“Mine,” I growled before sinking my fangs into her flesh. As I bit down, there was a jolt in my chest as my breath seized.
“Oh God!” she screamed as she flew over the edge and clenched tight around me.
I gently released my hold on her shoulder and licked at the wound as her pussy fluttered around my cock. Grabbing her hips as I hammered inside, I was desperate to spill my seed inside her. With each thrust, one word echoed in my head.
Mine.
Fire licked through my brain when her eyes locked with mine. She gazed at me with an understanding and a love so pure I almost couldn’t believe it was aimed my way. It was the last thing I saw as my climax roared through me.
We both must have passed out, because when I awoke hours later, it was already midafternoon. Grace slept peacefully next to me, and the dark smudges under her eyes were almost gone. I left her asleep as I made my way down to the kitchen. A different kind of hunger was calling to me now, and I was sure my mate would be famished also.
After I put on a pot of coffee, I was pulling the ingredients I would need to make omelets when there was a knock on the kitchen door. Spencer opened it and walked in before I could respond.
“You can’t do that anymore,” I barked out.
“Do what?” he asked.
“Walk into my home. Not with my mate living here. From now on, wait until one of us answers the door before you come inside.”
Spencer breathed deeply at my words and his eyes lit with happiness for me as realization crossed his face. “Mated and marked all in one night?”
I smirked at him over the mug of coffee I poured myself before sitting down at the counter. “You should try it sometime.”
“I’m not sure Eliza is going to give me the chance to do that,” he muttered.
“Who’s Eliza?” Grace asked as she walked into the room.
She moved to sit down on the stool next to me, but I pulled her onto my lap instead.
“Spencer’s mate.”
“Oh,” Grace clapped her hands together in delight. “I didn’t know you were mated too. When can I meet her?”
“Shit,” Spencer muttered.
Grace looked up at me with a concerned expression. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“Well, that’s what you get when you refuse to see what’s sitting right in front of your nose,” I told her. “Spencer managed to convince himself that Eliza couldn’t possibly be his mate, so he hasn’t mated, marked, or claimed her yet even though they’ve been sleeping together for the past year.”
“Shut up, Hunter. Your mate doesn’t need to know about my problems,” he grumbled.
“Sure I do,” she disagreed. “Hunter’s your alpha and your brother and I’m his mate. That makes me the perfect person to come to when you have woman troubles. Especially human ones.”
“Eliza isn’t human,” Spencer admitted. “She’s a wolf like us.”
“Wouldn’t she have known she was your mate all this time too?” Grace asked. “Why is it all your fault then?”
I looked to Spencer as he hung his head in shame. “She came to us a lone wolf, leery of connecting with anyone. Eliza was willing to accept me as her alpha, but Spencer was the only one she was willing to let inside her walls.”
“But that’s good, right?” she asked.
“Not when the first thing I did was let her know she was good enough to sleep with but not mate with,” Spencer admitted.
“You didn’t!” Grace gasped.
“Not exactly in so many words, but yeah, I made it pretty damn clear early on that I was interested in one thing from her—sex. The only thing giving me hope right now is that she let me stay in her bed this long. She knows she’s my mate. I just need to earn her trust so she’s willing to let me mark her.”
“It’s not easy to repair trust, especially if she’s been hurt before,” Grace told him quietly.
“I don’t have any other choice,” he replied.
I looked at my mate and knew he was right. My brother would need to figure out a way to make Eliza forgive him. Otherwise, he’d end up spending his days alone when she eventually left him. Before making Grace mine, I would have thought that he might have been able to recover from his loss and live his life. Now, I knew better. There was no life for me without Grace in it, and he’d be devastated if he truly lost Eliza.
Ten
Grace
The last couple of days before the full moon flew by. Hunter and I spent the time getting to know each other better. Life as his mate was better than anything I could have imagined. He introduced me to the rest of his pack, and they were more welcoming than I’d expected. It made me miss my friends, but I knew I couldn’t reach out to any of them or it would cast suspicion our way when Sam was reported missing. My friend Sarah had been right when she’d told me that I’d had to run and never look back. That part of my life was over and I was moving onto a new one with Hunter now. And soon, he would claim me as his in front of his pack.
I watched Hunter walk up behind me as I brushed my hair in the mirror in preparation for the ceremony. I was dressed in a short, white dress that flowed around me. Presumably so it would be easier for me to run in it and easier for Hunter to take me once he caught me.
“Mine,” Hunter growled in my ear. “You’ve been mine from the moment I first saw you. It feels like I’ve waited ages to claim you.”
“Ages? It’s been, like, five minutes,” I teased.
“Maybe in human years, but in wolf time, it’s been forever. If you were wolf, I would have claimed you the first full moon after we met,” he explained.
It was hard to believe that, less than a week ago, I hadn’t known of the existence of shifters, yet here I was, talking about their mating habits with Hunter as I prepared for our claiming ceremony. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of loss over the time we’d missed out on to be together even though I felt slightly ridiculous at the thought since our relationship had progressed beyond the speed of light. And in moments, we would join his brothers and pack members for the claiming ceremony. I was equal parts excited and scared about what was to come.
My thoughts must have shown on my face, because Hunter wrapped me up in a hug. “I talked to them and everyone understands that you’re less comfortable with the ceremony because you’re human. They will give us more privacy in deference to your feelings.”
“I hate the thought of you losing out because I’m human,” I admitted.
“Probably not as much as I hate that there are things you must do because I’m wolf,” he countered. “But then I remember that I don’t feel like I’ve lost anything by being with you. How could I when you’ve given me the world?”
My heart melted at his words. He was right. There should have been no doubts or regrets between us. Even though our backgrounds were so different, fate had brought us together because we were meant to belong to each other.
“It’s only fair because you’ve given it right back to me.”
“You ready to do this thing?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said, placing my hand in his so he could lead me outside where everyone was waiting for us.
We walked hand-in-hand through his backyard to the edge of the tree line. His pack members waited in a circle, and several stepped aside as we approached so we could join them.
Spencer was waiting in the middle. As Hunter’s beta, he would perform the ceremony that preceded the chase. Hunter turned to face me, holding my hands and looking down at me with his unique mixture of love, lust, and possessiveness. My focus was completely on him as Spencer spoke in the background. Soon, it was almost time for me to run. His pack members—my new family—repeated Spencer’s words and blessed our mating.
Hunter leaned down and captured my lips in a quick kiss before rubbing his cheek along my jaw. “Run,” he whispered huskily.
So I did. I raced through the forest, my heart pounding with the excitement of the chase. Knowing my mate was hunting me filled me with a buzz
I hadn’t expected. When he’d first told me about the ceremony, I’d been appalled by the idea. I’d agreed only because I knew how much it meant to Hunter and his pack. I’d never expected to enjoy this so much.
When I heard rustling leaves behind me, I increased my pace. The snap of a twig to my left startled me, and I swiftly changed direction. The twist of my body sent me hurtling to the ground unexpectedly, but I never made it all the way down. Warm hands gripped my waist as Hunter lifted me in the air.
“Hunter!” I squealed in surprise when he turned me in his arms. Wrapping my arms and legs around him, I raised my lips for a kiss.
“Looks like I have perfect timing,” he murmured after he was done ravaging my mouth. “It wouldn’t do to have the alpha’s mate get hurt during her claiming, would it?”
“Like you’d let me be hurt any other time?” I asked.
“Never,” he swore. “Not while there is a single breath left in my body.”
My heart melted with the knowledge that this amazing man meant his oath with every fiber of his being. Hunter would never allow anything to harm me ever again. Meeting him made all the pain that had come before worth it because I knew he’d do everything in his power to make the rest of our days together happy ones.
“I love you,” I whispered into his ear.
Hunter’s arms tightened around me as he shuddered at my words. His eyes glowed yellow in the night, and I knew his wolf was close to the surface. I probably should have been frightened by the sight, but I knew the beast inside him would never hurt me because I was his just as much as I was Hunter’s.
“Down,” he rumbled, which sent shivers up my spine as he placed me on the ground on my hands and knees.
Wrapping his hands around my thighs, he brought both of my legs together. Then I heard the sound of ripping fabric before I felt cool air against my bare skin.
“Fuck, you’re so sexy.”
My skin tingled as his lips trailed from my ass cheeks up my spine.
“This is going to be fast, Gracie-mine. But I promise I’ll make it up to you when we get back to the house. Okay?”
“Yes,” I hissed.
He placed his feet outside of my legs and put his hands on my waist, using my body to steady himself as he squatted over me. He was in total control of my body as I passively lay beneath him.
“Fuck, you’re so goddamn tight like this,” he growled.
I squeezed my legs closer together and my action drew a moan from Hunter’s throat. He changed his angle of entry the tiniest bit and his cock rubbed nerve endings I hadn’t known existed. I was surprised to find myself enjoying this so much, and I reached my hand underneath my body so I could rub my clit as he thrust in and out of my pussy.
When one of his hands grabbed my hair, he wrapped it around his fist so he could pull me into him as he hammered into me. His total domination sparked the submissive side of me I never knew existed. My hands were getting tired, so I leaned farther down to rest on my shoulders and chest. This opened me up further to Hunter’s relentless thrusts and seemed to send him closer to the edge.
“Claim me. Come for me,” I urged him.
With one last flick of my clit, I slid my hand along my body until my fingertips glided over his balls. As I pushed back against him, his thrusts felt even more powerful.
“Not without you,” he demanded before reaching under me to start rubbing my clit.
Stars burst across my eyes as my climax rolled over me. I felt Hunter’s cock jerk inside of my pussy as he continued to thrust in and out, filling me with his come. As my thoughts finally settled, I realized I could feel his heartbeat as if it were my own. His pleasure was mine as though he lived and breathed inside me. And he did because he was the other half of my soul.
“I love you, Gracie-mine,” he whispered in my ear.
I’d heard him say the words before, but this time, I felt them down to my soul. The new bond between us showed me exactly how much he meant those words.
“And I love you, my mate,” I replied.
Hunter trembled, showing me how deeply my love affected him. He pulled my dress down over my hips and tossed me over his shoulder before marching through the forest, past his pack members, who were celebrating our claiming, and into the house.
After tossing me on the bed, Hunter climbed in next to me.
“Shouldn’t we be down there with everyone else?” I asked. “It is our party, after all.”
“There are advantages to being alpha. One of which is doing what I want. And right now, I want to lie here and smell me all over you.” Hunter made a contented huffing noise in his throat.
Turning my head to my shoulder, I sniffed my skin. “Are you trying to tell me I stink?”
“Only if you think I do,” he quipped, knowing damn well how addicted I was to his scent. “Things are different in the shifter world. The bonds with our mates are sacred and, as such, are made as obvious as possible to all others so there is no mistaking the link.”
“Sacred,” I repeated on a sigh. “I like the sound of that.”
“And I like knowing that any male shifter you meet will know you belong to me. My bite has marked you for them to see and my scent has mixed with yours for them to smell. There will be no excuses if anyone dares to touch you.” He growled out the last sentence as though the mere thought of another male being close were more than he could bear.
“You’ve rescued me, marked me, and claimed me. I don’t think you need to worry about anyone ever mistaking me for anything but yours,” I reassured him.
“There is one thing I haven’t done yet,” he replied.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Marry you. In the eyes of all shifters, you’re mine. And maybe that’s enough for some, but not for me. I want the entire world to know you belong to me. I want you to take my name in the human world as well. It’s not just my wolf that fell in love with you, after all. You own all the parts of me. It’s only fair I do the same with you.”
Epilogue
Hunter
Six Months Later
I kept my promise to Grace that we get married before the end of the year, giving her six months to plan our wedding—more than enough time for the simple ceremony she said she wanted. I wanted to give her the big fairytale wedding with a huge dress, church vows, and hundreds of guests, but she insisted that small was better. It wasn’t until I found her sitting in the rocking chair on our porch, staring at a picture of her parents on their wedding day, that I understood why she wanted to keep it small.
There was no family left for her to invite. Nobody to sit on her side of a church since none of her friends knew where she was. And nobody to give her away. It still wasn’t safe for her to call her old friends because Sam’s disappearance was an open case Spencer was keeping his eye on for us. I couldn’t fix that problem for my mate, but I could share my family with her.
Working at the bar meant Grace had gotten to know Parker well. If I wasn’t there to watch over her while she was working, he was there to take care of her for me. Although it was debatable who took care of whom since Grace treated him like her beloved baby brother. So when I’d asked him if he would make this day more special for Grace by walking her down the aisle to me, he’d leapt at the chance to show her how much she’d come to mean to him.
Spencer stood by my side as my best man. As crazy as it sounded, considering where things stood between Spencer and Eliza, I was standing under an arch she had decorated with flowers. It was her surprise for Grace this morning. She said that she’d had a happy dream about our wedding day and wanted to do what she could to make sure it came true. Although Eliza wasn’t ready to allow Spencer to mark her, she and Grace had become friends over the last few months. I hoped it was a sign she was softening towards my brother and would relent sooner rather than later.
My pack mates were seated in rows of white chairs, some of whom I worried would break them because they looked so dainty under the bigger shifters. A bed o
f rose petals lined the path Grace would take when she came to me. When the wedding march began, my eyes were drawn to the sliding glass door as it opened. Eliza stepped out in her deep-purple bridesmaid dress, and her eyes locked with Spencer’s as she walked down the aisle and stood to the side, leaving room for Grace. And then there she was. My Grace was walking towards me, arm in arm with Parker.
She was stunning in her simple, white wedding dress. The wind picked up and her hair fluttered in the air as her skirt billowed behind her. I hadn’t seen her since last night because Eliza had urged her to keep some of the wedding traditions, so she’d spent the night over at her house. Grace’s giggles when we’d spoken on the phone and she’d told me that it would be bad luck if I came over and kidnapped her had made the night apart worthwhile.
Finally, she made her way to me, and Parker placed her hands in mine.
“Grace,” I whispered, leaning down to kiss her cheek.
Before my lips reached her skin, her scent hit me. It had changed. My head whipped up and I stared into her eyes. They were shining with happiness.
“I’m guessing I can’t keep this a secret based on the way you and Parker both reacted the second either of you got close enough to smell me,” she whispered, smiling up at me with tears rolling down her cheeks.
I looked up at my baby brother to find him with a shit-eating grin on his face. As my gaze moved back to Grace, I saw the smile on Eliza’s face and realized that her dream had been of this moment—Grace pregnant with my child as we exchanged vows with each other under a burst of flowers.
Shoot for the Moon
Crying Wolf, Shoot for the Moon, Thrown to the Wolves Page 8