever going to talk to anyone again.”
Her heart ached for Denise, but she had bigger worries. “I need to talk to Jett. What if that male finds her?”
Moira looked uneasy, shifting her weight and scanning the room. “How would he know where to look for her?”
“He’ll know Jett freed you. Wolves are predators, Moira. And excellent trackers. Have you forgotten?”
Pressing a hand against her mouth, the redhead trembled. “I’ve been too messed up to think about it.”
“Of course. I’m sorry. We’ll put more men on the house as soon as possible.” She texted the essentials to Austin who instantly responded, telling her to remain inside until further notice. She and Moira watched out the window, and she tried not to be furious at the other woman.
It felt like an eternity, but only minutes passed before two vehicles pulled up and disgorged several large males. Most faded into the surrounding shrubbery, but two mounted the steps. She recognized his step first. Jett strode into the house and came straight to her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” And she was because he was here. The feeling of being safe around him hadn’t changed.
“We’re moving the majority of the women to various transfer points. They’ll be met by members of their pack and taken home. Time is now of the essence. The ones who can’t go back will be placed here with certain families until they’re back on their feet.”
“And Denise?”
“She’ll be taken to a place more easily guarded, and looked after. We’ll double our efforts to find her mate if he’s still in the area. If not, well, she’ll be moved across the country.”
“You’ve gone to a great deal of trouble for us, Alpha. It’s appreciated.” Moira spoke up, wringing her hands.
“All of you put yourselves in danger by not disclosing Denise’s connection. You put my mate and my sister in danger, your therapists.” Jett’s anger was cold and all the more frightening because of it.
Bound by Destiny (Blue Star Shifters Book 1) Page 14