by Vaughn, V.
“Tea sounds like a good idea.”
I begin to walk to the kitchen, and Ergan stands. “Sit. I’ll do it.”
“Thanks. Just the lemon tea in the tin is fine.” I plop down and back myself into the corner as I grab a throw pillow to hug. The velour of the covering is soft, and I stroke it with my fingers.
Ergan returns and hands me a mug. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”
Tears fill my eyes, and I shake my head. I take a deep breath to control my emotions. “I thought I could handle him now. I thought maybe he wasn’t as bad as I’d remembered.”
Ergan frowns in confusion, but he doesn’t ask questions. After he sits on the other end of the sofa I say, “That guy was my ex-boyfriend, and we haven’t been together for over a year.” I close my eyes as tears roll down my cheeks, and I whisper, “I guess I can’t protect myself after all.”
Ergan says, “Don’t. You’re the most capable woman I know.” I open my eyes, and he smiles. “I hear you make damn good muffins, too.”
“Yeah?”
He nods and opens his arms for me. I slide over and lean on his chest. He’s warm, and I want him to wrap around me like a blanket. He says, “Let me tell you about this amazing woman I know.”
Ergan talks about all the things I’ve done well in the past, and the extent of his knowledge about me makes me blush. Our conversation fades, and we’re silent for a while before he says, “Let’s talk about your favorite subject: werewolves.”
I sit up and grab my tea to hide my embarrassment. I spouted on about werewolves with my version of the concept, and it’s probably so wrong. “You must think I’m such an idiot.”
“No. I think you’re pretty damn smart.”
“So you’re—” I can’t believe this is real. I take a deep breath and try again. ”A werewolf.”
He nods.
“Did you save me tonight?”
“No. That was Warren. I didn’t get here in time.”
I let out a dry laugh. “I think I’ll be making a lot of muffins.” I shudder, imagining what would have happened if my neighbor hadn’t been close. “Wait, what do you mean you didn’t get here in time?”
“I heard you cry for help, but Warren was much closer and got here first.”
I hold my mug in both my hands, and the searing heat makes me think of Ergan’s touch. “Where were you?”
“Home.”
“But that’s all the way across the lake,” I say. “You must have amazing hearing.”
“Yes. Especially when it comes to you.”
I swallow my mouthful of tea with a gulp. Is that a true mate thing? “Are we…?”
He holds a hand out to me. “We’re true mates, Kayla.”
Ergan is my true mate. I set down my mug on the side table with a thump, and I grasp on to him as I slide out of my corner. I recall the way I couldn’t resist staring at him all these years. “How exactly does that work?” I ask.
“A lot like you think it does. I’m yours forever if you want me to be.” He lifts my hand up and threads his fingers through mine. “But you do have the option of walking away. You’re still human and can live a very happy life without me.”
Still human. “What about you?”
He scoots forward, and our knees touch. He gazes into my eyes for a moment. “I’d know that I tried, and it wasn’t meant to be.”
I recall the way my heart soared with happiness whenever I caught him looking at me in school. The memory of our first kiss is like a brand seared into my soul. Ergan is my destiny, and I’d be a fool not to accept that. I shake my head. “I don’t want a life without you.”
“Do you understand what that means?” He traces along my jaw with his finger, and I lift my chin as he moves it down my neck.
“I think so.” He stops at the hollow part above my chest and lets the heat of him seep into me. I say, “I need to become a werewolf, too, right?”
“If we want a family, yes, you do.”
I reach out and touch his lips. “You have to bite me, don’t you?”
He nods. I lean forward and kiss him. Once I start, I can’t stop, and I don’t think Ergan can, either. I climb over his lap and settle down on his. His cock is thick and hard, and I press down on it to gyrate as we devour each other. Breaking away to breathe, he chants, “Kayla, Kayla, my sweet Kayla.”
Salty musk is delicious on my tongue as I make my way down his neck. I move back to take a moment to gaze into his eyes, and Ergan says, “I love you. I’ve always loved you.”
Fresh tears fill my eyes, and I say, “I love you, too.” I stare at the man that can make me smile with a glance. “Take me upstairs.”
Ergan’s strong hands lift me by my thighs as he stands up, and I wrap my legs around his waist as he walks. I kiss his neck and face as he climbs the stairs and only stop when he lowers me to the bed. He reaches for the bottom of the sweatshirt I pulled on and says, “Let’s improve my view.”
I smile as I raise my arms to assist him. I didn’t put on a bra, and his low groan when he sees me makes my core clench with desire. Ergan drops to his knees and works my breasts with his hands as he suckles me. I revel in his attention, and when his hands reach for my shorts, I lie back so he can remove them. He pulls my panties down at the same time, and I gasp when he drags his tongue up my thigh. I open my legs to him, and he lets out a low growl before he latches on for a taste of my nectar.
“Oh, god.” I squirm under his mouth as he brings me to the point of no return. My cries seem to increase his ministrations, and I’m a trembling mess as I push him away. I ache for him inside me. I sit up as he stands and places his hands on the waistband of his shorts.
“Should I improve your view?”
“Yes. Please.”
He tugs the shorts down and steps over to me. “I need to claim you, Kayla. I need you to be mine.” He glances around the room. “Condom?”
“No. I am yours, Ergan. Forever.” He crawls over me, and his cock is smooth and hot as I help guide him into me. I sigh as he sinks deep. “You feel so right.”
He slides out slowly, “You feel amazing.” Ergan pushes back in, and I lift my hips to get as much as I can.
I moan as he moves agonizingly slowly. I want more, and when he begins to pump faster, I grip his butt and let him fill me. And he does, but it’s more than physical. Our connection is bone deep, and when my orgasm hits, I’m back in the water.
Ergan chants my name slowly as if it’s the air he breathes. “Kayla, Kayla, oh, Kayla.” It’s the voice I heard. He’s the wolf and the man that saved me. He shudders with his release and lies down beside me.
Sweat is damp on his skin, and I lift up on my elbow to kiss his shoulder. “You saved me the day I fell, didn’t you?”
“Yes. I saw you and dove in, but I needed to be human to get you out. Warren was nearby and came when I called for help. But he discovered that I broke a very important rule by shifting in front of you.”
“Is that why he doesn’t like me?”
“He likes you; he just didn’t know if we could trust you with our secret. Warren is the beta of our pack and a big deal.” Ergan combs his fingers through my hair to push it away from my face. “I wanted to tell you, but I’m on probation, and if they find out you know, I’ll be cast out.”
“But how are you supposed to claim me as your mate if I don’t know?”
“That is tricky, isn’t it? We tell our mate when we’re sure they’ll be open to the idea. You weren’t exactly in a position for me to discuss things first.”
This is stupid. I know what I need to do. “Well, it doesn’t matter now, because I’m committed to you.”
He reaches up and pulls me down for a kiss. “Good. Now shut up and kiss me.”
Chapter 12
The next morning, I wake early. I glance over at the man in my bed and want to taste every inch of his gorgeous body. I smile imagining the ways I could make him rise. But I have something important to get out of the way fi
rst. The sheets are smooth against my legs, and I slither out slowly. I put myself together quickly and tiptoe down the stairs.
There are at least a dozen cookies that survived last night, and I place them on a small plate before I slip out of the house to go visit Warren. The cooler temperatures have arrived, and dew is chilly on my toes as I walk across the grass in my flip-flops. I didn’t think and also wore shorts and a tank top. I’ve got goose bumps by the time I get to my neighbor’s door.
I knock softly, but I’m positive Warren’s an early riser, and he answers the door dressed for the day. I smile at him. “I’ve got cookies, and in my family, they’re a perfectly acceptable breakfast.”
He doesn’t smile back as he opens the door. “Come on in.”
Whoa. He’s letting me into his domain. Or is it a wolf den? I step inside his house and immediately remove my wet shoes. He takes the plate from me and sets it on a small kitchen table. The aroma of dark-roast coffee floats to my nose, and the pot clatters as he removes it from the machine. He pours a mug and hands it to me. “Cream?”
I shake my head and sit at the table when he does. He reaches for a cookie, and I watch him take a bite as if his reaction will tell me everything I need to know. His mouth works slowly, and the suspense is killing me. I blurt out. “Thank you for last night.”
Warren lifts his mug and takes a sip as he stares at me. When he swallows, he says, “You’re welcome. Was that your boyfriend?”
“Ex.”
“Pansy ass.”
A snort of laughter comes out of me before I can stop it. I clear my throat and take a sip of coffee. It’s strong enough to be rocket fuel, and I fight the grimace. I’m not sure why I expected a watery diner version.
“You’re not here just to thank me, are you?”
“No. I’m here to tell you I want to be Ergan’s mate. Or whatever it is I need to say.”
“You understand that means you’ll have to become one of us.” He takes another bite of his cookie.
I nod, and it occurs to me that it’s probably a painful process. I take another sip of my drink and let the bitter flavor sink in like reality. “I do. But Ergan and I belong together, and I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”
“Do you make pie?”
It’s an odd question to throw into a serious discussion, but I’m learning this is Warren’s way. “Yes. What’s your favorite?”
“Blueberry, but don’t put that thickening stuff in it. I like the juice to run right out and be a soupy mess the next day.”
“Got it. Are we done here?”
“Yes. Go tell that boy to bite you.”
I smile at Warren, and he grins back at me as he reaches for another cookie.
When I get outside I want to skip but jog to my house instead. I begin to strip off my clothes once I get inside and am naked by the time I get to my bedroom. Ergan is awake and sitting against the headboard. His hands are behind his head, making the muscles in his arms bulge. I take in his amazing physique. “Guess what?”
“You went to see Warren.”
“Uh-huh.” I crawl on the bed and smile as his gaze falls to my breasts. I nuzzle his neck with my nose as he lowers his hands and places them on my waist. “And guess what he told me to do?”
“I don’t know. What?”
I straddle his lap, and just a sheet is in the way of what I want. I nip at his earlobe and whisper, “Bite me.”
Ergan growls and flips me over so that he’s hovering above me. “This probably hurts.”
“I know.”
He nips at my neck with his lips, and I flinch. “This means you’ll still have to be with me when I wear Warren shorts for real.”
“Yeah? You get stuck with me when I’m fat and wrinkly.”
He leans down and grazes my neck with his teeth, and I inhale sharply. “You’ll still taste just as good.”
Ergan opens his mouth, and wolf canines grow. He lets out a low growl and asks, “Now where should I do it?” He lowers his mouth to scrape his teeth against my breast, and I quiver in anticipation. “Naw, nobody would see it there.” He moves lower to my belly and tickles me when he flicks out his tongue.
“Stop torturing me,” I say.
When he moves between my legs I jerk back, and deep laughter comes from him. He lifts up to gaze at me, and his teeth are back to human form. “I’m told the best way to do this is when you’re about to come. You’ll rocket right to the moon.”
“Really?”
He nods and lowers his mouth to lick my folds. I grab hold of his hair and squeak out, “I like that idea.”
When I’m on the edge of coming, Ergan rises up and thrusts into me. I arch my hips up as my climax builds. “I’m so close.”
“Kayla.” I gaze up and watch his mouth open as he pumps fast. I begin to quake, and he latches on to my shoulder. The sharp puncture of his teeth makes me gasp, but I’m quickly overtaken by an orgasm that shakes me beyond belief. I scream and thrash as it continues. Somewhere in the middle of it, the heat of Ergan’s seed explodes in me, and as it coats my insides, it’s as if a part of him seeps into my very being. And I sink into oblivion.
His tongue is rough against my skin as he laps at my wound. I melt under his careful attention. My mate asks, “Are you okay?”
“I’m not sure. I’m still in orbit.”
Ergan chuckles. “Crash back down and be with me, baby.”
I reach up and place my hand on his cheek. His morning stubble is prickly, and I move my hand down to let it scrape my palm. “I’ll always be with you, Ergan. And if anyone tries to take you away, they’ll have to kill me first.” The weight of my gun in my hand comes to mind, but I push it away quickly when I realize I no longer need a gun.
“Ah, my true bloodthirsty mate. Just wait until you shift for the first time. You’re going to love this.”
Chapter 13
Within hours of my becoming a werewolf and completing the true mate bond with Ergan, he announces that I will be attending his family’s Labor Day barbecue. I’ve just finished cleaning the kitchen, and I walk over to sit on the couch with him. I grab a throw pillow to hold in my lap and ask, “Wait. What if I shift by accident? Wouldn’t that be like a major fail in front of my in-laws-to-be?”
“Hmmm, and my brothers. Because when you shift back, you’ll be naked.” I glance at him in horror, and he grins back. “Kidding.”
“Seriously.” I stroke the velour fabric, imagining what my first shift might feel like.
Ergan removes the pillow from my clutches and takes my hand. “You have to focus to shift. Would you like to try it now?”
I nod as he stands. He pulls me up, and I freeze. “Wait.” He gazes at me, and I hunch up my shoulders as I ask, “Will it hurt?”
“No. I’m sure it will be strange for you, but it doesn’t hurt.”
I sigh in relief. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
He tugs me along by my hand, and we go out my front door. I glance around at the dirt driveway and woodlands that surround the area. It’s as if nothing happened, but everything has changed.
Ergan lifts his shirt over his head, and I do the same. When I’m standing naked across from the man I love, I start to giggle. “I feel ridiculous.”
My mate’s gaze scans my body. “That’s not how you look.” He winks at me.
I glance at the pile of our clothes. “I should install some hooks out here.”
“Naw.” Ergan takes my hand, and I notice it no longer sears me, although the touch still races right to my heart. “I’ve got plenty of hooks at my house.”
Is he suggesting I move in with him? “Oh.”
He leans down and kisses me quickly. “I am.”
“What?”
“I heard what you thought.”
“Oh my god. That part’s true too?”
“Yes.”
I squeal. “That’s so cool.”
“You ready to shift?”
I nod.
Ergan
says, “I’ll be able to talk to you when you’re a wolf, so if anything scares you, just tell me.”
I’m trembling with nerves. “I need to get this over with before I chicken out.”
“Okay. Focus on the wolf inside you as you walk in a circle like this.” He paces in a tight ring the way a dog does to make his bed comfortable. When he stops, he asks, “Ready?”
I copy his motions and search for the beast within me. A low rumble I’m not conscious of creating comes from my throat, and it’s almost as if a part of me feels trapped. I picture my arms and legs growing hair, and when the impact of my hands landing on the ground radiates through my arms, I realize they’re actually legs.
The world around me is so vibrant that it almost quivers with color, and I can see details on the trees that are as if I’m looking at things with a microscope. Ergan communicates with me. “Look at your paws. You’re gorgeous.”
I glance down at the detail of my fur. I’m various shades of gray, and it is beautiful. “Oh, Ergan. You did good.”
“C’mon.”
He takes off in a slow trot, and I follow. We wind through trees in the woods, and I get used to using four legs. My feet are quick, and I’m so amazed at my agility that I begin to hop over things. When I figure out how powerful I am, I gallop and play a game of tag with Ergan.
I’m reminded of soccer and wonder if we could do this with a ball. When we slow down, he walks us toward a house. My mate says, “Welcome to your new home.”
I watch as Ergan repeats the same process he used to shift, and then I do the same. This time I imagine my human form, and the change happens quickly. I shake out my muscles. “That didn’t hurt at all.”
“You’re a natural,” he says.
I glance at the home before me. It’s white wood with dark-green shutters that have a wolf cutout on them, and the screen door has the same design on the push bar. “I love it.”
Ergan takes my hand. “Come see the inside.”
When we enter, he hands me a large button-down shirt, and the cotton is soft on my skin when I put it on. The scent of my mate travels to my nose, and my wolf lets out a content sigh. The layout of Ergan’s house is similar to mine, and I wander over to his sliding glass door to gaze out over the water. I ask, “Where are we in relation to where I live?”